South of the Northern Kingdom, high above the clouds, two figures faced each other in complete stillness.
The angel of light and the dark knight held each other's gaze for a full minute, neither moving, neither speaking. The air between them grew heavy as mana poured out of their bodies, clashing and mixing in unstable currents.
The sky itself reacted. Lightning flickered into existence between them, snapping and fading in uneven bursts, while powerful winds spread outward in all directions. The clouds twisted and broke apart under the pressure, unable to remain still.
The force alone was overwhelming. Anyone below B-rank within a hundred meters, maybe more, would have been forced to their knees just by standing near them.
Then they moved.
To anyone weaker, they didn't even seem to move at all. One moment they stood apart, the next, they were already in front of each other.
Arthur's blade struck first. Thomas met it head on. His gauntlet snapped up and caught Arthur's weapon mid swing, stopping it with raw strength. The impact echoed through the sky, sending a sharp burst of force outward.
Moments earlier, Thomas's greatsword had shifted form, reshaping into a massive lance. He had already driven it forward with full force but Arthur had intercepted that attack with his shield, halting its momentum before it could land cleanly.
Their weapons locked.
"I prefer this kind of fight," Thomas said, his voice calm despite the force pressing between them.
"When I fought your father, it was all spells." His grip tightened slightly, the metal of his gauntlet creaking under the pressure. "But this…"
He leaned in just a fraction, his eyes fixed on Arthur.
"This is a fight between warriors."
For a brief moment, something flickered in his expression, something close to respect, or perhaps regret. It passed just as quickly.
"Shame," he said quietly. "You could have been a great warrior on our side."
Thomas drove his lance forward. The strike pushed Arthur's shield with overwhelming force. Cracks spread across its surface in an instant before it shattered completely, the impact sending Arthur flying backward through the air.
Arthur reacted mid flight. He reached out and grabbed the air as if it were solid, his fingers tightening around nothing and it held. With a sharp beat of his wings, he flipped his body and forced himself to a stop.
Both of his weapons crumbled into fragments of light. In the same motion, a greatsword formed in his hands, its golden surface glowing faintly.
"I will never join your side."
"That's why I said it's a shame."
Thomas didn't slow down. He charged forward, his presence cutting through the air like a blade.
Arthur's sword lifted from his grip and floated beside him, expanding as it gathered energy. A massive, transparent golden hand formed at his side, fingers closing tightly around the weapon. Without hesitation, it hurled the blade forward like a cannon shot.
The air split as the sword flew.
Thomas didn't dodge. A large, dark shield formed in his free hand, its surface dense and heavy with shadow. He pushed it forward as he advanced. The golden blade slammed into it and shattered on impact, fragments of light scattering in every direction.
Arthur moved at the same time. Two new longswords formed in his hands as he surged forward, meeting Thomas head on. Steel clashed against the lance, the impact sending a shockwave through the sky.
Thomas's strength still dominated. His strike forced Arthur back a step, the pressure behind it nearly breaking his stance.
But something was changing. Each time Arthur's weapons shattered and reformed, the new ones carried more power. The mana around him grew denser, sharper, as if adapting with every exchange.
They traded blows in rapid succession. Each clash rang out with force, each strike heavier than the last. Arthur struggled to match Thomas's raw power, forced to defend and counter with precision. Every attack demanded everything he had just to hold his ground.
With the last strike he was driven back, barely holding his position in the air. As he steadied himself, his tenth weapon formed in his hand, a massive greatsword, heavier and denser than the ones before it. Its presence alone distorted the air around the blade.
Ahead of him, the dark knight closed the distance. Thomas moved with terrifying speed, his body cutting through the air like a bolt of lightning.
Arthur didn't hesitate. He beat his wings and charged forward.
Their weapons collided. This time, Arthur held his ground.
The impact tore through the sky, punching a wide hole in the clouds as a shockwave spread outward. The force rippled through both of them, but Arthur didn't break.
Thomas raised an eyebrow slightly.
"You stopped my attack," he said, studying him. "So it's true… the longer you fight, the stronger you become."
