Chapter 271: Aestrea Against The World (XLVIII)

The decree still burned in the heavens above.

Every SSS-ranker had their eyes locked on Aestrea, waiting for their reaction. Christina’s hand trembled, her sword pointed at him, her lips caught between doubt and duty.

But Aestrea… no longer looked at her.

His gaze had switched to the angel.

Silver light leaked from his body like smoke. His hair whipped against the air, eyes glowing with blinding brilliance.

And then…

FWIP!

He vanished.

“—!”

The angel, Alen, barely had time to widen his eyes before Aestrea’s fist slammed into his chest like a hammer.

BOOOOOOM!

The impact detonated the ground. Alen’s body was thrown back, golden feathers scattering as he was launched through the sky, smashing into the earth with a deafening crash.

Dust erupted upward like a volcanic blast.

The gathered SSS-rankers staggered back.

“Wh-what speed…!?”

“I couldn’t even see him move—!”

Christina’s lips parted, breath catching as her sword arm wavered slightly. But before the dust even settled….

CRACK!

Aestrea was already there, silver aura trailing as he appeared above the angel’s crater.

His frost sword shimmered into being, long and sharp, its edge glowing with moonlight.

He stabbed down.

SHIIIIING!

Alen raised his spear just in time, holy light bursting as steel met steel.

Sparks of gold and silver erupted in all directions, slashing across the ground and tearing through the watching SSS-rankers’ defenses.

“UURRRGHHHH!” one of them cried, his shoulder sliced open by a stray silver arc.

Another collapsed to one knee, coughing blood from the sheer pressure of the clash.

“Fucking… monsters…”

CLAAANG!

CLAAANG!

Aestrea pressed forward without hesitation, his frost blade carving in rapid strikes, one after another, each swing shaking the battlefield.

Alen parried desperately, his spear leaving arcs of golden light as he blocked each slash.

The ground around them froze solid, jagged spikes of ice tearing upward with every step Aestrea took.

The holy fire of Alen’s wings burned them away instantly, steam rising in violent bursts.

“Enough!” Alen roared, pushing back with a wave of divine energy.

BOOOOOM!

The shockwave ripped the earth open, forcing Aestrea back a step, but only for an instant.

FWOOOSH!

He blurred forward again, sword slicing low for the angel’s ribs.

SHHHK!

Blood sprayed as the blade bit deep across Alen’s side. The angel hissed, staggering, but his spear lashed out in retaliation.

SWOOOOSH!

The golden point cut across Aestrea’s shoulder, searing his flesh.

“Tsk…” Aestrea gritted his teeth, gripping his sword tighter.

The SSS-rankers could hardly breathe under the pressure.

Every exchange between the two sent shockwaves through their bodies. Some shielded their eyes, others struggled to remain standing, while a few were already bleeding from their ears.

Christina, however, remained frozen, staring only at Aestrea.

His aura… his movements… even when facing a divine being, his cold eyes never wavered.

“Silver energy… what has he become…?” she whispered.

Back in the crater, Alen wiped blood from his mouth, his golden eyes narrowing.

“You dare… strike first at a messenger of the Goddess?”

Aestrea tilted his head slightly, silver aura hissing around him like fire.

“You descended here to judge me, didn’t you? Then face me head-on.”

FWIP!

He vanished again.

“—!”

This time, he appeared above Alen, both hands gripping his frost sword as he brought it down in a crushing arc.

“Moonlit Ice Lotus Sword Art…”

『 Third Move! (✦ Moonlight’s One Flash ✦) 』

SHIIIIIIIIING!

The sword fell like a beam of the moon itself, silver light cutting the heavens.

Alen roared, thrusting his spear upward.

BOOOOOOOOOM!

The clash split the battlefield apart, golden and silver energy spiraling upward into the torn sky.

The SSS-rankers screamed as the ground beneath them cracked open. Some fell into fissures, others scrambled to maintain footing.

“Aaaaaghhh!”

“Impossible power…!”

The heavens thundered as the two forces fought in a storm of light.

Fwip!

Alen’s wings flared wide, golden circles appearing around him one after another.

“Divine Barrage!”

Spear thrusts multiplied in the air, hundreds of golden copies piercing down at Aestrea like rain.

“Holy Chains of Heaven!”

Blinding shackles whipped forward, wrapping around his limbs and torso.

“Flame of the Sun!”

A searing wave of fire burst outward, hot enough to melt stone into liquid.

The battlefield shook as divine techniques poured from him endlessly, each one carrying enough strength to kill an SSS-ranker outright.

The air itself screamed under the pressure, the ground splitting further and further until whole valleys caved in.

And yet, Aestrea did not move.

His glowing eyes locked onto the angel’s.

And then, the storm of golden spears, the chains, the fire..

Stopped.

The entire world froze.

SHHHHHHHHH—

Time itself fell silent, and every color around them paled. Dust, flames, even the broken earth all hung unmoving, like a painted scene.

Only Aestrea walked forward, his boots crunching softly against the fractured ground. His silver aura leaked out quietly, cutting through the stillness.

