Venganza did not vanish after attacking the Flame Imperator but instead went to where the strongest warriors of the Prima Universe gathered.
His arrival certainly drew people's attention, but other than a short nod, no one focused too much on him. Venganza did not care about pleasantries and saw them all around a gray domain with anxious expressions on their faces.
Inside that domain was Zatiel, in utter agony as flames invaded every part of his body and soul, trying to achieve the greatest level of destruction possible in the shortest amount of time.
Initially, the goal of the power left in the domain by the Flame Imperator was to purge Zatiel's ego. Still, once the Prima Universe's warriors forced him to escape, he sent an order, changing the domain's purpose.
The only reason Zatiel remained alive was due to the evolution of his soul force and life force after his advance to Rank 9 in the True Soul Path of Power, but even then, he would not last long.
Lucifer had the power of the Fourth Realm, but his control over the Unyielding Truth was too crude. He could certainly destroy the domain holding Zatiel, but using brute force was not wise.
"Allow me." The Depravita of Revenge flew toward Zatiel as the Eternal Flame of Revenge manifested.
Everybody focused on Venganza, and they immediately moved away. Unlike Lucifer, the Depravita of Revenge reached Fourth Realm's battle power thanks to his own effort.
Although Sundered Night did not master Truths, they had Eternal Flames under their control, and those were equally powerful.
Venganza touched the domain, and immediately his Eternal Flame of Revenge began to consume it. And it did not stop on the outside, as the dark flame with a red nucleus flowed inside Zatiel, destroying the force that invaded the flesh and Inner Universe of this one.
It took less than ten seconds for Venganza to erase any trace of the domain left by the Flame Imperator. That was not a feat of raw strength but incredible mastery over his Fourth Realm's power.
Seeing the Flame Imperator's domain vanish did not bring happiness to the Prima Universe's warriors due to Zatiel's condition. The Neo-Demon Ancestor looked like a mummified corpse with no vitality whatsoever, and his soul force entered a state of complete immobility, essentially throwing him into a deep coma.
En and Lucifer immediately approached Zatiel and channeled their Unyielding Truth and Endless Growth Omega Law into this one. Those two forces could bring an Extreme Rank 9 life form back from death, but the damage that the Quietus Truth caused seemed irreparable.
Venganza's eyes narrowed when he saw that the Champion of Justice and Order and the World Tree could not help Zatiel. He opened his mouth, making a drop of blood emerge before sending dark flames into it.
In a moment, a dark sun whose radiation extended for countless lightyears emerged in the void. Anyone near it felt how their minds grew calm, and its warmth filled them with vitality and hope.
"Sun of Hope." The Depravita of Revenge sent the sun forward, making it fuse with Zatiel's paralyzed heart.
The Sun of Hope reached Zatiel's heart before using it as a core and spreading its flames all over his body, going all the way to the Inner Universe.
"Bump." A weak heartbeat echoed through the void, and Zatiel's soul force regained its activity.
Zatiel slowly opened his eyes, and once he regained his ability to think, the first thing he did was analyze his condition. What he learned could not be worse.
He lost his Concept Sun after triggering this one's supernova, essentially crippling his True Will Path of Power. But the awful news was that the Quietus Truth had corrupted his body and soul, freezing his life force and soul force. Any other Rank 9 life form would have died already.
Zatiel was unique in that his soul force was greater than others thanks to the uniqueness of his Inner Universe, and his life force higher thanks to the Primordial Body Incarnation. If they were to split apart, they would both perish immediately.
Nevertheless, all that only delayed his death. The Sun of Hope could grant him a few days at most before he sunk back into a coma. After that, his soul force would deplete until nothing remained of him.
As Zatiel saw the expression of the people around him, he felt conflicted. He was not the strongest, but they all saw in him their leader. He was supposed to guide them into this war, yet now he could barely remain awake.
The small victory against the Flame Imperator, in which they forced this one to escape with the tail between his legs, kept their fighting will going. Still, that was far from enough if they wanted to win the Ultimate Multiversal War.
Zatiel closed his eyes for a moment before taking a deep breath, and when he opened them again, the only thing everybody could see was willpower that would never stop burning.
"The first time I perished, I was nothing but a mortal man. That was supposed to be the end of my existence, but I prevailed and became the Incarnation of Death and Destruction, the first Prima Universe's life form to harvest the power of the Fourth Realm!
The second time I returned from the Eternal River of the Afterlife, I obtained a destiny that could allow me to glimpse the Fourth Realm without outside help, earning the title of Lord of Beginning and End!
And when the Eldritch Universe King fossilized my entire existence, I achieved my samsara reincarnation and came back with the power of the Fourth Realm engraved in my veins and soul!
Many had wanted to end my existence, but they all failed, and the Flame Imperator will not be different. I will overcome this tribulation and become even stronger!
I only ask you one thing."
Zatiel paused at this moment, and silence reigned as everybody waited for him.
"Set your souls ablaze with your willpower and fight for the Prima Universe!"
