The heavens kindled.
From the torn firmament descended the presence of Surya, Lord of Light, Sun God, embodiment of passion, creation, and destruction alike. From him came the Heavenly Flame, the primordial blaze that could warm the world or reduce it to ash depending on the temper of the hand that wielded it.
Fire, after all, had always been uncertain in its mercy.
It nurtured life, yet it demanded fuel. It illuminated the heavens, yet it consumed the very substance that allowed it to shine. Therefore the Sun God had never belonged solely to warmth or devastation, but to the violent balance between the two. Creation required ignition. Destruction followed as its shadow.
Thus when the star answered the call of Lost from Light, the battlefield itself seemed to tense.
The descent of Surya did not resemble the silent gravity of death that accompanied Shadow God. Instead, it arrived like the heart of a newborn sun forced into the confines of a lesser god, radiant authority pouring through the fractured vessel that dared to contain it. Fire surged through every thread of essence within him, coursing along the pathways of Silver Sky Weave until even the air around his blade shimmered with unbearable heat.
Surya's Status filled his whole body, while the stories of the Sun God scattered through the Nightmare Spell began to gather. Ancient legends, forgotten tales, and fragments of divine memories drifted through the Spell like sparks drawn toward a greater flame.
Of course, such a presence altered everything it touched.
For the Lord of Light carried a peculiar authority. It was odd for one to have rule over both creation and destruction. Two halves of the same coin.
Truly, it was a presence that improved the status of whoever it enveloped simply by being there.
[The Spirit Origin 'Sun God' has become known.]
[The Sorcery 'Divine Miracle' has become known.]
[The Power 'Heavenly Flame' has become known.]
The runes shimmered before Lost from Light while a torrent of unfamiliar sensations flooded through his mind. Knowledge surged into him alongside emotion, the two inseparable as the ancient history of Surya unfolded piece by piece. Images surfaced within his sight, fragments of distant eras flowing past his thoughts like a vast celestial current.
Anger accompanied them.
So did sorrow.
Yet there was also pride, passion, and a lingering frustration that had endured for ages.
Lost from Light felt every one of those emotions as clearly as if they belonged to him. Therefore when the original Avatar of Surya finally appeared within those passing visions, standing beneath a blazing sky with an expression both stern and unyielding, the sight did not feel unfamiliar.
He had never witnessed the Lord of Light directly before.
And yet he understood him.
This was the story of Surya.
The Lord of Light.
A god born from the void.
Lost from Light allowed a faint smile to appear as the final fragments of that history settled within his mind. Ahead of him, Shadow God continued clashing with Abaddon while the immense Garden of Entropy twisted and regenerated around the battlefield like a wounded but relentless beast.
At the same time, another awareness stirred within him.
He could feel Surya.
Not merely the god's power, but his thoughts and emotions as well.
There was a reason Lost from Light had chosen to call upon the Sun God.
Abaddon carried another title.
Sunkiller.
Long ago, the Profaned God had destroyed the Avatar of Surya. Thus, the presence now residing within Lost from Light held a personal grievance that had endured across time.
Shadow God's hatred had its own source. Entropy represented a distorted end to all things, an imitation of the final resolution that properly belonged to death. Such an existence naturally provoked the ancient deity's ire.
Surya's motive, however, was far simpler.
Even for a god, the destruction of one's body was a profound loss.
And speaking of existence…
Lost from Light could feel his own beginning to fracture.
The overwhelming Status of Surya pressed down upon his being like the gravity of a newborn star. He had already summoned one god into the battlefield, and now a second divine will surged through his vessel with relentless intensity.
The strain became unbearable.
His body trembled beneath the pressure while his soul struggled to maintain cohesion. Even with Mind Weave stabilizing his thoughts and Silver-Sky Weave reinforcing the structure of his essence, the simple truth remained unavoidable.
He could not endure this state for long.
His very existence had begun to destabilize.
He needed to act quickly.
Suddenly, a voice echoed within his mind.
["You seem afraid."]
Lost from Light let out a quiet chuckle.
"Who are you talking about, Surya? It certainly cannot be me. On the contrary… things have finally become interesting."
A ripple of surprise flowed through the divine presence inhabiting his body. The reaction was understandable, considering the enemy they faced. After all, the battlefield contained an Unholy-Titan, a being powerful enough to destroy the Avatar of a god even when that Avatar inhabited a Divine vessel.
["Oh?"]
Lost from Light remained completely serious.
From his perspective, the current situation had reached a strangely perfect balance. If he failed, death would arrive swiftly beneath the overwhelming might of Entropy. If he succeeded, however, the strain of containing two divine authorities would still tear his existence apart before long.
The outcome remained identical either way.
Looking ahead, he watched as Shadow God absorbed another devastating strike from the writhing Garden of Entropy. The ancient deity endured the assault, yet it was obvious that even Izanami would eventually reach his limit.
Surya's awareness turned toward the battlefield for a moment before the god spoke again.
["The wall of fate is high, it seems."]
