Chapter 709: World Ablaze

In the Celestial Hall of the World Inner, infinite rifts extended and closed up, just like a porcelain tool that kept shattering and piecing itself together again.

Outside, the Simboan continent was quaking violently, the seismic activity that trembled all things and cyclones were engulfing heaven and earth.

It was not merely because the world's coordinates were shifting toward the Void Vortex, but because two divinely profound beings stood off against each other.

Before the Throne of Authority, Fattrovi watched as the Giant God of Steel slowly approached him, watching at his adversary who simply had no intent of giving up.

He could not understand why.

Why? He had no chance of winning. Millions of futures flashed past the gaze of the Time Turner, with scarce few chances for the warrior's victory—but even those scarce few possibilities were now rapidly diminishing, about to utterly disappear.

The more he spied into the future, the more Fattrovi understood how Joshua fought, having come into blows against the warrior within the mirages of the future in thousands of variations before triumphing against his fighting habits, typically used skills, power and vector of his instinctive jabs, and various effects of Authority and ability... Fattrovi knew all of those things, perhaps even more than Joshua himself.

Removing his opponent's every chance of winning? Of course he could! And yet, Fattrovi simply did not comprehend why he could not turn that 'Future' into 'Reality'! He had theabsolute advantage, and yet could not turn that advantage into 'Victory'!

That was why Fattrovi extended his hand once more and point at Joshua, millions of Authority radiance beginning to appear in his starry body—the essences of every Ultra-power Fattrovi had collected from the Void Vortex over a thousand years. They were now welling out of his body, fusing with the Steel Python silhouette that wrapped itself around him, finally forming an incorporeal upon his head!

The crown was inscribed with ancient runes, with twelve sharp protruding horns embedded in myriad colored gems. Countless Steel Particles condensed into fragments, even forming the main body of the crown, just as a vein of blue light descended from one of the stars of divinity on the Vault of Stars, connecting itself to the crown. At once, dozens of Soul Stars died out.

Crown upon his head, the Time Turner decreed quietly. "I see it."

"This is what the future should be."

Hum! With a soft drone, rays of a million different colors began to revolve around Fattrovi, crashing like a tidal wave toward all directions! Even the World Inner was instantly turned upside down, just as the Vault of Stars dimmed beneath the indescribable illusory lights that flowed simultaneously. And beneath such unthreatening rays, a threat beyond description promptly spread.

A thousand years ago, the man who had mastered innumerable Ultra-powers arrived at the World Inner through his own power. It was there that he saw the slumbering Steel Python and that colossal Throne of Authority—it was majestic and beautiful, captivating the man.

The man hated the Steel Python for doing nothing while yearning for the power of the world's Authority. Thus, using his powers assembled a million different Ultra-powers, a crown was forged from the uncountable fragments of destroyed worlds, replacing, or perhaps fusing with Simboa's Authority.

"This is what the future should be."

Therefore, the slumbering Steel Python was repelled by the world and thrown into the Void—just as he wished.

And now, Fattrovi was once again using the very essence of this power! Light of the crown was engulfing the world—his world, and in his world, the future he desired would definitely come!

The crown upon the Celestial Giant's head hence shone, and he aimed a finger at Joshua, drawing a line upon thin air.

Instantly, countless Ultra-powers were animated at the same time, assaulting the warrior from every single angle while endless mirages began to spawn around the Giant God of Steel's body. Those were specters of World Lines that appeared by the thousands, representing possibilities of the future: there was one that showed him being torn apart by gravity, another that depicted him being crumpled into molecules disseminating into the atmosphere, just as there were various unseen causes that led to his self-implosion. Each image showed the warrior's defeat and death, a future that Fattrovi expected.

But Joshua ignored it all and kept striding, even as sparks exuded out of various parts of his body while his armor of degenerate matter slowly dropped away. He breathed calmly, and exhaled searing energy flow comparable to planetary corona with his every breath—as the waste gases that came from rapid regeneration were excreted, every damaged Extraordinary organ inside his body became like new.

