Michael saw this. Still shocked from what was happening. However, seeing Gabriel about to do the abominable, he screamed.
"NO..."
Gabriel brought the sword down.
But it did not strike Raphael's neck.
At the last moment the blade angled sharply and plunged straight into the archangel's chest, piercing the exact center where his core—his heart—burned like a captured star.
Raphael's eyes flew wide.
A heartbeat of silence.
Then the explosion came.
A blinding wave of divine energy erupted from the point of contact, ripping outward in a perfect sphere. It tore through the arena, shattered the remaining barriers, and kept expanding—racing across the void, past the blue sun, past distant planets, past entire star systems. Every realm felt it. Every watching soul across the universe saw the sky flash gold for one terrible second.
A Midnight Star had died.
Such a thing should not happen.
Such a being was greater than many gods.
Untouchable.
