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Doran pivoted swiftly, dodging Zareth’s claw swipe as the void energy from the attack carved massive trenches into the Land of Spade. A playful grin spread across his face. “Persistent, aren’t you?” His fists glowed with an even brighter cosmic light, pulsating with energy that could level mountains.
Zareth’s smirk remained as he lifted his hands, summoning another wave of the Void Legion. The spectral soldiers surged forward, a relentless tide of dark energy ready to overwhelm Doran.
Behind him, a sudden surge of darkness alerted Doran to Neraxis, whose Abyssal Chains shot toward him with malicious intent. “Wide open, you insect!” Neraxis roared, the chains closing in with deadly precision.
“Not today,” Doran said calmly, spinning on his heel. His Titanic Force Nexus flared to maximum power, enveloping him in golden light. With a massive roar, he unleashed Nexus Shockwave Convergence. The force of the punch connected squarely with Neraxis, and the resulting shockwave shattered the chains and sent the hulking figure flying backward. Neraxis collided with a boulder, the impact reverberating across the battlefield as his unconscious form slumped to the ground.
“Who’s the insect now?” Doran quipped, dusting his hands off as his cosmic aura burned brighter.
Zareth’s smirk faltered slightly, his usual composure showing cracks. “Enough playing around.” With an eerie calm, he raised both hands, summoning his Spiritbound Phalanx. Hundreds of spectral warriors materialized in perfect formation, their ethereal bodies shimmering with otherworldly energy. Their weapons gleamed with a deadly light, and their shield wall radiated an impenetrable aura as they marched forward with precise coordination.
“Now it’s my turn,” Zareth said, his voice cold and deliberate as he pointed his sword at Doran. The phalanx surged forward, their ethereal weapons slashing through the air with deadly precision.
Before the trio could react, the sky above tore open, revealing the arrival of Gravix, Chronael, Celestara, and Umbrelon—the four celestial behemoths summoned by Zareth earlier. Their descent was monumental, shaking the earth with their presence.
Gravix’s gravitational field distorted the battlefield, bending the light and pulling the ground itself upward as though the Land of Spade strained under his immense weight. Chronael manipulated time itself, freezing the phalanx’s movements momentarily and allowing Celestara to release a barrage of Starfire Bursts that incinerated dozens of the spectral warriors. Umbrelon reshaped the battlefield into chaotic void constructs, severing Vesper and Nyxara’s line of sight to Zareth.
“Finally,” Daichi muttered under his breath, his grip tightening on his staff. “Reinforcements.”
The celestial behemoths roared in unison, their combined power shaking the battlefield. Gravix released miniature black holes, drawing the spectral warriors into their crushing depths, while Celestara’s starfire beams cut through their ranks with surgical precision. Chronael moved with an otherworldly grace, repositioning the behemoths to counter incoming strikes before they could land. Umbrelon, absorbing the ambient void energy, unleashed chaotic waves of destruction that disrupted Zareth’s control over the battlefield.
But their advantage was fleeting.
Hovering above, Vesper’s abyssal energy pulsed with increasing intensity. His voice, low and venomous, carried across the battlefield. “Enough of this nonsense.” He activated his ultimate ability, Eclipse Armageddon.
The battlefield darkened as a massive vortex of shadow and void energy engulfed the behemoths. The air itself seemed to tear apart under the sheer force of the vortex. The celestial titans roared in defiance, but their strength was no match for the destructive maelstrom. When the vortex finally dissipated, the behemoths were gone, leaving behind only an ominous void.
Daichi’s expression tightened. “That’s... problematic.”
From above, Vesper descended like a dark angel of death. Before Doran could react, Vesper activated Spectral Rune Cage, inscribing glowing dark runes around him. The cage shimmered with an oppressive energy, trapping Doran in place. “You’re done,” Vesper sneered, his abyssal power tightening the cage with every word.
“Let me go, you coward!” Doran roared, his fists slamming against the cage’s walls, but his strength began to wane. The strain of maintaining his Titanic Force Nexus was taking its toll.
Nearby, Zeraxis Prime landed beside Daichi, his plasma cannons humming to life as they powered up. “It’s just us now,” Zeraxis said, his voice steady but laced with urgency.
Daichi’s gaze shifted to the four remaining members of The Eclipse Sovereignty. “We’ll have to be smart. Synchronize attacks. No wasted movements.”
“Understood.” Zeraxis’ systems flared brighter as he prepared for the next onslaught.
Nyxara struck first, her Black Sun Gaze scorching toward Zeraxis, while Selene unleashed a Lunar Devastation Beam at Daichi. The two heroes moved in perfect synchronization, Daichi’s Celestial Aegis absorbing Selene’s attack while Zeraxis deployed his Omega Force Shield to deflect Nyxara’s beam.
“Counterattack!” Daichi barked, slamming his staff into the ground.
Zeraxis propelled himself forward with Quantum Dash, his Adaptive Weapon Systems morphing into twin plasma blades. Closing the gap, he launched a flurry of strikes at Nyxara. She activated Umbral Reflection, sending the energy back at him. Anticipating the move, Zeraxis sidestepped the reflected attack and fired a Plasma Storm Barrage at her exposed flank.
Daichi engaged Selene in a fierce melee, his staff clashing with her Crescent Edge of Infinity. Sparks flew as their weapons collided. “Your endurance is impressive,” Daichi admitted, his movements fluid and precise. “But you’re predictable.”
Selene smirked. “Then let’s change the game.” She shifted into her New Moon phase, her attacks becoming faster and darker, forcing Daichi onto the defensive.
