The dust slowly settled within the Co Loa Citadel. At the center of the deep crater, Van Thien stood tall. His clothes were shredded, and blood trailed down his arms, but the fire in his eyes refused to die. High above, Duan Thiet stared down, his gaze flickering with lethal curiosity.
"You can still stand…?" He curled his lip into a sneer. "Then let us continue."
Red energy erupted around Duan Thiet's body, far more intense than before. The air surrounding him began to warp and buckle. On the warships, the black-clad soldiers recoiled in fear.
One soldier's voice trembled. "He's… he's using his true power…"
Duan Thiet hoisted his war hammer, crimson energy condensing into a singular point on the head of the weapon.
"Iron Dominion…"
"—Hellbreaker!"
He swung the hammer downward.
BOOOOOOOMM!!!!!!!!!
A colossal pillar of crimson energy plummeted toward the Citadel. The earth groaned under the pressure. If this strike connected, the entire ancient fortress would be wiped from the map. But in that split second, a massive shadow shifted.
The Golden Turtle God moved, its gargantuan shell rising to intercept the blow.
CRASH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The red strike slammed into the divine shell. Crimson and cyan lights clashed violently, the sheer force blowing away every rock and tree in the vicinity. Yet—the shell remained unshakable. Not a single crack appeared on its ancient surface.
Duan Thiet frowned, his patience wearing thin. "You are truly a nuisance."
Behind the safety of the shell, Thien looked up at the burning sky. He knew this was his only chance. He turned his head toward the Lien Chau Magic Crossbow. The ancient weapon was pulsing with light, but for a moment—he hesitated. He knew the price. Another shot… it might claim his life.
The Golden Turtle's voice echoed in his mind. "You have fought enough."
"The rest… leave to me."
But Thien shook his head, his teeth bared in a grimace of pain. "...No."
He looked at the sky over Hanoi—the hovering warships, the thousands of cannons still aimed at the city below. "If you fight alone… the people will still die."
He turned back, slamming his palms onto the stock of the crossbow. Instantly, a torrent of cyan light was ripped from his body.
The Divine Crossbow roared, and the entire Co Loa Citadel began to glow. The ancient runes on the weapon's frame woke up, screaming with the power of a thousand-year slumber. In the sky, Duan Thiet's eyes went wide.
"No!!! Stop him! Now!"
Hundreds of black-clad soldiers dove toward the earth like falling stars. Seeing this, for the first time—the Golden Turtle's gaze turned ferocious.
ROOOAAARRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A massive wave of cyan energy exploded outward from the beast. BOOM! Hundreds of soldiers were swatted out of the sky like flies. Nearby warships rocked violently under the pressure.
At the center of the fortress, the Crossbow radiated a blinding light. The Divine Bolts began to multiply.
One.
Ten.
A hundred.
A thousand
Then—tens of thousands of glowing arrows appeared around the weapon, hovering like a miniature galaxy of stars. This time… the light was even more blinding than before. Thien's body racked with tremors. Blood began to seep from his nose and ears. His frame felt as though it were about to snap under the strain.
Yet, he hauled back the string one last time.
"…One… more… time…" He screamed with everything he had left.
"FIRE!!!"
SHIIIIIIIIIIIIINK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tens of thousands of divine bolts streaked into the heavens. They fractured into infinite rays of light, forming a colossal meteor shower of retribution.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Warships detonated in rapid succession. The sky over Hanoi became a literal sea of fire. Within seconds, tens of thousands of enemy vessels were erased from existence. Smoke and flames choked the atmosphere as the fleet broke formation in total chaos.
On the ground, Thien finally let go of the string. His body went limp, and he collapsed.
Duan Thiet looked at his ruined armada. For the first time, his gaze was filled with pure, unadulterated murderous intent. "…Enough."
Crimson energy exploded around him with such violence that the space itself began to crack. "You… you have ruined my plans."
He raised his hammer, the power radiating from it far more terrifying than anything seen before.
"I will kill you with my own hands."
But just as he prepared to strike—
The Golden Turtle God stepped forward. Its colossal form stood like an unbreakable wall between Van Thien and Duan Thiet. Cyan light flooded the surface of the lake, and the ancient voice boomed with the weight of an empire.