The sky above Aetherion ignited.Golden lightning arced across the clouds, tearing open rifts that screamed with divine fury. From each rift descended radiant figures — hundreds, their wings blazing, weapons forged from sunlight itself.
The Celestial Army had awakened.The hunt had begun.
The Fall of the Palace
"Run!" Astraea shouted.The marble beneath them cracked as the entire palace began to tremble. Columns collapsed, statues crumbled, and the once-divine light now blazed like a funeral pyre.
Selene threw up a barrier just in time as a golden spear slammed into the ground, blasting apart the floor where Hayate had stood seconds ago.
Kael cursed, parrying another attack. "We're surrounded!"
Above them, angelic warriors filled the sky — their formation perfect, their auras unbearable. Each one moved like a blade guided by divine law.
[System Alert: Celestial Units Detected.][Class: Dominion Level – Intermediate Tier.][Estimated Survival Probability: 18%.]
Hayate's expression didn't change.
"Eighteen percent's better than zero."
He drew his blade — and the black-and-gold energy surged around him like a living storm.
The Sky Burns
The first angel landed.Its sword glowed like dawn itself.
"Rengoku Hayate," it declared, voice cold and commanding. "By the will of the Supreme Goddess, you and your corrupted kin shall be erased."
Hayate smirked. "Tell her to come down here and try."
He swung.
The clash shook the entire platform — light versus void.Each strike carved streaks of gold and black through the air, their impact tearing through the marble streets.
Astraea's wings unfurled beside him, summoning a storm of light spears that countered the angelic barrage.Selene's chants filled the air, weaving illusions to scatter enemy formations.Kael roared, cleaving through two angels with a single blazing arc.
But for every foe that fell, five more descended.The sky itself seemed infinite — an endless swarm of divine judgment.
The Sigil's Power
As exhaustion began to creep in, the sigil on Hayate's chest pulsed.A voice echoed in his mind — calm, melodic, and heartbreakingly familiar.
"Do not resist, child of the void. Accept the blessing — and the curse."
[System Synchronization: 47% → 100%.][New Skill Unlocked: Divine Sigil – Phase One.]
Light erupted from his body — not pure, but balanced between gold and crimson.His eyes turned molten gold, and a pair of ethereal wings burst from his back — one black, one white.
The angels froze.
"That… that energy—!""He carries the Goddess's mark!"
Hayate's voice was cold. "Then you already know what comes next."
He raised his blade — and the world broke.
[Skill Activated: Heaven-Slayer Domain.]
The ground cracked into fragments, floating midair as crimson lightning tore through the divine army. The angels screamed as their wings dissolved into ash, their forms scattered by the overwhelming energy radiating from Hayate's domain.
For the first time, heaven itself bled.
Escape from Aetherion
When the light finally faded, the once-golden city was in ruins.Half the Celestial Army lay defeated, the rest retreating into the clouds.
Selene dropped to her knees, trembling. "He destroyed… hundreds of them…"
Kael whistled softly. "Remind me never to piss you off."
Astraea landed beside Hayate, her eyes filled with something between awe and dread.
"You just declared war on the gods, Hayate."
He wiped the blood from his lips. "They started it."
The sigil on his chest flickered again, forming a glowing rune in the air.A new path opened beneath their feet — a descending beam of crimson light leading down to the mortal realm below.
"Let's go," Hayate said. "We've overstayed our welcome."
They stepped into the beam. The city grew smaller behind them — the once-proud Aetherion now burning like a fallen star.
The Goddess Watches
Far above the collapsing palace, within the sealed chamber, the Goddess of Chains opened her eyes.A faint smile touched her lips.
"You did it, Hayate… Now the gods must face the storm they created."
Her golden chains glowed brighter, suppressing the divine seal threatening to consume her.
"But soon… you will need to choose — vengeance or salvation."
[Quest Updated: Survive the Celestial Hunt – Completed.][New Quest: Descend to the Mortal Realm.][Hidden Objective: Awaken the Sigil's Second Phase.]
As Hayate and his group vanished from the sky, the System flickered one final time.
[Warning: Divine Retribution Sequence Initiated.][Heaven's Hunt will continue.]