Under the enormous impact of a falling meteor, the earth was instantly scorched black, as though it had been burned by the fires of hell.
Radahn had practically undergone an Incarnation into a true human-shaped meteor, turning himself into that burning star with a death-defying resolve.
This self-sacrificing blow was his final strike, and his final moment as a Lord.
Even at the very end of his life, he refused to give up. His strength, Magical Power, spirit, and everything he had were pushed to their absolute limit in that single instant.
Yet Nolan still stood there, his bright red dragon scales gleaming crimson beneath the Starlight, like armor wreathed in flame.
The enormous wings on his back beat with power, carrying him slowly into the sky, as though this world itself were his domain.
"Champion. Lord. How beautiful those words sound, and how tragic they are."
Nolan's voice echoed across the sky, tinged with pity and regret.
"They draw countless people toward them, yet how many can truly become worthy of those names? Have you ever regretted it?"
Radahn's voice was very soft, so soft it was almost scattered by the wind, but his answer was unwavering.
"No regrets!"
He pressed both hands tightly against the hilt of a Black Iron Claymore, using it to support his crumbling body.
He had no strength left to spare, yet he still stood, refusing to fall.
"Then that is enough," Nolan said.
The Promised Claymore and the Dark Moon Greatsword had already been stored away in his spirit ring.
He raised his right hand and pointed toward the sky, as if issuing a command to this silent world.
"Since you bear the name of the stars, then let the stars bury you."
Nolan's words echoed through the air.
As his voice fell, the black night seemed to ignite.
Nine tiny starry skies descended from behind Nolan, and then a dense brilliance of glittering Starlight enveloped Radahn.
A blinding radiance of stars erupted. Nine universes collided, merged, and contracted, finally turning into countless specks of light that drifted into the distance.
Magic: World Fall.
This spell was developed by Nolan after making a small refinement to Ymir's Fleeting Microcosm. If the Sorcerers of Raya Lucaria Academy were to study it, they might well revere it as a legend.
Thud.
When the radiance in the night faded, a dull, heavy sound rang out across the earth.
The Black Iron Claymore in Radahn's hands had been completely crushed, and his towering body fell with it.
He truly could not stand again.
The light faded from Radahn's eyes. He quietly gazed up at the night sky, as if admiring the last beautiful sight before him.
"So this is what the starry sky looks like? It really is beautiful."
Radahn's voice was faint and weak, filled with a helplessness he had never known before.
"Yes, it is beautiful. That is precisely why that little princess longs for it so much."
Nolan's reply was just as quiet, without the slightest joy of victory.
He simply stood there in silence, gazing at Radahn's fallen form, without mockery and without lament.
"Ranni... She must hate me to death..."
Radahn murmured to himself. His gaze fell on Nolan beside him, then his eyelids slowly drooped and finally closed completely. He made no sound again.
In that instant, time seemed to freeze, as if the entire world had been brought to a halt.
But that stillness did not last long. Soon, a subtle power began to move through the air, as if energy suppressed for ages had finally been released.
Everyone's attention was drawn at once beyond the Lands Between. The night sky there had once been pitch-black, but now it suddenly became strangely alive.
The Starlight that had been fixed in place for eternity began to flicker, as though awakened by some power. Countless streams of light swept across the horizon.
Within that dazzling starry sky, one star stood out above all the rest. Its light was brighter than any other, as if it were the center of the entire universe.
And that star was falling toward the earth at astonishing speed, drawing closer and closer, until it finally broke through the confines of the firmament and merged with the land.
With the death of Starscourge General, the seal upon the starry sky was lifted. The Stargazers could finally raise their heads and behold the sight they had long dreamed of, and the fate of the Carian Royal Family began to turn once more.
Dust still drifted through the air, like the lingering aftermath of that fierce battle, yet the night had never been so bright.
Beneath the high walls, tens of thousands of soldiers looked up at the sky, their faces filled with shock and awe.
The moment Starscourge became a star and fell, they knew this brief yet brutal war was finally nearing its end.
But merely seeing the war end was not enough for them. They wanted to know the final result.
That result concerned not only their own lives, honor, and fate, but the future course of the entire world.
At first, the Redmane's morale surged. Their cheers and shouts rang across the battlefield.
In their eyes, General Radahn had victory firmly in his grasp. Once that red star fell, no one in this world, except Leyndell's Grace-Given Lord, would be able to stop their advance.
Of course, the warriors did not forget to praise the strength of the King of the Tarnished. After all, not even Ogha had managed to force the General to use this move. Without question, he was a champion worthy of respect.
In stark contrast to the Redmane's excitement, however, was Sellen's inexplicable irritation.
Watching those suddenly exhilarated men, the anger in her heart burned hotter and hotter. She badly wanted to shove the staff in her hand into their faces and use Soul Stream to calm them down.
"My Lady Witch, weren't you full of confidence in that student just now? Losing focus on the battlefield is not a good habit."
The white-bearded old man in the pointed hat asked the question despite knowing the answer.
Sellen glared fiercely at the old man. She truly wanted to twist off the head of this former Carian Knight.
But just as she was about to channel the Magical Power inside her, a dazzling starry Sorcery suddenly appeared on the horizon, and all her irritation vanished in an instant.
The old man and the Redmane Knights also turned back. They were all drawn in by that sudden brilliance, and no one could ignore its terrifying force.
"Jerren, why are you distracted now?"
This time, it was Sellen's turn to speak with confidence.
"Prince..."
Jerren did not answer aloud. He only gave the answer in his heart.
He fell silent for a moment, his gaze settling on the distant city wall, where a grand melee of champions was unfolding.
On the other side of the city wall, Ogha was leading a group of Redmane Knights in a standoff against the Fire Knights.
His brows were tightly furrowed, his heart filled with worry.
But the smile on Vyke's face across from them only made the Redmane Knights more irritated.
"Brat, what are you laughing at? Don't get smug too early. The General will be the one to win in the end!"
One Redmane Knight finally lost his temper and roared as he charged toward Vyke, gripping his war spear tightly like a charging chariot.
Yet just as the Redmane Knight was about to reach Vyke, Nepheli suddenly flashed forward and blocked his attack with her Greataxe.
"Still refusing to accept reality? Your defeat is already certain!"
"We haven't lost yet. How could the General possibly lose?"
"But the Starry Sky has already given its answer! Why keep lying to yourselves?"
Vyke came back to himself from the joy of victory. He put away his smile, shook his head, and sighed, as if mourning the fall of a great figure.
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