Towering above the Demon Realm, Lucius stood cradled within the open palm of Goddess Celestia.
From this height, the realm beneath them appeared vast, an endless expanse of jagged land and broken structures bathed in a sky of deep, unnatural purple. Rivers of corrupted mana cut across the surface like open wounds, as though the world itself breathed in malice. This was the domain that had plagued creation for centuries.
And now, it lay beneath waiting for judgment by the Goddess of Balance and Judgement and her apostle.
Lucius stood still in awe as his body was supported effortlessly by the goddess's radiant hand. Though the scale between them was immeasurable, he felt no fear, only warmth. Her presence was gentle and motherly, providing the very warmth he needed after Selene's death.
In his hands, held the sword, the blade he had carried through countless battles. The blade that had been with him since birth.
Yet it no longer felt the same, he felt even more than ever connected to the blade.
As Lucius shifted his grip, the divine avatar behind him moved in perfect harmony, her will flowing seamlessly into his own. He smiled as the blade responded to both of them, humming softly as if recognizing its creator at last.
Slowly, the sword lifted from Lucius's hands.
It floated upward, rising into the vast purple sky of the Demon Realm. As it ascended, its light intensified, cutting through the demon realm and repainting them in white-gold brilliance. The clouds recoiled. The darkness thinned. For the first time since its creation, the Demon Realm knew what true light felt like.
Celestia extended her free hand and her fingers closed around the blade.
The moment she grasped it, the sword began to change.
Its form expanded, lengthening and widening beyond mortal scale. The blade grew until it stretched across the sky itself, its radiant edge dividing heaven and earth. What had once been a weapon meant for Lucius, was now unmistakably a divine weapon
Celestia held it as though it had always belonged to her and Lucius watched, a faint smile touching his lips.
He could feel it now, the truth he had known all along. The power flowing through him was immense, beyond anything he had ever wielded. And with it came certainty.
His life was fading.
Each breath felt lighter than the last, as though he were slowly drifting away from the world he had fought so hard to protect. Yet there was no fear in his heart.
No regret. Only resolve.
Lucius raised his hand and closed his fingers around empty air.
It felt right.
"O Goddess Celestia," he said, his voice calm and steady. It carried across the skies by Celestia divine will. "You who guided me when the world was lost to darkness. You who gave me purpose when all I knew was battle."
Below them, the Demon Realm trembled.
"This war has endured for centuries," Lucius continued. "Lives have been broken. Hope has been burned away. I offer you what remains of my life, so that this evil may end here."
Celestia's presence tightened around him, warm and protective.
Her massive form shifted, lifting the colossal blade and angling its tip downward.
Toward the Demon King.
Far below, he stood upon shattered land, his form already beginning to change as he sensed what was coming. Dark power surged outward, distorting reality around him. His body grew, swelling with demonic magic until he rivaled the ruined castle behind him.
His gray skin darkened to pitch black. His horns lengthened and twisted. His eyes became voids of endless hatred.
But this meant nothing to Lucius. This was his final attack, which will end the war permanetly.
Lucius lowered his hand.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
"Divine Judgment."
The blade answered.
The immense sword descended, its passage lighting the Demon Realm brighter than any sun. It cast no shadow—only blinding radiance that erased darkness as it moved. The air screamed. The land cracked. The sky itself recoiled.
The Demon King roared.
He raised his own weapon, demonic energy flooding into it as it expanded in response, growing vast in a desperate attempt to match the divine strike. Still, it was dwarfed by the blade descending upon him.
It could never match the power of Lucius and Goddess Celestine power combined into one..
"I will tear you apart, Hero! I will never fall to someone like you." the Demon Kingroared, his voice shaking the ground beneath him. "The human world belongs to me, it always has!"
"You will pay for this, you vermin."
He unleashed all the hatred and pride that had ruled him for centuries.
"ROOAARRRR!"
The two blades crashed together.
Light and darkness erupted outward, clashing violently as divine power met demonic magic. Shockwaves tore through the realm, ripping mountains apart and shattering the land to its core. For a brief moment, it seemed as though the world itself could not decide which force would prevail.
Then the light surged.
KRRR—KRRR—CRACK
Cracks spread across the Demon King's sword, glowing white-hot before splintering apart. The demonic blade shattered completely, fragments dissolving into nothing as the colossal sword of light pressed onward without and hindrance.
The Demon King looked up and for the first time, there was no rage in his eyes.
Only realization.
The blade descended.
BOOM.
The impact engulfed the Demon Realm in its entirety.
A massive sphere of light expanded outward from the point of contact, growing larger and larger as it consumed everything—demonic cities, lands, and all remaining life. Every lifeform corrupted with demonic energy was erased without mercy.
The sphere surged upward, piercing the skies before collapsing inward upon itself. Then it exploded.
The sound tore across the world, echoing through every kingdom. The mountains shook and the seas trembled. Even distant lands felt the aftermath of judgment delivered.
And then—
Silence.
The light vanished instantly.
Where the Demon Realm once existed, there was nothing. Only emptiness remained.
Lucius closed his eyes within Celestia's grasp, his breathing slowing as the last of his strength faded.
Now his vision began to blur, but all he could see the figure of Goddess before him holding him. It was his last moments, and instead of darkness all he saw white light.
The war was over, he had accomplished his life long goal. Now he could finally rest and reunite with Selene