The time for mortal men to engage in the struggle was over. The twins swiftly adopted Mike's plan, promptly briefing the archmage on the plan, his knowledge of the intricacies of teleportation magic required to execute their audacious move. The air itself crackled with tension as Valicar, adorned with Red Noon, faced the Pillar of the East, Bellic, who stared down at him from the elevated plateau. The flaming sword blazed with anticipation, its flames dancing wildly as if foretelling the impending clash. In a synchronized effort with Spellweaver, Sophia initiated the teleportation spell, whisking Bellic and the Pillar of the West high into the sky. The crowd below, both allies and adversaries, watched in awe as the celestial battlefield unfolded. The two pillars vanished from the earthly realm, now poised high above their army.
Valicar descended from the heavens, wings spread wide, Red Noon raised to meet the Pillar head-on—an incarnate of fiery vengeance streaking towards Bellic. As their blades clashed for the first time, a surge of demonic flames enveloped Bellic. At that moment, Mike's enraged voice rang out, "You will die here today, Bellic!" The flames danced upon Bellic's form, scorching him with infernal intensity.
However, the demonic onslaught proved futile as Bellic's regeneration kicked in, healing him with astonishing speed. His form, once engulfed in flames, emerged unscathed. With a sinister grin, Bellic locked eyes with Mike and retorted, "You will wish you were dead by the time I'm done with you!" The celestial battlefield echoed with their exchange, a mixture of demonic fury and divine menace colliding amidst the ethereal expanse. The onlookers marveled at the spectacle, their collective energy unwittingly fueling Mike's demonic pact to Anna Sha, driving his strength to new bounds. As the clash of celestial beings continued, the crimson flames of Red Noon turned ebony in the center, signifying the escalation of their otherworldly conflict.
Meanwhile, also in the sky, Spellweaver and Altheack directed their combined might toward the Pillar of the West. Altheack, now transformed into a colossal Chimera, was the pinnacle of druid nature magic. A powerful spell that took aspects from several monsters, she became a mix of a hydra and wyvern with a dozen different beasts intertwined. Her monstrous form roared with newfound power.
As the Pillar of the West struggled to withstand the relentless elemental onslaught, Spellweaver called out with determination, "WE END THIS ONCE AND FOR ALL, WEST!" His voice resonated like thunder as he summoned bolts of lightning from the sky, striking the Pillar near his impenetrable shield.
"You are a fool to challenge the Empire, Spellweaver! Your mage filth has been a stain on the world for far too long. After you are gone, I will finish what I started at HelmHold!" The Pillar retorted, his words dripping with malice. With a burst of divine energy, he sprouted wings adorned with angelic feathers, elevating himself to challenge the Archmage in close combat.
However, Altheack intercepted the Pillar of the West, engaging him in a fierce battle. Tooth and claw lashed out with the beast's mighty magical appendages, and elemental attacks roared forth – acid, fire, lightning. The Pillar, a master of holy magic, deployed a golden shield that deflected the onslaught. The sky became a battleground, the clash of elemental forces painting a vivid picture of the struggle between magic and divine power.
The battle raged on for over an hour, evolving into a war of attrition. Altheack, in her colossal Chimera form, lost limbs and heads only to regenerate with powerful healing magic, mirroring the resilience of the Pillar of the East. High above, Valicar fought desperately, and in a moment of telepathic connection, reached out to Spellweaver. "I have the means to kill Bellic and maybe the other Pillar too! I just need you to contain the blast and the lingering energy," Sophia urgently called to the archmage.
"I have an attack that might work, but it will take some time. The problem is, it's easy to dodge, so your timing will have to be perfect," Spellweaver replied as Gorlion, having recovered enough magic, entered the fray with a powerful spell sending shards of gems, diamonds, and rubies flying at high speeds. Although it glanced off the Pillar of the West's shield, it drew his attention.
