46. Domain Of Worlds

Nathanial held his breath as the distinct sound of glass cracking echoed through the area. The fractures on the pitch-black domain expanded with silver light seeping through. At first, the break was small—insignificant, like a crack across a pane of glass.

Then another appeared.

And another.

The sound rang across the battlefield with such clarity that all the men, even those who were injured, turned their heads.

Crack.

It came again, except louder this time.

The noise reached Nathanial once more, and his instincts fought back the sheer fear of killing intent leaking out from the domain. It grew louder, heavier than ever before. As if the world itself were plunging into chaos from the unimaginable pressure.

A ripple swept through the sky and cleared the clouds as far as Nathanial could see. Fragments of darkness peeled upward and into the heavens. Far away from the sphere as the broken pieces drifted for only a moment before dissolving into countless motes of light.

The wills that sustained it were being torn apart by forces far too great to contain. Every crack was like a wound in reality itself, and as Nathanial watched the domain collapse, it was like seeing the entire sky shatter.

Inside the domain was an entirely different world. One with hundreds of violet stars as bright as the moon, with mountains far taller than any he had ever seen before. Far greater than the Eternal Mountains of the Reinhart Dwarves and many more within the Dwarven realms.

Yet what caught his gaze the most was the vast snowy landscape that blanketed the world with a fading innocence that was disrupted by hundreds of blade marks and battle scars. Even the rivers in the world defied logic as they flowed upward with streams arcing toward several stars.

Nathanial couldn’t comprehend what he was seeing. Most would believe that it was merely an illusion. A trick played by mages to disrupt the senses of the common folk. But Nathanial knew that wasn’t the case.

It wasn’t an illusion.

It wasn’t aura given shape.

What was before him was a world. A complete world that should have never existed.

He saw the sight of men who had yet to form their second aura star collapse beneath the weight of the strikes. Even Nathanial would be among them if it weren’t for the few knights surrounding the camp, raising their auras in defiance.

The sound of metal clashing against metal thundered in the air. Vivid colors of violet, crimson, and orange dyed the clear blue sky in streaks of light that shouldn’t exist at this time of day.

Nathanial felt the powerful burst of wind rush past him. Wagons creaked and groaned, and men grabbed hold of whatever they could. Their expressions turned pale as they quivered in fear at the unbelievable sight with some puking as the currents pushed against their bodies.

Even the barriers surrounding the temporary base waned in protest. Desperately trying to hold back the waves of aura that slammed into them.

For the first time in their lives, thousands of men were witnessing a battle unfold between several seven-star aura users.

The commander of the Seventh, mounted on his ferocious warhorse.

The commander of the Sixth, wielding a flaming blade that radiated a brilliant amber glow.

And the general of the Empire, who wielded a crimson halberd that carved out crescents in the landscape.

All three figures plummeted toward the battlefield below. Their lightning-fast exchanges sent tremors through the terrain. Nathanial covered his face with his arms as the external pressure crashed through the barrier and into the men of the Everheart Kingdom and Avalon Empire alike.

A young man clenched onto his chest. His mouth gasped for air like he was drowning in an ocean. Yet no sound came out from him, only the clang of metal plates as he collapsed.

Some coughed up blood, while others who were already suffering from their injuries instantly died on the spot. Their hearts failed to handle the external force acting on their souls, but not before a gut-wrenching scream escaped their lips.

The healers threw their armbands on the ground in a state of frustration, as their efforts had been all for naught. But nothing could be done. All they could do was accept the reality of the situation and move on to the next.

Nathanial couldn’t believe it. Even though they were hundreds of meters away from their commander’s battle—it didn’t matter. He could feel the weight behind every slash, stab, and cut as if they were inflicting the wound onto his body.

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The moment they collided, it felt like the world shook.

A deafening boom erupted across the plains.

A shockwave exploded outward.

Clouds of dust slammed against the hexagonal translucent barriers with a devastating bang. The mages tasked with maintaining it poured their mana into the barrier artifacts, barely holding the dome that shielded the armies.

The earth split open beneath their feet, with trenches tearing through the ground for nearly a hundred meters. Men from both armies stumbled as the ground buckled violently beneath them.

Fredrick grabbed hold of a standard planted into the ground to maintain his composure, while Percy and the others held onto a nearby wagon for support.

Nathanial glanced over and stood upright with his arms still shielding his head. His azure cape snapped in the fierce current that rushed past him.

Maybe it was because he had already gotten used to the killing intent after unlocking his first vow’s threshold… or maybe it was something else entirely, but somehow, he endured the strain of the rampaging aura that ricocheted off the surface of the barriers.

The pressure crashed against him again.

His instincts screamed at him to run.

To look away and seek shelter like all the other common soldiers. Yet Nathanial refused to do so. Something in his mind defied reason and told him to bear witness to the battle between men who were closest to the gods. Despite his entire being begging him to avert his gaze.