Chapter 367: The Beginning Of The End [XXIX]

Aestrea lowered his stance.

His fingers slid along the hilt of his blade, and for the first time since entering the chamber, the sword reacted by vibrating softly, as if it had been waiting for this exact moment.

Thin streams of cold air curled around him, pulling in the shadows, pulling in the frost, pulling in every fragment of power he had kept sealed until now.

The ground trembled.

His breathing stilled.

CLACK.

He took a single step forward, and yet…

The entire domain shivered like a dying star.

“Moonlit Ice Lotus Sword Art…”

Frost ran across the blade in an instant, coating it in a thin glassy sheet. His shadow twisted beneath him, turning into a long streak of shimmering white and black.

He raised the sword.

CRACKLE!

The space and time cracked in response.

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

He vanished from their sight.

B A A A A A A A M !!!

A single flash of pale moonlight ripped through the chamber like a collapsing star.

The room was perfectly split.

A clean, perfect line carved straight through the floor, through the walls, through his own Domain of Silence.

The domain shattered like thin glass, breaking into floating black shards that dissolved into nothing.

A ripping sound followed, loud and deep, as if the world’s bones had been broken.

GRRRRAAAAAACK—!

Space itself tore open behind the three gods, forming a long vertical fissure that leaked a violent white glow.

Distorted gravity pulled at their cloaks, twisting the air around their bodies. The stone walls bent inward, warping like soft metal under impossible pressure.

The three gods tried to strike back in the same instant.

The flame-wing god shot forward, wings roaring as they burned an opening through the collapsing space.

He slammed a huge flaming fist toward Aestrea’s chest, but Aestrea was already on the other side of the domain before he could notice.

BOOOOM!

Half his torso split open, glowing cracks running down his ribs as blood poured out in heavy streams.

At the same time, he judgment-chain god swung a silver hammer downward, aiming at Aestrea’s head.

CRASSSSH!!

Aestrea swept through him, too, his sword carving straight across his armor. His entire right arm tore off in a violent spray of red.

The burning sword god tried to dodge with a step, dragging his flaming blade in front of him like a shield.

SHHHHRIIIPPPP!

The sword snapped in half.

Then his chest opened from shoulder to hip in a single clean cut.

All three gods hit the ground at once, their bodies slamming against the frozen floor hard enough to leave craters under them.

Silence.

The fissure in space behind them stretched further, growing longer and deeper.

A suction force dragged the broken air inward, pulling chunks of stone, furniture, shards of ice, and pages of documents toward the tear.

“Fuu…” Aestrea exhaled once and dragged his sword sideways to clear the frost covering it.

Crimson ice flaked off the metal like cold snow, but he wasn’t standing comfortably.

His knees buckled.

Blood dripped from his mouth, running down his chin in thin lines.

The skin along his arms cracked open, glowing faintly as frost and divine energy leaked out of him. His ribs were dented, and his vision blurred in and out.

Still…

Still, he stood.

The three gods slowly pushed themselves up as well, shaking, their bodies trembling uncontrollably.

The flame-wing god’s left wing was half gone, burned off by Aestrea’s own ice.

The judgment god’s arm stump poured silver blood, the wound not healing fast enough.

The burning sword god had a deep cut down to bone, his entire body shaking as divine energy leaked out of him.

Slowly, Aestrea turned around and looked at them with narrowed eyes.

‘…Tsk.’

He clicked his tongue as he saw them still standing, albeit deeply injured. He scanned the domain and could see that it was about to dissipate.

So, he needed to act fast!

Firstly, he wiped the blood dripping from his mouth with the back of his hand.

The wound on his side sealed with a soft hiss.

His broken skin began to knit together slowly.

Even while bleeding, even while exhausted, even while barely standing, his presence made the room tremble like it were kneeling.

One of the gods staggered backward, clutching his broken arm.

Another swallowed hard, sweat dripping under his hood.

The last one looked at the sword half-torn in his grip, then looked at Aestrea… and fear filled his eyes for the first time.

Their eyes opened as if trying to say something, but were blocked by his domain as Aestrea slowly lifted his sword, the frost sliding down the blade and dripping onto the destroyed floor.

….Fwoop!

He vanished.

The half-winged god’s eyes widened in terror as Aestrea appeared right in front of him, sword already cutting down toward his chest.

Reflex took over as he threw up his remaining wing in a desperate attempt to block.

Swish!

The wing detached cleanly, spinning in the air before slamming into the wall.

A fountain of blood burst from the god’s shoulder, a strangled gasp escaping his mouth even though he couldn’t speak.

Aestrea pulled back to deliver the finishing strike, but his instincts screamed.

He twisted his body sideways and jumped just as a thick silver chain carved through the air where his head had been.

FSSH!

The judgement chain tore a long crack into the stone floor, sending debris spraying everywhere.

The chain-user clicked his tongue, still silent but visibly furious. He snapped his wrist, making the chain whip upward toward Aestrea’s face.

Aestrea reacted immediately, stepping lightly on the chain’s edge to launch himself upward.

But the moment his foot pressed down, the metal links suddenly expanded and wrapped tightly around his leg like a hungry snake.

“…Fuck.”

He cursed and swung his sword down to cut himself free.

CLANG!!

A violent spark burst as his blade met another weapon.

The burning sword god had intercepted him, slamming his cracked, flaming blade into Aestrea’s attack with a crazed grin stretching under his hood.

