Kallus didn’t give Solunara a chance to recover.

The moment he countered her violet flame barrage, he manipulated time itself, bending reality’s flow around himself and the Eternal Frost flame Phoenix.

His speed increased exponentially in an instant, allowing him to move at an almost impossible velocity. At the same time, he forcefully slowed time around Solunara, restricting her movement.

However, he met astonishing resistance.

It didn’t surprise him—after all, Solunara possessed an affinity for time as well. Slowing her was not an easy feat, but he didn’t need to fully stop her. Just a moment was enough.

And that moment came.

Kallus appeared before her, his fist already drawn back—

BOOOOM!

He punched her directly, the sheer force sending her hurtling skyward at blinding speed. But he wasn’t done.

Before she could stabilize herself, he teleported again.

This time, however, Solunara reacted.

The instant Kallus reappeared, Solunara let out a thunderous roar.

Violet flames surged around her body, their intensity growing until they ignited with a brilliant golden pulse at their core. Without hesitation, she activated her innate ability—

[Phoenix Ascent]

BOOOOOOM!

Her form flickered like a mirage as she exploded forward with extreme speed, shattering the sound barrier with a deafening blast. Her acceleration was so great that even Kallus, with all his power, had a moment of struggle keeping up.

But his Primordial Eyes could still perceive her trajectory—her intent.

She had not fled.

Instead, she had executed a sharp U-turn mid-air, her speed doubling, no—tripling.

At the heart of her violet flames, a golden radiance began to pulsate. The sheer density of energy surrounding her was terrifying—a fusion of infernal sunfire and eternal frost.

And then, with unstoppable momentum, she collided into Kallus.

SWOOSH!

BOOOOOOOOOOOM!

The impact was cataclysmic.

A massive shockwave erupted from the collision, distorting the air and tearing apart the very fabric of space. The battlefield quaked violently as debris was blasted in every direction.

For a brief moment, Solunara thought she had landed a decisive blow.

She was wrong.

Before she could react—

Kallus appeared above her.

Faster than thought.

And then—

A hundred punches rained down on her back.

Each blow landed with monstrous force, the repeated strikes hammering her downward. Before the last punch even finished, Kallus twisted his body mid-air—

And with his full power, he delivered a devastating kick.

CRACK!

The sickening sound of bones breaking echoed as Solunara was sent crashing back down to the earth at terrifying speed.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!

The battlefield trembled.

A massive crater formed upon impact, cracks spreading outward in jagged patterns as dust and debris erupted into the sky.

But Kallus wasn’t finished.

His eyes gleamed, an idea flashing through his mind.

A smirk played on his lips as he slowly brought his hands together, his fingers curling like claws, spreading outward as immense destruction energy began to condense between them.

The very air quaked as the sphere of annihilation grew, its energy so dense that it distorted space itself.

Then—

With a roar, Kallus mimicked a famous character from his past life, pulling his hands back until the energy reached his right waist.

Then—

He unleashed it.

A colossal beam of pure destruction energy erupted from his palms, streaking down toward the fallen Solunara with cataclysmic force.

Kallus watched as his colossal beam of pure destruction energy erupted from his palms, streaking down toward the fallen Solunara like the wrath of an uncaring god.

The energy was absolute—a force containing the very essence of destruction.

Everything it touched ceased to exist—the land, the air, even the fabric of space itself was annihilated in its wake. It moved with unstoppable momentum, reaching Solunara in mere seconds with one sole purpose—

To erase her from existence.

BOOOOOOOOM!

A cataclysmic explosion followed, a towering mushroom cloud of destruction energy rising into the heavens, its chaotic force consuming everything—land, sky, even reality itself seemed to warp and shatter.

And then came the scream.

A shrill, agonized cry—one that carried unbearable pain and searing fury.

Solunara’s violet eyes flashed red with torment as the destructive energy ate away at her body, her very existence unraveling. Her consciousness wavered, fading at a terrifying pace. She knew she was seconds away from total oblivion.

But she would not allow it.

Not yet.

With every ounce of will left within her, she let out a defiant, ear-piercing shriek, mobilizing every last fragment of mana in her broken, burning form. Her nearly consumed violet flames reignited.

And then, she unleashed it—

[Frostfire Phoenix Requiem: Cataclysmic Rebirth]

Her mana erupted, surging beyond its limits. A raw explosion of fire and frost elements radiated outward, infused with the very laws of fire and ice.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

The sheer force of her power froze and burned the surrounding destruction energy at the same time.

