Machina Arcanis: Two Worlds Collided
Chapter 146. When the Tide Has Turned

Zetius, seemingly controlled by the bloodrush, took a long, deliberate stride, closing the distance between himself and his opponent.

Quickly, the crowd’s sentiment began to shift, drawn not just by his strength but by the sheer force of his will and unrelenting resilience.

“That white-haired bloke’s not backing down!”

“He’s got the will of a real warrior. What’s his name?” voices murmured around Aurelia.

“Remember it well, everyone,” Aurelia said, arms folded with pride. “His name is Zetius Zel Celerius.”

In the corner of his eye, Friederich had been busy with the exchange between the members of Aries’ flames. However, one thing was clear, his friend intended to support him, instead of ramming headfirst into the well-refined ranks.

Within a heartbeat, Friederich’s eyes locked with Zetius. He shouted, “Zetius! ~Lampos-spatha!”

The elven mage pointed at his location, and the glowing blade manifested directly in front of his fingers. So precise was Friederich’s summoning.

Zetius snatched the blade with his hand and sped toward his enemy.

Astrid shouted, commanding her teammates to maintain their pressure. Her voice strained with sudden desperation, which gave it away. Zetius knew she wouldn’t be too confident taking on both Friederich and him together.

Her fear resurfaced, along with her weakness.

With a glowing blade in hand, Zetius remembered the lesson he received when he was still Jack Squire, in a clearing within the forest. A simpler time, when he practised the way of the blade with his former ally, Rhok Wagner.

Now, those skills were amplified by the training he’d done with Friederich. The result of their hard work over the last two weeks would bear fruit today.

“Thanks, Friederich!” Zetius shouted as he drifted ahead, manoeuvring toward the ruins.

“Haah!” Zetius roared, sweeping his blade.

With incredible reflexes, Astrid lifted her arms to block.

The loud, piercing clash echoed across the battlefield. Sparks of light spilled out and scattered across the ground.

“Don’t get cocky!” Astrid shouted, swinging back at Zetius.

He parried with the blade, and the shock boomed through the air. His guard stance was perfect — unyielding, just as Rhok had taught him. The same principles applied to Armatus combat were now being employed here.

In a state of deep trance, his focus remained on his sole enemy.

Zetius thrust forward, blade tip zeroing in on Astrid’s chest. She guarded with her arms.

“Block this!” Zetius screamed, twisting his blade and redirecting the trajectory. The blade slammed into her stomach. The glowing weapon disintegrated on impact.

However, the damage had been done.

A loud shattering noise rang out as her Adamas buff was destroyed. Her divine glassy skin dissipated as she was knocked back a few metres.

“Hades!” Astrid growled, teeth bared. She lunged into the air.

“Empyrion ~Dynamis!” she chanted. The bursting flame engulfed her fist before spreading throughout her body. Full offensive.

Friederich outstretched his fingers toward Zetius’s location. Despite holding enemies at his front, he signalled across the chaotic battlefield, “Zetius!”

The light blade re-summoned next to Zetius’s hand. He effortlessly grabbed it as Astrid arched through the air, her striking fist aimed at him.

Siiinnnnnnnng!

The deafening echo rang out, followed by a shockwave that reached the audience. They gasped, then cheered even louder than before.

Nyrethein cupped her hands to her lips as she cheered, “Bravo! Woo~hooo!”

Even Aurelia joined in, swept away by the utterly thrilling experience.

The blade shattered into a million pieces.

“Futile! You’ll never win against a Lunarius!” Astrid snarled, already arching in for another strike.

A new blade materialised. Zetius caught it and raised it just in time, only for it to snap again under the force of her blow.

“So when have I ever listened to fate and just rolled over?” Zetius shot back, his voice strained and cracking.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

“You never listen! That’s the problem, you’re so bloody stubborn!” Astrid growled, her frustration mounting.

But her movements were slowing, her steps heavier. The burn of mana exhaustion had begun to show.

Another blade shimmered into being beside Zetius, ready in his grasp.

Astrid threw a blind hook.

Zetius twisted, dodging the attack. His hand swung into the blade’s hilt. He took a reverse grip and slammed it down toward Astrid’s body.

Astrid’s eyes widened in pure shock. She jerked her shoulder away—

But too slow.

The blade carved across her shoulder and grazed down to her back. Red blood splashed as her golden helm cracked with a long fracture.

“Ahhhh!” the girl cried out in pain, her legs kicking off the ground in retreat.

“First blood! It’s the first blood!” someone in the crowd shouted before their voice was swallowed by the roar of excitement. Clearly, they were now rooting for the underdog, Zetius Zel Celerius. The man with a sheer bloody will.

Zetius swung his blade into a basic stance, tip forward.

“Heh! I know she doesn’t have Iasis. Her four slots were all filled with Dynamis, Empyrion, Adamas, and Phoros. With no sustainability, I can definitely win in a prolonged battle.”

He analysed it all in a matter of seconds, his eyes burning red with passion.

With a mixture of fury and pain, Astrid cupped her injured shoulder. Warm blood seeping out of her nasty wound.

