Level Up Legacy

Chapter 1247  Everything Has Changed

As the battle between the One-Armed Asura and Amelio, the Sin of Greed, reached its peak, the earth itself began to shake. Amelio, angered by Asura's harsh words, unleashed his full strength. His every move caused the ground to crack and the air to swirl violently with winds. Trees were uprooted, and rocks flew through the air as if they were mere pebbles.

Facing this overwhelming power, Asura realized how outmatched he was. Yet, he refused to give up. Gathering his remaining energy, he lifted his sword high, its blade glowing with a ghostly light. With a fierce shout, he charged, aiming a powerful strike directly at Amelio.

Their collision sent a shockwave that flattened everything around them. Trees snapped in half, and the ground split open, creating deep fissures. Dust and debris filled the air, making it hard to see.

Above, the Storyteller and Seref watched from a safe distance, floating in the air on a ghostly bicycle. The Storyteller, busy writing, said in amazement, "I never knew Earth had people who could fight calamities like this."

Seref, looking down, replied, "If Asura wasn't weakened by the Nameless curse, he might have had the upper hand. But that's not our reality."

When the dust settled, Amelio was still standing, though he had lost his right arm in the blast. Not far from him, Asura lay on the ground, severely wounded, with a bloody hole in his chest and his broken sword beside him.

Amelio walked over to Asura, looking down at him with respect. "You were a great opponent, Asura. Few have challenged me like you have," he said. He was about to absorb Asura's essence when suddenly, a beam of light hit him, knocking him back.

He looked up to see a huge ship floating in the sky, looking like something out of a fairy tale. A woman stood on the ship, wearing a white dress and a crown of light. She was so beautiful that she seemed to shine.

"I am Empress Ai, ruler of Ilios and master of the elements," she announced. "This fight is over."

Amelio, holding his chest where the light had hit him, glared at her. "An Empress? You dare stop me?"

Empress Ai stood firm. "Your destruction must end, Amelio. I will not let you kill a warrior as noble as Asura."

Empress Ai stood on her magnificent flying ship, her presence commanding as she surveyed the battlefield. Below her, her troops—the valiant warriors of Ilios—formed ranks, ready for her command.

Amelio, still smirking despite his injury, laughed at the sight. "Do you really think your soldiers can stop me?" he taunted. His voice echoed across the broken landscape, filled with scorn.

Empress Ai smiled calmly, a serene contrast to the destruction around them. "I do not plan to sacrifice my people in vain," she replied softly. "If you wish to continue this fight, you must face me directly."

The Sin of Greed's laughter grew louder. "Then I will enjoy absorbing your essence just as much," he boasted, his eyes gleaming with greed.

Before the clash could escalate, Seref stepped forward, his voice cutting through the tension. "Saint Ai," he called out, his tone a mixture of surprise and curiosity, "since when did you become an empress?"

Empress Ai's frown deepened as she looked down at Seref. "What are you doing here, and what do you plan?" she demanded, her voice echoing with authority.

"I have no plans other than to see my son again," Seref responded, his gaze unwavering.

Empress Ai raised her hand, summoning a lightning bolt that crackled with intense energy, lighting up the sky. "I owe Arthur a great debt," she declared. "The gift he bestowed upon Ilios will not be forgotten. I will not allow any harm to come to him."

With that, she launched the lightning bolt. It surged down towards the trio, its path illuminated with blinding light.

Amelio moved to intercept, but Seref stepped forward, mana swirling around him. The lightning bolt weakened as it approached, fizzling into harmless sparks before it could reach them. "No attack will reach me," Seref stated firmly, the wind playing through his cloak.

Empress Ai, witnessing this, called upon an ally. Beside her appeared an elderly man with a noble bearing. "Zonas," she introduced, "Ilios's finest swordsman."

Zonas bowed slightly, his respect evident. "I will handle this, Empress," he assured her.

