NOVEL NEXT Chapter 108: Clash Of Gods And Villians
The Imperial Palace was a wound in reality, its once-majestic halls reduced to a smoldering ruin. The explosion that tore through the Ascension Chamber had obliterated stone walls, incinerated golden banners, and sent a shockwave rippling across the capital. Windows shattered in a symphony of destruction, and soldiers were hurled to the cobblestone streets below, their cries drowned out by the roar of collapsing architecture. The night sky blazed with a violent swirl of crimson and gold, a celestial storm that painted the heavens in hues of war and defiance.
Valerian staggered to his feet amidst the dust and flame, his black cloak tattered but his crimson-silver eyes burning with unyielding resolve. His spear of fused shadow and crimson had struck true, its impact carving a jagged scar across the chamber's floor. But above him, the Emperor still hovered, his golden wings flaring like twin suns, his expression a mask of wrath and divine superiority. His divine runes pulsed brighter, each one radiating a power that warped the air and pressed against Valerian's chest like a physical weight.
Blood dripped from a shallow cut across the Emperor's cheek, a single red bead that gleamed in the flickering light. He touched it, his golden eyes narrowing as he stared at the smear on his fingers, as though the sight of his own blood was an affront to his divinity. "You…" His voice trembled with rage, a low thunder that shook the rubble beneath their feet. "You dare wound me?"
Valerian spat a mouthful of blood onto the cracked marble, his grin sharp and defiant. "Looks like gods bleed too."
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### The Battle Resumes
The Emperor raised his hand, and the air itself screamed in submission. A golden halo formed around his body, spinning with divine symbols that burned with an oppressive energy. The weight of it was suffocating, pressing against Valerian's lungs, making every breath a struggle. The System flashed in his vision, its cold text a stark warning.
> **[Warning: You are in a Divine Suppression Zone – All stats reduced by 40%.]**
Valerian's grin widened, a feral edge to it. The challenge only fueled his bloodlust. Finally, a real fight.
He surged forward, his cloak of shadows expanding like wings as he activated **Shadow Step**, vanishing in a blur of darkness. He reappeared behind the Emperor, Soulpiercer slashing through the golden light in a cascade of sparks. The blade hummed with corrupted energy, its edge biting into the divine aura with a sound like tearing metal.
The Emperor twisted midair, catching the blade with his bare hand. The sheer force of the block rattled Valerian's bones, sending a jolt of pain through his arms. The Emperor's grip was unyielding, his golden eyes blazing with a mix of awe and condemnation. "You are powerful," he said, his voice a low rumble that echoed through the chamber. "But you are flawed. Your existence is a mistake this world will erase."
Valerian's crimson-silver eyes flared brighter, his smirk unwavering. "Then the world will choke on its mistake."
---
### The Clash of Titans
They clashed again, a storm of light and shadow that shook the palace to its foundations. Golden dragons of pure divine energy coiled around the Emperor, their serpentine forms snapping at Valerian with jaws of blinding light. He wove through the air, his movements a blur of shadow and crimson, leaving trails of darkness in his wake. Activating **Crimson Edge**, he severed one dragon in a spray of fragmented light, its form dissolving into motes that burned the air. But another dragon slammed into his chest, hurling him through the remains of a marble wall with a deafening crash.
The impact sent pain lancing through his ribs, but Valerian rose from the rubble, coughing blood and grinning maniacally. Seraphine's voice crackled through the rune-band, sharp with urgency. "Valerian, pull back! You're outmatched!"
"Outmatched?" he coughed, his voice laced with dark amusement as he wiped blood from his lips. "I'm having fun."
Selene's voice cut in, her tone frantic. "No, listen! His Ascension isn't complete yet. If you keep trading blows without a plan, he'll stabilize and crush you!"
Valerian paused for only a heartbeat, his eyes narrowing as he assessed the Emperor's glowing form. The divine runes on the Emperor's skin pulsed erratically, a sign of instability. "Then I'll just break him before he finishes," he said, his voice low and dangerous.
He charged again, Soulpiercer blazing with crimson energy as he leaped into the air. The Emperor met him with a wave of his hand, summoning a barrage of golden spears that rained down like divine judgment. Valerian twisted midair, his cloak deflecting some of the spears while others grazed his armor, leaving scorched trails across his chest. He gritted his teeth, pushing through the pain, and drove Soulpiercer toward the Emperor's heart.