Naturally, the Lord of Light referred to the nature of the Nightmare itself.
Lost from Light only smiled.
"It may be tall," he said calmly, "yet it is still just a wall. And walls exist to be broken."
The original Sunless had once destroyed fate itself. Even after reclaiming the tapestry, the scars of that act had never fully vanished. Therefore a mere barrier erected within a Nightmare hardly deserved reverence.
Looking toward the battlefield once more, Lost from Light tightened his grip on Soul Serpent.
"Let's go, Lord of Light."
["Very well then."]
The moment [Silver-Sky Weave] activated, Lost from Light surged forward to meet Shadow God and Entropy.
Power surged through the woven threads of essence like a storm tearing through the heavens, and Lost from Light launched forward with such force that the air behind him fractured into spiraling currents of light and shadow. The battlefield rushed up to meet him as he closed the distance between himself, the Shadow God, and the immense body of Entropy.
Within his mind, Surya observed the phenomenon quietly.
["…The technique of my sister, Nokstella? How interesting."]
At the same moment, a violent torrent of Heavenly Flame erupted from the blade of Soul Serpent. The weapon cried out violently beneath the sudden surge of divine authority while the fire wrapped itself around the sword like a living star. Even the pale brilliance of [Light Bringer] reacted, its radiance rising to an intensity that felt closer to a miniature sun than a mere divine flame.
Lost from Light barely had time to process the transformation.
A whisper drifted through the depths of his consciousness.
[You have received Sun God's Blessing!]
He appreciated the gesture.
Unfortunately, there was no time to inspect the runes.
With Surya's presence inhabiting his body, every aspect of his existence had already begun to expand beyond its previous limits. Power magnified violently as flame and shadow reinforced one another. Fire cast light, and wherever light existed, shadow inevitably followed.
Therefore both halves of his strength surged at once.
The result was terrifying.
Lost from Light crossed the impossible distance to one of the Gardens of Entropy in only a few breaths. The colossal structure loomed before him like a twisted world suspended in the void, its vast growths of nothingness stretching outward in endless spirals that devoured everything they touched.
He raised Soul Serpent.
Yet just before the blade fell, something strange washed over him.
It was a peculiar sensation.
The Sun God spoke.
["The True Body of Abaddon has not completed its descent. Fighting the Garden of Entropy in such a manner will exhaust your spirit. At this rate, you will not be able to strike him down."]
Lost from Light nodded calmly.
"So?"
Surya paused for the briefest moment.
["Naturally, as I've promised to protect you. I will…]
His perspective of the battlefield shifted.
Even the Shadow God withdrew several steps through the void, yielding space as Surya prepared to act.
Lost from Light felt his arm rise as if guided by a will older than the stars themselves. The posture he assumed felt unfamiliar, yet perfectly natural at the same time, as though his body remembered a discipline that his mind had never learned.
Across the abyss, the Profaned God roared.
Abaddon recognized the presence.
It had once killed this god.
Surya allowed his aura to unfold completely.
The pressure of divine will exploded outward, igniting the void with blazing light. Soul Serpent trembled violently in his grasp, the weapon shuddering beneath the sudden storm of essence flowing into it.
["…A good sword."]
The blade quivered as if acknowledging the praise.
Lost from Light's power flooded outward endlessly while particles of pure essence gathered into the weapon. Countless acts of will converged together once more, weaving themselves into a single overwhelming force.
Passion.
Disaster.
Destruction.
Yet this time something new joined them.
Creation.
It was the one form of will Lost from Light had never been able to imitate.
Now Surya supplied it.
With this final piece in place, [Silver-Sky Weave] finally revealed the purpose it had been waiting for.
A blade of radiant essence extended outward from Soul Serpent.
Twenty meters.
Then more.
The massive construct burned with Heavenly Flame, blazing with the same divine fire that had once fallen upon the sky below the chained isles, and continued to burn within the ruins of that ancient catastrophe even now.
["I will borrow it for a while."]
Something inside Lost from Light cracked.
His mind fractured under the sudden shift.
Surya took control. Lost from Light was completely possessed.
The Lord of Light moved his body forward with overwhelming force, driving Soul Serpent toward the vast monstrosity of Entropy. The shadow beneath his feet shattered instantly as his bones groaned under the pressure of divine authority.
A massive crater erupted behind him.
The overload was unbearable.
Yet Surya advanced without hesitation.
Lost from Light felt the certainty behind the movement.
With such power…
Anything could be cut.
However, the moment Surya rose into the void and faced the full extent of the Garden of Entropy, despair crept into Lost from Light's mind despite himself.
The scale was… incomprehensible.
The Garden stretched beyond measurable distance, a grotesque constellation of isolated worlds twisted together by the authority of disorder. Each growth within the vast structure resembled a separate realm, and the darkness between them was filled with a suffocating mixture of Nothingness and True Darkness.
And this was still only a fragment.
The true body of Abaddon had yet to descend.
If the seal placed on Abaddon broke completely…
Who could possibly kill such a being?
Surya read the thought.
