The Lich and the Seraphim Maliketh Arcanis Maliketh Arcanis stood amidst the vibrant field of flowers, each petal a bright burst of color that belied the darkness of his intent. The sun shimmered overhead, casting an almost eerie glow on his skeletal form, cloaked in layers of tattered robes that rustled with each movement. The air hummed with magical energy, filling his soul with a chilling sense of purpose. Though he had transcended mortal flesh, Maliketh’s remnants of humanity flickered like distant stars. His eyes, hollowed and haunted, scanned the horizon for the figure of his opponent. Micheal Lightbringer, the so-called “Boundless Light”—a majestic name for a span of brilliance that he was prepared to extinguish. “Higher-ranked prey,” Maliketh muttered to himself, the words laced with malicious glee. What were strength and speed to a master of the arcane? He chuckled, his voice echoing into the flurry of wind rolling through the flowered battlefield. Mana flowed through him like a river, and while he might be slow in body, his mind raced with strategies and diabolical plans. His grip tightened on Death's Whisper Staff, the blackened relic crackling with dark magic. It pulsed, eager to unleash the pent-up power within. A familiar whisper danced at the edges of his consciousness, reminding him that victory was within reach. Micheal Lightbringer Across the field, Micheal Lightbringer stood with a regal posture, the golden armor glinting in the sunlight like a beacon of hope against the darkness. His long, flowing hair shimmered ethereally in the air, cascading down his back as if illuminated by otherworldly light. Micheal had fought for billions of years, accumulating wisdom that transcended life and death. He was a Transcendant Seraphim, a paragon of purity, infusing the surroundings with a palpable sense of power. Each breath filled him with favoring winds of divine grace. “Today is the day I will extinguish the shadow of despair,” he proclaimed, his voice deep and resonant, reverberating across the battlefield. His grip tightened around Aurora Requiem, the legendary sword humming with celestial energy. Micheal’s memories flashed like lightning in his mind—the countless lives he had saved, the demons he had vanquished, and now, the lich that dared to challenge him. He had faced the darkness time and again, and he would not waver in this fight. The Clash As the two began to circle each other, the air thickened with tension. Maliketh summoned a wave of undead minions, skeletal warriors rising from the flower-laden ground to heed his call. Their hollow eyes glinted as they moved, prepared to defend their master. With a flourish of his staff, Maliketh unleashed a volley of Fireballs, each blazing in fiery wrath toward Micheal. Micheal elegantly dodged, channeling the Transcendant Sea of Mana, swiping his sword to create an arc of radiant light that shattered the incoming flames. The clash of heavenly and infernal magic sent ripples across the field, and the flowers trembled in response, their colors dimming in fear. In the midst of chaos, Maliketh summoned a Death Knight—an embodiment of pure necromancy. The knight's armor clanged, engulfed in a terrifying aura. “Face my champion!” Maliketh roared, the words infused with raw menace. But a smirk creased Micheal’s otherwise serene face as he unleashed the Vortex of Revelation. The radiant energy coalesced around him, an expansion of blinding light that engulfed the Death Knight. In a heartbeat, the creature was obliterated, ripped apart by the very essence of divine justice. As the remnants of darkness faded, Maliketh’s eyes flickered with rage. The Turning Tide The two grave powers clashed, the field turning into a battleground of magic and will. Maliketh tried to maintain distance, using Quick Step to dodge Micheal’s strikes, attempting to weave through the growing veil of radiant light that threatened to consume him. But Micheal was relentless. Each swing of his sword was a dance of light and fury, his Surpassing Radiant Blade slicing through the air with chilling grace. Each time Maliketh moved, it was as though Micheal anticipated his next steps, like a hunter toying with his prey. Maliketh sneered, trembling but resolutely defiant. The archlich needed a plan—his true power lay dormant. Activating Lichdom, he beckoned the darkness, his form shifting, ethereal and terrifying. “Now behold my true glory!” he snarled, finally revealing his SS-Rank hidden strength. The Moment of Despair For an instant, Micheal hesitated. The air went still, the vibrant colors around him dimming into shadows as if the sun itself blinked in fear. “What are you?” he asked, but Maliketh’s laughter echoed across the battlefield, haunting and maniacal, like a predator savoring the anticipation of the kill. With a wave of his staff, Maliketh commanded the surrounding flowers to wither, their colors fading into dust, feeding the necromantic power that now surged through him. The ground bubbled with dark energies, corpses erupting and writhing with malice. Realizing that Maliketh had grown exponentially stronger, Micheal grit his teeth, his will hardening. “You may twist the tides, but I fight for life!” he bellowed. Micheal summoned a Surpassing Radiant Blade, aiming to pierce through the veil of darkness enveloping Maliketh. The two powers collided, a climactic battle of light against shadow, and the force unleashed shook the very earth beneath their feet. The Final Confrontation As their powers clashed, Maliketh felt the weight of his own decisions. He summoned his remaining will and unleashed Necrotic Essence, a wave of dark energy meant to sap the light from his opponent’s spirit. But Micheal’s resolve strengthened, a light of his ancestors guiding him. With one decisive move, he summoned all his will into the Vortex of Revelation, an EXPLOSION of raw power. The ethereal light shattered Maliketh's Necrotic Essence, washing over him like a cleansing tide. Maliketh, blinded and overwhelmed by pure celestial force, stumbled back, his sinister laughter fading into despair. In a frantic attempt to reclaim control, Maliketh raised Death’s Whisper Staff one last time, but he was too late—a fatal mistake against a seasoned warrior. Micheal’s sword plunged into Maliketh's chest amidst the chaos. The Aftermath Maliketh’s undead army fell silent; the lich’s very essence began to unravel. His form flickered like an extinguished flame, the fires of ambition snuffed by the righteous blade. “This isn't over…” he hissed as his form began to shatter into particles of dark energy, a promise that echoed in the silence left behind. Micheal stood amidst the wreckage of a field once vibrant and alive, thrusting his sword into the ground, the blade shimmering even in the aftermath of strife. As the sun broke through the clouds overhead, painting the world in hues of gold, he knew the battles would never truly cease, but today, victory belonged to the light. The flowers around him swayed gently as if bowing to their savior. Another shadow banished, another life reclaimed. --- Winner: Micheal Lightbringer Micheal's unwavering prowess and experience in combat, coupled with his superior rank, made him a relentless force. Though Maliketh wielded considerable dark magic, his reliance on summoned entities ultimately left him vulnerable. Micheal's ability to maintain focus and adapt in the face of counter-magic and chaos allowed him to exploit Maliketh's darkest moment, culminating in a decisive stroke that brought an end to the lich's malevolent ambitions.