Aestrea’s expression dropped into pure coldness.

BAAAAAAAAAAM!!!

A shockwave of ice burst from his body, spreading outward in a thick, raging wave. Frost devoured everything it touched.

The burning sword god froze mid-swing, his entire body turning stiff as frost crawled over him.

The judgment chain also iced over instantly, loosening its grip on Aestrea’s leg before shattering into thick frozen chunks.

But Aestrea had made one mistake; he had forgotten the god he’d disarmed earlier.

Behind him, the wingless god charged forward, rage twisting his face.

He swung a fist straight at Aestrea’s skull, aiming to crush it with raw divine force.

His knuckles glowed with condensed divine energy, the air around them trembling from the sheer pressure.

And at that moment…

Aestrea’s lips curled up.

Fwip!

SPLURT!

His sword flashed horizontally with a speed that made the air itself tear. No one saw the swing. Not even the god who attacked.

All they saw was a head separating from a body.

It lifted for a moment, almost floating, blood spraying upward in long arcs…

Then the head dropped, landing on the ice-coated floor with a dull, sickening roll.

The wingless god’s body collapsed next, falling forward in a heavy thud.

Aestrea flicked the blood off his sword once, his expression barely changing as the corpse twitched at his feet.

[You’ve killed an Intermediate 7✯ True God!]

[You have absorbed the Authority of Angels!]

[The Authority of Karma has been strengthened!]

[The Authority of Ice has been strengthened!]

Then, his eyes turned to the two remaining gods.

One was frozen in place with his burning sword still half-raised, the other gripping the shattered remains of his judgment chains, trembling so hard his hood shook.

Both of them stared at Aestrea with the same expression.

Hopeless fear.

The kind that only shows up when someone realizes death has already stepped into the room.

Aestrea stepped once.

CRACK.

The ground broke under his foot.

Another step.

CRUNCH.

The frost spread farther, crawling toward them like a hungry beast.

The burning sword god tried to move first.

His frozen body creaked as he forced one leg forward, trying to swing the flaming blade again. His eyes burned with stubborn rage as he cracked through the ice covering his chest.

He raised his sword high, flames sparking back to life despite the frost.

He forced his mouth open, but still no sound came out.

Aestrea didn’t let him try a second time.

He vanished.

FWOOOSH!

Cold air ripped open behind him as he reappeared directly in front of the burning sword god. The flames flared wildly in shock.

Aestrea grabbed the flaming blade with his bare hand.

The god’s eyes shot wide as he tried to pull back, but Aestrea tightened his grip, frost exploding across the burning metal.

CRACK!

The flaming sword shattered like brittle glass.

Aestrea didn’t stop.

He dragged the broken half of the sword down, forcing the god’s arm with it—then sliced upward with his own blade in the same motion.

SHHKK—!

The sword god’s arm flew into the air.

A spray of bright divine blood followed, painting the wall in a wide arc.

The god staggered back, clutching the stump, silent screams tearing through his throat.

Aestrea stepped forward and punched him in the chest with the hilt of his sword.

BOOM!!

His fist went straight through the chest plate, pushing the god backward like he’d been hit by a collapsing building. The god slammed into the wall, stone cracking behind him.

Aestrea raised his sword overhead.

The burning sword god lifted his remaining hand, trembling, trying to scream for help or something, but the Domain still held.

He couldn’t even whisper a prayer.

Aestrea’s sword came down.

SPLAT—!

The blade split the god vertically from head to waist. His body slid apart, both halves dropping to the floor in a heavy, wet mess.

[You’ve killed a High 7✯ True God!]

[You have absorbed the Authority of the Burning Sword!]

[The Authority of Karma has been strengthened!]

[The Authority of Ice has been strengthened!]

Only one remained.

The judgment chain wielder.

He stumbled backward the moment the corpse hit the ground, his hands shaking uncontrollably as he tried to piece together another chain from the fragments still frozen on the floor.

Aestrea didn’t give him time.

He dashed forward, frost bursting under his feet.

The chain god threw a desperate punch at Aestrea’s face, raw divine strength pouring into the swing.

Aestrea caught the fist in his free hand.

CRACK.

Bones shattered instantly.

The chain god’s eyes widened in agony as his arm bent in the wrong direction, the broken limb twisting under Aestrea’s grip.

He tried to pull away.

Aestrea yanked him closer instead.

Their faces were only inches apart now, and the god shook like a child staring at a beast he couldn’t outrun.

Aestrea tightened his hold on the broken arm and whispered, his voice the only sound allowed in the Domain:

“…You should’ve stayed hidden.”

Then he crushed the arm completely.

CRUNCHHH—!

The god collapsed to his knees with a silent scream, blood pouring from his mouth.

Aestrea raised his sword.

The god lifted both hands to shield himself, but they trembled so hard they barely stayed up.

Aestrea swung in a clean, horizontal line.

WHIP—!

SPLURT!

The god’s hands flew one way.

His head flew to the other.

His body fell forward, hitting the floor with a heavy, fleshy thump.

And just like that… the Domain of Silence dissipated away, revealing the old, hidden room once again.

[You’ve killed a Semi 8✯ True God!]

[You have absorbed the Authority of Chains!]

[The Authority of Karma has been strengthened!]

[The Authority of Ice has been strengthened!]

[The Authority of Ice has reached the Mythical Grade!]

[The Authority of Karma has reached the Semi-Celestial Grade!]

[Your presence within the universe has expanded!]

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