The Sun God laughed.
["I am Surya, the Lord of Light."]
The declaration rang through the void like a challenge cast directly at the heavens themselves.
Then the sword moved.
Lost from Light no longer understood the motion his body performed. The technique did not belong to him. It belonged to Surya, and perhaps to the countless warriors who had once lived beneath the dominion of the Sun Realm.
The blade descended.
This was not a strike meant for humans.
It was not a strike meant for monsters.
It was a strike meant to sever the end itself.
The Heavenly Flame burned with the authority of creation, and therefore it sought to erase Entropy's dominion of disorder and end.
The immense blade moved twice.
What followed sounded like the cracking of countless burning cinders.
The twenty-meter sword unleashed waves of slashes that expanded far beyond measurable distance, spreading through the void in vast arcs of blazing destruction. The Garden of Entropy ruptured beneath the assault as the divine flame tore through layers of twisted existence.
Darkness spilled outward.
Yet it was not ordinary darkness.
It flowed like blood.
Lost from Light recognized it immediately.
The blood of Abaddon.
After all, in a way, Abaddon's existence was the same nature as both Surya's and Izanami's.
The Garden cried out in agony.
Entire regions collapsed instantly as the Heavenly Flame consumed them. If one eighth of the monstrosity had been destroyed earlier, then two more sections now vanished beneath Surya's attack.
An entire world seemed to crumble.
Lost from Light watched in awe.
The power that had erupted from his own hands surpassed anything he had ever imagined. The difference between a Lesser God and a true Divine one revealed itself in that single moment of destruction.
…Then the backlash crashed down upon him.
"H—Hh…!"
He writhed in agony.
Lost from Light's body convulsed violently as the strain of the attack shattered the fragile stability of his existence. His bones cracked and splintered while his mind felt as though it were collapsing inward under unbearable pressure.
Lightning coursed through his nerves like hundreds of thousands of volts.
Strong power demanded an equal price.
In this Nightmare, that price was known as Desire.
Lost from Light had not yet become someone capable of bearing such desire.
[The Sun God 'Surya' is looking at you.]
Surya and Izanami continued to share the burden of desire between them. Even so, Lost from Light remained far too weak to act as the vessel for two divine wills simultaneously.
The Lord of Light sighed quietly.
["It is unfortunate."]
One strike alone had nearly destroyed the host sustaining him.
Lost from Light could barely breathe as the storm of power raged inside his body.
This pain was not simply physical. It reached far deeper than that.
His very existence had begun to collapse under the strain, and even maintaining consciousness required deliberate effort as Lost from Light forced his trembling gaze upward toward the devastation Surya had created across the battlefield.
The aftermath of that single strike still burned through the void.
The sword that cut the end had torn directly through two of the twelve isolated Gardens that remained, reducing entire realms of Entropy into ragged debris drifting through the surrounding darkness, and therefore the scale of destruction could only be understood in the simplest terms.
Surya had cut two worlds apart with one motion.
Nevertheless, the result remained insufficient, because ten Gardens still lingered in the void and the true body of the Profaned God continued its relentless descent beyond them.
Surya's voice carried a shadowed gravity when he spoke.
["…It is insufficient. The outcome might change if I were able to employ my Spirit Origin as well."]
Lost from Light dragged air into his lungs, each breath burning through his chest as though the act itself demanded more strength than his collapsing body could provide.
"…That can be used? Is it part of your Divine Miracle?"
["Yes. I have refrained from invoking it until now. However, considering your current condition, I doubt even my flame can be wielded properly."]
Lost from Light ground his teeth together, frustration tightening his expression while he observed the colossal mass forming beyond the shattered Gardens.
The summoning of the Profaned God accelerated.
Despite suffering repeated damage throughout the battle, the monstrous descent had never slowed, and now the growing presence of Abaddon radiated a fury that distorted the surrounding void with violent fluctuations of disorder.
"…Is there any way to force that thing back?" Lost from Light asked, though even as the question left his mouth he understood how futile it sounded.
Surya answered in a calm tone.
["Force it back? How do you propose to make Abaddon retreat? What god abandons a battlefield willingly?"]
Lost from Light remained silent, because Surya's reasoning carried undeniable weight.
Moreover, he suspected forcing Abaddon away would not fulfill the conditions of this Nightmare, and so retreat held no strategic value regardless of how appealing the idea might seem in a moment of desperation.
While Lost from Light struggled to steady his breathing, another eruption of violence rippled across the battlefield as Izanami continued his relentless confrontation with the remaining Gardens.
The Shadow God moved through the void like a living eclipse, shadows shifting endlessly around him while fragments of countless wills intertwined within the darkness he commanded.
Through that manipulation of shadow he imitated opposing forces, thus transforming himself into a reflection of many divine will's simultaneously.
Even so, confronting Entropy directly remained extraordinarily difficult.
Entropy possessed no natural antithesis.
Disorder devoured structure itself, and therefore no single will existed that could oppose it completely, which explained why Lost from Light and Shadow God had combined numerous lesser forces in their attempt to resist the Profaned God's will.
