Chapter: The Angel Slayer
"This presence… of an angel," the Commander muttered.
Suddenly, inside the castle, a bright light appeared. From that radiant glow, four angels emerged, their wings shimmering with divine power.
The first angel stepped forward. "Commander, your time has come. You—who should have been dead—are still alive. You have broken the law of life. You shall receive divine punishment."
The Commander, unfazed, looked at them with cold eyes.
"I am alive because of the oath I was given when I was about to die. And you think that's against your law?" he scoffed. "You angels came here just to kill me because you fear… I will kill your God. Isn't that right?"
The second angel clenched his fists, voice rising in anger.
"You, a mere human, dare question us—Divine Beings?!"
"That's enough," the first angel interrupted. "No more talking. Let's end this."
All four angels prepared for battle. The Commander, calm as ever, summoned his cursed sword, its dark aura pulsing through the air.
The battle began.
The first angel lunged forward, but the Commander blocked the strike. Simultaneously, he used his bare hand to deflect the spear of the second angel. He ducked, dodging the third angel's attack, then kicked the second angel away while shoving the first back with his sword. Without hesitation, he drove the blade into the stomach of the fourth angel, who had not yet moved.
The first angel quickly summoned a magical bow and fired, while the third angel began charging a magic blast.
Reading the situation in a blink, the Commander launched a fake sword strike at the second angel who was charging at him—then punched him in the gut. With a flash of movement, he threw a soul chain around the angel's neck and yanked him forward into his sword, ending the angel's life.
The soul army's shield had been blocking the magical arrow, but it finally gave way. The shot nearly hit the Commander—until he deflected it with his sword just in time.
He then turned to the third angel.
The first angel tried to intercept, but it was too late.
The Commander slashed the third angel's hand, stabbed him in the stomach, and delivered a spinning kick that shattered divine bones—killing him.
For the first time, the first angel, now alone and weary, felt fear.
The Commander slowly approached, silent.
The angel's instincts screamed. Something was wrong. He turned around—and then he understood.
She had arrived.
The Valkyrie.
The Commander had already sensed her presence. She was no ordinary celestial warrior.
She was the elite soldier of the God of War.
"Commander," the Valkyrie said, her tone calm but edged with fury.
The Commander prepared for the fight, and—before anything else—he killed the last angel right in front of the Valkyrie.
She stood, motionless, her eyes glowing with rage at what she had witnessed.
And then, without a word, the fight broke out.
Their swords clashed, shaking the castle. Windows shattered, floors cracked. The Valkyrie, wielding her sword in one hand, threw a punch with the other. The Commander met it with his own, their fists colliding with force that echoed through the halls.
Both unleashed their full power. The impact flung their swords away.
They stood, facing each other, knowing that if either tried to retrieve their weapon, the other would strike a fatal blow.
So they fought barehanded.
The Commander blocked her right hand—and broke the bones. He did the same to her left. Then, he launched a barrage of punches to her stomach, ending with a crushing blow that shattered her ribs.
But the Valkyrie barely flinched. Her divine body began to piece itself back together like a puzzle.
As she bent to retrieve her weapon, the Commander, reeling from the recoil of his final strike, tried to move—but too late. The sword pierced his heart.
Falling to the ground, blood pooling beneath him, he looked up at her and smiled weakly.
"You… are truly worthy of the title Elite Soldier of God," he said.
"And you," she replied, "are worthy of the title Angel Slayer."
The Commander chuckled softly. "Yes… and I think I need to prove why."
The Valkyrie, confused, took a step back. "What do you mean?"
Suddenly, glowing soul chains wrapped around her, freezing her in place. The Commander, breathing hard but still alive, slowly stood.
"You can't destroy this empire while I still stand," he said.
The Valkyrie snarled. "Just give up! You're a mere human—you cannot fight us!"
The Commander shouted, "Did you forget who I am?"
"I am the nightmare of angels—the Angel Slayer! Every angel in Heaven fears my name! Even the veteran angels—those who have become Valkyries—still wake up trembling from nightmares about me. And you think you can kill me?"
"Even if you kill me… I'll take you with me!"
The Commander readied himself once more. The Valkyrie, furious, shattered the chains and took her stance.
To be continued...