The collision of their attacks produced no explosion; instead, space itself folded inward and the clouds vanished. A perfect sphere of emptiness expanded for several kilometers before the world violently corrected itself.
Only then did the thunder arrive. The delayed shockwave struck the battlefield with such force that thousands of soldiers lost their footing. Even the enormous defensive barriers protecting the city rippled like disturbed water.
"So fast..." Atheline whispered.
His eyes struggled to follow. Every instinct born from years of combat told him to observe every movement, every opening, every technique.
It was impossible. The battle existed beyond his understanding. He could only witness fragments, moments, and flashes of impossible power.
The Supreme Sovereign fought with astonishing elegance. Every gesture seemed perfectly calculated. A simple wave of one hand summoned dozens of different elemental currents simultaneously.
Flames spiraled together with oceans. Mountains rose from empty air before shattering into countless blades. Lightning danced through hurricanes while rivers froze into crystalline spears. Every known element obeyed effortlessly. Even stranger... Several attacks couldn’t be identified at all.
Space bent, time appeared to hesitate, and entire sections of the battlefield seemed to slow before suddenly returning to normal.
Atheline stared in disbelief.
"So that’s why..."
He remembered Lyria’s words. The Supreme Sovereign understood every form of magic. Watching it firsthand made those ancient stories feel like an understatement.
The Sovereign of Death answered with powers that made the air itself feel cold. Dark mist spread across the heavens. Everywhere it touched, life withered. Birds flying too close simply fell from the sky. Clouds blackened, and even sunlight dimmed.
Every attack carried overwhelming pressure that seemed determined to erase existence itself. Yet, the Supreme Sovereign met every technique head-on.
A barrier of pure golden light dispersed waves of corruption. Blades forged from compressed space sliced apart rivers of darkness.
When the Sovereign of Death summoned towering skeletal giants from the battlefield below, they lasted only moments before being reduced to ash beneath torrents of celestial fire.
Atheline slowly realized something. The Sovereign of Death... was being pushed back.
High above, the battle steadily shifted. Each exchange forced the dark figure farther away from the city. The allied armies noticed as well. A roar of hope spread across the battlefield.
"They’re winning! The Supreme Sovereign is driving him back! Hold the line!"
Morale surged. Even exhausted soldiers found renewed strength. For the first time since arriving in this impossible era, Atheline believed the ancient legends. The strongest being in history truly deserved the title.
Beside the Supreme Sovereign fought another figure cloaked entirely in living shadow. Darkness flowed around them like a cloak woven from the night sky itself.
Unlike the Sovereign of Death’s oppressive void, this darkness felt calm and protective. Every movement shielded allied forces while simultaneously cutting apart Corrupted creatures by the thousands.
At one point, the Sovereign of Death unleashed a storm of black spears toward the armies below. Before they could strike, a vast curtain of shadow rose from nothing. The spears disappeared into it without leaving so much as a ripple.
The soldiers beneath never even realized they had been saved.
Atheline narrowed his eyes. Neither Sovereign’s face could be seen. The radiance surrounding the Supreme Sovereign distorted light itself. Every attempt to focus upon the figure caused his vision to blur.
Likewise, the Sovereign of Darkness remained hidden beneath shifting shadows that refused to reveal even the slightest feature. Only silhouettes remained visible. And yet... Watching them fight side by side felt strangely natural.
Their coordination required no words. Every attack created an opening for the other, and every defense protected both. They moved as though they had fought together countless times before.
Another exchange shook the heavens. The Sovereign of Death was forced backward once more. Golden chains forged from condensed Aether suddenly erupted around the dark figure, binding both arms.
The Supreme Sovereign raised a single hand. Above the battlefield, an arrow of brilliant white light slowly descended from the heavens. It wasn’t large, barely taller than a man.
Yet the moment it appeared, every other source of light in the world seemed insignificant. The Sovereign of Death struggled violently. Darkness exploded outward in waves powerful enough to tear mountains apart.
The chains held.
Atheline unconsciously held his breath.
"It’s over..." he whispered.
The armies below seemed to think the same. Cheers echoed across the battlefield, some soldiers dropped to their knees in relief, and others embraced one another despite the fighting still raging around them.
Hope... After days of despair... Finally appeared within reach.
The Supreme Sovereign extended a hand toward the descending arrow, the bow in hand. The weapon answered immediately. It accelerated.
The heavens trembled. The tip of the arrow aimed directly toward the Sovereign of Death’s chest. One more heartbeat, just one final strike... Then, a flash of crimson erupted behind the Supreme Sovereign.
Atheline’s eyes widened.
Another Sovereign, the one surrounded by endless flames.
The Sovereign of Fire.
Until now, they had remained battling elsewhere against the Corrupted hordes. No one questioned their sudden arrival, not until it happened.
Without hesitation or warning... The flaming Sovereign thrust a long crimson spear forward. It pierced the Supreme Sovereign’s back. The weapon erupted through the front of their chest in a spray of golden blood.
Time itself seemed to stop. The white arrow aimed at the Sovereign of Death shattered before reaching its target.
Across the battlefield... silence fell. Nobody could comprehend what they had just witnessed. The Supreme Sovereign slowly looked down at the spear protruding from their chest, then turned slightly.
The surrounding radiance flickered. For the briefest instant... Atheline caught a glimpse from beneath the blinding light. Long, white hair, flowing freely behind the wounded Sovereign, then the radiance surged once more, hiding their appearance.
Atheline’s heart pounded.
"...Betrayed."
The single word escaped his lips as disbelief spread across the entire battlefield. The greatest hope of the world had not fallen to the Sovereign of Death. They had been stabbed in the back by one of their own.