Return of the Shattered Constellation

After parrying away Chang-Sun’s previous attack, Richardus retreated backward. However, Chang-Sun immediately went after him.

‘I’m going to take him down today; I’m not losing him again,’ were the only thoughts in Chang-Sun’s mind.

Paah―!

“… Hup!” Richardus’ eyes widened. The pressure that Chang-Sun’s Divine Class exuded far surpassed his imagination.

Their last fight had taken place just several years ago, a duration that a Celestial could instantly pass by with a good sleep. Hence, from his perspective, it should have been too short for Chang-Sun to progress this much.

Richardus could understand why Chang-Sun had the Divine Class of a Celestial King, but he wasn’t able to wrap his head around how in the world Chang-Sun had an Outer Celestial’s Divine Class.

Sun Wukong had already told Richardus about Chang-Sun’s presence here. However, since Richardus had completely become ‘Tian Shi Yuan’ and was already preparing to go through a new <Transcendence>, Chang-Sun’s presence hadn’t really fazed him. Now, however, it seemed he would have to correct himself.

Badump, badump, badump!

Richardus grinned. He felt so tense that he felt as if his heart would race out from his chest. ‘This is… interesting!’

Richardus’ family was famous in the entire universe for being a family of swordsmen. Even though he had left them because he hated their rules, he still carried his family’s desire to fight and win with him.

Thud!

Richardus violently stomped on the ground, then stopped. “Fighting you is always exciting. This is why I liked you, my friend.”

Using the principle of rotational force, he concentrated a great amount of his divine power in his right hand.

[The Celestial ‘New Tian Shi Yuan’ has activated the Authority ‘Mountain-Crushing Supremacy’!]

‘Mountain-Crushing Supremacy’ crushed enemies with overwhelming power. Quite a lot of people had fallen on battlefields for failing to withstand it. No matter how nimble one could move or how sharp an attack they could deliver, they were helpless before a boulder as robust as Richardus.

That was why Richardus wanted to take Chang-Sun out using a similar method. However, Chang-Sun was as physically strong as—no, Chang-Sun was even stronger than him.

Rustle!

Chang-Sun could hear pages turning in his head.

[The last volume of ‘Prelati’s Spellbook’ has been opened.]

[The second chapter ‘Phósphŏros’ has been applied!]

Phósphŏros or the Morning Star. With the power of the first start to appear during twilight or dusk…

Pzzzzz!

… <Darkness> and <Supreme Sacred Light> blended around Chang-Sun, creating a purple Giant that looked both majestic and ominous.

[A Giant Cataclysm Celestial has materialized in its light form!]

The [Yuchang Sword] in Chang-Sun’s right hand flickered, seemingly sending a lightning bolt from the sky. At the same time, the Cataclysm Celestial standing behind him swung its ax at Richardus.

Thuuuuuud!

“Keough!” Richardus groaned, momentarily losing feelings in his arms.

Chang-Sun’s attack was so powerful that his feet noticeably sank into the ground. He could have been in grave danger had he not put more strength in his legs beforehand.

‘H-how…?!’ Richardus stammered.

Chang-Sun’s first attack was sharp, lethal, and quiet, which was exactly how Richardus remembered ‘Divine Twilight.’ However, this new attack was the opposite. He couldn’t even begin to fathom how one’s fighting style could change this much in one fight.

Swooosh―!

Chang-Sun launched his next attack, forcing Richardus to leave his question unanswered.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Rumble! Rumble, rummmble!

Wooooosh…!

He swung the [Yuchang Sword] and [Tiamat’s Snaggletooth] as hard as he could. After he had learned Rádĭus from Perkwunos, <Dull Darkness> then helped him fully harmonize <Darkness> and <Supreme Sacred Light>.

Unlike before, when he had to waste more than half of those two energies due to the possible explosions that they could create, he could efficiently use all of them now. Hence, the destructive capabilities of his attacks further increased.

However, even though his power had reached new heights, Chang-Sun still specialized in swiftly driving his enemy to a corner and finishing them off. His speed hadn’t decreased in the slightest, and his attacks still had no wasteful movements. To top it all off, his Trait [King of All Weapons] maximized his weapons’ efficiency.

Richardus could only fend off Chang-Sun’s attacks. The shockwaves and lightning sparks created every time they clashed slowly reached the first floor, shaking the entire Tower.

Rummmble!

“You crazy motherfuckers! You’ll get us all killed!”

“Shit! Go take your damn fight outside!”

“Arrrghh! The sparks are right at my feet! Right at my feet!”

Even though the Star Signs in here were some of the most nefarious criminals in the Great Universe, Chang-Sun’s power overwhelmed them so much that instead of being amazed, it terrified them.

Claaaang!

Whirl!

Failing to withstand Chang-Sun’s heavy blows, Richardus’s sword broke in half, its pieces flying in the air.

Chang-Sun swung [Tiamat’s Snaggletooth] toward Richardu’s nape, but before he could wound him, a shiver ran down his spine. He spun around like a top and parried away a surprise attack coming from behind.

Paah!

Asclepius was behind Chang-Sun.

“He’s… strong,” Ascle murmured in shock, just like Richardus.

Chang-Sun had completely changed since the time he and Bel-Marduk had gone up against him. Ascle wanted to ask him what happened in that short span, but he didn’t have the time.

