Boom...
The two gigantic kings were still fiercely battling each other.
They had crossed swords countless times, destroyed countless mountains.
The Star Spirit King's armor was already damaged, his body scarred, yet his condition seemed to be improving, his fighting spirit growing stronger.
In contrast, Frederick, with various Star Spirit-equipped gear, enhanced further, had far fewer injuries.
The Star Spirit King's great sword slashed towards Frederick's head; Frederick, instead of defending, thrust his scepter towards the Star Spirit King's chest.
Clang! Thump!
The crown shattered and fell, Frederick's long hair came loose, and a shallow mark appeared on his forehead.
Meanwhile, the center of the Star Spirit King's chest was pierced by a beam of light.
"Why?!" Frederick scanned the battlefield below, discovering his soldiers were being driven back step by step.
He hadn't ignored the Zodiac's power, but his subordinates Antinous, Saint Joseph, and Snake Handler — surely their power shouldn't lose to the Zodiac Spirits!
Why did they lose so quickly?
The sound of a mountain collapsing caught Frederick's attention. He turned his head to see a mechanical giant serpent using the collapsing mountain as a springboard, launching its body at him with open jaws.
"Ophix?!" Frederick swung his scepter horizontally, the Sceptrum Brandenburgicum thickening and lengthening under the starlight, stopping Ophix's fangs.
The immense force shoved him backward and lowered his altitude.
Ophix's tail struck the ground, creating a pit and triggering a minor earthquake.
Everyone tacitly ignored the earthquake and continued fighting, because today's battlefield was shaking nonstop anyway.
Only Yukino couldn't help but look up for a moment: "I never knew Ophix could be this strong."
Perhaps Lucy shared the sentiment, as Sajidarius and Gemini were terrifyingly strong today in Erza's hands.
"Is it you?" Frederick finally recognized Rhode, this small figure. He understood the Ophiuchus traits, but could this human... really be that strong?
Ophix closed its mouth, violently shaking its head, as the scepter snapped with a crack.
Rhode didn't pay Frederick further attention, instead checking the Star Spirit King's condition. He expected severe wounds, but surprisingly, the Star Spirit King flew back up, seemingly unhurt.
"Truly a surprising ally." The Star Spirit King was somewhat regretful Rhode hadn't attended the previous banquet; otherwise, he would've understood his friend's strength earlier.
Rhode asked, "Need help?"
"Thanks for the offer, but defeating the enemy leader is a king's duty," the Star Spirit King replied confidently with a smile. "Ophix, use your friends' strength to bring victory to the battlefield."
"Yes." Ophix stared warily at Frederick, slowly lowering Rhode.
Rhode said nothing more. In his eyes, the Star Spirit King's condition hadn't declined but improved.
This guy must be a berserker! The more wounded, the fiercer?
Frederick pulled out another scepter to battle.
The Star Spirit King pointed his sword at Frederick: "Justice King's Throne!"
Anger was certain, but he said nothing more, only expressing his fury through even fiercer sword techniques and mightier power.
This time, Frederick retreated step by step.
With the number of rebel spirits below rapidly declining, Frederick's power waned as well.
No matter how unwilling, he couldn't withstand the Star Spirit King's increasingly fierce offense.
As the last few rebellious spirits were surrounded and eliminated by the army, the Star Spirit King raised his great sword high:
"All 88 stars of the sky shine, converge here, Meteor Sword!"
The great sword came slashing down at Frederick, who raised his scepter in defense.
The scepter instantly snapped in two, the great sword imbued with the power of the starry sky struck Frederick.
The dazzling white light engulfed him, pushing him down from the sky.
Frederick fell like a meteor, crashing through a mountain peak, smashing the mountainside, shattering the entire mountain, creating a massive crater on the ground.
The Star Spirit King's slash spread from him, cleaving mountains, breaking rivers, destroying forests, carving a canyon over a hundred miles long.
Onlookers marveled at this god-like power, voicing a myriad of exclamations.
The Star Spirits cheered in joy.
Rhode was relieved, grateful that the area over a hundred kilometers was a deserted zone, the canyon stretching only halfway.
Suddenly he recalled Fiore Kingdom's Kroba Grand Canyon, having heard its landscape was shaped by battles long ago...
Perhaps a similar legend would form here as well?
It felt as though he had accidentally witnessed a legend's birth, or perhaps, stepped into a legend himself.
The Star Spirit King landed at the crater's edge.
Frederick lay spread-eagle within the crater, a straight slash wound at the center of his body, not bleeding but flickering with light.
The Justice King's Throne, turned scepter, lay broken in two beside him, while the Serpens Caput belt around his waist was also severed, fading away.
Frederick coughed twice, long past the strength to stand.
He struggled to lift his head and look at his opponent.
To see the Star Spirit King standing, sword in hand, as the Zodiac Spirits lined up on either side. Ophix had shrunk voluntarily, coiled behind the Star Spirit King.
Lucy, Yukino, Rhode, Erza, and others accompanied their summoned spirits.
Other spirits loosely gathered in the rear, perhaps not truly in formation, but simply gathered together.
Accompanied by individual mages.
The serious stood shoulder to shoulder; the more casual hung together, or embraced in secret celebration of victory.
Friends, is this what it means?
Frederick suddenly recalled Aquarius's earlier defiance.
The Star Spirit King's voice deepened: "You've lost, Frederick."
"Heh... lost again." Frederick closed his eyes, then immediately opened them, eyes fierce, "But you haven't won either! I still have..."
Bang! Bang!
Amidst everyone's surprised gazes, two highly technological dragons, one blue and one green, suddenly appeared, each pressing down on Frederick's arms and hands.
The hand-forming gesture for a spell was completely stopped.
Frederick opened his eyes wide, struggling mightily, but couldn't move a single finger.
Rhode gestured for the Hex-Tech Sub-Dragon and the Alchemy Technology Sub-Dragon to press a little harder:
"Sorry, I dislike enemies showing their trump card at the last moment, so I made a little preparation."
He and Mira once encountered a self-destructing demon while raiding bandits, so he was always wary of such actions.
The Star Spirit King glanced at Rhode, feeling slightly embarrassed.
He raised his sword, driving it into Frederick's chest, starlight transforming into intricate spells covering Frederick completely.
Soon, both the great sword and Frederick vanished together.