Body of degenerate matter, planetary reactor core, warp engine, and various Steel Strength Authority—such Extraordinary organs and modules were the basis of the warrior's power. Most abilities came from battles, enemies, tokens from worlds and self-cultivation, allowing Joshua, who had not ascended as Legend for more than a few years to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with gods.

Joshua had once believed that it would be hard for those abilities to change distinctly, and only by reaching the next level could he have the possibility of improving. However, Fattrovi's abilities enlightened him that he had the space for development, and his limit was not genuine—between life and death, between endless possibilities, Joshua found the path toward 'Perfect'!

"..."

Taking another step toward the center of the World Inner and the Throne of World Authority, the Giant God of Steel kept silent for a moment before saying softy, "So, this is the sensation of having all hidden damage in the body dispelled."

The warrior now felt never more powerful.

Fattrovi's ability to see the future was a mechanism that operated on odds. As long as there was a chance something could happen, he would be able to do everything to make it reality—in the split second he activated his power, Joshua almost self-destructed on the spot, having been convinced that his body's energy circulatory system was perfect. Countless seemingly insignificant, little flaws that had accumulated were triggered at once, to the point it almost instantly killed a Legend.

But that was thepast a few seconds ago. Joshua had now repaired all of those errors, perfecting all of it.

"What couldn't kill me only makes me stronger."

Though still at a disadvantage, those snide little moves would no longer trouble the advance of the Giant God.

In the next instant, boundless Steel Strength exploded out of the surface of Joshua's body, unfurling. Those were imbalance, heat and severe pressure caused rapidly by degenerate matter, as Steel Strength danced in the hall of the World Inner like helium flashes, sparks that would ignite and erode space itself. It was a polar opposite with the power Fattrovi wielded—it was not an Authority that 'replaced' world, but a force of devastation, for utter destruction and 'End'!

That was precisely the path Joshua had chosen.

The mirages began to vanish, the scenarios of the warrior's defeat and death that surfaced by the thousands every second quickly diminishing at the speed of thought, from a thousand down to a hundred, then to ten and to one. Eventually, every 'possibility' around Joshua dispersed, destroyed by pure power, every deceitful move vanished without a trace and leaving the last and sturdiest of World Lines that never once diminished.

It was the future that Fattrovi clashed with Joshua head on before emerging triumphant. Now, however, that future was thin and illusory—shaky even though it existed!

Silver flame burned quietly, its light rising toward the Vault as Joshua strode forward. Powerful radiance brushed the entire Soul Star network, causing it to tremble. Invisible and distorted ripples spread, extinguishing the numberless illusions of the future in its brightness.

Soul Stars died one after another, and yet could not stop the spread of the silver flame that shattered space itself with its burning. Endless spiderweb-shaped fractures extended, and the link between the World Inner and the outside was instantaneously pierced. Raging energy flow from the World Inner hence spilled from the rift into the Simboan Continent, turning the skies into oceans of flame and brightening it as if daytime, despite the absence of a sun. Mountains and buildings all vaporized beneath the lethal energy, converted into fuel for the Giant God!

"Come!"

Joshua's lips curled even as he strode forward, almost arriving before the crowned Fattrovi, who was attacking himself with boundless Ultra-powers across thin air. "We'll see if I burn this world entirely first, or you use exhaust your accumulated souls?"

"Do you know no pity?"

Fattrovi's expression did not change even as he looked one, maintaining his offensive with Ultra-powers while his tone remained ever calm. "You stood against me to save them, and yet here you are, destroying this world."

Even as they spoke, the east side mountains of the Simboan Continent was turned into a silver-white ocean of fire. That is the supernatural phenomenon of Joshua's Steel Strength eroding matter, transmuting them into fuel he needed.

"Why I should I show pity when you show none for your world and your Children?"

Joshua sneered in return, as if mocking Fattrovi's sudden kindness."I don't care if their world is scorched beneath my flames, or if every single one their souls were consumed by you—do humans wanting to survive have anything to do with me or you?"

"Since neither of us cared, I will let them walk their own path after I've claimed your head!"

Invoke your god, Destiny. Invoke all of your futures!

The Giant God of Steel gripped his four fists wherein silver sparks flowed. "Fattrovi, today you are fated for destruction!"