The familiar flash of blue light enveloped Alex’s body, and in an instant, he vanished from the scorched grounds of [Dragon City].
A single chime echoed softly in his mind.
Ding!
It signaled that the teleportation had completed successfully.
Moments later, his body reappeared just outside the walls of [Angel City].
Fwish!
His boots touched the smooth, radiant stone road that led up to the massive gates.
Before him stood the sprawling silhouette of Angel City, its luminous spires stretched far into the sky, glowing with divine light.
The city itself wasn’t quite as elegant or richly adorned as Dragon City had once been, but it was much larger, built to house millions.
After all, angels were numerous and disciplined, forming one of the largest and most structured races in the world.
However, something was off.
Alex had expected calmness and order, the kind of tranquil atmosphere that came naturally to a race known for its pride, discipline, and divine strength.
Instead, what he saw was chaos.
“…What the hell?” Alex muttered under his breath, eyes narrowing slightly.
The gates were shut tight, and stationed across the walls and outer courtyards were thousands of armed angelic soldiers, all alert, their glowing spears aimed toward the skies and roads.
There was motion within the city as well, loud, scattered sounds echoed from inside the walls, soldiers marching, civilians murmuring, wings flapping above in tense patrols.
Something serious had happened, and judging by the atmosphere, it had only just passed.
Alex walked forward, pushing through the tense energy and heading straight toward the largest figure among the soldiers, a tall, armored angel with a glowing lance on his back.
Clearly, the commander.
“Are you under attack?” Alex asked, approaching without slowing.
The angel commander turned toward him immediately.
His eyes widened with a hint of recognition before narrowing in caution.
“You…” he said. “Be careful, human. There’s been terrible news.”
Alex raised an eyebrow, “Terrible news?”
Just as he was about to ask more, a sudden gust of divine wind brushed against him from above.
Looking up, Alex saw a radiant figure descend from the sky, his eight white wings glowing like stars in daylight.
He landed with a thud that reverberated across the courtyard.
“Human,” the voice called out, calm but heavy.
It was Volks Wingser, the [Angel King] himself.
“Sir!” the commander and nearby soldiers immediately saluted, placing a hand diagonally across their foreheads in a formal angelic gesture of respect, “The human has arrived!”
“Good,” Volks nodded. “He must hear this as well.”
“Hear what?” Alex asked, starting to get the feeling that the answer would complicate his day even more.
Volks took a breath, then let it out slowly as his expression hardened.
“Dragon City,” he said. “It has been destroyed. An unknown entity razed it completely. We detected the energy signature even from here. It was devastating.”
He clapped his hands together, and a massive panel of light formed before them, floating in the air.
It displayed a recording, one likely captured by divine sensors placed across the realm.
Alex’s eyes fixed on the image.
It was a perfect recording of the destruction: [Dragon City] crumbling, flames and shadow ripping through its core.
At the center was a monstrous form, the [Hatred Demon], fully transformed into his final stage, [Pure Hatred].
“Shit,” Alex muttered under his breath.
“The Hatred Demon has returned,” Volks said grimly as the recording faded out, “And this time, stronger than ever. We’ve entered full alert. If Dragon City fell, then we may be next.”
Soldiers murmured around them, shifting in place.
The aura of dread and panic was tangible.
“Idiots,” a small voice grumbled next to Alex’s ear.
A poof of dark smoke formed on his shoulder, and out appeared a tiny version of the very creature they were speaking of, [The Hatred Fairy], the demon’s miniature form attached to Alex’s soul.
“I should’ve sent him to destroy this place instead,” the fairy muttered, arms crossed.
“Shut up,” Alex replied without hesitation.
He casually wrapped his fingers around the tiny figure and squeezed, snuffing the spirit out of sight again.
No one could see the fairy but him, it was tied to his soul, invisible to others.
Still, he sighed and stepped forward.
“There’s no need to panic,” Alex said, unfolding his wings as his presence surged, “It’s already been dealt with.”
All eyes snapped to him, stunned by the calmness in his voice.
“What do you mean?” Volks asked, brows furrowed, “The Hatred Demon is a world-ending entity. You can’t just say something like that casually.”
“I’m not saying it casually,” Alex said, “I fought him. And I killed him.”
Complete, utter silence followed. Then, chaos.
“WHAT?!”
“You defeated… that?!”
Volks staggered slightly, visibly shaken.
His hands trembled for a moment before he steadied them.
“You were the one fighting him?”
“Yes,” Alex said simply.
Then, a new message echoed in his mind.
[The Crown of Calamity has footage of everything. You may show it.]
Alex blinked, surprised by the feature, but welcomed it nonetheless.
With a similar clap of his hands, he summoned a second panel of light, this one playing a full cinematic recording from the moment the Hatred Demon transformed all the way through to its destruction by Alex’s hands.
The angels watched in silence.
There were no words, no interruptions.
Not even Volks dared speak as the final blow was shown, and the Hatred Demon disintegrated into oblivion.
When the video ended, a breath seemed to release from the entire city.
Volks swallowed hard, his golden pupils flickering with disbelief.
“Well… I suppose you didn’t come here for a casual visit, then,” he said, finding his voice.
“I didn’t,” Alex confirmed.
“I’ll need to inform the city,” Volks said quickly.
He spread his wings high and clapped his hands together for the second time, sending a divine beam of light high into the sky.
A moment later, a system-wide notification rang out, audible to every citizen of [Angel City].
Ding.
[The Hatred Demon has been defeated by FateBreaker, the same human who destroyed the Abyss. We are safe.]
A wave of relief passed through the city like a tide.
The soldiers and population relaxed.
Wings lowered. Voices became less frantic.
The weight of fear that had gripped them began to lift.
Volks turned back to Alex, his usual composed demeanor returning.
“So,” he said, “what did you come here for?”
“You remember when I asked you to fight other races on my behalf?” Alex said, folding his arms.
“I do,” Volks nodded, “And with the dragons weakened, I assume they are your target?”
“No,” Alex replied firmly, “I told you before. I don’t want you fighting dragons.”
Volks paused.
“…Then who?”
“The other races,” Alex said.
“The ones who are already under the command of the gods, or simply wish to cause chaos for humanity.”
This time, it was the angel commander who stepped forward.
He had a large figure, and muscles that pulsed with golden veins, showcasing his power.
“Give us their names,” he said, “We owe you a debt far greater than words. If you want them handled, we’ll act.”
Alex’s eyes flickered with something unreadable.
The angels had no idea that he, in some twisted way, had contributed to the rise of the Hatred Demon.
But revealing that would be pointless now.
Better to use their awe, their fear, and their gratitude to push his goals forward.
And truthfully, he needed every ounce of help he could gather.
The [Chosen Games] were approaching.
Alex’s wings fluttered slightly as he smiled, raising his hand slowly.
“Alright,” he said, “Here’s the list…”