Chapter 649: Ultimate ONE

The atmosphere trembled, the golden sea quivered, and waves surged forth. This was the effect of the change in the gravitational environment, something even Altera couldn't avoid.

Anyone who has had the experience of staying in bed knows that sitting on the bed and reaching out can easily lead to a fall. If someone suddenly pushes you from behind at that moment, there's only one outcome – losing balance and having your upper body make intimate contact with the ground.

Although Altera wasn't pushed, the sudden pull of six times the usual gravity was even more severe than a push, and the result was predictable.

In an instant, a thunderous crash resonated. The already tumultuous golden sea split apart due to the giant's fall, splashing a large wave of golden liquid.

Amidst the sky full of golden light, a loud explosion erupted. Arcueid, moving faster than sound, tore through the golden rain and charged towards the fallen Altera. Her slender hands transformed into terrifying claws as if she intended to completely shred this mightiest enemy in Earth's history.

Boom!

Another loud crash.

The ground, already under six times the gravitational force, groaned under the additional impact.

Only now did the sound of the air being torn apart arrive belatedly. The intense sonic boom, mixed with shockwaves, surged wildly in all directions along the path of Arcueid's movement, dispersing the golden rain before it could reach the ground.

In the center of the stone chamber, swept by the shockwave, a colossal figure straightened up. Just this simple act sent Arcueid flying back at an even faster speed.

The difference in size, the difference in mass, and the difference in strength was too vast. Even with the influence of six times the gravity, it couldn't withstand the giant's casual strike.

The giant, who had overwhelming power and had sent Arcueid flying, showed no intention of stopping. The red light flowed in her pupils, reflecting the enemy's image. That color symbolized destruction, the power to annihilate civilizations.

This power had once driven one world after another into despair, and now it was directed at Arcueid.

"Destruction, annihilation—"

Altera's voice was utterly lifeless as if the previous gentleness was just an illusion, "—the end."

However, the enemy struck by the light of destruction, the ant challenging the giant in her eyes, did not meet its end. Instead, it let out an angry roar.

The resentment, the sorrow, the anger, and the despair within it tore through the destruction, moving even Altera.

"Not a human, but a planet."

"Gaia... you've always remembered?"

Shinji unconsciously shed tears. His magic originated from thoughts and emotions, so he could feel the resentment and unwillingness more than anyone else.

This wasn't just Arcueid's emotion; it was the lament of a planet for all its living beings, the final roar of a destroyed civilization, a sorrow forever engraved in the inner sea of the stars.

At this moment, Arcueid's body on Earth opened its eyes once again, and from her vast, all-encompassing gaze, drops of fresh blood seeped out, shocking to behold.

At this moment, the Second Magician, who could freely traverse time and space, stood at the edge of the atmosphere, looking up at that long-dead star, lost in thought.

At this moment, the world created by Mooncell gradually faded before Shinji's eyes, and he inexplicably left Altera's stone chamber, arriving at a corridor adorned with bizarre paintings.

The paintings depicted various prehistoric creatures, human ancestors, and imagined landscapes.

Shinji knew these were the planet's memories. She created everything, watched over everything, and recorded everything.

At the end of the corridor was a painting that stood out from the rest.

While the entire corridor recorded birth, development, prosperity, and civilization, this single painting represented destruction.

Red and black dominated Shinji's vision.

Red was the color of blood, the blood of countless living beings staining the earth.

Black was the color of miasma, an all-encompassing miasma that polluted the entire planet, driving countless creatures into madness, making them gigantic, and ultimately draining their lives.

In the center of the painting was a white giant reaching into the clouds, tearing mountains and cutting rivers, leaving behind only endless madness and destruction.

She was an avatar of Altera, the Sefar that had destroyed Earth's civilization under the control of a wandering star 14,000 years ago.

"What do you feel, entrusted with hope, outsider?"

A voice echoed, seemingly both male and female, mature yet ancient, human yet mixed with beastly roars.

The planet's voice, Gaia's will?

The collective unconscious of humanity, the pulse of Alaya?

Or perhaps a combination of both?

Shinji didn't know, nor did he want to know. At this moment, he had only one emotion—sorrow.

Sorrow for the planet that nurtured everything, sorrow for the annihilated living beings, and sorrow for the giant whose kind nature was inevitably forced to bring destruction.

"What will you do?"

Seemingly dissatisfied with Shinji's answer, the voice grew louder, making his head spin.

This time, he didn't remain silent. He answered in a dry voice:

"I won't let her destroy the planet, destroy humanity. Because no matter which world I'm in, I am an Earthling."

"Remember your answer."

The voice disappeared, the corridor collapsed, and Shinji found himself back in the stone chamber.

The battle continued, but the situation had changed. It was no longer Altera overwhelming Arcueid; now, they were evenly matched, entangled in a fight.

It was truly an entanglement, a close-quarters fight.

Describing the 1.67-meter-tall Arcueid and the 16-meter-long Altera with the word entangled seemed inappropriate, but if Arcueid had grown to 16.7 meters, it made perfect sense.

That's right, Arcueid had also become a giant, or rather, a giant vampire.

Because of her trump card, one of the Primordials, Ultimate ONE. This was the manifestation of the planet's support, the highest specification standing at the pinnacle of a planet, a display above all living beings.

In this state, she was the rightful Earth Queen, the god above gods, and everything on Earth would bow to her. Even when facing the alien destroyer that once annihilated Earth, she could adjust to the most suitable combat stance, holding her own.

But just holding her own. Arcueid was indeed Earth's Ultimate ONE, but Altera was a creation of the predatory star that had destroyed countless civilizations. Her specifications were not only equal but possibly even superior.

The current stalemate was due to the narrowness of the stone chamber (narrow for giants), which limited their movement, forcing them into close combat, and Arcueid had extremely strong regenerative abilities.

More troubling was that this was the landing pod of the predatory star, Altera's absolute domain, where her strength could be fully unleashed, while Arcueid's Ultimate ONE had a time limit.

Once the time limit expired, Arcueid would revert to being the ant that was previously crushed.

"It's all up to me now. Hopefully, my magic can hold out."

Hiding in the only refuge in the stone cave—the temple—Shinji grasped the air with his left hand, and a golden longbow appeared out of nowhere.

The Brahma weapon left by Karna—the indestructible bow.