Chapter 689: Round 3! Fight! II [Valentine’s Bonus]
Arthur’s sword drove into Duskhand’s dominant arm, cutting through muscle and bursting out the other side. In the same instant, Duskhand’s spear sank deep into Arthur’s sword arm, the tip tearing through flesh and embedding itself in bone.
Without hesitation, both of them detonated the energy contained in their weapons.
**BOOM!! SPLAT!!!
The explosive force of their simultaneous attacks tore through their flesh, sending crimson and silver blood splattering into the air. Their muscles ruptured as the shockwave reverberated through their bodies, and both staggered back, pain radiating through them.
Ignoring the spear lodged in his arm, Arthur clenched his left fist and activated his Pseudo-Authority of Gravity. Immediately, an invisible force pressed down on Duskhand from all directions, like a giant hand trying to crush him in its grip.
Roaring in response, Duskhand activated his Pseudo-Authority of Lightning, shattering the invisible grip of gravity with a burst of lightning and enormous magic power that blew them both away.
Arthur grabbed the spear embedded in his arm and wrenched it free, tossing it aside. Duskhand did the same, yanking Celestia from his arm and throwing the sword away.
The two of them launched into the air, kicking off the ground, their left arms infused with gravity and lightning laws as they threw their fists forward.
’Weighted Impact!’
’Lightning Blitz!’
Their fists collided with each other’s faces at the same time, the shockwaves from the impacts cracking the earth beneath them as they were knocked back once more.
In that instant, time law energy flowed through Arthur’s arm, and the blood pouring from his wound began to flow backwards in reverse.
At the same time, Duskhand activated his Radiant Surge technique, channelling light law energy to heal the wound caused by Celestia. To Arthur’s surprise, the light energy was able to force out his destructive energy and heal the damage.
’Either he’s gained a Pseudo-Authority of Light, or something’s enhancing his healing efficiency.’
The thought crossed Arthur’s mind, though he was unaware that it was the latter.
He didn’t waste any time contemplating it, however, as he charged toward Duskhand and launched another Weighted Impact punch to collide with Duskhand’s Lightning Blitz once again.
"So we’re throwing hand’s now, huh?!"
The two engaged in a rapid exchange of strikes, their fists colliding with explosive force, each blocking and parrying the other’s attacks with skill.
Suddenly, Arthur’s movements accelerated, his speed increasing to a nearly impossible level, while Duskhand found his motions slowing.
He tried to fight back with his law energy, but the gap in comprehension level between Arthur’s time and his light and lightning was too vast. Duskhand found his body struggling to keep pace and in that moment of struggle, the power of gravity wrapped around him like a vice grip.
Arthur unleashed a flurry of punches, landing seven strikes in an instant, each one landing with enough force to crack Duskhand’s bones.
The final punch came as Arthur’s right hand shot upward, delivering a devastating uppercut that sent Duskhand reeling. Using gravity to propel his body in the opposite direction, Arthur spun and sent his left fist crashing down into Duskhand’s face, driving him into the ground with overwhelming force.
"Celestia!"
The sword didn’t need him to call out to start moving. His will was enough for the blade to manifest in his open palm and he raised it high, activating his Destruction Pseudo-Authority and infusing the law energy within the blade.
Split Series: Third Split.
’Continental Split!’
The colossal wave of energy sliced through the air, descending to the ground with unrestrained force.
In the split second before the strike reached the ground, Duskhand forcefully rolled his body to the side, springing to one knee just as his spear hurtled back toward him.
As soon as the weapon entered his grip, he activated his Unique Skill and swung it high to meet Arthur’s slash.
***CRACK!!! KABOOOOOM!!!!!
The clash of their powers unleashed a shockwave that shattered the surrounding space like glass, blinding light tearing across the horizon.
The shockwave rippled outward, reverberating through the air and shaking the foundation of the land beneath them. The ground cracked open, the blast carving a hole over a million kilometres in diameter.
The explosion gouged deep into the crust of Aramis, severing tectonic plates and fracturing the continent-wide layers of earth. Gigantic rifts spread across the land like veins of destruction, the fractured ground buckling and crumbling.
With the crust weakened, magma surged upward, pouring out from the ruptured plates, igniting wildfires and cascading streams of molten rock that flowed freely across the broken land.
From above the space where clouds once lingered, the continent of Gledea now had a massive hole near its north-western edge, quickly filling with magma. Cracks spiderwebbed out from the wound, tearing deep into the land towards the heart of the continent, with some even carving a direct line from the west to the east.
In an instant, a portion of the continent had been violently split apart.
As for the ones responsible, they had long since left the area, already speeding across the Umhiz Ocean, slicing through the waves as they clashed all the way toward the continent of Zefesh.
Arthur’s sword arced through the air like a comet of crimson silver, while Duskhand’s spear whirled in response, its golden lightning crackling violently as it deflected Arthur’s slashes and retaliated with sharp thrusts.
They clashed like storms in the sky, seamlessly weaving punches and kicks into their weapon strikes as they battled.
A slash aimed at Duskhand’s neck was parried with the shaft of the spear, the deflection opening a window for Arthur to throw a gravity-empowered left hook. The punch connected, sending Duskhand hurtling back, but he righted himself almost instantly, spinning his spear in an arc to unleash a blast of lightning.
Arthur batted the lightning away with his sword, the force of the clash sending a shockwave downward that parted the ocean in a massive circle, exposing deep sea creatures for a moment before the water surged back.
