The Abyss

Chapter 8: The Two Gods Fight

The Abyssal Supreme Lord, Azrael, was hurled across the wasteland as a shockwave from a new rift tore through the sky. He skidded across the jagged earth, radiating a killing intent so thick it distorted the air. "Who are you!?" he roared, his voice a thunderclap of rage.

A figure stepped from the shimmering tear in reality. I gasped, recognizing the weathered face and the calm, terrifying aura. It was the Elder Man.

"Do you know him?" Edward whispered, his hand white-knuckled on his sword.

"Yes," I replied, my voice steady for the first time. "He’s the one who gave me this power. He’s the reason we’re alive."

The Elder Man’s gaze drifted toward us, a small, knowing smile playing on his lips. "I am glad to see you escaped without injury," he said, before turning his eyes back to the Supreme Lord. "Yoooo, Brother. Remember me?"

Azrael’s face contorted into a mask of pure fury. "So it was you! Lucian Drax... my 'best friend' who watched as the Empire of Heavens cast me out!"

"Azrael," Lucian sighed, dodging a sudden, violent blast of energy with a casual step. "How could I save you when you spat on the laws of the gods?"

Enough had been said. Azrael charged with the force of a collapsing star, and Lucian met him head-on. The impact sent a shockwave that made the very foundations of the Abyss tremble. We tried to move to Lucian’s aid, but a wall of iron stepped into our path. Azrael hadn't come alone; his High Lords had emerged from the rift, cornering us instantly.

Their armor was an impenetrable black ore that nullified our strikes. "It’s no use!" I shouted as my blade skidded off a commander’s plate.

Suddenly, Lucian’s energy flared, a blinding gold that shook the earth. "**Domain Expansion: Time Stop.**"

The world froze. The wind died. The lower warriors remained suspended in mid-air like statues. Only the Supreme Lord and his High Lords possessed enough power to twitch within the frozen flow of time.

"Edward, now!" I yelled. "The system... we have a quest!"

*! SYSTEM QUEST !*

*Objective: Slay all Lower and High Abyssal Warriors.*

*Reward: 500,000 EXP (Shared).*

We didn't hesitate. We tore through the frozen lower ranks, our blades finding the gaps in their armor. But the High Lords eventually broke through the pressure, their immense power pinning us to the ground. My lungs burned under the weight.

"It’s a trap," Edward hissed through gritted teeth.

In a blur of motion, Edward vanished. Using his *Invisibility* and *Clones*, he slipped behind the first High Lord while I drew their fire. The moment his blade pierced the leader's neck, the pressure vanished.

"Now, Sebastian! Combine them!"

I unleashed the *Domain of Darkness*, and Edward used his *Gravity Manipulation* to hoist the remaining warriors into the air, dragging them into my reach. We fused our powers, creating a massive, crushing dominion of shadow and weight. No traces were left behind; the warriors vanished into ash as our fusion domain pulverized the landscape.

*! SYSTEM NOTIFICATION !*

*Quest Complete. 500,000 EXP Received.*

*Level Up: 20 ➔ 100*

I summoned my status, my eyes widening.

*! STATUS INFO !*

*Name: Sebastian Eldrion (Level 100)

*Class: Soul Reaper

*Mana / HP: 80,000

Edward’s screen mirrored mine: *Level 100, Spatial Ripper.* We looked toward the main battle, ready to help, but stopped. Lucian was laughing, dodging Azrael’s desperate strikes as if they were children's games.

"He doesn't need us," Edward whispered.

Lucian signaled us to finish it. We moved in, Edward pinning Azrael with a gravity well while I charged my final strike. But before the killing blow landed, a second rift tore open colder and darker than the first.

The impact threw us back. A new figure emerged, snatching Azrael from the brink of death.

"So, it’s you... Kristoff," Lucian said, his smile fading.

Kristoff Valemont laughed, his presence dwarfing everyone on the field. "This is not the end, my brother," he hissed, retreating into the rift with Azrael. The tear in reality snapped shut, leaving only silence.

"Who was that?" I asked, breathless.

"The Left Hand of God," Lucian replied solemnly. "He betrayed the heavens, killed the other gods, and claimed their thrones. Azrael was just a pawn in his scene."

Lucian turned to me, his eyes piercing. "Sebastian, do you want to go back?"

"Yes!" I shouted. Then, I looked at Edward. "But my friend comes with me."

Edward hesitated, but Lucian cut him off. "Edward, you are both anomalies now. You have the power to change that world. You've been gone twenty years, Sebastian."

My heart sank. "Twenty years? Will they... will they even know me?"

"Perhaps," Lucian said kindly. "I have arranged for you both to enroll at the Magic Academy where the Eldrions remain. It is time to show your family who you have become."

Excitement surged through me, erasing the fear. I wasn't the "void" anymore. I was a Soul Reaper.

"We're ready," we said in unison.

Lucian raised his hand, tearing a golden rift into the sky. We stepped through, leaving the darkness of the Abyss behind to face the light of a world that had long since forgotten the name sebastian eldrion