With Nyxar's disintegration, the chaos in the city briefly subsided. Dust clouds rising from the ruins formed a shroud of mist beneath the blood-red sky. Aziel knelt, sweat glistening on his forehead. Every fiber of his being trembled, as if molten stardust flowed through his veins instead of mana. This was more than exhaustion; it was a profound emptiness that strained his soul. His mana had been drained like a sponge, and the ancient energy source within him was now silent, as if in a deep slumber.
Yet, the bitter taste of victory was on his tongue. He had single-handedly obliterated a Mana Guardian, one of the Divine Sovereigns' most powerful enforcers. This thought, while stirring a shiver of pride in his chest, simultaneously cast a monumental shadow of fear over the future. The Divine Sovereigns would undoubtedly not let this defeat go unanswered. This was merely a beginning, a declaration of war.
Aziel slowly opened his eyes. The people around him looked at him with a mix of fear and awe. Some still stared in astonishment at where Nyxar had vanished, while others cautiously approached Aziel. It was unclear whether he was a savior or the harbinger of a divine catastrophe. Yet, Aziel simply tried to breathe, to feel his own existence. Understanding the nature of the power within him was far more crucial than mere survival.
What have I become? he wondered. I am not just human. But what exactly am I? In his mind, images of ancient vampire kingdoms, celestial gods, and the cosmic pulse of mana raced against each other. The blood pact, the legacy… All of it shook his consciousness as much as it burdened him. He had led an ordinary life. He used to worry about what he would eat tomorrow, or how he would pass his exams. Now, in an instant, he found himself in the midst of an absurd mission: to shatter the universe's divine laws and usher in a new era. This felt like a responsibility far too heavy to bear.
Nevertheless, when he closed his eyes, he could hear the whisper of that power hidden deep within him. The ability of infinite transformation. This was not merely a power, but a potential. He could use mana not just for destruction, but for creation. It was an energy capable of reshaping existence to its atomic core. Perhaps he could rebuild not only himself but also his surroundings, even this ruined world. This thought cast a small spark of hope into his weary soul.
"You… who are you?" A frail voice broke his thoughts. Aziel lifted his head. An elderly woman, her face marked by years and the apocalypse, cautiously approached him. Her hands trembled, but her eyes held a curious courage. Behind her, a few children and youths huddled together in fear.
Aziel cleared his throat. His voice was still hoarse, worn out from the intense use of mana. "I… am Aziel."
The woman gestured to the ruins around them. "You… you destroyed that beast. You saved our lives."
Aziel nodded. "I just… did what I had to do." The words had escaped him instinctively. The ancient legacy within him pushed him in this direction. The instinct to protect, the desire to save humanity… This was part of his new identity.
The woman approached and touched Aziel's shoulder. Her hand was surprisingly warm. "Thank you, Aziel. Thank you."
This simple gratitude filled a part of the emptiness within Aziel. What he had done had meaning. Not just surviving, but keeping others alive too… This gave him a purpose.
However, this hope was quickly replaced by the harbinger of a new threat. Aziel's sharpened senses detected a new energy signature coming from the edge of the city. This was different from Nyxar. It was denser, more brutal, and more terrifying. It was as if a being woven from the screams of thousands of souls was approaching. The Divine Sovereigns' second hunter was coming.
Aziel rose. The weariness on his face transformed into determination. "We can't stay here. They are coming."
The woman and the other survivors looked at him in astonishment. "Who is coming?"
"Those who hunt me," Aziel murmured. "And they will be far stronger than Nyxar."
Aziel instinctively began to search for an escape route through the ruins of the city. He needed to find a safer place, a place where he could gather his strength and prepare for this new threat. They would have to head towards the old forested areas outside the city. That might be a place less likely to attract the attention of cosmic creatures and divine hunters, at least for now.
As they moved through the ruined boulevards, Aziel saw the horror of the post-apocalyptic world more clearly. Where skyscrapers once rose, now only colossal metal skeletons and concrete heaps remained. Cars were burned out, their frames ghostly. The streets were riddled with deep fissures, some so profound they resembled dark and bottomless abysses. The crimson hue of the sky colored everything, like blood reflecting on the ground. The air was heavy, filled with the smell of ash and dust; each breath burned his lungs.
The survivors followed behind Aziel. Their desperation weighed even more heavily on Aziel's shoulders. Were these people his new family? Had fate bound them to him?
"What will we do?" asked a young man, his voice trembling. "Where will we go?"
