The air was thick with tension, heavy and metallic, as if the city itself sensed the coming storm. I perched atop the highest tower of Arkion, golden wings folded neatly behind me, eyes scanning the horizon. Something was stirring in the currents of the circuits. A resonance unlike any I had felt before rippled through the living and the dead alike.
Interesting.
I tilted my head slightly, letting my golden eyes narrow. It wasn't subtle. This was not a minor demon incursion, nor a stray cultist trying to summon a lesser hellspawn. This… was an organized assault. And not just any force. The scale of it — the magnitude — screamed of authority, of power, of an entity that did not simply command obedience but demanded it.
I traced the aura with my mind. Six thousand… No, more. A legion, each demon radiating pure chaos. I exhaled softly, letting the hum of energy around me settle.
"They call him Behemoth," I murmured aloud, watching the shadow of an immense figure appear beyond the horizon. The Head Archduke of All Hells. Only the eighth strongest among the hierarchy of hells, yet a vessel of cunning, cruelty, and ambition beyond mortal understanding. He had found a perfect vessel — a mortal body with the knowledge and memory necessary to navigate our world. The merger was seamless, giving him the ability to walk among the living undetected.
I had already calculated the risks. The Obsidian Veil would not even begin to comprehend his arrival. The regular demons could possess mortals, yes, but they could never mask their power, never act convincingly, never hide the chaos in their minds. Behemoth could.
I flicked my gaze to Kael. The boy was behind me, crouched on the tower ledge, wide-eyed. "Do you see?" I asked softly, though my tone carried no judgment. "This is what happens when a being of order and authority in their own realm decides to cross into ours. This is your lesson. Watch, learn, and remember."
Kael swallowed hard but didn't avert his gaze.
The first wave of Behemoth's legion crashed against the city gates like a tidal surge. The streets of Arkion shook beneath the unholy power of six thousand demons, each one snarling, clawing, ripping at the barricades and guardians alike. The ground trembled as the first of the city's defenders — dispatched by the guardians — met the invaders.
From my vantage, I observed every movement, every weakness. Circuits flared in the guardians' ranks, showing their positions, energy thresholds, and response patterns. The guardians were strong, highly skilled, and coordinated — yet predictably limited. They fought for survival, reacting rather than controlling.
I allowed myself a faint smirk. Exactly as expected.
Then, he appeared.
From the heart of the advancing legion, a massive figure rose. The air itself seemed to warp around him, golden-brown eyes — a mirror of the vessel's mortal consciousness — glinting with intellect and malice. Horns curled from his head like jagged obsidian, yet his humanoid form made him both terrifying and precise. His presence did not merely threaten; it commanded.
"Mortals of Arkion," he boomed, his voice deep enough to make stone shiver. "This city will fall, and you will serve the will of the Hells. Stand aside, or be consumed."
The guardians hesitated. Even the strongest of them felt the weight of his authority pressing down like a physical force.
I folded my wings, letting the golden light of my aura flare, not to blind, but to mark presence. The citizens below scuttled into the shadows, unaware of what had arrived in their city. Pathetic.
I stepped forward, letting the wind carry the golden hum of my circuits. Let's see if he truly understands the difference between raw power and control.
The first of the demons nearest to Behemoth's side shrieked as I descended from the tower in a graceful arc, my golden sword materializing midair. Light flared, casting shadows across the ground. I didn't speak; I didn't need to. My presence alone shifted the battlefield.
Behemoth's gaze flicked toward me. "So… the mortal dares to play god?"
I smirked faintly, voice calm, elegant, and carried over the chaos. "I am no mortal. I am Alzwalt Light. And I have no intention of letting this city burn."
His chuckle was low, amused. "Ah, another… sentinel of light. Do you understand what you face? I am not merely a demon. I am the will of the 6th Hell, now walking in flesh. All who oppose me… will be absorbed into the order of hell."
I nodded, letting my aura expand, brushing against the edges of my consciousness. Six thousand plus… resistance patterns… probability of total casualties… mitigation required. My circuits flared as I considered every angle, every possibility. If I act too quickly, the legion adapts. If I act too late, civilians die. Efficiency is key.
I floated above the street, wings outstretched, golden light pulsating rhythmically. My sword hummed faintly. "I will not let that happen."
Behemoth gestured, and the first wave surged toward me. Not the archduke himself, yet his authority empowered them beyond normal limits. I moved with precision, each step calculated to counter mass aggression. My sword slashed through ranks with light-speed efficiency. Healing and cleansing pulses emanated from me, neutralizing minor demonic circuits while leaving the guardians' energy untouched.
Kael watched from above, absorbing every motion, every calculation. I could feel the curiosity and terror coiled within him. Good. Observation before execution.
Behemoth's legion met my sword, claws and teeth clashing against the brilliance of divine light. Every strike calculated, every motion measured. I didn't aim to kill — not yet. Only to demonstrate dominance, guide the flow of the battle, and maintain control.
High in the sky, additional forces of the Circuit Guardians descended, led by Shion Tatsumi herself. Her aura flared as she assessed the battlefield. I allowed my eyes to flick toward her. Respectful acknowledgment, nothing more. She had fought well before, but she did not yet understand the scale of the force she opposed — nor the presence guiding it.
The Guardians engaged, and chaos erupted. Behemoth's power pushed the defenders to their limits, forcing them to adapt or fall. He moved among them, imperceptibly fast, commanding demons to adjust mid-combat, a terrifying dance of strategy and raw strength.
I smiled faintly beneath the golden glare of my wings. This is precisely why leadership matters. Coordination without insight is blind, and insight without power is irrelevant. I possess both.
From above, I observed every move. My mind ran simulations, calculating outcomes of attacks, the probability of Behemoth adapting, the thresholds of his current vessel. Each demon under his command was assessed, neutralized if necessary, or ignored if trivial.
"Kael," I said softly, wings folding slightly to bring my height closer to his, "you see that? Not every battle is about strength. Strategy, knowledge, control — these define a true sentinel. Remember this moment. Observe everything. There is a reason I did not rush to engage the archduke immediately."
The boy's eyes widened, following every flick of my sword, every pulse of golden energy, the subtle commands carried through my aura. Good.
Above the chaos, Behemoth paused, surveying the battlefield. 6,000 demons under his direct command, the mortal realm before him, yet one figure — glowing, golden, precise — stood unmoving, serene.
And I smiled faintly. "Let's begin," I whispered. "This city, these people… and this chaos. All of it will bend to the logic of light."
The first collision of true power was about to erupt. The Head Archduke of All Hells had come to claim the mortal plane. He had chosen Arkion. He had underestimated Alzwalt Light.
And I would show him exactly why that was… a mistake.