32. The Stars Move
The blazing sun and gravity clashed at this moment.
Not far from the Weeping Dunes, countless soldiers in Redmane Castle gazed in horror. The outermost vortex, like a tornado, whipped up waves of sand, leaving behind a rising sun in the center, followed by a massive mushroom cloud.
The castle lord, Jerian, stood on the castle wall, observing the apocalyptic phenomenon in the distance, his eyes gleaming with anticipation, for he knew his friend, Radahn, was fighting with all his might.
Jerian recalled the black figure that had descended from the sky, revealing his purpose to the wary gazes of the Redmane Castle residents. "The Radahn festival should be over. Tell me, where is your general?"
Recalling this, Jerian looked off into the distance. "General, this may truly be your last time."
Like a raging fire, even more blazing than the sun, Kevin now radiated a scorching heat. His greatsword ignited with flames, colliding with Radahn's two massive blades. Suddenly, a terrifying energy shook the surrounding sand once again.
Kevin, in his daylight state, and Radahn, using gravity magic, engaged in relentless close-quarter combat. Their battle exemplified the power of strength. It seemed as if the battle they were in lacked any formal techniques, a pure contest of strength. But was that truly the case?
The answer was no.
Kevin's immense strength and speed made it difficult for Radahn to engage. Radahn, in his extremely poor condition, relied solely on his own experience in control of the battle and Kevin's direct attacks, barely managing to make the battle appear like it was a mere contest of strength to outsiders. Even though he himself was tortured to a point worse than death by the Scarlet Rot, Radahn could still sense that the man before him, far from fatigued from the battle, had actually grown stronger with each passing moment.
In contrast, he, having been using his magic for so long, was now feeling a bit overwhelmed.
Kevin dropped from the sky, his flaming greatsword slamming down hard on Radahn's crossed swords, sending dust billowing into the air. Just as the two were about to clash again, a horse neighed.
The horse's sudden cry startled Kevin for a moment. Just then, Radahn once again used his gravity magic, concentrating his magic power on the twin blades in his hands. He swung with all his might, sending Kevin flying into the distance. Kevin adjusted his stance mid-air, gliding onto the ground, leaving a long scratch in the sand dunes.
Kevin paused and didn't attack again. He looked beneath Radahn's massive form. It was a horse, a skinny old one at that.
"Is that horse still alive?"
Kevin looked at the old horse beneath Radahn in confusion. In the previous battle, it had been like a dead object, silent and unmoving, and Kevin had thought it was some kind of magical item.
Watching the old horse coughing up blood and collapsing limply to the ground, Radahn had actually fallen over himself as the horse collapsed.
Watching this, Kevin felt a strange sense of déjà vu. He was supposed to be facing a powerful demigod, yet the scene before him seems strange. It was as if... he was bullying the weak and the disabled person, except this disabled person was a bit larger.
"Should we continue the fight? Should I launch a surprise attack now?" Kevin pondered as he strolled forward, deliberately slowing his pace, as if giving the opponent time to react and regain his footing. However, Radahn, lying on the ground, seemed oblivious to Kevin's footsteps. He stared at the old horse beneath him, vomiting blood. He had previously faced Kevin's blow, using as much magic power as he could muster. This had caused the drooping old horse, without any magical support, to attempt to lift Radahn with its own body, just like... in the past.
The sound of flames burning gravel reached Radahn's ears. He raised his head to look at the black-armored figure standing not far away. With each step, the gravel beneath his feet crackled, as if unable to withstand the heat.
Is he going to die? Is he finally going to die? Can he really die?
The scorching heat began to spread to his face, but Radahn felt a chill in his chest, where he had placed the Great Rune. In that chill, he unexpectedly regained a trace of sanity, just like the moment when the golden tree first transformed. Kevin stopped in his tracks as he watched Radahn pull out his own Great Rune from his chest. The silver light it radiated was so pure it seemed to be able to purify everything.
Radahn's eyes were neither joyful nor sad. He gazed at the silver Great Rune in his hand, then slowly floated upwards. Holding the silver Great Rune, he turned his gaze towards Kevin. A hoarse voice rang out, as if he hadn't spoken in a long time.
"What is the purpose of your visit?"
Kevin raised his hand and pointed at the silver Great Rune in Radahn's hand. At that moment, his cold voice echoed, "As you can see, the Golden Age has ended. The new era belongs to Silver. Radahn, hand over the Great Rune."
"Silver?" Radahn looked into the distance. The once golden tree was now encased in silver. The silver-white light, like the light of the golden tree, illuminated the entire world.
Radahn even felt as if he were being blessed by the other party. Otherwise, why would his mind, long corroded by the crimson corruption, be so clear at this moment?
"A new rule? How gentle! Even to an enemy like me, it's willing to give its blessing."
Radahn closed his eyes, as if he were feeling some kind of blessing.
Kevin didn't move, just staring at him silently.
Time seemed to have come to a standstill in the Weeping Dunes, but the setting sun proved that time was slipping away. As if reaching a critical point, Radahn suddenly opened his eyes.
He couldn't die yet. He couldn't die here. He had to go to the Royal capital to meet the new god, and he hadn't yet exhausted all his strength fighting the enemy before him!
Radahn returned the Great Rune to its original position. It was as if he had returned to the past. Reclaiming the two great blades, Radahn pointed at Kevin. His voice was no longer hoarse, but deep and powerful. "Are you the king?"
Kevin swung his greatsword and pointed it at Radahn. "I am not the king, merely the king's blade."
"Is that so? Then I will defeat you, and then I will meet that king and that god! I will see the rule that ushers in a new era!"
At this moment, Radahn's eyes were no longer cloudy but piercing and focused. He raised his two blades and roared to the sky.
He would no longer hold back; he would give it his all.
The sky above the Lands Between was actually trembling. Countless people watched in panic. Atop the tower, a delicate blue girl, like a doll, stood. She, who should have been calm and composed, yet at this moment, a movement in the sky caused her to cry out in surprise. Gazing at the trembling sky, she whispered, "The stars are moving."