Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic-Chapter 1746 - 1745: Light and Light

Fine, silver-white snowflakes suddenly appeared over the great lake under the night sky. The glittering "snowflakes" remained suspended in the night sky, reflecting the lights of the Moon and the Starry Sky along with the lake water.

But soon people realized that these were not "snowflakes", they were fragments of mirrors. The mirrors materialized from the void, solidifying in the air. Then, in each of the variously sized mirror fragments, faces of the Mirror Keepers appeared.

Those faces slowly approached the mirror surfaces, and then thousands upon thousands of variously sized Mirror Keepers stepped out from the mirrors, keeping close to the mirror fragments as they gazed towards the high skies over Green Lake.

"Inform the city Church, something’s gone wrong."

The message was immediately relayed to the city, though there was actually no need for deliberate transmission. The church could definitely monitor the trace elements when a Thirteen-Ring Sorcerer acts without restraint.

Following the sight of those thousands of figures towards the higher night sky, the figure of a man of normal stature had leaped to a position below the three moons, half-swallowed by shadows.

His entire body was trembling, but it was definitely not out of fear, nor was it due to the high altitude being too cold. He could feel that the moons undergoing the Lunar Eclipse were causing some kind of influence on him. He couldn’t precisely articulate what that influence was; he could only feel his Spirit and Elements were boiling, to the extent that his soul felt as though it was about to escape this corporeal shell.

This did not affect what he was about to do; instead, it made him feel he was in an unprecedentedly good state. It wasn’t Divinity burning, nor was it Divinity Overflow, yet it indeed made him feel he had once again surpassed his own limits, touching more genuine power.

Initially, he thought he could barely tie. Now, grasping this feeling, he felt it might be possible to gain the upper hand.

The blood-stained Angel’s Thorn Ring floated above his head, and he raised both hands high into the air: the golden bracelet on his left hand radiated sunlight-like glimmer; the small red book in his right hand exuded the Crimson hue of the Red Moon.

And beneath Shard, the countless Mirror Keepers led by Ail Harken collectively raised their left hands towards him in the sky. Fragments of silver-grey light appeared at each mirror image’s fingertip, reflecting and enhancing back and forth across all the mirrors.

Both sides were gathering power, and the Mirror Keepers seized the opportunity to ask a question, their overlapping voices so numerous that even those on the shore of Green Lake could hear it:

"God Summoner, are you a descendant of the Edwards Family?"

"I am not the God Summoner."

Shard murmured softly, looking up higher. The sunlight from his left hand was swiftly expanding, while the small red book in his right hand completely melted, causing the illusion of the Red Moon to become clear.

His gaze passed through the light of the Arcane Techniques that did not belong to him, through the gentle halo of the Angel above his head, and he looked higher into the Starry Sky, looking at the three moons partially tainted by shadows:

"Lunar Eclipse... Shadow of the Moon... What lies within the Moon’s shadow?"

[Are you asking me?]

"What is behind me?"

"She" smiled gently:

[Outlander, I am with you.]

The shadow cast by the Lunar Eclipse clearly divided Green Lake into light and dark halves. Right at that moment, the shadow part consumed most of Shard’s body above the lake surface, but could not swallow the two rapidly expanding lights he held high.

He closed his eyes, yet he could still clearly perceive the three moons above vanishing bit by bit. And in his hands, light had already risen:

"Power of the Earth: Earth Energy Cannon."

The yellow light, like a sun appearing in the night sky, shone upon the Starry Sky and Earth during the night of the Lunar Eclipse. Although Shard had no contact with the ground at that moment, having absorbed the power of the "Filthy Earth Origin," he was continuously supported in using that Arcane Technique.

Iluna’s Spirit manifested as the Miracle Element in his left hand. He seemed to truly see the seventeen-year-old girl with brown hair smiling in front of him, willingly giving her power to him.

This was far more than a simple Alchemical Item; it was a profound sentiment from a maiden’s heart.

"Magic: Red Moonfall."

The crimson light transformed into a brand-new Red Moon during the night of the Lunar Eclipse. Like a glass-like orb, it became larger and larger, replacing most of the disappearing moons, dyeing a vast expanse of Green Lake in crimson.

That dazzling crimson radiance, though it couldn’t compare to the sunlight beside it, inherently belonged to the night, to the power of the night. It was the most significant power a teacher could bestow upon a student, representing the resolve of not wanting to face regret once more.

The crimson and golden light thus appeared beneath the starry sky on the Night of the Eclipse. The "Angel’s Thorn Ring" above Shard’s head gradually shattered, granting him more control over these two powers that did not belong to him.