Seref, recognizing the threat Zonas posed, hesitated. "There's no need for further conflict," he finally said, his voice somber. "We do not wish to see Asura fall here today." Turning to Empress Ai, he added, "Tell Arthur that everything has changed. I no longer hold sway over what comes next." 𝒩Ew st𝒐ries at n𝒐/vel/bin(.)co𝒎

With these words, Seref signaled to Amelio and the injured Asura. Reluctantly, the trio began to retreat, leaving the battlefield as the presence of Empress Ai and her troops loomed large over the now quiet field.

After the three were gone, the vessel landed beside the wounded Asura.

Empress Ai, standing resolute upon her grand vessel, turned her attention to the fallen warrior below. With a gentle gesture, she summoned the energies capable of reversing the wounds of battle. Her hands glowed with a soft, radiant light that seemed to weave through time itself, focusing down on Asura's motionless form.

As the light enveloped him, the debris and dust around his body seemed to dance backwards, sucked into an invisible vortex of healing. Moments later, Asura's eyes fluttered open, his breaths deepening as life returned to his body. He sat up, a mix of confusion and shame crossing his features. He had been bested, defeated not by skill but by sheer force—a hard pill for any warrior to swallow.

Zonas, observing the scene, approached Asura with a hand extended in solidarity. "Even I would have faltered against Amelio's might," he reassured him, his voice filled with empathy and understanding.

Asura, taking Zonas's hand, rose to his feet. Recognition flickered in his eyes. "Zonas... weren't you the one who looked after Yurirl, my disciple?" he asked, a trace of respect lining his tone.

Zonas nodded solemnly. "I was, and I still keep an eye on him from time to time," he replied, his gaze steady and warm.

Asura patted down his chest, expecting pain or at least a scar, but found nothing. Astonished, he turned towards Empress Ai, his eyes wide. "How...?" he began, unable to fully articulate his surprise.

Empress Ai smiled softly, her eyes reflecting the starlight. "This healing gift is from Arthur Netherborne," she explained. "He bestowed it upon those he trusted most, and I extended it to you. Consider it a token of his belief in redemption and recovery."

Asura, moved by the gesture, bowed his head slightly. "I owe him more than thanks," he murmured, a newfound resolve igniting within him.

The scene around them had calmed, the earlier chaos of battle replaced by a serene twilight. Empress Ai's troops, witnessing the healing, murmured among themselves, their respect for her growing. Here was a leader who wielded power not just to conquer, but to restore and heal.

Zonas, standing beside Asura, clapped him on the shoulder. "Let's return to the ship," he suggested. "There's much to discuss, and you need to fully regain your strength."

Asura, assisted by Zonas, climbed aboard Empress Ai's ship, his steps still unsteady as he adjusted to the sudden restoration of his health. The vessel, aglow with gentle light, felt like a sanctuary after the tumult of battle. As they ascended, the air around them thickened with an electrifying sense of urgency—not from their own encounter, but from distant powers clashing.

From the edge of the ship, they looked out towards the horizon where flashes of light and dark clouds roiled. "It seems another calamity battles against formidable foes," Zonas remarked, his eyes narrowing as he assessed the distant chaos.

Empress Ai, standing beside them, nodded gravely. "This conflict does not call for our intervention. Our priority remains the safety of Ilios and the wellbeing of our people," she declared. Her gaze then shifted back to her crew, signaling it was time to depart.

Before the ship could set course for Ilios, Empress Ai approached the communication console. "We must inform Arthur of today's events," she stated, her voice carrying the weight of responsibility.

The device buzzed to life, and soon Arthur's voice filled the space, powerful and magnetic. Ai tells him what happened, and his tone turns to one of relief.

"Asura, I'm glad you're unharmed," he sighed. "Julia will be relieved to hear this. She would have been devastated to lose her only uncle."

Asura, listening in, felt a warmth at the mention of family ties reinforcing his recovery. He nodded to Ai, silently thanking her for facilitating this connection.

Empress Ai then took a deep breath before relaying the words of Seref. "Arthur, your father was here. He said that everything has changed now. He no longer holds sway over what comes next."

There was a pause on the line as Arthur processed the information. "I see," he finally replied, his tone mixed with contemplation and a hint of unease. "Thank you, Ai. We need to prepare for what's coming. Whatever my father is planning, it could change everything."