A pillar of light soared from the ground, forcing him to quickly retreat backward. To stop Chang-Sun from chasing him, he created a bow from his divine power.

Swish, swish, swish!

Ascle was as proficient with weapons as Chang-Sun. Every time he released his bowstring, an arrow of light would whiz toward Chang-Sun, leaving behind a long trail of afterimages.

Richardus decided to use this opportunity to turn the tide of this battle around.

[The Celestial ‘New Tian Shi Yuan’ has activated the Authority ‘Sea Change’!]

Craaack―!

Richardus’ divine power amassed at the tip of his remaining sword, then swiftly turned into a whip. With each swing, it lashed like a snake toward Chang-Sun’s nape.

Pincered by Richardus and Ascle, Chang-Sun immediately activated [Wordwielding].

“Crumble.”

The purple lightning Giant collapsed.

“Rage.”

A huge purple lightning energy storm started from below Chang-Sun, swallowing his opponents’ attacks. It then enveloped the entire ninety-ninth floor.

Kieeeeeeeh!

An ominous ghost wail echoed, sending shivers down the spines of everyone who was watching the fight. Considering lightning, storm, and ghost energies were the Divine Ranks that Chang-Sun and all his six hundred sixty-five past reincarnations had in common, nothing could put his enemies at a disadvantage more than being trapped in those three elements.

Richardus and Ascle could feel it too. The lightning storm not only blocked their eyesight but disrupted their other senses as well, allowing Chang-Sun to vanish. Unable to tell when or where he would jump out from the storm, the short period they were trapped here already felt like an eternity.

Feeling a stinging sensation in his fingertips, Richardus clenched his teeth.

Paah!

‘He’s coming from below and behind me!’

Richardus quickly turned back. Using his broken sword, he narrowly blocked Chang-Sun’s [Yuchang Sword], which had been swung toward his armpit.

The clash forced Richardus to take two steps backward, overwhelmed by Chang-Sun’s power, which was even stronger than his [Mountain-Crushing Supremacy].

Richardus’ arms, having been repeatedly broken and mended, were extremely swollen now. Nevertheless, he still extended his left hand to get Chang-Sun.

Despite Richardus’ determination, Chang-Sun didn’t feel the need to continue fighting against him. Now rid of any lingering feelings, he disappeared into the wind, causing Richardus’ expression to darken for the first time since their battle started.

Paah―!

Claang!

Paah!

Clang, clang―!

As they traded blows several more times, Richardus’ frown deepened, realizing that he was now Chang-Sun’s sole target. Chang-Sun seemingly couldn’t even care less about Ascle at all, perhaps because he wanted to avenge the Emperor’s Seat and pay Richardus back for all his past grudges.. There was also that incident with Mephistopheles.

Richardus had a sense of impending doom. At this rate, Chang-Sun would certainly take him down.

‘I have to turn the tables around now!’

His inability to tell where Chang-Sun would jump out from made him tense up. However, the real problem was that fending off his attacks was proving difficult due to the amount of power they contained.

Time was of the essence in this mission. Sun Wukong’s warning that he would abandon Richardus if he failed to return on time kept echoing in his head.

Clenching his teeth as tightly as possible, Richardus unleashed the divine power that he had accumulated by taking the heart of the Emperor’s Seat and eating countless more beings and Worldlines.

Roaaaaaar!

Richardus roared like a furious lion. The intense storm of his divine power shredded the lightning storm.

Rummmble!

Eliminating the veil obscuring his view, he noticed scorch marks and scratches all over the walls of the ninety-ninth floor. Chang-Sun and Ascle were nowhere to be seen.

Richardus’ eyes filled with shock. ‘Where did they go…?’

Not long after, he realized that he had fallen into a trap. With no reason to help him until the end, Ascle had run away while the lightning storm had been raging. Meanwhile, Chang-Sun…

『Scatter.』

… had mixed in with the lightning sparks from the dissipated storm. Thanks to the explosion earlier, the sparks had spread to every part of the Tower’s interior. Right now, Chang-Sun was the Tower itself, and Richardus was stuck inside him.

『Strike』

Following Chang-Sun’s [Wordwielding] command, the sparks simultaneously exploded and linked with each other, filling up the Tower with a net of lightning. The net unleashed an endless stream of lightning bolts, striking and clawing at Richardus.

“Arrghhh! Arggggghhhh!!” Richardus screamed as he struggled to escape from the lightning net and bolts.

Shielding himself with his divine power, he parried away the lightning bolts, but new ones just kept coming after him.

He wasn’t Chang-Sun’s only target.

[Prisoner #31 of the 9th floor has been eliminated, absorbing the <Star Fragment>!]

[Prisoner #281 of the 11th floor has been eliminated, absorbing the <Star Fragment>!]

…

Chang-Sun’s attacks killed the prisoners and devoured the numerous <Star Fragments> that they left behind. The deafening thunder muffled their screams.

After eating the imprisoned Star Signs’ souls, Chang-Sun fired even more lightning bolts, each one growing stronger over time.

With no means of escaping this hell, Richardus was repeatedly struck and cut to pieces until he was scorched black.

“Nooo!!!”

Showing not even a hint of interest in Richardus’ death throes, Chang-Sun launched one last lightning bolt toward the top of Richardus’ head.

Rummmble!

Thump―!