Chapter 371: Star Nova

CRASH! BOOM!

The dust from the collapsed roof hadn’t even settled before the Third General exploded from the debris. His massive blade, glowing with a terrifying layer of dense physical aura, cleaved through the air with a deafening WHOOSH!

Soren and Caelum were already on the move.

Swish! Soren melded into the shadows of a fallen pillar, appearing directly behind the giant. His shadow-coated blade thrust forward, aiming for the gap in the General’s spine. CLANG! The General didn’t even turn around. He twisted his massive torso, his aura flaring like a suit of armor. The blade sparked violently against his skin, failing to draw blood.

"Too slow, rat!" the General bellowed.

Thwip! Thwip! Thwip!

Caelum hovered above, her wind affinity allowing her to dance mid-air. She drew her bow, firing a barrage of compressed wind arrows. Swoosh-swoosh-swoosh! The arrows rained down, each one sharp enough to pierce steel.

The General swung his massive blade in a wide arc, his physical aura erupting outward like a shockwave. BOOM! The wind arrows were shredded instantly. The shockwave continued, slamming into the manor’s eastern wing. CRUMBLE! The entire section of the building collapsed into rubble.

Kael watched from a floating chunk of debris, his crimson eyes analyzing the battlefield. They’re good, Kael mused. Soren’s footwork is flawless, and Caelum’s aerial control is exceptional. But this brute is just too sturdy.

The General was a true body cultivator. His healing factor was monstrous. Small cuts closed in seconds, and his skin was practically immune to standard weapon strikes. He was one of the strongest Spirit Soul cultivators Kael had ever seen—excluding monsters like Draxos and Claude.

BAM! The General backhanded Soren, sending the assassin crashing through three thick stone walls.

"Soren!" Caelum cried out. She drew a specialized arrow, the tip glowing with a miniature tornado. SWISH! She fired it.

The General raised his arm to block. CRACK! The tornado arrow exploded against his forearm, tearing the flesh and revealing dense, metallic bone. But before the blood could even drip, the flesh knitted itself back together.

"Enough!" The General roared, leaping toward Caelum.

Kael had seen enough. He stepped forward in the air, his crimson aura flaring. He brought his hands apart, spreading them wide.

BZZZT! In his left hand, a miniature, pitch-black sphere formed. It pulsed with an intense, crushing gravitational pull—the Pulsar. It distorted the air around it, pulling in debris and dust.

In his right hand, a blinding, radiant purple orb materialized. It radiated an explosive, repulsive force—the Quasar. It pushed everything away, creating a vacuum of pressure.

Kael chanted, his voice echoing over the sounds of battle: "Before the heavens opened, there was only the boundless void. Attraction binds the stars; repulsion drives the expanse. To force their union is to reverse creation itself. Let the gathering force swallow the scattering wind. Where the twin torrents meet, existence is denied."

The Third General froze. Despite his blindness, his other senses screamed in absolute terror. He felt the terrifying, dual forces radiating from Kael’s hands.

What is that?! The General’s mind reeled. He spun around, his blind eyes widening in shock.

That split second of distraction was all Caelum needed. She dashed forward, her wind daggers slashing across the General’s unguarded back. SLASH! Blood sprayed.

Kael brought his hands together. CLAP!

The Pulsar and the Quasar fused.

FWOOSH!

A blinding flash of light erupted as the two opposing forces—attraction and repulsion—violently merged. The result was a tiny, perfectly stable, pure white orb resting in Kael’s palm. It was no bigger than a marble, but the sheer density of the energy within it made the air around Kael shatter like glass. The improved version of Oblivion.

Star Nova.

Kael used Soul Whisper to project his voice into Soren and Caelum’s minds. "Jump back. Now."

Both Pillar Knights vanished, Soren pulling Caelum into a shadow and retreating to the far edge of the ruined manor.

Kael flicked his wrist, launching the tiny white orb at the General.

The General roared, his aura flaring wildly as he tried to leap backward. WHOOSH! But as he jumped, he felt an immense, crushing gravitational pull from the orb. THUD! His feet slammed back into the ground. The attraction force locked him in place.

He crossed his massive arms, pouring every ounce of his aura into a dense defensive barrier.

The Star Nova collided with the barrier.

CRACK! The barrier shattered instantly, like glass.

BOOOOOOOOM!

An apocalyptic explosion engulfed the entire Ironfist Manor. The blinding light temporarily turned the night into day. The shockwave leveled the surrounding buildings, vaporizing the snow and turning the ground into a massive crater.

When the dust settled, the manor was gone.

In the center of the crater, the Third General knelt. He was a horrific sight. His left arm and right leg were completely missing, vaporized by the blast. His body was covered in deep, smoking lacerations, and his aura was flickering like a dying candle.

Pant... Pant... The General coughed up a massive mouthful of blood. His monstrous healing factor was desperately trying to close the wounds, but the sheer destructive power of the Star Nova had overloaded his vitality.

Kael landed softly in front of the broken man, the Shadow Veil wrapping around him once more.

The General looked up, his blind eyes staring at the spot where Kael stood. "You... you are a demon..." he rasped.

Kael didn’t reply. He reached out, placing his hand directly on the General’s forehead.

BZZZT! A blast of pure soul power shot through his palm, directly shattering the General’s mind and extinguishing his life force.

Whoosh! The Netherworld Soul Locking Flag appeared, absorbing the General’s dense soul into its fabric. The flag pulsed, expanding its senses outward. It swept through the ruins of the manor, absorbing the souls of the 16 servants and guards who had been caught in the crossfire.

Kael turned to Soren and Caelum, who were limping toward him as he summoned the dark wyvern. "We’re done here. Move out."

Simultaneously, across the Kingdom of Dawn.

In the city of Iceveil, the Second General’s fortress erupted in flames as Garrick and Selene launched their assault. The clash of greatswords and ice magic shook the frozen streets.

In the city of Frostspire, the Fourth General was ambushed by Ferris and Theron. Earth-shattering explosions echoed through the valleys as the two Pillar Knights engaged the barbarian forces.

An hour later, Snowfall.

Kael and his two Knights slipped back into the massive residence, shedding their blood-soaked cloaks.

Kael reached into his storage ring and pulled out eight jet-black runes. They were carved from a smooth, midnight stone, etched with glowing, blood-red runic patterns that pulsed like a heartbeat. These were Rank 5 Slave Runes.

He handed four to Soren, and four to Caelum.

"Take these," Kael ordered, his voice cold. "Soren, you hit the northern noble houses. Caelum, take the eastern district. Find the heads of the most influential noble families and brand these runes into their foreheads. Do not kill them, and do not alert the guards. If they resist, subdue them silently."

Soren and Caelum accepted the runes, bowing deeply. "As you command, My Lord."

Whoosh! Whoosh! They vanished into the night, moving like ghosts through the snow-capped capital.

Kael stood by the window, looking out at the peaceful, sleeping city of Snowfall. The city of dawn had no idea that a demon had visited them in the night.