Despite that limitation, Izanami managed to strike again.
One of the remaining Gardens ruptured beneath the crushing force of shadow, and half of that world collapsed into drifting fragments that scattered across the void like shattered continents.
The scale remained smaller than Surya's earlier devastation, yet the effort still carried immense significance.
Surya watched the distant clash and spoke with admiration.
["Truly, he who brings the end. Izanami embraced us all in death, after all."]
Abaddon responded almost immediately.
A surge of chaotic will erupted outward from the monstrous entity, and the resulting wave of disorder twisted space itself as it swept across the battlefield with overwhelming violence.
Shadow God had already been nearing the limits of the Avatar he inhabited.
And so, the impact forced him backward.
The vast mass of shadow retreated through the void until it gathered beside Lost from Light, condensing gradually into a recognizable presence as the ancient god addressed him.
["D-Descendant…"]
The tone carried unmistakable fatigue, and the message that followed only confirmed what Lost from Light had already begun to suspect.
The Avatar could no longer sustain Shadow God's descent for much longer.
The strain placed upon Lost from Light's body had exceeded reasonable boundaries, and consequently Izanami would soon be forced to withdraw whether they wished it or not.
Lost from Light acknowledged the warning with a grim nod.
The situation deteriorated rapidly.
Meanwhile, the summoning of the Profaned God advanced even further.
Nearly one third of Abaddon's true form had now emerged beyond the seal that once restrained it, and the pressure emanating from that colossal existence intensified with frightening speed.
The newly manifested Gardens reacted violently.
Reality itself shuddered beneath their presence.
Space and time began to twist.
Lost from Light could even hear the surrounding dream realm crying as the distortion spread outward.
At that moment, he reached a difficult conclusion.
Abaddon could no longer be categorized as an Unholy-Titan.
The classification simply failed to represent the magnitude of the entity they faced.
Everything encountered so far represented a fragment rather than the whole, because the Profaned God had never fully descended into reality.
Consequently, none of them had yet confronted Abaddon's true power.
The realization clarified many things.
It explained how Surya's Avatar had once fallen.
It explained why the battlefield itself seemed to tremble beneath the creature's growing presence.
If pride existed within that abomination, then perhaps it would feel satisfaction now, because Lost from Light could no longer deny the truth.
Abaddon represented a genuine being of the Void.
Should the descent complete, its might could rival that of an Angel, those terrifying entities whose existence dominated the most distant reaches beyond creation.
Surya's voice grew darker.
["…If the descent completes, victory will become impossible even with my strength. We must strike now."]
Unfortunately, their circumstances offered little advantage.
Golden flames erupted across the battlefield as Surya began gathering his Desire again, and the instant that power surged through Lost from Light's body the pressure crushing his soul intensified dramatically.
["Your Desire is running out."]
The warning echoed through his consciousness.
This was the final reserve he possessed.
Lost from Light bit down on his lip hard enough to taste divine blood.
"We still have to try," he said hoarsely. "Use your Heavenly Flame."
["Your presence may vanish if I do."]
"This is the only opportunity we have," he replied, forcing the words out despite the crushing strain. "Izanami… join forces with me this time."
The Shadow God regarded Surya and Lost from Light for a moment before offering a silent nod of agreement.
Lost from Light rose once more.
Soul Serpent rested in his hands as he launched himself forward through the void, sparks of Desire scattering behind him with every step like fragments of burning starlight.
Whether success remained possible was uncertain.
Nevertheless, retreat held no meaning now.
"Ko—gh…!"
Before he even reached the nearest Garden, the backlash struck again.
The force of accumulated Desire seized his wings violently and dragged against them with terrifying pressure, thus halting his momentum mid-flight as agony tore through his collapsing body.
The recoil exceeded everything he had endured before.
Lost from Light realized the truth.
He could not endure this burden alone.
Another will was required.
Another source of Desire…
However, finding assistance within a battlefield occupied by gods seemed impossible.
And yet, the Spell whispered into his ear—
[The 'Demon of Hope' is looking at you.]
Lost from Light's vision sharpened instantly.
Hope.
The same Daemon who had once promised assistance when the appointed moment arrived.
The promise had originally been directed toward the Original Sunless, yet fate had twisted events in such a way that Lost from Light now stood as the one drowning inside this dream.
"H… Hope…"
Before he could process the moment further, another message followed.
[The 'Demon of Dread' is looking at you.]
Ariel.
Just as Hope had vowed to assist him, the Demon of Dread had also made that same promise long ago.
Within Lost from Light's mind, Surya's presence stirred with clear confusion.
The reaction was natural.
The Sun God had once imprisoned Hope, condemning the Daughter of Desire to endless isolation for over a thousand years.
So naturally, Surya struggled to comprehend why she would aid Lost from Light now.
And by extension…
Why she would assist him as well.
The sky above the fractured battlefield trembled faintly as the gathering attention of gods and daemons settled upon Surya, the pressure of their observation pressing against reality like an unseen weight. Then a voice emerged from that silent assembly, quiet yet unmistakably mocking.
