The Paladin let out a guttural scream and launched himself at the angels with his woodcutting axe. He swung the iron blade wildly at the nearest golden figure, fully intending to cleave the entity in half.

A winged soldier simply raised his blazing spear and deflected the crude weapon with a lazy flick of his wrist. The kinetic feedback sent the former knight stumbling backward into the dirt.

Uriel floated above the ruined cabin and looked down at the blood-soaked man. The lead angel pointed his burning weapon toward the scattered remains of the little girl. "You brought this entirely upon yourself, traitor."

Uriel tilted his head, watching the man scramble back to his feet. "You abandoned your divine purpose for this pathetic mortal existence, and now you get to watch your precious world burn to ash."

The Paladin charged again, ignoring the taunts completely to swing his axe at Uriel’s legs. Another angel kicked him squarely in the chest, sending him crashing through the splintered remains of his own porch. He coughed up blood and gripped his iron weapon tightly.

The angels refused to deliver a fatal blow, choosing instead to toy with him and prolong his suffering.

Suddenly, a blinding golden light erupted from the center of the ruined courtyard. The dirt tore open as a massive executioner’s sword shot out from the earth, flying directly into the Paladin’s outstretched hand.

The paladin was shocked to see his sword and he had no idea how it came to be.

The moment his fingers wrapped around the hilt, brilliant white steel materialized across his entire body. The pristine armor locked into place, and a spotless white cape manifested to flutter wildly behind his broad back.

He pushed off the ground and instantly vanished from Solomon’s line of sight. The Paladin reappeared directly in front of Uriel, bringing the massive blade down in an arc.

The lead angel widened his eyes and barely brought his spear up in time to block the attack. The immense kinetic force shattered the golden spear shaft, sending Uriel crashing backward into the tree line.

The remaining angels immediately swarmed the armored warrior with their blazing weapons raised. The Paladin pivoted on his heel and swung his greatsword horizontally through the nearest attacker’s torso.

The blade easily sheared through the divine armor, cutting the angel completely in half. Golden blood sprayed across the pristine white steel as the Paladin chained his movements into a deadly dance.

A moment later, the surrounding trees and the top of the mountain far away and everything in between slid down in half.

Solomon watched the massacre unfold while gripping his own rusted hilt. The sheer violence radiating from the illusionary warrior burned against Solomon’s skin like an open furnace.

He watched the Paladin fight like a wounded beast, tearing wings from backs and crushing skulls beneath his metal boots. The brutal spectacle sent violent shivers racing down Solomon’s spine.

A wounded angel lunged forward with a broken spear, attempting to pierce the Paladin’s visor. But the paladin sidestepped the thrust and grabbed the angelic soldier by the throat, hoisting the struggling entity into the air.

He pulled his executioner’s sword back to deliver the final strike.

Out of nowhere, a burning golden blade erupted from the center of the Paladin’s chestplate.

Uriel had silently recovered from his crash and glided directly behind the distracted warrior to thrust his flaming spear straight through the white backplate. The Paladin froze completely still, dropping the strangled angel to the dirt. Red blood bubbled up from his visor and spilled down his pristine armor.

He took one final, shaky breath as the golden spear retracted from his spine. His armored body remained firmly planted on the ground, refusing to fall even as the life faded completely from his stance.

Uriel glided down from the sky and landed gracefully next to the bleeding form of the fallen warrior.

The angel threw his golden head back and laughed loudly at the carnage, circling the unmoving white armor and kicking up dirt as he inspected the massive executioner’s sword still gripped in the dead man’s gauntlet.

"A divine weapon manifesting from the dirt itself," Uriel mocked, tapping the steel blade with his golden boot. "Did a rival deity bless you with this steel just to spite Lumina? It changes absolutely nothing."

Uriel swept his arm toward the burning capital city in the far distance. "Eden is entirely finished. The soil is completely soaked in the blood of mortals and the golden ichor of angels. This land will forever remain a paradox. It is blessed by our divine presence and permanently cursed by your foolish rebellion."

The angel turned his attention back to the unmoving Paladin. "I will claim your head as a grand trophy. Presenting the skull of a fallen champion directly to God Lumina will serve as a perfect conclusion to this war."

Uriel summoned a new spear woven from pure golden fire and walked right up to the kneeling corpse. He raised the burning weapon high above his shoulder, fully preparing to sever the pristine white neck guard.

The supposedly dead warrior violently twisted his torso, lunging upward to drive his massive executioner’s sword directly through Uriel’s golden breastplate. The wide steel blade punched straight through the angel’s back, spraying golden ichor across the ruined courtyard.

Uriel widened his eyes and stared at the metal protruding from his chest. "How are you moving? The Spear of Radiance incinerates the soul! No mortal can survive a direct strike to the spine!"

The Paladin leaned closer and shoved the hilt deeper into the wound. "My hatred burns much hotter than your divine fire."

Uriel gripped the sharp edges of the sword, coughing up a fresh wave of golden blood. "Curse you, Solomon! You are a plague upon the heavens!"

Solomon watched the memory unfold, realizing he shared his exact name with this ancient warrior. A sharp chill raced down his spine, forcing him to reconsider everything he knew about his current situation in the labyrinth.

The ancient Solomon stepped deeper into the impaling strike, forcing the angel to choke on the steel. "This single strike lacks the power to end your immortal life today. Regardless, I will carve my revenge into your flesh. I will slaughter every single winged soldier in your ranks, even if I have to return from the abyss to do it. The Kingdom of Eden will rise from these ashes." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

The Paladin ripped his left hand away from his hilt and grabbed Uriel’s pristine white wings. With a monstrous surge of final strength, he violently tore three of the six appendages directly from the angel’s back.

Uriel unleashed an agonizing shriek that shattered the surrounding tree trunks. Golden blood erupted from the torn stumps like a geyser, coating the ruined earth in a blinding light.

The Paladin kept his bloody gauntlets locked around the torn feathers. His chin dropped slightly against his chestplate, and his body finally gave out, passing away while standing firmly on his feet.