Swish.
Swish.
Boom!
The clash between Aetherion and Hyperion continued.
Both stood locked in a stalemate, their blades grinding against each other as their powers collided violently.
Aetherion's Star Domain surged, amplified by the crushing gravity of stellar forces, while Hyperion wielded the radiant power of heavenly light, pouring divine energy into this strike.
But Aetherion could feel it.
He was losing.
Slowly—but undeniably—losing.
The strain was catching up to him.
His body was exhausted, his energy stretched thin.
Hyperion had the advantage.
With this clash of moves, Aetherion was pushed further back.
Hyperion, on the other hand, began to smile.
A calm, confident grin spread across his face as he looked Aetherion directly in the eyes—waiting for the moment his blade would finally cut through the boy before him.
'Damn it… where is Asteria?'
Aetherion gritted his teeth.
'She still hasn't shown up… and I'm about to get cleaved in half by this lunatic!?'
His hands trembled as he struggled to hold his ground.
'What do I do…?'
His strongest sword attack was being overwhelmed.
Frustration burned within him.
'If I were at full strength… I could fight him properly. I might even win this clash.'
But that wasn't the reality.
He had already fought Pallas.
He had already exhausted himself.
And now he was facing one of Kronos's four generals immediately after.
Even so…
'Speed isn't everything.'
Aetherion's eyes sharpened.
'I can still win… if I last long enough.'
But time was running out.
The clash intensified.
Shockwaves rippled outward as starlight and heavenly light collided, tearing through the surrounding sky.
The battlefield trembled under the sheer force of their power.
Then—
Something changed.
The stars Aetherion had summoned began to move.
No—
They shot forward at incredible speed.
Not toward Aetherion…
But toward Hyperion.
Aetherion's lips curled into a grin.
Hyperion noticed.
"What—?"
Before he could finish—
Boom!
A massive explosion erupted as the stars collided with him, engulfing him in a violent shockwave.
Hyperion was blasted away from his position.
At that exact moment—
Asteria appeared.
She caught Aetherion in her arms as he exhaled heavily.
"Finally… you took your time,"
he said, his voice carrying both annoyance and relief.
But there was no time to relax.
"Not so fast."
Hyperion's voice echoed again.
In the next instant, he reappeared.
His divine energy condensed around him, his presence even more intense than before.
Asteria reacted immediately.
Without hesitation, she teleported—switching places with a nearby star and reappearing far away in the heavenly and star lite sky, taking Aetherion with her.
Then—
She snapped her fingers.
The star they had just swapped with shot toward Hyperion—
Boom!
—and exploded.
"I need to hurry,"
she muttered to herself.
Raising her hand, she gathered her power.
A sigil of light formed before her—
And a portal opened.
She moved to enter it—
But…
***
Before she could even step through the portal, Hyperion appeared again.
Scratches and cuts marked his body from Asteria's two earlier attacks, yet his expression remained cold, unreadable.
A faint hum of divine energy seeped from him, radiating overwhelming pressure.
"You dare to impede my battle, Asteria?"
he said.
Without hesitation, he swung his great sword.
This time, Asteria didn't react.
Aetherion did.
In an instant, he created a long sword of starlight, compressing gravity around it, and swung upward to meet the descending strike.
Boom!
Another explosion tore through the sky, shaking both earth and heavens alike.
They were so close.
So close to escaping.
The portal stood right in front of them—yet they couldn't even take a single step through it before Hyperion appeared again.
It was absurd.
The portal flickered and closed shortly after, ensuring Hyperion couldn't follow them or enter their hidden domain.
Aetherion clicked his tongue in frustration.
'Seriously… it's just the first battle!Couldn't he just let us leave!?'
"Asteria,"
Aetherion said, turning to her as she stood beside him, no longer in his arms.
"We need to damage him and leave. If he doesn't stay down for even a few seconds… we can't escape."
They both understood.
For someone like Hyperion, who moved faster than light, even a single second was an eternity.
If he wasn't stopped—
They wouldn't get away.
Asteria's gaze hardened.
Through divine thought, she spoke directly into Aetherion's mind.
'we need to find an opening, and then—one attack. We combine everything—and then we leave.'
Aetherion paused for a split second before responding the same way.
'…Alright. Let's do it.'
His body was battered, ichor dripping from his wounds.
He wanted to release his divine form—heal himself using his Life Domain.
But he couldn't.
If he did, he would become too weak to stand against Hyperion.
Even now, if he had just a few minutes or even less to recover, he could fight again at full strength.
But Hyperion wasn't giving him even a second.
So—
They moved.
Together.
Both Aetherion and Asteria summoned starlight swords, their movements perfectly synchronized as they charged Hyperion.
They weren't as fast as him—
But the stars around them shifted, blinking in and out as they teleported between them, accelerating their movements, keeping pace as best they could.
Against the heavenly light itself.
"Let's do it, Aetherion!"
Swish—boom—swish—boom!!
Their attacks clashed again and again with Hyperion's.
Then—
Asteria vanished.
She reappeared behind him, her blade already descending.
At the same time, above Hyperion, countless star-forged swords rained down, aiming to pierce his body from every direction.
But—
He disappeared.
Reappearing high in the sky, he raised his hand and struck downward.
[Heavenly Light Domain: Heavenly Fist]
A massive fist of heavenly light descended like divine judgment.
Aetherion reacted instantly.
[Star Domain: Star Slash]
He swung upward, gravity and star light compressing along his blade—
—and cut through the incoming attack.
Asteria followed without hesitation.
[Star Domain: Weapon Armory]
The sky filled with weapons—swords, spears, axes—countless constructs of starlight, all launching toward Hyperion like a celestial storm.
Aetherion teleported behind him—
Swish~
and slashed.
But again—
Hyperion was gone.
'He's too fast…'
There was no more time.
No more room to test him.
This clash had only lasted seconds—perhaps a minute at most.
And now—
It was time to end it.
Aetherion and Asteria locked eyes.
In the next instant, they appeared side by side.
Above them—
Hyperion stood in the sky.
Asteria had already positioned everything.
The setup was complete.
"Let's do it now!"
Aetherion shouted.
Their divine energy erupted.
And the final attack began.