In a dimly lit laboratory in Gantz, a wizened old man in a dark, floor-length robe sniffed at a mound of yellowish-brown powder. "The stone of a蜂牛, ground horn from a sea-rhino, sun-orange, moon-petal, and sun-flower..." Archmage Tingarth mumbled to himself. He was at a local chapter of the Alchemists' Symposium, a place he usually disdained.
He dipped a tiny, translucent spoon into the powder and licked it. A jolt went through his body. "Potent. Improves vitality and... other functions. The non-magical nobles will pay a fortune for this."
"You truly have a gift for potions, Archmage," the chapter head, a man named Green, said with an oily smile. "You should abandon that dusty old magic and join us. You could be a Grand Alchemist, renowned throughout the land."
Tingarth scoffed internally. A Grand Alchemist? Him? The Guardian of Gantz, a master of Evocation, Conjuration, and Abjuration, stooping to mixing powders for rich old men? As if he needed the money.
Well, actually, he did. The recent, unexpected disappearance of a Wish scroll from his private collection had forced his hand. He needed to fund a replacement for an upcoming... expedition.
He was about to deliver a scathing refusal when a gentle wave of divine power washed over the city. His defensive wards flared to life. He recognized the energy instantly. The aura of good, the power of order... someone of at least Legend-tier was invoking a projection of Mount Celestia. And the epicenter was his own tower.
Tingarth's demeanor changed instantly. He turned to Green with a brilliant smile. "Mr. Green, you know, I've suddenly become very interested in your Symposium. Let's discuss my membership."
Just as he spoke, the deep night that blanketed Gantz was shattered. A brilliant, holy light, like a false dawn, banished the darkness.
The day had broken.
Inside Tingarth's tower, the world dissolved. The bookshelves, the obsidian floor, the egg-shaped chair—all faded away, replaced by a vista of majestic mountains, verdant canyons, and winding celestial paths. The sky above held no sun or moon, only a sea of golden, twinkling stars.
Mount Celestia, Leo realized, the information flowing into his divine consciousness. The first of its seven heavens, Mercuria, the Golden Heaven. A realm of absolute order and goodness. And, more importantly, the home of Amon-Et's divine kingdom.
In the distance, a point of fiery light coalesced, blooming into a new sun that rose in the golden sky. It was a light of pure, unadulterated hope, and its brilliance instantly outshone the countless stars.
"So the handsome fellow must be 'The Light of the Worlds'," Leo mused, watching the demigod who had brought him here. "He didn't just create a favorable battlefield; he pulled me directly into his master's domain."
Amon-Et wanted to deal with him personally.
"He's certainly persistent," Leo said calmly. He raised the Yata Mirror, its surface reflecting the image of his opponent.
As 'The Light of the Worlds' watched in stunned disbelief, an exact duplicate of himself stepped out of the mirror.
The mirror-image smiled.
"First, the Dawn," it said.
A shockwave rippled through the celestial projection. The mountains and valleys flickered, and the grand sun wavered. The world of the tower reasserted itself, the bookshelves and obsidian floor snapping back into view. The divine intrusion was broken.
"And then," Leo said, a cold smile on his own face, "the Noon."
A black-red sun materialized in the cramped study, bathing everything in an eerie, crimson light. 'The Light of the Worlds', still reeling from the shock of seeing his own signature spell used against him, was consumed with rage. This wasn't his holy light; it was a perversion.
The crimson sun slammed into the mirror-image. The real 'Light of the Worlds' staggered back, his spine bending at an unnatural angle as horrific burns erupted across his back. The mirror had transferred the damage.
Leo didn't hesitate. Seizing the opportunity, he summoned the Spear of Longinus and charged. At the same time, his left hand held the mirror steady. Another duplicate appeared.
"First, the Dawn!" the new duplicate declared.
This time, the light of Mount Celestia didn't just project itself—it poured down, merging the mage's tower with the Golden Heaven.
"And then, the Noon!" Leo roared.
The divine light itself burst into flames, turning the battlefield into an inferno of holy fire that consumed both 'The Light of the Worlds' and his duplicate. Leo had targeted them both as enemies of his spell.
In the midst of the fire, the burning duplicate smiled. "Finally, the Sunset."
The celestial light imploded, condensing into two massive, burning orbs that shot downwards, aiming to obliterate everything.