Chapter 29: Sanctuary and Guidance
With the strength of Joshua and Akhal, fighting continuously for ten days and ten nights was no difficult feat. Within a warrior's body were countless tiny life-energy structures akin to high-energy engines, capable of spontaneously absorbing all surrounding free energy, while a knight could also draw upon the power of the earth and the stars beneath their feet. Their energy reserves could be described as virtually inexhaustible.
Having reached their level, coupled with powerful regenerative abilities, exchanging attacks at the frequency of their previous battle meant that even after several days or months, neither could claim victory.
Now, both sides were evenly matched, each unable to gain the upper hand. Yet as they fought, both were constantly improving, probing each other's techniques and rhythms. In this regard, with Joshua's analytical speed and skill, he could estimate that after thirteen thousand seven hundred moves, he would completely decipher Akhal's energy circulation patterns and combat rhythm, and suppress him after five thousand more moves. As long as the Deathshadow Knight had no scene of breakthrough on the spot, or some hidden trump card up his sleeve, then the outcome of this battle could be considered decided.
But, not to mention that Akhal was by no means limited to this level of ability, the entire world of Grandia had no time to allow him to continue this prolonged struggle!
At the end of the plains, above the Gaitar Plateau, the former location of the Ulan Empire's Imperial Capital, five enormous black pillars of light pierced heaven and earth. Vortex-like black clouds swirled, with purple lightning flashing within them, exuding a suffocating, ominous aura. Without needing to think, Joshua knew that this was Akhal's method of triggering a world-shaking cataclysm and bringing about the apocalypse.
Finish him quickly.
Thinking this, using the right side of his own body as bait, the warrior still allowed the enemy to strike him, then clenched his left fist, drew back his arm, and heavily—as if pushing a small planet—violently swung it forward!
Boom!
A single, ordinary straight punch turned hundreds of meters around into a vacuum. The moment this fist, gathering the warrior's full strength, spirit, and essence, slammed into Akhal's chest without any tricks, the knight's eyes could be seen bulging wide, their sockets cracking. Flesh on his chest and back simultaneously exploded and disintegrated. The spear in his hand, like a galaxy, was completely knocked away, and his entire body shot backward like a rocket at full speed, exceeding ten times the speed of sound!
Behind him, the dust floating over the plains, the black clouds, and the bitter wind were all directly scattered and expelled by the fist force that pierced through his body. One could even see a long track, several kilometers wide, appearing out of thin air in the high sky, extending to the edge of sight!
The power of this heavy punch gathered enough force to shatter a mountain into dust, surpassing a million-ton meteor falling from the sky. If it had struck the ground, it would undoubtedly have turned most of the plains into a churning sea of molten lava. But at this moment, Akhal had taken this blow directly with his heart!
Pain!
Extreme pain!
Pain that pierced the heart! Pain that soaked the lungs and bones!
His tough body seemed about to be broken in half. His lung cavity, heart, esophagus, and numerous internal organs all turned to charcoal. The knight's injury at this moment was even heavier than Joshua's! The ultimate pain spread through his entire body, yet it could not affect Akhal's thoughts at all. This inheritor of the Star Saint could even think calmly while being sent flying.
Yes, it was indeed an extremely powerful blow, but it could not surpass the pain he felt back then when he drank wine laced with the poison of the Hundred-Headed Serpent! To prevent Joshua from pressing the attack, Akhal forced himself to stay alert. While flying backward at high speed, he barely opened his eyes to look in the warrior's direction, then extended his remaining right hand and heavily clenched it in the air.
Immediately, rings of starlike ripples burst forth from the knight's body. Silver radiance flickered in the atmosphere, shimmering like flowing water. Space itself twisted under this fluctuation, like invisible currents. Joshua, enduring his severe injuries and wanting to pursue, was blocked by these layers of distorted space and had to stop his pursuit.
Those who control gravity can twist time and space within a limited range. Under Akhal's full control, the mere few thousand meters between him and Joshua instantly transformed into a chaotic spacetime filled with countless traps. Within it were hundreds of special zones with vastly different gravitational forces. An ordinary person who strayed in would be torn and split into countless scattered pieces of flesh and blood within seconds.
If Joshua were at his peak, he might consider breaking through directly. But at this moment, the warrior's right hand and most of his chest had been pulverized into powder. He simply could not cross such a perilous barrier in this state. Akhal also fell to the ground at this time, blasted deep into the earth's crust by Joshua's fist force. He took this opportunity to rapidly activate the primal crystal mana energy within his body for high-speed self-regeneration.
The surrounding soil and rock rapidly churned. Countless primal crystal mana energies hidden beneath the earth were absorbed by Akhal, causing the ground within several kilometers to sink nearly ten meters. The next moment, the knight, having roughly filled and repaired the wound on his chest with pure energy, burst through the soil, flying out of the deep pit with full fury. But the scene before him shocked him so much that he forgot to counterattack.
Because of a single sentence spoken by a voice.
And Joshua, after calming the chaotic energy currents within his body, opened his eyes.
"Who can know the future?"
The warrior said without any hesitation, in a tone as firm as iron and stone: "But I dare to make a choice."
"Unknown knight, you are tired, and you are old. Unable to make a decision, you can only hesitate and fight with me."
"So, leave it to me. Whether it is the fate of the Grandia world, or the truth behind everything."
The humanoid formed by starlight was silent for a long time, then quietly dissipated into nothingness.
Only a voice remained.
"Then I leave it to you, warrior."
In midair, starlight gathered, pointing toward the end of the plains, above the Gaitar Plateau. There, black clouds swirled like a vortex. Five—no, now four—enormous pillars of light connected heaven and earth, causing purple lightning to streak across the sky.
That was the light of guidance,
Pointing toward the place of all origins, and all endings.