Mixarnt was battered and bleeding, his body covered in cuts and bruises. Yet, despite his injuries, he maintained his trademark grin. "Haha, I already used Mana Surge and Enigma Enhancement at 200%, but I still can't hit you," he said, his voice strained as he caught his breath.
"Of course. Who do you think I am?" Eclipse replied, her smile calm but her eyes sharp. She was toying with him, her movements effortless as she dodged his attacks with ease. Mixarnt was barely keeping up, his body pushed to its limits.
"Come to me, Enigma!" Mixarnt shouted, summoning his spirit weapon—a black sword radiating with a light radiant energy. The weapon hummed with power as Mixarnt channeled his mana into it. "Mana Surge X3! Enigma Enhancement 200%!" he declared, amplifying his abilities to an unprecedented 500%. His eyes narrowed, his grin fading as his focus intensified. His mouth was slightly open, his breathing heavy but controlled.
The room seemed to tremble as Mixarnt's aura exploded, his power reaching new heights. He lunged at Eclipse, his movements a blur. "Radiant Wave!" he shouted, swinging his sword in a wide arc. A massive wave of radiant energy surged toward Eclipse, its power immense.
Eclipse, however, didn't flinch. With a graceful motion, she raised her sword and countered with "Lunar Swordsmanship: Crescent Slash!" The two attacks collided, creating a blinding explosion of light and energy. The force of the clash sent shockwaves through the room, but Eclipse stood firm, her expression unchanging.
Mixarnt didn't let up. "Mana Pillar!" he yelled, slamming his sword into the ground. A pillar of pure mana erupted beneath Eclipse, but she leaped into the air, effortlessly dodging the attack. Before she could land, Mixarnt followed up with "Radiant Pillar!" A second pillar, this one infused with radiant energy, shot toward her.
Eclipse twisted mid-air, her movements fluid and precise. She deflected the Radiant Pillar with a flick of her sword, the attack dissipating harmlessly. As she landed, she countered with "Sovereign Swordsmanship: Sky Destroyer!" A massive wave of red energy surged toward Mixarnt, its power overwhelming.
Mixarnt barely managed to block the attack, his body skidding backward from the force. His arms trembled as he held his sword, his mana reserves draining rapidly. Despite his enhanced abilities, Eclipse was still far beyond his reach.
Eclipse didn't give him a moment to recover. She closed the distance between them in an instant, her sword flashing as she unleashed a flurry of attacks. Mixarnt dodged and parried as best he could, but Eclipse's speed and precision were unmatched. Each strike left a new cut on his body, his blood staining the ground.
"Give up, Mixarnt," Eclipse said, her voice calm but firm. "You've fought well, but this is as far as you go."
Mixarnt, however, refused to back down. "Not... yet!" he growled, his voice filled with determination. He swung his sword with all his remaining strength, unleashing one final "Radiant Wave!"
Eclipse sighed, her expression softening for a brief moment. With a single, precise motion, she deflected the attack and closed the distance between them. Her sword stopped just inches from Mixarnt's throat, her Lunar eyes locking onto his.
"It's over," she said, her voice gentle but final. This was Eclipse's mercy as Moonlight. She doesn't want to kill Mixarnt, but if he keeps fighting, she knows she would have no choice but to end him.
Mixarnt, his body battered and his strength spent, dropped to his knees. His sword slipped from his hand, clattering to the ground. Despite his defeat, he managed a weak grin. "Heh... you're amazing, Eclipse," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
Eclipse lowered her sword, her expression unreadable. For a moment, there was silence, the weight of the battle hanging heavy in the air. Then, she turned and walked away, leaving Mixarnt kneeling on the ground, his friends and the audience watching in stunned silence.
Mixarnt, battered and bleeding, pushed himself to his feet with a defiant grin. He recalled the technique Arthur had taught him—an advanced method to activate the Ideal Zone, one that would push his mana core and soul to their limits. Arthur had learned it from Merlin herself, who had once used the same technique in her research on the Ideal Zone. It was the very reason she sometimes appeared as either male or female—she had created multiple bodies, each with its own mana and soul core, allowing her to transfer between them before they crumbled completely.
"Heh... Who said this is over?" Mixarnt declared, as he turned around and forcing his body forward. His movements were sluggish, his wounds screaming in protest, but his determination burned brighter than ever as he sprinted toward the shining orb.
Eclipse, who had been walking away, stopped in her tracks. She turned around, her Lunar eyes narrowing as she took a stance. "You leave me no choice," she said, her voice cold and resolute. "Lunar Sovereign Sword Style: Lunar Destroyer!" she announced, her tone carrying the weight of her authority.
This was one of Eclipse's strongest techniques, a devastating fusion of Lunar Swordsmanship and Sovereign Swordsmanship. It was the same skill she had used to defeat the dark version of Arthur, a technique capable of obliterating anything in its path. The attack surged toward Mixarnt, a blinding wave of lunar and sovereign energy that would undoubtedly kill him. Her eyes were serious and cold, her feelings for him set aside. Protecting Aetherlight was her duty as the Sovereign Sword, and she would not hesitate to eliminate a threat.
"MIXARNT!!!" Sunshine screamed in worry while watching in the grand hall, she tried to run out of the room but her acquittances, the other generals blocked her path except for Althea, Kalavan and Percival.
But Mixarnt wasn't done yet. "Haha! This is what I was waiting for!" he shouted, turning around with a grin. In his hand, he held a glowing mana orb, a potent concentration of all his remaining mana. Without hesitation, he slammed the orb into his chest, as he uttered the words, "Ideal Zone!"
In an instant, the wide room transformed. The walls and ceiling vanished, replaced by a starry expanse that stretched infinitely in all directions. Stars twinkled around them, and the ground beneath their feet became a shimmering, ethereal plane. Though it wasn't real space—they could still breathe—the sheer magnitude of the transformation was awe-inspiring.
Eclipse's Lunar Destroyer surged toward Mixarnt, its destructive power unstoppable. But just before it could hit him, a figure appeared in front of him, blocking the attack with a resounding clash of energy. The force of the collision caused the 1st layer of the entire dome to collapse, shattering Mixarnt's Ideal Zone and returning them to the wide room.
The figure was none other than Sunshine, the Sovereign Shield—the only person capable of withstanding Eclipse's most devastating attacks. Her Solaris Shield pulsed with radiant energy as she planted herself in front of Mixarnt, her stance unwavering and her expression fierce.
A few moments earlier, when Mixarnt had activated his Ideal Zone, a sudden notification had appeared before Sunshine. A simple choice was presented: "You are being summoned. Accept?"
Without a moment's hesitation, she pressed "Yes."