Desperation consumed the battlefield as thousands of Federation soldiers scrambled to flee in all directions, only to realize it was useless. Alexander’s power went beyond anything they had witnessed; the eclipse haze acted like a parasite, draining the mana of every living soul. Everyone knew that the moment their energy reserves ran dry, they would be burned to death by the tricolor flames blanketing the sky.
In low orbit, the gravitational pull ripped the flagships from their flight paths. The warships plunged out of control toward the surface, slamming into one another midair before crashing into the valley floor with detonations.
Screams of agony echoed among the troops crushed under the heat and wreckage. Even the Pillar of Flame, the Pillar of Nullity, and the Pillar of Wind, along with the fourth Pillar watching from the rear, fell to their knees upon the burning ground, their mana drained.
“Have mercy, please!” screamed the Pillar of Wind, crawling across the dirt while raising his hands.
“Stop this! We’ll give you whatever you want!” shouted the Pillar of Nullity, coughing up blood as he felt his skin blister under the heat.
Alexander remained floating in the epicenter of the chaos, staring down at them as his golden and crimson eyes gleamed devoid of emotion.
“The Federation showed no mercy when it attempted to wipe us out,” whispered Alexander, clenching his fist to accelerate the haze’s drain.
Scott emerged from the entrance’s debris and walked until he stood near Alexander.
“Alexander, think this through; the Pillars could be useful alive to provide us with intelligence,” said Scott, looking at the agonizing bodies of their enemies.
“Do you think that would honor our fallen brothers and everyone who fought this war alongside us?” asked Alexander, without taking his eyes off his victims. “Blood will wash away the sins they committed against us. No matter what happens, they must die; they will fall by my hand.”
Alexander raised the eclipse’s temperature higher, making the tricolor flames crackle. The Pillars and surviving troops began screaming as they felt death closing in, their skin charring.
“Young man, your power goes beyond anything these people have known…” said a serene voice, echoing in the minds of everyone present. “But your heart is consumed by hatred and vengeance. You ought to cleanse your killer instinct and grant forgiveness when you hold such power.”
Alexander saw no one nearby and looked in every direction, searching for the speaker amid the ashes and fire.
“You don’t need to look for me; I am in front of you,” stated the voice.
An old man with a white beard materialized in midair, walking toward Alexander as if strolling through a garden. However, as soon as his feet touched the ground, Alexander felt a sensation on the back of his neck; his sense warned him that something was wrong.
“Who are you?” demanded Alexander, clenching his fists as the energy of his [Eclipse Monarch] reacted to the newcomer’s presence.
Alexander didn’t wait for a response. Guided by the danger his sense was screaming at him, he channeled the power of the [Eclipse Monarch] and launched himself head-on at the old man, transforming into a beam of tricolor fire that sliced through the air.
“I don’t care who you are, no one interferes with my vengeance!” shouted Alexander, concentrating the eclipse haze into his right fist to deliver a strike capable of pulverizing the valley’s mountains.
A whirlwind of black, red, and golden flames crashed into the old man’s chest with a thud that shook the planet’s crust. However, instead of watching the old man get launched back or turned to ashes, Alexander’s flames collided against a barrier that didn’t crack under the onslaught.
The white-bearded old man didn’t take a step backward; he maintained his smile and clasped his hands behind his back.
“A strike filled with technique, young man,” said the white-bearded old man, looking him in the eye with calm. “But raw power fueled by grudge will run into a ceiling when facing true understanding of the world.”
“A ceiling? You haven’t seen anything yet!” whispered Alexander, leaping back a meter only to unleash his [Abyssal Umbra Domain] alongside the Blood Monarch’s fangs.
“Alexander, stop!” shouted Scott from a distance, feeling the air grow dense and dangerous around the old man’s figure.
The white-bearded old man extended his right hand, and Alexander’s devouring attack vanished, dissipating into air as if it had never existed.
Before Alexander could react, the four Empresses and his women appeared around him, taking up their positions in the trigram formation. The mana grid activated and Alexander felt his power multiply, making the ground across the basin rumble.
“My, my… it seems the youth of today are vigorous and impetuous,” remarked the white-bearded old man, raising his eyebrows as he felt the surge of energy.
Alexander’s body ignited, enveloped in tempests of black, red, and golden flames. Backed by the trigram’s force, he channeled that raw power into a cannon of tricolor fire that blasted toward the old man.
The old man extended his hand, grabbing the pillar of fire with his palm. Without displaying effort, he closed his hand into a fist.
The pillar of fire shattered from the compression, triggering a shockwave. The backlash of the technique slammed into Alexander’s chest, launching him flying tens of meters through the air, forcing him to vomit a mouthful of blood as he tumbled across the dirt.
“Alexander!” shouted the Golden Empress, breaking formation to rush toward him.
“Don’t come near…” rasp Alexander, wiping blood from his chin as he struggled to stand back up.
The white-bearded old man took a step forward, lowering his hand as he watched Alexander struggle to hold himself up on his knees.
“You understand, don’t you? You have no chance against me,” said the white-bearded old man, looking at him with a calm gaze. “Stop fighting and let us speak; I do not wish to murder a youngster as talented as you.”
Alexander breathed heavily, feeling the pain of the backlash in his chest while his women lined up around him, ready to protect him at the cost of their lives.
“Speak? You came to save the remnants of the Federation and ask me to surrender,” whispered Alexander, spitting blood onto the dirt.
“I didn’t come to save anyone; I came to prevent you from making a mistake,” said the white-bearded old man, keeping his hands behind his back. “Listen to what I have to say before you choose to throw away your life and the lives of your women for nothing.”