Artemis also cast a cold gaze down at Paris below.
If Night died, she would not mind sending a new great boar down to Troy, or even releasing Scorpio into the mortal world.
Even if Zeus tried to stop her, she would put an arrow through that thing.
And Apollo, who knew the full story, looked even more grim-faced.
Did this Troy's good-for-nothing playboy know what he just did?
He was inciting Hector to kill his own brother, to kill Troy's greatest contributor, one of the most brilliant stars in the Greek world.
And at this moment Paris, whose sense of foreboding was deepening, feeling more and more inexplicably uneasy: ...he felt like he might have made everyone angry.
Even the princess on the city wall began sending curses his way, and Helen seemed quite in agreement.
King Agamemnon, silent, his expression struggling for a moment, then shouted: "God-King Zeus, please stop this battle! We conced..."
But the word "defeat" had not yet left his mouth.
Boom!!
A new development suddenly appeared on the field, and it put Hector on full alert.
Dark black and bright red auras intertwined and surged into the sky, forming red-black tangible lightning that crackled across Night's body.
Then a column of light shot straight toward the heavens and dispersed the clouds.
The loan finally came through!
As a massive flood of red dragon power and even deeper-level forces poured into Night's body through the soul contract.
"It is not over yet!!" He suddenly gripped the sword inherited from Achilles.
Though that sword's fame might not be as great as the holy sword Durandal, it absolutely would not be inferior to the other's brilliance.
Especially with the double divine equipment buff stacking.
Right now this sword was even stronger, even stronger, even stronger than Durandal!!
Even though in the final moment he sensed that Hector had already broken through that barrier.
The single slash released from the freed Durandal, shimmering like lake light, was just like the throwing technique.
Proof that all his other techniques had also reached the divine domain level.
His own accumulation compared to Hector's was still not enough.
But if one person alone could not reach that power transcending the next dimension, then he would combine the power of two into one.
How painful.
His eyes felt like they were going blind. His organs felt like they had shattered. His bones were creaking and could crumble into dust at any moment.
But his soul was warm.
As though wrapped in a surge of true crimson power.
And equally, incomparable joy and deep feeling kept rising in his heart without stopping.
He saw his own new limit.
And then, the process of trying to surpass that limit.
'Sorry, Hector. I am going to cheat here. After this strike lands, I will fall no matter whether I win or lose. And so...
There is no more need to hesitate.
I will fall before you do. Troy will have its victory.'
Though it might be a little redundant. But in order to answer that last thrilling slash, that slash that felt like it could split space clean in two.
At this moment all visual images before Night's eyes in his five senses had already disappeared.
But he knew that as long as he aimed forward and released the attack, it would be enough.
That man was right there. Already locked on.
No way to dodge. And he would not dodge.
The gods and heroes were shaken.
Looking at that earth-shaking scene, the astonishing and terrifying power erupting from within that body.
Hector: "...!! This power is?"
Night's lips curved slightly upward, then he shouted out loud.
"The shock of a king is presented here and now. Witness the power that makes heaven and earth tremble.
My Tamashi, my soul, and the new power born from fusing the strength of my companions into one."
"Awakened from a golden dream, freed from the cradle."
Crash!!
Lightning, pitch-black, deep azure, and crimson red!
All shining at once, and lighting up alongside them were the flames burning in those eyes where red and blue blazed together after the full release.
In this moment everyone held their breath and opened their eyes wide as a "beautiful," incomparably "magnificent" sight entered their eyes.
Paired with those chant words that still made hearts pound, each word striking hard against people's hearts.
Roar!! A black dragon, a red dragon!!
Two immense figures began to emerge, starting from their dragon heads, growing vivid and lifelike one by one.
Dragon horns, dragon claws, then bodies and scales all began growing clearer and clearer alongside the terrifying storm of magical power.
And finally, two pairs of golden pupils opened simultaneously, radiating golden brilliance and filled with overwhelming pressure.
Dragons!!
In the instant that dragon roar rang out and the phantom became reality, every single person was struck speechless and dazed.
And Night had already raised high the sword that extended upward from his body all the way through his hand, with swirling multicolored flames and lightning wreathing it.
"The evil dragons shall fall at last. Light and shadow that sever all things. O world, the hour of sunset has now come."
This, this is...
At this moment it was as though the dragon-slayer of mythological epic had appeared again.
That great story bloomed once more before their eyes as a second miracle.
Drawn in by that dazzling radiance, as though witnessing the thrilling moment of a hero from the distant past slaying an evil dragon, the gods felt like dead hearts awakening and beating again.
"I will strike you down!! Phantasmal Greatsword: Heavenly Demon's Fall!!"
Accompanied by that final declaration overflowing with limitless magnetism, the words came slowly and deliberately.
Boom!!!!
That sword stroke finally fell.
Full power unleashed.
The force of the Roman dragon and the Carthaginian dragon activated at once, and even a thunder of unknown origin appeared through some inexplicable divine anomaly.
The power of thunder combined with the power of the dragon made that sword burst into terrifying radiance.
The immense sword energy became a cannon of light shooting straight toward the stratosphere, burning everything in its path.
In the instant of being locked on, facing the terrifying lightning surging directly toward him, there was not even time to raise a shield and so, Hector, who calmly made his peace and prepared to face death, was met by that unyielding, powerful, all-shattering brilliance.
In that moment he understood.
This strike was one he could not block.
Magnificent!!
You have truly grown to the point of surpassing any hero. His heart held satisfaction and relief at the very end.
He understood that this strike was already beyond Night's ability to control...
He never expected that in the end the column of light grazed past his ear and shot straight up into the heavens.
In that final moment, Night still did not aim the attack directly at Hector's center.
When the terrifying radiance exploded in the stratosphere, even the gods in the heavens above felt the impact.
Some of the weaker divine beings were already slack-jawed and trembling in fright!
If that strike had been aimed at them, they absolutely could not have withstood it.
Could this mortal now be capable of... slaying... a god?
At the thought of that terrifying word.
Gulp. The sound of swallowing.
Thud.
Looking at the end like burnt charcoal, giving off great waves of heat from all over, Night's body collapsed straight to the ground.
But his face still carried a smile, lips curved slightly at the corners.
Hector stood there with his mouth open, frozen in place.
When he saw the curve of Night's lips, he was shaken to the core.
"Was all of this within your calculations?"
He swung that final strike as the greatest tribute of respect to this battle, as the determination of someone who fought with everything and resolved to keep winning.
And not aiming it directly at him was because there was a reason he absolutely had to lose this decisive contest.
He lost the decisive battle between Greece and Troy, but won the fight itself.
And at this moment only one thought remained in Hector's mind.
He lost!!
.
.
.
(End of the Chapter)