Chapter 818: Act 168 – The Choice of Mortals
All illusions vanished.
The battlefield returned to the platform in the abyss, but it seemed as if the surroundings had become eerily quiet. Time was no longer flowing. Veronika still maintained her motion flying downward from beneath the platform; Gray Saint Mephistopheles stood proudly with his massive sword in hand; Charles’ spell sparks suddenly blossomed, frozen in that precise moment. On the surrounding cliffs, falling ice blocks seemed suspended forever, and inside the ice cave, four black knights maintained their pose with bows raised.
Only on the platform did Brendel and Dark Kehua occupy separate halves of the space—one still, the other in motion, presenting two stark opposite pictures. Brendel rose slowly from the ground, shirtless, blood trickling from his forehead down his neck, crossing his shoulders, arms, and flowing down to his wrists as if outlining a crimson tattoo.
Rosy blood droplets descended slowly along the darkened blade of the Earth Sword until falling to the ground, sending out ripples through a thin layer of dust.
Brendel stared calmly ahead, looking directly at Dark Kehua who knelt on the ground before him.
She was laughing heartily, as if deranged, her whole body trembling wildly, followed by violent coughing that caused her to curl into a ball. Blood streaked her forehead and face—not hers, but Brendel’s. The bright, hot lightning that once enveloped her had faded, her pupils returning to soft pink. Her long black hair resembled sandalwood, her skin pale as though just emerged from a bath of milk. Her elegant black robe stood out against the platform like a quietly blooming orchid.
“Hahahaha… cough cough… hahaha…”
Dark Kehua laughed and coughed, her shoulders violently quivering, lifting her head to glare at Brendel with a resentful yet mocking gaze, her eyes eerie like a wolf’s.
“Haha…cough cough… didn’t you already feel it?”
Brendel stayed silent. In his vision, the borders around the platform gradually shifted into a light silver color, expanding and slowly drawing closer to Kehua. Silver zones rapidly expanded, alive and vibrant, reaching towards the central Dark Kehua. He stood quietly, sensing an ancient yet new power strengthening, gradually blending into the world.
The divine laws of Milos.
“Hahaha cough… So cunning, humans,” Kehua’s eyes gleamed with triumph as she exhaled, shaking her head nonchalantly while kneeling like a frail girl, weakly looking at Brendel and saying, “You were almost successful, but…”
“You’ve reached godhood.”
Brendel responded faintly.
The rules of the world were recalibrating, and both time and space outside the place of eternal slumber froze. In the endless void, a flame reignited, as if lines of ancient laws rekindled with this light, and a voice called out the name of the one who slept in the depths of the abyss…
Milos.
The father of frost giants.
Just a thin line away, Dark Kehua finally ascended to godhood. Crystalline tears hung on her cheeks, but she flashed an incomparably brilliant smile. “What? Do you still think you have a chance?” She tilted her head curiously, gazing at Brendel with an inquisitive look.
But behind that curiosity lay deep-seated hatred. Kehua smiled, her fangs gleaming faintly white.
Brendel looked at the slowly encroaching silver zones.
“There are five more minutes,” he answered calmly, “I have five more minutes to kill you.”
The girl chuckled once more, laughing until she started coughing. “Cough cough…indeed, if you were truly human…” she choked, laughing through her tears, looking at Brendel as if hearing the funniest joke, her blood-red eyes full of regret: “Unfortunately, gods and crystals have agreed, leaving the power of choice in the hands of mortals.”
“Brendel,” Dark Kehua smiled sweetly, almost seductively, “as the successor of the Dragon of Darkness, and as a divine human, you cannot kill me.”
“Only a mortal can kill me.”
“But thanks to you, giggles, only divine humans can freely move in this realm.”
“Understood? Now no one can stop me,” she slowly stood up, softly answering: “After millions of years, humanity has once again chosen their destiny, and this time, there will be no turning back.”
Brendel remained silent.
But a voice responded for him. “What Brendel cannot change,” the voice rang out clear and resolute: “I will change!”
Both Brendel and Kehua’s expressions changed. One was surprise, the other alarm. “Who!?” Kehua’s smile faded instantly, her voice tensing as she screamed. Suddenly, on the other side of them, an ethereal blue light formed like a gate, through which stepped a knight wearing armor, with the Lionheart Sword at her waist, slowly walking onto the platform.
She looked up at Dark Kehua and seriously replied, “I do not understand where Brendel comes from or why he cannot stop you, but I know this much: Great Goddess, I still have a choice.”
