"I can and I will," Azzy insisted, his voice gaining strength. "Because no matter how much power you''ve absorbed, no matter how much you''ve changed, you''re still Claire. And I will save you."

    The pillars around her continued to pulse, each one drawing closer to her body, merging with her in a brilliant display of divine energy. The room hummed with power, and Azzy could feel the world shifting as her transformation accelerated.

    The Reaper''s voice rang in his mind again, louder this time, more forceful. "She is lost, Azrael. There''s no saving her. You must make the choice. Kill her now, or let the world burn."

    Azzy tightened the grip on his sword and pushed forward.

    As Claire started absorbing the second pillar, the divine energy surged, filling the room with a radiant glow. She turned her eyes toward him, cold and empty, and then, with a flick of her wrist, the remaining thirty-four pillars hovered around her like sentinels ready to protect and also to strike.

    Azzy''s eyes narrowed as he saw the pillars of heaven revolve around Claire. There, he spotted tiny gaps between each.

    With a simple thought in his head, Azzy shifted, his form shrinking until he was the size of a mosquito. His wings beat with incredible speed, buzzing through the air like a blur. The pillars of heaven shot forward, each one aiming to crush him, but Azzy was too fast and too tiny to be caught. With each movement, he dodged with ease, entering their defenses and reaching Claire in no time.

    "Sealing Technique: Decarune."

    Claire''s eyes barely registered his movement before Azzy''s hand shot out, unleashing the Decarune seal onto her. The ten runic symbols in the form of zodiacs entered her body and sealed her soul orb. All of a sudden, she turned into a mortal, her eyes widening in surprise. "This... I"

    Before she was even able to react properly or the pillars of heaven aimed inwardly where Azzy was, the latter acted swiftly, materializing into his normal size and striking her neck with precision. His touch was light but forceful, a simple chop that rendered her unconscious on the spot.

    The pillars faltered, their energy swirling aimlessly as Claire''s body collapsed, lifeless for the moment. Azzy caught her as she fell, his heart racing, but his mind focused on what he had to do next. "Now, I need to take her away."

    "What are you doing, Azrael? I told you to kill her. You haven''t stopped the fusion yet." The Reaper roared inside his head.

    Azzy didn''t respond to the Reaper''s call at all and raised the sword of radiance. "Get us out of here, now." He ordered the weapon.

    The sword of radiance obliged his command, glowing faintly in the dim light as it cut through the very fabric of space, transporting them from the chaos of Silver City to the serene landscape of Planet Irth.

    As soon as they disappeared, Adam was seen storming into the throne room in a hurry. He saw that the room was empty. The pillars of heaven were lying on the floor, immobile. At the same time, there was a tear in the space that seemed to be repairing itself. Adam wanted to go through the spatial tear, but before he took the action, it closed up. "The sword of radiance is being used. Which Olympian god dared to intrude and abduct Claire?" He clenched his fists, his face reddening in anger.

    Meanwhile, back on Irth;

    The moment they landed, Azzy''s breath caught. Standing calmly before him was Uriel, his expression unreadable as ever. "You did it."

    Azzy nodded. "Yes."

    Uriel''s eyes locked onto Azzy''s as he spoke, his voice devoid of emotion. "Thank you for your assistance, Azrael," he said, his words flat, almost as though he were stating a fact. "Now, if you could hand her over, you can leave."

    Azzy''s grip on Claire tightened, a frown pulling at his face. His heart skipped a beat, confusion and dread swirling in his chest. "What are you talking about?" he demanded, his voice tinged with suspicion. "You want me to hand her over?"

    Uriel blinked once, his gaze unwavering. "Claire is already beyond the scope of saving," he replied with a matter-of-fact tone. "You may have interrupted her transformation for now, but the truth is, she''s already too far gone the moment she started absorbing the pillars of heaven. The pillars of heaven were nothing but the extension of the leftover will of the Supreme Angel. Only Archangels and special existences like Claire can control them. And the moment she absorbed one of them, her fate was sealed."

    Azzy''s mind spun as the pieces of the puzzle started to form, reminding the Reaper''s warning all along. "So you knew this was going to happen," he murmured, his grip on Claire instinctively tightening. His heart was still in turmoil over everything that had happened, but he couldn''t allow himself to be manipulated. Not now.

    Uriel gave a small nod. "Yes, I knew. But Adam''s protection would have kept her from being taken. The only way to forcefully extract her from the gods'' palace was by using the sword of radiance. And luckily, you possessed one. Now that the confusion is cleared up, hand her over."

    Azzy felt the air grow thick with tension, every fiber of his being screaming to protect her. "What''s your true objective, Uriel?" He asked.

    For a moment, Uriel said nothing. The stillness hung between them like a suffocating weight. And then, Uriel spoke again, his voice colder than ever. "My objective? To fulfill my duty. The Supreme Angel must never be reborn. I can''t let her continue this path. And you—" Uriel''s gaze turned toward Azzy, his eyes narrowing slightly, "you''re too emotional to see it."

    Azzy''s pulse quickened as a wave of anger surged through him. His heart ached for Claire, and he couldn''t—wouldn''t—stand idly by while someone sought to use her life for some grander, twisted purpose.

    "You think she''s just a tool? A means to an end?" Azzy''s voice trembled with a mix of anger and disbelief. "She''s a person. She deserves more than to be discarded like that."