Chapter 85: Lightfall

The wind howled across the shattered ridges of Sky Mountain.

Reyon stood on the fractured peak, cloak torn and singed, eyes locked on the majestic beast ahead. His voice was steady but cold.

"We won't be able to defeat him without a full-on attack."

Edward and Evelyn turned toward him. There was no hesitation in his tone, only certainty.

"I can use Void now… with 80% mastery," Reyon continued, fingers twitching with building energy. "I can absorb the enemy's spells. But we have to end this in one strike."

Evelyn's brows furrowed. "One…?"

Reyon nodded sharply. "To defeat the wyvern… I'll absorb its attacks to the limit. Then I'll launch a counterattack. You two—" He looked at them both, fire in his eyes. "—you'll use your ultimates along with it. That's our only chance."

Edward didn't speak.

Instead, he took one step forward.

Then another.

And without another word… the Emperor of Phoenix extended his hand.

Mana exploded around him like a supernova.

"Sunflare," Edward said calmly.

A sphere of compressed golden light formed in his palm, then surged outward. It stretched, condensed again, then flashed into a beam. It was bright—so bright that even Reyon instinctively shielded his eyes.

"…That's—" Reyon murmured, stunned.

His heart skipped.

That wasn't a common 8th-circle spell. That was something entirely different.

It was his first time seeing his father fight.

In his past life, Reyon had only heard rumors… that Edward Phoenix was on the verge of reaching the 9th circle—before the dragon ended it all.

And now, Reyon was witnessing it with his own eyes.

The light from the spell bent the world around it. Every molecule of light nearby was consumed—transformed into raging heat waves.

The mountain boulders began to melt.

Yes, melt.

Massive stones that had stood for millennia now dripped like wax under a divine flame.

The wyvern's eyes narrowed.

Even it—creature of mana and myth—recognized the danger.

It roared, wings spread wide as its throat began to glow.

It was accumulating mana.

Silver light spiraled in its maw.

Mana condensed with such intensity it shimmered like liquid mercury.

Then—

The wyvern launched its Silver Breath, the concentrated mana wave tearing through the sky with a thunderclap.

It met Edward's Sunflare head-on.

BOOOOOM!!!

The world shook.

The peaks trembled.

Entire ridgelines crumbled.

But then… Edward's spell wavered.

And with a sharp hiss, the breath slashed through the golden beam.

"Damn," Edward muttered, eyes widening.

The breath didn't slow.

It tore toward them like a comet.

Reyon didn't flinch.

He stepped forward, eyes sharp.

"∞."

He cast the symbol. The Ring of Ferica glowed.

The Orb appeared.

And in the very next instant, the Silver Breath—a spell so powerful it had shattered spells of legends—was completely absorbed.

Gone.

Edward exhaled, stunned. "So… this is the wyvern's strength."

His fists tightened.

"It easily slashed through my spell."

Reyon shook his head. "No," he said quickly, voice firm. "That… wasn't its full strength."

Edward turned to him, surprised.

"It wasn't able to fully accumulate mana," Reyon explained. "Your spell forced it to rush. That was only a half-formed breath."

He clenched his right hand.

His fingers were shaking.

"But even that… just absorbing it…" Reyon muttered, "…my hand trembled."

He looked down.

Blood ran from his palm.

It was shaking—no, twitching uncontrollably. Nerves glowing from mana overload.

Evelyn's voice broke the silence. "Brother."

She glanced at Edward.

"Let's attack together."

Edward chuckled under his breath. "Haa… I was just testing the limits."

He grinned, raising his hand again.

"You preserve your strength for the final attack," he said. "But me?"

The smile turned sharp.

"I haven't felt this thrill in years… Looks like I'll have to get serious."

His body rose off the ground, surrounded by a white aura.

Lightning sparked in the skies above them.

The clouds churned like a sea about to vomit a storm.

Edward pointed upward.

"Lance of the Sky."

The clouds screamed as thousands of lightning bolts converged to a single point in the heavens.

The light grew brighter—so bright it turned the sky white.

Then, from that fury, a humongous lightning lance formed.

The wyvern screeched, sensing death.

It began to gather mana again.

This time, half of its reserves were burned in an instant.

Another Silver Breath formed—and launched.

Edward launched his spell at the same time.

The breath and the lance collided mid-air.

The explosion that followed flattened the peaks below.

Silver lightning rained down in waves.

Whole summits cracked and collapsed under the pressure.

