Sanctum was a shattered ruin, a desolate battlefield beneath a sky of soot and ember. The Throne of the Archon loomed defiantly behind Ethan, its aura crackling with suppressed power as if anticipating the titanic clash about to unfold. Before it, two beings of immense might faced off amidst the smoking devastation.

Artorious, the Lightborn Angel of Kaedmon.

And Ethan, the Demon-Hat Archon.

Artorious wasted no time. He lifted his glowing arm, the divine energy within surging to life. His voice resonated with unearthly power as he unleashed his first devastating attack:

[Angel-Arm] erupted—a beam of pure divine energy surged from his outstretched arm, dealing catastrophic damage to everything in its path. Ethan responded instantly, his massive form shifting with blinding agility, barely evading the radiant beam. Stone and metal vaporized behind him, carving a fiery trench through Sanctum's ruins.

Ethan countered swiftly, launching himself toward Artorious with lethal intent. Mid-air, he unleashed his own deadly response:

[Twilight Edge]

A shadowy arc sliced forward, its deadly energy aimed squarely at the angel. Any enemy caught would be afflicted by confusion, attacking friend and foe alike. Artorious met the shadow with a shimmering [Blade Barrier]—ten radiant Spirit Swords materialized instantly around him, spinning in a deadly defensive circle, deflecting Ethan's dark wave.

So you've got a few new tricks, Arty, Ethan thought as he charged. Well, so do I.

The two clashed furiously, each strike reverberating through the devastated city. Ethan's form blurred, employing [Blink]to teleport unpredictably around Artorious, striking from every direction. Yet the angel was equally formidable, responding with calculated precision and anticipating Ethan's every movement, parrying with his glowing blade.

Any onlookers might have suspected some bravado from this battle. Some taunts, jibes, or other such verbal attempts from one opponent to get into the head of another.

But words had never been Artorious' strong-point. And, even for Ethan, the time for them had passed. He'd seen the carnage this murdering demi-God had inflicted on the very place he'd sworn to protect.

And it was taking everything in his being to prevent his eyes from drifting over the images of destruction he saw here. Of Fauna and then team, barely conscious…

Focus! Sys roared in his mind. Remember: there's no second chances now. This is it! Him or you!

Ethan blinked and summoned up a [Roar], pushing Arty back just enough to give him the chance he needed. He opened his jaws even wider to then follow up with [Storm of Revok]—a devastating torrent of molten lava capable of melting even the strongest defenses. The earth beneath them boiled away, the sheer heat threatening to consume Artorious. But the angel met the fiery storm head-on, retaliating with a defiant counter:

[Azure Arc]

Twin beams of searing light erupted from his eyes, clashing directly with Ethan's lava torrent. The collision exploded in an earth-shattering blast, the shockwave decimating buildings around them.

As debris rained down, Artorious seized the moment, launching his glowing swords forward with merciless intent:

[Arms of the Vigil]

Ten ethereal swords with unerring precision and deadly Spirit damage flew toward Ethan, impossible to block or evade easily. Ethan, however, met them with fierce defiance:

[Repulsor Shield] activated, a spherical barrier of absolute immunity instantly surrounding him, deflecting the blades back toward their sender. Artorious, with blinding speed, dissipated and re-summoned his swords, narrowly avoiding harm.

Ethan charged once more, pressing his offensive advantage. His claws flashed, coated with deadly Onixia, and with a fierce cry, he executed:

[Blade of the Sword Saint]

Five melee weapons levitated and danced around Ethan, each infused with homing capability, relentlessly tracking the angel. Artorious dodged and parried with incredible grace, weaving through the air amidst swirling blades and erupting chaos. But Ethan was relentless; his three heads roared simultaneously, employing his strongest spell yet:

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[Winterbreath]

A blast of chilling frost surged forth, extinguishing Artorious's divine fires and threatening to freeze the angel where he stood. Artorious responded with equal force, spreading his wings wide and releasing an explosive burst of divine flame, a halo of celestial fire dispersing Ethan's freezing assault.

The fight continued, both combatants becoming blurs of fury against the smoke-filled backdrop of the ruined city.

He's got offense, defense, and speed on his side, Ethan thought as he did his best to dodge or [Blink] out of range of the Lightborn's swift sword strikes. But…he's still Arty. Maybe I can harry him. Frustrate him into making a mistake.

And for that, I'll need some annoying little allies to run interference.