“Because,” she placed a hand on her chest, uttering each word emphatically, “I come from Buche, and I am the mortal you speak of.”
Dark Kehua’s expression was a mixture of all emotions, as if frozen in place. “No, that can’t be true,” she said, shaking her head, “No, you must be careful with your choice. It concerns the future of the world. Listen well, young girl, it was Lady Martha who gave you everything. You must never forget your debt!”
As she watched Freya slowly draw her sword, the bright blade almost blinding her. Her complexion turned pallid, “No, I can make you a demigod, and you will be with him forever. Together, we will bring this world back to the glory of the classical age.”
She continued babbling, but the knight maiden seemed not to hear, slowly drawing the Lionheart Sword and looking back at Brendel.
Brendel gave her a small smile.
“Freya.”
“Brendel.”
He raised the Earth Sword, “Let me see what you’ve learned at the Royal Knight Academy?” Within Milos’s realm, everyone’s powers were now completely suppressed, including Kehua’s. They had five minutes before the silver realm fully merges with Dark Kehua—
Within these five minutes.
This battle would be decided by experience and skill alone.
Both hearts were at peace. Kehua seemed to lose her ability to speak; her face appeared stiff as she saw Freya’s figure behind, a pale blue figure.
“Why, Milos!?”
“This is the agreement between me and the Crystal, Kehua,” a distant voice replied, “We should give them more opportunities to choose.”
“You’re favoring her!” she gritted her teeth.
“Kehua, belonging to different factions, we believe in different truths. But I have one request: at least allow a fair historical choice,” the voice answered. “If you believe chaos is the sole truth of this universe, then you shouldn’t fear its failure, right?”
The voice paused, answering with a hint of pride: “I feel the same way.”
Dark Kehua softly snorted, remaining silent, lifting her head and looking at the man and woman before her.
Both had readied themselves for an attack.
The tip of the Earth Sword trembled slightly, and Bretan closed his eyes. Images of a summer night’s pitch darkness filled his mind, the brilliant galactic river stretching across the sky. He began stepping forward, coordinating his every movement as, alongside him, Freya started moving towards the same path, in nearly perfect synchronization.
Black sword tip, silver blade, gently swaying.
“Remember the battle at Buche?” Brendel asked without turning back, “The Gold Orchard battle.”
Freya paused momentarily, nodding quickly.
“This time,” Brendel answered, “I’ll cover you again.”
He held the Earth Sword level.
“Freya.”
The charge skill activated once more. Brendel surged forward with a streak of light towards Kehua. This attack was unrelated to rules, unrelated to elements, and even his strength was suppressed to the lowest degree by Milos’s field. This was a straightforward battle for life and death. Dark Kehua’s eyes blazed with anger, stepping back and raising her hand to block Brendel’s blade, reacting without hesitation—purely from combat experience, she matched Brendel.
But unfortunately, Brendel was not fighting alone.
“Alternate attack!” roared Brendel.
A faint blue figure emerged behind Brendel. The knight uniform of Echis’ Eldest Daughter stood out brightly, the silver Lionheart Sword resembling a lion’s fangs as it pierced towards this goddess. Nemeses had once hoped this sword could change a kingdom’s fate, and today, it was indeed altering destinies. Though these destinies were as numerous as the people scattered across the vast land of Vaunte.
Dark Kehua let out a roar. Freya’s swordplay seemed crude and inadequate in her eyes; she was enraged and swiped with her claw at the knight maiden. But the next moment, a dark blade indeed blocked her progress. “That damn guy!” She looked up and sure enough met Brendel’s mischievous grin. She had no choice but to grab his blade and toss it aside, retreating to avoid Freya’s sword.
But how could she get her way so easily?
Dropping the Earth Sword, Brendel seized her wrist.
“Damn it!” Kehua cursed inwardly, instinctively striking towards his abdomen. Just as she moved, she realized it was a bad decision—she suddenly remembered, the man before her was a reckless fighter. Dark Kehua looked up and froze at the sight of Brendel’s odd smile.
Disastrous! The eldest daughter of Echis felt her mind go blank.
A soft hiss sounded as her hand easily pierced through Brendel’s abdomen. Brendel’s face seemed to twitch as if in pain, yet he acted as if unharmed, grabbing her wrist and pulling hard, dragging her over. Then Brendel tightly embraced her and forced her to face Freya.
“No!” Kehua shrieked.
At that moment,
Freya and Dark Kehua simultaneously widened their eyes.