As he spoke, shadows began to gather around his lance. They weren't pure black, threads of deep purple twisted through them, giving the weapon a heavier, more dangerous presence. The energy pulsed, thick and unstable, bending the air around it.
"I'm eager to see how far that can go."
With a sharp push, Thomas forced his weapon forward. Arthur's greatsword shattered under the pressure, breaking apart into fragments of light as the force sent him hurtling backward like a falling meteor.
Arthur struggled to regain control, his wings straining against the momentum.
Then he saw it, Thomas's body being wrapped in void and shadow, the energy compressing around him. In the next instant, he launched forward again, moving even faster than before, twice as fast, his form almost impossible to track.
Arthur reacted on instinct. He brought both hands forward, pouring everything he had into defense. A massive shield of light formed just in time.
Thomas's lance struck. The impact shook the shield violently. Waves of force rippled across its surface, cracks spreading in every direction as the pressure mounted. For a moment, it looked like it would break completely.
But it held. Arthur didn't.
The force behind the attack hurled him backward like a ragdoll. He crashed into a mountain below, the impact carving a massive crater into its surface. Rocks shattered and collapsed around him, debris cascading down the slopes as the entire landscape trembled from the blow.
…
Through the settling dust, Thomas kept his gaze fixed on the crater below. Even with the debris still falling, he could already see movement.
Arthur stepped out from the hole, rising back into the air. His posture was steady, his breathing controlled. A new longsword had formed in his right hand, its golden surface faintly glowing.
Thomas noticed his expression, calm, focused, unchanged.
A smile spread across his face. Without hesitation, he charged again, carrying the same overwhelming force as before. The air split around him as he closed the distance in an instant.
Arthur didn't move. Thomas drove his lance forward, aiming to end the fight in a single strike. But just before the weapon could reach him, Arthur raised his left hand and caught it.
The impact alone sent a massive wave of force downward, crashing into the ground nearly a thousand meters below. The land trembled under the pressure, and the air around them shook violently.
Thomas's eyes widened slightly. Arthur held the lance in place.
The golden sword in his right hand began to glow brighter, energy gathering along its edge.
"You broke five of my weapons with that last attack," Arthur said, his voice steady.
Then he moved. He swung the blade forward, releasing a sharp wave of golden energy. It struck Thomas directly in the chest and forced him backward, tearing him off his horse.
Thomas was thrown through the air, but only for a short distance before he regained control. He stopped himself mid air, his body stabilizing instantly.
Below him, his horse dissolved into shadow, then reformed beneath him in the next moment, solid once again.
"Not bad," Thomas said, his tone calm but interested.
He lowered his lance slightly, then aimed it directly at Arthur. Shadows and void energy gathered at its tip, twisting together into a dense, unstable mass.
Then it fired.
A beam of destruction shot forward, tearing through the air as it raced toward Arthur.
…
Arthur's eyes widened slightly at the incoming attack. He reacted instantly, pouring mana into his sword and slashing forward. A vertical arc of pure light shot out, cutting through the air and colliding head on with the beam.
The two forces met and stopped. The beam didn't break through, but it didn't move back either. The clash froze in place, light and void grinding against each other, distorting the space between them.
Arthur didn't hesitate. He swung his sword again, this time horizontally. The second slash tore free, releasing another wave of light, but the strain shattered his weapon in the process. Fragments of golden energy scattered as the blade broke apart.
The new attack merged with the first. Together, the combined force pushed forward, overpowering the beam and slamming into Thomas.
A massive explosion erupted in the sky, forming a glowing cross of light that spread outward in a violent burst. Fire and smoke followed, expanding into the surrounding air and shaking the clouds apart.
For a moment, nothing could be seen. Then the smoke cleared.
Thomas stood there, completely unharmed.
"You'll have to try harder than that," he said calmly. "Let me show you how it's done."
He lowered his lance and aimed it toward the air beneath him.
Void and shadow began to pour out from the tip, spilling downward like liquid darkness. It gathered and spread, forming a massive circular field beneath him, its surface swirling and unstable.
From within that circle, something began to rise.