He appeared beside the angel.

Alen’s body stood locked in place, spear mid-swing, fire frozen mid-flame, his golden eyes wide but helpless.

Aestrea slowly raised his hand.

SLAAAAP!

The sound echoed unnaturally in the frozen world. The angel’s head snapped violently to the side, a streak of blood flying from his lip.

Time resumed.

“Ghhhhh—!” Alen staggered, his wings flaring in shock. His voice trembled, filled with disbelief. “Y-you… you stopped time… A mortal cannot… this power belongs only to gods!”

Aestrea’s hand reached forward, fingers pressing firmly against the angel’s chestplate.

“Impacto.”

BOOOOOOOOOOM!!!

The force detonated like a cannon.

The angel’s body was launched skyward at impossible speed, spinning wildly through the clouds.

He shot across the horizon in a blur, his form vanishing in seconds, then reappearing moments later as he completed an entire orbit around the world.

FWOOSH!

Before he could fly around again, Aestrea appeared above him, silver aura burning hotter, and seized him by the throat.

The angel’s wings flailed, his spear trembling in his grip, but Aestrea didn’t give him the chance to resist.

With a single cold motion, he hurled him downward.

CRAAAAAASH!!!

Alen’s body slammed into the earth like a meteor.

The impact ripped open the land, an explosion of dirt and rock blasting upward as shockwaves flattened everything within miles.

SSS-rankers screamed as they were thrown into the air, shields snapping under the pressure.

Christina fell to her knees, her holy aura barely protecting her from being crushed outright.

Her pink eyes widened in horror as she stared at the crater where the angel had been driven.

Aestrea landed gently above it, silver aura swirling like a storm.

His frost sword glimmered in his hand as he looked down at the struggling angel buried in the dirt.

Alen coughed blood, his armor cracked, his divine aura flickering. He glared up, eyes burning with disbelief.

“You… monster…”

But Aestrea only tilted his head, smiling coldly.

“Monster?”

He stepped forward, the silver energy dripping off him like poison.

Alen tried to crawl back, his wings twitching, but Aestrea’s boot pressed down hard onto his chest.

THUUUD.

“Ghhhhh—!” Alen gasped as his ribs strained, his breath caught under the crushing weight.

Aestrea leaned down slightly, his glowing eyes reflecting only cold amusement. His lips curved into a sharp smile.

“I heard something… You angels… your wings are the most special part of you.”

His voice was quiet, almost playful, but every word dripped with cruelty.

“So…” His boot ground harder into Alen’s chest, cracking the dirt beneath them.

“What happens if I rip them off?”

Alen’s golden eyes widened.

“No…” His voice cracked, trembling with something far worse than pain… fear. A raw, primal fear that made his body shake.

“Do you…” Aestrea murmured, leaning closer, his silver aura crawling across the angel’s skin like icy needles. “…turn human when your wings are gone?”

“Stop—!” Alen shouted, his voice breaking, his hands clawing weakly at the boot crushing him down.

His body trembled violently, as if even the thought of losing his wings tore through his spirit.

Christina’s breath caught in her throat.

She knew… everyone knew. For an angel, the wings were not just flesh, they were their soul, their divinity, their very existence.

To lose them was worse than death.

Aestrea crouched, his hand slowly reaching back, fingers brushing against the base of one of the glowing wings.

The instant he touched it, Alen screamed.

“AAAGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!”

His body arched, veins bulging as divine light burst from his wounds. The wing thrashed violently, but Aestrea’s grip only tightened.

He tilted his head again, smiling with that cruel, childlike curiosity.

“Sensitive, aren’t they?”

“DON’T! PLEASE—!” Alen’s voice cracked, no longer carrying divine authority, only terror. His golden eyes darted wildly, his face pale, sweat dripping down.

Aestrea leaned closer, his cold breath brushing against the angel’s ear.

“Beg louder.”

His hand pulled.

CRRRRSHHHHHHH!

The sound of flesh tearing and bones snapping echoed across the battlefield.

White feathers scattered into the wind, burning faintly with golden light before dimming to ash.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!”

Alen’s scream was like no other.

Not rage or pain, but pure despair.

His entire body convulsed as if his soul itself was being ripped apart. Blood poured from the wound at his back, staining the dirt below in rivers.

Aestrea’s smile only widened, his eyes glowing brighter.

He held the wing in his hand, still twitching, still glowing faintly, before letting it drop casually onto the ground.

THUD.

The angel’s chest heaved.

His eyes rolled back, tears mixing with blood as he panted, every breath rattling. His remaining three wings quivered, folding around him as if to shield themselves in desperation.

But Aestrea wasn’t finished.

His hand slid to the base of another wing.

Alen froze.

His entire body went stiff, his voice cracking into a broken whisper.

“No… not again… don’t… please… I… I’ll die…”

For the first time since his descent, the great divine warrior of the Goddess looked nothing like an angel.

His holy presence had collapsed, reduced to trembling fear under Aestrea’s boot.

Aestrea leaned closer, his lips curling into a whisper that cut like a blade.

“Then die screaming.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep