Chapter 79: The Last Ring of the Sword - The Breaking of the Light of Ersten
"I'm alright!" Eirik gritted his teeth. Facing the power of a god made every muscle in his body tense. His arm, which was holding the amulet, trembled violently from the pain and the aftershock of the divine energy. After deflecting the attack, the amulet had shattered, its golden powder scattering in the wind. Even the most treasured of dwarven magical items could only withstand a single attack from a god. And it hadn't even blocked it, just redirected it.
"Rhodes, find a way to counterattack!"
He knew Rhodes wasn't one to just take a beating. He had to buy him some time, even if it cost him his life.
Rhodes seized the precious seconds Eirik had bought him. "Somme, give me the sword!"
The dwarf understood immediately. With a roar, he threw the heavy 'Light of Ersten' to him with all his might. The sword's sheer weight made Rhodes stumble; he couldn't catch it, and it plunged into the rock at his feet. But he immediately grasped the hilt and poured his mana into it.
He now held a holy sword in each hand, and he raised them both high. He crossed the blades, and an unprecedented wave of energy exploded outwards. Both swords were low on power. He was now drawing on their very essence. But he had no choice.
The two different powers of the holy swords collided. In the end, Org, acting as the primary, absorbed all the power of the 'Light of Ersten'.
The sword now pulsed with a power far greater than before, creating a violent vortex of energy around him that forced the others to brace themselves.
"Come forth! Double Release!" he roared, and poured his own life force, along with the swords', into a single, pure blast of mana, which he then unleashed. He brought both blades down in a powerful arc, aimed at the god high above.
A massive cerulean blade of sword-energy roared through the air, and the very space around it began to crack, just as it had when the Goddess had descended.
For the first time, a flicker of something almost like surprise crossed the Goddess's cold, impassive face. But that was all. It was as if a small insect had just launched what it thought was a fatal blow, but to her, it was just a final, useless act of defiance. With the same contempt she had shown them before, she casually raised a hand to block the attack, confident that it could not harm this body of pure divine energy. But the power of Org had at least earned her a sliver of respect. A divine barrier, a shield of power so dense it could collapse space itself, instantly formed in front of her. For me to even bother with a defensive spell, she thought, these ants should be honored.
But the moment the cerulean blade met the divine barrier...
CRACK!
The barrier shattered.
A soft, yet incredibly clear, tearing sound was heard. The Goddess's arm, made of pure divine energy, was cut open by the blade, a deep gash from which divine blood, shimmering with a terrifying energy, began to drip like molten steel.
The divine blood, the purest form of divine energy, fell to the earth, and with each drop, a small, nuclear-like explosion ripped through the ground, leaving a deep crater and melting the rock. The power of a god was not something this world could absorb or accept. If a god were to fall and their blood were to spill upon the land, it would be a catastrophe of epic proportions, like a meteor shower, destroying all life.
But the blood that flowed from her now was not her true blood, and so its destructive power was not as great.
But her expression changed.
Beyond this world, her true body had been wounded!
This was not her true form, just a temporary projection. But even so, her true body had been harmed.
"Impossible!"
For the first time, her eternally cold and indifferent voice was filled with a violent tremor. Her projected form flickered, and in the world beyond, a world that mortals could not see, the same wound had appeared on her true body. The power of Org was truly terrifying. To be able to cross the vast distance of the cosmos and harm her true body... and with this wound, her absolute control over the other consciousness within her was also shaken. She could feel it, the soul that should have been suppressed, the soul that should have never been able to resurface, now struggling violently. The attack had contained a fragment of her predecessor's own power, and it had been enough to awaken her consciousness.
This was something she could not allow.
The Goddess's holy visage twisted in a furious rage.
In an instant, dozens of beams of energy, thicker and more violent than before, tore through space and rained down on Rhodes and all the other ants who had dared to blaspheme against her divine authority.
The shadow of death instantly fell upon them.
Rhodes, knowing the danger, immediately drew on the last of Org and the 'Light of Ersten's power to form a final defensive barrier. But seeing that the others were also in the line of fire, he threw the 'Light of Ersten' to Serie. It contained a portion of Org's power; with it, she could resist the attack. And the Goddess's focus was on him; the others would only have to deal with a few stray beams. He had never thought that the mana-storing function he had had Dural add would come in so handy.
Serie channeled her own mana into the sword and created a magic barrier. With the power of both holy swords, she was able to withstand the attack. But it was only a temporary reprieve. The Goddess's assault grew even more frantic.
Crack... crackle...
A heartbreaking sound was heard.
It was the 'Light of Ersten'.
After all the battles, and all the rough infusions of mana, the holy sword could take no more, especially not an attack from a god. A web of cracks spread across its blade. Serie saw it and tried to pull the sword back, but the next wave of attacks was already upon them.
"I'm sorry," she thought, a silent apology to both Rhodes and the sword. And with the last of her strength, she used it to cast a final magic barrier.
The sword let out a mournful cry, and its brilliant light was instantly extinguished.
Shatter!
The 'Light of Ersten', the sword that held the future hopes and ideals of humanity, broke into three dull, lifeless pieces before their very eyes.
"NO—!"
He wanted to save it, but the Goddess's power was too great; her attacks were relentless.
The last few beams of destruction tore through the barrier he had barely managed to maintain and, like the scythe of the grim reaper, shot straight for his heart and his head.
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