Chereads / Awakening in The World of Gods / Chapter 40 - [The Arcane Showdown]

Chapter 40 - [The Arcane Showdown]

The heavens above roared with fury as the clash of titans reverberated through the battlefield. Below, chaos churned like an unrelenting storm, warriors locked in a dance of life and death. Every strike, every spell, every shout seemed to shake the ground itself.

The kingdom's fate teetered on the edge of destruction. And yet, for all the chaos, the fiercest battle raged at its very heart.

Seraphina stood at the forefront, her violet cloak billowing like a storm-touched banner. Her movements were a symphony of precision and grace, her dark eyes blazing with unyielding resolve. The towering male assistant loomed before her, his muscles bulging grotesquely as dark energy coursed through his veins.

He sneered, his aura swelling with every pulse of Tiara's oppressive magic. "You've got some nerve, mortal," he taunted, his voice a twisted melody of arrogance and malice. "Speed and tricks won't save you. You're just prolonging the inevitable."

Seraphina's lips curled into a faint smirk, a flicker of icy confidence crossing her features. "Underestimating your opponent is the first step to defeat. And you've taken that step far too boldly."

Without warning, she surged forward, her staff glowing with the emerald light of a high-level wind spell. A cyclone of slicing winds erupted around the assistant, trapping him in a whirling prison of razor-sharp gusts.

Eryndor was already moving, his massive frame a blur of power. His greatsword, now wreathed in a blaze of enchanted flames, roared to life as he lunged. The impact of his strike sent shockwaves across the battlefield, forcing even seasoned fighters to steady themselves.

The assistant stumbled back, a deep gash across his torso. Dark blood seeped from the wound, but it evaporated almost as quickly as it appeared. He laughed, his voice a guttural echo of mockery. "You think a little fire and wind are enough to stop me? I've faced worse in my sleep!"

Before he could fully recover, Liana darted in like a shadow given life. Her twin daggers gleamed with a soft, ominous light, flickering in and out of existence as if dancing between dimensions. She struck with a precision that defied logic, her blades appearing at the assistant's blind spots before vanishing and reappearing again.

The assistant growled, swiping at her, but Liana slipped away effortlessly, her movements like a ghost weaving through chaos.

Eryndor's grip tightened around his blade. His voice, a low rumble of determination, carried over the cacophony of the battle. "Haa… Come on, Eryndor," he muttered to himself. "Prove why you're the Captain of the City's Military. Time to remind him."

He raised his sword high, his eyes burning with intent. "Awaken, Agroth, the Flame Serpent!"

A fiery serpent burst forth from his blade, its coiling form writhing as it wrapped around the weapon. The flames roared to life, an unholy beacon in the darkened sky. With a mighty swing, Eryndor unleashed a searing arc of fire.

The assistant barely had time to react. The flaming strike tore through his defenses, slicing cleanly through his arm. The severed limb fell to the ground with a sickening thud, only for the assistant's scream to be drowned out by the crackling roar of the flames.

Eryndor's voice boomed across the battlefield, his stance exuding raw dominance. "This is what a Captain can do."

The fight surged into a frenzy. Seraphina's wind magic flowed seamlessly into Liana's precision strikes, which were followed by Eryndor's devastating assaults. They moved with a rhythm that seemed almost rehearsed, their attacks harmonizing in a deadly choreography.

Spells lit up the battlefield like fireworks, each incantation weaving a tapestry of destruction and precision. Blades clashed with unrelenting speed, their impacts creating shockwaves that rattled the very air.

Above it all, Elowen stood back, her glowing twin blades at her sides, watching the carnage unfold. Her golden eyes widened in awe as she whispered to herself, "So this… this is what they call a true battle of warriors."

A sudden roar from the assistant snapped her out of her reverie. His severed arm had begun to regenerate, dark veins pulsating as flesh reknit itself at an alarming speed. His grin returned, more menacing than before.

"You think this is over?" he snarled, dark energy erupting from his body. "I'll show you power you can't even comprehend!"

Seraphina's gaze sharpened, and her voice rang out like a command. "Eryndor! Liana! Pull back—now!"

The assistant's aura swelled, a storm of darkness that sent tremors through the ground.

Not far from the whirlwind of Seraphina and Eryndor's battle, Queen Celestia's Nightread squad faced the second assistant—a figure cloaked in shadows and brimming with an aura of chaotic power. The air was alive with a symphony of clashing steel and rippling magic, every strike carving chaos into the battlefield.

