System's POV

Chapter 1182: Praelium Fati [END]

The air shook as the silver arrow dissolved into countless motes of starlight, its brilliance lingering in the sky like a comet refusing to fade.

Stella stood atop her giant Wren, her long black hair tied in a ponytail fluttered in the wind and her eyes locked on King Astrion with sharpness that could pierce even the heavens.

“You will not touch him,” Stella declared, her voice calm yet carrying the weight of unshakable resolve.

Was she afraid of King Astrion?

Not one bit.

In the eyes of others, the Pseudo-Celestial might have been an unstoppable force of nature.

But she had grown up in a family where beings such as the King of Artem were only treated as retainers.

One of her mothers could easily devour King Astrion, and the latter wouldn’t even be able to fight back. Or, her father would simply slap the arrogant King, and that would be the end of him.

Being surrounded by powerful individuals made Stella fearless.

Despite knowing that she wasn’t a match against the King of Artem, she possessed life-saving artifacts that would ensure her safety no matter what.

Her father and mothers might have allowed her to wander far away from home, but they made sure that she would remain safe, even across a distance that a lifetime of travel could not easily overcome.

Tiona, who had returned to Thirteen’s side, glanced at Stella before shifting her attention back to the King of Artem.

She had only known Stella for a short time, but she could feel the latter’s sincerity in keeping her Master safe.

“Insects, all of you!” King Astrion raised his sword high above his head and channeled his strength through it.

Countless red lightning bolts descended on its body, increasing the power that the blade possessed.

“Block this then!” King Astrion swung his sword and unleashed a crimson red blade purely made out of red lightning.

Its trajectory was headed straight at Cranky, who was still covered in radiant light.

Thirteen didn’t hesitate to stand between King Astrion’s attack and Cranky, activating all the defensive abilities of his armor to the limit.

He knew that what he currently possessed was not enough to block the Artemian King’s attack, but there was nothing else he could do but use his body to tank the blow meant for his friend.

At that exact moment, he heard a voice inside his head, which made his eyes widen in shock.

Stella flew past him, four pairs of angelic wings behind her back.

Her words spread on the battlefield like a chant that couldn’t be stopped.

“Bring in the hammer to sanctify the bride,

On the maiden’s knees let Mjolnir lie.

From the Heavens, I can hear Mjolnir’s Roar

And in the thunder I can feel the heart of…

“THOR!”

A bright golden light descended from the sky and landed perfectly on the young lady’s right hand.

It was a hammer covered in golden lightning, which Stella used to smash the attack that no one in Pangea could face head on.

A loud explosion erupted in the heavens, creating a powerful shockwave that blasted everyone away, including King Astrion and Stella.

Blood spilled from the young lady’s lips as her body fell from the sky like a kite that had lost its wings.

Thirteen didn’t hesitate to catch the young lady before she could fall to the ground, then hastily checked her condition.

Her face was pale, having lost all of its color, and her blood dyed her lips, neck, and armor in dark crimson.

Knowing that her life was in danger, Thirteen landed on the ground and gently laid her down.

He didn’t have any high-quality potions with him at the moment, so he took out all the potions in his possession.

But knowing that it would be dangerous to forcefully make her drink it, Thirteen decided to pour it onto her body for the time being and allow her to recover enough to drink it orally.

Suddenly, a portal appeared beside them, and the pink-haired twins made their appearance.

“Big Brother, we will take over from here!” Maple said as she held onto Stella’s body.

“Cinnamon needs to take big sister back so she can recover!” Cinnamon declared, hinting she would not take no for an answer.

With a strength surpassing their age and looks, the two dwarves carried Stella over the portal they had opened.

The moment they crossed over, the portal disappeared, leaving Thirteen and the empty potions he had used as first aid to help Stella recover from her injuries.

Just as he was about to return to the battle, he saw a sight that made his blood turn cold.

King Astrion was only a few meters away from Cranky, his blade poised to strike the Honey Badger’s chest.

“Nooooooooooooooooo!” Thirteen roared as he tried to fly in Cranky’s direction.

He was about to say the word Skip once again, but contrary to his intention, he made no sound and merely coughed a mouthful of blood.

Clearly, he had already reached his limit and could no longer use the skill even if he wanted to.

Thirteen watched with bloodshot eyes as King Astrion’s sword slammed against Cranky’s chest.

The King of Artem had a crazed look on his face, for he had succeeded in what he planned to do.

However, a second later, the blade he had used to pierce Cranky’s chest shattered, making everyone’s eyes widen in shock.

The being within the radiant glow moved and slapped King Astrion away, making the latter cry out in pain.

Thirteen watched as the radiant light faded, revealing the imposing figure of a handsome young man, who seemed to be in his early twenties.

His long black hair, with streaks of white, fluttered in the breeze.

A golden crown adorned his head, and his young and powerful body, which looked like it had been carved by the God of Arts themselves, was laid bare for everyone to see.

The young man hovered in the sky buck naked, but no emotion of shame or embarrassment could be seen on his face.

A smile of gratitude and confidence hung on his lips as he glanced at the first friend he had made ever since he was born.

Thirteen blinked, and in that short period of time, the young man appeared in front of him, looking sad at how pale the teenage boy’s face was.

“I’ll handle the rest,” Cranky said softly before glaring in the direction of King Astrion.

“Don’t kill him,” Thirteen said. “He can still be put to good use.”

“No promises,” Cranky replied before disappearing from where he stood in the blink of an eye.

Thirteen could only hear the booms of thunder in the distance as Cranky punched King Artem like a sandbag, unable to block, dodge, or even defend himself from the Paragon’s rage.

On that day, a Celestial who had broken away from the threads of Fate had been born in Pangea.

And with his birth, a new era would descend upon the world, and a new legend would be written in the history of Jinns and men alike.

————

End of Volume: Praelium Fati (The Battle of Destiny).