Chapter 116: The War of Gods and Mortals
The battlefield burned.
Eldoria's forces pushed forward, breaking through Xelthar's last defensive lines. The air was thick with the scent of blood and mana, the echoes of steel clashing against steel drowning out the dying screams of the fallen.
Yet, amidst the chaos of war—another war was about to begin.
Kael's blade dripped with blood. His muscles burned, every breath ragged, but his stance never wavered.
Across from him, Ilyra Xelthar, the Blade of the Night, wiped the blood from her lips.
For the first time—she looked amused.
"You're better than I thought," she admitted, rolling her shoulders. "Stronger than I expected."
Kael exhaled. "You talk a lot for someone who's losing."
Ilyra grinned. "Losing?"
Her aura exploded.
Shadows coiled around her, black flames igniting across her twin swords. The pressure she emitted was suffocating—and yet, Kael did not flinch.
Because he had one last move.
His Gravity Domain expanded to its absolute limit.
Not just around Ilyra.
Not just around himself.
But the entire battlefield.
The air itself became heavy, the ground cracking beneath the weight of his overwhelming mana.
Ilyra's golden eyes widened.
Kael vanished.
A crimson sigil ignited beneath his feet.
And then—he struck.
Their blades clashed one final time.
The force of their collision shattered the stone beneath them, sent shockwaves rippling through the battlefield.
And when the dust settled—
Ilyra staggered, a deep wound carved across her torso.
She exhaled, dropping to one knee.
Kael leveled his blade at her throat.
"This war is over," he said.
Ilyra chuckled, despite the pain. "For you, maybe."
And then, the world itself trembled.
A pulse of divine energy surged through the battlefield.
Every warrior—Eldorian and Xelthar alike—froze.
The sky darkened unnaturally, swirling with a storm of light and shadows.
And then—they appeared.
Order descended in a pillar of merciless light, her form no longer radiant, but blinding, suffocating, overwhelming.
Chaos stood opposite her, his presence a creeping void, a swirling abyss of madness and destruction.
For the first time since the war began—everyone felt powerless.
Eldorian generals, Xelthar's strongest warriors, the Vanguard—all of them, reduced to mere mortals before the weight of divinity.
Kael gritted his teeth, stepping forward despite the suffocating pressure.
Lucian, Mira, Selene, Cassian, Evelyne, Darius, Rael, Leonel—each of them stood at his side.
Because if they did not stand now—they never would again.
Order's voice rippled across reality itself.
"This world has strayed too far from its purpose."
Chaos laughed.
"You've lost yourself, sister."
Order's golden gaze fell upon the Vanguard.
"They are an anomaly. A disruption. They must be erased."
Kael's fists clenched. "Try it."
Order raised her hand.
The very air began to collapse inward, reality itself bending to her will—
And then—
A golden light flared between them.
A warm, radiant, defiant presence.
Life.
And with her—a shadow darker than any abyss.
Death.
The siblings stood between the Vanguard and the two corrupted divinities, their combined presence halting Order's attack.
Life's voice was gentle but firm.
"You will not harm them."
Chaos smirked. "How interesting."
Order's golden eyes narrowed. "You stand against me?"
Death exhaled. "We stand for balance."
Chaos stretched, tilting his head at Kael. "And you, little warrior? What do you fight for?"
Kael met his gaze without hesitation.
"For my people."
Chaos grinned. "Wrong answer."
Order moved first.
Her blinding light lashed forward, aimed directly at Kael—
And was stopped by Death's outstretched hand.
The battlefield erupted into chaos once more.
Life and Death clashed against Order and Chaos, the very fabric of reality shifting with each strike.
Mortals could not interfere.
Mortals could not stand in a war between gods.
But Kael?
The Vanguard?
They refused to watch.
Lucian turned to Kael. "We can't fight gods. But we can still win this war."
Kael nodded. "Then let's finish what we started."
The Vanguard moved, diving back into the heart of the battlefield.
Because while gods waged war—
The fate of Eldoria was still theirs to decide.