The battle was about to begin. Pantheon had no intention of engaging in a long conversation with Aatrox. With a quick motion, he clenched his left hand, and the Starforged Spear, which had been far away from him, reappeared in his grasp.
Taking advantage of Pantheon's brief moment of weapon retrieval, Aatrox was the first to strike. Holding his sword in his left hand, he formed a fist with his right and slammed it into the ground. This unleashed a chain of cursed flames made entirely of blood magic. However, Aatrox, despite being a master of close combat, only had a rudimentary understanding of blood magic. Pantheon easily raised his divine shield, the sacred light of the heavens flashing to dispel the deadly magic that would have been lethal to mere mortals.
This was merely a test from Aatrox. Perhaps, as a former celestial warrior who had ascended to a higher plane of existence, he had once been unconcerned by a mere vessel like Pantheon, even with the fragment of star spirit power inhabiting him. But now, Aatrox's immortal form had been obliterated. The body he now inhabited was a crude imitation, cobbled together from countless pieces of flesh. His strength had diminished significantly. Faced with Pantheon, he had to proceed cautiously. A single mistake or a moment of vulnerability could sever the connection between his body and his massive sword, forcing his essence back into the dark, eternal prison from which escape was impossible.
"Great Pantheon! How arrogant, how self-righteous!" As he spoke, Aatrox's towering form blurred as he charged forward. He threw his giant sword into the air, and as his body twisted, his left hand, clad in dark gauntlets, gripped the sword once more, swinging it down in a mighty blow.
Pantheon raised his divine shield with his right hand. The sound of metal crashing echoed across the heavens. The shield shuddered slightly under the immense force, forcing Pantheon to bend his knees, though his pride did not allow him to retreat an inch. His muscles tensed as star-forged power erupted from within. The divine shield blazed with golden light, and with a powerful thrust of his arm, the surge of energy sent Aatrox flying.
Before even a single heartbeat passed, Pantheon pressed the attack, throwing the Starforged Spear with his left hand. The spear seemed almost sentient, locking onto Aatrox, who was still struggling to regain his balance. At his peak, Aatrox would have easily dodged such an attack, but the body he now inhabited was an inferior copy. Aatrox twisted and fought to deflect the spear, but the force was so great that his hands cracked, almost causing him to lose hold of his weapon. The spear, imbued with star magic, pierced his right wing, but Aatrox's ability to fly was not dependent solely on his wings—it also came from his mastery of magic.
The Deathbringer's sword energy surged once more into his blade. Aatrox, now divided in his attention between defending against the spear and countering Pantheon's assault, charged forward with a swift lunge. Pantheon, now fully aware of the strength behind Aatrox's blows, avoided a direct clash, instead executing a more subtle maneuver. Using the divine shield empowered by star-forged magic, Pantheon struck at Aatrox's blade, making him miss the blow by a fraction.
As he swung the spear once more, Pantheon noticed a cold smirk appear on Aatrox's face. Aatrox had reversed the angle of his blade—his massive, edge-less sword now aimed directly at Pantheon. Despite the sword's reduced length, its wide horizontal swing meant that Pantheon was still within its range. Unable to dodge due to the constraints of his mortal body, Pantheon was forced to absorb the blow.
A devastating burst of sword energy ripped through Pantheon's dark gold helm, sending a spray of searing golden blood splashing from the seams of the helmet, scorching a chunk of rock beneath his feet.
"Ughhh!" Pantheon roared in fury, his rage shaking the very heavens. The stars above dimmed, as though the sky itself had changed in response to the divine battle unfolding.
The gaze of the celestial giants had descended upon this place, but Aatrox showed no fear. He knew the giants. These selfish, hypocritical gods of the heavens would not intervene to aid their fellow celestial beings—especially not the war spirits. Besides, they could not assist unless they were willing to lower their divine status and descend themselves. Their agents, the hosts of the star spirits, could do nothing. Aatrox was confident that he could cut them all down.
However, the giants had sent their followers. The elite warriors of the Rakkor tribe, alerted by the sounds of battle, quickly arrived at the battlefield.
"Stay back!" Pantheon roared, using the divine power of the Giants to intimidate the advancing forces.
Unfortunately, a mere distance of several dozen kilometers is nothing for an ascendant being—it's a journey that can be completed in a single breath. The Sword Demon, laughing maniacally, flew into the midst of the humans, his massive sword slashing and splattering blood everywhere. Eventually, he absorbed the flesh and blood of the entire group of warriors.
