The blazing orange shield around the main warship receded, revealing Helios still standing in his earlier spot.
Helios fixed his gaze on the silent Ravensteins, focusing on Avalon, and erupted into boisterous, mocking laughter.
"Ah, Avalon! There it is! The look I've been waiting for! You always wear that cold mask—but now, look at you!" He spread his arms wide, reveling in the moment.
"That look in your eyes—I told you I'd relish the moment when I finally cracked you!"
Helios stepped forward, his grin widening. "Tell me, Avalon, how does it feel to realize you're not untouchable after all?"
"I've been waiting for this moment for so long, and it's even sweeter than I imagined!"
The temperature in the surrounding area continued to rise as the Stellaris army began regaining their momentum.
The Stellaris elders watched the scene with wide grins. Although it had been a shame that their paragon hadn't been able to destroy the estate and kill Avalon before Magnus appeared, they still felt confident about their odds.
It was noon.
To the rest of the human domain, the Stellaris family members were more like the undead during this time of day. Their stamina was limitless, and their power was incredible.
With this advantage, their paragon was currently fighting the paragon of the Ravenstein family. The battle was so intense that the tremors could be felt even from this distance.
"Lord Helios, I think it's best we take care of them before Master Luminous finishes his battle," one of the elders suggested, the others nodding in agreement. There was no doubt in their minds that Luminous would emerge victorious against Magnus.
Helios continued his laughter for a few seconds before deciding to listen to the elders. Just as he was about to give the order to attack, he suddenly paused, his gaze narrowing.
The atmosphere had changed. It didn't get hotter or colder, but the earlier sorrowful air around the Ravensteins had vanished. In its place was an unsettling, oppressive aura.
'What happened?'
Helios's gaze shot back toward the Ravensteins, only to meet a pair of piercing blue eyes staring at him with calm indifference.
Helios's eyes narrowed to pinpricks. What the hell?
Everything about the situation was odd. The Ravensteins, who had been mourning moments ago, had completely and suddenly shed their grief.
What made it even stranger was that only Avalon was staring directly at him. The others—Sirius, Lyanna, Nathan, the elders of the Ravenstein family, the sanctum masters, and even the students of the elemental sanctums—were all focused on separate individuals, as if they had silently chosen their targets.
The rage in the air was so thick it was palpable. The Stellaris army tensed. Weren't the Ravensteins supposed to be their prey? Why were they suddenly being looked at as if they were the prey?
Avalon said nothing. Not a single word or utterance. But his actions spoke volumes.
He took a single step forward—and then blurred.
In an instant, the ground beneath him cracked violently before it imploded. Before anyone could process what had happened, a shockwave of such intensity hit the Stellaris army that it felt as though the air itself had imploded.
Avalon tore through the sky, his body a blazing comet, as he pierced through the Stellaris main warship like a blade slicing through paper.
In a blur, he appeared right in front of Helios, his fist connecting with Helios's chin in a devastating uppercut.
The force of the blow sent Helios rocketing skyward, his body flailing like a ragdoll as it soared through the atmosphere, while the warship beneath him began to crumble.
The Stellaris elders and many of the Stellaris warriors widened their eyes, struggling to regain their balance. But before they could fully react, all hell broke loose.
The Ravensteins erupted with a ferocity that sent shockwaves across the battlefield. It was as if a dam of raw, unbridled power had shattered.
Elements flared to life, filling the skies with a display of power that made the Stellaris army stagger in fear.
Lyanna was the first to strike. She had allowed Avalon the lead because it had been right. Only she knew what it took for her to hold herself back until now.
Lyanna raised her hand, and a storm of jagged, gleaming ice shards exploded from the ground.
The temperature plummeted as frozen spikes, sharp as swords, raced across the battlefield, hurtling toward the Stellaris army.
In one fluid movement, she summoned a massive glacier from beneath her, propelling herself toward one of the Stellaris elders.
Sirius raised his arms, and a vicious cyclone formed, spiraling out of control. The sheer force of the wind shredded through the Stellaris ranks, sending warriors flying like leaves caught in a hurricane.
With a flash, Sirius disappeared into the wind, reappearing behind another Stellaris elder. The elder barely had time to react before Sirius unleashed a barrage of razor-sharp air slashes.
Nathan stomped his foot into the ground, and the earth trembled beneath him. Massive cracks tore through the battlefield, and towering pillars of stone shot upward, smashing through the Stellaris forces.
The battlefield was pure chaos. The Stellaris warriors were overwhelmed, their well-coordinated formation falling apart as the Ravensteins tore through them like a storm.
They had let go of every reservation they had.
All the planning. All the preparation. Gone. Right now, every single Ravenstein wanted only one thing: to drench the earth with the blood of the Stellaris.
Fire, water, earth, air, ice, lightning, light, darkness—every natural element of Eldoralth rained down on the Stellaris. It seemed as though the world itself had turned against them.
However, the Stellaris fought back.
Helios erupted in a blinding light, halting his uncontrollable momentum. He quickly swerved, his gaze landing on the streaking figure of Avalon, closing in fast.
With a snarl, two massive warhammers materialized in his hands, their round heads filled with jagged spikes.
He swung his hammers down with brutal force, aiming to crush Avalon beneath them. But just as the hammers were about to connect, Avalon combusted—his entire body bursting into flames, splitting into multiple figures flickering with insane speed.
Helios's eyes widened, unable to track the blurs of motion around him.
Punch after punch slammed into him from every direction—his chin, his ribs, his chest. The blows landed with bone-crushing force, each one sending shockwaves through his body.
Helios swung his hammers wildly, but it was useless—Avalon's fists were everywhere.