Chapter 417: The Beginning Of The End [LXXIX]

Fwisp!

A massive fireball, compressed to an extreme density, was hurled straight toward Aestrea, its surface warping the air as waves of heat rolled outward.

But before it could reach him…

Swish!

Aestrea vanished.

In the next instant, he reappeared right behind the fireball, both swords gripped tightly in his hands, his body already moving forward as if the attack had never existed.

Fwisp!

Suddenly, hundreds of fireballs rained toward him in a relentless barrage, each one screaming through the air as they curved to track his position.

Aestrea didn’t dodge or retreat upon seeing this.

He calmly lifted his left hand, pointing forward with a single finger while still holding his sword, his expression staying completely calm.

『 ✯ Winter Series ✯: Chains of Eternal Winter! (✯ Godly Spell ✯) 』

Fssshhhh…

The space in front of him split open as countless silver-white chains burst forth, twisting and coiling like living serpents.

They wrapped around the incoming fireballs one after another, tightening instantly.

The terrifying heat vanished.

What should have incinerated everything instead exploded into clouds of hissing steam, the violent temperatures being crushed and neutralized by absolute cold.

The barrage was erased completely.

Aestrea didn’t waste even a second.

The moment the last fireball was suppressed, he shot forward, his figure blurring as he closed the distance toward one of the flame gods.

But before he could reach his target, the other four moved at the same time.

They stepped together, positioning themselves beside their ally with perfect coordination.

Flames surged violently from their bodies as all five raised their hands at once, their authorities overlapping.

A massive shield of fire formed instantly in front of them.

Layer upon layer of condensed flame compressed together, spinning rapidly and emitting a deafening roar as it stabilized.

The heat was intense enough to distort space itself.

Seeing this, Aestrea halted mid-step and calmly took a step back.

Fwip!

He stabbed Midnight straight into the frozen ground.

Crack!

Silver frost spread outward from the blade, locking it firmly in place. With his right hand now free, Aestrea raised it slowly, twisting his wrist lightly.

A tiny silver ball began forming at the tip of his middle finger, held delicately in place by his thumb.

Though small, it radiated terrifying cold, causing the surrounding air to freeze and crack.

『 Frost Blast! (✯ Godly Spell ✯) 』

Aestrea flicked the silver ball, and at the same time, he also swung the Heaven Swallowing Sword.

FWOOOOOOM!

A sharp crescent wave of energy tore through the air, its edge wrapped in faint crimson lightning as it surged forward alongside the silver sphere.

The two attacks met mid-flight, fusing with each other.

The crescent energy wrapped around the Frost Blast, stabilizing it and accelerating it further as they slammed together into the flaming shield.

Fshhh!

The crescent wave struck first, tearing straight through the flame shield as if it were nothing more than thin paper.

The condensed fire was devoured instantly, leaving the formation wide open.

The Frost Blast followed immediately after.

FREEEEZEEEE!

A massive explosion erupted as cyan-colored mist burst outward violently, swallowing the entire area.

The temperature plummeted in an instant, frost racing across the ground and freezing everything in its path until it reached Aestrea’s feet.

The world fell silent.

“….”

Aestrea casually waved his hand.

The mist was pushed aside.

And there they were.

All four gods stood frozen in place, their expressions locked in shock and disbelief, bodies completely encased in thick, flawless ice like lifeless statues, with their flames completely extinguished, authorities suppressed, and movement literally frozen.

But soon…

Crack!

A sharp sound echoed through the frozen domain.

Fine fractures suddenly spread across the ice statues, thin lines crawling outward like spiderwebs.

Faint smoke began to leak from within the cracks, carrying heat that should never have existed in something frozen by a Mythical-level Authority.

Aestrea frowned slightly.

After all, he had used a Mythical-grade Authority of Ice.

“…Is it because fire is one hundred percent effective against ice?” he muttered.

But he immediately shook his head.

“No… even with that, my ice should have completely overwhelmed their fire.”

Something was wrong.

Before he could think further, the ice shattered.

CRASH!

The four frozen statues broke apart at once, ice exploding outward in sharp fragments. As the smoke cleared, Aestrea’s eyes narrowed sharply.

There weren’t four figures anymore.

There was only one.

A single towering figure stood where they had been, surrounded by intense heat and unstable divinity.

Traces of each of the four gods were still present; one had flame-forged armor embedded into the body, another’s weapon had fused into a massive axe, while the others’ auras overlapped and twisted unnaturally.

Each of the four had left behind something unique.

“A fusion spell, just like James & Derek?” his eyes widened in realization, as this meant that their power had probably reached over to the 8✯ True God realm.