The once overwhelming mushroom cloud of annihilation was consumed, erased in an instant by the devastating might of her ability. Even mountains miles away trembled, some collapsing into rubble from the sheer force of the sonic boom.

The once serene plains of grass?

Gone.

Now, only a barren wasteland remained—a kilometer-wide, bottomless pit carved into the earth from their clash.

Kallus, hovering in the air nearby, was horrified.

Had he been even a fraction closer to that devastating outburst, he knew…

He would have suffered a serious injury—Perhaps even a brush with death.

He gulped.

While Kallus was lost in thought, his eyes never left the battlefield.

He was waiting—for the raging energies to settle, for the aftermath of the destruction to clear.

He didn’t have to wait long.

As the dust and residual energy dispersed, Solunara finally came into view.

She stood—barely—at the heart of the now desolate battlefield, her once-majestic form tattered and weakened.

The once-intense violet energy that radiated from her body had dimmed significantly.

Kallus could tell—her mana reserves were nearly depleted, her stamina all but drained.

Even her fused form was barely holding together, flickering like a dying flame, struggling to maintain its existence.

Yet, despite it all…

She still stood.

Kallus checked the details of her ability again, and even though he was already aware of its power, he found himself momentarily stunned by its sheer complexity.

[Cataclysmic Rebirth: When the Forst Fire Phoenix Requiem is pushed to the brink of death, it can unleash Cataclysmic Rebirth, igniting its entire body in a devastating explosion of Heavenly Cataclysm Flames. This firestorm engulfs everything within its range, reducing the surroundings to ashes and molten ruin, obliterating enemies and reshaping the battlefield in a sea of destruction.

However, from the ashes of devastation, the Phoenix is reborn, emerging anew from the inferno. Its body is restored, but its energy is almost fully consumed, leaving it in a weakened state until it can recover.]

A Phoenix truly lived up to its legend.

Still, this battle—this trial—was over.

Even if he gave her time, she wouldn’t recover for a long while.

He sighed.

This fight had lasted for over an hour, forcing him to push himself further than he had expected—so far that he had been compelled to enter his semi-draconic state.

In his heart, he acknowledged her.

A worthy opponent.

A warrior deserving of respect.

But sentiment could not cloud reality.

He knew what had to be done.

He had to end this.

Feeling a faint sense of pity, but unwavering in his resolve, Kallus calmly landed on the ground.

….

Meanwhile, Solunara too watched Kallus with deep, burning red eyes, eyes that still carried the weight of her fury and defiance.

She knew.

She knew her state.

She could feel it—her depleted mana, her broken body that, despite being fully restored by mana, still felt shattered to her, and the overwhelming exhaustion threatening to consume her.

And she knew what it meant.

The end—the very thing she had fought so desperately to avoid—was here.

And yet…

She did not yield.

Though her body trembled, though she was barely standing, she still stood.

Proud. Unyielding. Graceful.

Like a true Phoenix.

Even in defeat—even in the face of death—she refused to bow.

And for the first time, Kallus felt something shift within him.

A flicker of genuine admiration.

This warrior, this indomitable being, had earned his respect—not just through battle, but through her unyielding pride.

He had already respected her strength. Now, he respected her spirit.

Still, he would not stop.

He would do what needed to be done.

But not with cruelty.

Not with brutality.

He would end this battle with respect.

Kallus didn’t say anything.

He knew she could understand him—that words were unnecessary.

But more importantly, he didn’t want her to mistake his words for pity.

Because this wasn’t pity. Not even close.

Pity was for the weak.

She was not weak.

She had fought fiercely, relentlessly—defying him until the very end.

And for that, she had earned his respect.

So, he would not offer empty words.

He would end this the only way worthy of a warrior like her.

With one of his most powerful attacks.

Kallus moved with precision.

He raised his katana upward with his right hand, the blade gleaming with a celestial glow as it reached just above his head.

Then, with practiced ease, he brought his left hand to the hilt, gripping it firmly—his stance adjusting, his center of gravity perfectly aligned.

His golden draconic aura surged, intertwining with the primordial energy around him, making the air itself tremble.

Yet, his expression remained unreadable.

Cold. Resolute. Absolute.

His violet eyes met Solunara’s fiery red ones, a silent understanding passing between them.

Then, in one fluid, unstoppable motion, he brought the katana down.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep