CHAPTER 239: WARSTAR RPG CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL; ECHELON VS PHOENIX RISING [2]

BZZZ!

Aetherforge transformed, fractals splitting from it as the Final Ascension mode activated, the final mode of the SSS-Rank weapon that was awakened after Noah upgraded it to level 100.

In the Final Ascension Mode, all the abilities, stats, and stat effects of Aetherforge become amplified by 80%.

In a battle of high stakes, in a battle this close, that could mean the difference between defeat and victory.

Noah used Astral Combustion, one of the strongest and most insidious Awakened level Paladin skills in the game, burning a third of Lord Doom’s remaining mana pool to freeze time for half a second.

Dain Ironvalor stopped.

’F*cking SSS-Rank unique skill...,’ those were Gabriel’s thoughts as soon as his Avatar froze in one place.

And that was when Noah unleashed everything. His final gambit. He called it... Starbreaker Drive.

It was a combo move that only Lord Doom could perform in the world of global Warstar, and that was due to his 2 complementary SSS-Rank unique skills, 10x Skill Points, and Versatile Avatar.

Time was still frozen, and then...

BZZZ!

All hell broke loose.

Lightning lanced from the heavens.

Gravity flipped.

A constellation-shaped magic array appeared beneath Dain Ironvalor as Noah teleported around him six times in under two seconds, forcing Gabriel to continuously move his mouse to adapt, just in time for Lord Doom to unleash hell.

{Aether Slam=}

{Starbrand Sigil=}

{Spectral Echo Detonation=}

{Time-Lock Pulse=}

{Ignition Nova=}

{Astral Thrust – Point Blank=}

All Awakened level skills!

KABOOOM!

That was the end.

Dain Ironvalor’s shield shattered. His armor peeled off with sparks and holy light, his HP melting like wax in a fire.

But even as he fell, the no. 1 Paladin in the English Pro Alliance, no, the no. 1 Paladin in the world roared defiantly, swinging once more...

Lord Doom reacted and caught the blade with his bare hand, using a high-level Brawler skill to negate the force of the blade in a moment of cold dominance, cloak flaring behind him, and he typed in chat.

["Not today, old friend."]

---VICTORY---

The victory screen lit up across the stadium, pulling fans out of their reverie as they finally realized that Dain Ironvalor’s HP hit 0%.

The great Paladin fell to one knee... and then powerlessly bowed its head.

Dain Ironvalor died.

BOOM!

Wembley Stadium exploded!

Vera Nacht was going crazy. "What a crazy individual battle!"

"He played the best game of the season. That was Dain Ironvalor at his absolute peak... and Noah still beat him".

"Ballistic, that’s the word!" Eli Castor chipped in. "Lord Doom wasn’t just playing. He was painting a masterpiece in front of ninety thousand souls. Good heavens!"

The scoreboard in the 3-way holographic screen updated itself.

[Echelon: 1 point]

[Phoenix Rising: 0 point]

For the 3rd consecutive time this season, God Noah beat Gabriel in the most exciting individual game fixture all season.

The sensitive fans could only wonder how Gabriel felt after this time’s loss.

But the final was not attentive enough to wait for Gabriel to get his thoughts in order, the final continued.

[INDIVIDUAL BATTLE 2, LOADING...]

And this time, 2 of the best duelists of both teams took the stage again... Aria vs Velura.

After just watching their captain lose the 3rd time this season against God Noah, Velura took to the stage for the 2nd individual battle with his Elementalist Avatar in a bid to get revenge.

The stakes were higher than ever.

The atmosphere in Wembley was rising to a fever pitch.

[Arena: Twilight Ravine]

And then, it started.

The Twilight Ravine is a battlefield split between molten lava and frozen spires, jagged cliffs on both sides.

Storm clouds rumbled above, and a violent updraft screamed between the chasm’s mouth, perfectly suited to an Elementalist’s chaotic magic and a Blademaster’s deadly footwork.

The commentator booth was very active this final as Eli Castor started.

"Velura the Tempest, Phoenix Rising’s uncontested queen of the elements, versus Aria, the Sword Saint, the Blade Witch of Coventry, the woman whose name sends chills into any backliner!"

Vera Nacht added. "One plays with storms. The other dances with swords. Both have fire in their eyes. This won’t be a duel... this will be a collision".

The round began.

Velura’s staff twirled in her hands, a cascade of elemental rings swirling above her head; fire, water, wind, and earth shifting in rhythm like planetary bodies.

Aria, by contrast, was silent. Like a ghost.