’…Fuck.’

’I need to save my domain for that control maniac.’

Without hesitation, Aestrea activated his mark.

『 ✯ Moon Mark ✯ 』

Silver light burst across his body, intricate patterns spreading over his skin as his presence surged sharply.

His divinity rose explosively, pressure rolling outward in heavy waves.

At the same time, the fused god vanished and reappeared right in front of him.

CLANG!

A massive axe descended from above, the sheer force behind it distorting the air. Aestrea crossed both of his swords instantly, blocking the blow just inches above his head.

Clink…!

The divine metal literally screamed.

Sparks burst outward violently as the weapons locked together, the ground beneath Aestrea’s feet cracking under the pressure.

His arms tensed as he was forced slightly downward, but his stance remained firm.

His eyes suddenly glowed with a strange silver hue.

FWOOOOM!

A concentrated beam of energy shot straight from his left eye, tearing through the air and slamming into the fused god’s chest.

BOOOOM!

A gaping hole appeared instantly, completely piercing through his torso as blood and flame exploded outward.

“URRRRRRAAAAAGHHHHHHHH!”

The fused god screamed in pure agony, his body trembling violently as he tried to force his authority to heal.

Seeing this, Aestrea took the opportunity to snap his fingers.

『 Bleed 』

“ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!”

The wound tore open further before any healing could stabilize it.

Flesh split violently, ribs cracking apart as the hole expanded downward, nearly reaching the lower edge of his waist.

Blood poured out uncontrollably, the damage worsening the more divinity was forced into recovery.

Even so, the fused god didn’t give up.

“GRRRRRRRRRRRR!”

Gritting his teeth through the pain, veins bulging across his neck, he raised his axe once again.

This time, it was completely engulfed in blazing golden flames, far denser and more violent than before.

Seeing this, Aestrea’s eyes widened slightly, but instead of dodging or blocking the strike, he recalled both of his swords.

And then, he stepped forward, taking the full hit of the incoming axe.

BOOOOOOM!

The golden flames exploded upon impact, swallowing Aestrea’s body entirely.

The sheer heat was catastrophic, instantly burning away his outer layer of skin.

Flesh was exposed as his body was torn apart by flames, blood evaporating mid-air as the fire ravaged him without mercy.

His skin cracked.

Split…

Charred muscle and bone were briefly visible beneath the inferno, his body pushed to the brink as the ground beneath him melted into molten glass.

“Ughh… fuuu…!”

Aestrea staggered slightly, steam still rising from his body.

Of course, he survived… barely, but he did.

Charred flesh cracked and peeled away as fresh skin rapidly regenerated beneath it.

Torn muscles knitted back together, bones realigning with faint cracking sounds as his body healed at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Wisps of pale light wrapped around his wounds, sealing them one after another.

As the last burn faded, Aestrea straightened.

And then, his lips slowly curled upward into a faint smirk.

The fused man froze, confusion flashing across his eyes.

THRUUUUUM!

The ground suddenly began to tremble violently, deep cracks spreading outward as if something massive had awakened beneath it.

Aestrea’s feet lifted off the ground, his body slowly levitating into the air as an overwhelming presence poured out from him.

Behind Aestrea, a massive yin-yang symbol manifested, slowly rotating as if governing balance itself.

The surrounding space distorted under its presence, and an invisible pressure crashed down toward the fused god, forcing his knees to bend and nearly making him kiss the ground.

His breath turned heavy.

It felt as though the weight of countless lives was pressing down on his soul.

The moon-shaped symbols within Aestrea’s eyes shifted and dissolved, and in their place, a white carp and a black carp appeared, swimming calmly where his pupils once were.

As they moved, a vast black-and-white aura erupted outward, spreading through the air like a tide, swallowing heat, sound, and even divinity itself.

The world felt… judged.

Seeing this, the fused man’s eyes widened completely, terror carving itself deep into his expression.

“W-wasn’t your Authority… F-Frost?” he stammered in complete surprise, his voice shaking with pure fear.

But as the image before him fully registered, realization struck like lightning.

His face drained of color.

“Y-you… y-you are the F-Fallen G-God!!!”

The name escaped his lips like a curse.

At those words, Aestrea smiled coldly.

“That is indeed true. You should be quite proud, as I don’t often use my most precious Authority on normal opponents, but you actually forced me to use it!”

Fwooom!

The yin-yang symbol expanded dramatically, growing larger and larger until it seemed to loom over the entire domain.

The two carps in his eyes began swimming faster, spiraling violently as the black-and-white aura surged outward in roaring waves.

Aestrea slowly extended his hand.

『 ✯ Authority of Karma ✯ 』

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