(Thunderclouds...Lightning striking)...(A voice in the background)
Skull...Dust...Blood...Scars! Not once had the darkness been conquered, not once had the red skies become clear...for the land had been so barren, filled with trees, flowers so withered away, and the soil so hot like the fire from the dawn of creation. A kingdom that had been ruled by a supreme ruler where no one ever went against his wishes. The ancient kingdom...the land of misery...the Kingdom of CHAOS!!! (Lightning striking).
(Voice slowly fading away)...
The sky was darkening ominously as thunder was rolling in the distance, reflecting the immense power that was about to unfold. As the waves were crashing violently against the jagged cliffs of the Valley of the Damned, Michael was gripping his sword tightly, the dull metal feeling insufficient in the face of the legendary Leviathan. The air was growing thick with tension, electric with anticipation, and the distant roar of thunder was merging seamlessly with the creature's growl, creating an unsettling harmony that was echoing across the turbulent waters.
With a sudden surge, the Leviathan was breaking the surface, its massive, scaled body arching majestically beneath the stormy sky. Michael's heart was racing, adrenaline coursing through his veins like fire. The ancient beast's eyes, deep and ancient as the abyss, were locking onto him, and in that moment, the angel was feeling the weight of millennia bearing down upon him. He was a mere flicker of light against the primordial darkness.
The Leviathan's tail, thick and powerful, was arcing through the air, crashing down towards Michael like a falling mountain. Reacting on instinct, he was diving to the side just in time, the impact of the tail sending a shockwave that nearly knocked him off his feet. He was rolling to recover, his heart pounding, and scrambling to find his footing.
"We just had to create an unstoppable monster!" he was muttering to himself, forcing a determined smile, though despair was nearly creeping in. He was remembering the glory he once wielded...his mighty angelic wings that could part clouds, radiance that could blind even the fiercest demons. But now, without his powers, he was feeling mere mortal anxiety.
With a battle cry, he was charging forward, his sword held high. As he was approaching, the Leviathan's serpentine body was twisting, its scales glittering ominously, reflecting the fleeting light of the stormy sky. Michael was aiming for its vulnerable underbelly, but the creature was far more agile than he had expected. The Leviathan was coiling, and in one fluid motion, it was lunging at him, jaws wide and fangs bared, illuminating the darkness like a nightmare come to life.
Michael was barely evading the onslaught, rolling away in the muddy shallows, but not unscathed. One of Leviathan's massive teeth was grazing his shoulder, leaving a deep gash that was throbbing with pain. Gritting his teeth, he was pushing through the agony, using it to fuel his resolve.
"This isn't how it ends!" he was yelling, lunging back at the unparalleled monster before him. His movements were being fueled by the desperation of survival as he was slashing at the Leviathan's side, his blade glinting in the sporadic flashes of lightning above. The sword was striking true against the creature's scales, sending a shower of sparks into the air. Yet, much to his dismay, the metal was dulling against the hardened exterior, barely leaving a mark.
The Leviathan was letting out a deafening roar, a sound that seemed to shake the very earth beneath him, and was whipping its tail in retaliation. Michael was quickly dodging again, his breath coming in sharp gasps as he felt the rush of wind from the tail's passage brush past him. "That was close. If I had decided to move a second late, I would have lost my head. If only I had my powers!" he was saying in a frustrating manner.
Meanwhile, back in Desire's castle, the Duke was preparing a feast. He had been receiving a report from the supreme ruler who had announced his arrival in a few days. "Prepare the best of everything in the castle. My old friend is visiting," Desire had said in a monstrous tone as he commanded his household. They had all bowed before him and had begun to carry out his plans. Suddenly, a figure had emerged from his shadow and had bowed before him. "He hasn't been here for a very long time, my liege. What would become of your plans if he found out you have the human?" the figure had spoken humbly.
"That would be problematic. He must not know! Especially about the human we have obtained. Is she not yet broken? What have you been doing all this while, Defeat?" Desire had said in a monstrous tone as he sat on his throne.
"Forgive me, my liege. I believed she would soon be broken. Even the strongest of wills could not resist the room of reflection. Your plans would not be stopped," he had said as he bowed his head gracefully.
"I was placing my trust in you then. Everything was having to go as I had ordered. You were to guard the human during the banquet and remember...you were not to be seen! He was attending also," Desire was saying with a serious expression on his face. Defeat was bowing as he returned to the shadows.
{Note: Defeat was the figure who fought Grimoire in chapter 6}
"This would become a blood banquet!" Desire was saying while laughing hysterically. The castle was beginning to tremble as his laughter echoed.