But Reyon's eyes focused on the lance.

"It pierced through," he muttered.

The breath crumbled.

The lance surged forward.

The wyvern flapped its wings, trying to dodge—

SHRIIIIIIP!

One of its wings tore.

It fell from the sky, slamming against a cliff wall.

Reyon blinked. "That… that spell—"

"It reached the power of a 9th circle spell," He whispered, stunned.

"But how…?"

Reyon turned to her, confused.

Evelyn didn't even blink.

"Do you think he was called the strongest of this generation for nothing?"

She stepped forward, eyes burning.

"He's the strongest mage alive after Mother."

"But…" she added after a pause, "he won't be able to cast that again. Half of his mana was used."

Reyon grit his teeth.

His gaze turned to the wyvern.

"It's good that the wyvern also used half of its mana…" Evelyn said quietly.

But Reyon didn't nod.

"No," he muttered.

"That creature…"

He clenched his bleeding hand.

"It can restore that much mana in seconds. It can launch breath after breath… without rest."

As if in response, the wyvern roared again.

Another breath formed.

Silver light gathered in its throat.

It launched again.

"Damn it—" Edward growled.

But Reyon stepped forward.

"∞."

Again, the Orb appeared.

The Silver Breath crashed into it—and was absorbed.

But this time—

Blood burst from Reyon's hand.

His fingers cracked.

The skin split open along his wrist.

He gritted his teeth but didn't cry out.

His knees wobbled.

Still, he stood.

"Dad. Aunt," he called out. "Prepare for the ultimate."

He raised his hand.

"We're going to launch the final attack—now."

The Orb rotated.

The air around it distorted.

Symbols appeared along the edge—σ, again and again.

"Stacking—" Reyon whispered, "—twenty times."

The energy surged.

The power of the counterattack increased exponentially.

Mana began to seep into Reyon's arm.

His veins glowed.

The nerves under his skin blazed white-blue with pain.

"Agh—!" he hissed, stumbling slightly.

But he didn't stop.

Edward and Evelyn stood behind him, hands raised.

"We're ready," Edward said calmly.

Evelyn whispered, "Clamo Vento Dues."

Wind gathered.

Storm spirals formed around her arms.

The orb pulsed.

And then—

Reyon released the counterattack.

BOOOOM!!!

The silver energy surged forward—many times stronger than the previous absorbed breaths.

This time, the wyvern had launched with its full mana reserves.

But this wasn't just a reflection.

This was annihilation.

Edward's eyes narrowed. He paused, gauging the blast.

"They'll overpower it," he said. "I'll hold my ultimate for now… in case something goes wrong."

The attacks collided.

The sky shattered.

Half of Sky Mountain—gone.

Flattened.

Thousands of peaks reduced to rubble, ash, and vapor.

Reyon collapsed.

Blood dripping from his arms.

His skin had torn at the joints from the mana discharge.

"Damn—" he hissed, and fell to the ground

A light barrier shimmered around him—Edward's protection.

Edward caught him just before the aftermath hit.

The dust cleared slowly.

Evelyn's eyes widened.

"…It's still alive," she whispered.

There, amidst the debris, the wyvern lay unmoving.

Both wings were gone.

Its silver scales cracked.

And beside it… a shattered artifact.

Evelyn clenched her fists.

"That… clever bastard," she mumbled.

"It lived… by using an artifact…"

But she wasn't afraid.

Her gaze turned upward.

Edward floated above them still.

He hadn't moved.

Because he hadn't used his ultimate yet.

The wyvern, drained—its reserves gone—couldn't recover that fast.

Not now.

Not after what it had just endured.

"It can't defend against what's coming next," Evelyn said softly.

Edward raised his hand.

His voice was quiet, but absolute.

"Light Fall."

Ten colossal swords—each thousands of meters long—manifested in the sky.

They glowed with divine radiance.

The light was so immense it painted the mountains white.

Reyon, half-conscious, blinked. "…They're… so huge…"

The swords descended.

The entire mountain range darkened under their shadows.

The wyvern, sensing death, made its last move.

It screamed—and used life force as a catalyst.

Another Silver Breath, launched in desperation.

But it was weaker.

Only as strong as a half-mana breath.

It destroyed two swords.

But the other eight continued.

And then—

They landed.

BOOOOOOOOOOM!!!

The sky exploded.

Sky Mountain ended.

Nothing remained but rubble, ash, and silence.