Chapter 479: Final Act (2)

“Not bad,” murmured Allen Javius. Having returned to the form of his younger self, his mana now surged at its peak.

A peculiar smile lingered on his face, as if touched by a wave of nostalgia.

“I get it,” he said, turning to Yula. “Getting drunk on power. It does feel like you could reshape the entire world.”

“A mere specter dares to covet the power of a god? How pathetic. You’ll soon crumble under that power, and your very soul will be snuffed out.”

“Hah, we’ll see about that,” Allen snorted. “We humans have killed three gods so far, and yet you still underestimate us. I wonder, are you really that confident, or just delusional?”

At that, Yula’s brow twitched.

“D-Damn it...!!”

Suddenly, one of the fallen gods near Miliana began to stir, their body trembling as though resisting death itself.

𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

“Why... Why am I...? How could a god like me...?!”

The hood of the god’s robe fell back, revealing a face covered in blue scales—reminiscent of a lizard. Their eyes bladed with rage and disbelief.

“You’re still alive?”

Allen shifted his gaze from the god to Miliana—slumped nearby, unconscious. He could hardly blame her, as she had gone far beyond her limits.

“Hmm...” Turning back to the scaled god, Allen casually asked, “Which one are you?”

However, he shrugged dismissively before the god could respond. “Never mind. It doesn’t matter. You’ll die regardless.”

“Arrogant fool! If not for the constraints of interdimensional law, I wouldn’t be suffering this humiliation at the hands of humans!”

“Are you really blaming the rules for your defeat?” Allen chuckled. “Nono, you lost because you’re weak, simple as that.”

With that, Allen seized the god by the collar, lifting them effortlessly. “We started from nothing, and we managed to drag you down from your pedestal. So what right have you to complain?”

“Khh...! Ghrr...!”

“This isn’t a child’s game. There’s no such thing as a fair fight, whether with humans or with gods.”

“Let me go! Release me, you wretched—”

“No. Mercy isn’t one of my virtues.”

Allen raised his free hand above his head.

Crackle! Zzzzt—! Snap!

A shimmering silver staff took form in his hand, pulsing with raw energy.

“Aaah... It’s been a while.”

This was the staff he had wielded as leader of the Assembly—a construct of pure mana, existing both as a tangible weapon and an intangible force.

“H-How...? How can a mere specter conjure something so effortlessly...?”

The scaled god’s eyes widened in disbelief as they stared at the staff in Allen’s grasp.

“The power of gods is said to come from the union of opposites: light and darkness, creation and destruction, battle and balance."

The staff glowed with a deep violet hue, swirling with a complex interplay of mana.

“Synthesis of power. Among humans, none have studied it as deeply as I have.”

Allen was the first human to develop Arcane Technique, a groundbreaking form of magic that combined opposing attributes into a single, harmonious force.

Though humans were typically born with only one element, Allen Javius was an exception. As one of Narh Di Maug’s seven disciples, he alone had pioneered the Arcane Technique, achieving feats that even gods marvelled at.

He had achieved all of that as a human.

“You’re right.” Allen Javius ’s voice was calm but carried an edge of finality. “Such dangerous power would be a limitation for mortal flesh. But with my spectral form, I can wield it fully.”

Unlike Karyl, who relied on a fusion of sword and magic to channel Divine Power, Allen had absorbed the Dimension Spiral into his very being. The lizard-like god couldn’t suppress the shudder that ran through him. The oppressive presence radiating from Allen was overwhelming—even to a god.

“You really think you can wield the power of a deity? Such excessive strength always leads to ruin.”

Crack! Boom!

“Argh...!”

Allen swept his hand downward, summoning a crimson bolt of lightning that crashed down on the lizard god, piercing his skull in the blink of an eye.

“Aaaargh...!”

The god convulsed as the electricity coursed through them, leaving their entire form charred and smoldering.

The lightning was fueled not just with the raw power of Allen’s Arcane technique, but also with his unbound fury.

“Ruin, you say?”

Allen planted his foot on the scorched god’s head, pressing down with cold disdain.

“I’m already dead. If this power consumes me and I face destruction, so be it.”

With that, slowly pointed at Yula with his staff—its silver shaft gleaming in the light, its ornate carvings shimmering ominously.

“At least I’ll be taking you with me.”

“A bold claim,” another voice broke through, calm yet resolute. “But one I can respect. Only the dead can clean up after the living. It’s late, but I’ll join you."

Zarka Hochi stepped forward, holding the Dimension Spiral he had plucked from the charred remains of the lizard god. His blackened hands trembled as if the spiral’s energy radiated an unbearable heat.

“I’m already dead, so it doesn’t matter what happens to me. But if there’s one regret, it’s that I won’t get to see the future you’ll create.”

Zarka’s gaze lingered on Kay Rothschild, a bitter smile on his face.

“Zarka...”

He stepped closer and gently rested his hand on her shoulder.

“You’ve been a joy to watch. You remind me of the days I served Fürrel. Those were good times.”

“I-I’m your master,” Kay managed to say in a quavering voice. “I won’t forgive you for acting without my orders...”

