The heart of the Chaos Mountains had transformed into a doomsday stage, where magical light and colossal structures intertwined.
Nirvana Giant City stood majestically, supported by six sky-piercing rock pillars. Black and white intertwined giant pillars pierced through the clouds from the city center, stirring the celestial phenomena and immersing the entire area in a strange chaos.
The air was filled with the scent of ancient, awakening rock dust, and the mind-distorting magical power fluctuations continuously emanating from the core light pillar.
Three figures, like meteors tearing through a storm, were hurtling at astonishing speed through the ruined outer city, heading straight for the core area filled with the destructive light pillar—Nirvana's main control center!
Ezreal's golden hair flew back in the frantic airflow, his gaze fixed on the sky-piercing light source.
Erza followed closely, her silver-white armor reflecting a cold metallic luster under the interplay of light and shadow, veins slightly protruding on her hand gripping her long sword, her entire being in a state of readiness for battle.
Ikaruga was last, the wide hem of her white kimono fluttering. Her steps seemed unhurried, yet each one landed on the most logical spatial node, like a shadow. The pure white tachi, 'Moonflower,' at her waist hummed faintly in its sheath.
The internal structure of the city was more complex than imagined; giant gear mechanisms were exposed, rusty but emitting an unextinguished energy glow, and dried energy pipes coiled like dragons among the collapsed building ruins.
The three figures darted through the broken walls and rubble at high speed. The light from the core pillar refracted through the distorted air, casting dazzling light spots. The remnants of spatial teleportation devices on the path ahead seemed to still speak of the city's past glory and madness.
Less than two thousand meters from the edge of the central plaza, the thick, suffocating light pillar almost filled their entire vision. Half was the scorching white that purified all things, and half was the dark gloom that devoured everything. The two extreme forces collided and merged, emitting a continuous, low hum, like the suppressed roar of a giant beast.
Just then!
Without warning, the space three meters in front of the three figures—suddenly collapsed inward!
The feeling was indescribable; it wasn't shattering, but as if that piece of space itself had come alive, forcibly clenched, kneaded, and torn by an invisible giant hand!
The previously clear view of the ruins was instantly replaced by extreme darkness—not physical darkness, but a void rift!
Violent, chaotic spatial turbulence overflowed from it, emitting a ear-piercing, hair-raising shriek!
Spatial magic!
Ezreal and Erza braked almost simultaneously!
The powerful recoil caused the ground to crack inch by inch!
Their battle instincts were screaming warnings!
In front of the distorted spatial rift, strange ripples appeared in the air, like water undulating.
A figure 'rippled' out of thin air, as if he were part of space itself.
The newcomer was slightly tall and thin, with short, jet-black hair meticulously styled. His face was handsome but covered with a sickly pallor, and his lips were thin and sharp, with a hint of a mocking curve.
He wore a dark purple, fitted long robe adorned with twisted silver runes that flowed slowly as if alive. Most unsettling were his eyes, not ordinary pupils, but like two deep, obsidian whirlpools, spinning as if they could suck in one's soul.
It was the adopted son of Brain, leader of the Ten Demon Generals, the user of Distortion Magic—Midnight!
Ezreal's pupils instantly contracted into sharp pinpricks.
Information on the Ten Demon Generals had long been shared with his companions. The strange and powerful abilities of the person before them were enough to list him as one of the highest threats in this operation!
"Distorting space..." Erza's voice was as heavy as ice, her sword held horizontally before her chest, its tip pointing distantly at Midnight. "It's you, as expected. Brain's vicious dog, quite good at guarding the door."
"Guarding the door?" Midnight's voice was unexpectedly soft, with an eerie magnetism, like a venomous snake flicking its tongue. "No, my dear Fairy Queen. I'm here to... choose a gift."
He tilted his head slightly, his black-whirlpool eyes sweeping over the three before settling on Ezreal, a cold curve forming on his lips. "Ezreal... Father is very 'eager' to meet you. Wouldn't it be interesting if a Light Mage, trained by Ten Wizard Saints Makarov, were to fall to darkness? As for the others..."
His gaze shifted to Erza. "An obstruction."
Before his words finished, Midnight elegantly raised his right hand, slowly closing his five fingers towards Erza!
Boom—!
The air beside Erza, along with the stone slab beneath her feet, and a broken section of a giant metal gear nearby, instantly underwent terrifying distortion and deformation!
The air was compressed into solid, blade-like forms that cut towards her body, the stone slab was violently folded like dough, and the hard metal gear was kneaded into a ball of scrap like soft mud!
The entire process was silent, yet it carried a suffocating power of destruction!
"Never!" Erza roared, a golden magic circle unfolding beneath her feet, instantly changing into Adamantine Armor!
A heavy metal giant shield appeared in front of the distorting force field at the last moment!
Clang!!!!
A piercing, metallic wail of distortion suddenly erupted!
Grotesque spiral indentations instantly appeared on the surface of the Adamantine Shield. A powerful force transferred through the shield to Erza's arms, causing her to grunt, her feet dragging deep furrows in the ground!
Almost at the same instant Midnight moved against Erza, Ezreal moved!
His left fist, clad in a golden gauntlet, clenched, and dazzling white light condensed at his fist, like liquid stars compressed to their absolute limit!!
"Your opponent is me!"
A clear yet resolute voice rang out faster than Ezreal's fist.
It was Ikaruga!
She had, at some unknown point, positioned herself in front of Ezreal and Erza, directly facing the unpredictable Midnight.
Her right hand, resting on the pure white tachi sheath at her waist, began to draw the sword very slowly, yet with a rhythm as heavy as a mountain!
Ching—
A crisp, pleasant, yet seemingly bone-chilling metallic friction sound rang out.
The gleaming blade slid out of its sheath inch by inch.
The blade was as clean as a mirror, as if it had condensed the essence of ten thousand years of cold moonlight, without a single flaw.
The strange light cast by the surrounding chaotic light pillar was perfectly reflected and refracted by this tachi, forming areas of cold, sharp light around Ikaruga that seemed to cut through space.
A chilling killing intent, like solid ice water, instantly spread, even subtly overpowering the eerie sensation of Midnight's distorting force field.
Ezreal and Erza both paused, looking in astonishment at Ikaruga's back.
"Ikaruga?" Ezreal frowned. In his mind, Ikaruga wasn't the best choice to deal with Midnight; Erza, with her exquisite physical combat skills, was the sure bet against Midnight.
------------------------
I've posted 70+ chapters in advance on Patreon.
Webnovel updates will still be daily, as usual.
It might not seem tempting right nobut who knows what the future holds?
[email protected]/TripleCrown
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"