"..and the Moon took on a mortal form descended from the heavens to bathe in the fresh waters of Ibalong, As beautiful young man, his face child-like an comely, skin fair as the Moon and eyes darker than midnight, he was so beautiful that the swimming beasts, fishes and the flying monsters for a time being forgot how to swim and fly"

- Bicolano Oral myths

Chapter 17 The Falling Star

The heavens opened above the wasteland. Not metaphorically. The sky itself split apart. Far above the frozen canyon of angelic ruins, the black storm clouds surrounding the Sky Tomb spiraled violently outward while silver lightning spread across the atmosphere like cracks in glass. Every survivor looked upward. And saw the falling star.

At first it resembled a meteor descending through the storm. A single point of silver fire tearing across the heavens toward Earth. But then it slowed.

Changed direction. Moved intentionally. The object descended soundlessly toward the canyon ruins while enormous rings of pale light rotated around it through the clouds.

Tenji stopped walking immediately.

The Fairy’s silver eyes widened slightly.

“No…”

For the first time since anyone had known him his voice carried genuine dread.

The falling star struck the canyon outside the ruins.

Silence came first. Then the world exploded.

A gigantic shockwave tore across the frozen wasteland hard enough to shatter cliffs and collapse ancient celestial structures buried beneath snow. Iron Reign transports overturned while survivors were thrown violently across the ground.

Even Einar slid backward across frozen stone.

The impact crater glowed with blinding silver light.

And from the center something stood up.

Humanoid. Tall. Beautiful.

Wrong.

The being slowly emerged from the crater surrounded by floating silver fragments and drifting ash. Long white robes moved weightlessly around its body while enormous mechanical halos rotated behind its back like celestial machinery.

Its face appeared almost human. Almost. Pale skin. Silver eyes. Long white hair flowing through the storm.B ut beneath the skin light moved unnaturally. As though the body itself contained stars.

The celestial being lifted its gaze toward the canyon ruins. Toward Tenji.

Then it spoke. Its voice echoed through the sky and directly inside every living mind simultaneously.

“TENJI OF THE SEVENTH THRONE.”

The survivors collapsed to their knees clutching their heads in pain. Blood streamed from several soldiers’ noses instantly.

Even Kael staggered backward from the psychic pressure.

Tenji remained still.

The shadow crows around him vanished completely.

Einar stepped beside him quietly.

“You know it.”

Tenji’s eyes never left the celestial figure below.

“…Yes.”

The silver being began ascending slowly into the air above the crater.

Its halos rotated faster behind its body while symbols of burning light spread across the sky around it.

Then the entity spoke again.

“YOU ABANDONED THE SKY THRONES.”
“YOU BETRAYED THE ASCENSION.”

The storm darkened instantly.Gravity shifted violently across the canyon. Ancient ruins groaned as floating debris lifted into the air around the celestial being like orbiting moons.

Selene stared upward in horror.

“What is that thing…?”

Einar answered softly:

“A hunter.”

The celestial being extended one pale hand toward Tenji.

“RETURN.”

Tenji finally moved.

The Fairy stepped forward calmly onto the edge of the canyon cliffs while white robes drifted through the silver stormlight.

Then he answered quietly:

“No.”

Silence followed.

Then the hunter attacked.

The celestial entity vanished in a burst of silver light.

The canyon exploded apart. Tenji disappeared simultaneously. The two beings collided high above the ruins hard enough to split the clouds apart across the heavens. Shockwaves rolled through the wasteland below while silver energy erupted across the sky.

The boss fight began.

The celestial hunter moved like divine machinery.

Precise. Merciless. Its halos released gigantic blades of compressed light that sliced directly through floating ruins and canyon walls. Entire celestial towers collapsed beneath each strike.

But Tenji moved differently defying logic and gravity. Graceful. Weightless. Alive.

The Fairy glided through open air effortlessly while shadow crows erupted around him in spiraling storms of black feathers. He stepped across falling debris as though gravity itself obeyed him.

The hunter unleashed dozens of silver spears midair. Tenji spun sideways gracefully through them without touching the ground once.

One spear nearly pierced him The Fairy leaned backward impossibly in open sky while the projectile passed inches from his face before annihilating an entire canyon wall behind him.

The hunter appeared directly above him instantly. A glowing blade formed in its hand. Tenji caught the strike barehanded. Silver light exploded across the heavens.

The canyon below cracked apart. The celestial hunter’s expression finally changed slightly. Surprise.

Tenji’s silver eyes glowed brighter. Then black feathers erupted outward. Thousands.

The shadow crows swarmed the hunter violently, colliding against its halos while Tenji darted across the sky at impossible speed.

The two celestial beings moved faster than human sight.

Silver light and black feathers tore across the heavens above the ruins like opposing storms.

One moment they fought upside down beneath floating debris.

The next they crashed through ancient towers suspended in midair.

Every collision bent gravity around them.

Below the battle, survivors watched in terrified awe.

Even Mordecai stared upward motionlessly.

The Death Reaper’s shadows writhed violently around him as though reacting to the celestial energy flooding the canyon.

Then the hunter changed.

Its body unfolded unnaturally.

Mechanical wings of silver bone expanded from its back while additional halos appeared rotating around its head. Its face cracked slightly revealing glowing cosmic light beneath. Not flesh. Not life. A construct.

An ancient celestial weapon wearing human shape. The hunter raised both hands toward Tenji. And the sky opened. Gigantic rings of light appeared across the storm clouds above the canyon.

Then massive pillars of celestial fire descended toward the Fairy. Entire mountains evaporated beneath the attack.

Tenji vanished between the beams gracefully, gliding through collapsing air currents while black crows shielded him from the silver inferno.

But the hunter was driving him backward. Toward the ruins below. Toward the canyon depths.

Toward something hidden beneath the angelic tomb.

Einar noticed immediately.

His eyes narrowed.

“It’s not trying to kill him.”

Then he understood.

The hunter wanted Tenji alive.

The celestial being suddenly seized Tenji midair by the throat.

Silver halos locked around the Fairy’s body instantly like chains.

The storm itself froze.

Then the hunter whispered directly into Tenji’s mind:

“THE ABYSS IS WAKING AGAIN.”
“YOU WERE NEVER MEANT TO REMAIN HERE.”

For a brief moment pain crossed Tenji’s face. Real pain. Then his halo returned.

Brighter than before. Massive silver rings erupted behind the Fairy while black shadow crows exploded outward in gigantic spiraling storms around the canyon.

The halos shattered.

The hunter was thrown backward through the sky.

Tenji floated motionless above the ruins now surrounded by both silver celestial light and endless black feathers.

Beautiful.

Terrifying.

And no longer fully hiding what he truly was.

Far above them the Sky Tomb began descending lower toward Earth.