SS rank Xalvathar: The Soulweaver

The battlefield was chaos. Smoke curled through the ruins, and screams echoed from distant corners of the crumbling kingdom. Rowan stood firm, gripping his sword, glaring at Xalvathar, who loomed over the wreckage like a shadow made flesh. Rowan surged forward, his blade a streak of light.

Xalvathar sidestepped the strike effortlessly, not even sparing Rowan a glance. Each attack met the same fate, his movements precise and fluid. It was as if Rowan wasn't even there.

"Where is your daughter?" Xalvathar's voice boomed, cutting through the air. He turned his gaze toward King Augustus, standing defiant amidst the chaos. The king's expression twisted with fury as he barked an order to his soldiers.

"Attack!"

Weapons ignited with the power of Vera as soldiers charged. Xalvathar laughed, his deep, mocking voice chilling their resolve. "Zero plus zero equals zero," he sneered, dismissing their combined efforts. "Your power is nothing."

Amid the chaos, Takumi, his newfound strength surging, raised his hand and conjured a massive blast of energy. The explosion tore through the remnants of a nearby house as he hurled it toward Xalvathar.

Xalvathar lifted a single finger. The blast detonated in mid-air, scattering harmless sparks. He turned his gaze to Takumi, who froze as an icy dread seeped into his veins.

"Thirty minutes," Xalvathar said coldly, "before your blood freezes entirely."

Takumi staggered, clutching his chest. "My head... my blood..." he gasped.

Summoning his remaining strength, Takumi created chains of Vera and flung them at Xalvathar, binding him. But with a casual flex, Xalvathar shattered the chains like brittle glass. "Weak," he muttered. Raising his hand, he whispered, "Let me drain every ounce of Vera from you."

Before he could finish, Haruto surged forward, his own Vera flaring as he conjured flames that engulfed Xalvathar. The fire forced Xalvathar to release Takumi, who collapsed to the ground, gasping for air.

Xalvathar's gaze turned to the king. "Come here, Augustus, or I'll obliterate this island—your kingdom, your people, and your daughter along with it."

King Augustus stepped forward, his face a mask of fury. "You'll regret this."

Vera surged through the king's body, heightening his strength and speed. He moved like a hurricane, closing the gap in a blink. His fist connected with Xalvathar's jaw in an explosion of power that echoed across the battlefield.

Xalvathar flew back, but Augustus didn't relent. He leapt into the air, raining blow after blow upon his enemy. But Xalvathar came to a sudden halt, his movements effortless as he caught the king's wrist mid-strike.

"You've grown stronger," Xalvathar said, a smirk tugging at his lips. "But strength without balance is nothing."

"Why are you holding back?" Augustus snarled.

"Smart as ever," Xalvathar replied before gripping the king's neck. "But it won't save you."

Xalvathar's voice dropped to a cold whisper. "Life is unfair. And now, it ends."

Augustus roared, his Vera blazing in a desperate attempt to blast Xalvathar's head off. But the dark figure barely flinched, his strength overwhelming. With one swift motion, Xalvathar's blade-like hand severed the king's head.

Far away, Diana froze. Her chest tightened, and a searing pain burned in her heart. Tears spilled down her cheeks as if some unseen force had shattered her soul.

She bolted toward the castle, her steps fueled by dread. Bursting into the hall, she stopped dead, her violet eyes locking onto the lifeless form of her father. His head lay beside him, the blood pooling around his body.

Her gaze snapped to Xalvathar. Something inside her snapped. A surge of light erupted from her body, her Vera exploding beyond its limits.

Pain wracked her as her body contorted, shattering and reforming like molten metal poured into a celestial mold. Her skin turned to radiant silver streaked with gold. Her hair ignited like liquid fire, and six ethereal wings unfurled from her back, each feather shimmering with cosmic light.

Xalvathar turned to her, his smirk faltering. "The awakening... Astraviel, the Infinite One."

Diana's blazing eyes locked onto him, her voice layered with echoes, reverberating through the ruined hall. "You will pay for this."

Her power surged, shaking the ground beneath her feet. Xalvathar shifted, his stance tightening, his crimson gaze now wary.

The battle had only just begun