Chapter 500: Ch 500: The Final Clash – Part 1
Crystal was kneeling, her body trembling, her breath uneven. Her once-pristine hair hung in loose strands around her pale face, eyes dimd but still burning with stubborn resolve.
She raised her head toward Grand Duchess Amana, her voice hoarse and almost broken.
“End it. If you have even a shred of rcy in you, then end my life here and now. I’ve lost everything already. Don’t you dare leave like this.”
Crystal whispered, her lips quivering but her tone firm.
Amana, standing tall though battered, gazed down at her with steady eyes. There was no malice in them—only a calm, unwavering strength that seed to reach past Crystal’s despair. She shook her head gently.
“No, Crystal. I will not end your life. That is not sothing I will do any longer. You are not my enemy anymore. Our true enemy… is the sa.”
Her voice was steady, soft yet ironclad.
Crystal clenched her fists, her teeth grinding as tears welled in her eyes.
“Hopeless. You’re hopeless. Even now you cling to such foolishness. You refuse to learn. You still believe in ideals when all you’ve done is throw your happiness away—for a man.”
Her voice cracked, trembling between anger and grief.
Amana scoffed faintly, but there was no mockery in it—only pity, and perhaps a touch of sorrow.
“You still don’t understand, Crystal. I don’t love Kyle because of what he is. I love him as a person first. His strength, his flaws, his very existence… that is enough. It doesn’t matter if he’s a man or not. What I feel goes deeper than that shallow notion you cling to.”
Crystal froze, stunned by her words. Amana continued, her voice softer now.
“And you—you carry love too. I saw it in your eyes, in every choice you’ve made. You ca here for soone you cared for more than yourself. That love is what’s kept you alive until now. I know you’ll do everything in your power to protect them.”
Crystal’s shoulders shook. For once, she had no words to spit back, only silence.
Before either could say more, the sound of hurried footsteps broke through the tension.
From the smoke and rubble, lissa, Bruce, Nigel, Silvy and Emily rushed forward, weapons drawn, sweat dripping from their brows.
“Grand Duchess! Are you alright?
lissa cried, her face etched with worry.
Bruce scanned them both, wary but relieved. Nigel’s hand was already on his blade, eyes narrowed in readiness. Emily pressed closer, her hands glowing faintly with healing light.
Amana gave them a small smile, lifting a hand to calm their nerves.
“We’re fine. It’s over.”
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, the tension bleeding from their shoulders. For a fleeting mont, it felt as though the worst had passed.
But then—the air itself quivered.
Before them, the space parted like a curtain, the atmosphere heavy with suffocating divinity. A figure stepped through, his presence enough to steal the very air from their lungs.
Chief God Arkenas erged, his golden eyes burning with contempt as if gazing upon insects.
The group’s relief shattered instantly. Every breath felt like it was being crushed out of their bodies, their knees almost buckling beneath the weight of his aura.
“You’ve run long enough. This is your final chance. Surrender. Bend your heads before , and perhaps I will let you keep your miserable lives.”
Arkenas’s voice resonated, smooth and rciless.
Nigel spat on the ground, fury flashing in his eyes.
“Save your speeches, bastard. Fuck off!”
In one swift motion, he ripped his sword from its sheath and hurled it toward Arkenas with a roar.
The divine blade spun through the air, only to halt mid-flight inches from Arkenas’s form.
With the faintest sigh of irritation, Arkenas flicked a finger, and the sword was hurled back into the stone floor, embedding itself deep into the ground.
“Children throwing tantrums. Very well… it’s ti for all of you to sleep.”
Arkenas muttered, shaking his head.
The weight of his words bore down on them, the system’s oppressive power crashing against their bodies.
They felt their limbs stiffen, their breaths falter. For a mont, death seed certain—they could feel the edge of oblivion pulling them down.
But then—sothing snapped.
One by one, they resisted. lissa’s teeth ground as sparks of mana flared from her, Bruce bellowed as his aura surged, Nigel’s defiance burned brighter than ever, and Emily’s healing light pushed back against the suppression.
Even Crystal’s body trembled as she fought to remain upright.
And then, it happened. The system shuddered.
A wave of backlash rippled violently, turning the suppression inward—against Arkenas himself. He staggered slightly, his golden eyes widening in shock.
“What?! System—why are you rebelling?”
His voice thundered, disbelief etched across his face.
The air flickered with divine glyphs, the system’s symbols flashing erratically.
[Error.]
Arkenas’s eyes narrowed.
“No… impossible.”
[Error.]
[Error.]
The symbols glowed bright red, the light stuttering like a failing heartbeat. The god’s composure cracked as realization dawned on him.
“No… no! It’s about to—”
His words cut off as the system pulsed violently, unstable energy threatening to erupt. His instincts scread at him: escape now, or be torn apart.
He turned sharply, preparing to tear space open once more—
But before he could move, a figure appeared in his path. A single blade glead, cold and unwavering, its aura cutting through the chaos like a storm.
Kyle Armstrong.
Arkenas froze, his fury twisting into raw disbelief.
“You—?!”
The others gasped in shock, relief flooding their faces at the sight of him. lissa’s eyes widened with tears, Bruce’s jaw slackened, Nigel’s grin returned, and Emily clasped her hands over her mouth.
“Kyle! You’re here!”
lissa cried, voice breaking.
“Do you need our help?”
Bruce demanded, already bracing to rush forward.
Kyle didn’t even look at them. His gaze was locked solely on Arkenas, his expression calm, resolute, unshakable. He lifted his blade, mana gathering in a torrent around him.
“No. You all need to go. Now.”
Kyle said firmly, his tone brooking no argunt.
“But—!”
Emily began.
Kyle’s aura flared, silencing any further protest. His voice was quiet, but it carried with the weight of finality.
“I have to stay back and finish this. The fight against the gods, against divinity itself… this is mine to end.”
The group fell silent, their hearts heavy. They wanted to argue, to stand beside him—but the sheer certainty in his eyes told them the truth. This was not their battle to win.
Arkenas snarled, divine power boiling around him.
“You dare stand in my way, mortal?!”
Kyle raised his sword, his aura burning brighter than ever.
“I don’t just dare. I promise.”
He said coldly.
Arkenas gritted his teeth, his divine aura flaring wildly as he tried to wrestle control of the system back into his hands. But the harder he pushed, the stronger the backlash grew.
The crimson light of the system pulsed in chaotic bursts, drilling into his mind, gnawing at his sanity.
His once-commanding expression twisted into desperation as voices, fragnts of the system’s commands, and broken errors echoed inside his head.
With each second, his divinity unraveled further, his control slipping through his fingers. The proud chief god of order was now being consud by the very creation he once ruled.
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