["Lord of Light…"]
A ripple passed through the heavens at the address, because the tone carried neither reverence nor fear; instead it held a dry amusement that bordered on ridicule.
[The 'Demon of Hope' is scoffing at the Sun God 'Surya.']
Surya merely inclined his head with dignity, accepting the mockery, because a god who embodied flame understood that scorn was simply another spark to be cast into the blaze.
["Well, okay. The desires are added… are there any more? Are there no more courageous enough to confront this god?"]
The sky answered with silence as though the heavens themselves were considering the challenge. Yet that silence did not remain empty for long.
Both the Sacred-Titan 'Lost from Light' and the Lord of Light 'Surya' reacted simultaneously when another message surfaced within the Nightmare Spell.
[The 'Demon of Fate' is smiling at you.]
"Weaver…?!"
The name escaped their mouths with open disbelief. Weaver offered no further words, yet the meaning behind that quiet smile was unmistakable.
Then another message followed.
[The Souls bound to the Nightmare Spell are bearing your Desire together.]
Weaver stood among them. Ariel stood there as well. Hope's presence joined the current of intention that was beginning to gather strength.
Yet even that was not the end.
[The Storm God 'Nokstella' is looking at you.]
A distant memory stirred within Lost from Light, recalling fragments of the long hours that the Original Sunless spent beside the storm god while crafting the Silver-Sky Weave together; the recollection carried a faint warmth despite the violent nature of storms.
Another message appeared soon after.
[The 'Prince of the Underworld' is looking at you.]
Nether.
Lost from Light could not determine why Nether had chosen to support him, because their connection had never been particularly deep; regardless, the reason no longer mattered. The gathered Desire had already grown immense, and the ember within his soul ignited with renewed strength.
Surya laughed quietly.
["The daemons standing beside a god… history continues to enjoy strange ironies."]
Then the Sun God raised his hand, and fire began to gather.
Lost from Light tightened his grip on the Soul Serpent as power surged through his body. The sensation resembled molten sunlight flowing through his veins, because the desires of gods and daemons alike were feeding the flame that now burned within his soul.
Surya spoke calmly while his Heavenly Flame continued to build.
["Move while the flame gathers. Desire must be ignited before doubt extinguishes even a spark of it."]
Shadow God stepped forward.
["I will buy time."]
His will surged across the battlefield like a dark tide crashing against the impossible defenses of Entropy.
Meanwhile Lost from Light slipped behind the massive Gardens of Entropy, searching for a vulnerable point upon the monstrous body concealed beyond them. Unfortunately the corpse that had once towered over Godgrave possessed an absurd scale, identifying any true weakness felt nearly impossible.
Behind him the heat intensified.
Surya continued gathering Heavenly Flame and Divine Miracle, and the will accumulating around Lost from Light's right arm began to resemble something far greater than the power Surya had displayed earlier. The thought surfaced despite his doubts, because the strength forming there felt dangerously close to the authority of a Divine rank.
Surya eventually spoke with faint dissatisfaction.
["…Unfortunately this vessel cannot endure more. The support of desire allows this much and little beyond."]
The gathering power reached its limit.
["Do not grow overconfident. Even this may fail to sever every garden."]
Lost from Light exhaled slowly before replying.
"I suppose that makes sense. Our opponent is something approaching the level of something beyond an Unholy-Titan. Do you have a plan?"
Surya paused briefly before answering.
["I will strike with every fragment of Heavenly Flame that remains, and then hope Entropy has grown exhausted enough to retreat."]
Lost from Light stared at him.
"…Didn't you say you would protect me?"
["I will protect you. I swore that on my name."]
A faint frown appeared on Lost from Light's face.
"The God of Passion and Creation relying on luck… that sounds questionable."
Surya chuckled.
["This entire battle is unreasonable, yet here we are regardless."]
Then his expression shifted slightly.
["Tell me something. Why does destroying Abaddon matter more to you than your survival?"]
Lost from Light fell silent for a moment as the chaos of battle continued around them.
"I want to kill Abaddon."
Surya studied him briefly before laughing again, softer this time.
["Very well. Then we shall try."]
At that exact moment Shadow God accomplished something astonishing. His will erupted forward with devastating force, shattering one garden before tearing through several more in a violent chain reaction that blasted a massive opening through the Gardens of Entropy.
A direct path appeared.
["There's the opening! Run!"]
Lost from Light immediately unfolded his three wings and surged forward. The Will of Guidance he had learned from Nokstella accelerated his movement further, allowing him to streak through the broken gardens with terrifying speed.
Seven gardens fell behind him.
Eight.
Yet two final barriers remained ahead, and approaching them further risked instant annihilation.
He stopped.
"Surya… I have an idea."
The Sun God sounded irritated.
["An idea? Focus on moving instead of speaking nonsense!"]
Lost from Light forced the words out quickly.
"Your Heavenly Flame cannot kill Abaddon in its current state. You already know that."
