Klaus stood tall, radiating light that illuminated the entire area. His expression was both straight and hollow, casting an eerie aura that the demigods had never felt before, not even from X.

Trent's face reflected his shock. Klaus had just traversed miles in the blink of an eye, despite it being afternoon. This realization began to dawn on Trent, unraveling the significance behind it.

"This means Klaus' light is now the strongest force in Main World," Trent said, his voice laced with astonishment. "He has conquered the sun."

Klaus began to walk slowly towards Xhin, his eyes glowing and fixed on her. Xhin, noticing his approach, felt an overwhelming force compelling her to kneel. She stepped back, a flicker of fear crossing her face, though she remained composed.

"You look just as beautiful as ever, my love," Xhin said, her eyes mesmerized by him.

Despite the distance, Xhin could feel Klaus' intense murderous intent. Turning her attention to a monster nearby, she attempted to control it for temporary defense. But as she did, she froze in terror. Klaus had already appeared before her.

Before Xhin could react, Klaus struck her head with the back of his left knuckle. The force sent Xhin flying to the right, his hits devastatingly powerful, leaving her barely conscious.

Xhin continued to hurtle through the air, her back nearing a wall. But before she could collide with it, Klaus appeared beside her, grabbing the back of her neck. With intense speed, he lifted her and slammed her face-first into the ground. Xhin grunted in severe agony, her face plastered against the ground.

Klaus' hand remained on her neck as he lifted her again, holding her above his head. Their eyes locked, Klaus' expression unchanged since he left Avalon's home. Xhin, still smiling despite the pain, irritated Klaus. He tossed her away, her body crashing into a wall.

Xhin knew that to survive Klaus' relentless assault, she had to stall him until his anger subsided. Understanding this, she commanded the surrounding monsters to rush towards Klaus, knowing they couldn't kill him but could serve as a distraction.

As the monsters closed in on Klaus, he moved at light speed, appearing beside the nearest one. With precision, he grasped the creature's jaws, which widened in reaction to his presence.

Klaus placed his right hand on the creature's lower jaw and his left on the upper, then began to pull. With a brutal display of strength, he ripped the monster's head in half, tearing it apart in an instant. But he wasn't done.

He appeared beside another monster just a few feet ahead. Clenching his fist, he drove it through the creature's chest, then lifted it effortlessly before slamming it into the ground despite its towering size.

In a flash, Klaus was beside yet another beast. This time, he appeared at its right side, his eyes fixed on Xhin a short distance away. Stretching his right hand towards the monster's head, he pointed his index finger at its temple. A small Solar Ball formed at his fingertip.

Within seconds, Klaus fired the miniature Solar Ball, its intense light illuminating the area as it connected. The force was immense, obliterating the monster's head and sending fragments flying.

Klaus then appeared in front of yet another creature, his determination and speed unmatched. Gripping the monster's neck with his right hand, he squeezed until its mouth foamed. With his left hand, he tore the creature's head off its body swiftly.

All these actions took mere seconds. Klaus continued to decimate the monsters that rushed him, moving at light speed. Link and Trent stood speechless, watching in awe and confusion as Klaus executed each move with terrifying efficiency.

"What is going on?" Trent asked, his voice a mix of confusion and concern.

"I have an idea," Link replied, his expression grim. "But I really hope I'm wrong."

As they turned their attention back to Klaus, they saw light emanating from his left palm. In seconds, Klaus had formed a third-grade Solar Ball and launched it at the monsters ahead. The force was intense, illuminating the entire area with a blinding light. Even Link, with the regulators in his mask, struggled against the brightness.

As the light began to dissipate, Trent and Link slowly regained their vision. What they saw left them speechless: Klaus had eradicated all the monsters in the vicinity. Corpses of the creatures littered the ground as far as the eye could see. Klaus stood tall and silent for a few moments before gradually turning his gaze back to Xhin.

Xhin, stunned and unprepared for Klaus's overwhelming power, raised her right hand in a desperate attempt to prepare another attack. But before she could act, Klaus closed the distance in an instant, grabbing her hand with his left.

Klaus's silent stare was haunting for the demigods to witness, but it had a different effect on Xhin. Her flustered expression betrayed her as she looked into his bright yellow eyes. Suddenly, she noticed a strange light beneath her gaze. Glancing down, she saw a Solar Ball in Klaus's right hand, positioned directly in front of her torso.

Klaus placed the ball of light against her, the violent force of the attack contradicting the slow motion of his palm. The impact was vicious, but Klaus held her in place, preventing her from being thrown back by the massive force. Xhin grunted in pain, stumbling from the attack, but before she could recover, Klaus was already in front of her again.

This time, Klaus's assault was even more ruthless. He swung heavy punches at Xhin, striking hard and fast. Each blow felt devastating, evident in her pained expression. Despite her race's reputation for insane durability, Xhin began to show bruises and injuries from every strike Klaus landed.

Flurries of punches and heavy kicks pummeled Xhin. She knew she was overwhelmed, but there was nothing she could do. Her affection for Klaus meant she couldn't even bring herself to fight back.

As this brutal onslaught continued for nearly a minute, Shade finally arrived on the scene, indicating he had secured their mother. He witnessed everything that was happening.

"Klaus?" Shade whispered, a tinge of sorrow in his voice as he watched his brother brutally beat the female demon.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

Shade had felt Klaus' emotions long before arriving at the scene. The intensity of those emotions told him that only one outcome was possible. Moving closer, Shade regrouped with Link and Trent, who kept their distance from Klaus due to the force of his attacks.

"What happened?" Link asked Shade, sensing he might have some answers.

"From what I can tell," Shade began, his voice heavy with sorrow, "Avalon is dead."

Trent's eyes widened in shock while Link remained composed, indicating that he had suspected this.

"At this point," Shade continued, "I don't know if we will be able to stop him."

Klaus continued to assault Xhin with vicious strikes. He drove his right knee into her gut, causing her to double over in pain. Then, with the same leg, he swept her off the ground. As her body twisted sideways, Klaus brought his elbow down hard onto her torso, slamming her to the floor.

Xhin lay on the ground for only a few seconds before Klaus approached again. Grabbing her by her right horn with his left hand, he lifted her off the ground. He pulled her up to eye level, his expression unchanging. Yet, despite everything, Xhin was still smiling.

"No matter what you do to me," Xhin began, her innocent smile unwavering, "I will still love you."

Hearing Xhin's words, Klaus was flooded with memories of Avalon. He remembered their first meeting as NightShade and Aura, their awkward first date that she had made comfortable for him. The memories only fueled his rage. Xhin's words brought him back to the present, making him angrier than ever.

In one swift motion, Klaus snapped Xhin's right horn. Before she could fall, he grabbed her by the neck with his right hand, lifting her and then slamming her to the ground with immense force.

Klaus stared down at Xhin with an unyielding expression as she looked back at him. He crouched over her, choking her with his right hand. Despite the clear anger in his eyes, Xhin seemed to enjoy it.

Looking directly into Klaus' eyes, Xhin bit her lip in ecstasy, finding pleasure in his aggression. This realization, that she still thought it was a game, was what finally pushed Klaus over the edge.

Slowly, Klaus raised his left hand, his gaze never leaving Xhin. Gradually, he began to form a decisive Solar Ball, light particles from the entire area converging toward his palm.

Shade watched in silence, acutely feeling his brother's pain over not being able to save someone he loved. He wanted to help, but the immense force Klaus was exerting around the area kept him at bay. The Solar Ball in Klaus' hand continued to grow, its light intensifying with each passing second.

"Even if I die," Xhin suddenly said, her voice soft yet resolute, "if it is in your hands, then it is welcome."

Her eyes were mesmerized by Klaus' Solar Ball, which was rapidly transitioning from the first to the second grade. Link and Trent stood beside Shade, silent and tense, knowing there was nothing they could do to intervene. As the seconds passed, Klaus' Solar Ball began to resemble one of the third grade.

Shade's eyes widened as he realized something was very wrong. Klaus had no intention of stopping. The ball of light kept growing, its brightness surpassing what Klaus had used during the Divine Tournament.

"No," Shade muttered, watching helplessly as the ball of light continued to swell.

At this point, the Solar Ball in Klaus' palm had exceeded the third grade. His eyes flickered slightly, but his expression remained unwavering as he focused on Xhin. His mind was consumed with thoughts of Avalon.

Her voice... her laugh... her smile... her death.

The ball of light in Klaus' hand grew so large that the afternoon sky began to darken as if evening were approaching, despite the sun still shining. The area around Klaus remained intensely bright, making it impossible for Shade and the others to look directly at him.

