The Judgment Gate continued opening above the battlefield.

Like Heaven wanted every living person below to understand exactly how powerless they were.

Silver light poured from the enormous structure in heavy waves, illuminating the fractured sky and turning the battlefield beneath it pale and colorless.

Mason stared upward while every survival instinct inside him screamed.

Something behind that gate was watching directly.

Athlian’s fear churned violently through their shared consciousness.

’It should not be here.’

"Fantastic," Mason muttered weakly. "Because everything else today has been so reasonable."

Beside him, Draca remained close enough that he could feel the warmth of his armor through the chaos around them.

And somehow that helped more than divine power did.

The Coalition army had stopped advancing completely now. Soldiers who moments earlier stood ready to fight Heaven were visibly shaken by the appearance of the gate.

Even Seraphine lowered her spear slightly.

"What is that thing?" one soldier whispered nearby.

"No mortal was supposed to see it," another answered shakily.

Zereth looked significantly less dramatic than usual for once.

Which honestly frightened Mason more.

The former lover’s silver eyes remained fixed on the gate with open irritation.

"Heaven escalates quickly these days."

Assura folded his arms calmly, though his expression had sharpened into something unreadable.

"They are desperate."

The Tribunal’s leading figure descended slightly from the heavens, silver robes moving without wind.

"Judgment authorization confirmed."

Mason pointed upward immediately.

"Okay, I would like to formally object to literally all of this."

Shockingly, the celestial being actually looked at him. "Objection denied."

"...Rude."

Athlian would normally have laughed at that but this time she remained silent.

That scared him.

Above them, the colossal entity within the storm clouds shifted again. The massive eye narrowed toward the Judgment Gate with unmistakable hostility.

"YOU BRING THE OLD LAW."

The Tribunal answered immediately. "The old law preserves order."

"THE OLD LAW DESTROYED POSSIBILITY."

Silver lightning crackled across the sky between Heaven and the ancient being.

The battlefield trembled again.

Mason rubbed both hands over his face. "I miss normal problems," he muttered. "Taxes. Politics. Awkward conversations. Those were manageable."

Draca glanced at him briefly. "You handled the tax council surprisingly well."

Mason stared at him. "...Commander, we are currently beneath an apocalyptic sky gate."

"Yes."

"And your response is tax compliments?"

Draca considered that seriously. "You seemed proud of the tax solution."

Mason blinked. Then, against all logic, laughed once.

Athlian stirred faintly inside him at the sound.

Draca looked faintly relieved, which somehow made Mason’s chest tighten painfully.

Seraphine approached carefully through the battlefield debris, crimson armor reflecting the silver light pouring from the gate above.

Her soldiers watched nervously but allowed her forward.

"You need to leave the battlefield," she said directly.

Mason stared at her. "That advice is arriving several disasters too late."

"I’m serious."

"So am I."

Her eyes shifted upward toward the opening gate.

"That thing doesn’t descend for ordinary judgment."

Athlian finally spoke quietly inside him.

’She is right.’

Mason’s stomach tightened, before he could respond, Zereth suddenly appeared beside him again in a swirl of shadow.

"You continue attracting fascinating enemies."

Mason jumped violently. "Can you stop appearing like haunted wallpaper?!"

Zereth ignored the complaint completely.

His attention remained fixed on Athlian’s face...studying and searching.

Mason noticed immediately how dangerous his gaze was.

Since the battlefield revelation, Zereth had become quieter and more observant.

And that was infinitely worse than flirting.

"You truly changed," Zereth murmured softly.

Athlian shifted uneasily inside Mason. ’He notices too much.’

"Yes," Mason thought back immediately."Your exes are terrifying."

’Former lovers,’ Athlian corrected automatically.

"That is not better."

Another pulse of silver light erupted from the Judgment Gate overhead.

This time everyone felt it.

Mason gasped sharply as something cold brushed against his thoughts.

Like invisible fingers turning pages inside his soul.

Athlian recoiled violently. ’It’s searching.’

