The End of the Conflict

"Boom--"

In an instant, the crimson and silver-white flames pierced through a series of defenses and surged directly toward Barachiel, located in the center of the fortress.

"Ah—" At this moment, the proud Lord of Paradise showed shock and anger, his eyes shooting out two breathtaking beams of light, and he let out a painful wail for the first time.

At this moment, Barachiel was no longer perfect. His six huge wings on his back were instantly charred and gradually turned to ashes. His chest was scorched and torn by the flames, revealing the shimmering transparent sphere inside.

The sphere's base color was the pitch-black night sky, filled with countless stars, and also featured a silver ocean, exquisite temples, and majestic Holy Mountain, like a miniature universe—that was the Heavenly Source in Barachiel.

He was no longer like a living being, but rather like some kind of construct, with everything within him being a product of exquisite and perfect order, crafted by the power of Heaven.

Now, the Chaos Fire is brutally ravaging His body, tearing apart the order within Him. The flames rage and burn, turning everything into chaos.

Barachiel extended his silver longsword from his burning arm and roared deafeningly, "I will make you pay! Judgment!"

He angrily swung his longsword down, and the giant sword of stars in the sky followed suit, containing the immense Law Power of heaven, its tip pointing directly at the rapidly ascending Red Dragon.

If the Red Dragon is hit by this Sword of Paradise, its fate will probably not be much better than that of Barachiel now.

However, for Keosius now, simple defense is no longer effective; offense is the best form of defense.

If all sources of heavenly power are killed, this so-called Final Judgment will vanish like water without a source.

"Boom--"

Keosius roared and flapped his wings, climbing the Immortal Fortress amidst blazing flames engulfing his body.

The Red Dragon gripped the gap in the wall with its claws, its arm veins bulging. Suddenly, it exerted its strength and actually tore the solid wall apart, widening the hole. Then, it tucked its wings in and squeezed inside!

"Go to hell!"

Keosius roared, transforming into a crimson afterimage trailing flames, and charged menacingly toward Barachiel in the center of the fortress.

"You villain, you deserve to die!" Barachiel swung his longsword with all his might, sending out sharp blades of light and countless bolts of lightning crashing down.

The bright silver horn suddenly sounded, accompanied by melodious and stirring hymns, grand and lofty Genesis Holy Word, and various spiritual and soul attacks followed one after another.

But Keosius remained unfazed. His scales suddenly turned golden, shimmering, as the properties of [Gilded Scales] were activated. Then, intricate and mysterious patterns lit up, covering the Red Dragon's body, and Keosius unleashed the power of [Skincarver Dragon].

Under the effect of [Super Magic: Instant Cast], several layers of magical shields suddenly appeared on the Red Dragon's body, and star-like fragments surrounded it.

"Roar--"

Due to Barachiel's fierce offensive, in a very short time, all of Keosius's defenses were shattered, and his body was covered in wounds.

But the Red Dragon, braving the overwhelming attack and carrying an unstoppable momentum, suddenly pounced in front of Barachiel.

"Got you."

Keosius grinned, revealing a mouthful of gleaming white teeth, and gave a ferocious and terrifying smile as he reached out and grabbed Barachiel's burning body.

At this moment, Barachiel was engulfed in flames, and his once perfect face was now unrecognizable, covered in charred black, and even looked somewhat terrifying.

For beings that are inherently perfect and symbolize order, even the slightest flaw is enough to drive them mad, but the current Barachiel has become a completely different entity.

If Barachiel's soul had not possessed the essence of order, He would probably have lost His sanity long ago.

At this moment, he roared to the sky like a demon burning in Hell, twisting and struggling angrily, trying to escape from the Red Dragon's claws.

"You sinner! I will kill you!" Barachiel wielded his longsword with his nearly broken arm, each strike aimed at the Red Dragon's eyes, throat, heart, and other vital points.

Deep wounds appeared on Keosius's body, his scales were torn, and dragon blood flowed freely.

But the Red Dragon paid no attention, its eyes fixed greedily on the Barachiel in its claws, and it opened its mouth, a breathtaking light brewing deep in its throat.

"Boom--"

The air suddenly exploded, and the terrifying pillar of fire shot straight towards Barachiel's chest, blasting against the exquisite sphere that contained the Heavenly Source.

[Plunder Breath]

In an instant, half of Barachiel's body was burned to ashes by the dragon flames, leaving only the Heavenly Source still resisting.

