The sun rose as usual over the Cardinal World, blanketing the lands in its golden glow. Birds chirped softly, caravans rolled through stone paths, and merchants shouted prices at passersby. Nothing seemed out of place.
But deep in the Celestial Throne, beyond mortal comprehension, Feldway stood upon a floating circular dais of holy energy. Surrounding him were the Angels of Origin—Zalario, armored and calm like the edge of a silent blade; Obera, her ethereal body pulsing with divine elegance; Pico, her tiny figure alight with destructive curiosity; Garasha, wide-eyed and smiling like a child holding a lit match; and Cornu, whose horns shimmered like sharpened crystal as he knelt before his lord.
Feldway raised a single hand.
"It's time," he said, his voice like an ancient choir in unison. "Let the Heavenfall Protocol begin."
Leon Cromwell sat casually upon his throne, listening to Claude, who read updates from a crystal scroll.
"Trade routes in the south have reopened. Elmesia has approved the diplomatic envoy. And Lady Elphina requests—"
Suddenly, the alarms rang—an earth-shaking, magical vibration across the entire palace.
"...Emergency barrier breach in the upper atmosphere."
Leon stood instantly, aura flaring.
"Status?"
A soldier burst in, panting.
"MY LORD—SKY PORTALS—ANGELS—WE'RE UNDER ATTACK!"
Above Eldorado, portals tore through the heavens. Divine light poured out as thousands of Seraphim, Celestial Knights, and Divine Archons descended like falling stars. Their wings shimmered with holy gold, their eyes soulless and fixed.
Leon clenched his fists.
"let us show these insects…"
"Claude, get Elphina. Sound a full evacuation below the palace. I'll handle the front."
The throne room's windows exploded as divine arrows rained down.
Luminous Valentine lounged on her silk-covered bed, her arms wrapped lazily around Hinata Sakaguchi, teasing her with a smirk.
"You always get so tense when I—"
Suddenly, Louis burst into the room, sweating, not bothering to knock.
"Your Highness! Forgive the intrusion, but—WE ARE UNDER ATTACK!"
Luminous's eyes narrowed, about to berate him.
"You better have a good reaso—"
"ANGELS, MY LADY. THEY'RE HERE."
In that moment, the chamber shook. Outside, the sky opened like paper ripping. Glowing gates of pure light formed a spiral overhead, and out came holy battalions, wings unfurled, blades of judgment drawn.
Hinata jumped to her feet.
"It's not Rudra. These aren't angels of light. They feel... wrong."
Luminous's fangs flashed.
"Louis, prepare the Holy Knights. Get the citizens to safety. We meet them head-on."
Draguel, seated under a stone veranda, was deep in discussion with his brother Glassord about his sons' progress.
"Dagura needs to learn more control. Debura's too reckless. And Liura—he's powerful, but—"
A guard sprinted up, pale and breathless.
"MY LORD! THE SKY—IT'S OPENING!"
They all looked up—and their breath caught.
A divine tear hovered above the desolate horizon. From it poured an angelic army wielding glowing chains, spears of starlight, and burning halos. Unlike anything Draguel had ever sensed.
Glassord's eyes widened.
"These aren't from this world…"
Draguel stood.
"Send word to all stations. Ready the Eternal Flame Protocol. If they want war—we'll burn the heavens themselves."
Milim Nava was face-first in a mountain of steak, humming happily.
"Midday snack, best time of the day!"
Middray, arms folded, stood behind her silently.
Suddenly, a shockwave cracked across the sky. A soldier stumbled in.
"LADY MILIM! LOOK OUTSIDE!"
Milim blinked. "Huh?"
She raced to the balcony—and her childlike glee vanished.
The clouds had vanished. In their place, six massive gates hovered. From them spilled legions of celestial beings with glowing staves and swords, forming sky formations that blanketed the kingdom.
Milim's eyes narrowed.
"Angels…? This isn't Rudra's vibe."
Middray stepped forward, aura flaring.
"Awaiting orders, my lady."
Milim grinned, cracking her knuckles.
"Let's show these pigeons how dragons deal with intruders."
Guy Crimson and Velzard were sipping wine on the ice palace balcony.
"You think Rimuru's new hotpot beats this bottle?" Velzard smirked.