Klaus had absorbed so many photons that the light was blinding. Shade remembered the Divine Tournament, when Klaus had created a Solar Ball so massive that he killed himself in the process. This current ball had already doubled in size, and Shade knew his brother's body wouldn't withstand it.

"If this keeps going on, Klaus will die," Shade said to Link and Trent, his voice filled with urgency.

"What do we do?" Trent asked, worry etched on his face.

The Solar Ball continued to grow, and Klaus' hand began to tremble. Yet, his expression showed no signs of fatigue. The immense light prevented Shade from using his shadow connection to calm Klaus down since no shadows were present.

The Solar Ball was now the size of a massive wrecking ball, its light and heat overwhelming. Shade's worry extended beyond Klaus to everyone around them.

"If he lands such an attack," Shade whispered in shock to Trent and Link, his eyes fixed on the growing ball, "the entire city will be destroyed, and we will all be killed along with it."

Shade recalled the immense force of Klaus' third-grade Solar Ball during the Divine Tournament and how the arena's force field had trembled. This current ball was over three times that size. The potential destruction was unimaginable. Desperately, Shade turned to Link and Trent, summoning a pool of shadows beneath their feet.

"Enter the shadows quickly," Shade demanded, urgency lacing his voice. "You'll both die if you're caught in the radius."

"What about you, friend?" Trent asked, concern etched on his face.

"I have to try to calm him down," Shade replied. "It's the only way I can save him from killing himself out of exhaustion."

"And if he doesn't listen?" Link questioned immediately after.

Shade's silence spoke volumes. His grim determination was clear, and although Trent and Link were reluctant, they understood the city's danger left little room for argument.

"Go!" Shade insisted, walking closer to Klaus, using his right palm to shield his eyes from the blinding light.

Before any plans could be put into action, a sudden gunshot echoed across the area. The demigods turned their attention behind them, spotting X with his sniper rifle from a considerable distance away.

They watched as X clutched his right eye in pain, but then noticed Klaus had been shot in his right arm. X had used True Accuracy to land a bullet on Klaus, but due to the blinding light, his right retina was nearly fried despite the brief usage.

As they turned back to Klaus, they saw him beginning to lose consciousness. X had fired a tranquilizing bullet, the serum quickly diluting through Klaus' bloodstream.

Shade's shock was evident. X had prioritized saving Klaus over the city. Knowing that Klaus' Phantasmal State ability would protect him from the Solar Ball's force, X aimed to stop Klaus from killing himself. However, this also meant Klaus would drop the ball.

The Aura surrounding Klaus began to dissipate, his eyes dimming. His left hand slowly descended, betraying his exhaustion. Klaus' body slumped onto Xhin's, who had also passed out from lack of oxygen.

The massive ball of light began its slow descent as Klaus lost his grip, the impending danger clear to Shade. He turned urgently to the demigods.

"Go in, now," Shade commanded.

He conjured a pool of shadows beside both himself and X, intending for them all to be consumed by it and survive the explosion. But before Shade could step into the shadows, he and the other demigods froze in place.

Shade's gaze gradually returned to the ball of light, witnessing it rise. The demigods watched in shock until a sudden beam of light appeared beside them.

A strange being descended from the skies, landing directly in the center of the light, contrasting sharply with the light Klaus had absorbed. The being had one palm on the ground, while the other was directed at Klaus' final grade Solar Ball. Shade struggled to discern who the being was, but the overwhelming force emanating from him, surpassing even Klaus', made it clear.

The ball of light continued to float and rise until it reached the clouds above. From the ground, it appeared like an artificial sun. Once it reached the height, the being stood up, directing his attention to the ball. Instantly, the particles of light began to dissipate, shredding the accumulated photons and nullifying the expected explosion. As the light subsided, Shade regained his vision and turned towards the stranger.

Clad in clean, silver, metallic armor with blue, intricate wave designs around the guards of his shoulders and chest, the God stood tall among the demigods. His deep blue, long, wavy hair cascaded down to his shoulders, accompanied by a mid-length ponytail. Despite sharing a similar face with the other Gods, he was potentially the most handsome among them.

Shade stared in awe, shocked by the presence of a God in Main World. That was when it hit him, realizing the identity of the God and witnessing him for the very first time.

"The God of Water and Guardian of Main World... Torrent."