Chapter 37
Zephyr stood at the edge of the Shimmering Void, the celestial portal pulsing with radiant energy. Behind him, the four bonded Queens—Seraphina, Zahra, Elara, and Mira—watched with unwavering support. Their strength hummed in his veins, each bond a thread of divine power woven into his soul.
"Are you ready?" Mira asked quietly, her voice like velvet thunder.
Zephyr nodded. "It’s time to meet the warlords."
With a surge of energy, he stepped into the portal.
The transition was brutal. His body was yanked through a cyclone of stars, shattered timelines, and screaming echoes of forgotten gods. When he emerged, he found himself standing on a massive obsidian platform floating above an ocean of swirling red mist.
A voice thundered across the sky.
[System Notification: Welcome to the Celestial War Plateau.]
[Objective Updated: Defeat the Demon Warlords—1/7. Next Target: Lord Varkuun of the Abyssal Forge.]
Before Zephyr could respond, the mists parted—and from the shadows emerged a hulking figure. Clad in molten black armor and carrying a chained anvil dripping with lava, Varkuun, the Abyssal Forge Warlord, stepped forward. Flames danced in his sockets, and each step he took cracked the platform beneath him.
"You are the one who dares challenge the Heptagon Lords?" Varkuun’s voice was a growl of grinding metal.
Zephyr’s eyes narrowed. "I’m not just challenging you. I’m ending your reign."
Without warning, Varkuun hurled the flaming anvil. Zephyr dodged, air shattering around him as he summoned his dual blades—Celestis and Ruinfang. Sparks flew as the weapons clashed. The battle began in a violent storm of fury and heat.