Within Vorthak's realm, silence fractured.
Half of his body remained buried within the living domain, yet his power continued to swell endlessly, rising without limit. The realm fed him endlessly, reinforcing his existence beyond any known boundary.
Vorthak laughed.
Then his laughter stopped.
His eyes closed, and his vast awareness expanded. The monstrous maw that split his face slowly hardened, no longer eager, no longer playful. This was not the expression of a predator about to devour prey.
This was the face of a being preparing to kill.
He felt it.
The stone.
"It's with him again," Vorthak growled, fury and exhilaration blending together. "At last."
His laughter returned, violent enough to fracture reality itself. Infinite dimensional realms trembled. Vast planets and blazing stars connected by colossal wormholes shook under the echo of his voice, calculations of space and matter collapsing under the pressure.
Then he silenced it all without effort.
"Relax," he said to his creations. "Soon, you will surpass even infinity. My causality stands above all. I have no weakness."
Elsewhere, beyond the Vastyrion Realm, Michael rested within the space of a higher plane.
The realm existed adjacent to Vastyrion, untouched by conflict. Michael floated effortlessly, one hand behind his head, cloak drifting softly. His glowing sword remained wrapped beneath brown bindings, resting beside him.
He touched the stone concealed within his sleeve.
"This will drive him mad," Michael thought. "He'll come to me himself."
That was what Michael wanted.
Vorthak could not be killed easily. His immortality was absolute, resistant to destruction, sealing, and erasure. But Michael was the Tenth Sentinel.
And Michael believed.
Not in arrogance, but in certainty.
The higher being, the God beyond planes, would not abandon the balance. When the time came, Michael would be strengthened enough to end Vorthak.
Even so, Michael understood the truth.
If Vorthak fell, others would follow.
Demons were countless. They had existed since the First Sentinel. Endless wars, endless attempts at domination.
And yet, every era ended the same way.
The Sentinel endured.
In Aldervain Kingdom, King Baldrick walked through the marble stairs of the parliament palace beside the young captain Fred. They discussed future military training, preparation for the inevitable return of demonic threats.
"Good," Baldrick said. "We stay ready. Always."
Fred nodded.
After leaving the palace gates, sunlight reflected in Fred's blue eyes. His hair drifted in the wind as his younger sister Bella ran toward him, smiling brightly, holding fresh bread.
"Brother! I bought it already. Let's go home and eat."
Fred smiled and gently tapped her head before walking away with her, the war momentarily forgotten.
Elsewhere, Michael stepped into a dark realm.
Its shape resembled a planet, yet it was undeniably a realm dimension. The sky was void-dark, while the ground shimmered with unnatural colors. The pressure alone was immense, enough to annihilate Vastyrion and every neighboring realm if released unchecked.
Michael walked calmly.
He placed his hand against the ground and closed his eyes, peering into the past.
Once, this realm had been radiant. Its inhabitants were not human, yet intelligent, capable of movement beyond linear time. Then demons arrived. The population was erased, and the realm collapsed into darkness.
Michael opened his eyes and returned the stone to his sleeve.
"Vorthak will come," he said quietly. "This stone is his obsession. His shortcut to unreachable heights."
Michael then activated an ability known only to Sentinels of his tier.
Veil of Null Witness
A state where observation itself is denied. No perception, no omniscient sight, no causal awareness could lock onto him. Even beings who existed beyond space, time, and causality would fail to trace him.
Michael had realized something crucial.
Vorthak was watching him.
Now, he wasn't.
Michael's presence stabilized, matching Vorthak's level of existence without exposing himself.
A young Sentinel who had not yet unleashed his true potential.
Against a demon lord of unimaginable experience, power, and immortality.
If they fought now, the outcome was uncertain.
Michael smiled faintly beneath his hood.
His cloak lifted gently as he spoke.
"Come, demon. One of us will turn to dust."
"And it won't be me."