[Summon Shadow Wraith]

Five deadly wraiths emerged, each poised to slash Artorious from behind. Yet the angel spun, his eyes blazing, annihilating them instantly with another searing [Azure Arc]. Before Ethan could reposition, Artorious launched himself forward, his speed blinding as he drove his blade toward the Archon's heart.

But Ethan had one more trick. With a fierce snarl, he became intangible:

[Ethereal Form]

Ethan turned incorporeal, immune to physical harm. Artorious's blade passed harmlessly through his ghostly form, throwing the angel momentarily off-balance. Ethan seized the opportunity, becoming solid again as he unleashed a surprise attack:

[Spectral Snipe]

A focused, spectral energy shot directly from Ethan's crimson eyes, bending and twisting unpredictably around Artorious's defenses. The angel cried out in rage as the attack struck true, searing through one of his glowing wings and momentarily grounding him.

But Ethan could tell that the roar of the Lightborn wasn't due to any feeling of pain. He'd added a [Poison Coating] and [Petrification Coating] – both now at Grade A – to that last Spectral Snipe. But as Artorious simply brushed off the attack, Ethan detected no poison running through the angel's veins. And not a single piece of him was turned to stone.

Artorious sneered as Ethan appraised the ability that would render both those skills virtually useless:

Incorruptible: Grade S

Grants ABSOLUTE IMMUNITY to the following Status Effects:

Poison

Enfeeble

Slow

Petrification

Confusion

Domination

"You think a servant of Kaedmon can be so easily halted, Archon?" Artorious scoffed as he strode forwards, clearly recalling how Ethan had trapped him in their previous showdown. "Your old tricks won't work this time."

He lifted his hands, wings spreading majestically, and began gathering divine energy around him, preparing a devastating assault:

[Implosion]

Ethan's eyes bulged. He meant to do as much damage as possible in an AOE that would strike him even through all the shields he had.

The ground trembled as spirit energy built within the angel, threatening to obliterate everything in its range.

And Ethan knew he had only one chance—to strike first.

Gathering all his remaining power, Ethan leaped forward, driving his Onixia-coated claws toward the angel's glowing chest, roaring in defiance as he struck. The collision released an explosion of opposing energies—shadow and light colliding in a cataclysmic eruption.

But when the smoke cleared from their collision cleared, both beings still stood. Archon and Lightborn stared each other down, each waiting for the other to make a move.

Implosion's too slow a skill to use, old Arty, Ethan thought as he paced around the Lightborn's still shining form. Trust me, your old friend the Viscount found that out rather quickly.

But he felt himself stagger slightly. He felt the bulging muscles of Revok tighten and strain. He could feel where the Lightborn had nicked him – where the Spirit Damage that infused most of his attacks had broken through.

Ethan Hawke Current Host: Revok, the Chimera of Westerweald (LVL 150)

HP: 2100/2500

He then checked his opponent's own HP values, knowing that, even with all the power he now had, the Angel would still survive if it came down to a battle of attrition:

Artorious, Angel of Keadmon (LVL 200)

HP: 4235/5000

This first bout had served more as a test for each of them – both were forcing the other to show their hand, to play their best skills and show their deficiencies. Neither had struck with the intention of finishing this right away. They'd faced each other enough times to know that there was no way either of them could do that.

I can't dance around him and tire him out, Ethan thought as he paced his barely phased opponent. I need guerilla tactics. I need to hit strong, fast, and be agile enough to get away from him before he counters. Question is…am I fast enough?

Artorious' eyes followed him, angelic blade raised, shimmering with vibrant, killing light.

Well? Sys asked – tension choking his voice. What are you waiting for?

Ethan's eyes flew towards where Fauna and the rest of the team were lying, face down, in the dirt.

Their HP was barely above 1 after the Lightborn's last attack.

I have to get him out of here before he unleashes another AOE skill. There's been enough death today already…because of me.

No time to think like that! Sys urged him. Look alive! What's the play, here?

He's different, Ethan thought. I can't put my finger on it but…he's more focused. Present. He's watching every move, lest he underestimate me again. But I wonder, inside all that fluff and sparkly magic Kaedmon's given you…are you still Artorious?

His eyes searched those of the Angel's, trying to find the Lightborn.

And in response, those silver eyes started to glow.

"Prepare yourself, Archon," Artorious said. "For now, you face the wrath of a true God."

His teeth were set on edge as the Lightborn readied another divine strike - both his blade, eyes, and glowing palm rising to deliver more power than any being on Argwyll had ever seen before.

And Ethan, with a snarl, met it head on.

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