Chapter 55: The Hour That Escaped Fate (3)
[A/N: Since neither has inspection skills, both are God Emperor/Empress Tier 16. Any additional battle boosts and modifiers will be revealed and explained during combat. If you get confused, just let me know!]
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[Rupture Step (Origin)]
With a single thought, Sunya, the Goddess of the Eternal Hour, stepped into a rift that only she could see — a fracture in the flow of time that led directly to the source of the disruption she had felt.
The moment she emerged from the rift; she appeared directly in the path of Jovian’s next sword attack.
The air around her still shimmered with the residue of ruptured time, with faint golden cracks lingering for a heartbeat before sealing themselves.
Her long blond hair, tied into a neat, elegant braid that fell over one shoulder, swayed gently as she materialized.
She wore an elegant white blouse beneath a fitted green garment that flowed with subtle, intricate patterns, the fabric shifting softly as though woven from threads of time itself.
Her presence was calm, regal, and impossibly composed even in the middle of a battlefield on the brink of catastrophe.
For a split second, their eyes locked.
Jovian’s golden-ringed white eyes met Sunya’s green, timeless gaze.
In that frozen instant, something unspoken passed between them — recognition, curiosity, and the quiet acknowledgment of two beings who stood far above the chaos around them.
Sunya’s expression remained steady, but a faint flicker of surprise crossed her features as she realized exactly where she had stepped — directly into the arc of a sword swing that could sever the future itself.
Jovian’s lips curved into a wide, almost delighted smile.
A low, genuine laugh escaped him, carrying through the monochrome battlefield like distant thunder.
"Did you really think I would wait... or stop just because you showed up?" he asked, his voice light yet filled with unyielding confidence.
Without hesitation, he continued the swing.
SHHHKKKKKK!!!!!!
The Golden Black Sword carved forward with a force that made the monochrome battlefield tremble...
Its arc dragging a long, jagged line through the air as Severing Edge sought to erase the future of anything caught within it.
Sunya’s eyes narrowed, a quiet breath slipping past her lips as she felt the destructive intent bearing down on her.
’So, he’s... the source of the disruption...’ Her thoughts sharpened, the realization sinking in with icy clarity.
In the next moment, she tapped into one of her innate powers.
[Eternal Hour Command (Above Origin)]
HUMMMMMM!!!!
In an instant, it felt like the entire battlefield had fallen into an icy stillness.
But that wasn’t it—time hadn’t frozen... it had stretched.
Time unfurled like a vast, shimmering tapestry, expanding the next five seconds into an eternity so dense that every detail became painfully vivid.
Dust lingered in the air, drifting like stars frozen in place.
The shattered earth seemed to ripple lazily, each wave stretching through time.
And.... Jovian’s sword, once a flash of speed, now descended with the steady, unstoppable force of a mountain collapsing.
But this... obviously didn’t faze Sunya. She moved aside with easy, unhurried grace, her braid swaying lightly as she slipped out of the blade’s path.
With one single thought, she reached into her divine ring.
HUMMMM!!!!!
A golden bow appeared in her hand, its Primordial‑Ranked surface thrumming with a deep, resonant authority.
In that instant, her Battle Power—already overwhelming thanks to her God‑Ranked High Elven bloodline, which granted a direct +10 boost to her Tier 16 strength—surged even higher.
The bow’s power elevated her output all the way to Tier 30.
The intricate patterns etched along the artifact seemed to shift ever so slightly, as if recognizing and accepting her touch.
[Time Affinity]
[Space-Time Affinity]
[Nature]
HUMMMM!!!!
Sunya drew three arrows in a single fluid motion, each one forming from a convergence of her affinities woven together into radiant projectiles that pulsed with lethal intent.
Then... she released the first arrow.
THRUMMM!!!!!
BOOOOOOM!!!!!!!
It spiraled forward, smashing into the arc of Severing Edge.
The collision tore apart the fate‑cutting path, breaking the deadly line before it could finish its cut.
The second and third arrows came right on its heels.
WHOOOSH!!!!!
BOOOOM!!!
They slammed into Jovian’s chest with explosive force, tearing through the stretched moment and detonating against him with a shockwave that cracked the monochrome ground beneath him.
His body was flung backward, gouging a long trench through shattered structures before coming to a stop.
Then the drawn-out five seconds vanished.
SNAP!!
Time slammed back into place with a deep, resonant thrum that rippled across the battlefield like a wave of restored order.
The monochrome world regained its rhythm, though the fate threads above the Northwind Sect flickered weakly, trembling from the damage Jovian had inflicted.
Sunya lowered her bow, her gaze sweeping across the battlefield with calm precision.
She took in the fractured fate threads, the trembling futures, the collapsing formation, and the lingering distortions that threatened to unravel everything if left unchecked.
She raised her hand.
[Decree of The Eternal Hour — Celestial]
"By my authority as the Goddess of the Eternal Hour," she said, her voice steady and resonant, carrying through the battlefield with a clarity that seemed to settle the air itself.
"I command this disrupted moment to return to its rightful state."
HUMMMMMMM!!!!!!
Golden cracks opened across the sky, spreading outward in branching lines that reached toward every damaged thread and ruptured point.
The battlefield seemed to ripple and glow as the decree settled into place, undoing the chaos Jovian had unleashed.
Threads of fate gently shifted back into harmony, glowing softly as they intertwined once more.
Time’s fractures mended themselves with resonant, lingering chimes that seemed to echo through every moment.
The once‑crumbling futures of the Heavenly Frost Clan and the Northwind Sect steadied, their timelines weaving back together under her calm yet absolute command.
Across the battlefield, Jovian rose from the rubble, dust sliding from his shoulders as he straightened with a slow, deliberate motion.
His white‑gold eyes gleamed with layered amusement, and a wide, delighted smile curved across his lips.
"Hah... you’ve really got a good shot." he said, brushing debris from his sleeve as though he hadn’t just been launched across the battlefield.
"I have to admit though... having you here is something I never expected."
Despite his usual composure, inside he was honestly pretty stunned.
’Yo... where did this bitc—Ahem, I can’t believe this woman actually managed to block my damn attack...’ he thought, knowing full well his power was nothing to scoff at.
Even though they were technically the same rank, in situations like this, total battle power was what truly mattered.
Jovian possessed an Above Origin-ranked bloodline.
And though... He might look human... he was far from it.
He was an Apex Human, and the sword he always carried was a mystery even to him— it was something that had come with him during his transmigration.
This weapon, known as the Divine Cosmic Artifact: The Fate Breaker Sword, in its current state granted only +5 BP.
That small detail put Jovian’s total BP just one tier below Sunya’s... at Tier 29.
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Hearing Jovian’s words...
Sunya’s gaze remained steady, her expression composed, though a faint flicker of irritation crossed her eyes at his tone.
Jovian tilted his head, his smile widening.
"Oh, don’t look at me like that. You showed up in the middle of my performance. I couldn’t just stop."
Sunya gave no reply, choosing instead to raise her bow once more.
Her movements were steady and unhurried, her stance relaxed yet purposeful, and her gaze locked ahead with a quiet, unshakable focus that spoke louder than words ever could.
Jovian’s smiled only sharpened seeing her demeanor.
In that moment, the battlefield felt too small to contain them.
Two beings with raw power beyond the Universal Peak standing across from each other, each recognizing the other as the only obstacle worthy of their attention.
The air between them grew taut, not with hostility, but with an undeniable spark of something deeper.
Then almost in unison, they moved.
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