Chapter 102: The Avatar of Justice and the Abyssal Counterstrike
The pillar of celestial light that struck the Dead Marshes didn't just illuminate the fog; it vaporized the toxic mist within a hundred-yard radius, leaving a scorched circle of dry, cracked earth in the middle of the swamp. From the center of this radiance stepped the 'Avatar of Justice'—a being composed of solidified solar mana, wearing armor that looked like it was forged from the molten core of a star.
"The blasphemy ends here," the Avatar spoke, its voice carrying a frequency that shattered the nearby skeletal remains of the Iron Legion. "Volt, the Forbidden King. Your presence is an infection upon the divine order. I am the scalpel that shall cut you from this world."
Von (Volt) didn't blink. He felt the crushing weight of the Avatar's presence—a level of power far beyond the Inquisitors they had faced on the bridge. This was a direct extension of a Celestial Judge's will.
[SYSTEM CRITICAL ALERT: Divine Avatar Detected. Power Rank: Mythical. Enemy Skill 'Righteous Verdict' is charging. Estimated Survival Rate: 15%. Warning: Your mana veins are still strained from the previous synchronization.]
"Aki! Sai! Get the Iron Legion fragments back!" Von commanded, his voice a low growl. "Rena, support them with everything you have. This one is mine."
Aki, for once, didn't make a joke. The heat coming from the Avatar was so intense it was singeing the edges of his leather armor. "You heard the boss! Sai, cover me! Rena, give me some of that 'don't-get-incinerated' magic!"
Rena began to chant, her voice rising above the roar of the celestial flames. "By the ancient pact of the earth, I summon the Aegis of the Deep!" A shimmering green barrier enveloped Aki and Sai as they dove into the mud to protect Kaelen and the second fragment of the Crown.
The Avatar raised a flaming sword that looked like a localized sun. "You choose to hide behind mortals? Pathetic." With a horizontal sweep, a wave of solar fire erupted, turning the marsh water into steam instantly.
Von didn't dodge. He drew the Void Reaper, but instead of holding it, he slammed the blade into the mud at his feet. "Abyssal Extraction!"
The black blade acted as a lightning rod, sucking the solar fire into the ground and redirecting it through the marsh's dark ley lines. The earth beneath the Avatar exploded as pillars of corrupted, black flames erupted from below.
[SKILL ACTIVATED: 'Abyssal Extraction'. Solar damage converted to Shadow Mana: 40%. Power Restoration: 94%.]
The Avatar staggered, its golden armor soot-stained. "You dare use the corrupted earth to stain my light?"
"Your light is a lie," Von replied, his silhouette flickering as he activated 'Void Step'. He appeared in the air above the Avatar, his scythe glowing with a violent purple aura. "You call this justice? You slaughtered an entire legion and left them to rot for a thousand years just because they knew the truth about your gods!"
Von swung the scythe with a force that distorted the air. The Avatar raised its solar shield, and the resulting collision created a "Mana-Quake" that felt like the mountain itself was collapsing. The ground beneath them sank another ten feet into the mire.
Meanwhile, Aki was struggling to reach Kaelen, the skeletal commander. "Kaelen! Give me the fragment! We need to empower Von before that gold-plated turkey turns us into charcoal!"
Kaelen, his soul-fire flickering weakly, handed the second fragment—a jagged piece of black obsidian—to Aki. "Take it... thief. Tell the King... the Iron Legion... never broke."
As Aki's fingers touched the second fragment, the System went into a frenzy.
[ALERT: Second Fragment of the 'Crown of Eternal Night' detected. Resonance achieved. Do you wish to initiate 'Emergency Sovereignty Transfer'?]
"Von! Catch!" Aki screamed, throwing the glowing obsidian shard across the battlefield.
The Avatar saw the fragment and its eyes burned with divine fury. "The Crown shall never be whole!" It fired a beam of pure solar energy at the flying shard, intending to vaporize it.
But Rena was ready. She channeled all her remaining mana into a single, focused blast of wind magic, knocking the shard out of the beam's path and into Von's outstretched hand.
The moment Von's fingers closed around the second fragment, the world went silent. The solar fire froze. The boiling water stopped. The black tattoos on Von's arm transformed into a full sleeve of abyssal armor, and a tattered, black crown began to manifest above his head.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: 2/7 Fragments Unified. Title Evolution: 'The Awakened King'. Skill Unlocked: 'Army of the Abyss - Summoning Level 1'.]
Von looked at the Avatar, his eyes now two bottomless pits of darkness. "You wanted an execution, didn't you?" He raised his hand, and from the black mud of the Dead Marshes, the skeletal soldiers of the Iron Legion rose, their rusted armor now glowing with the same violet fire as Von's crown.
"Iron Legion," Von commanded, his voice a thunderclap that cleared the remaining fog for miles. "Rise. Your King has returned. Destroy the light that betrayed you."
With a haunting, silent roar, the undead army charged. The Avatar, for the first time in its existence, began to back away. The solar light was being suffocated by a sea of shadows.
"This is not over, Volt!" the Avatar shrieked as the skeletal soldiers swarmed over its golden armor, their touch eroding the divine mana like acid. "The Heavens will send the Judges themselves!"
"Let them come," Von said, his voice cold and final. "I have a lot of souls to collect."
As the Avatar exploded into a shower of harmless sparks, Von stood in the center of his kneeling undead army. He felt the power of the second fragment stabilizing his soul, but he also felt the eyes of the High Council watching from the Academy.
Aki walked up to him, wiping mud from his face. "So... I guess we're not going to that luxury winery anytime soon, are we?"
Von looked at the horizon. "No, Aki. We're going to the capital. It's time to take back my throne."