The battle between Sunshine, the Sovereign Shield, and Eclipse, the Sovereign Sword, reached its peak. Their swords clashed, shaking the entire colosseum with each devastating strike despite the battle happening inside the enclosed dome. The Lunar Eyes of Eclipse burned with cold brilliance, while the Golden Flame Eyes of Sunshine blazed with unyielding determination.
But in the midst of their battle, Eclipse's gaze flicked to Mixarnt.
'He is almost there.' She thought.
The orb. It pulsed with mana, shimmering at the center of the battlefield. 'Just a few more steps…' Mixarnt gritted his teeth trying to ignore the pain as he limps towards the orb.
Eclipse's expression darkened. She turned her full attention back to Sunshine as their weapons collided once more. "You do know why I am the strongest, correct?"
Sunshine's muscles tensed. Before she could react, Eclipse twisted her sword with immense force, shattering Solaris Shield into fragments of golden light.
A stunned gasp left Sunshine's lips as she staggered back. But Eclipse didn't stop. She lifted Celestial Radiance high, her Lunar Eyes glowing with divine fury.
"I'll show you the true power of Celestial Radiance."
The very air trembled. Aetherlight itself seemed to bend around Eclipse.
"Celestial Sovereign Swordsmanship: Celestial Destroyer."
A blinding light erupted from her blade. The overwhelming force of the attack was unlike anything before. The sheer pressure crushed the ground beneath her, forming deep fissures across the battlefield.
Sunshine, gasping for breath, had no choice but to counter.
"Solar Sovereign Style: Dawn's Aegis!"
She poured every ounce of her defensive, healing, and offensive power into her counterattack. The Golden Flame Eyes burned brightly as she swung her Solar Blade against Eclipse's attack.
The impact was devastating.
A massive shockwave erupted, shaking the entire Aetherlight. The colosseum walls cracked, the participants outside the dome were blown away, and the ceiling of the enclosed dome exploded as their powers clashed violently. The force of their collision surged upward, splitting the sky itself—a testament to the divine magnitude of their battle.
For a moment, Sunshine held firm—until Eclipse pushed beyond her limits.
Her offensive power surged past 150%.
Sunshine's strength failed. The Celestial Destroyer's overwhelming force shattered her blade and sent her crashing through the ruined dome, slamming her into the outer arena wall. Spectators gasped in shock as the pocket dimension itself began to crumble and fade, its structure dissolving around them.
Blood trickled from her lips. Her limbs refused to move.
She had lost.
Eclipse turned, her eyes sharp as daggers. Mixarnt was only an arm's length away from the orb.
"Too slow."
With blinding speed, Eclipse lunged.
Mixarnt felt the wind shift. His instincts screamed at him. He didn't have time to dodge. "Damn—"
"It's over Mixarnt!" The moment Celestial Radiance descended upon him—
A burst of golden light erupted between them.
Sunshine, despite her injuries, had thrown herself forward, blocking Eclipse's blade with her broken shield, amplifying it with all her strength.
"Not today…!" Sunshine gasped with a grin, her body trembling under the immense force.
"SUNSHINE!" Eclipse shouted from disbelief.
Mixarnt didn't hesitate.
Ignoring the pain in his torn muscles, he lunged forward—
His fingers brushed against the orb—
And then, the moment he grasped it, the entire colosseum shook.
A brilliant pillar of energy erupted from the orb, engulfing Mixarnt in pure mana. His wounds healed partially, and his body was bathed in golden and silver radiance.
The Aether Knight Trials were over.
Mixarnt had won.
Eclipse froze, her blade stopping inches away from his neck.
A deep silence followed. The arena, once filled with cheers, was now still. The only sound was Mixarnt's heavy breathing.
Eclipse took a step back, her Lunar Eyes dimming. She exhaled, the tension in her body releasing.
"Tch."
She turned her back to Mixarnt and sheathed her sword. "You got lucky."
Mixarnt, still catching his breath, grinned. "Luck? I call it skill hehe."
Sunshine let out a weak chuckle from where she lay, her Golden Flame Eyes flickering. "Hah… idiot…"
A deafening hush fell over the colosseum. The crowd sat frozen, still reeling from the earth-shaking battle they'd just witnessed.
People kept staring at the big magic screens, but all they showed was static from inside the wrecked dome. The magical observers kept panning over the outside instead, showing all the cracks and holes punched through it - you could tell whatever happened in there must have been crazy.
Then - CRACK - the whole dome just came apart like broken glass. For a second, the pieces hung there glittering in the air before fading away, finally showing everyone the completely destroyed battlefield inside.
"YOU GO PAJAMA WARRIOR!" some drunk guy in the third row screamed, his voice cracking with excitement. The shout seemed to break the silence - suddenly the crowd was on its feet, roaring so loud the cracked walls shook. People were hugging strangers, tossing concession snacks in the air, a few even crying happy tears.
The magical screens flickered back to life just in time to show Mixarnt (Pajama Warrior) standing victorious in the wreckage. The crowd noise doubled, a tidal wave of cheers and chants of "PA-JA-MA! PA-JA-MA!" rolling across the stands.
At the center stood Mixarnt, battered but victorious, the radiant orb clutched firmly in his hand. His body bore the marks of the grueling fight, but his determination burned brighter than ever. "I... dunno what to feel about those cheers... aha..haha..." Mixarnt said awkwardly. Beside him, General Sunshine tended to her own wounds, golden light enveloping her as her Solar Edge and Solaris Shield disintegrated into particles, returning to her body in a soft glow. "... way to go Pajama warrior~ fufu... haha... hahhahaha!" Sunshine said with a teasing grin and then a chuckle, then outright laughing.
On the other side, Eclipse strode away, her posture unshaken, her usual confident stride unchanged despite the battle's outcome. Her Celestial Radiance shimmered as they too dissolved into light, merging back into her body just like Sunshine's. As she exited the colosseum, her expression softened for a brief moment. She sighed, a small, almost imperceptible smile tugging at her lips. In her mind, she was relieved that Mixarnt had survived. Despite her cold demeanor and the harshness of her actions, she cared deeply for him. But as the Sovereign Sword, she couldn't show such emotions publicly. This time, Sunshine had been the one to stand by Mixarnt, to protect him when Eclipse herself had been ready to strike him down. It was a bittersweet realization, but one she accepted with quiet grace. She vanished into the corridors, her presence leaving a lingering sense of awe and respect.