She knew all too well how hollow her words sounded.

“I’ve been trapped in the past for too long. Just being here with you, witnessing everything, has been more than enough.”

With a soft sight and a chuckle, he continued, “Go on. Take my place and move forward."

Vrrrrr...!

The gemstone embedded in Zarka’s chest began to resonate with the Dimension Spiral, the two merging into a single, brilliant light.

“Ghh...!”

Despite being a puppet, devoid of flesh, Zarka let out a gasp as the divine fragment fused with his core, searing through his form like an inferno.

“You swallowed all that without even a change in expression? Hah, you’re insane,” Allen remarked, watching with a faint smirk.

But Zarka’s form began to change. His lifeless, mechanical body transformed, taking on the vibrant appearance of the elf he had once been, the guardian of Elvenheim.

Zarka looked down at his hands, momentarily startled by his renewed form.

“Now, there’s only one left.”

Allen grasped the final Dimension Spiral and turned his gaze to Karyl, who was still locked in battle with Yula.

“We’re out of time. Karyl won’t be able to hold her off much longer. If it comes to it, I’ll have to use this myself.”

“Wait.”

Zarka raised his hand, pointing behind them.

“Get out of my way!” Yula shouted as she realized that the Second God’s fragment had been claimed by Zarka.

Seeing the tide turning, she intensified her efforts to break through Karyl’s fierce defense. But the more she pressed, the harder he pushed back, throwing every ounce of strength and sheer will into stopping her.

“You’re not getting past me!” Karyl roared, his body battered but his resolve unbroken.

“Tch!”

Yula frowned, her eyes flashing with cruelty. She raised her hand and brought it down in a decisive motion.

Hundreds of beams of light rained down, striking Karyl with merciless precision.

“Urgh!”

Karyl lifted his sword to block, but the relentless explosions sent him hurtling through the air, his body skidding across the ground. As he tried to stand, another beam pierced his back, forcing him forward as blood seeped through his tattered clothing.

“Too slow,” Yula sneered.

But as Karyl pushed himself to his feet, his battered face cracked into a faint smile.

“The final shard’s master has arrived.”

At that moment, the sound of wings flapping filled the air.

“There is one more among the dead, the most reliable of them all.”

“Indeed,” Allen added, tilting his head upward to see the massive shadow descending from the skies. “How shameful to arrive late. While the successors fought valiantly, the predecessors merely watched.”

The Golden Dragon Toska landed with a thundering crash, the ground trembling beneath his weight.

“Watched? Such a nasty lie,” Toska retorted, his golden eyes glinting as he shifted into a humanoid form. “The only reason you told us of Karyl’s plan in the first place was to secure the Dimension Spirals for yourselves.”

Allen smirked slightly, shaking his head.

“Had we not intervened, you likely would have claimed all three Spirals for yourself.”

With that, Allen handed over the final shard. Toska extended his human hand and took it without hesitation.

Whoooosh...!

Unlike the others, Toska absorbed the Dimension Spiral effortlessly. His golden form solidified, radiating vitality and power. His face betrayed a mix of emotions, as though reconciling with a strength he had long relinquished.

“That’s a true dragon, alright,” Zarka muttered, marveling at how easily Toska adapted to the Divine Power.

While Zarka had forcibly consumed the shard, enduring immense agony, Toska wielded it as if it had been his own all along.

“As the sun sends its rays and casts shadows, my power is closer to divinity than any other race could claim,” Toska declared, his voice calm but resonant with authority.

Allen nodded with a somewhat reverent expression.

“Then show us. Prove that it’s not the gods who are mighty, but simply those who wield great power.”

BOOOOOOM—!!!

Toska complied with Allen’s request and unleashed his power. A blinding light flooded the battlefield, and for a moment, it felt as if the world itself had turned white.

Arcane Book of Polsetia: First Golden Deception

This was one of the spells Toska had once devised in his lifetime. Now, its scale and intensity were immeasurably greater.

“You...!!” Yula roared as thousands of radiant blades of light surged toward her in an unstoppable tide.

Clang—!!!

She raised her sword, its crimson glow surrounding her as a protective barrier formed.

Slash—

But her expression stiffened, a cold chill running through her as she felt two sharp, precise cuts along her arms.

From within Toska’s light, two streaks of shadow, Allen and Zarka, had pierced through, their blades striking true.

Yula’s arms trembled, her grip on her weapon faltering. Her barrier collapsed, leaving her vulnerable as the radiant blades rained down.

Shwick! Shwick! Boom!

The swords of light embedded themselves in her, trembling violently as if consuming her from within.

“Guh...!” Yula staggered, letting out a strangled cry as she fell to her knees, her form pierced and surrounded by the radiant shards.

“Stand up, Karyl,” Allen urged him, kneeling by his side to help him to his feet.

“Allen...”

“You’ve held up well. Now, the moment we’ve been waiting for is here.”

Allen’s eyes gleamed with determination as he supported Karyl.

“Your task is simple. Drive your blade into her neck. End this, once and for all.”