Bones formed first, massive, jagged, and ancient. A colossal skeleton took shape, only its upper half emerging from the void. Its structure resembled a giant creature, towering and unnatural, as if pulled from some forgotten abyss.
Purple mana radiated from every part of its body, thick and suffocating. Its empty eye sockets burned with a deep, dark violet glow.
The skeleton moved. It raised its right arm slowly, and as it did, a massive sword of bone formed in its grip, the blade rough and uneven, yet carrying immense weight.
Then it opened its mouth. A roar tore through the sky.
The sound wasn't just noise, it carried power. Dark mana flooded outward, heavy and oppressive, spreading across the air like a storm. Arthur felt it immediately. His skin tightened, a cold sensation crawling over him as the sheer presence of the creature pressed against his body. This wasn't ordinary power. This was something far darker.
Thomas saw the look on Arthur's face and smiled.
"What? You thought you were the only genius in our family?" His grip tightened slightly on the lance. "Along with shadow and void… I can use necromancy as well."
As his words faded, the massive skeleton moved.
It pulled its sword back, the motion heavy yet controlled, then swung forward in a straight, crushing strike. Despite the enormous size, its speed matched Thomas himself, the blade cutting through the air with terrifying precision.
Arthur reacted instantly. A newly formed shield of light appeared in front of him, solid and bright.
The moment the tip of the bone sword struck, cracks spread across the surface.
Arthur's other weapon dissolved into light, gathering in his palm. He pressed that glowing hand against the back of the shield, pouring more energy into it. The light intensified, the barrier thickening as he forced it to hold.
He braced himself, pushing back with everything he had.
For a few seconds, the shield endured. Then the pressure became too much.
The cracks widened, racing across the entire surface before the shield shattered completely.
The force behind the strike didn't stop.
Arthur was launched backward, his body tearing through the air before crashing into a mountain below. The impact punched straight through it, rock and stone exploding outward as he broke through the entire mass.
He didn't stop there.
His momentum carried him into a second mountain behind it, slamming into its surface with enough force to split it apart.
Dust and debris rose in massive clouds, covering what remained of the shattered peak.
…
Briva and Marco moved with the retreating army, keeping pace as the soldiers pulled back in organized lines. The tension in the air hadn't faded, and no one spoke louder than necessary.
Then it hit. A dark force surged from behind them.
The sky dimmed in an instant, as if something had swallowed the light itself. Shadows stretched unnaturally across the ground, and the air turned heavy, pressing down on everyone at once.
Briva stopped. She turned back, her eyes widening as she felt it. The power was overwhelming, far darker than anything she had ever encountered. It wasn't just strong, it was suffocating. It reminded her of Osara's presence, vast and absolute, but this… this felt colder, more hostile.
Worry spread across her face without restraint.
Marco noticed immediately. He slowed beside her, looking back as well, but he couldn't fully understand what she was sensing. He opened his mouth, searching for something to say, but nothing came.
Before the silence stretched too long, Ryan approached them from the side.
"Don't worry about him," he said, his voice steady. "You know how powerful Arthur is."
Briva looked at him for a moment. His confidence didn't erase the fear, but it steadied her enough. She gave a small nod.
"Thank you."
She turned forward again and continued walking with the army, her pace steady, her expression composed once more.
But deep inside, she held onto a quiet prayer, asking the Creator to keep Arthur safe.
…
Bernal's attack had just ended, but the battlefield was still buried under thick dust and drifting smoke. The air burned with leftover energy, and visibility dropped to almost nothing.
Then he felt it.
A surge of power, distant but unmistakable, coming from the south.
His head turned slowly in that direction, eyes narrowing as he measured it. The pressure alone carried across the land, strong enough to be felt even through the chaos of their own battle.
"It looks like another battlefield has met a powerful opponent," Bernal said quietly. "Maybe even stronger than ours."
Paul followed his gaze for a brief moment, tension tightening in his posture. "Should we split up?"
Bernal shook his head without hesitation.
"No. We finish this first." His eyes returned to Thavuk, sharp and focused. "This one is planning something. If we leave it unchecked, the damage will be far worse."
Osvald and Paul exchanged a brief glance, then nodded.
Their attention snapped back to the fight in front of them.