Only Dark Kehua stared with astonishment at the Lionheart Sword piercing her heart. She opened her mouth but no sound emerged, only blood foam spewing from her lips. The girl clenched her brows in agony, breathing heavily, looking unwillingly at everything: this platform which should have granted her glory, the cavern, Freya, and finally painfully turning around.
Casting a venomous look at Brendel.
“Kehua, this is the answer…”
“Despicable,” she weakly replied to the distant voice.
Freya trembled, watching the goddess close her eyes. She gently released her hold on the sword, opening her mouth, wanting to speak but many words ultimately forming just a worried sentence, “Brendel, you…”
“I’m fine,” Brendel exhaled with relief as Kehua’s body in his hands grew lighter, beginning to fade. The surrounding time and space seemed to gradually resume their flow. He looked back and saw the silver zones at the platform’s edge dissipating.
Milos’s laws retreated once more into the dark void.
This was a good sign.
He deeply exhaled, feeling weakened as he answered, “Thank you for missing my heart.” Saying that, he couldn’t help but cough, a wave of weakness and fear rushing over him, only feeling soft all over as if the instant the battle ended, he started swaying, about to collapse.
But someone caught him.
Freya tightly hugged him.
…
The normal order of time seemed to be restored the moment Dark Kehua died. Haruz stared wide-eyed as the black-cloaked black knights holding bows walked to the edge of the ice cave. The knights’ actions were so natural, as if they hadn’t noticed the long duration of stillness, nor the changes upon the platform, all happening in an instant, as though driven by inertia, they followed their original plan and raised their bows.
At that moment, the frozen ice blocks falling in the air finally ‘thumped’ down into the abyss.
The black knights aimed at Brendel and Freya on the platform; there was no time to consider where Freya had come from, nor did they ponder such questions. Instinctively recognizing Freya as an ally of the Earl of Toniger.
They pulled their bows.
Haruz gasped, panting, but Scholar Shi Do seemed to notice a split second earlier, her eyes widening as she frantically shook her head, signaling him not to act rashly. But the Young Prince’s thoughts were only focused on his teacher’s safety. Naturally simple-hearted, he forgot his own situation.
The knight released the arrow with a faint twang.
The arrows shot out.
“Teacher, be careful! The Black Knights are coming!”
The Young Prince cried out, his voice filled with heart-wrenching urgency.
The lead black knight reacted immediately, drawing his sword and charging towards them, raising it to instinctively place it at the young prince’s neck. But just at that moment, he discovered he couldn’t move. In fact, all the black knights in the cave froze at the same instant.
Golden threads of law spread throughout the ice cave, wrapping tightly around every person.
And the black knights at the cave entrance who had just shot their arrows were bewildered to find that their arrows – each and every one – had been blocked by a colossal creature.
It was a dragon.
A magnificent dragon with wings spread wide, its scales shimmering with dazzling gold, golden pupils swirling with fierce flames, head held high with two large horns rising up. From a great height in the air, it gazed down upon them with regal disdain. This ancient beast had only raised its wings on the other side of the gorge, but in the blink of an eye, it was already here.
“Lord Alorze!”
Shi Do’s voice was filled with both excitement and disbelief.
“Haha, we’re saved!” exclaimed Phillas.
And beside him, Laurena let out a relieved breath. In fact, even the Crown Prince of the Cruzians, who had always maintained a solemn expression, couldn’t help but exhale in relief. But when he turned around, he saw that the young prince had already passed out after issuing that warning.
“If I were you,” Alorze warned, with a playful tone unique to her, as she narrowed her eyes dangerously at the black knight leader with the sword in hand, “I would obediently drop your weapon.”
The knight clearly hadn’t expected a dragon to appear before him. He hesitated for a moment, but then sighed, lifting the sword in his hand, loosening his grip, and with a metallic clang, dropped it.
Inside the ice cave, the black knights looked at each other in silence. After a brief hesitation, the sound of clanking swords dropping filled the air.
…
Brendel looked up as the shadow of the dragon passed overhead.
Resting his head on the thighs of the young woman, he felt a sense of exhaustion as if the strength had been drained from his entire body. But with a faint smile, his heart felt content.
(PS: The arc “Changing Orbits” is almost concluded here, with probably one or two chapters left. Starting from the next arc, Brendel will step onto a much greater stage – heading to Cruz to confront Madara and truly alter the fate of Erluin… Here, I thank everyone for their consistent support. Additionally, please support “Black’s Catastrophe Arrival” with some votes – it’s his first month with a new book, so your support is appreciated.)