"Maybe," Guy said lazily. "But—what the...?"
Their expressions shifted.
Above the vast tundra, the sky exploded in brilliance. Gates opened above the Ice Palace itself. Holy beings flooded the air, their presence unnaturally cold—even for the continent.
Velzard stood, her glass cracking in her hand.
"They dare bring war to MY domain?"
Guy stood beside her, his face darkening.
"This isn't Rudra's doing. This... is something older."
And then, the angels attacked. Spears of divine light rained down. Explosions erupted through the ice fields.
Guy snarled, unleashing his aura.
"MISERY! RAIN! GET TO THE SKY! SHOW THEM WHAT NIGHTMARES LOOK LIKE!"
In Tempest, peace reigned for a moment longer. Rimuru was sitting in his council room with Benimaru and Goramu, going over reconstruction plans for the outer sectors.
Souei burst in, shadows trailing behind him.
"Lord Rimuru. We're under attack."
"...From who?"
"Unknown. But they're descending from portals in the sky. They resemble angels."
The sky darkened.
Rimuru stood and walked to the window. His eyes widened as divine light flooded down in streams. Winged beings descended, hurling spears of justice, blowing apart the outer barrier.
"Sound the general alert. Where's Yujiro?"
Benimaru clenched his fists.
"He was headed to the training halls. We'll find him."
"Diablo?" Rimuru asked.
"Already in motion," Souei replied.
Rimuru's voice deepened, his expression grave.
"They came for us all at once. This is a coordinated strike...
The Eastern Empire, capital of ambition, power, and cold efficiency, stood firm beneath the glowing sky. Colossal towers of steel and spirit-tech reached upward like the fangs of a sleeping beast. Inside the Imperial Citadel, Emperor Rudra Nam Ul Nasca and his loyal companion, the Crimson Flame Dragon Velgrynd, stood upon a high balcony overlooking their domain.
The two were locked in quiet conversation.
"You've been... unnaturally quiet lately," Velgrynd said, arms folded, her crimson hair billowing with the breeze.
"I've been watching," Rudra replied, eyes narrowed on the horizon. "Something has shifted. The world is beginning to break its symmetry."
Velgrynd frowned.
"The Demon Lords?"
Rudra shook his head.
"No... something above even them. Something... divine, yet tainted."
Just as he said that, the air shimmered—as if the world itself had taken a deep, fearful breath. The winds halted. The sun dimmed. Then—
BOOM!
A celestial rupture tore open the sky like a blade through flesh. A massive portal—circular, radiant, seething with divine symbols—appeared just above the capital. The Empire's people halted in place, their eyes drawn upward, their spirits gripped with fear.
From that portal emerged the angelic host.
Thousands—no, hundreds of thousands—of angels, seraphs, and archons poured through like a flood of golden fire. Their wings pulsed with blinding energy, their weapons humming with divine wrath. Unlike the soft, graceful imagery of sacred beings—these ones moved like soldiers. Their eyes were blank. Unmerciful.
Rudra's face tightened.
"So... they come for me too."
Velgrynd's eyes burned, her aura flaring like a solar flare.
"They have the nerve to bring this to our skies?"
Imperial sirens howled. The Empire's Sky Defenders, elite dragon-riders and spirit cannon units, launched into the air.
"DEFENSIVE FORMATION GAMMA-77! ANGELIC TYPE ASSAULT INCOMING!"
Dozens of ether cannons opened fire, unleashing blasts of condensed spiritual energy—but the angels moved like light. Seraphs danced through the barrage, their golden blades cutting through spirit-mechs, wings slicing through metal and bone alike.
Zamora, commander of the imperial aerial corps, barked into his comms.
Far beyond the mortal sky, Feldway watched through a divine prism, his fingers laced together.
"Rudra... the would-be god-emperor. Even your power will falter once Dino activates the seal."
Zalario stood beside him, silent as always. Obera appeared behind them with a satisfied smile.
"All demon lords have engaged. Their territories are under siege. As planned."
"Good," Feldway replied. "Let them burn. Let their strength fracture. And when their guard is down..."
He raised his hand and a second, more arcane diagram shimmered beside him—the Spell of Submission, now linked to Yuuki and Dino, ready to be deployed the moment each target was distracted.
"...We enslave their very souls."