"Aatrox!" Pantheon leapt forward, his long spear thrusting into Aatrox' body. However, at the same moment, Aatrox' massive sword struck him.
"Oh, yes! Yes! The great Pantheon, let me hear your cheers for friendship, let me hear your roars for brotherhood!" Pantheon, wounded and bleeding, felt some of his blood flow into Aatrox' body, instantly healing his own injuries. Aatrox laughed wildly, his enormous sword feeling weightless in his hands, both arms becoming a blur as he slashed it down upon the Godshield.
Pantheon quickly used his celestial power to heal his wounds and then teleported behind Aatrox, leaping high into the air and bringing his shield crashing down on his head. Aatrox reacted swiftly, but still could not match Pantheon's speed. The shield struck his head, sending his vision into a whirlwind, the world spinning around him.
Pantheon seized the opportunity, thrusting his spear through Aatrox' chest. But that wasn't the end. He raised his shield in front of him, protecting himself with the Godshield, while each heartbeat of his spear stabbed Aatrox over and over again, surpassing the physical limits of his body. Dark silver muscles were etched with golden cracks, but Aatrox' condition was far worse. The corruption of his blood magic body was pierced by countless strikes from the spear, while the golden celestial magic bound his body's ability to heal. Corrosive blood sprayed everywhere, floating weightlessly in the air as if it had lost gravity.
In the final blow, Pantheon used the sharp side of his shield to slice through Aatrox' neck, severing his head and setting it ablaze with starlight. The Sword Demon's rotting body nearly dissolved into a heap of flesh, collapsing to the ground. Only the rapidly vibrating sword blade showed he was still "alive." Pantheon stepped on the giant sword, his golden eyes burning beneath his helmet, glaring down at the fallen demon with a cold, proud expression.
"The true gods, the chasm between us and your false godhood is insurmountable!" Pantheon's voice was like thunder, and with slow, deliberate movements, he prepared to stab his spear into the heart of Aatrox' corrupted, blood-magic-infused body and return it to his weapon form.
However, just then, Aatrox seemed to experience a final surge of life. His blurred, bloodied form reassembled his arm, grasping the sword's hilt and swinging it forward with incredible speed, catching Pantheon off guard. The death-curse sword's strike slashed across Pantheon's chest, forcing him to retreat and preventing him from destroying the physical connection Aatrox had to the outside world.
Golden blood, brimming with celestial magic, splattered over the rotting remains of Aatrox' body, replenishing his energy. Roaring, Aatrox began to reassemble his flesh, gathering up the scattered blood and pieces that had fallen into the air and earth, absorbing them back into himself.
"You think you can... kill me?!" Aatrox' body blurred into a crimson shadow as he leaped toward Pantheon, still in an ascended state. His massive sword was swung with tremendous force. To the untrained eye, the strike seemed slow, but the explosive shockwaves around the weapon and the cracking ground beneath their feet made it clear that the speed and power of the blow were beyond measure.
Clang! The violent clash of metal sent shockwaves that sent rocks tumbling and caused the ground beneath them to cave in once more. The golden cracks on Pantheon's body grew more pronounced—his current vessel could not endure such intense combat.
"I admit I underestimated you, Darkin," Pantheon growled, "but just because this body is destroyed, doesn't mean you'll be so lucky next time."
"I am the god-slayer. Do you think you'll have another chance?!" Aatrox pressed all his weight into the sword, increasing its force with the weight of his body. Pantheon struggled to hold his ground. With the mighty force of the giant sword, Pantheon could barely withstand it and was forced to stumble back. However, Pantheon's body was already on the brink of collapse.
He dodged being crushed into starry particles but could not avoid the following strike. Pantheon's defense broke, and Aatrox seized the moment, channeling all his strength into his great sword. Gripping the hilt tightly, he thrust it forward with full force.
The God-Slayer blade pierced Pantheon's chest, and time seemed to stretch and freeze in that instant. Beneath his helm, Pantheon's eyes widened in shock as he spat out a mouthful of golden light, which quickly turned into ordinary blood. He could feel his true essence unraveling.
Aatrox' strike had followed the path of Pantheon's soul, reaching up into the celestial realms. Pantheon's spear and shield fell to the ground, his hands gripping Aatrox' sword, struggling against the impossible.
"This... this can't be..."
(End of Chapter)
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