Her S-Ranked dual swords gleamed under the flickering lights of the arena. She took a low stance. No buffs. No flair.

Just steel.

And then, all hell broke loose.

KABOOM!

Velura opened with a volcanic spike, erupting the ground in front of Aria.

But the Blademaster was already gone, one step ahead as she used a flash step, and then another.

She darted sideways, narrowly avoiding Chain Lightning and Glacial Shackles.

And then, activating a low level skill to buy acceleration, Aria slashed her way forward with blinding speed, aiming to reach melee.

Velura answered with a combo.

{Cyclone Pulse=}

{Firestorm Veil=}

{Arcane Shatter=}

A wall of wind pushed Aria back, fire lashing out around her, and then the ground beneath her detonated in violent force.

Aria’s HP dropped to 84%, while Velura remained untouched.

"She’s on the ropes early!" Eli Castor covered the clash as it happened. "That’s the strength of Velura, she keeps her distance and controls tempo like a composer".

Bur Aria grinned behind her monitor.

And then, Reckless Storm vanished again.

BZZZ!

Before Velura could pinpoint her position, Aria activated her signature skill, an Awakened level skill.

{Phantom Crescendo=}

Phantom Crescendo enables Blademasters to create afterimages of themselves, the number of afterimages created depending on your skill. Normal players create between 2 to 3, pro players mostly 4, while very few Blademasters in the world could create 5.

Aria? Five afterimages of her split from her form and converged at once, weaving through Velura’s storm field in an unpredictable pattern.

Velura tried to track her with Frost Orb Rain, but it was too late.

CLANG!

A blade scrapped her barrier.

SLASH!

Her robe was torn.

BOOM!

Aria crashed down with a Meteor Slash, slamming the Elementalist into the rocks like a f*cking rag doll.

Velura countered immediately, activating Tempest Wrath, unleashing a hurricane surge of fire and ice. Aria’s afterimages were torn apart. But the Blademaster leapt out of trouble, coughing blood.

Aria focused back on her enemy.

Velura was floating, surrounded by an elemental halo, channeling her Ultimate Skill, an Awakened level Elementalist skill, Heaven’s Judgement.

A world-ending spell that draws all four elements into one explosive sphere above her, and detonates it where she wants on her command.

The only way to avoid it was to run.

Aria didn’t run.

Instead, she slammed both swords into the ground and muttered.

"Let’s dance, storm queen".

Activating another Awakened level Blademaster Skill, Eclipse Waltz, time briefly slowed in her perception.

And then...

WHOOSH!

Her blades blurred into a flurry of phantom arcs at the same time that Velura released Heaven’s Judgement.

KABOOM!

The sky exploded.

The spell crashed down, but Aria was already inside the blast radius, weaving between flame and ice, blades trailing wind and stardust.

In this moment, Aria left millions of Warstar fans around the world rising to their feet in shock and awe as they watched her display unmatched Blademaster skill, weaving through the middle of a f*cking Awakened level Elementalist skill!

And then, she pierced the heart of the storm.

A cross-slash right through Velura’s core!

Velura’s HP hit 0%.

The Elementalist fell, gasping, but laughing, staring up at the crumbling sky illusion. It was one of the death sequences that Velura choosed for his Avatar.

Reckless Storm? Panting, she sheathed her blades with a single elegant twist and walked away without a word.

Aria? She had a triumphant smile on her face.

"Revenge motherf*cker!" She muttered under her breath, and then the victory screen lit up.

---VICTORY---

[Echelon: 2 points]

[Phoenix Rising: 0 point]

The almighty Phoenix Rising was losing 2-0 again, and it was not looking good for Phoenix Rising so far.

The commentators? They were going crazy.

"She walked right through Heaven’s Judgement like it was a summer breeze! That’s not a woman, that’s an executioner in silk and steel!" Vera raved.

Eli Caster chipped in, his voice dripping with hype and excitement. "Velura played perfectly. But Aria made that final dance hers, what a game we’ve had!"

"Two individual wins for Echelon. Clearly, they are sending a message".

By now, the atmosphere in Wembley Stadium felt more like that of World War III than the final of the Warstar RPG Champions League.

Phoenix Rising, the club executives, the players, and the fans, they all came to Wembley tonight to get their revenge.

To win against Echelon finally.

And yet, things were not going as they expected.

Their tension levels were rising, drawing increasingly closer to a crescendo.

The battle continued nonetheless.

[INDIVIDUAL BATTLE 3, LOADING...]

[Arena: The Gilded Crucible]