The clash between the champions of the God of Sun and the Archdemons continued to escalate, each blow resounding like thunder as their weapons collided with relentless force. The battlefield around them had become a tempest of light and shadow, with divine fire and demonic energy spilling across the terrain in dazzling arcs. Greed’s golden axes flashed like twin suns, tearing through the air in devastating swipes, while Insight’s shadowy scythe carved through the battlefield like a reaper’s blade, her demonic crows darting in to peck and claw at their enemies.

  Sunrise and Sunset fought with their characteristic synchronicity, their movements so precise it appeared as though they shared a single mind. Sunrise’s spear of true starfire whipped through the air with blistering speed, her strikes aimed to penetrate Insight’s defenses, while Sunset’s massive greatsword bore down on Greed with unrelenting power, each swing threatening to cleave through her twin axes. Despite their skill, it was clear that fatigue was creeping into the champions’ movements. Their attacks, while still formidable, began to lack the unerring precision they had displayed earlier.

  “You’re slowing down,” Greed taunted, her voice dripping with arrogance as she deftly deflected Sunset’s latest strike. “What’s the matter? Is the weight of your god’s arrogance too much for you?”

  Sunrise’s fiery eyes flared with anger as she spun her spear, lashing out with a volley of searing strikes at Insight, who deflected them with a calculated sweep of her scythe. “Silence, demon! You will burn in the fires of his glory!”

  Insight’s crimson gaze remained calm, even amused, as her scythe’s shadowy tendrils coiled through the air like serpents. “Glory? All I see is desperation. Perhaps your god should’ve chosen stronger pawns.”

  The champions fought harder, their anger fueling their attacks, but their rage also made them reckless. Their movements became erratic, and their previously seamless coordination began to fray. The Archdemons, ever cunning, capitalized on their emotional turmoil. Greed and Insight pushed their advantage, their movements becoming more aggressive, more precise, as they forced the champions to overextend.

  Meanwhile, high above the battlefield, the God of Sun returned to his throne. His golden form flickered faintly as he settled into the seat, his divine fire dimming under the strain of battle. Lumen descended from the skies to tend to him, her hands glowing with radiant energy as she began to heal his wounds. “Rest, my Lord,” she said softly, her voice heavy with devotion. “I will mend what that insolent human has done.”

  The God’s fiery gaze lingered on the battlefield below, watching as his army clashed with the forces of Verdince. His eyes narrowed as he observed the struggle of his champions, their movements growing increasingly chaotic. His displeasure was palpable, the light around him dimming as frustration boiled within.

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  “Rise, champions!” he bellowed, his voice echoing across the battlefield. “Show them the wrath of the sun!”

  Hearing their god’s command and seeing their master wounded enraged the champions even further. Sunrise and Sunset redoubled their efforts, their strikes becoming wild and furious as they sought to overwhelm their demonic adversaries. The ground beneath them scorched and cracked under the intensity of their attacks, the air thick with the acrid scent of burning magic.

  But Greed and Insight, ever the tacticians, turned this newfound fury against them. Greed dodged Sunset’s reckless swings with ease, her axes flashing as she struck at his exposed flanks. “Is this what the chosen warriors of the Sun God look like? I expected more,” she sneered, her voice filled with mockery.

  Insight danced around Sunrise’s erratic spear thrusts, her scythe flowing like water as it intercepted and deflected each strike. “You are all fire and no focus,” she said coldly, her demonic crows swarming around the champion. “It’s almost pitiful.”

  The champions, blinded by rage, pressed forward recklessly, leaving their defenses open. In a single, synchronized moment, the Archdemons struck. Greed’s axes cleaved through Sunset’s neck in a golden flash, while Insight’s scythe swept through Sunrise’s throat with chilling precision. The twin champions’ heads fell, their fiery eyes dimming as their bodies crumpled to the ground. The battlefield seemed to pause for a heartbeat, the silence broken only by the dying echoes of their final moments.

  Greed stood over Sunset’s fallen form, a victorious grin spreading across her face. “Well, that was disappointing,” she said, twirling one of her axes. “I thought they’d last a little longer.”

  Insight lowered her scythe, her expression unreadable as her crows perched upon the corpses of the fallen champions. “Their loyalty was admirable. But loyalty alone is not enough.”

  High above, the God of Sun watched the defeat of his champions with a look of utter displeasure. His fiery aura flared violently, the Archangels around him shifting uncomfortably as his frustration manifested in waves of heat and light. Lumen, still healing him, cast a glance toward the fallen champions, her expression a mixture of sorrow and anger.

  The battle around them continued to rage, the sounds of war filling the air with chaos and despair. But the tide was turning. Lexor’s final stand had inspired Verdince’s defenders, their resolve hardened in the wake of their leader’s sacrifice. The God of Sun’s army, witnessing the fall of their champions, began to falter under the relentless assault of the city’s forces. The knights and mages of Verdince pressed forward with renewed vigor, their emerald tabards standing out against the scorched battlefield as they pushed the celestial invaders back.

  Then, amidst the chaos, something unexpected happened. The air around the Archdemons shifted, a sudden pressure descending upon them that caused even Greed and Insight to tense. A figure emerged from the smoke and ash, landing with a resounding impact before them. The ground trembled beneath his weight as the smoke cleared, revealing a towering figure shrouded in shadow and power.

  Greed and Insight immediately knelt, their weapons lowered in deference. “The stage is set for you, Lord,” they said in unison, their voices carrying a reverence reserved for one being alone.

  The God of Sun’s fiery eyes narrowed as he beheld the newcomer, his displeasure giving way to curiosity—and perhaps a trace of unease. The battlefield seemed to hold its breath, the fate of Verdince teetering on the edge of a knife.

  But amidst this moment of tension, one figure was conspicuously absent. Ciel, the Archdemon of Sealing, had disappeared.