The nearest garden shifted ominously as space collapsed wherever its branches touched.
Surya's divine pressure suddenly intensified, and the weight of it threatened to crush Lost from Light outright.
"I'm serious. Think about it realistically!"
The pressure eased slightly.
Surya remained silent for a moment before curiosity overcame irritation.
["…So? Do you possess a method capable of destroying Entropy?"]
"I do. If you help, perhaps I can kill Abaddon."
The words hung in the air with a strange calm that felt almost inappropriate considering the battlefield around them. Surya stared at him for a brief moment, then burst into a bewildered laugh that carried equal parts disbelief and rough amusement.
["Kill Abaddon? Do you understand what you are saying right now? That creature is a profaned god. Even I would struggle to confront it directly without a proper vessel."]
Lost from Light held his ground regardless of the laughter. The collapsing gardens drifted closer in the distance, their impossible geometry warping space like wounds in the world itself, yet his voice remained steady.
"There would be no point in saying this if we were facing another god. However, Abaddon is different. The nature of that thing creates a possibility, even if the chance is absurdly small."
Surya studied him carefully. The amusement faded from his expression, replaced by the sharp curiosity of a being who had witnessed countless battles across immeasurable ages.
["…I am listening. Explain this possibility."]
Lost from Light inhaled slowly before answering.
"Hurt his body. Then throw me into it."
For a moment Surya said nothing. The silence that followed carried a weight heavier than any roar of flame, because the suggestion itself bordered on insanity. Meanwhile the massive gardens began drifting closer again, their branches of entropy bending the surrounding air like a collapsing horizon.
Eventually Surya spoke.
["…If I do that, you will die. There is no outcome where you survive being devoured by that creature. Once Abaddon consumes you—"]
"I will die anyway!" Lost from Light shouted, the words tearing from his throat with raw frustration. "No matter how this battle ends, my fate circles the same conclusion. Either I die, or I regress, or I disappear entirely! Every path leads there eventually!"
The declaration echoed against the trembling sky.
Yet even while speaking those words, another certainty burned quietly within him. It was a conviction so strange that even gods might struggle to comprehend it. Lost from Light knew, with a clarity that bordered on instinct, that being swallowed by Entropy would not end him the way it ended everything else.
Surya's gaze sharpened.
["…You believe you can survive that?"]
"I cannot guarantee it completely," Lost from Light admitted. "However, yes. I believe something will happen."
He glanced down at his right hand where an overwhelming concentration of will continued to gather around the Soul Serpent. With enough effort he could probably unleash that power from this distance and wound Abaddon directly. The idea tempted him briefly, because the raw force building in his arm felt absurd even by divine standards.
Yet the thought faded quickly.
Lost from Light had always been greedy. Long ago he had openly declared that greed was a virtue worth embracing, therefore the choice before him became almost obvious.
If a single strike could injure Abaddon…
Then plunging into the heart of the creature might destroy it.
A strange sound suddenly erupted beside him.
It was… laughter.
Surya's laughter filled the sky itself, rich and thunderous as though the sun had decided to laugh along with its own burning light.
["After all these years… I finally witness a moment like this. A being such as you stands before me and calmly declares his intention to challenge that being."]
The laughter gradually softened, though the spark of admiration remained visible within Surya's eyes.
At that exact moment the battlefield shifted.
Far beyond the drifting gardens, something enormous began to stir.
The true body of the Profaned God was rising.
Space twisted as the massive form slowly emerged from the depths of the abyssal wound that Abaddon occupied. Then the first eye appeared, vast and ancient, watching the world with an awareness so overwhelming that the mere act of being seen sent a cold tremor through Lost from Light's entirely godly existence.
The gaze touched him.
Fear flooded his mind instantly.
The sensation dwarfed every terror he had experienced before. Even staring into the tangled tapestry of fate had never produced such suffocating dread.
A simple thought surfaced with perfect clarity.
'If I fight that thing, I will die.'
The realization settled heavily in his chest. The difference in scale between them stretched beyond reason itself, victory seemed absurd even as a distant dream.
Yet the thought did nothing to stop him from preparing.
Surya exhaled slowly.
["…Foolish Shadow."]
"Yes."
The simple answer carried no hesitation.
Surya remained silent for a moment before speaking again, his voice softer than before.
["I have grown rather fond of you. Therefore do not die so easily. Survive this Nightmare and shatter that conclusion you keep repeating to yourself."]
Lost from Light nodded once, then surged forward.
The Gardens of Entropy rose violently into the air, twisting and converging as they attempted to close the path Izanami had carved moments earlier. Lost from Light summoned the Will of Guidance that Nokstella had once taught him, and blue-white currents of energy wrapped around his wings as he accelerated through the broken battlefield.
A bright trail followed his movement across the sky.
Within him, Surya raised a mighty voice through his mouth.
["Come, Abaddon!"]
In the next instant the Sun God seized control of the Soul Serpent resting within Lost from Light's hands. The weapon trembled violently as Surya poured every fragment of his gathered desire into the blade.