Celestia stood at the forefront, her expression calm yet unyielding, her emerald eyes scanning for an opening. With a flick of her wrist, she sent a throwing knife hurtling toward the assistant. The blade sang through the air but was deflected with a flick of the assistant's hand.

Unfazed, Celestia's hand dove into a small pouch at her side. She pulled out a glowing threat scroll and chanted under her breath, the parchment wrapping itself around the assistant like a constricting serpent. Her form blurred as she darted from one side of the battlefield to the other, her movements a blur of precision and strategy.

She raised her hand, forming a quick series of intricate signals that her squadmates instantly understood.

The fiery-eyed archer on her left whispered an incantation, her bow igniting with an intense flame. She took aim, her voice low but laced with determination. "Burn to ash," she murmured as a flaming arrow streaked through the battlefield, aimed directly at the assistant.

The arrow struck its target, but the assistant barely flinched. She laughed, her voice rising with the weight of malice as her aura darkened and swelled. "Pathetic. Do you really think such childish attacks will even tickle me?"

Celestia frowned but didn't falter. "She's stronger than before. Fine, no more half-measures." She raised her voice, her tone sharp and commanding. "Everyone, you have permission to use Azithral-class attacks. Prepare for third synchronization!"

The squad didn't hesitate. Celestia took a step back, her aura beginning to glow with a radiant intensity as she activated a series of enhancements. Her speed surged, her movements faster than the eye could follow, and her strength radiated like a tangible force.

With a burst of power, Celestia launched herself toward the assistant, her figure becoming a streak of blinding light. Two of her squadmates followed suit, their forms moving in synchronized flashes behind her.

The assistant's eyes widened in surprise. "Ooh, something's coming," she muttered, raising her guard.

Celestia smirked. Her attack wasn't straightforward—it was calculated. With practiced precision, she moved in an arc, weaving an intricate pattern as her twin blades materialized in her hands. She aimed directly for the assistant's eyes, her movements almost impossible to predict.

But the assistant's reflexes were just as sharp. She caught Celestia's wrists mid-strike, her grip like iron. "You're too weak," she sneered, her voice dripping with disdain.

"Am I?" Celestia shot back, her voice calm but filled with an edge of triumph.

Before the assistant could respond, the two squadmates who had vanished earlier reappeared, their weapons glowing with lethal intent. They drove their blades into the assistant's sides, piercing through her defenses.

The assistant gasped, her expression flickering with shock. "What the—?"

"Get back!" Celestia shouted, leaping away as her squadmates retreated in unison.

The assistant's laughter returned, though strained. "You really think this pitiful attack will kill me?" She flexed her aura, forcing the blades out of her body as her wounds began to heal.

Celestia's lips curled into a knowing smile. "Kill you? Of course not. That was just the distraction."

The assistant's eyes narrowed in suspicion, but before she could react, a voice drifted from above—a lazy yet focused tone.

"Okay, okay. You're the strongest, you're invincible, you're amazing. Whatever you need to hear to keep standing still. Just give me a second…"

Perched high in a tree, the third squadmate, a mage with a playful glint in her eye, muttered to herself as she drew in the surrounding energy. Particles of light began to swirl around her, condensing into a massive, glowing arrow atop her enchanted bow. The sheer force of the energy caused the air around her to ripple and hum.

"Arcane-class magic: Sharvya, Arrow of the God," she whispered, her tone now deadly serious.

The arrow launched skyward, a blinding streak of light that seemed to tear through the very fabric of the heavens. It soared high, gathering power from the surrounding elements as it arced back down toward the battlefield. The assistant looked up, her confident sneer finally faltering.

A massive explosion erupted as the arrow struck, its impact consuming the assistant in a cataclysmic burst of light and fire. The ground trembled beneath the force, and a deafening BOOM echoed across the battlefield.

When the dust settled, the assistant staggered forward, her form battered and smoking, but still standing. "You… you little gnats!" she snarled, her aura flickering wildly.

Celestia stepped forward, her presence commanding as she raised her blade. "You're right about one thing," she said, her voice cutting through the silence. "This isn't over. But you won't leave this battlefield unscathed."

The squad regrouped, their resolve stronger than ever. The fight was far from finished, but the tide was turning, and Celestia's team was ready to press the advantage.