The blinding light bleeding from the unsheathed dagger carried the signature of a celestial weapon.

It was a weapon of God, made for God, and made by a God.

The creators forged these relics exclusively for their own kind, instilling each artifact with unique cosmic purposes. Certain celestial arms possessed the power to fabricate souls and consciousness, while others existed solely to eradicate targets.

They demanded life force to function. Deities and their servants relied on infinite lifespans to fuel the weapons. Mortals possessed finite energy.

Solomon watched the liquid aura drip from the blade and accessed the Paladin’s ancient memories. A human touching a divine relic triggered an irreversible consumption process.

The last mortal to pick up a celestial weapon survived for exactly one hundred seconds. The artifact drank the wielder’s blood, flesh, and bones, leaving behind nothing more than a hollow carcass of skin.

Vlad gripped the golden hilt with both hands, and the consumption began immediately.

Dark veins crawled rapidly up Vlad’s wrists and forearms. His skin lost its color, turning a sickly gray as the dagger ravenously sucked his vitality.

Vlad gritted his teeth, his arms trembling under the fatal drain. He ignored the decay spreading across his body and locked his eyes on the descending miniature star.

Uriel paused the attack, his golden eyes widening in genuine shock. He stared down at the blinding dagger.

’Is that an actual celestial weapon?’ Uriel wondered, squinting against the glare. He quickly shook his head and dismissed the absurd idea. ’The gods completely restricted celestial armaments from ever reaching the earthly domains. A mortal possessing such a divine artifact is entirely impossible.’

Uriel shoved the absurd idea from his mind. He threw his hands forward and hurled the star directly at the courtyard. The burning star plummeted downward, casting a crimson glare over the ruined walls.

Solomon watched the glowing liquid drip from the edge of Vlad’s blade. The golden drops hissed as they hit the rubble.

He found it incredibly cool as he had never seen such a weapon before. He glanced at Vlad and noticed dark veins bulging across Vlad’s neck. Vlad’s arms shook uncontrollably, and his skin turned a sickly gray.

"Are you constipated?" Solomon asked, leaning against his greatsword.

Vlad ground his teeth together and forced a pained grin. "I am just trying to push out a miracle for you, you ungrateful bastard."

Vlad stepped forward and focused entirely on the descending star. The celestial dagger devoured his vitality, converting his draining life force into a blinding pillar of golden energy. Vlad raised the blade above his head and swung it in an ascending arc.

A crescent of liquid light erupted from the edge of the dagger. The golden wave soared upward and collided directly with the descending star. The collision sheared the burning sphere precisely in half and detonated its core.

The star shattered. Millions of glowing fragments scattered across the night sky. The burning debris rained down over the ruined kingdom, transforming the apocalyptic threat into a breathtaking meteor shower. Golden and crimson streaks painted the darkness above them.

Uriel stared at the beautiful shower of shooting stars. True dread seized his mind. He finally recognized the authentic signature of a celestial weapon.

If that liquid aura sliced his flesh, his infinite regeneration would fail completely. The cosmic energy would permanently erase his existence.

’A real celestial weapon?! In the hands of a mortal?! What a disgrace!’ Uriel frowned. ’He won’t be able to wield it for long. And once he dies, I will take that weapon for myself. I will stay in the sky unless he runs out of life force.’

Uriel flared his wings and ascended higher into the clouds. He hovered high above the meteor shower and watched the gray decay spread up Vlad’s neck. He expected the mortal to rot away into dust within seconds.

Solomon realized Vlad needed a clear opening to land the fatal strike. Solomon flooded his legs with silver aura and kicked off the shattered floorboards. He launched himself into the sky like a cannonball and intercepted the fleeing angel mid-flight.

Solomon grabbed Uriel’s ankle with his left hand. He halted the angel’s ascent and hurled the divine entity back toward the lower atmosphere.

Uriel spun in the air and fired a volley of light spears. Solomon deflected them with the broad side of Eden’s Penance and closed the distance.

Solomon abandoned all restraint and went entirely berserk. He swung the greatsword with bone-shattering force, bashing Uriel’s face with the hilt and driving his knee into the angel’s ribs.

He unleashed a flurry of chaotic strikes to keep the angel occupied.

"Look at me, bird!" Solomon yelled, forcing Uriel to block a massive downward cleave.

Uriel focused his attention entirely on the enraged swordsman. He poured holy magic into his shields to survive the brutal onslaught, completely forgetting the dying mortal on the ground.

Vlad gripped the golden hilt and channeled the remaining dregs of his vitality into the celestial blade. He aimed at the distracted angel and swung the dagger one final time. A liquid crescent of golden energy shot straight upward through the clouds.

The golden wave clipped Uriel’s right side. The celestial energy sheared clean through two of his pristine wings.

Uriel screamed as his balance vanished. He plummeted from the clouds and crashed violently into the ruined courtyard.

Vlad shoved the celestial dagger back into its ornate sheath. The gray decay halted instantly, leaving his skin pale and sunken. His knees buckled under his own weight. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

Vlad collapsed against a shattered pillar and struggled to keep his eyes open. He rested his hands in his lap and watched the crater from the sidelines.

Uriel writhed in the dirt and focused his divine magic on his severed wings. Golden light flickered over the bleeding stumps and immediately died out. The celestial rot nullified his immortality and completely prevented any regeneration.

Solomon landed near the crater. He stepped over the rubble with his silver eyes burning in unhinged fury.

He dragged Eden’s Penance across the stone floorboards, carving a deep groove into the ground.