Duskhand charged through the waves, his spear leading the charge, but Arthur ducked beneath the thrust and retaliated with a sweeping kick aimed at Duskhand’s legs.
The Divine Human immediately pulled up his legs to avoid the kick, then twisted his body backwards, planting a foot against Arthur’s shoulder and pushing off, creating distance.
Lightning surged around him as he hurled his spear, but Arthur countered with a swing of Celestia, the blade intercepting the projectile in a burst of sparks.
Before the spear could fully recoil, Arthur closed the gap, throwing a series of punches that Duskhand blocked with his lightning-coated forearms. Channelling immense lightning energy, Duskhand shaped it into a bolt he gripped like a spear, using it to counter Arthur’s flurry of attacks.
Cuts began to streak across their bodies, but neither paid them any mind, focusing entirely on the clash of fists, blade, and spear. Their collisions sent shockwaves rippling through the air, carving deep troughs into the ocean’s surface below.
Arthur feinted a horizontal slash from the right, but at the last moment, he used gravity to pivot his body in the opposite direction, delivering a high kick from the left that struck Duskhand square in the ribs.
The impact forced him to stagger, but he roared back with a downward thrust of his spear. Arthur narrowly avoided the strike, twisting his body in mid-air, his sword clashing with the weapon in a dazzling display of sparks.
While Arthur’s right hand held Celestia against Duskhand’s spear, his left hand launched a powerful punch toward Duskhand’s torso, but the man twisted mid-air, letting the blow glance past him as he retaliated with a spinning kick.
Arthur raised his forearm to block the strike, absorbing the impact before countering with a knee that forced Duskhand to ascend rapidly to evade the follow-up attack.
The boy’s eyes snapped upwards and his hand blurred as he swung Celestia at a speed that Duskhand barely perceived. In an instant, a dozen Extinction Slashes arced through the air, each silver line tearing towards Duskhand like a barrage of meteors.
Elementalizing his body, Duskhand arced through the space between the slashes, avoiding them as they went on to carve out portions of the planet’s atmosphere. Golden lightning streaked across the sky as he blitzed in an erratic, zigzagging path, his movements unpredictable.
Before Arthur could fully analyse the chaotic lightning trails to pinpoint the real Duskhand, the man’s body reformed in a flash directly behind him.
’Thunderous Thrust + Divine Smite!’
Just as Duskhand’s attack was about to connect with Arthur’s back, the world drained of colour, the vibrant hues fading into grayscale.
Time stopped.
Unaffected by the temporal stillness, Arthur spun on his heel and launched a high kick that connected with Duskhand’s head.
The gravity-enhanced impact shattered the stillness like glass, sending Duskhand hurtling downward. He crashed into the ocean below, the surface erupting into a column of frothing water.
Hovering mid-air, Arthur cupped his palms, condensing gravitational energy into a dense, swirling orb. He hurled it toward Duskhand, the projectile warping the space around it.
The gravity sphere slammed into the water, pulling both Duskhand and the ocean itself into a spiralling maelstrom. A towering whirlpool formed, with Duskhand trapped at its centre, the immense pressure crushing and drowning him simultaneously.
Clenching his fist, Arthur gave a command through his Gravity Pseudo-Authority.
|¬Detonate. ¬|
The orb exploded in a violent burst of gravitational energy, distorting space itself. The shockwave obliterated the maelstrom, leaving the ocean churning chaotically.
But from the centre of the distortion, a golden streak of lightning pierced the chaos, heading straight for Arthur’s head like a vengeful arrow.
|¬Chronosphere. ¬|
A shimmering blue bubble of time energy enveloped the lightning spear, halting its motion in mid-air. The frozen projectile hovered harmlessly before Arthur, caught in the flow of suspended time.
Arthur cupped his hands again, temporal energy swirling into a concentrated beam which he unleashed toward the point where the spear had originated. The beam struck true, triggering a massive explosion of temporal energy, resulting in a shockwave that sent colossal tsunamis surging outward.
The waves crashed down with immense force, swallowing the frozen spear and forcing it deep beneath the ocean’s surface.
The roaring tsunamis churned and raged for a time, their immense power carving deep furrows into the ocean’s surface.
Hovering above, Arthur narrowed his eyes and scanned the gradually diminishing waves, searching for Duskhand’s presence where it was supposed to be.
But there was nothing—no energy signature, no movement, not even a trace of the lightning divinity.
’Where?’
Expanding his perception outward, he combed the surrounding space around him. Then, his eyes snapped upwards.
’Above!’
A blinding beam of concentrated sunlight tore through the sky, descending with terrifying speed. It burned with the intensity of a miniature sun, laced with golden lightning law energy and suffused with staggering magical power.
The beam’s heat warped the air, and the sheer weight of its energy pressed down like a tidal wave.
Reacting instantly, Arthur thrust his hands upward, materializing a gravity barrier that bent the descending light and redirected its path.
But as he focused on the beam, Duskhand appeared beside him in a crackling flash, his outstretched hand summoning his spear.
The weapon shot from the ocean’s depths into his grasp, and with a fierce swing, he brought it down toward Arthur’s exposed back.
But just before the spear could strike, the gravity barrier Arthur had conjured distorted space and transformed into a wormhole, swallowing the beam of sunlight entirely.
Simultaneously, a second wormhole opened—directly in front of Duskhand, from the same direction he had attacked. The beam of light erupted out, slamming into Duskhand with all its might.
The collision detonated in a flash of brilliance, golden energy exploding outward as Duskhand was hurled backwards.
’Fuck, wormholes really aren’t my thing.’
