For one impossible heartbeat, the entire battlefield stopped. The armies, the Corrupted, and even the Sovereigns themselves stopped. Every gaze was fixed upon the crimson spear that had pierced completely through the Supreme Sovereign’s chest.
Golden blood drifted through the heavens like scattered stars. No one moved or breathed; the betrayal was simply too unimaginable.
Far below, the allied armies stared upward in horror.
"...No..."
A human soldier dropped his sword; another slowly fell to his knees.
"Lord Fire... What... what have you done?"
Confused voices echoed across the battlefield. Some refused to believe what they had seen, and others desperately convinced themselves that it had been an accident.
Surely... One of the Seven Sovereigns would never betray another. Especially not the Supreme Sovereign and not in the middle of the war.
The Sovereign of Fire slowly released the spear. The flames surrounding the figure no longer burned with their previous warmth.
They had changed. Crimson fire mixed with strands of black that pulsed like living veins. The aura itself felt... Wrong, corrupted.
The Sovereign of Death let out a low laugh, yet somehow every living being heard it.
"So..." The ancient voice echoed across heaven and earth. "...it is finally done."
The Supreme Sovereign remained perfectly still. One hand slowly wrapped around the shaft of the spear protruding from their chest. Golden blood continued flowing steadily.
Even from the city walls, Atheline could feel the overwhelming life force escaping with every drop. Yet, the Supreme Sovereign did not collapse.
Instead, the brilliant aura surrounding the figure flared once again. If anything... even brighter.
The Sovereign of Darkness appeared beside them instantly. Shadows erupted outward, forcing back waves of Corrupted Aether. Although the figure’s face remained hidden beneath shifting darkness, panic radiated from every movement.
A hand reached toward the crimson spear. The Supreme Sovereign stopped them with a slight shake of the head. Even now, they were calm and controlled.
Another flash of green light appeared. A woman clothed in robes woven from emerald vines materialized beside them. Flowers bloomed beneath every step she took despite standing upon empty air.
The very atmosphere seemed to regain vitality merely through her presence. Atheline immediately understood.
The Sovereign of Life.
Without hesitation, brilliant green light poured from her hands into the Supreme Sovereign’s wound. Life Aether, unlike anything Atheline had ever imagined, surged endlessly.
Where the light touched, the torn flesh tried to regenerate. The shattered bones attempted to reconnect, and the damaged heart struggled to heal.
For a single moment, it looked as though the impossible would happen, then... Black mist emerged from the spear. It quietly consumed every trace of green light that touched it. The healing simply... Stopped. The wound remained exactly as it had been.
The Sovereign of Life tried again with more power and Aether. Entire forests below suddenly burst into bloom as enormous quantities of life energy flooded toward the heavens, but nothing changed. The black mist devoured everything.
Atheline watched in stunned silence.
"Why..."
One of the commanders standing nearby whispered the answer with a pale face.
"The spear... It carries Death’s Mark."
Another officer clenched both fists.
"Life cannot restore what Death has personally claimed."
Atheline’s heart sank. The weapon itself had been prepared specifically for this moment. This betrayal hadn’t been spontaneous but planned.
For how long?
Months?
Years?
Centuries?
The Sovereign of Life slowly lowered her hands. Even from an impossible distance, Atheline could see them trembling. She looked toward the Sovereign of Fire. There was disbelief, pain, and heartbreak.
Every emotion mixed together.
"You..." Her voice carried across the battlefield despite its softness. "...why?"
The Sovereign of Fire gave no answer; instead... The traitorous Sovereign simply moved beside the Sovereign of Death, standing shoulder to shoulder. The sight alone answered every question.
Gasps echoed throughout the allied armies. Another Sovereign had defected. The balance of power had changed in an instant. The Corrupted erupted into deafening roars as their morale surged.
The allied forces stood frozen. Not because they feared death but because hope itself had just been stabbed through the heart.
Atheline stared upward. His mind refused to accept what he was seeing. Just moments ago, the Supreme Sovereign had completely dominated the battle. Every exchange had ended in their favor.
The Sovereign of Death had been driven steadily backward. Victory had been within reach. It wasn’t easy victory, but it was victory nonetheless.
He tightened his fists.
"So..." He whispered. "This is how... The strongest falls."
Not through overwhelming power or superior technique but through trust.
The Sovereign of Death slowly raised a hand.
"So even perfection..." The ancient voice echoed coldly. "...cannot guard its own back."
Dark laughter spread throughout the battlefield. The Corrupted answered with monstrous shrieks.
Then, something happened that left even the Sovereign of Death silent. The Supreme Sovereign reached up, calmly and deliberately.
Their fingers wrapped around the shaft of the crimson spear. Golden light exploded around them, and with one smooth motion, they pulled the weapon free from their own chest.
Golden blood poured from the wound. The heavens themselves trembled, yet the Supreme Sovereign remained standing.
The wound remained open, impossible to heal. Still, they stood.
Atheline’s eyes widened.
"...They’re still fighting."
No one should have survived that injury. The heart had been pierced, and life itself had rejected healing, yet the Supreme Sovereign slowly raised their bow once more.
It was an elegant white bow, seemingly carved from living light itself. Its surface shimmered with every element imaginable. Flames danced along one curve, water flowed along another, lightning crackled across the string before dissolving into wind, earth, light, darkness...
Every known form of Aether coexisted peacefully within the same weapon. The Supreme Sovereign slowly drew the bowstring. There was no arrow, not until they pulled.
As the string stretched... Pure Aether condensed between their fingers. Layer after layer and element after element. Reality bent around it.
An arrow was born.
Even wounded and betrayed... The pressure released by that single drawn arrow surpassed everything Atheline had witnessed since arriving in this era.
The Sovereign of Death’s laughter disappeared. The traitorous Sovereign of Fire instinctively stepped backward. Even the Corrupted hesitated.
Fear.
For the first time since the betrayal, fear appeared upon the enemy’s side. The Supreme Sovereign slowly aimed the bow at the Sovereign of Death.
Atheline couldn’t see their face through the blinding radiance. Only one thing remained visible for a brief instant as the wind shifted.
Long white hair flowed behind the solitary figure. Golden blood continued falling from the unhealed wound, yet their stance never wavered.
Atheline felt goosebumps spread across his arms. In that moment, he finally understood why every race had revered this being.
Even with death already claiming their heart, the Supreme Sovereign still stood between the world and annihilation.