THE GODS STRIKE FIRST..
Lightning ripped through the sky, illuminating the battlefield in a blinding flash. A deafening crack followed as the bolt crashed down exactly where Elias had stood a moment ago. The sheer force of the impact shattered the ground, splitting the earth into jagged fragments, molten energy surging from the depths.
But Elias was already moving. His instincts, honed through battles against lesser beings, screamed at him to dodge. The air where he had been moments before still crackled with divine electricity, charged with the wrath of those who called themselves gods.
He landed lightly on a broken slab of stone, his black cloak billowing around him. His silver eyes gleamed in the storm-lit darkness.
The gods weren't holding back anymore.
And neither was he.
BOOM.
The second wave of attacks came faster than a mortal eye could process—blades of divine energy streaking toward him, chains forged from celestial fire lashing through the air. Each weapon held the weight of a god's will, meant to subdue, destroy, erase.
Elias didn't flinch.
He raised a single hand, his fingers curling slightly. The battlefield itself bent to his command, the laws of nature twisting under his touch. The chains stopped midair, frozen in place, their golden flames flickering uncertainly.
Then—he shattered them with a thought.
A sharp gasp echoed across the battlefield. The gods' eyes widened.
They had expected resistance.
They hadn't expected this.
Elias smirked, rolling his shoulders. "Is that all?"
The gods tensed. Their celestial forms wavered for a brief second—an imperceptible flicker, but Elias saw it. He had forced them onto the defensive. He had made them hesitate.
But they were far from defeated.
VARIAN AND SERAPHINA JOIN THE FIGHT...
Varian saw his opening—and took it.
A surge of golden energy pulsed from his fingertips, ancient runes forming in the air around him.
"Barrier of Aether!"
A shimmering dome of pure energy erupted to life, encasing him and Seraphina just in time. A divine blast slammed against it, sending shockwaves rippling across the battlefield. The sheer force made his knees buckle, but he gritted his teeth and held firm.
Seraphina rolled to the side, her daggers igniting with blue flames as she sprang into action. She moved like a shadow, slipping through the chaos with deadly grace.
"We have to back him up!" she shouted.
Varian's gaze flickered toward Elias.
And his breath caught.
Elias wasn't just fighting.
He was pushing the gods back.
Alone.
That terrified him.
Elias had always been powerful, but this—this was something else. His power pulsed like a living force, distorting the space around him. Every movement, every flick of his wrist reshaped reality itself.
And Varian wasn't sure if that was a good thing.
THE GODS REALIZE HIS TRUE POWER...
The three remaining gods circled Elias, their celestial forms crackling with divine energy. Their expressions—once filled with certainty—were now marred by something else.
"This cannot be."
"A mortal should not be this powerful."
"He is no mortal."
Elias exhaled, his breath misting in the cold air. He could feel it now—his magic shifting, expanding, growing beyond what he had ever known. The ground beneath him cracked, veins of golden fire slithering outward like living tendrils.
His heartbeat thundered in his ears.
His magic felt… unstable.
Like it was trying to become something more.
Something older.
Something he wasn't ready to face.
For the first time, doubt flickered in his mind.
And the gods saw it.
That was why they were afraid.
Because they understood.
Elias wasn't reaching his limit.
He was evolving.
THE FINAL TRAP...
The gods had stalled long enough.
Elias lunged forward, but the tallest god moved faster. He raised his hand, and the sky itself seemed to shudder in response.
"Now!"
A massive seal flared beneath Elias's feet, glowing with ancient symbols older than time itself. The power it emitted was suffocating.
Elias froze.
His magic wouldn't respond.
His body locked in place, bound by forces even he couldn't break instantly.
The gods had been waiting for this moment.
They had let him display his strength.
And now—they had him.
A slow smile spread across the lead god's face. "It's over, Harbinger."
Elias clenched his jaw, his muscles straining against the unseen force pinning him down. He willed his magic to surge, to break free—but the seal absorbed everything he threw at it.
For the first time since the battle began, frustration flickered across his face.
He had underestimated them.
SERAPHINA BREAKS THE CHAIN...
"NO!"
Seraphina blurred into motion.
Her dagger sliced through the air, its enchanted edge colliding with the divine seal. Sparks flew as the ancient symbols fought back, resisting the intrusion.
For a brief moment—the seal flickered.
And that was all Elias needed.
His eyes burned white-hot.
Power exploded outward.
The air trembled. The very fabric of reality twisted under the sheer force of his release.
The seal shattered.
The backlash sent Seraphina stumbling, her hand bleeding where she had made contact with the spell. She gasped, clutching her wrist, but she didn't look away from him.
Elias turned to her, his breath uneven.
For the first time in the entire battle, something softened in his expression.
Their eyes met.
For a moment—just a moment—everything else disappeared.
Then—
The gods attacked again.
THE WAR IS NOT OVER...
Varian appeared beside them, his cloak torn, his hands glowing with golden sigils.
"We need to end this now!"
Elias turned back to the gods.
But something was different.
They weren't trying to kill him anymore
They were trying to contain him.
Because they knew.
They had seen what was happening to him.
His power was still growing.
And the gods?
They were already losing.
Elias took a step forward. The battlefield trembled beneath his feet. The air crackled with raw magic, warping and twisting in ways that defied logic.
The gods exchanged glances. Uncertainty crept into their celestial eyes
They had prepared for a war.
They had prepared to kill a man.
But Elias…
Elias was becoming something they had never encountered before.
A force beyond their understanding
And for the first time—
The gods felt fear.
Elias tilted his head slightly. "You look nervous."
He raised his hand.
A golden firestorm erupted behind him, swallowing the battlefield in light.
The war wasn't over.
It was just beginning.