Earth's Greatest Magus

Chapter 2679: Temporal Duel 8

Chaos erupted within Emery’s domain.

“It’s Livi! She’s dying!!” Haron’s desperate shout tore through the air as he cradled the limp form of the female Baphamot. Her breaths were shallow, and blood seeped from deep wounds that refused to close.

Without wasting a heartbeat, Haron sprinted toward the heart of the Elysian forest—where the towering ancient trees glowed faintly with life energy.

There, Shinta was already knee-deep in her struggle to keep two other casualties alive: the hulking orc Durak, lying motionless, and Twik, suspended in a fragile bubble of light that kept its core steady. Her slender hands were channeling the vital essence drawn from the Elysian trees, golden-green motes of light flowing from her fingers into the two.

The moment Shinta saw Haron staggering in with another bloodied figure, her heart clenched. “Not her too!”

At the same time, the air shook with violent gusts, branches shivering as if under the weight of a storm. Deep, thunderous tremors rippled through the ground. The sky above the domain flickered unnaturally, light bending and warping—signs of the titanic battle raging outside.

Shinta had no time to rest. Her mind and hands worked frantically, but before she could even stabilize Livi, Kingrig came bursting into the clearing, eyes wild.

“It’s rampaging!!”

Shinta didn’t need him to explain which creature he meant. Ever since Emery’s excessive act of devouring Kronos, the colossal star devouring beast that lurked across the shore had grown restless beyond control. The act had flooded the domain with an abundance of radiant light energy, but it had also unleashed a dangerous backlash, feeding into the beast’s fury.

Shinta’s hands trembled for the briefest moment; her thoughts were pulled toward a single person.

Father… I dont know what to do!.

###

The battlefield had escalated.

Both versions of Emery fought back-to-back with Morgana, yet their synergy barely kept them alive. The celestial undead loomed over them like a moving mountain, each swing of its crystalline arms tearing apart space itself.

The moment the last talisman was ripped free from its body, the giant’s presence surged like a tidal wave. Oppressive energy burst outward, pushing them back. The air around it warped, heat and frost battling in a maelstrom as its raw might broke free of any restraints.

Light Emery swiftly summoned walls of interlocking Elysian roots, weaving them into a towering fortress around the group. It shimmered with the essence of life itself, repelling the undead’s deathly aura. The dark Emery occasionally cast spatial barriers, while Morgana braced herself against the freezing grip of Talaro’s ice domain, holding the encroaching frost at bay.

The undead celestial roared, and its massive fist crashed down, smashing through the Elysian root fortress and sending splinters of golden light scattering into the air. Each blow shattered a layer, only for them to rebuild it in seconds—the three of them locked in a desperate, synchronized defense. But the strain was mounting.

“Damn it! We can’t just sit here!” Dark Emery snarled, his gaze flicking for any opening to counterattack. But even if they broke past the giant, four other undead still circled Talaro like sentinels.

The light Emery remained watchful, eyes constantly scanning for every movement on the battlefield. Then—he noticed it. Talaro’s aura had changed. The dark elf’s presence, once sharp and commanding, now carried the heavy drag of decay. His skin looked pale, almost ashen, and his once-steady breaths came in uneven bursts.

Emery knew the signs. His mastery over the law of darkness gave him a touch of insight into the law of death as well.

To control a supreme-level corpse was no small feat—it was agonizingly draining. The talismans attached to the celestial weren’t mere restraints; they were conduits, binding the giant to Talaro’s will at the cost of his life force.

But that knowledge brought no comfort. If they tried to outlast him, they would lose. The celestial undead’s raw power was enough to tear them apart long before their spirit pools even began to run dry.

While continuing their defense, all three managed to stay of one mind. Their shared bond allowed them to read each other’s intent before a word was spoken.

Morgana claimed that she was still able to cast one powerful, flaming spell from the excess of the growing cosmic flame, but she needed time to channel it.

“We’ll give you time,” the dark Emery said.

The light Emery, however, wasn’t confident that such a spell would be enough—not with Talaro still surrounded by his many undead. He needed something more.

Then, a violent tremor shook through Emery’s inner domain, and his focus sharpened in alarm. The Star-Devouring Beast. It thrashed restlessly within, its hunger gnawing at the edges of its prison. If left unchecked, it would tear his domain apart.

Both Emerys, light and dark, froze for a heartbeat. Then the same thought sparked in both minds.

“Is it possible?”

“Yes… and it might be the only way.”

A plan formed instantly, and at the signal, Morgana stepped back and began channeling the power of the cosmic flame. Her two arms began to swirl in intricate, fluid motions, drawing the power of the cosmic flame toward her core. With Killgragah’s towering shadow behind her, the draconic entity’s essence fed into her spell, and a searing sphere of flame began to form upon her chest—its light pulsing like a newborn star.

Dark Emery wasted no time. He reached for the soul of Vayarel, and with his confirmation, the dark Emery’s soul tore free from the Grand Magus vessel.

“Still resisting?!” Talaro’s voice thundered across the battlefield. He thrust his hand forward, and the celestial undead obeyed, swinging a devastating blow. The undead advanced, eager to seize the freed souls.

But before the undead could push through, Vayarel’s who had just barely regained his body, surged with raw magnetic force. A spatial barrier blazed into being. The undead celestial’s strike hit and halted, sparks and cracks rippling outward, but it held.

Through the chaos, Dark Emery streaked across the field like a spear of shadow, plunging toward his light counterpart.

“Now I’ll take over!”

Soul possession began. Light and Dark fused into one body, their wills intertwining, their powers merging.