Thus, the ethereal phantom stretched out behind him, the icy crimson wings and the raging flame wings appeared at his back, the glow of angel wings and arcane technique merged into one, completely illuminating the entire lake.

"Angel..."

Someone sighed in the darkness, and the two gigantic wings indeed completely obscured the starry sky above Green Lake, covering the thousands of Mirror Keeper figures on the lake.

Priest Augustus was right, this halo didn’t grant Shard more power, but instead allowed him better control over Spirit and elements, enabling him to better wield the arcane techniques of Thirteen Rings and The Chosen One.

Fortunately, the Mirror Keeper was not the strongest of the Thirteen Rings either.

In the myriad of mirrors reflecting the dazzling silver-gray glow that finally gathered at one point, all "Mirror Keepers" collectively raised their hands, letting the gathered glow form a third gigantic light orb.

And Shard, transformed into angelic Shard, had meanwhile completed storing two different arcane techniques in his hands:

"So this is what gigantification energy attack is like..."

"She" softly laughed in Shard’s ear;

[Outlander, you have profound insight into the "Sun" and "Moon."]

In the next moment, the bright yellow sun and crimson moon, accompanied by the fluttering of wings, fell from the pitch-black night sky. And the silver-gray light orb collectively upheld by the Mirror Keepers also ascended to the sky at this moment.

All three moved slowly, at least it appeared slow, amidst the terrified expressions of all Circle Sorcerers in the Green Lake water area and along the shore, slowly moving toward the same direction above the mist area of the Central Island.

These three massive glows touched each other just like that. For a moment, it seemed like nothing happened, but then the brilliance that seemed to illuminate the entire world blinded everyone daring to directly view this scene.

The earth quaked, the starry sky trembled, piercing noise mixed with fierce wind swept through the region like a storm.

In the aftermath, appearing like the apocalypse, the three moons being consumed by the lunar eclipse showed no change. The clouds in the night sky above Green Lake all vanished, making the gradually dimming starry sky even clearer, while the moist air made breathing smoother.

The terrain didn’t change, the surrounding temperature didn’t change, only the still rampant elemental fluctuations proved it was indeed a duel between two top-notch Thirteen-Ring Sorcerers.

Protecting the whole of Green Lake prevented the aftermath of the battle from affecting the surroundings as the angel wings retracted. Iluna’s golden bracelet and Miss Danester’s red leather book simultaneously disappeared, while the angel halo adorned with fine cracks overhead was removed by Shard and held in his hand.

He floated down to the water surface like a feather, but the Mirror Keeper had long since vanished.

"Is it a draw, or did I win?"

Golden, crimson, and silver-gray specks drifted in the air, refusing to disperse for a long time, illuminating the dark-shrouded Green Lake with the arcane technique’s aftermath. The water surface remained eerily calm, with only the thick fog over the Central Island bizarrely squirming. The moon was already mostly consumed by shadow, but as the glow of the arcane technique faded, deeper darkness again enveloped the lake area.

All around remained silent, even the sound of insects had completely vanished. On the water surface, the brown-haired witch who jumped from the small boat reached out to catch the descending Shard through Sorcery "Feather Fall Spell," standing with him on the lake surface, tightly embracing him.

The Mirror Keeper and the Mirror Association had retreated, and the Church’s Thirteen-Ring Sorcerers had yet to arrive. She continued to tightly embrace Shard, embracing the man who once again risked his life because of her.

With the moon’s remaining portion lessening, she felt the extent of Shard’s trembling increase. The Great Witch of Knowledge and Wisdom, though unsure of what method Shard used to wield power beyond his level again, believed he must have paid a price.

"Let me take you back, I will heal you."

She said to Shard, as she looked into Shard’s eyes amid the increasingly darker night. Shard’s eyes showed no sign of fatigue, instead, they seemed to glow.

For a moment, she even thought she saw a silver moon in Shard’s eyes:

"I’m not hurt, you needn’t worry. I promised, no matter when, I will protect you."

He said, not lying. He hadn’t used any of his own power earlier; in fact, with the angel halo adorned, he recovered his optimal state, replenishing all the Spirit he had expended today.

The witch pursed her lips looking at him, then abruptly hugged his neck tightly, kissing him on the water surface.

She closed her eyes, wanting only to let this moment last forever. Everything concerning the Witch Council ceased to matter, hesitating previously on how to make the Council accept all this, accept her and her matters, but now she had resolved, even if leaving the Council, she could not let go of the man before her, nor forget all he had done.