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Seizing a crucial moment, Mike forcefully slammed the hilt of Red Noon into Bellic's face, smashing his face into a bloody mess. The impact hurled Bellic towards the Pillar of the West, the air resonating with the urgency of cries, "Move NOW, Alth!" Sophia, with unparalleled intensity, unleashed her might, dropping a magical nuke enchanted with the ominous incantation for the implosion spell, "Xurax." The uranium-fueled explosion, akin to a sun's fury, erupted, engulfing the sky and parts of the ground, including imperial troops. The Alliance, strategically positioned on the plateau, spared the brunt of the blast.
Simultaneously, Spellweaver, sensing the impending cataclysm, harnessed forbidden spatial magic. In a profound moment, he conjured a small black hole, tearing through reality itself. The black hole absorbed the explosion, but not before it hit its target. The Pillar of the West, caught in the destructive dance between nuclear fire and gravitational forces, succumbed to an inexorable pull. Trapped between the raging nuclear inferno and the relentless gravity, the Pillar met a gruesome fate.
In the wake of the cataclysm, thousands perished, consumed by the collateral destruction unleashed in this clash of cosmic titans. The divine essence of the Pillar was devoured by the inescapable void, leaving an eerie emptiness in the Imperial ranks, quivering in the aftermath.
The aftermath of the explosion was massive but fleeting, as reality itself seemed torn asunder. Altheack barely managed to escape in time, and although Bellic suffered critical wounds with half his body atomized, he regenerated. Yet, the radiation left its mark; his left arm mutated into a grotesque lump of cancerous flesh.
The remnants of the Pillar's energy dispersed, becoming a beacon for Mike. Sensing the Pillar's soul heavy with power, he couldn't resist. "Wait, Mike!" Sophia called out, but it was too late. Mike offered the soul to Anna Sha, and she greedily accepted. "Trust me, Soph," Mike said as power filled him.
Valicar harnessed the consumed souls through Crimson Flame, causing Red Noon's power to surge to unprecedented heights. The once scarlet flames transformed into an ebony crimson infused with necromancy, pulsating with the raw essence of the devoured souls. Fueled by this dark empowerment, Mike unleashed his wrath upon the Imperial army, becoming an unstoppable force that cut through thousands of Templars. Valicar's every strike evolved into a macabre dance of shadows and fire, a deadly reaping of souls akin to a farmer gathering hay.
Despite his regeneration, Bellic, critically wounded and mutated, keenly felt the toll of the radiation. His left arm, once a symbol of divine strength, grotesquely represented the price paid for his malevolent actions. The Imperial army, thrown into disarray by the sudden fall of the Pillars, faced further weakening. Valicar, fueled by the absorbed souls, gathered her strength for a rampage, determined to challenge Bellic once again. The Alliance, invigorated by their victories, pressed their advantage, seizing the opportunity to capitalize on the Imperial army's confusion.
The ebony-black flames of Red Noon flickered ominously, signifying a newfound power and a shift in their soul as they found their mark. "Damn you, Valicar," Bellic called as he struggled to parry the onslaught of Red Noon with his one good hand.
"Fuck you too," Mike grinned, savoring each moment as he deliberately prolonged Bellic's suffering, cutting him with precision and burning him repeatedly.
The mortal armies had resumed their clash, the Imperial forces in disarray, and the cheers of the Alliance further fueled Mike's malevolent power. Yet, something ominous loomed—Bellic was smiling even though all seemed lost. Approaching at supersonic speeds was something unknown. Mike barely reacted in time, deflecting the blade that would've taken both his hands and sent him flying down into the ground with a crash, creating a human-sized crater. Sophia magically reinforced Valicar's body to absorb the impact. As they looked up above them, a figure emerged—it was The Pillar of the North, the strongest man in the world.
"I have long awaited your return, lizard," The Pillar of the North said in all his glory, emanating power with the same presence as Ignial, the red dragon.
”Shit,” the twins exclaimed simultaneously, realizing the dire turn of events. "We are fucked."