The battlefield had fallen silent, the bodies of the magical beasts lying lifeless on the scorched ground. Smoke and ash filled the air, mixing with the residual energy of the fierce spells that had just torn through the terrain. Apollo stood at the center, his breath steady, but his eyes continued to watch over his remaining enemies.

    The atmosphere of the battle suddenly changes when pressure comes, warning Apollo through Jeremiah. The red glaring warning came, the remaining Apollos were watching the main battle even when they were still dealing with their own opponents.

    "What was that?"

    Apollo was confused, but his senses were telling him something was amiss.

    "This feeling is strangely familiar... Wait, don''t tell me!" a dreadful foreboding filled Apollo''s senses as he put his spells to their maximum and authorities to protect him.

    "Oh? You are very perceptive; do you perhaps know this?" Nero asked, but Apollo was more focused on the weapon in his hands. The previous weapon in his hand was replaced by a different weapon. It was old and rusty, though the boy could see several cracks that showed a different appearance than the old one.

    "Jeremiah, tell me I was wrong, right?"

    [Creator, I''m afraid you are not mistaken]

    A burst of golden light erupted from Nero''s weapon, and its mere presence was all Apollo needed to confirm his assumption. The ordinary blade dissolved into a cascade of luminous particles, reforming into a legendary weapon of myth. The one that aids the first emperor in saving the continent two thousand years ago.

    "Excalibur," Apollo mumbles, knowing that this is no longer a replica like the ones he had seen before. The aura and power are vastly different, turning his senses into chaos.

    "This is the true Excalibur, a blade of legends, forged to vanquish gods and demons alike; now, what do I do? This sword is made to kill demons, and I am currently a half-demon!"

    However, the boy''s surprised expression soon turns confused. "At times like this, I would usually feel crazy, like mad crazy; what''s going on?" Shouldn''t the eternal something would come by now?" He thought, feeling confused, but his senses were still on the entire time.

    Then the air felt heavy once again; the legendary golden sword was swung, creating an energy that blew the canyons.

    [Do not get hit! The power of the energy that came from the sword can tear all your defense apart]

    "Then, anything I can do to defend?"

    [Perhaps the techniques from Mahika can help. However, you can barely complete the techniques. Can you draw out its full power Creator?]

    Apollo could just shake his head knowing he can barely utilize the techniques with half the actual power.

    "He has good precision and dexterity," the boy mutters as he changes his weapon from the previous sword to his chanting bracelets.

    "Now, how should I create an opening," he thought so as he gathered more power from the stars; this was his way of gathering energy to match the destructive power of Excalibur, "Not enough," he concluded. Find more to read at empire

    Apollo now realized the meaning behind the words the archbishop said to him when he fought him before.

    "I really thought those replicas were the real ones; how stupid," he silently mocked himself as he thought about his past actions regarding the sword.

    The sword wasn''t just its raw destructive capability—it was its ability to nullify and dominate any magic or energy it came into contact with. The sword''s runes acted as a filter, disassembling his spells at their very core.

    "Jeremiah, tell me, can you scan the sword? Can you tell me the difference in the composition between the replica and the real one"

    [I can]

    "Then please send it to me"

    [Affirmative, let me complete the data]

    For the first time in a long while, he felt like his running out of options. Yet, as his opponent pressed forward, his focus sharpened.

    Apollo''s mind moved faster than before dodging every strike that came towards him. Excalibur glows brightly as it cuts through Apollo''s defenses. However, the boy''s mind remains working at a pace that will keep him ten steps ahead of his enemy.

    Each swing, step, and breath of his opponent became data in his mind. He observed the subtle shifts in Nero''s weight, the angle of his strikes, and even the micro-expressions that conveyed his next move.

    "He''s left-handed," Apollo noted, dodging a slash by mere inches. "He would pretend to be right-handed to confuse me, though if you keep a close eye on him, you will notice it. And this guy had removed all his habits in attacking; the ones I first saw were feigns meant to confuse me. Now, what to do? Dodging won''t bring me victory"

    As the battle progressed, Apollo began predicting attacks more naturally. It was as if he were reading Nero''s thoughts. He evaded strikes before they were fully executed, sidestepping Excalibur''s devastating arcs with a precision that made his opponent question if he could use authorities even with his artifact active.

    "You''re calculating," the swordmaster growled, his eyes narrowing. "But let''s see how far how you calculated everything"

    The power of Excalibur began to increase, drawing pressure on Apollo''s shoulder. He could not move as the power of the sword prevented him from moving. However, despite the overwhelming aura of the sacred sword, Apollo glad himself with aura and barriers. The authorities were with him as well, giving protection even with the constant feeling of its disappearance.

    "Hooo..." Apollo regulated his breathing to control his energy in order not to waste them.

    "Come on, you got this," he said to himself as the energy from Excalibur intensified.