Heavenly Flame erupted.
[I, Surya, greatest of flames, will cut you down!]
The sword blazed brighter with every passing heartbeat. The force pouring into it expanded far beyond Lost from Light's own will, because the accumulated desires of gods, daemons, and bound souls were flowing toward Surya's strike as well.
The moment Surya grasped the blade fully, Lost from Light understood something profound.
This attack represented everything the Sun God had endured.
Within his mind a strange vision appeared.
He saw Surya standing alone before an endless void.
Years passed within that silent image. Decades blurred together. Entire eras seemed to drift across the darkness while Surya remained there watching the empty universe without complaint.
Then something changed.
A spark appeared within the void.
The spark stretched into a single line of flame that distorted the surrounding emptiness. Space fractured around that burning line as ripples spread outward, splitting the vacuum itself with a brilliance that illuminated the darkness.
Lost from Light suddenly understood the meaning behind that vision.
This flame carried the essence of creation.
It represented the desire to fill the empty universe with light, warmth, and fire. Yet the opportunity to realize that purpose had always remained just beyond Surya's reach.
The memory vanished.
Reality returned with overwhelming force.
The air around them vanished beneath the pressure of the Heavenly Flame. Even breathing became difficult as Surya raised the blazing sword and unleashed his strike.
The sensation inside Lost from Light's body turned violent instantly. Every nerve screamed as though his entire existence had been thrown into a grinding storm of power.
Surya swung.
The first slash tore through the gardens like a comet.
The second carved deeper into the path ahead.
The third distorted time itself as the accumulated force of the attack pushed the battlefield beyond its limits.
Consciousness began to fracture beneath the strain, yet Lost from Light remained dimly aware that Surya's assault continued to escalate.
The blade burned brighter with each movement.
The world trembled beneath the fury of the Sun God's final strike.
And then, the fuse of his consciousness broke entirely.
—
["…U!"]
'Huh…?'
["U…p!"]
Lost from Light tried to think, yet his thoughts moved sluggishly through the fog pressing against his mind.
'Just who is—'
["UP! FOOLISH SHADOW!"]
Lost from Light opened his eyes.
The effort alone felt monumental. His vision swam at first, blurring the world into vague colors and drifting shapes, and it took several long seconds before his sight finally settled. When it did, the first thing he noticed was a handful of pale flower strands floating slowly through the air.
They turned lazily in the sky above him.
For a brief moment he simply watched them drift, his thoughts struggling to catch up with what his eyes already understood.
The gardens were gone.
Nine of the ten remaining Gardens of Entropy had been reduced to ash, their vast and impossible structures erased by the divine inferno that had erupted moments earlier. Their remnants drifted across the shattered sky like the dust of burned constellations. Even the final garden had begun to collapse beneath the lingering blaze of Surya's Heavenly Flame, its branches smoldering with an intense radiance that refused to fade.
The devastation stretched across the battlefield in every direction.
Unfortunately…
Izanami was gone.
The realization settled quietly within his chest. It must have happened while he had lost consciousness, because the familiar presence that once lingered within his mind had vanished entirely. The avatar that Izanami had inhabited must have reached its limit during the battle.
Lost from Light understood.
The part of his mind and soul that had once remained connected to the Shadow God had fallen silent.
His descent had withdrawn.
Even so, the destruction surrounding him revealed just how much the Shadow God had managed to accomplish before that moment arrived. Surya had unleashed an overwhelming amount of power within the fragile confines of a Sacred-Titan vessel, and the results now lay scattered across the battlefield like a broken dream.
Yet Surya did not sound pleased.
["…I could not carve a deep wound. My strength was insufficient. The flame of creation could not burn him completely."]
Lost from Light exhaled slowly before answering.
"No… this is enough. It is enough for success."
Beyond the drifting petals and falling ash, the true body of the Profaned God loomed across the void like an endless continent of living darkness. A massive horizontal scar cut across its surface, stretching farther than the eye could comfortably follow. The Heavenly Flame of creation still clung to the wound, burning steadily along its edges while the Silver-Sky Weave shimmered faintly across the injured flesh.
Every will that had gathered to oppose Entropy had poured itself into that single strike.
Together they had completely and utterly obliterated Abaddon's gardens.
The wound itself remained small compared to the unimaginable size of the Profaned God, yet its width created something extraordinary.
An opening.
Large enough for Lost from Light to enter.
A deep cry erupted from Abaddon as the damage settled across its existence. The sound shook the surrounding void with a pressure that vibrated through Lost from Light's bones.
Truly, the god had been wounded.
Lost from Light grit his teeth and tried to move through the air—
His body refused.
The effort collapsed immediately, his strength failing before the motion could even begin. He tried again with greater determination, yet the result remained unchanged. His body simply would not respond.
During that moment he felt Surya's gaze fall upon him.
The Sun God did not speak, though the attention carried a strange sensation. The emotion behind it hovered somewhere close to sorrow, yet it lacked the softness usually associated with grief. It felt more complicated than that.
