Child of Destiny

Chapter 2298: Gather!

......

Donato narrowed his eyes as he watched his two personal guards struggle against the opposing side.

From their situation, he could already make a rough assessment of what had happened to his other Commanders.

At this moment, he couldn’t sense the presence of any of them throughout the fortress, which clearly indicated that they were no longer around.

They had most likely been eliminated by the opposing forces.

With that thought, Donato withdrew his gaze from the battlefield and turned toward Shin, who had been watching him from the beginning.

A smirk appeared on his face as he reached behind him and removed the massive battle axe hanging from his back.

Boom!

At the same moment, a terrifying aura suddenly erupted from his body, dominating the entire battlefield.

Under the tremendous pressure, the elite members of Deicide couldn’t help but momentarily halt their movements, especially those directly targeted by Donato’s aura.

The remaining soldiers of the fortress immediately seized the opportunity to launch a counterattack, with the two NPC Commanders moving at the forefront.

However, before they could make their move, Samael suddenly disengaged from his melee battle with the knight-type NPC Commander.

He raised his sword toward the sky and shouted, "Oh, Sun and Moon that illuminate the darkness of this world... shine upon us!"

Swoosh!

Immediately afterward, a gigantic formation emerged from the ground, spreading across the entire battlefield.

’Eclipse Justiciar Skill (Tier 3): Sanctuary of the Sun and Moon’

Swoosh!

The enormous formation illuminated the darkness while releasing countless motes of light that descended upon the bodies of every Deicide member.

The light washed over them, cleansing their minds and strengthening their willpower.

With the help of this large-scale buff, everyone quickly recovered from the pressure released by Donato.

They immediately resumed their attacks, once again suppressing their opponents.

Seeing this, Donato couldn’t help but frown. "Annoying pests."

Immediately afterward, he swung his battle axe, sending a massive wave of energy sweeping toward Samael and everyone around him.

Whoosh!

Given the tremendous power carried by the attack, it would not have been strange for the surrounding area to be completely devastated, much less for everyone caught within its path to be killed.

The attack was so indiscriminate that Donato didn’t even seem to care whether his own two guards were caught in it and killed alongside the enemy.

Swoosh!

Samael couldn’t help but freeze for a moment when he saw the incoming attack, especially when the knight-type NPC Commander in front of him suddenly launched an all-out assault.

From the looks of it, the NPC Commander was fully prepared to sacrifice himself just to take Samael down—even if it meant that both of them would die in the process.

However, Samael did not panic despite seeing the destructive attack coming his way.

After all, Shin and the others were still around. They should be able to save him if the situation truly became dangerous.

Swoosh!

But contrary to his expectations, none of Shin, Diablo, or Alucard made a move.

They simply watched as the massive energy wave swept through everything in its path and descended upon everyone below.

"Eh!?" Samael couldn’t help but turn toward them with wide eyes while desperately trying to fend off the attacks of the NPC Commander before him.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

While blocking his opponent’s attacks, Samael couldn’t help but call out for help. "Big Brother Sickarius! Save me!"

Even though he was confident that he could block such a powerful attack with his current defensive abilities, doing so would require him to expend several Skills to protect himself and everyone around him.

Unfortunately, none of the three made their move. They simply continued watching the battle, unbothered by how dangerous the incoming attack from Donato was.

Just as Samael was about to lose hope and began wondering whether Shin was deliberately testing his limits, a tower shield suddenly flew across the battlefield.

Swoosh!

The shield soared over everyone’s heads before slamming into the ground.

BOOM!

Immediately afterward, a massive wall of energy erupted from the shield, rising into the air and extending outwards like the unbreakable walls of a towering fortress.

Swoosh!

BOOM!

The enormous energy wall collided head-on with Donato’s destructive attack, blocking it and protecting everyone behind it regardless of their affiliation.

Both the fortress soldiers and the members of Deicide were spared from the threat of annihilation brought by the devastating strike.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Successive shockwaves spread in every direction as the two forces repeatedly collided, destroying the nearby buildings.

The clash continued for several moments until both the destructive attack and the defensive wall exhausted their respective energy and gradually dissipated.

