Chapter 471: Reaching For The Heavens
A colossal crimson phoenix unfurled her wings. Flames burning hotter than a star surged as if possessing a mind of their own, coiling around the Guardian.
Despite fire being one of two elements it was born from, the illusion experienced the sensation of being burned for the first time. Nicole’s domain proved unrelenting.
Simultaneously, darkness rivaling the cosmos in its depth streamed toward the creature’s side.
Unbreakable chains snapped shut around its enormous body, hands of despair eagerly taking hold and pulling downward in demand of submission.
The Guardian felt its strength being sapped away, stolen against its will, and replaced with Persephone’s authority that required the surrender of body, mind, and soul.
Francesca was no less lethal. Blinding light took its place between the darkness and crimson color amidst the sky, cutting off any escape route.
Conjuring elemental arrows, she drove them deep into the creature’s frame, managing to pierce what was once thought to be unbreakable.
The Guardian felt pain overwhelming its senses, letting out a howl that sounded more like a cry for help than a monstrous roar.
Withstanding one Authority Manifestation was doable, two was troublesome yet manageable... However, when faced with three, its sole focus became remaining whole.
Assaulted and pulled in three different directions, the illusion used everything in its arsenal just to stay intact, putting the Supreme Lords and the Guardian at a standstill.
Eliza and Elina, being Absolute Lords, did not possess authority of their own, ruling them out from offering aid, since even approaching the concentration of power would spell their demise.
Michael was not bound by such limitations.
Already possessing an Authority Manifestation, thanks to his Indomitable System, he initiated Endless Adaptation.
At its very core, Authority Manifestation was a mirror to a cultivating soul, their beliefs, accomplishments, and characteristics.
It was no wonder that when he wasn’t influenced by external factors, Michael’s authority became a representation of humanity’s strongest trait that had allowed them to survive for so long even when faced with never-ending alien invaders.
Adaptation to foreign phenomena.
Essentially, for as long as his authority stood unchallenged, Michael was effectively immortal.
In desperation, the Guardian rushed upward to escape the clutches of the three Supreme Lords.
Cracks trailed down its body. Sacrificing a portion of its form, the creature severed a large chunk of its end, freeing itself momentarily.
Striving to eliminate Michael, its frontal limbs slashed like thunder.
One severed his neck. Another left a dent in Angel’s form, unable to reach his heart within.
Nevertheless, the lethal strike vanished in a flash, blood vessels and spine reconnecting with surgical precision.
"!!!"
Just then, the Guardian realized it was facing four, not three, Authority Manifestations at the same time.
Rather than spewing outward, Michael had used the experience of his past life to redirect the area of effect over his own body, making his domain easily moveable.
ROOOOAR!
The creature sought another chance to escape... but it was already too late.
Carried by the momentum of Lightning Surge, Michael applied maximum pressure.
Gripping Devil with two hands, he carved a long, continuous line over the Guardian’s already fractured body.
Without the assistance of the others, such a maneuver wouldn’t have been possible.
Thanks to their teamwork, the core of the Guardian now stood exposed, shivering with unparalleled power granted by the Iskra Titan.
Following the laws that all illusions were subjected to, the core shuddered, attempting to recover its structural stability by mending all damage.
HOWL!
But before that could happen, Ember took advantage of the short moment of opportunity and charged. Her enormous jaws parted open, snatching the core in its weakened state.
The orb, too depleted to retaliate, dimmed in color, losing all resemblance of consciousness.
With the key obtained, the Guardian was no more.
The Lords didn’t linger. Once they were confident the enemy was dead, they all dispersed their authority.
Panting, they attempted to breathe in the nonexistent oxygen, their lungs burning. Relying on Authority Manifestations was a risky maneuver that always left Lords on the verge of collapse, Michael being no exception.
Their overwhelming exhaustion caused their spiritual control to waver, temporarily losing the ability to fly and toppling to the ground.
Even if the fall wasn’t going to be fatal, Ember still soared through the skies to catch them.
The fox landed on another pillar since it offered a better vantage point than the ground, minimizing the chances of an ambush.
"That was nerve-wracking!" Elina felt her knees shaking. "Let’s never repeat this again!"
Eliza crossed her arms and nodded somberly.
"On the contrary, this was exhilarating!" Persephone beamed like a dazzling flower. "Let’s go again!"
"Combining Authority Manifestations was certainly a new experience..." Francesca adjusted her monocle. "Still, we would do well to refrain from repeating such encounters."
Glancing around, the Lords spotted more columns than they could count. According to Ember, each pillar belonged to an individual Guardian. Just the sheer thought of fighting against more than one of these creatures sent shivers down their spines.
"That makes me wonder if our goal was naive from the start..." Elina’s eyes darkened. "If we barely managed to defeat one of the Titan’s subjects, what chance would we have against the real deal?"
Sensing that morale would fall if she didn’t intervene, Nicole didn’t hesitate to speak.
"Governing such vast territory with so many underlings must have weakened the Titan severely. Not to mention that we have yet to reunite with everybody."
Aware of how rare such opportunities were, Nicole wasn’t willing to go back empty-handed. She would either slay the Titan and ascend to the Queen realm... or perish trying.
She wasn’t the only one with such thoughts. The other Lords had shared her sentiment before departing for the star.
Michael glanced at Ember and the Guardian core she carried.
"Do we have everything we need?"
The fox nodded.
"Yes, this core is proof enough that will allow us to enter."
Michael frowned. "Enter... what, exactly?"
Ember shifted her gaze at the colossal ray emitted from the center of the Light Kingdom.
"It would be better to show you."
Since the inner ring was tremendous, it was decided that after recovering their strength, it would be wiser to head to the only visible landmark in the whole kingdom since the rest of the Lords would have had the same idea.
With Ember back in her motorcycle form and Michael riding at the front, they ventured deeper.
Soon enough, it became clear what the fox had meant earlier.
Once they got close enough, they realized that inside the blinding ray, a structure rose upward as if reaching for the heavens.
"A tower?" Michael murmured in astonishment.
