The sky darkened unnaturally over the Imperial Capital.
Not from clouds.
Not from storms.
From the weight of divine presence.
The golden column of Lysara's power stretched across the horizon, cracking the atmosphere itself. Soldiers shielded their eyes, but even that did little. The light burned like molten gold, bending reality.
---
Aurelius Valen stood calmly on the obsidian platform.
Around him, the World Authority pulsed, invisible to most, but tangible to anyone sensitive to the laws of existence.
"Step down," Lysara's voice thundered across the city, deep enough to resonate in every chest.
"The Emperor has defied heaven. For that, justice will descend."
Aurelius's hand rested lightly on the hilt of his sword—a relic of forgotten emperors, now humming with the same raw authority that flowed beneath the world.
"I do not bow to heaven," he replied simply.
"I bow to the world I protect."
---
With a blink, Lysara descended.
Wings of divine light flared, each feather slicing through the air like a blade. The Imperial Guard immediately formed defensive lines, but even their formations felt fragile, like glass under pressure.
Aurelius took a single step forward.
The ground cracked.
The very stones trembled under his aura, answering his will.
The distance between him and the envoy shrank in an instant—light clashed with darkness as power collided.
---
Lysara's first strike shattered the streets below, columns of radiant energy ripping through the city's outskirts.
Aurelius raised his hand.
A wave of invisible force erupted, deflecting the strike effortlessly. The golden light bent around him. Soldiers caught glimpses of the emperor, standing like a black-and-gold monolith, unmoved, calm, untouchable.
"You wield power beyond any mortal," Lysara admitted, eyes narrowing.
"But even you are limited."
Aurelius smiled faintly.
"I am no mortal. And the only limit here… is what I allow."
---
The clash escalated.
Buildings crumbled. Streets split open. Even the distant mountains seemed to recoil under the shockwaves.
Every strike from Lysara was met with Aurelius's absolute control, his aura reshaping reality to protect his people, to dominate the battlefield.
The envoy faltered for the first time, just a flicker, but Aurelius noticed.
A small, almost imperceptible grin formed.
"The first wave of heaven…" he whispered.
"…has already underestimated me."
---
Above, in the celestial hall, the gods murmured among themselves.
"This… he is not human," one whispered, voice shaking.
"His authority… it bends the laws we set," said another.
"He will become a threat none of us can ignore," a third warned.
Even the most patient thrones shifted, uneasy.
---
On the battlefield, the city was in ruins.
Yet at the center of the devastation stood Aurelius Valen, unscathed, calm, unshaken.
And Lysara, the first envoy of heaven, realized something crucial:
This was not a test.
This was a challenge.
This was only the beginning.