The Emperor countered with a golden blade conjured from pure light, the clash sending a shockwave that shattered the remaining pillars in the chamber. The two locked blades, their auras clashing in a storm of crimson and gold that lit the night sky visible through the shattered roof. The city below trembled, its streets bathed in the eerie glow of their battle.
---
### Meanwhile – City Streets
In the capital's streets, chaos reigned. Citizens huddled in alleys and doorways, their eyes fixed on the heavens where streaks of crimson and gold tore through the clouds. The air was thick with the scent of ozone and fear, the ground trembling with every clash from the palace above.
Kael Ironfang led the Black Fang operatives through the pandemonium, his twin blades dripping with the ichor of the corrupted beasts Umbra had unleashed as a distraction. The creatures—hulking amalgamations of shadow and bone—lay scattered across the cobblestones, their bodies dissolving into ash. Kael wiped sweat from his brow, his scarred face grim as he surveyed the carnage. "Boss better win," he muttered, spitting blood onto the street. "If that golden bastard walks out of the palace, we're all dead."
Selka Vale appeared on a rooftop above him, her silhouette a flicker of shadow as she cleaned blood from her dagger with a flick of her wrist. Her violet eyes gleamed with a mix of excitement and unease. "Win or lose, the city's never going back to normal," she said, her voice carrying a dangerous edge. "We've officially declared war on the world."
Kael grinned grimly, his fangs glinting in the crimson light. "Good. I was getting bored anyway."
A fresh wave of beasts surged from an alley, their roars shaking the street. Kael raised his blades, and Selka vanished into the shadows, her daggers flashing as they descended into the fray. Above them, the palace burned, a beacon of the war that would decide the fate of the capital—and perhaps the world.
---
### Back at the Palace – Ascension Chamber
The Emperor floated higher, his body drawing in the surrounding mana like a vortex. His wounds closed instantly, golden light knitting his flesh together as his divine runes pulsed brighter. The air grew heavier, the divine suppression zone intensifying until even Valerian's enhanced strength struggled to keep him upright.
> **[Warning: Emperor Aurelius – Ascension: 82%]**
> **[If Ascension reaches 100%, Entity gains Permanent World Authority.]**
Valerian's System interface glitched, its text flickering as if struggling to process the Emperor's power. Then a new notification flashed, its tone almost triumphant.
> **[Villain Sovereign Override Detected.]**
> **[New Ability Unlocked: Sin Devourer – Temporarily absorb divine or corrupted energy to amplify attacks.]**
Valerian's smile sharpened, a predator's grin that promised bloodshed. "Perfect timing."
He raised his hand, and the lingering fragments of crimson light and divine mana in the air began to flow into him. His aura thickened, black and blood-red flames licking across his scorched armor, his eyes glowing with a terrifying intensity. The power was intoxicating, a surge of energy that made his blood sing and his heart pound with the thrill of the fight.
"Round two," he said, his voice a low growl, and vanished in a blur of shadow.
---
### The Final Exchange (For Now)
Valerian reappeared behind the Emperor, his speed breaking the sound barrier with a sonic boom that shattered the remaining windows. Soulpiercer gleamed, wreathed in twisted crimson-gold energy as he channeled **Sin Devourer**. The blade sang with power, its edge vibrating with the absorbed divine mana, a weapon forged to cut through gods.
The Emperor turned, his golden eyes widening slightly as he crossed his arms to block. The impact was cataclysmic, a collision of forces that cracked the night in half. The explosion sent a shockwave rippling across the capital, demolishing a spire and hurling debris into the courtyard below. Soldiers and nobles screamed, scrambling for cover as dust and flame rained down.
The Emperor was flung backward, crashing into the palace wall with a force that reduced it to rubble. His golden wings flickered, shards of light breaking off his form as his aura destabilized. For the first time, his expression showed a flicker of uncertainty, his divine composure fraying at the edges.
Valerian landed on the ruined floor, his chest heaving, blood streaming down his arm. His armor was scorched, his body battered, but he was still standing, Soulpiercer humming in his hand. "Not so divine now, are you?" he taunted, his voice rough but triumphant.
High above, the Emperor emerged from the smoke, his golden wings flaring brighter despite their instability. His voice was a growl, laced with fury. "You dare," he said, his words shaking the air. "You dare defy a god in his own palace…"
Valerian raised Soulpiercer, pointing it skyward, its blade glowing with the stolen divine energy. "I don't defy gods," he said, his smirk widening as his aura flared, a storm of crimson and shadow that rivaled the Emperor's light. "I kill them."