Above Keosius's head, the Heavenly Greatsword was about to descend, but it suddenly lost control and dissipated into the sky, turning into countless particles of light.

The crimson Chaos Fire destroyed and annihilated the power of order inherent in the Heavenly Source, while the silvery Reordering Fire reassembled those deconstructed powers, transforming them into the "Power of Heaven" unique to Keosius.

At this moment, the pillar of fire in the Red Dragon was like a thick syringe, constantly drawing power from the Heavenly Source and converting it for its own use.

"Hahaha, is this the origin of heaven? It's absolutely wonderful!" Keosius greedily devoured the origin of Barachiel, his ferocious Dragon Face filled with wild joy.

"I must seize this opportunity to grab as much as possible, because I might not have another chance later, "Keosius thought.

"No, no! How dare you plunder the source of Heaven? You will pay the price!" Barachiel, now only half a body remaining, spoke weakly, his expression filled with terror.

But Keosius showed no mercy, directly manipulating the Chaos Fire to destroy Barachiel's remaining body, leaving his soul only able to retreat into the Heavenly Source.

From Material Plane perspective, Barachiel is dead. He should have discarded his dead body, and his soul and authority would have returned to Mount Paradise, where he would once again become one of the many angels.

But this Red Dragon was so greedy; it actually dared to try and seize control of Mount Paradise! That place was a land of glory, an ideal of perfect goodness, an embodiment of order and kindness, compassion and mercy in the universe! Even demons avoided it like the plague, yet this Red Dragon dared to try and take it away?

In Barachiel's eyes, this was no longer just a simple villain, but an enemy of order! A being comparable to Godspawn! But as a soul, He could only watch helplessly as this terrifying Red Dragon devoured His essence, powerless to do anything about it.

"No--"

Barachiel's soul trembled, letting out a heart-wrenching wail. The Genesis Holy Word within him took effect once more, and his remaining body suddenly emitted a blinding light.

[Heavenly Miracle Art]

This is a spell that invokes a deity or some great being, and can ask the invoked person to perform a miracle.

Suddenly, boundless light enveloped the sky, and a magnificent, distant voice echoed overhead, "Stop, you have asked for enough—"

As expected, Keosius raised his head and looked up at the sky, but he did not stop his plundering and continued to transform the source of heaven.

"As expected, what was bound to happen will happen, the true ruler of Heaven." Keosius's tone was slightly regretful.

A shimmering golden vortex of energy slowly appeared above his head. Just by seeing its existence, Keosius could fully feel the aura of justice and fairness that could never exist in the mortal world.

The energy gradually condensed, and a phantom hundreds of meters tall appeared in the sky. It had pure golden skin and magnificent white wings that shone with a platinum metallic luster.

He was surrounded by intense light, but his expression was humble and kind, and he did not show anger even when facing nominal enemies.

"Zafkiel," Keosius slowly uttered the last few words.

He is the sole survivor among the founding members of the Council of the Seven Luminaries, and he governs the highest level of the Seven Heavens —the Brilliant Heaven of Chronias.

Looking up at the incarnation of Zafkiel, even Keosius felt a burning sensation in his body, as if some force was trying to Purification him.

It is said that He is the embodiment of the purest good, and only the kindest beings and the most powerful evil beings can stand before Him without being annihilated by the divine energy He emanates.

[Zafkiel]

Challenge Rating:??? "As expected of the Lord of the Seven Heavens, a legendary being whose radiance illuminates the entire Mount Paradise, comparable to a god."

As Keosius felt the aura of justice and fairness wash over him, he couldn't help but sigh, but he was not afraid.

In this war, Mount Paradise also caused considerable damage to the Material Plane. Keosius was a native of the Material Plane, so even if he caused damage, it was an "internal matter" of the Material Plane. But Barachiel was not.

In this matter, Mount Paradise is in the wrong, and even violates the rules of the Material Plane to some extent.

Barachiel, after all, was appointed later and still retained some humanity. As the embodiment of pure Order, Goodness, and the Force, Zafkiel would most likely not break the rules and attack him.

"Zafkiel, this evil dragon is plundering the very essence of heaven!" Barachiel's soul cried out anxiously.

Keosius roared defiantly, "This is my territory! You people of Mount Paradise have openly invaded the Material Plane. Don't you need to pay a price?"

That's enough.

Zafkiel's face was solemn, exuding an imposing aura without anger, as he gazing indifferently at the Red Dragon beneath him. "Let all the strife end here."

