While the events in Sector 3 were reaching their conclusion, the battle in Sector 1 was reaching its climax.
The Paragons had each felt Blackgate's presence as soon as he appeared in Sector 2, and while they all wanted to intervene, not all of them were able to leave the scene.
The battle hadn't paused—it had only intensified. Oberon, along with Thorne Alverian and Zephyron, stayed behind to contain it. Despite the ongoing battle, Magnus had still split his focus, sending a construct to Sector 3.
With the current state of Luminous, Magnus couldn't afford to abandon the fight. Luminous would never stop pursuing him if he left for Sector 3.
When the coast was clear in Sector 3, Magnus returned his full focus to the battle, and the change was immediate.
The battle between Magnus and Luminous had been raging for several minutes. For many, this might seem like a short time, but to the Paragons and the combatants themselves, it felt like an eternity.
Thunder cracked louder, echoing through the heavens as Magnus's figure blinked in and out of existence, his speed incalculable.
He appeared behind Luminous, his spear igniting the air with lightning-wrapped power as it struck Luminous's back with devastating force.
CRACK!
The blow sent Luminous hurtling forward, his molten form flaring even brighter as he struggled to regain control. In midair, he twisted, spinning with his warhammer to retaliate, but Magnus was already gone—dispersed into pure lightning.
Magnus blinked again, reappearing at a different angle, his movements like a storm—fluid, constant, and untouchable.
A wall of lightning exploded outward from him, crackling with energy, electrifying the air as it surged toward Luminous with a roar.
Luminous roared in response, drawing power from the sun above. His warhammer glowed blindingly, charged with solar energy, and as he swung it forward, the wall of lightning split in two, parting around him.
He charged at Magnus, his speed increasing with every step, the warhammer crashing down with the force of a meteor.
BOOM!
But Magnus was quicker. In an instant, he blinked away, reappearing like a bolt of lightning, his spear spinning in a blur. He struck Luminous across the chest, sending bolts of electricity coursing through his body.
Luminous's molten form sizzled and cracked under the assault, but the power of the sun restored him instantly.
He bellowed with fury,
"YOU CAN'T DEFEAT ME, MAGNUS!" The rays of the sun intensified, bathing him in their glow.
Magnus, however, remained silent, his expression cold and unchanging. He moved again, faster than a blink, and his spear struck Luminous from every angle. The air erupted with crackling thunder as blow after blow landed.
*CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!*
Each impact sent shockwaves rippling across the battlefield, the force of their battle threatening to tear the very sky apart.
The Paragons watching from a distance contained the shockwaves, holding the devastation at bay.
By now, many Grandmaster and Master ranks of Sector Two and the academy had gathered closer to the Aegis Shield, each watching the battle unfold with bated breaths.
To most, the battle seemed to be at a standstill, a war of attrition between titans. But to the paragons, the end was already in sight.
With a final, blinding flash, Magnus appeared directly in front of Luminous, his spear igniting with the fury of a storm.
Lightning crackled around the weapon like a coiled serpent, and without hesitation, Magnus thrust his spear forward with unimaginable speed, the world seeming to hold its breath.
BOOM!
The impact was devastating, a thunderous explosion that sent Luminous crashing into the earth below. A massive crater formed upon his impact, the ground shattering as his molten form struggled to maintain itself.
His solar aura flickered, the sun's energy fighting to restore him, but Magnus gave no chance.
In the blink of an eye, Magnus was upon him, his spear a torrent of deadly strikes.
Each thrust sent another wave of electricity surging through Luminous's body—his torso, arms, legs—no part of him was spared. The sun's energy struggled to keep up with the damage, but Magnus was relentless.
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
Shockwaves radiated out with each strike, rattling the very foundation of the battlefield. The earth itself quivered under the force, debris flying in all directions as Luminous's body was torn apart, piece by piece.
His molten form shimmered and cracked, unable to hold against the onslaught.
Luminous roared, his body growing brighter as he tapped into the full force of the sun. He went supernova, erupting with raw solar power, a cataclysmic burst of energy that should incinerate anything in its path.
But Magnus was unaffected. His lightning speared through the explosion, cutting through the supernova as if it were nothing.
Luminous tried again and again, unleashing bursts of solar explosions, but Magnus's lightning pierced through it all, his strikes faster and deadlier with each passing second.
Despite the seemingly infinite energy Luminous could draw from the sun, the cracks in his form began to deepen.
His light began to dim, his body struggling to keep up with the relentless assault. The realization dawned on him like a heavy weight, one he was finding hard to believe: he was losing.
The anger inside him bubbled, his disbelief turning into rage. He glanced up at the sun, which was shining as brightly as ever, fueling him with so much energy that should make him invincible. And yet, he had still lost to this man, Magnus Ravenstein.
"I-I lost?" Luminous muttered, his voice barely audible as his molten form wavered. He couldn't believe it.
However, there was no doubt about it, he had lost. If things were left the way they were, only death awaited him. He might be a paragon, however, Luminous didn't want to die.
With a hoarse voice, Luminous spoke words he had never imagined he would utter in his entire life.
"I-I give up."
The words echoed across the battlefield, reaching the ears of every grandmaster, master, and paragon watching. A silence fell over the crowd—stunned, disbelieving.
Luminous had surrendered.
But the thunder never stopped. Magnus didn't flinch. His cold gaze remained fixed on Luminous, and his movements did not cease.
It was as if Magnus hadn't heard him at all.
To Magnus, it was inconceivable, after everything that had happened, he couldn't imagine a scenario in which Luminous could have been talking to him.
His spear strikes rained down like a storm, each one more deadly than the last. Luminous could no longer draw on the sun's energy to repair his form, and the blows came faster, the damage deeper.
Magnus's eyes flashed with lethal intent. Seeing Luminous weakened, he drew his spear back, lightning igniting around it with blinding intensity.
The spear crackled with storm-like power, arcs of lightning surging through the air as Magnus thrust it forward, directly toward Luminous's head.
But just as the spear was about to land, a blinding light flashed in the air. Oberon, Thorne, and Zephyrion reacted simultaneously, their hands stretching forward.
The air in front of Luminous fractured, the space warping as the spear collided with an invisible barrier. The resulting explosion was cataclysmic.
BOOOOOM!
The ground beneath them split, and the sky itself seemed to shudder as the force of the impact rippled across the battlefield.
The shockwave tore through the earth, sending rocks, debris, and dust flying into the air. Lightning cracked through the skies, thunder rumbling like the voice of a vengeful god.
Magnus's body crackled with pure energy, his killing intent blanketing the entire space. His cold, emotionless voice cut through the tension like a blade.
"Do you all choose to interfere?"
His spear swept to his side, arcs of lightning sparking off it as he gazed at the paragons.
The air grew thick with tension, almost suffocating.
Every paragon in the vicinity instinctively knew—Magnus was ready to take them all on.