The Emperor roared, his golden halo spinning faster, summoning a storm of divine energy that tore through the chamber. Golden dragons reformed, larger and more radiant, their roars shaking the city as they dove toward Valerian. He met them head-on, his blade slashing through their forms, his **Sin Devourer** absorbing their energy to fuel his attacks. The battle became a blur of light and shadow, each strike a clash of wills that threatened to tear reality apart.
---
### Meanwhile – Deep Below the Capital
Far beneath the city, in a forgotten chamber sealed by ancient wards, the Keymaster knelt before a black gate carved with runes that pulsed with malevolent energy. Chains rattled around him as the ground shook, the echoes of the battle above reverberating through the stone. His hooded figure was still, but his lips curled into a faint, knowing smile.
"Good," he whispered, watching dust fall from the ceiling. "Fight, little villain. Break the world for me."
The gate pulsed once, faintly, its surface rippling like liquid shadow. A crack appeared in the first of its seven seals, a hairline fracture that glowed with an eerie red light. The air grew colder, the chamber trembling as something ancient stirred within.
---
The Emperor's roar shook the heavens, and the final phase of the Ascension battle began. The chamber was a maelstrom of light and shadow, the air screaming as golden dragons and crimson spears clashed. Valerian fought with reckless abandon, his **Sin Devourer** amplifying his strikes, but the Emperor's power was growing, his Ascension nearing completion. The divine suppression zone intensified, forcing Valerian to his knees as his stats plummeted further.
> **[Warning: Emperor Aurelius – Ascension: 95%]**
> **[Critical Alert: Divine Authority Imminent.]**
Seraphine's voice screamed through the rune-band, frantic. "Valerian, you're out of time! His Ascension is stabilizing!"
Selka's voice cut in, sharp and urgent. "Boss, the city's tearing itself apart! Whatever you're doing, do it now!"
Valerian gritted his teeth, blood streaming from his mouth as he rose, Soulpiercer trembling in his hand. The Emperor hovered above, his golden wings blazing, his body now a beacon of divine power. The air crackled with the weight of his authority, reality itself bending to his will.
"You cannot win," the Emperor declared, his voice a chorus of divine wrath. "This world is mine."
Valerian's laugh was ragged, defiant. "This city won't survive the night."
He charged, his aura a storm of crimson and shadow, Soulpiercer blazing with the last of his stolen divine energy. The Emperor met him with a wave of his hand, summoning a tidal wave of golden light that threatened to erase him from existence. The two forces collided, the chamber exploding in a blinding flash that shook the capital to its core.
Below, the Keymaster's chamber trembled, the black gate pulsing brighter as a second seal cracked, its red light flooding the room. His laughter echoed, cold and triumphant. "Yes… break it all."
In the streets, Kael and Selka fought back waves of corrupted beasts, their blades flashing as the city burned around them. The sky fractured, crimson and gold light spilling through the cracks, as if the world itself were unraveling.
Valerian's rune-band crackled with static, Lira's voice breaking through. "Valerian, your vitals are critical! You can't keep this up!"
But Valerian didn't hear her. His world was the Emperor, the golden light, and the blade in his hand. His **Sin Devourer** burned through his body, consuming his life force as he pushed it beyond its limits. Blood poured from his eyes, his ears, his mouth, but he didn't stop.
The Emperor's eyes widened, a flicker of fear breaking through his divine facade. "You'll destroy yourself," he said, his voice almost pleading.
Valerian's grin was feral, his voice a raw whisper. "Worth it."
He raised Soulpiercer for one final strike, his aura exploding in a cataclysmic surge of crimson and gold. The Emperor countered, his golden halo spinning faster, summoning a storm of divine energy that threatened to consume the entire palace.
The two forces collided, and the world went white.
The capital shook, the sky shattering like glass as the shockwave tore through the city. Buildings collapsed, the streets buckled, and the citizens' screams were drowned out by the roar of the clashing powers. The System flashed one final warning, its text glitching wildly.
> **[Critical Alert: World Core Destabilizing]**
> **[Villain Sovereign vs. Divine Authority – Outcome Unknown]**
In the Keymaster's chamber, the black gate pulsed violently, a third seal cracking as a low, guttural roar echoed from within. The Keymaster rose, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. "It begins."
Above, the palace was gone, reduced to a crater of ash and flame. In its center, a single figure stood, their form shrouded in smoke and flickering light. Was it Valerian, his crimson-silver aura defiant to the end? Or the Emperor, his divine power finally ascendant?
The answer was lost in the chaos, the city trembling as the black gate's power stirred, promising a reckoning that would reshape the world—or destroy it entirely.