However, Michael was going through a life-and-death situation at the gateway. His sword had shattered during one of Leviathan's heavy blows. His vision was fading as he was struggling to stand his ground.
"I couldn't let it end this way. I had to save her," he let out a war cry as he was charging at the Leviathan with every ounce of strength left in him. The Leviathan's eyes, ancient and deep, were focusing on Michael. With a swift flick of its tail, it was generating a colossal wave that crashed toward the cliffs, threatening to engulf him. He launched himself into a rapid succession of strikes, his fists glowing with energy as they soared toward the Leviathan. Each punch was being fueled by enhanced strength, crackling with intensity as they aimed for the monster's protruding jaw. The creature twisted its massive body, evading the strike but not the shockwave that rippled through the ocean's surface, sending sprays of water cascading into the air. With a retaliatory swipe of its enormous tail, the Leviathan unleashed a torrent of water in a vicious arc. Michael was bracing against the deluge, channeling his abilities to deflect the onslaught and pivot onto the attack. With another powerful leap, Michael soared above the beast, launching a devastating kick aimed at the Leviathan's snout. The impact resonated like thunder, sending vibrations through the water beneath as the creature recoiled, letting out a mighty roar that rippled across the shoreline.
Unfazed, the Leviathan was adjusting its stance, glistening scales reflecting the dim light like armor as it was preparing for the next onslaught. With great ferocity, it surged forward, head lowered, and charged towards him. Suddenly, everything was standing still as if time had stopped. Images were flying through Michael's mind in a flash. They were memories he had long forgotten—a time when he was once revered as God's chosen and the strongest in Heaven.
"Have you forgotten who you are? Sure, everyone seemed to doubt you since you were very upright, kind, and compassionate. I was clearing several battlefields alone, and it had given me the nickname of the Harbinger. It did not mean I was stronger than you. You were made in Father's image. You were able to do things even the greatest of us could only imagine," the figure was saying with a smile.
"What is this? Why am I suddenly remembering this? What usefulness does it serve when I am almost dead?" Michael was saying in a confused yet frustrated manner. "So cheer up, big brother... you're the eldest of us, after all," the voice was continuing to echo.
Michael suddenly remembered who he was having a conversation with. It had been a conversation he had held after a celestial war. Azrael, the angel of death, had dominated the entire battlefield and had ended the war in a matter of seconds. It had been a show of overwhelming strength and greatness.
As the Leviathan had lunged forward, its colossal form obliterating everything in its path, Michael had been caught in a whirlwind of thoughts, memories cascading in a torrent of doubt and frustration. The impact of the creature had sent him hurtling away, his body crashing against a jagged boulder. Pain had flared through him, a physical reminder of his current reality, muffling the echoes of Azrael's voice in his mind.
"Have you forgotten who you are?" the voice had faded, replaced by the roar of the Leviathan and the disorienting chaos of battle.
With a hard thud, he was landing amongst the stone rubble, the debris pressing down on him like a heavy weight. But in that moment, as darkness was threatening to consume him, a sudden clarity was rushing over Michael. The memories of his conversation with Azrael were igniting a fire within him, rekindling the essence of the warrior he once embodied. It was his time as "The World Eater," the mightiest and fiercest among all Angels in Heaven.
"Wake up!" The words were echoing in his mind like a clarion call, reverberating through his battered form.
With a desperate surge of will, Michael was pushing against the boulders, breaking free from the wreckage. Dust and stones were scattering around him, but he was rising, determination burning in his eyes. He had experienced death before; he had walked that line as the Angel of Death had dominated the battlefield. He had been forged in the fires of conflict, and he would not yield now.
The Leviathan, momentarily distracted, was turning its massive head back towards the dark, steamy river, perhaps thinking it had won this fight. But that was the moment Michael was choosing to strike. Channeling the power of GENESIS that flowed through his very being, he was harnessing the raw energy that transformed him.
In an instant, he was upon the beast, moving faster than the Leviathan could comprehend. With one fluid motion, he was pulling forth the celestial strength within, launching his body at the colossal creature.
The Leviathan barely had time to react before Michael's fist was connecting with its hardened scales, breaking through the tough exterior with explosive force. Blood was spraying into the air as a few scales and a horn were severed, the monster roaring in pain and surprise.
"Don't think everything was going to go the way you wanted, you overgrown snake. Now... shall we continue where we had left off?" Michael was saying as he looked down on the Leviathan with pride in his voice, while he was back in his mighty form with overwhelming celestial power.
The creature was letting out a huge roar. Their eyes were meeting with determination, filled with murderous intent. Only one would remain standing at the end of this celestial battle.