Another Universe — Zarak
Far from Averis.
Far from the Abyss.
A world overflowing with life stretched beneath a sky of radiant gold and white. Rivers of pure energy flowed like veins across the land, forests breathing with creation itself. At the very center of it all stood a mountain so tall it pierced the clouds like a divine spear.
At its peak, a girl sat.
She was poised, regal—stillness wrapped around her like a crown. Golden silk hair flowed down her back, untouched by wind. Her eyes shone a deep, luminous gold, and within each iris turned two delicate clock-hands, ticking softly, endlessly—time itself reflected in her gaze.
She wore a gold-and-black dress, elegant and ceremonial, as if the universe itself had tailored it for her. Her presence alone caused the air to glow faintly, reality stabilizing around her rather than resisting her.
She looked up at the sky and smiled.
"Where there is Light," she said softly,
"there is life."
The clouds parted slightly, responding.
"And where there is creation," she continued, calm and assured,
"work is always being done."
Then—
Her expression shifted.
"Hm?"
Her eyes narrowed just a fraction as information reached her—not through messengers, not through sound, but through authority.
"…Kiandrae. Ivis. Axel."
She exhaled a small breath, almost amused.
"So they're dead," she murmured. "Sent after Darkness… by Mephisto, no less."
A gentle smile curved her lips, not cruel—knowing.
"You Destroyers," she said, voice light but sharp beneath the surface,
"always strike where you think it's soft."
She rose to her feet.
The mountain trembled—not in fear, but in reverence.
Averis — Isola Krein
The sky above the mansion shifted.
Rayon stopped mid-step.
His head tilted upward.
"…There you are."
A slow smile formed on his face—not hostile, not surprised.
"She's ready," he said quietly.
A presence—ancient, familiar, balanced against his own—brushed the edges of reality.
From across universes—
From the peak of Zarak—
Light spoke.
"Light's Judgment."
Her authority activated.
Fully.
The universe answered.
A wave of radiant force erupted outward—not destructive, but absolute. Space rippled. Timelines steadied. Concepts aligned. The shockwave crossed realms, dimensions, and domains as if distance meant nothing.
Kratos felt it.
Rayon felt it.
The Destroyers felt it.
Every Monarch still alive felt it.
Even sealed realms stirred.
Unknown Domain — The Destroyers
The air grew tense.
Urus was the first to speak.
"…If Darkness had some kind of plan involving Light," he said slowly,
"then war is inevitable."
He turned slightly. "But this time—"
"—with Light first," he finished.
Doom's voice followed, low and cautious.
"And if she reaches the Abyss before we act?"
Silence fell.
Nullivar's eyes hardened.
"Then we make sure she doesn't."
His aura flared, dark and calculating.
"We stop her," he said.
"No matter the cost."
Far away—
Darkness smiled.