The influence of Karma. It was considered one of the most neutral forces of reality. Yet, even so, those of immense ancientness with enough wisdom to match knew it as unquestionably the most terrible to be on the bad side of.

A behemoth could be brought down by an ant if it accrued enough negative karma. A star could explode and, by some miracle, leave the planets in its system untouched simply because of the positive karma of a single child.

It was a concept that benefited everyone in equal measure, without regard for age, level of Power, status, or descent. And when it came, its effects were subtle, unknown to anyone until the final result.

Menoe hovered over a vast battlefield, defending and attacking as she exchanged attacks with the high priest of the inferno cult while blocking passage against enemy soldiers.

The Empire of Solaria had been cunning as of late. Their strategy in directing the hordes of defiled toward the main region of the Destan Valleys. Millions upon millions of abominations pouring into the region, which they obviously knew would lead to an instant response of equal measure from the nations vested in keeping that region out of the abominations.

What the alliance had been late to realize was that the hordes of defiled were just a distraction, a way to keep them busy while the Empire plotted another route into the valleys.

Kairutte, a major city in the Empire of Fyre, located on its borderlands. It was mainly known as a business hub for the Fyre, and luckily also for them, with an exclusive access, outside of those mainly used, into the Destan Valleys.

Menoe understood that the reason why the Solarian Empire hadn't sent its hordes of defiled through this route was due to the rules of the iridescent stipulations. Brazen as they were, they weren't foolish as to play so close to fire.

The route leading into valleys was separated from the city of Kairutte by a single canal, a canal which was owned by the Fyre's. It wasn't anything much, a simple canal whose only use was to mark the line between Fyre lands and the land leading into the Destan Valleys, since that was an international domain.

While monitoring the flow of the lower realm battles, she conjured an ice wall, a wall from which flew hundreds of spikes that whistled through the air in nigh invisible blurs, aimed at the enemy Spirit lords. A smile tugged at her lips as she saw the enemy Spirit lords scatter in a haste to avoid her technique.

Unfortunately, that wall, the best defensive technique she had in her arsenal, was destroyed as a condensed beam of pyromantic flame tore into it, melting and breaking it as the wall began to collapse.

Not willing to let such conjuration go to waste, Menoe let the rest dissolve, and with her intent, she melded the remaining snow into the ambient Cosmo energies, her essence spreading through and freezing everything in its path, including another essence.

She smiled. 'That should reduce their essence regeneration for a while.'

Technically, Menoe understood that over that river, across to the lands leading into the valley, was considered an international domain. Meaning no one could lay a single claim to it.

Solaris, daring as he was, was wise enough not to direct his eternally hungry abominations so close to the territories of Fyre, a territory which was barred from his entry for as long as this war lasted. So he used his soldiers instead.

Below her, hundreds of walking treants crashed into the armies of Solaria, courtesy of the druidess, Desane, priestess of the Nature cult.

Above them, the leafy, branchy crowns of the treants formed into one massive, gigantic crown, which then stood the waist-cocked form of the high priestess, herself, controlling the mile-long tendrils of flora which lashed out furiously at the enemy Spirit lords. Those leaves, despite their fragile-looking state and flexibility, were stronger than most steel and sharp enough to cut through Spirit lord fortified skin.

The battle hadn't been going for long, yet had seen casualties in the thousands. A miracle given the forces at play here.

Menoe had just taken a disorienting blow from the inferno high priest, leaving her rolling in the skies. She had just about been ready for a follow-up attack when everything instantly quieted, the sounds of the furious battle vanishing into thin air in a single moment indeterminable to anyone, even her.

Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

Then the sky changed.

Menoe looked up, unable to believe her senses. The sky, both the white clouds and the blue skies itself, had vanished, replaced with the view of what Menoe instantly realized was a truly vast snowflake, a snowflake of mind-boggling proportions, even for someone like her. She was certain people from the other side of the continent could witness this construct of unimaginably vast proportions.

A voice then came down, filled with such vast and uncontestable power that it mere presence shook her to the core. But what gave her relief was that the voice, although one of such fearful power, was somehow recognizable.

"Spirit King Solaris. In Violation Of The Stipulation Set Down For Your Descent Onto This Planet, Judgement Has Been Decided."

Aisene.

