All the 100,000 clones raised their hands and each one of them created a plasma ball.
”…”
They had surrounded them from all sides, and the entire sky was covered with Icarus’ clones.
The plasma balls in their hands grew bigger and bigger as time passed. And eventually, they were big enough to be the size of the moon.
”If that hits, they are all dead!” young Zach exclaimed, who could only watch them.
[I have had enough of your nonsense talking! Now die!]
Icarus’ clones launched 100,000 moon-sized, concentrated plasma balls at Deus and the others.
Upon seeing that there was no way to escape their doom, Deus rushed to Erza to protect her and the kids. But because of his weak state, he fell to the ground.
Still, that didn’t stop him from trying to reach his family. He crawled and dragged his body to them as the plasma balls approached them at high speed.
Xie Lua watched everything in despair. While in truth, she could easily escape if she wanted to— she was a Phoenix, after all— but she didn’t because she couldn’t leave her master alone, and the most important person to her— Zach.
She had sworn his mother to become his godmother.
It was the same for Lyda. She could easily travel between the dimensions, but she couldn’t carry them with her because of the limitations provided by the Void Queen.
However, she didn’t escape. She wanted to be with her friend, Deus, and her love disciple— Zach, till the end.
But, she wasn’t going to give up that easily.
She conjured her final form. She grew horns on her forehead and her body was covered with strange black marks. Not only that, her hair had grown longer, and it had changed from black to white. Her eyes had become silver, and they were shining bright.
Everything around her stopped. The air, light, plasma ball, and everything between the sky and earth has stopped.
’I can only stop the time for 5 seconds, so I can’t take them with me and run away. And even if I somehow manage to at least save Zach and Zoe, the impact from the plasma ball will annihilate cities. One plasma ball was enough to obliterate this city and the soundings. I can’t imagine what calamity would be caused if 100,000 plasma balls hit the surface.’
’It might even destroy the planet!’
Lyda jumped in the air and launched herself in front of the plasma balls. One by one, she slammed herself into them and took all the damage. With the impact of each plasma ball, Lyda’s body formed a crack.
Within 5 seconds, Lyda had taken the damage of 100,000 plasma balls. Her body was full of cracks, and her once soft marshmallow-like body had become rough and pale. Even her horns had cracks on them, and it seemed as though they would break at any moment.
However, Lyda knew that wasn’t enough.
It was impossible to defeat Icarus, and he could simply create ten times the number of clones he has now. And they could create more plasma balls without even breaking a sweat.
Lyda looked at Deus and then moved her gaze to kid Zach, who was also frozen with the others.
Tears rolled down her eyes as the cracks on her body grew wider. Then, he looked at the sun and engulfed it with her fist.
The sun had disappeared from the sky and the world was covered with darkness!
At the same time, Lyda’s five seconds had passed, and the world started moving again. The time resumed, and so did everything.
However, many things had changed. People were confused about the time as they saw no sun in the sky. But the most baffled was Icarus.
[What?!] he yelled. [How is that possible! Sun is everlasting, and it is this planet that revolves around me! I am undefeatable—]
Lyda stared at Icarus, just like he stared at Erza when he called her a puny god.
”Know your place, you foolish insect. You are only a second-order cosmic god,” Lyda uttered in an emotionless voice.
[Wait… you are—!]
”Since you were changing about despair this and despair that, let me show you the true meaning of despair.”
Lyda’s fist was still closed, and she had captured the sun in it. However, she could only hold it for a few seconds. And in her current state, it was even less.
Lyda glanced at Deus and Xie Lua, who were still on the ground, and said, “Mind joining me for the last battle together?”
When Deus noticed Lyda’s condition, he realized what she meant. He gathered his remaining strength and stood up.
He walked to Erza, who was looking at him with tears in her eyes, and said, “Take care of the kids.”
”No… please… no! There has to be another way! Please… I beg you…!” Erza bellowed with tears in her eyes.
Deus then looked at kid Zach, who seemed confused about everything. But he knew something sad was happening.
Deus patted Zach on the head and said with a gentle smile on his face: “I am proud of you. And I am glad to have you as my son. You will surely surpass me and everyone one day.”
He then placed his hand on Zach’s chest and muttered something.
”Argh!” Kid Zach groaned in pain, but he endured and smiled back at Deus.
After Deus left, a mark appeared on his chest, and it slowly faded away after pulsating a couple of times.
Young Zach watched that in horror and muttered, “So it was father…? He wanted me to see this?”
Deus jumped in the air and Xei Lua followed him while flapping her wings.
”Time to end this, Icarus…”