Machina Arcanis: Two Worlds Collided
Chapter 180. The Clash of the Legendary Beasts

“Because… I can not…” His words echoed, shattering the stillness of the platform. The cold wind howled, its chill cutting through his skin like thousands of razors.

“You can't?” Aurora asked in her monotone voice. “Or are you afraid of the beast that lives inside of you?”

Lost for words, Friederich could only grunt, his expression pained. For a few seconds, he glanced towards the audience stand. He couldn't understand why, but he was seeking out his friends.

His doubtful gaze fell on Aurelia, Astrid, and eventually, Zetius. An immense void swam within his striking blue eyes.

Locking eyes with him, Zetius knew that memory still held Friederich back after all this time. They were invisible chains holding Friederich down like dead anchors. His fingers curled into a fist, raising it in the air.

“PRIME GUARDIAN! MAY THIS FIRE BURN WITHIN!” Zetius roared and theatrically rotated his hands. A surge of mana erupted, and a ball of flame burned brightly, akin to the Olympic torch.

Friederich’s lips parted in surprise. Gasping for air, he didn't realise how long he had held his breath. He hadn't realised, until this very moment, how desperately he needed it.

The chains strained until they snapped.

The katana churned, vibrating violently inside its Arc sheath. A smile tugged on the corner of his lips.

“Thank you,” he mouthed to Zetius and spun to face the Empress, no more doubt in his gaze.

Friederich closed his eyes and concentrated deeply.

His fingers brushed the textures of the handle, feeling its intricate silk wraps.

There, he felt the rush of explosive energy. So intense, so powerful.

Slowly and with control, he unsheathed his blade. A blinding light seeped out and illuminated the entire platform.

The flow of mana swirled around him, no different to a tempest of fire. His hair and arc coat fluttered erratically, yet it was a majestic sight.

“Well done…” Aurora’s eyes fixated on the boy, completely amazed. Yet, she didn’t cast a defensive spell.

Friederich gripped his blade tightly with both hands and slowly guided it overhead. This was the most decisive and aggressive stance.

“Shōmen uchi,” Aurora muttered calmly, unwavering in the face of the pressure.

“Nnnnn!” His jaw clenched, his entire body feeling a violent vibration.

The aura grew even more intense. The tempest surged fiercely like a dangerous beast, and his hands struggled to hold the glowing blade steady.

Zetius’s eyes glinted with ecstasy. The same thrill that struck his heart when he first saw the circular glyph of the Light of Punishment manifest over the sky of Germund.

Such immense power, beyond human recognition.

Seeing Empress Aurora stand frozen, Cartier frantically exclaimed, her voice tremulous, “Empress?! Is she going to take this head-on?!”

“No, there’s something darker… something…” Astrid muttered, fear in her eyes.

Immediately, gigantic wings, with feathers as black as death, snapped open behind the Empress.

“I recognise your strength, Friederich Eir Regis,” Aurora spoke up, her expression dignified. It is about time I unleashed my own beast as well, she thought to herself.

“That’s… The legendary Beast Ventiff?!” Cartier exclaimed, cupping her mouth.

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“Impossible… I thought it was slain,” Ryusei gasped, his blood running cold.

The giant claws, over a metre in length, struck fear into the hearts of men, their razor-sharp edges digging into the brick ground. The terror spread like wildfire. No one dared to make a sound.

Its eyes glowed red like a demon, with a single look into its abyssal pupils could invoke psychosis in people’s souls.

“Fear not, I have her under my control,” Aurora bellowed. The dark Griffin bowed its head in reverence, blanketing her with its massive wings in the same manner the Empress always wore her Ventiff's cape.

Such terrifying beauty.

A roar erupted from its mouth, celebrating the Empress’s glory. The crowd's reaction was a shockwave of screams.

Two massive fields of energy faced each other: one as dark as night, one as bright as day.

“Barrier up!” Lunarius Severan shouted, issuing a command to his mages. Without delay, they followed, chanting the essence of Phoros. A translucent wall materialised, separating the crowd from the massive gusts of wind.

The air became so thick with tension that it felt heavy enough to suffocate.

Without hesitation, Friederich drew a long breath, and his muscles moved.

“DAWNBREAK!!!” he screamed.

And then, he struck.

The katana swung down, and a flash of light exploded, akin to the merging of neutron stars.

But within it, a glimpse of Byakko flashed. The legendary tiger roared thunderously. The white tiger was enormous, its height almost reaching the roof of the dome. Its fangs were long and vicious.

Faster than the eye could fathom.

Two legendary beasts collided, clashing, fighting for their lives. Black and white struggled for dominance.

Most squeezed their eyes shut, but not Zetius. His eyes were brimming with ecstasy as he witnessed the fight of a lifetime. Meanwhile, Aurelia embraced Cartier tightly, protecting her like a caring mother.

However, the clash of power lasted only two seconds.

The energy dispersed into the air as sparkling holo-particles drifted over.

Once the enormous smoke faded, two figures emerged on the platform.

“Ha… Ha…” Friederich stood his ground, panting heavily. His katana dimmed and soon disintegrated into nothingness.

Empress Aurora, on the other side, remained unscathed. Her summon was nowhere to be seen, totally decimated. Slowly and regally, she extended her palm towards the beautiful holo-particles.

“The mana-fall. A small nod to your power, Friederich,” Aurora announced, clearly impressed.

The crowd was lost for words until Lunarius Severan blew his horn, signalling the end of the match. Loud cheering and applause soon followed. They went wilder and wilder for several consecutive minutes.

The noise was deafening, the very air vibrating with the crowd's roar.

CRACKKKK!!!

A loud crack then reverberated through the arena as the platform split in half and collapsed.

“Huh!?” Friederich exclaimed. He was too stunned, too exhausted to react.

In an instant, Aurora drifted like a flash of light, catching the elven mage and reappearing on stable ground. The platform crumbled into a pile of rocks, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Wobbly, Friederich swayed and collapsed onto the ground.

“Your stamina needs a bit of work, Prime Guardian,” Aurora chuckled, extending a hand to him.

He broke out of his daze and accepted her hand. Soon, the two combatants stood side by side, waving to the crowd.

The audience exploded into another round of applause. This clash of legendary beasts was an event that would be emblazoned in their core memories, destined to be passed down for generations to come.

***

Late at night, Cartier hummed a soft melody to herself as she read through a pile of tomes and scrolls.

Aurora seemed lost in her own world, gazing out the window. Not that there was anything but the darkness and the dim, split moon in the background. Their suites were luxurious and spacious, fitting for the highest esteemed guests.

“Empress… I didn’t know you could summon the legendary beast…” Cartier asked, the question having nagged her since the match. “More importantly, you hadn’t done that at all during the battle of Namvie."

Without turning to Cartier, Aurora replied briefly, "I'm surprised you know anything during the fight, haven't I teleported you away early?"

"You definitely did, Empress. But I read your report! The royal scribes did a very good job portraying the scenes."

“Very well. My short answer is I could not then.” Aurora responded.

“May I ask why?” Cartier tilted her head, confused.

“I can only attempt to summon her if I am at full strength. Otherwise, I would not be able to control the legendary beast,” Aurora clarified in her monotonic tone.

After a few seconds of analysis, Cartier smiled, satisfied with the answer.

“I’m so glad we finally found him. The Prime Guardian is our Champion of Gaia, after all,” Cartier said, clasping her hands to her chest in serenity. Her expression relaxed.

But Aurora exhaled deeply. “No, he is not.”