Caelus stood before the "Flame Lance," unwavering in the slightest.
The camera zoomed in for a close-up of the Flame Lance.
The BGM Wildfire began to play, only the melody, without lyrics.
Caelus gripped the lance's hilt, only to be met with an intense burning sensation that forced him to let go.
Yet, he showed no hesitation. Enduring the searing pain, he declared,
"If one hand isn't enough, then I'll use both!"
With all his might, he wrenched the Flame Lance free.
The ground beneath him cracked like glass, emitting a sharp "snap!"
"Raaaah!!!" Caelus roared, his battle cry piercing the heavens.
At that moment—
The Aeon of Preservation, Qlipoth, appeared in the scene.
Majestic. Divine.
In that instant, Caelus once again received the gaze of an Aeon—the gaze of Preservation.
As his consciousness returned to reality, just as he was about to collapse, the Engine of Creation caught him in its palm.
March 7th and the others watched, finally letting out a sigh of relief as they saw Caelus unharmed.
Everything was ready. There was only one goal: to defeat the enemy before them.
The BGM grew even more intense, the perfect fusion of guitar and drums resonating deep within the soul.
Still, no lyrics came but it was more than enough.
Every viewer was electrified, their blood boiling with excitement!
Caelus raised the Flame Lance high, pointing it at Cocolia.
As the Guardian of Belobog, Cocolia naturally recognized the origin of the weapon in his hands. Her body slowly descended.
"This… is impossible!!!"
Bronya's expression remained calm. "The Will of Preservation has made its choice!"
"You know nothing of this world's suffering. Nothing of the fate that awaits it."
"Even if we are doomed to perish, we will walk hand in hand, bravely into that darkness."
March 7th stepped forward, standing beside Bronya. "No. With us here, that ending will never come to pass!"
Now, March 7th and the others had gathered beside Caelus, facing Cocolia together.
But in this moment, she no longer seemed so untouchable.
Caelus exchanged glances with each of them. With the Flame Lance in hand, he felt enveloped by the power of Preservation.
"Attack without fear. I will preserve every single one of you!"
"I won't let any harm come to you not even a scratch!"
The others nodded solemnly, then assumed their battle stances.
[HOLY CRAP THIS IS HYPE! The BGM is insane, I just wish it had lyrics!]
[I'm so pumped right now! I haven't felt this way in ages, last time was when Luffy went Gear Second!]
[The narrative tension is unreal. Cocolia's overwhelming presence early on makes this turnaround so satisfying. How can anyone not love this?!]
[Caelus' line was SO COOL! It's cheesy, but damn, he's earned the right to be this cool!]
[Everyone's ready hell yeah! Finally, a proper boss fight! I knew it wouldn't just be Caelus soloing her like last time with the Doomsday Beast it had to be all four!]
[Honestly, this is great. I thought we'd be fighting the Engine of Creation, but turns out it's Cocolia. Still, fighting a giant would've been even more epic.]
——
In an instant, the four of them fanned out, surrounding Cocolia in a pincer formation all except Caelus, who stood firm.
Cocolia's gaze swept across them, but an inexplicable flame obstructed her vision.
Now, it was as if the entire space held only her… and Caelus.
She understood. This was the power of Preservation—Preservation was shielding everyone present.
She had to defeat the one standing before her first.
Without hesitation, Caelus charged at Cocolia, Flame Lance in hand.
The five of them attacked in unison, overwhelming Cocolia, leaving her no room to counter.
Enraged, she summoned new ice blades to retaliate—
But even when the others were struck, they remained unharmed.
Dan Heng realized there was a force of Preservation protecting them. It had to be coming from Caelus.
Every time they were about to be hit, Caelus absorbed the damage in their stead!
"This… is the meaning of Preservation!"
...
The battle raged on, unstoppable until the Flame Lance suddenly emitted a radiant light toward Caelus.
He froze for a moment, then looked up—
The Engine of Creation moved.
It raised its massive arm and brought it crashing down not on the trio, but on Cocolia.
So this was why the Engine of Creation had responded to the Will of Preservation!
The heart-pounding, adrenaline-fueled fight had every viewer on the edge of their seats, sweat beading on their foreheads.
Without exception, everyone sat up straight.
It wasn't that lying down was uncomfortable it was just that their blood was boiling, their excitement too overwhelming to stay still.
[HOLY SH*T, THIS IS AMAZING! Why is Caelus controlling the Engine of Creation?!]
[Because when Caelus fell earlier, the Engine of Creation caught him! There must be some kind of control mechanism inside.]
[That weapon in Caelus' hands is no ordinary lance. Everything points to it this is where the real battle begins.]
——
With the giant mech's assistance, Cocolia was forced back, unable to withstand the assault.
She let out a furious roar then plunged one hand into her own chest.
In an instant, a golden light enveloped her!
For the first time, the BGM Wildfire featured vocals a haunting, wordless chant.
The sudden shift sent chills down every viewer's spine. The timing was perfect.
"The power of the Stellaron is with me!" Cocolia gathered the golden radiance above her. "You… are nothing but the death throes of a crumbling old world!"
"I will forge a glorious new world with my own hands!"
And then—
The lyrics of Wildfire finally began, the singer's voice soaring in defiance of Cocolia's declaration:
"We've made a choice go fight against your fate!"
(We've made a choice go fight against your fate!)