Zareth rejoined the fray, summoning another Eldritch Colossus. The monstrous void beast loomed over the battlefield, its distorted presence warping reality itself. Its massive hand swung at Zeraxis, who evaded with Hyper Accelerated Reflexes, landing on the colossus’ arm and unleashing a barrage of plasma explosives that crippled the beast.
“Regroup!” Daichi shouted, using his Strategic Convergence Field to synchronize their movements. The duo's combined energy surged as they prepared to counter The Eclipse Sovereignty’s relentless assault.
The ground quaked under the intensity of their clash, light and darkness vying for dominance as the battle raged on. Though the odds were stacked against them, Daichi and Zeraxis fought with an unyielding resolve, refusing to back down.
Malakar Umbros strode purposefully toward the Aetherstron chamber where Kaelus was imprisoned. Each step echoed ominously through the broken remains of Fort Vigilance, his dark aura seeping into the air. As he neared the chamber, a sharp voice cut through the oppressive silence.
“So, you’ve finally shown yourself.” Queen Nia Kasumi stood firm, her celestial light radiating like a beacon against the encroaching darkness.
Malakar turned his head slightly, a slow smile curling across his scarred face. “Lady Nia,” he began, his deep voice calm and measured. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Especially knowing your connection to ‘Him.’ But I assure you, I mean you no harm—at least, not yet. I’ve come only to retrieve my comrade.”
Nia’s eyes narrowed. “Retrieve? Just like how you’ve taken one of ours? How do you expect to walk into our sanctuary, take what you want, and not pay the price?”
Malakar chuckled softly, his laughter devoid of warmth. “Good point, but let’s not delude ourselves, Lady Nia. Life isn’t fair. Good things happen to bad people, and bad things happen to good people. What matters is how one responds to their fortune—or misfortune. And you, my dear Lady, have not handled yours well at all.”
Nia’s radiance flared. “And how, exactly, have I failed?”
Malakar took another step closer, the shadows bending around him as he spoke. “Your brother, Kaipo. During the Second Jewel War, he used thousands of soldiers, sent them to their deaths, and deceived them into fighting for his cause. Those men didn’t choose to die for the ‘greater good.’ He took their free will, just as I could take yours now. Yet you idolize him, forgive him, because his actions benefited you and your universes.”
Nia’s voice grew sharp, cutting through the dark aura Malakar exuded. “Kaipo sacrificed much, but it was for the greater good of all. Their sacrifice wasn’t in vain—they were brought back when he claimed the Pure Heart.”
Malakar’s smile turned cold. “Brought back? Do you think that absolves him? Those men didn’t choose to die, didn’t choose to be pawns in his divine game. He played God, and you allowed it because it suited your narrative. Tell me, Nia, if I kill Elara in the name of ‘the greater good,’ will you forgive me as you forgave him?”
Anger flared in Nia’s voice. “You don’t understand! We brought peace—fifty years of peace—until you and your kind destroyed it!”
Malakar sucked his teeth in irritation. “No, Lady Nia. You brought peace for yourselves. Your peace was another’s pain, and now you claim moral superiority? Peace, true peace, cannot exist without balance. That balance will come through Eclipse Xero, but that is for another time. For now, I will take Kaelus.”
Before Nia could respond, frost began to creep up her feet, encasing her in a prison of ice. Malakar placed his hand on the Aetherstron chamber, examining it with a curious gleam in his eye. “What an interesting material…”
His aura pulsed as he activated Anarchic Reversal. The world around him twisted, time and causality unraveling under his control. The Aetherstron chamber, once impervious, began to warp. Its molecular structure reversed, breaking down piece by piece until the door fell to the ground with a resounding crash.
Malakar took a step inside the dark chamber, but before he could proceed further, radiant chains of light materialized around his wrists and ankles. Queen Nia, free from the frost, stood tall, her power glowing fiercely. “You’ve gone too far!” she shouted. “Stand down at once, or face the consequences!”
Before Malakar could respond, a voice echoed from within the chamber, dripping with disdain. “Oh please, enough with the empty threats…”
Kaelus emerged from the shadows, a wicked grin spreading across his face. Nia’s eyes widened in shock. “Impossible… The Aetherstron chains should have held you, even if the chamber fell!”
Her gaze darted to Malakar, who remained eerily calm. Did he truly break the chains that quickly? she thought.
Reacting swiftly, Nia clapped her hands together and shouted, “Blinding Luminescence!” A burst of radiant energy filled the room, transcending physical sight and overwhelming the senses. Both Kaelus and Malakar were frozen, their forms immobilized by the searing light.
Malakar’s voice, calm yet taunting, broke the silence. “Impressive. If my pride allowed it, I’d admit I couldn’t react to that. But…” His aura began to swell, a menacing, multicolored energy radiating outward. “My pride doesn’t allow such things.”
With a chilling smirk, Malakar unleashed Chaos Cascade. The torrent of chaotic magic spiraled outward, warping everything it touched. The Aetherstron chamber disintegrated, its once-indestructible structure melting into unrecognizable fragments. The light chains binding Malakar and Kaelus shattered instantly, and the very air seemed to scream under the weight of the chaos.
Nia’s radiance dimmed as the cascade expanded uncontrollably, unraveling the entire base. The walls, floors, and intricate defenses of Fort Vigilance crumbled into dust, their molecular structure rewritten into nothingness. The millions of residents within the base were erased in an instant, their forms consumed by the chaos.
As the final remnants of the base disappeared, Malakar stood amidst the devastation, his expression unreadable. Kaelus stepped beside him, a sinister smile curling his lips. “You’ve outdone yourself, my Lord.”
Malakar didn’t respond, his gaze fixed on the horizon where the battle raged on. “It’s time to end this charade.”
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