Tower of Heaven

It was hard to describe the demonic being's actions with grandeur, as there wasn't such a quality to its movements.

It was a being of instinct more than anything else. The seed of darkness could be used by the higher members of the Dark Cult to control the person it corrupted, however, the current beast was not the product of such a scheme.

This being was the true personification of the seed of darkness' intent. It did not have will nor did it have an understanding of the world. It craved freedom and it craved blood.

It attacked in a way that clearly showcased these primal desires. Its own body was its greatest strength. With every fist that swept out, the winds were whipped in all directions. The ground was shattered more and more until the marble flooring was no more and even the rock below was being damaged.

The grand stage walls and even the flame barrier Kaladyn placed were being torn to shreds by the impacts. They had to be stopped.

Atlas pulled on the Sacred Chains with all of his power to try to control the beast, but as it moved its massive body against his flow, his body was thrown in its direction instead.

Bang!

Atlas took a hit. A single fist crashed against his chest and broke several of his ribs. He coughed up blood as he flew back. His grip loosened just slightly, but he forced himself to tighten it once more.

Snap!

It was the sound of Atlas' body being whipped to the side as he desperately held onto the chains. His arms were almost dislocated and made useless, but he somehow managed to keep them together.

'This cannot continue.'

He had to find a method, some kind of method to hold the demonic being back.

'It only needs a few more seconds. Right, it the Emperor–'

Atlas' eyes widened. His vision was entirely engulfed in darkness as a shadow was cast over his surroundings.

He looked up in horror.

'When did it get here?'

The demonic being was already on top of him. Its massive foot was right above his head, and it already had the momentum to slam downward.

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None of that was most important. Most important was the amount of raw dark qi that was present inside of that foot. It was enough to turn the clouds black once more.

'I cannot move.'

If Atlas wanted to move, he had to let go of the Sacred Chains. If he let go of the Sacred Chains, he would fail.

If this was his true body, he could potentially survive with severe injuries and heal himself over the next several days. Kade…

Kade couldn't do anything like that. Kade would die the moment that foot came down, and Atlas couldn't do anything but watch.

He stared at that foot, the Sacred Chains glowing in his peripherals. The sky was once again filled with dark energy, but rather than being polluted, it was a testament to just how much dark qi was being extracted from Klyde and purified.

He was so close.

In another five seconds at most, the beast would lose its power. The Sacred Chains had already been burning away its dark qi for a minute.

Did he truly have to fail when there were only five seconds remaining?

Atlas gnashed his teeth. Even if that were the case, he would not lose without fighting. He stepped into the ground in the single second between the current moment and his inevitable demise.

He pushed his body forward, and in the next moment…

BOOM!

A massive demonic foot slammed into the ground.

Atlas' eyes widened.

'I am…'

Before he could finish his thought, the aftermath happened.

He was thrown away by the blast. His body was flung through the air like a rag doll, but he was not focused on his own state.

His instincts kept him attached to the Sacred Chains. He flailed in the wind like the sails of a ship, but he did not let go.

'One…! Two…! Three…!'

He gritted his teeth. His eyes bulged as he felt the winds cutting against his face. Laced with the dark qi of the demonic being, they were torturous.

'Four…!'

Crack!

Kade's wrists shattered into pieces. He could no longer control his hands, so he could not keep hold of the chains.

Finally, he was completely taken by the winds, nothing more than prey to their murderous blades.

Nevertheless, the emotion he felt was unfathomable.

'I escaped?'

He knew well as he was the person in that position.

In that final moment, he did not have time to move. He should have failed the trial. He shouldn't have ever seen the light of day once that foot came slamming down on him.

Kade Von Ataraxia was meant to be meat paste by now, and Atlas Vaun was fated to have failed this trial.

However, he somehow found himself just outside of the impact radius, left with only mild internal bleeding and some broken bones.

The several regenerative factors of his body were already taking care of that.

Well, to the extent that they could.

Kade was drenched in his own blood from head to toe. The adrenaline distracted him, but there was a consequence to wielding the power of the Sacred Chains so casually.

His body was healing, sure, but the rate could not be considered anything wondrous. At most, Kade was being kept consistently a single step away from death's door.

But, as long as he didn't take that final step, it was enough.

The body's pain tolerance still needed to grow. The strikes he suffered from now could not be compared to the petty kicks of a mortal street vendor.

The mind's pain tolerance was a different story. Even in this situation, Atlas dragged himself back to the stage.

In that final moment…

'In that final moment…!'

As Atlas arrived, the first thing he saw was the rain of golden snowflakes.

He was separated from the Sacred Chains at the end, but his struggles paid off. He held on for long enough for it to matter.

The fifth second that dawned just as his wrists shattered secured the demise of the demonic being.

The body of Klyde Von Ataraxia plummeted to the ground and fell with a dull sound. It was unknown whether he was dead or alive.

Atlas ignored him. It did not matter what happened to Klyde.

He crawled. He crawled with all of his power, leaving a trail of his own blood in the dirt as he arrived at the impact crater from the final strike.

The impact crater where the body of the one who took the final impact lay lifeless; drenched in so much blood that it no longer looked human, but still in one piece.

"FATHER!"

The voice that came out of his throat was guttural and hoarse. Kade took to his feet and stumbled into the crater, falling to the ground next to Kaladyn.

Right. In that final moment, Atlas did not have the time to gain momentum and escape from the demonic being.

Not unless he was pushed out of the way by a stronger force.

Nevertheless, none of that mattered anymore.

He raised his father's body into an upright position and held him close.

"Father! Talk to me! Please, Father! Say anything! Show me that you are okay!"

Remaining in this place were only a father and his son, united in the blood that flowed out of their bodies and painted the ground below.

The grand plan they had created to avoid the greatest tragedy…

In the end, even it could not come to fruition without bringing about a tragedy of its own.

Only, this time, the empire would not suffer.

The burden of pain remained on those who ruled it alone.