SS rank Xalvathar: The Soulweaver

Xalvathar stood amidst the ruins of a battlefield, his form an imposing silhouette against the flickering remnants of devastation. His eyes, dark and unyielding, remained locked on the mortals who dared to stand against him. Earth—a planet that should have been obliterated millennia ago—still thrived in defiance. It infuriated him. His purpose was not cruelty, not evil, but balance. And this world, with its reckless defiance, had tipped the scales of the universe.

"You stand before me with borrowed power," Xalvathar said, his voice a calm rumble, like distant thunder. "But power without understanding is folly."

Zanele and Takumi ignored his words, their fury unrelenting. Memories of their lost family, the scars left by Xalvathar's destruction, burned like fire in their veins. Takumi's voice broke through the charged air.

"No! You don't get to speak of balance after all you've done! You killed our parents, destroyed our lives! You are nothing but a monster!"

Xalvathar's expression remained unchanged, but there was a flicker of something ancient in his gaze. "You speak from grief, not truth. I did only what I was created to do. The balance demanded Earth's destruction. Your survival was a defiance of that order."

Zanele stepped forward, her hands trembling as she began reciting the spell, her voice steady despite the storm of emotions within her.

"Anima Vera, lux et umbra,

Per nexus vitae uniamur,

Aperite portas infinitatis,

Fiat potentia creationis et interitus.

Vera nostra unum fiat,

Aequis universum."

The air crackled with energy, a blinding light erupting from Zanele and Takumi as their combined Vera fused into a singular form. Haruto, watching from the sidelines, shouted, "What's happening? What is she saying?"

Xalvathar tilted his head slightly, a faint curiosity breaking through his stoic demeanor. "She is invoking the Soul of Vera. Through light and shadow, creation and destruction merge. They call upon their bloodline to manifest balance itself."

From the radiance emerged a colossal being, its golden form shimmering with ethereal light. Its eyes burned white-hot, and its very presence seemed to bend reality. This was Arcosanct, the Eternal Progeny, forged from the essence of countless generations within Takumi and Zanele's bloodline.

"Impressive," Xalvathar murmured, his tone still devoid of hostility. "But not enough."

Arcosanct roared, the sound tearing through the heavens as it lunged toward Xalvathar. Its claws, sharp enough to rend the fabric of space, slashed through the air. The ground shattered beneath the force of its charge, sending shockwaves rippling across the battlefield.

Xalvathar moved with otherworldly speed, his form blurring as he evaded the attack. The beast's claws struck the ground where he had stood, leaving a smoldering crater. In an instant, Xalvathar retaliated, unleashing a burst of raw energy that collided with Arcosanct's shimmering body.

The beast staggered but did not fall. From its core, a pulse of golden light erupted, washing over the battlefield and momentarily disorienting Xalvathar. Seizing the opportunity, Arcosanct lunged again, its massive jaws snapping at him.

Xalvathar raised his hand, his palm glowing with destructive energy. "You fight well," he said, his voice steady. "But your form is flawed. Your creators lack true understanding of what they wield."

The energy in his hand exploded outward, striking Arcosanct squarely in the chest. The beast let out a deafening roar as its luminous form began to flicker and dim. Xalvathar advanced, his movements deliberate, as though each step carried the weight of inevitability.

Inside the mind of Arcosanct, Zanele and Takumi felt the strain of their connection. Their consciousnesses wavered, flickering like candles in a storm.

"We're losing control!" Takumi shouted.

"We can't stop now!" Zanele replied, her determination unwavering.

Xalvathar raised his hand once more, the energy coalescing into a sphere of pure destruction. This was not just an attack—it was annihilation, a force that could erase existence itself.

As he prepared to strike the final blow, the air around him shimmered. A rift, glowing with infinite light, opened behind him. Xalvathar turned, his expression unchanging as the pull of the rift began to draw him in.

"No!" Zanele and Takumi's voices echoed through the battlefield as they watched their adversary vanish into the portal.

Xalvathar emerged within the Grand Infinity House, the realm of his creator. The endless expanse of creation and destruction surrounded him, a reflection of his very being. The Creator's voice, resonant and infinite, filled the space.

"Enough, Xalvathar. Your purpose is balance, not vengeance. You were not made to hate."

Xalvathar's gaze shifted back toward Earth, visible through the windows of infinity. "I do not hate," he replied, his voice as calm as ever. "But I failed to destroy Earth when it was ordered. That failure festers within me. It was defiance against the balance I was created to uphold."

"Earth is no longer yours to judge," the Creator said. "It has proven itself resilient. Your role is to uphold balance, not to dictate its terms. Remember your purpose."

Xalvathar turned away from the Creator, his gaze lingering on the small blue planet. Deep within, the ancient being felt something unfamiliar—a conflict, a fracture in the absolute certainty that had defined him for eons.

Back on Earth, the battlefield lay in ruin, Arcosanct fading into nothingness as Zanele and Takumi reappeared, exhausted but alive. They stared at the empty space where Xalvathar had stood moments ago, their bodies trembling from the strain of their efforts.

"We stopped him… for now," Zanele whispered, though her voice was heavy with doubt.

"Maybe," Takumi replied, his gaze fixed on the horizon. "But this isn't over."

Above them, the sky remained eerily still, as if the universe itself held its breath.