If one were to ask the people of the human domain who among the paragons of humanity was the strongest, the majority would respond, "I'm not sure."
One could look at the facts, and one could examine past events, but the truth remains: it could never be known with 100% certainty until the paragons fought in earnest.
But this was a fool's dream, for in order to truly determine who the strongest was, the paragons would have to battle with all their might.
Paragons.
On Eldoralth, should two such beings fight without restraint, only carnage would result. It would be an event so catastrophic that a holiday might be created just to mark the day everything went to hell.
This is why the paragons of humanity hardly ever fought each other. There was no mana contract binding them or preventing them from battle—many paragons had outright refused such a notion when it was first proposed. There were simply too many complications.
What if a paragon killed a descendant of another? Was the other supposed to just let it go? One could solve this with another clause in the contract, but more and more "what ifs" kept arising. The paragons, the peak of humanity, did not want to be bound by such restrictions.
Since the mana contract was an impossibility, they simply made a silent agreement never to let any situation escalate to the point where they would have to fight.
This silent agreement had held for decades and had essentially become a rule. But as the saying goes, rules are meant to be broken.
The sky was ablaze with raw, destructive energy. Magnus and Luminous clashed with a force that could tear cities apart.
In the blink of an eye, Luminous was hurled backward by the sheer power of Magnus's strike.
His warhammer shattered, the molten energy dissolving into crimson fragments as the lightning from Magnus's spear enveloped him.
The devastating clash had ended in Luminous's loss, launching him high into the sky. He was beyond infuriated. However, the sun was high in the sky, and with his limitless energy source, the world itself became his domain.
Luminous quickly recovered, his body erupting in a crimson blaze. A radiant warhammer formed in his hand as he shot back toward Magnus with immense speed, their blows causing world-shaking clashes.
Magnus was everywhere.
One second, he was a streak of blinding lightning; the next, his spear was crashing down from above.
His form flickered like a bolt, constantly shifting in and out of sight, flashing across the battlefield faster than thought.
Every time he struck, the earth cracked beneath his feet, and the air itself screamed from the pressure of his attacks. The sky rumbled as he moved, each step crackling with the sound of thunder. It was as though the heavens themselves were enraged, thunder roaring with every second.
Luminous swung his warhammer, its radiant crimson glow burning hotter than a dying sun. Each swing sent molten energy erupting across the horizon, the sheer heat vaporizing the clouds.
The sun above fueled him, its rays bathing his form in an unending supply of power, his stamina seemingly limitless.
The ground melted beneath him with every movement, pools of lava forming where his feet touched. He was a force of raw power, unstoppable—if not for Magnus.
CRACK!
Magnus's spear slammed into Luminous's warhammer with a deafening roar. The collision sent shockwaves rippling outward, blasting through the impenetrable shield surrounding Sectors 1 and 2.
Buildings shook, windows shattered, and people miles away felt the earth tremble beneath their feet.
Luminous was once again overwhelmed, an intense anger settling deep in his heart. However, he recovered instantly. The sun's energy flowed through him, healing his wounds as quickly as they appeared. His form exploded once again in a blaze, the warhammer materializing in his arms.
He roared, swinging his warhammer again, summoning a wave of molten energy that stretched for miles—a blazing wall of pure destruction.
But Magnus was already gone.
In a flash of lightning, Magnus appeared behind him. His spear struck like a viper, piercing through the wave of molten energy as if it were nothing, moving towards the back of Luminous's head.
Luminous's gaze widened as an intense wave of danger hit him. Though he had a limitless supply of energy and could heal and recover instantly, should Magnus pierce his head and brain, not even he could survive that.
His body shifted instinctively just in time to change the location of the thrust. The hit landed, an intense crack of lightning blasting away Luminous's entire left arm. The impact sent him flying, his body crashing into the ground and leaving a crater the size of a city block.
Magnus didn't wait for a second. He appeared above Luminous, his spear raised high.
In the next moment, the skies cracked with intense lightning, flashes of white and blue filling the air. The sky darkened, the clouds swirling as if the heavens themselves feared what was about to come.
Lightning arced around Magnus's form, crackling with unstoppable power. His voice boomed across the sky, the air trembling:
"Descend."
The moment the words left his lips, the sky roared in response. A massive bolt of lightning, brighter than the sun itself, ripped through the darkened sky, aiming straight for the crater where Luminous lay.
BOOM!
The impact was cataclysmic. The lightning bolt struck with such force that the ground beneath Luminous exploded outward, sending molten debris flying in every direction.
The force of the blast sent tremors through both Sector 1 and Sector 2, shaking the cities as if a natural disaster had been unleashed.
"THIS HAS GONE ON LONG ENOUGH!"
Oberon's voice boomed across the sky, his aura unshaken as it encompassed the entire area. His eyes radiated a golden light, and a golden glow enveloped his entire body, making his hair and clothes flutter as though caught in an invisible breeze.
Oberon, along with the paragons of the Emberforge, Alverian, Resonara, Nebulon, and Frostbane families, floated high in the sky, their serious gazes locked on the unfolding battle.