The battlefield outside the capital had become completely silent.

The colossal eye hanging within the fractured sky remained fixed directly on Mason, its enormous presence pressing against reality hard enough to crack the clouds around it.

The Tribunal hovered above the battlefield in rigid formation, silver light flooding downward across the plains.

Assura stood motionless beside Mason, ancient robes shifting gently in the violent wind.

And directly in the center of all of it...

Mason was trying very hard not to panic.

Because an ancient cosmic entity had just looked directly at him and declared: "YOU ARE NOT ATHLIAN."

Draca’s grip tightened slightly around his arm.

Not enough to hurt.

Just enough to ground him.

Mason could feel the commander’s attention shift subtly toward him now, searching for answers he himself didn’t fully understand.

Athlian’s emotions churned violently inside him.

And something painfully close to guilt.

’Do not answer it,’ she warned quietly.

Mason swallowed hard. "Oh trust me," he muttered internally, "I wasn’t planning to debate giant sky monsters today."

Unfortunately, the ancient entity was still staring.

The massive eye narrowed slightly.

Reality groaned again. "YOUR SOUL IS WRONG."

The Tribunal reacted immediately.

"Unauthorized corruption confirmed," one celestial voice declared.

Silver chains of divine energy began forming above the battlefield.

Mason’s eyes widened. "Oh absolutely not."

Assura moved first.

The ancient figure stepped calmly in front

of Mason just as the chains descended.

The world froze...literally.

The divine chains halted midair again, locked in place by invisible force.

Even the wind stopped moving.

The Tribunal’s light flickered violently.

"Assura," one being stated coldly, "continued interference escalates your sentence."

Assura looked mildly annoyed. "You speak as though I respect your laws."

Mason blinked rapidly.

Okay.

That was officially the most terrifying person he had ever met.

The colossal eye above the clouds shifted toward Assura.

Recognition passed between them; old, ancient and hostile.

"You still defend them," the giant entity rumbled.

Assura’s expression hardened faintly. "I defend possibility."

The eye pulsed once.

"Heaven made you weak."

"And hatred made you predictable."

The pressure between them exploded outward.

Soldiers collapsed across the battlefield.

Several priests screamed as divine energy surged violently through the air.

Mason nearly lost balance before Draca steadied him instantly.

"You need to move," he said quietly.

Mason nodded immediately.

For once, excellent advice.

"What’s the evacuation status?" he asked quickly.

Draca remained focused despite the cosmic nightmare unfolding above them.

"The outer districts are already retreating inward. But if they fight here..."

"The capital dies," Mason finished grimly.

Athlian stirred urgently. ’They cannot unleash their full power while mortals remain nearby.’

Mason’s thoughts raced.

Good.

That meant civilians were leveraged.

Terrible leverage but still leverage.

The Tribunal suddenly spoke again.

"Athlian. Surrender the unstable soul."

Mason stared upward incredulously. "You people really skipped every diplomacy class possible."

Golden light flared instinctively beneath his skin.

Not enough to attack but enough to resist.

"I said no."

The battlefield trembled.

For one dangerous second, the Tribunal’s attention focused entirely on him.

Draca subtly stepped closer.

Assura noticed because his ancient eyes lingered briefly on the commander before returning to Mason.

Interesting.

Very interesting.

Mason did not like that look at all.

The colossal entity spoke again.

"YOU CARRY A HUMAN ECHO."

Draca’s grip tightened faintly.

Athlian reacted instantly inwardly. ’Careful.’

Mason forced calm into his expression.

"Lots of gods like humans," he replied loudly. "That’s literally how religions work."

Shockingly, several priests nearby looked impressed by the answer.

The giant eye remained fixed on him.

Silence stretched.

Then Assura laughed softly.

The sound carried strangely across the battlefield.

"He adapts quickly," he mused.

Mason shot him a glare. "You are not helping."

"No," Assura agreed pleasantly. "I am observing."

Fantastic.

Another observer...exactly what he needed.

The Tribunal’s silver radiance intensified again.

"Instability increases," one celestial being declared. "Immediate separation required."

Mason’s stomach dropped.

Nope.

Absolutely not.

Athlian’s fear spiked sharply inside him.

If Heaven attempted forced separation now...neither of them knew what would happen.

Assura’s expression shifted slightly for the first time.

Serious now.

"Heaven grows impatient," he said quietly.

"Yeah," Mason muttered. "I noticed."

Then the ancient entity above the clouds moved again.

The enormous eye widened fully.

And suddenly, Mason felt something touching his thoughts.

Not invasive but searching.

Like someone brushing against the surface of his mind.

Athlian gasped internally. ’It’s reading resonance.’

"What does that mean?!" he demanded.

But before she could answer...the colossal entity recoiled slightly.

Surprise rippled through the storm clouds.

