**[The Grand Cathedral - Capital of the Western Holy Church]**
Under the towering dome of the Grand Cathedral, adorned with stained glass windows reflecting images of angels protecting humanity, the air was thick with the heavy scent of incense... and the scent of fear.
Before the massive golden altar, which served as the "Main Pillar" connecting the Central World to the "Weavers' Sanctuary," the Pope was on his knees, with dozens of high priests and templar knights behind him. They were chanting prayers of distress in a hysterical tone. The news had arrived: the army of a million soldiers had vanished without a trace, the angels had fallen, and Clayman had been erased from existence.
"Oh, Holy Gods! Protectors of order and the light of this world!" the Pope cried out, raising his trembling hands toward the altar. "A demon has appeared and devoured your light in the Jura Forest! We beg you, send us your swords to dispel this darkness; we are your loyal servants!"
Suddenly, time stopped inside the cathedral.
The golden altar glowed with a white light so blinding that the stained glass in the windows completely shattered. A pillar of pure light poured down from the cathedral's ceiling, and from it descended three entities the likes of which humanity had not seen since the Tenma War.
They were not ordinary angels. They were entities three meters tall, each possessing six wings of solid light. Their faces were devoid of eyes or features, merely smooth golden masks radiating an overwhelming aura. They were the **"Seraphim of Execution,"** the highest rank in the Administration's army.
"They have answered!" the Pope wept with extreme joy and prostrated himself until his face touched the floor, followed by the priests cheering in ecstasy. "Praise be to the light! Oh, Great Seraphim, please, purify the enemies of—"
*"Your prayers are heard,"* the voice of the First Seraph interrupted them. He did not speak with a tongue; his cold, metallic voice echoed directly within everyone's minds. *"For the absolute light to materialize in this physical dimension with its full power, the equivalent cost of energy must be paid."*
The Pope raised his head in confusion. "T-Toll? What do you mean, Lords of L—?"
Before the Pope could finish his sentence, the First Seraph gestured with his hand.
Threads of white light shot from the wings of the three angels, piercing the chests of the kneeling priests and templars. It wasn't a warm or healing light... it was a spiritual fire burning their souls alive.
The priests began to scream savagely, their bodies twisting as their life force and spiritual mana were forcefully drained into the bodies of the Seraphim. In a matter of seconds, dozens of devoted humans were reduced to a pile of white ash.
"What are you doing?!" the Pope screamed in terror as he crawled backward, trying to escape the entities he had spent his life worshiping. "We are your followers! We build your churches!"
*"Humans are nothing but replaceable mana batteries,"* the Second Seraph replied with absolute coldness, grabbing the Pope by the neck and lifting him into the air. *"You do not serve the light. You are fuel for it. Thank you for your service."*
The Pope's body burned to ash, while the bodies of the Seraphim fully materialized, becoming dense and physical, radiating enough power to wipe out an entire continent.
The three Seraphim turned toward the closed doors of the cathedral, heading outside.
*"Physical manifestation complete. Target: Jura Forest. Mission: Erase the anomaly called Akira, and destroy the body of the sleeping slime."*
But... before any of them could flap a wing to take flight...
**BOOOOOM!**
The massive twenty-meter-high wooden and metal doors of the cathedral—fortified with thousands of spells—exploded, turning into black dust that scattered in the air.
The Seraphim stopped their movement and turned toward the shattered entrance.
Amidst the swirling dust and the cold moonlight filtering inside, two shadows appeared.
Diablo stepped into the cathedral first, placing a hand on his chest in a mocking, theatrical bow, his demonic eyes gleaming in the dark.
"Kufufufu... what a mess," Diablo said in a voice dripping with contempt. "Killing your own followers? Even the demons of the Underworld have better manners than this."
And behind Diablo, Akira entered.
His steps were calm, making no sound, but with every step, the holy light filling the cathedral receded, as if the place itself was suffocating. His left eye glowed with a blue hole swallowing the surrounding light.
*"The anomaly... Akira,"* the First Seraph said, raising a sword of dense light. *"You have saved us the trouble of searching. You will be executed here, in the name of order."*
Akira stopped in the middle of the hall, looking at the white ash scattered on the floor, then at the six-winged angels. There was no sign of tension on his face.
"You were on your way to Tempest?" Akira asked in a quiet voice, as cold as the absolute frost of space, slowly raising his right hand while sparks of black void began to dance between his fingers. "Save yourselves the trip. Tempest... has come to you."