Chapter 1229 A Ceasefire

Chapter 1229 A Ceasefire

Phaneron, seeing the devastating attack approach, gathered all his might to counter. He extended his arms wide, pulling the essence of countless souls to forge a massive barrier of radiant light. The barrier shimmered with the force of life itself, a stark contrast to Arthur's dark tempest.

As Arthur's attack collided with the barrier, a thunderous explosion echoed through the heavens, sending ripples through the cosmos. The ground below trembled, and the air itself seemed to scream with the intensity of their conflict.

Despite the strength of his defense, Phaneron faltered under the relentless onslaught. The barrier cracked, and through those cracks, Arthur's dark lightning seeped in, corrupting and overwhelming the light with its sheer ferocity.

Phaneron, strained and visibly weary, struggled to maintain the barrier. "This... This power of yours," he gasped, "It is beyond what I anticipated. But it must not prevail!"

Arthur, his eyes ablaze with determination and a hint of madness, pushed forward, driving his attack deeper. "Your barriers will not hold me, Phaneron! My quest is righteous, my resolve unbreakable!"

The celestial god, realizing the futility of his defense, shifted tactics. He condensed the remaining power of the souls into a single, brilliant spear of light, aiming it directly at Arthur's heart.

Arthur, anticipating the counterstrike, maneuvered with uncanny agility. He dodged the spear, and it sailed past him, illuminating the sky with its blinding light. Seizing the moment, Arthur surged forward, closing the distance between them in an instant.

With a roar that split the clouds, Arthur unleashed another wave of black lightning, this one even more potent than the last. It wrapped around Phaneron, binding him with chains of shadowy energy that sapped his strength and dimmed his divine aura.

Phaneron struggled against the bindings, his figure flickering as he attempted to summon more power from the souls. But Arthur's dark energy was relentless, seeping into every crevice of his being, corrupting and constricting.

"Yield, Phaneron!" Arthur shouted, his voice carrying the weight of his immense power. "Yield, and perhaps your essence can be spared!"

The battle-worn god looked into Arthur's eyes, seeing not just a warrior but a storm of raw, unbridled fury. With a heavy heart, Phaneron realized the truth—he could not win this battle, not against such overwhelming darkness.

Slowly, the divine light in Phaneron's eyes began to fade, his body weakening under the oppressive force of Arthur's wrath. As his strength ebbed away, he spoke with a voice that was both sad and resigned.

"Arthur Netherborne, what you seek... may bring ruin far greater than you imagine. Be wary, for the path of destruction is easy to begin but hard to abandon."

With those final words, Phaneron's form dissipated, his essence scattering into the winds, leaving behind a lingering glow that slowly faded from the world.

Arthur just grinned, feeling a rush of power. "Then come and see if you can stop me," he challenged them, and shot into the air to meet them.

Below, Nera was shooting arrows effectively, hitting her targets among the empyreans' soldiers. Lucian and Oriole worked together on magical strikes that broke the enemy's formations. The Knight of Courage led charge after charge, inspiring her troops and devastating her opponents with her sword skills.

The fight was balanced, with neither side getting the upper hand. Yalen's rebels and Alka's warriors stood strong against the disciplined power of the empyreans' forces. It was a mix of lights, shadows, and sounds that filled the area.

As the battle below raged on, Arthur flew up to face the four empyreans, each a master of their unique power. Arthur had his own special abilities, capable of creating and destroying elements as needed.

Kael, known as the Empyrean of Beasts, attacked first. He summoned a group of powerful creatures that roared loudly. Arthur responded by creating a bright shield that pushed the beasts back. Then, he changed his shield into an explosive force that scattered the creatures far and wide.

Saphir, the Empyrean of Force, tried next. He sent waves of energy toward Arthur, hoping to knock him down. Arthur absorbed this energy and turned it into dark lightning, throwing it back at Saphir. This took Saphir by surprise, and he struggled to recover.

Elysia, the Empyrean of Summoning Monsters, called forth ghosts and other eerie creatures from another world. Arthur wasn't scared. He waved his hand and sent a ring of fire towards them, turning them to ash before they could even touch him.

Lastly, Marius, the Empyrean of Elements, stepped up. He controlled earth, water, air, and fire, and sent all these elements in a swirling attack towards Arthur. But Arthur was ready. He transformed the water into ice, the air into a solid barrier, and the fire into harmless light. Each transformed element helped Arthur block and strike back, leaving Marius struggling to keep up.

The battle in the sky was intense, with Arthur skillfully dodging and countering everything the empyreans threw at him. The sky was filled with flashes of their powers clashing.

When the empyreans tried to team up for a stronger attack, Arthur gathered all his wrath into one massive storm of lighting. He released it with a grin, overwhelming the empyreans.

After Arthur unleashed a storm of lightning, the empyreans realized they couldn't beat him. Kael's beasts were gone, Saphir's energy was scattered, Elysia's monsters had turned to smoke, and Marius's elements had disappeared. Floating in the sky, tired and beaten, they faced the fact: Arthur was too strong to defeat right now.

Down on the ground, the battle was intense and even. Nera's troops were locked in a tough fight with the empyreans' soldiers, and neither side was winning. This deadlock was draining both armies and risking too much damage.

Seeing this, the empyreans decided it was time to stop. Kael called out to Arthur, his voice loud and clear over the noise of the battle. "Arthur Netherborne, we've fought enough!" he yelled, sounding frustrated but also respectful. "We can't beat you today, and this fight will only destroy us all if it keeps going."

Arthur, still surrounded by crackling energy, listened to Kael. He looked down at the battlefield, seeing the tired soldiers fighting hard. He knew Kael was right.

And he no longer wished for any of them to die for his sake. Although he could deal with the empyreans, killing or defeating them was a different matter because he was exhausted and his mana has been drained.

"You're right, Kael," Arthur answered, his voice booming so everyone could hear. "Let's stop this battle. Not because we're scared, but to save our people from more suffering."