Lost from Light struggled again.
Nothing.
His body remained frozen in place, and confusion crept slowly through his thoughts.
'What…?'
A message appeared before his eyes.
[The 'Demon of Hope' is looking at you with sad eyes.]
Lost from Light lowered his gaze.
The explanation revealed itself...
His right arm was gone.
One of his legs had vanished as well, severed somewhere during the final clash. Two of his wings had been erased entirely, leaving only torn remnants of shadow drifting faintly through the air behind him.
The damage extended deeper than simple wounds.
The final strike against Abaddon had demanded nearly everything he possessed.
During that moment he had drawn upon Soul Essence from surrounding worlds. Surya's divine strength had flooded his body like a blazing tide, while Izanami's descent layered the cold depth of shadow across his soul. Even fragments of his own Shadow Essence had been consumed to sustain the attack.
Very little remained now.
Yet within the haze of exhaustion, a quiet realization surfaced.
'Of course.'
Lost from Light could still summon another avatar.
He turned his head slowly toward the massive wound carved across the Profaned God's body, and immediately noticed something troubling. The injured flesh had already begun to knit itself back together. Tendrils of darkness crept across the scar as Abaddon's existence attempted to restore what had been destroyed.
He did not have much time.
Lost from Light reached into the surrounding shadows.
Another figure emerged moments later from the depths of the Shadow Realm. The avatar stepped forward calmly before turning his attention toward Lost from Light.
A faint smile rested on his face.
He glanced once toward the wound across Abaddon's body.
Then he asked, "I have to throw you over there?"
Lost from Light simply nodded and grabbed the avatar's arm with his remaining hand.
The avatar sighed.
"Hey fool, try not to die without accomplishing something. It'll be a bad mark on my record!"
Lost from Light almost laughed.
'…Don't you mean our record—'
The thought never finished forming.
In the next moment the avatar moved. The Will of Guidance surged through him as he lifted Lost from Light and hurled him toward the massive wound carved into the Profaned God's body.
The distance vanished almost instantly.
Lost from Light collided with Abaddon's surface and immediately felt a deep sense of violation ripple through his being. Touching the flesh of the Profaned God felt profoundly wrong, as though some ancient boundary between existence and annihilation had been crossed.
Still, he forced himself to move.
Using his remaining arm and several tendrils of shadow, Lost from Light dragged himself upward along the edge of the wound. The injured flesh pulsed faintly beneath him, leaking fragments of unnatural darkness that twisted through the air like living mists.
Eventually he reached the opening.
Lost from Light paused and looked inside.
The abyss beyond contained only darkness.
True Darkness.
Abaddon embodied Entropy itself, so one might expect its interior to consist solely of pure Nothingness. The reality proved more complicated. The Profaned God carried other wills within its existence, and those influences shaped the abyss into something far more terrible.
Nothingness and True Darkness intertwined within that depth.
The two forces existed together like opposing reflections of the same cosmic truth.
Unfortunately, those were also the very two things that troubled Lost from Light the most.
Nothingness threatened to erase him entirely. Though, he knew how to resist it.
But True Darkness possessed a far deeper terror for a being born of shadow.
Yet he still smiled.
Lost from Light plunged his hand into the Profaned God's wound and allowed his body to slip forward into the abyss. The pull of that darkness immediately dragged him inward as the surface of Abaddon's flesh began to close behind him.
Moments before the descent truly began, Surya spoke once more.
["…Good luck, Lost from Light. Unfortunately, I cannot go with you."]
The divine warmth that had surrounded him began to fade.
Surya's strength scattered from his body like embers carried away by the wind, the Heavenly Flame dissolving into fading fragments as the Sun God's presence withdrew from the boundary of the Profaned God's Soul Sea.
Lost from Light did not panic.
He had expected this.
Entering the Profaned God meant entering its Soul Sea, and within that realm no external divinity could remain.
The desires of the other gods began to withdraw as well.
Those ancient wills had gathered around Surya's strike earlier, lending their strength to oppose the endless hunger of Entropy. Now, as Lost from Light descended deeper into the Profaned God's existence, those borrowed desires loosened their hold upon his soul. One after another they faded, unraveling quietly as their influence retreated beyond the closing wound.
Their purpose had already been fulfilled.
Only Lost from Light remained.
The wound behind him sealed completely.
Darkness swallowed the final glimpse of the battlefield.
Lost from Light continued to fall.
Entering the Profaned God's body meant entering its Soul Sea. The bodies, minds, and souls of gods were never separate things, and thus the descent carried him into the complete existence of Abaddon itself.
He was diving directly into the god's soul.
At the same time, something else occurred.
By crossing that threshold, Lost from Light had opened his own soul as well.
He was entering Abaddon's existence.
And inviting Abaddon into his own.
The battle across the heavens had ended in that moment.
Yet the war itself remained unfinished.
Because now, deep within the abyss of a Profaned God's Soul Sea, the final battle would begin.
And Lost from Light would have to face it alone.