"What exactly does this gate do?" Mason asked internally.

Her answer came slower than usual.

’The Gate reveals the truth without permission.’

Mason’s blood ran cold instantly.

The Tribunal raised both hands toward the heavens. "Prepare extraction."

Silver chains spread downward from the gate itself now, enormous glowing links descending slowly through the fractured sky.

The Coalition soldiers began retreating instinctively.

Even seasoned warriors looked terrified.

Draca stepped slightly in front of Mason again. Always positioning himself between the goddess and danger now.

Mason noticed it every single time. And unfortunately, Athlian noticed too.

Her emotions warmed softly beneath all the fear. ’He keeps choosing us.’

Mason swallowed. "Don’t say emotional things during cosmic emergencies."

Assura suddenly moved. The ancient being stepped forward calmly, dark robes shifting around him as reality bent slightly beneath his feet.

"Heaven," he said evenly, "you overreach."

The Tribunal’s leading figure looked down at him without expression.

"You forfeited the right to speak against Heaven long ago."

Assura smiled faintly. "And yet you still listen."

That answer clearly irritated them.

Mason appreciated anybody annoying Heaven at this point.

The colossal eye within the storm clouds shifted toward Assura again.

"YOU KNOW WHAT THE GATE WILL FIND."

Assura’s expression remained unreadable.

"Yes."

Mason immediately pointed at him. "No. No mysterious ancient answers. We are done with those."

Assura ignored him gracefully, he’s such an Infuriating man.

The Judgment Gate continued opening wider.

The silver light pouring from inside had started changing.

Mason suddenly realized the light wasn’t spreading randomly.

It was focusing directly towards him.

"Oh that feels personal," he muttered.

Athlian’s panic surged. ’Mason, listen carefully.’

Her tone immediately caught his attention.

’If the Gate fully identifies you...’

A massive explosion interrupted her.

Silver energy slammed into the battlefield as the giant entity above the clouds suddenly attacked Heaven directly.

The entire sky shook violently.

Coalition soldiers screamed.

Several Tribunal figures staggered backward midair.

The colossal voice thundered across reality.

"YOU WILL NOT TAKE THE

POSSIBILITY."

The battlefield erupted again.

Lightning tore through the heavens while divine chains shattered across the plains.

Mason nearly lost balance before Draca grabbed his arm instantly.

Steadying him again.

Always steadying him.

"You okay?" he asked quietly.

"No," Mason answered honestly. "But thank you for asking."

Draca’s mouth almost twitched upward.

Meanwhile Zereth looked deeply offended by the sky battle. "Heaven truly lacks subtlety."

Seraphine pointed her spear upward sharply. "Protect the outer lines!"

Her soldiers immediately reorganized despite the chaos.

Mason noticed something surprising then.

The Coalition army wasn’t attacking the kingdom.

They were defending civilians first...even now.

Athlian felt it too. ’Seraphine always protected people before politics.’

"That sounds like there’s emotional backstory again."

’There is.’

"Wonderful. We’ll unpack that during therapy after surviving Heaven."

A shockwave burst outward overhead as Assura suddenly raised one hand toward the Gate.

Reality distorted violently.

The descending silver chains froze midair again.

The Tribunal reacted instantly.

"Interference escalates further."

Assura looked unimpressed. "You repeat yourselves often."

Mason almost laughed again, honestly, Assura insulting Heaven during apocalypse conditions was becoming strangely entertaining.

The Judgment Gate pulsed once.

Then suddenly, Mason heard whispers.

He froze immediately because the voices weren’t external voices...it’s inside his head.

Thousands of them.

Layered together sounding ancient.

"Identify."

"Separate."

"Reveal."

Athlian recoiled in horror. ’Don’t listen to it!’

Her words were too late because the whispers grew louder instantly.

Memories flashed across Mason’s mind violently; Earth,Streetlights,Rain,His apartment,Modern music, Phones ,Coffee shops and Human life.

He staggered hard but Draca caught him immediately. "My goddess"

The Judgment Gate pulsed again overhead.