“Bloody damn! Flames of Aries, hellfire on Zetius, NOW!” she commanded sharply. Her mages reacted in an instant.

“Oh! That’s not fair!” Cubie grumbled, exasperated as she watched the rain of fireballs now directed towards her and Zetius.

With their offence wide open, Friederich took the opportunity to rush forward. Lampos began to fly at the enemies, their defences weakened. One slammed into an enemy’s chest, shattering his helm instantly. Another landed on the legs, incapacitating him.

A terrified member of Aries cried out to their leader, “Astrid, our rank is being rampaged! Please save us!” Desperation was palpable in their tone.

As Astrid exchanged blows with Zetius, she barked sternly, “Keep attacking Zetius!”

“Damn it... She’s planning to sacrifice her team just to take me down?!” Zetius gasped, perplexed. He ducked under Astrid’s swing, but one of the stray fireballs struck his shoulder.

“Agh!” he grunted, staggering. It was enough for Astrid to seize the opportunity. Astrid landed a strong kick to his stomach.

“UGH!” Zetius heaved as he was thrown through the air and into the concrete wall. Smoke and dust clouded the spot where he landed. The scent of iron pierced his mouth and nostrils. His eyes fluttered open and shut. Seething pain erupted through every part of his body.

“It’s over for me…” he muttered, as the helm crumbled, revealing his messy hair and bloodied face.

“Oh, no!” Cubie’s voice clipped sharply as she placed herself between the combatants. “Astrid! Stop! He’s already defeated!”

Yet Astrid didn’t heed Cubie’s words. She leapt forward with her flaming fists.

“Die, already!” Astrid screamed, completely blind and deaf.

“I SAID STOP!” Cubie screamed, her voice so deafening it silenced every living soul.

A high-pitched whir rang out. Light flared before Astrid’s eyes as a violent stream of mana burst in every direction. At its centre, the glowing silhouette of a female figure pulsed with blinding intensity. Then, from the cascading brilliance, the composite shell of an Armatus materialised from thin air, right in front of her. Its structure shimmered with a faint blue hue, uncannily similar to Cubie’s own form.

Astrid slammed into the rigid shell. She bounced off and landed on her rear, confused. It was as though she had just collided with a wall of solid steel.

“What the heck!?” she groaned, frustrated as she sprang to her feet. The wall began to disintegrate into blue sparkling light.

“Cubie... how did you do that?” Zetius muttered, trying to sit up, his eyes half-open.

Simultaneously, behind Astrid, Friederich’s hand rested on his arc sheath. He was preparing to perform the Iai strike. A surge of incredible power was unshackled. Unfathomable mana leaked into the air.

His blue eyes burned with conviction, illuminating the upper portion of his face.

Astrid turned, momentarily stunned to see her team completely decimated, their unconscious bodies piled across the ground, helms shattered. Defeated.

“No! Friederich!” Zetius roared, his eyes wide in primal terror. His heart skipped a beat, knowing full well that the Kagayaki-no-saya would not just defeat Astrid, it would kill her.

But Friederich couldn’t hear Zetius’s warning through the howling wind and buzzing crowd.

Time slowed.

Friederich quick-drew his katana. The powerful cleave that cut through molecules was unleashed. Air molecules evaporated and pushed away from the heat.

Like a crescent of death, blue in hue, the strike flew at Astrid with incomprehensible speed, faster than she could react.

But Zetius reached her first.

He shoved Astrid out of the way. At the same moment, Cubie erected the defensive shell again.

The azure cleave shattered the shell into pieces, causing Cubie to flinch.

Then, it slashed through Zetius’ chest diagonally from his right shoulder to his left abdomen. Blood splashed everywhere.

A few droplets landed in Astrid’s eyes. She didn’t blink as she was in a state of complete shock.

“Zetius!?” Friederich shouted, his mind reeling. “I... I didn’t mean to...” His face went numb as he stared at the deadly katana in his trembling hands. The power he had unleashed was too overwhelming.

Zetius collapsed onto the dirt. His body twitched. He could no longer feel anything.

Astrid’s face loomed over him, with Cubie beside her.

“Why?! Why did you save me?!” she cried, her eyes flooding with tears. She turned abruptly and tossed away her helm.

“Stop this match now! I need a healer!” she bellowed, her voice trembling.

“She didn’t act like a warrior for once. Good...” His numbing thoughts still ran, though his eyes were blank and blurred, unable to focus.

The sunlight shone through the canopy of the Colosseum and cast a shadow across Astrid’s face. Her hair looked beautiful beneath the backlight, something he’d never paid attention to before.

His trembling fingers reached up to her bloodied cheek. His thumb gently wiped at it, only smearing the blood.

“I... I never said sorry, did I?”

“What are you saying!? You can’t die! Zeta?! Zeta?!” Astrid rebutted, clutching his hand tightly.

“Where’s the healer?! Her words grew distant.

“I’m truly... sorry, back then—” Zetius’s words were interrupted by a wet cough.

Eventually, his mind drifted into the unknown plane