"IMPOSSIBLE."

The word shook the heavens.

The Tribunal reacted instantly.

Silver weapons formed above the battlefield.

Assura’s gaze sharpened dangerously.

Mason’s pulse hammered painfully.

What did it see?!

The giant entity leaned closer through the fractured sky.

Its voice lowered. "YOU SHOULD NOT EXIST."

Okay.

That officially ranked among the worst sentences ever spoken to him.

Draca stepped directly in front of Mason now.

Protective instinct overriding all fear.

"You will not threaten her."

The giant eye shifted toward Draca slowly.

And for the first time...the entity noticed him properly.

Silence followed.

Then the enormous presence rumbled thoughtfully.

"THE MORTAL ANCHOR."

Athlian froze.

Assura’s attention sharpened instantly.

The Tribunal’s light flickered again.

Mason felt cold dread slide down his spine.

That phrase again. Anchor...?

Everybody kept calling Draca that and nobody explained why.

Draca’s voice remained calm despite the impossible attention focused on him.

"You will leave this kingdom."

The giant entity almost sounded amused.

"YOU SPEAK TO GODS WITHOUT FEAR."

Draca didn’t move. "I speak to threats."

Mason stared at him briefly.

Honestly ridiculous behavior.

Bravely ridiculous.

Athlian’s emotions warmed painfully inside him.

Assura watched the interaction carefully.

Too carefully...then suddenly, the sky cracked again.

Not from the giant entity.

Not from Heaven but from something else.

A violent silver fracture ripped open across the horizon.

The Tribunal immediately turned toward it.

"Additional descent authorized."

Mason blinked. "Oh come on."

More figures began emerging from the fracture.

Not three this time but dozens.

The full host of Heaven.

Even Assura’s calm expression faded slightly.

"That," he said quietly, "is excessive."

The battlefield pressure multiplied instantly.

Priests dropped unconscious.

Soldiers struggled to remain standing.

The capital walls groaned under the weight of divine presence.

Athlian’s panic surged hard enough to make Mason dizzy.

’They are preparing a judgment.’

"What kind of judgment?!" he demanded internally.

But deep down...he already knew.

The Tribunal had stopped investigating.

This was escalation...the giant entity above the storm clouds laughed suddenly.

A terrible sound.

"HEAVEN FEARS YOU."

Mason pointed upward immediately.

"Okay, first of all, not helping my stress levels."

Shockingly...Assura laughed again.

Even Draca looked briefly confused.

The giant entity continued.

"THEY FEAR WHAT YOU COULD BECOME."

That sentence hit differently.

Because Heaven’s reaction suddenly made terrifying sense.

It wasn’t corruption or possession but evolution.

Something new and uncontrolled.

Athlian whispered shakily inside him.

’Mason...’

Then the leading figure of the Tribunal raised its hand.

The heavens themselves brightened.

"Merged existence is classified as existential instability."

Silver light gathered across the sky...way too much power.

Mason’s survival instincts screamed instantly.

"They’re going to attack."

"Yes," Assura replied calmly.

"You say that like it’s normal!"

"For Heaven?" Assura asked. "It is."

Draca drew his sword not because it would help.

Because he refused to stand defenseless,

And somehow...that affected Mason more than the gods did.

The Tribunal spoke one final time.

"Correction begins now."

Silver light descended.

The world shook violently, and then...a very deep and ancient horn echoed across the battlefield.

Powerful enough to interrupt divine energy itself.

Everyone froze.

Even Heaven paused.

Another horn blast thundered across the plains.

Mason turned sharply toward the western horizon.

Something that wasn’t divine was coming.

A massive unknown black and gold army banner appeared beyond the hills.

Thousands of soldiers emerged behind it.

The battlefield shifted instantly from divine confrontation to political crisis.

Draca’s expression darkened. "That banner..."

Saleem’s horrified voice echoed from behind them.

"The Western Coalition."

Mason blinked. "The...what now?"

Assura looked genuinely irritated. "Mortals choose unfortunate timing."

The Coalition army continued advancing rapidly across the plains.

War drums echoed beneath the fractured heavens.

And at the front of the army...a woman in crimson armor raised a glowing spear toward the sky itself.

Then pointed directly at Athlian.

"Murderer!" she shouted across the battlefield.

The word echoed loudly enough that even the army behind her fell silent.

Athlian’s emotions jolted violently.

Mason felt it immediately.

"...Athlian," he whispered internally. "Who

is that?"

She answered softly.

And for the first time since arriving in this world...Mason heard genuine regret in her voice.

’Someone I failed.’

The woman lowered her spear slowly.

Then shouted the one sentence Mason absolutely did not want to hear right now.

"Return my brother’s soul, Goddess."

And suddenly every eye on the battlefield turned toward him again.