The whispers intensified.

"Human."

"Foreign."

"Unbound."

Mason grabbed his head painfully.

"Would everybody stop invading my personal business?!"

Unfortunately, the Gate absolutely did not stop.

Silver light intensified directly around Athlian’s body.

The Tribunal raised their hands together.

"Truth extraction proceeding."

Assura’s expression darkened instantly.

"No."

For the first time...the ancient being sounded genuinely alarmed.

That terrified Mason more than the Gate itself.

The colossal entity above the storm clouds roared furiously. "Heaven never learns!"

A massive wave of pressure exploded outward across the battlefield.

The Coalition army scattered.

Several celestial figures were thrown

backward.

The fractured sky widened even further.

And through that widening fracture,something began moving behind the Gate.

Not a structure or light but a figure humanoid..watching.

Mason felt cold dread flood his body.

"...Athlian."

Her voice shook. ’I know who that is.’

That was not reassuring.

"Who?" he asked

She hesitated, then finally answered.

’The First Judge.’

The words hit like ice water.

Even Assura reacted sharply to the name.

"No," he said quietly. "They awakened it?"

The Tribunal’s voices echoed together across the battlefield.

"Judgment authority absolute."

The silver figure behind the Gate moved again,slowly stepping closer.

Mason couldn’t properly see its face through the overwhelming light.

But he could feel it looking at him, not Athlian but him.

Draca suddenly stepped closer again,protective instinct overriding confusion.

"My goddess," he said quietly.

Mason’s chest tightened painfully.

He looked at him steadily, not demanding answers but waiting.

That somehow made it worse.

Athlian’s emotions churned softly. ’He is trying to protect you before understanding.’

And honestly? That nearly broke Mason emotionally right there in the middle of divine warfare.

Zereth suddenly spoke from nearby.

"...That is not Athlian’s original resonance." Silence followed his words.

Mason closed his eyes briefly.

Fantastic, everything was collapsing now.

Seraphine looked sharply between them all. "The goddess changed after the temple incident years ago," she said slowly.

Years ago?

Mason internally paused.

Wait. Years?

Athlian stiffened instantly. "Mason," she warned.

Too late because Mason had already noticed the problem, he had only arrived recently.

So why did people think Athlian changed years ago?

The realization hit instantly, there had been another change before him.

His stomach dropped. "Oh no."

Assura looked toward him sharply.

Interesting.

Very interesting.

The giant entity above the storm clouds laughed softly again.

"NOW YOU BEGIN TO SEE."

Mason looked upward immediately. "What does that mean?!"

The colossal eye narrowed. "YOU WERE NOT THE FIRST FRACTURE."

The battlefield went silent again.

Athlian’s panic surged violently. ’Do not listen to him.’

But Mason already was because suddenly,

nothing made sense anymore.

The strange memory gaps.

The emotional instability.

The soul disappearances.

Athlian’s guilt. And Heaven’s obsession.

What if this started before him?

What if Athlian had already been breaking long before Mason arrived?

The First Judge suddenly stepped fully into view behind the Gate.

The battlefield froze.

Silver robes, featureless face, no eyes or mouth.

Yet somehow, it was staring directly at Mason.

The whispers stopped instantly. And when the First Judge finally spoke... Its voice came from everywhere at once.

"IDENTITY CONFLICT CONFIRMED."

Silver chains exploded downward from the Gate.

Draca moved immediately.

So did Zereth.

Assura raised his hand sharply.

The giant entity roared across the heavens.

But the chains ignored everyone else.

Every single one descended toward Mason alone. And just before they reached him...Athlian screamed inside his mind.

Not in fear but recognition.

’MASON!’

The world flashed white.

Then suddenly...Mason was somewhere else entirely.

Darkness surrounded him with silence.

Only one figure standing in the distance.

A woman wearing Athlian’s face.

But older and broken.

And smiling sadly at him. Then she spoke the one sentence that shattered everything Mason thought he understood.

"You finally arrived."