A giant golden hand descended from the sky, taking away the Heavenly Source that had been mostly absorbed, along with Barachiel's soul, before disappearing into the sky without leaving a trace.

Keosius merely watched with regret, without intervening, as he was not yet capable of Contend Against someone of Zafkiel's caliber.

"Although it's a bit of a pity, the gains from this battle have been more than enough."

The Red Dragon felt the abundant Amanata divine power and the power of the Heavenly Source within its body, and then looked at the information constantly refreshing on the panel, and immediately revealed a rather satisfied smile.

[You killed [Walter Graham, Wings of Fadlan Falland (Challenge Rating: 24)], gaining 65,000 XP][You killed [Lord of Messengers - Balachiel (Challenge Rating: 31)], gaining 185,000 XP[You killed a Lord of Paradise, gaining the legendary achievement [The Saint Slayer]] The Red Dragon flapped its wings, creating a powerful hurricane that dispersed the chaotic clouds generated by the battle, allowing the sunlight to shine on the earth again.

"North Aisel is now completely mine, and this will be the Qidian for the Embers of the Burned Empire's conquest of the continent of Fadlan!" Keosius looked down at the ravaged land, opened his blood-red maw, and let out a long, distant roar.

"Roar--"

On the ground, the allied soldiers looked up at the sky with extreme tension.

Dark red flames would sometimes emerge from the churning clouds, and pure white holy light would sometimes shine through them, accompanied by deafening explosions that made it impossible for them to assess the situation of the battle.

Finally, the light illuminated the sky and pierced through the clouds, and the commotion on the battlefield seemed to come to an abrupt end.

"God, is the battle finally over?"

Who won?

"I just sensed an aura of unparalleled holiness and justice; it must have been released by Lord Barachiel."

"So, that means the great one from heaven won, and the Red Dragon was defeated?"

"O Amanata, please protect us! May that evil dragon be utterly destroyed and never invade the south again!"

"God, please grant us a miracle!"

The officers and soldiers of the allied forces discussed the outcome of the war, and finally prayed in unison that their ally—the angel from heaven who represented justice and righteousness—would be victorious.

Prior to this, they had witnessed the fall of the Divine Descendant Duke Walter and the defeat of the Ancient Gold Dragon Titus, and placed almost all their remaining hopes on this most noble and powerful ally.

If even Lord Barachiel couldn't stop the Embers of the Burned Emperor, what reason did they have to keep fighting?

It can be said that the outcome of this battle will determine their future fate, victory or defeat, survival or death—all hidden behind those thick clouds.

The Embers of the Burned Legion, however, was exceptionally confident. They played stirring music and sang the "Keosius Anthem," having no doubt that the Red Dragon would achieve final victory.

"Long live His Your Majesty Keosius!"

"The great Red Dragon is eternal and invincible!"

"Victory! Victory!"

After all, that was the Embers of the Burned Emperor. His mere presence there meant victory was imminent—a lesson the Imperial People had learned over many years.

Finally, a violent gust of wind swept across the sky and rushed towards them, bringing with it a scorching, Sulfur Scent smell to everyone on earth.

Upon smelling that familiar scent, the officers and soldiers of the Allied Forces felt their hearts pound, and a terrible premonition arose in their minds. Under such a strong wind, the dense clouds in the sky were also blown away, and the sun shone on the earth again.

"Roar--"

A long, drawn-out dragon roar resounded, sending a shiver down the spines of everyone present.

Amidst countless gazes from below, the Red Dragon spread its wings that Sky-Shading, displaying its incomparably majestic body with unrestrained abandon. Its crimson scales shimmered under the sunlight.

The cheers of the Embers of the Burned Legion grew even more frenzied, like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami crashing, while the stirring "Keosius Anthem" echoed across the battlefield.

"By the gods above."

In the allied positions, the soldiers stared intently at the Red Dragon in the sky as if they were looking at a god of destruction who would bring about the end of the world. Their different eyes revealed the same fear and despair.

The pure white feathers fluttered down and landed on the soldiers' heads. They knew that the angel had also been killed by the dragon.

"Just as He did in the the North, the Emperor once again took to the stage of the Feanso Continent with a tough and invincible stance."

The emperor's planned theatrical performance was grand enough; he roared and howled, irresistibly tearing open the chest of the divine offspring, breaking the wings of the Golden Dragon, and even taking the life of a ruler of heaven. From then on, an irreparable rift appeared in the old order of the Feanso Continent.

—From Destruction to Rebirth in the Feanso Continent, by Andrew Wilson