CHAPTER 790: A GOD IN STEEL

Ethan’s body jolted violently.

The sudden surge of power slammed into him like a tidal wave, crushing the air from his lungs. He staggered back, boots skidding across the fractured ground, as the energy inside him surged to life—rushing through his veins like a flood.

In a blink, he summoned an Energy Disc, the glowing construct spinning in his palm. Without hesitation, he hurled it straight at the incoming Energy Blade.

The moment they collided—

Screeeeech!

The shriek of clashing forces tore through the air, sharp enough to make the sky itself flinch.

A shockwave exploded outward, rippling across the battlefield. Ethan was thrown into the air like a leaf in a storm, tumbling end over end before he managed to right himself midair.

He landed hard, knees bent, breath ragged.

But the truth was already clear.

This girl’s power was far beyond anything he’d anticipated.

When he looked up again, his heart sank.

The sky above was filled—no, saturated—with Energy Blades. Dozens, maybe hundreds, streaking toward him like a meteor shower of death.

"Master! Look out!"

Andona’s voice rang out from behind him.

She raised her hands, summoning the full force of her Angel King bloodline. A radiant barrier bloomed in the air, stretching wide to shield Ethan from the oncoming storm.

But even as the light flared, Ethan knew it wouldn’t be enough.

Andona’s Tier was too low. Against the raw, overwhelming force of that girl’s attack, her power was a candle in a hurricane.

The barrier shattered in seconds.

Two blades punched through, slamming into Andona’s shoulder with pinpoint precision.

The impact launched her like a rag doll. She flew backward, limbs limp, and crashed into the side of a distant Sky Fortress with a sickening crunch.

Boom.

Ethan’s jaw clenched, eyes narrowing.

The pressure pressing down on him now was unlike anything he’d ever felt. This girl—this deceptively small figure—was stronger than anyone else on the field. Stronger than Sol’Rakka. Stronger than the Emerald Castle’s elite.

Even if those two forces joined hands, they wouldn’t stand a chance.

And then—

A shadow fell over the battlefield.

A massive figure descended from the sky, so colossal it seemed to blot out the sun.

Ethan’s eyes lit up.

Finally.

Without a second thought, he launched himself forward, streaking through the air toward the giant’s chest.

As he neared, he could feel it—that immense power, coiling and humming beneath the surface. The moment he made contact, it surged into him like a vortex, raw and electric.

He remembered the rumors.

Back during his dealings with Kormaldor, he’d heard whispers of a weapon—something beyond even the Sky Fortresses. A Battle Mech. A war machine so powerful it could rival the might of an Ultimate-tier being. And it was designed for single-pilot operation.

At the time, he hadn’t believed it.

If Kormaldor really had something like that, they should’ve conquered half the known worlds by now. They wouldn’t be scrambling to survive, let alone begging for alliances.

But now?

Now he knew they hadn’t been lying.

They had built it. A true force amplifier.

The problem wasn’t the machine—it was them. Kormaldor’s people simply didn’t have the strength to power it properly. Their energy output was too weak, their control too unstable. The mech’s potential had been crippled by its own creators.

But Ethan was different.

After fusing the powers of Auri and Idra, his Tier had surged to an unprecedented level. And now, with the Battle Mech amplifying his strength, he could unleash combat power approaching mid-27 Tier.

The girl saw it too.

The moment she blasted Andona aside, her gaze snapped to Ethan—and without hesitation, she unleashed everything she had.

High above, her form blurred, energy distorting the air around her. A massive Energy Blade began to take shape, coalescing in a swirl of raw force.

"To me," she said, her voice booming like thunder, "you’re nothing but insects. Vermin who dared to defy the Elderwood Dominion. You slaughtered our leaders—our people. And now, you’ll pay."

Power surged from her like a tidal wave, thick and suffocating. The blade in her hand spun faster, growing into a colossal disc of energy, its edges shrieking as it sliced through the air—hurtling straight toward Ethan.

Even inside the Battle Mech, he could feel it. That blade wasn’t just dangerous—it was lethal. A direct hit would cleave the mech in two.

But Ethan didn’t flinch.

He steadied his breath, focused, and poured every ounce of his strength into the mech’s core.

The Battle Mech’s massive arm shot forward.

With a thunderous clap, its palm caught the spinning Energy Blade mid-flight.

The girl’s eyes went wide.

She hadn’t expected that. Not from something so bulky, so seemingly slow. Her full-force strike—caught like a toy.

Shock flickered across her face.

But before she could react, the mech’s hands clenched.

BOOM.

The Energy Blade shattered under the crushing force, splintering into shards of light that scattered like torn paper.

Ethan’s pulse surged.

Through the mech’s feedback system, he felt it—raw, volcanic power coursing through him. It wasn’t just strength. It was dominance. And for the first time in this battle, he tasted the edge of victory.

"You Elderwood Dominion bastards," he growled, voice amplified through the mech’s comms, "you invade other worlds without cause. You steal, you burn, you kill—and then you dare to call yourselves righteous?"

His voice dropped, cold and sharp.

"Today, I’ll show you what a real god looks like."

Thoom.

RUMBLE—

RUMBLE-RUMBLE—

A shockwave burst from the mech’s hands, a tidal surge of energy that cracked the air itself. Ethan drove his palms downward, unleashing a crushing force aimed straight at her.

But the girl didn’t back down.

Not an inch.

She summoned every drop of spatial power in her body, drawing it into a single, massive blade—its form spinning like a vortex, howling as it tore through the sky toward him.

CRACK!

The two forces collided midair.

The impact was cataclysmic.

Space buckled. The sky fractured. A blast wave ripped across the battlefield, flattening everything in its path.

The ground shook.

The heavens roared.

...