The city trembled under the clash of two forces beyond comprehension.
Golden light ripped the sky, and shadows of raw authority pulsed outward from Aurelius Valen. Every street, every stone, every building shuddered under the pressure.
Soldiers and civilians alike instinctively fell to their knees. This was no ordinary battle—it was the collision of divine and world-bound authority.
---
Lysara's wings flared, sending waves of radiant energy toward the emperor.
"Step down, human. I will show you the consequences of defiance!"
Aurelius didn't flinch. Instead, he raised his hand.
The very air around him bent, forming barriers of invisible force that absorbed the attack. Golden energy from Lysara's strike fizzled and twisted into smoke before reaching him.
He stepped forward, slow, deliberate.
"Consequences?" he murmured.
"I decide the consequences for this world."
---
The ground cracked beneath him as his aura spread like a tide. Buildings near the palace collapsed, streets fractured, yet not a single soul under his protection suffered.
The distinction was clear:
Those who belonged to him → untouched
Those who opposed → shattered
Lysara's eyes widened.
"You… you bend the world to your will!"
"Yes," Aurelius replied calmly.
"And I am just getting started."
---
He extended a hand, and the World Authority surged outward in waves.
Reality itself warped. Golden streaks of divine energy were absorbed, reversed, and flung back toward the envoy.
The strike hit Lysara, and for the first time, a look of shock appeared on her divine face.
She staggered backward, wings battered by invisible force.
The first envoy of heaven, broken before a mortal, yet no mortal—it was Aurelius.
---
From the skies above, other gods stirred, sensing the event.
Whispers echoed across the celestial hall:
"Impossible… a human… controlling the laws themselves?"
"If he continues like this, the world will slip from our hands."
"He will become a threat even the Abyss fears…"
---
Aurelius's gaze swept across the ruined city, calm as ever.
"The World Emperor is no mortal," he said softly to his guardians.
"He is the shield, the sword, and the reckoning. Let all gods witness…"
He stepped forward again.
"And learn what it means to challenge a world emperor."
The first envoy faltered. The mortal world quaked.
And in the shadows of the heavens, even greater forces began to stir.
This was only the beginning.