Before stepping into the Domain of the Infernal Armis, I had prepared myself in every way possible. Knowledge was power, and Luna had provided me with the insights I needed to understand what I was about to face. The Infernal Armis was not just an artifact—it was a force of nature, armed with abilities so devastating they could rewrite the battlefield itself.
There were four core abilities the artifact bestowed upon its chosen wielder: Armis Core, Infernal Dominion, Ruin Blade, and Immortal Slayer.
The Axe King, Vorgath Ironmaw, was already an overwhelming force of destruction, a figure whose sheer presence made the strongest of warriors hesitate. But now? Now he was something far more dangerous.
The Armis Core was the foundation of the Infernal Armis's power. It didn't just increase mana and black mana—it reshaped them, imbuing them with the very essence of destruction and carnage. Quantity and quality merged, forming a fuel of unparalleled potency. Vorgath's already prodigious strength surged to heights that should have been impossible.
As he bonded with the Infernal Armis, his Legendary-grade axe—the weapon that had made his name feared across continents—fell uselessly to the ground, its connection to him severed. It clattered with a hollow finality, a relic outmatched by something far greater. But Vorgath barely noticed.
A new weapon materialized in his hands, an extension of his will and the Infernal Armis's destructive might: the Ruin Blade—or, in this case, the Ruin Axe. It was a manifestation of his Axe Unity, a weapon that pulsed with energy, radiating the promise of utter annihilation with every swing.
And then there was the Domain.
The Infernal Dominion replaced the original Domain of the Infernal Armis. It wasn't just an environment—it was an extension of the Axe King himself, warped and shaped by his mana and black mana, which now carried the destructive imprint of the artifact. The ground beneath us was cracked and molten, veins of fiery magma threading through the fractured stone. The air was thick with heat and ash, a choking miasma that pressed down on my lungs. The oppressive feeling of carnage was omnipresent, clawing at the edges of my mind.
The Domain pulsed, and in an instant, I found myself alone with the Axe King. The others were gone, left outside this hellish arena. The Infernal Dominion allowed no intrusions, no reinforcements. This was a battle between him and me.
I felt the heat clawing at my skin, the weight of his presence pressing down on me like a tidal wave. But I didn't hesitate. With a single thought, I summoned my own Domain.
Divine Emperor's Throne.
Golden light flooded the molten chamber as my Domain unfurled, the oppressive heat pushed back by an aura of celestial authority. A crown of radiant gold appeared above my head, placed by the shimmering hands of a seraphim conjured by my power. My Domain was an unassailable palace of light and order, standing in stark opposition to the chaotic destruction of the Infernal Dominion.
For all the Axe King's newfound power, one critical factor remained in my favor: his Domain was not a True Domain. While it carried the devastating enhancements of the Infernal Armis, it lacked the harmonized mastery that came with True Domains. And in this battle, that gap was a weapon I would wield mercilessly.
In my Domain, I wasn't just powerful. I was absolute.
My Gifts ignited, firing at full power. Soul Resonance. Lucent Harmony. Mythweaver. Together, they transformed me into something far beyond human.
Through Soul Resonance, I wielded Rachel's Saintess Gift and Luna's Qilin Will, unlocking the combined strength of Mythic Body, Mythic Transplant, Soul Vision, and Astral Manifestation. My limbs became the essence of the qilin's strength, each movement imbued with the divine balance of creation and destruction.
Through Lucent Harmony, the light of order spread through every inch of my Domain, a stabilizing force that pushed back against the chaotic, roiling energy of the Infernal Dominion. Where Vorgath's world was fire and ruin, mine was harmony and control.
Through Mythweaver, my will shaped the battlefield. The very essence of my story bent the threads of reality within the Domain, weaving a tale where the Divine Emperor stood unchallenged.
The Axe King roared, his molten crown pulsing with fury as he raised the Ruin Axe high. The ground trembled beneath his feet, the veins of magma flaring with violent light. "So, this is the power of your throne," he growled, his voice deeper and darker than before, reverberating like thunder. "Let's see if it's enough to save you."
I smiled faintly, raising Nyxthar in response. The blade shimmered with infinite edges, a weapon that reflected the boundless potential of my power. "Come and find out, Axe King."
He charged, his massive frame moving with surprising speed, the Ruin Axe swinging down with devastating force. The weapon's edge split the air, its destructive energy screaming toward me.
I stepped forward, meeting his strike with Hollow Eclipse.
Our weapons collided, and the chamber erupted in a shockwave of light and heat, the clash of our Domains tearing through the Infernal Dominion. Molten rivers splashed and hissed, the fractured ground beneath us groaning under the strain.
In terms of singular, pure, explosive power, Hollow Eclipse was my strongest attack. A culmination of everything I had learned, everything I had refined, it was an attack that embodied finality—a strike that erased all in its path.
And even that barely held back his Ruin Axe.
The two forces collided in an eruption of light and shadow, an inferno of golden brilliance straining against the molten, blood-red energy of the Axe King's blade. The impact reverberated through the Infernal Dominion, the ground cracking under the strain, and for a moment, the oppressive heat seemed to cool. But only for a moment.
The Ruin Axe didn't yield. Its promise of slaughter and devastation met my power head-on and, inch by inch, pushed me back. There was something terrifying in that—an unrelenting force that devoured everything in its path like a starving beast denied sustenance. It wasn't just the weight of his strike but the raw intent behind it. Destruction wasn't a byproduct of the Infernal Armis—it was its essence.
I staggered slightly as our clash ended, the Axe King already moving forward with a feral grin. The molten crown on his head pulsed like a living heart, each beat driving him further into the madness of carnage.
From that single exchange, it was clear: this fight was going to be hell.
Inside my Divine Emperor's Throne, I was accustomed to being untouchable. Against Valen Ashbluff, I had been invincible. Even against Rin in the chaos of her mind, my throne had been unassailable. My True Domain crushed opposition with absolute authority, a manifestation of harmony and control that bent all other forces to its will.
But not here. Not against him.
Although my Domain suppressed the Infernal Dominion, smothering its chaotic flames with the light of order, it couldn't fully crush it. His Domain, fueled by the Armis Core and shaped by his boundless will for destruction, refused to yield. It clawed at the edges of my throne, forcing me to fight to maintain supremacy.
And he was growing stronger.
With every swing, every moment, the Axe King adapted. The Infernal Armis was reshaping him, feeding him power that no mortal was meant to wield. He wasn't just stronger than Valen Ashbluff—he was the second-strongest being on Earth. Only Alyssara Velcroix stood above him now, and that gap was closing by the second.
My grip tightened on Nyxthar, its weight a comfort in this inferno. I couldn't afford to falter. Not here, not now.
I poured spatial astral energy into the blade, channeling the power of Infinite Edges. Hundreds of phantom strikes bloomed from my sword, each one slicing through the air with deadly precision, aimed to overwhelm him in a storm of slashes.
He raised the Ruin Axe high, and with a single, savage swing, he obliterated them all.
BOOM!
The phantom strikes disintegrated into shards of golden light, scattered like dust in the wake of his blow. The shockwave ripped through the ground, molten rivers splashing into the air as the Infernal Dominion roared in approval.