Time rewound ten minutes ago.
As Artoria and Morgan fought respectively against Strout and Altrouge, the battle between the Human King and God King in the sky grew even fiercer.
*Swish!* *Swish!* *Swish!* *Swish—!*
Black Abyss and White Lily interwove in the air, creating sharp and elusive afterimages, a terrifying offensive like a sudden storm, forming an impenetrable web that enshrouded Nuada.
Nuada brandished Claiomh Solais in his hand, struggling to resist the countless spear shadows, with no opportunity for counterattack.
After switching his weapon from a sword to two spears, Arkhan's combat prowess had multiplied several times over. His spearmanship, honed to perfection, effortlessly countered Nuada, turning the tables.
"What's the connection between you and the Queen of the Land of Shadows?" Nuada suddenly asked in a deep voice.
"When you're dead, I'll tell you."
Arkhan responded nonchalantly. His spear technique became increasingly mysterious, often striking from inexplicable angles, forcing Nuada to be on high alert.
However, even with his efforts, his situation did not improve.
With his golden eyes gleaming, Nuada was keenly aware that the black-haired man before him had a connection with the Queen of the Land of Shadows.
The familiar spear technique was nearly identical to that woman named Scathach. She had already mastered her martial arts to the point where a single spear could achieve the feat of slaying gods. Even though the young man before him possessed only seven or eight-tenths of her skill, it was already a tough challenge.
Nuada was a God of War, not a God of Battle, nor a God of Combat. His expertise lay in commanding large-scale wars. In terms of personal martial arts, he had barely touched the threshold of mastery.
The man before him, however, was clearly firmly situated in that realm.
It was only natural.
Considering that the Queen of the Land of Shadows was known for passing on her knowledge and training someone worthy without reservation, much like she did with Ireland's Child of Light, Cu Chulainn.
So, it was not impossible for her to train another person.
If one couldn't reach such mastery in over a decade, according to Scathach's mouth, they should just 'commit suicide'.
Realizing the gap between himself and Arkhan, Nuada made a quick decision and charged forward.
*Swish!*
The sharp spear shadows pierced through, but Nuada did not attempt to defend. He kept his golden eyes fixed on Arkhan.
*Squelch!*
The black and white spears pierced through Nuada's shoulder and abdomen, but he ignored them and continued his advance.
As he arrived in front of Arkhan, Claiomh Solais suddenly radiated a brilliantly intense light, akin to a rising sun.
"HAAA—!!!"
With a fierce shout, Nuada swung his sword with all his might, and a mighty swing of light tore through the heavens and descended upon Arkhan.
Reflecting the bright radiance in his black eyes, Arkhan's expression remained very calm as he watched the descending swing of the sword.
A complex green Rune reflected in Arkhan's eyes, ancient and vast power filled the air, causing a sudden shift in the concept of space.
In an instant, Arkhan and Nuada's positions swapped.
The sword fell straight down, and the terrifying power spread far into the distance, cleaving off the mountaintop of a small hill.
Nuada quickly turned around and gazed at his opponent. Even though his carefully planned strike had ultimately failed, his expression remained unchanged.
"The Primordial Rune... to think you'd even possess this ancient magecraft. It seems your relationship with Scathach is even closer than I imagined. But what truly surprises me is despite being so young, you've achieved such mastery in spearmanship and Primordial Runes. Even in the Age of Gods, your talent is truly astonishing."
"Thanks for the praise." Arkhan smiled calmly.
Nuada glanced at his shoulder, where a wound from Arkhan's white spear had pierced him earlier. His vitality was steadily flowing out through that injury.
He then looked at his abdomen, which had been struck by the black spear moments ago. Sinister black smoke, akin to a festering sore, coiled around the wound, relentlessly corroding him with the terrifying power of death.
The levels of these two powers were extremely high, and even with his divine power, Nuada could only suppress them but not expel them.
Up until this moment, his attention had been fixed on Arkhan's spearmanship, but now Nuada realized that those two spears were anything but ordinary.
The coexistence of life and death within them reminded him of the Dagda, the great father of the Tuatha De Danann, who was said to possess a massive staff.
One end could destroy, while the other end had the power to resurrect.
If it weren't for the absence of the familiar aura of the Tuatha De Danann, he might have believed that these two spears were an incarnation of that staff.
Nevertheless, the power of these two spears was not to be underestimated. His combat skills were already inferior to Arkhan's, and with the addition of these two mysterious spears, continuing the fight as they had been doing would only lead to his eventual defeat.
Therefore, he had to end this battle swiftly.
Realizing this, Nuada's gaze gradually hardened.
*BOOM!*
Nuada's towering figure suddenly released an overwhelmingly intense aura.
Claiomh Solais shifted to his left hand, and his right arm, gleaming with silver light, emitted sharp, ethereal tendrils, mercilessly tearing the surrounding void apart.
Arkhan's eyes narrowed slightly as he noticed this change. "It seems like you're not planning to drag this out any longer."
"In terms of magical reserves, martial prowess, and the quality of weapons, I fall short of you." Nuada admitted candidly, acknowledging the disparity between him and Arkhan. "The opportunity I had earlier was the best I could find, and it ultimately didn't succeed. If we continue this battle, I'll undoubtedly be defeated. So, from now on, I will use my last and most powerful strength to fight you to the death."
"Such a decisive choice truly befits a God King like you." Arkhan chuckled. "In that case, I have no choice but to respond accordingly."
*BOOM!*
A terrifying surge of magical energy erupted from Arkhan, like a boiling sea, matching Nuada's imposing aura.
*HUMMM—!!!*
A continuous flow of magical energy infused into the two spears.
White Lily radiated a brilliant pure white light, growing even more radiant, while Black Abyss devoured all surrounding light, becoming even darker.
The silhouette of a black dragon coiled around Arkhan's body, its black and gold eyes locking onto Nuada.
At that moment, it was as if time and space had come to a standstill.