Aziel shook his head. "I don't know. But I know we will survive. And I will use this power to protect you."
Just then, a colossal roar echoed from the western edge of the city. The ground trembled. This was the sound of a being much larger, much more powerful than Nyxar. With this roar, the crimson rift in the sky widened even further, and from it, like a darkened shadow, a second entity emerged. This was a Shadow Sentinel. Its body seemed woven from dark energy, and its eyes were death itself. Its slender yet muscular arms ended in predatory claws, and on its back were wings much larger than Nyxar's, charred and burning fiercely. This was the Divine Sovereigns' second and far more lethal message. Its name was Kaelen.
Kaelen glided silently, each beat of its wings creating a shockwave in the air. The energy emanating from it made Aziel's hairs stand on end. His mana had not yet fully recovered. How could he possibly contend with this creature when he had barely defeated Nyxar?
More mana. More power. His mind desperately sought a solution. He looked at the ruined buildings around him. The iron rods within the buildings, the reinforced concrete structures… The infinite transformation ability…
Aziel suddenly stopped. "This way! We need to find shelter!"
The group followed Aziel. He led them towards a partially standing entrance to the city's old metro system. The entrance was filled with debris, but inside, for now, it seemed relatively safe.
"Hurry!" Aziel shouted. Kaelen's energy was approaching, its presence almost cutting through the air.
The group took refuge in the metro entrance. Aziel stayed at the very end, trying to gauge Kaelen's speed and power. Kaelen was not heading directly for the metro entrance, but rather seemed to be tracking Aziel's energy signature. Aziel tried to perceive Kaelen's every move, like a forest hunter reading the leaves of a tree. This was a mental struggle, not just one of brute force.
As he entered the narrow corridor of the metro entrance, an idea struck Aziel. This was his new ability. Creation, transformation… The walls of the corridor were filled with old, rusty iron pipes and broken concrete blocks. Aziel extended his hand to the wall and focused, using the last remnants of his mana. The pipes and concrete pieces began to vibrate. A purplish energy swirled around them, merging and reshaping the fragments. In a matter of seconds, the entrance to the corridor was sealed by a massive, almost impenetrable mana-iron barrier, reinforced with compressed mana.
This barrier might be enough to delay Kaelen for a while. But Aziel had overused his mana. His knees buckled, his vision blurred. As he was about to collapse, a hand reached out to his shoulder.
"Are you okay?"
Aziel lifted his head. It was a young girl from beside the old woman. She was about eighteen years old, dressed in ragged clothes, but her eyes held a determination similar to Aziel's. Her hair was disheveled, and her face was smudged with soot and dirt, but even in that state, an unextinguished fire glowed within her. Her name was Lena.
Lena took Aziel's arm and tried to support him. "You used too much power. You need to rest."
Aziel shook his head. "I can't rest. He… is coming."
"I know," Lena said. "But you can't fight alone. Maybe… we can help you."
Aziel looked at Lena. He saw an unexpected courage in this young girl, something he hadn't expected in an ordinary human. In her eyes, he saw that spark of hope that he had felt before, now even stronger. Perhaps he wasn't alone. Perhaps there were others in this ruined world who could fight alongside him.
Lena looked at the ruins around them. "This is all we have left in this world. Hope. And you, Aziel, are the symbol of that hope."
Just then, a massive explosion echoed from outside. Kaelen had reached their barrier. Even the mana-iron barriers Aziel had created trembled under Kaelen's power. Creaking and cracking sounds filled the air.
"What do we do now?" a child whispered, his voice trembling with fear.
Aziel turned to Lena. "You need to buy me time. I need to recover my mana."
Lena nodded. "What can we do?"
Aziel closed his eyes and focused on the mana in his mind. The infinite transformation ability… It gave him the power to transform not just matter, but energy itself. Could he absorb his enemies' mana? Could he turn their power into his own? It was a dangerous idea, but for now, it was his only chance.
"Give me a second," Aziel said, his voice resolute. "I have a plan."
Kaelen's breaking through the barriers was only a matter of time. Aziel and Lena were experiencing one of the most critical moments of the survival struggle in this new post-apocalyptic world. Aziel, with the power from his ancient legacy and his newfound allies, was determined to shatter the divine laws of the universe and usher in a new era. But he knew that on this journey, he would also determine the fates of both his old friends and foes. This was the beginning of the Cosmic Rebirth, the true struggle of the Lord of Mana.