Swoosh!

Just as the thick cloud of smoke and dust created by the collision began to recede, a figure suddenly descended from the sky and landed beside the tower shield.

"It looks like I’m not late!" Owen laughed as he picked up his shield.

He was particularly pleased with the way he had arrived, feeling that it had made for quite the heroic entrance.

He was beginning to understand why Arthur always loved making such flashy entrances.

It was truly satisfying!

...

Donato couldn’t help but furrow his brows after seeing the newcomer.

That casual attack of his might not have been particularly powerful in Donato’s eyes, but it had still been more than enough to dominate everyone under his command.

Yet despite its overwhelming destructive power, this newcomer had blocked it with apparent ease.

Based on his initial assessment, this man shouldn’t be any weaker than the other three who had been watching him from the beginning.

Swoosh! Swoosh!

Before Donato could complete his assessment of Owen, he suddenly sensed two more powerful auras approaching from another direction.

This time, the auras were coming from the western side of the fortress.

Seeing them, Donato immediately realized what had happened. "So even Ivar has fallen..."

The Grand Marshal had been sent to deal with the troublemakers causing chaos around the oasis outside the fortress, but it seemed that he had also failed to contain the two opponents and had been defeated.

Swoosh! Swoosh!

Felix and Felicia stood atop a nearby building, swiftly sweeping their gazes across the battlefield as they assessed the situation.

"It looks like we just made it in time," Felix said after taking in the current state of the battlefield.

The two had rushed back as soon as they defeated Grand Marshal Ivar.

When they heard the thunderous explosions and saw the rising smoke in the distance, they immediately assumed that the raid against the Fortress Master had already begun.

They had picked up their pace upon realizing this.

Fortunately, it seemed they had arrived at exactly the right time.

Donato narrowed his eyes further after seeing the two newcomers, especially after sensing that the auras they emitted were just as troublesome as those of the four already present on the battlefield.

He wasn’t afraid of them. With his current strength, he was still far above their level.

However, when he considered facing all of them together, even he couldn’t help but feel a considerable amount of pressure.

"So that’s it, huh?" he muttered, as though he had finally realized something.

Donato couldn’t help but recall everything that had happened throughout the night.

It had all started with the unusual poisoning incident that crippled a considerable portion of their forces through the water supply.

Then, they had been forced to send someone to deal with the troublemakers at the oasis, taking yet another powerful force away from the fortress.

This had been followed almost immediately by the sudden artillery bombardment from the eastern side of the fortress, luring them into sending their elite forces out to deal with the attackers.

Then came the ambush that nearly incapacitated him, forcing him to focus on recovering rather than commanding his forces.

Without him, the Commanders had been forced to take action as another attack erupted from within the fortress, eventually causing the collapse of the Mana Dome protecting the entire structure.

And while he was still recovering, his Commanders had been picked off one after another until none remained, leaving him virtually alone.

Now...

This group of troublesome young people had gathered at precisely the right moment, when he was almost completely isolated.

"So..." Donato narrowed his eyes as he swept his gaze across Shin and the others. "...it was all to put me in this situation."

BOOM!

An overwhelmingly powerful aura suddenly erupted from his body, so intense that it seemed almost visible to the naked eye.

The pressure accompanying that aura descended upon everyone present, forcing the chaotic battlefield to come to a sudden halt.

The members of Deicide and the remaining fortress forces struggled to withstand the overwhelming pressure.

However, seven people continued standing proudly despite the oppressive force dominating the entire area.

Samael was still struggling to remain standing, but he stubbornly held his ground.

Owen, on the other hand, casually slammed his tower shield into the ground and leaned against it lazily while looking at Donato with an amused expression.

Diablo and Alucard stared coldly at the Fortress Master, fully prepared to spring into action at any moment.

Felix and Felicia were likewise ready, their expressions showing how eager they were for the battle against the final boss to begin.

Shin merely smirked beneath his mask before taking a step forward.

Shing!

He unsheathed the [Yamato] and pointed it directly at Donato, issuing a clear challenge.

"Come!"

......