The heavens held their breath as wonder unfolded. The arrow resting upon the Supreme Sovereign's bow seemed capable of ending the world itself. Every current of Aether surrounding the battlefield bent toward it.
Countless laws that Atheline could not even recognize converged into a single point. The wound through the Supreme Sovereign's chest continued to pour golden blood. Yet the hand drawing the bowstring remained perfectly steady.
Far below, every soldier, every commander, and every Sovereign understood the same thing. If that arrow were released, something would end.
The Sovereign of Death's pale eyes narrowed for the first time since appearing on the battlefield. Around him, oceans of Corrupted Aether gathered into massive barriers.
Thousands of corrupted beasts threw themselves into the air, sacrificing their own bodies to form living walls between their master and the approaching attack.