"I Have Done No Such Thing," a voice filled with unhidden fury instantly replied. That was when Menoe became aware that the Cults Spirit lords were no longer the strongest being on the battlefield.

The Emperor of Solaria's aura crashed down on everyone with distant fury, a fury which, luckily, was directed upwards.

His golden-dotted crimson hair roiled furiously in a non-existent wind, its hue brightening as the emperor's fury soared. He was clothed in such yellow-crimson hue of power that, for an instant, Menoe had to shield her eyes from the intensity.

And his power was such that Menoe had to take a step back, gathering her power despite the presence of her Spirit Queen priestess.

Power rolled out of him in such clear visible crimson waves that she felt her icy hold on the ambient energy melt in an instant, her influence instantly erased before she could even do anything.

"Is That So?" The voice replied. Long gone was the friendliness Menoe often associated with its owner; now, it was simply a reflection of the concept she followed. Cold and emotionless. "Then What Is This?"

As if by some unseen influence, Menoe's, and everyone else's, eyes were slowly drawn towards a location near the canal on her left, a canal which was owned by the Fyre's, and on it was the live body of a single soldier, a soldier of Solaria.

"This should not be." Solaris' voice came unbidden into her ears.

"No, What Should Not Be, Solaris, Is The Presence Of A Single Of Your Forces On Great Family Soil."

"I Contest This!"

"Contest All You Want, Solaris. I Am The Arbiter, And My Judgment Is Final."

The moment Aisene finished speaking, the vast snowflake up above In the sky lit up with such blinding intensity that instantly dwarfed that of Solaris.

The Emperor fought back, his aura soaring as more power poured out of him.

For an instant, Menoe felt something new erupt from the body of the Emperor, something vast and otherworldly, spreading wide as it engulfed her in pyromantic fury.

And then all was white.

***

Though distant to all but those on the Greensend continent, every Spirit lord and even those below felt the unfathomable power of a being unfamiliar to some of them.

City-wide enchantments were instantly brought online as those unfamiliar with such power sought ways to hide from it, draining dry the meager defensive energies of their little cities.

For those familiar with such power, they stood calm, cautious, yet assured in their protection, for they knew the reason for such a descent.

Aelar, Emperor of Aetheris, stood on the balcony of his Castle, both his son and seneschal behind him.

Although he was deep in another continent, his gaze was still able to catch the blinding pillar of light, as wide as his Castle, coiling as it descended on the continent of Greensend.

"Such power..." His son whispered, awe and fear evident in his voice.

"My lord," Thalor, his seneschal, said fearfully. "Won't the World Spirit respond to this?"

Aelar nodded. "On a normal basis, it would." He then turned to look Thalor in the eye. "But a World Spirit is nothing before the might of a Celestial Cult, and our World Spirit is not blind to that fact."

***

"This is a risky move," Nesra said, looking at her Queen. "What if the World Spirit decides to just kill her? She might be a Spirit Queen, but her power pales before that of the World Spirit."

Yuseria smiled, her gaze settling on the distant pillars of power as they no doubt laid destruction on the forces of Solaria.

When she had been made aware of the stipulations set for Solaris as he fought to descend, she had wondered if anything would come of it. Solaris was not stupid. No, far from it. Power-hungry he was, but that hunger came with a lot of admirable caution. She never thought a day would come when the great Solaris would miscalculate in one of his schemes.

Silently, she thanked whatever forces made this possible.

"Yes, the World Spirit could certainly wipe out the Spirit Queen arbiter in a single instant. But then what? It obviously knows that the moment it does so, its lifespan will be measured in hours. Would you chose certain death just for a few bruises?

"Know this, Nesra. For your authority to truly be taken seriously, you don't just need to have vast powers, you have to have an uncontestable one."

***

"This, was unforeseen, brother," Halar whispered.

"Yes, but it's exciting isn't it?" Ragar couldn't keep the big smile from his face.

"What is exciting about this, Ragar? There is a possibility of the World Spirit retaliating in a fit of rage."

"Hah!" Ragar slapped his brother on the back, the force rattling everything but the man himself. "Have you stopped to wonder why the World Spirit let through the power manifestation? As a being of vastly superior power compared to the Spirit Queen, it certainly could have, but for some reason, it chose not to."