On the other side, Grand Elder Bram Ironshield landed with an earth-shattering impact, his great sword already drawn. "Morathi! It's been a long time!"
The high-level battle that had previously been avoided was now inevitable.
Ming saw this situation and immediately made a decision. "Bram, Raiden, hold them off! Kyle, take Lux away now!"
Kyle didn't need to be told twice. He grabbed Lux and, at the expense of his disguise formation completely, opened a small emergency portal not as elegant as Ming's, but enough to take them a few kilometers away.
As they plunged into the portal, Lux saw a last flash: Bram and Ming standing side by side against Morathi and The Shade, while Raiden summoned a lightning storm to bombard the increasingly unstable enemy formation.
Then everything went dark.
~
The journey through Kyle's emergency portal was rough and painful, like being thrown into a washing machine filled with shards of glass. Lux felt himself twisted and bent in unnatural ways before finally being thrown out and landing hard on the ground.
He stood up unsteadily, trying to understand his surroundings. They were on a small hill a few kilometers from Wildfire City. In the distance, he could see the light of energy explosions and hear the rumble of battle.
"We... we made it?" Lux asked, gasping for breath.
Kyle knelt on the ground, his face pale and covered in sweat. The disguise formation and emergency portal had drained him. "For now. But we have to get back to the city. Now."
Before they could move, something incredible happened. From the direction of the eastern canyon, a bright light soared into the sky, followed by an energy explosion so powerful that it shook the earth. The magnificent enemy defense formation that had previously spun gracefully now collapsed into a chaos of wild energy. Colors collided, creating an energy storm that destroyed everything around it.
"God..." Kyle whispered, mesmerized. "You did it. You really did it."
Lux felt the vibrations through Mobius. The reality coefficient in the canyon area plummeted to 0.99800 an extreme level of instability for a large-scale formation.
But the victory was not without its cost. From within the energy storm, they could see figures fighting Bram and Ming against Morathi and The Shade, while Raiden and the other Burning Sky forces began to storm through the gap created by the collapse of the formation.
"We have to go," Kyle hissed, drawing Lux's attention. "Battles of this level... we'll be destroyed if we're left here."
They both hurried towards Wildfire City, using the chaos as cover. The journey back felt shorter but more tense, with wild energy from the Nascent Soul battle buffeting them from all directions.
When they finally reached the city gates, which were heavily guarded by vigilant cultivators, an almost painful relief washed over Lux. They had made it back.
Nera Ironshield was waiting at the gate, her face tense. "Kyle! Lux! You're alive!"
"Their formation collapsed," Kyle reported, still panting. "Bram and Raiden are leading the attack."
Nera nodded, her eyes shining. "We know. We sent in reserve troops as soon as the formation started to collapse. This... this is the breakthrough we've been waiting for."
She looked at Lux with an expression completely different from before a mixture of respect and awe. "You did this?"
Lux nodded weakly. "I... I just made a few small adjustments."
"Small?" Nera almost laughed. "You collapsed the enemy's strongest defense formation with 'small adjustments'."
Lux was too tired to explain. The use of his measurement and distortion abilities, coupled with the pressure of almost being killed, had completely drained him. He almost fainted when Kyle caught him.
"This kid needs rest," Kyle said to Nera. "And we need a full report."
~
Two days later, Lux woke up in a comfortable room inside Wildfire City. For a moment, he was confused about where he was, before all the memories came flooding back the infiltration, the battle, the escape.
"Good to see you awake, worm," Mobius greeted in his mind. "You made quite the impressive mess."
"What happened?" Lux asked. "Did we win?"
"See for yourself."
Lux walked to the window and saw a different scene than before. Wildfire City, which was usually full of tension, was now colored by a mixed mood of relief, joy, but also sadness. In the distance, in the direction of the eastern canyon, there was no longer a giant energy formation. Instead, there were plumes of smoke still billowing.
A servant came in with food and told him that Sect Master Klahan wanted to meet once he felt strong enough.
The meeting was held in the command room, but this time the atmosphere was different. Bram and Raiden had returned, and although they looked tired and slightly injured, there was satisfaction on their faces. Ming was also present, looking unharmed at all a testament to his awesome power.
"Lux," Klahan greeted, who was present through an energy projection. "Reports from the front lines are very encouraging. Thanks to... your intervention, the enemy's main defense formation has collapsed. Our troops have seized key positions in the eastern canyon and pushed back the enemy forces."
"Casualties?" Lux asked with a trembling voice.
Bram sighed. "Significant. Three Nascent Souls from the enemy side were killed although Morathi and The Shade managed to escape. On our side... we lost many talented cultivators. But," he added, looking at Lux, "it was the victory we needed. For the first time since the war began, we truly have the upper hand."
Raiden, who was usually arrogant, now looked at Lux with a new respect. "Your abilities... are unusual. I apologize for doubting you."
But the most surprising was the recognition from Protector Ming. "You took a great risk, young man. But you delivered more than expected. Your formations... the way you manipulate energy... it's something I've never seen before."
Lux felt his face flush. "I just did what I could."
"And that's what makes it impressive," Klahan said. "You have proven your worth not only as the Star Child, but as a valuable member of the Burning Sky Sect. This mission will be recorded in the sect's history."
Lux bowed, his feelings mixed. He was glad he could help, but the weight of the casualties and the memories of the danger he faced made him realize that this war was far more terrible than he had imagined.
After the meeting, Lux was allowed to rest longer. But one thing lingered in his mind.
"My parents..." he asked Nera before leaving. "Are they...?"
Nera smiled. "They are safe. The protectors assigned to them did a good job. They fought in another part of the front and survived."
A relief so great washed over Lux that he almost cried. At least, one good thing had come from all this.
That night, as Lux sat alone in his room, looking at the same stars that had witnessed his rebirth in this world, he reflected on everything that had happened.
He had seen death up close. He had witnessed the power of the highest level cultivators. And he had used his unique abilities to change the course of battle.
"You're growing, worm," Mobius said, his voice almost... proud. "Today you are no longer just a child with strange abilities. You are a cultivator who has made a difference."
Lux nodded to himself. Yes, he was still a child. Yes, he was still scared. But he had also learned something important his power, although different, had value. And with that power came responsibility.
A few days later, when Lux was well enough to travel, Protector Ming and Kyle escorted him back to headquarters. The journey home felt much calmer, although the shadow of war still loomed.
When they arrived, Sect Master Klahan himself welcomed them. "Welcome back, our hero," he said, making Lux blush.
But the most heartwarming was the welcome from Elder Liam and his fellow Direct Disciples. They had heard his story of course, a censored version and although they were curious, they also understood that Lux needed time to himself.
Back in his familiar room at the Peak of Rising Flame, Lux realized that something within him had changed forever. He was no longer just a student practicing in a safe environment. He had seen the true face of the cultivator world cruel, bloody, but also full of the potential to make a difference.
He looked at his hands, remembering how three small distortions had changed the course of battle. The Star Child's mission may have ended, but Lux Noctis' journey as a cultivator capable of shaping his own destiny and perhaps the destiny of others had only just begun.
And somewhere on the front lines, his parents continued to fight, unaware that their young son had done what many high-level cultivators could not do change the course of the war.