The Witcher: Start with the Lord Marrying a Wife.

Chapter 598 Divine Showdown

Then, she uttered a demonic whisper, intertwined with her own consciousness, "Surrender... Fate is sealed, there is no escape..."

All of this shocked the onlookers and made Hill's face turn ashen. His fingers, gripping his sword, turned white, but he couldn't look away.

"This is our glory, and our shame! The queen has fallen, but we must not let her succumb to utter depravity!" His voice trembled, yet remained as firm as steel. "We will risk our lives to pull her back from the abyss!"

David walked slowly to the altar. He saw that Irene's face was twitching slightly due to the crystal binding, and there were occasional tear tracks, like the last unfrozen dewdrop in winter.

He reached out and gently touched the pale, eerily shimmering veins, and said in a deep voice, "You are not alone. Standing for you is the entire Silvermoon Knights, and all of humanity that still believes in the dawn."

The other knights around them knelt down, their faces showing complex emotions: sadness, anger, and a determination not to submit to fate.

In an instant, this desolate place seemed to be infused with long-lost warmth again, for this was the soul's last resistance, the most dazzling and glorious moment before the rebirth of faith!
Anne knelt beside her, softly calling Irene's name, trying to pierce the heavy barriers with gentle prayers, "Please wake up, we need you, you still have a home, you still have a future."

The staff in her hand emitted a soft golden light, bringing a touch of warmth to this cold and gloomy corner.

Even so, that force seemed exceptionally weak, after all, it was facing a large-scale process of spiritual erosion and substantial transformation, and giving up halfway would only take a moment to engulf all hope.

Arya bent down to examine her surroundings, touching the dead gray crystals with the tip of her sword; the chilling aura they emitted was bone-chilling and soul-piercing.

“These things are like malignant tumors, turning this place into ruins,” she murmured. “But we can’t run away from them; we must face them.”

Lia then arranged talismans beside the altar, using her azure magic to ward off evil interference, while simultaneously drawing upon natural elements to form a protective barrier.

"We will protect your consciousness, no matter how difficult it may be, we will never give up," she whispered her vow. "Because your existence is Silvermoon's only hope."

The entire scene was shrouded in an indescribable atmosphere of oppression and solemnity, more like a mourning for lost dignity and self than a war.

Everyone was filled with surging emotions: there was a longing for the long-lost "Queen", a strong fear of facing unknown misfortunes and challenges, and an unwavering belief in protecting their homeland and restoring it!
Hill stood at the edge, looking at Irene, his eyes moist but his grip on the hilt of his longsword unwavering: "I will personally sever these shackles! I will free you from the Soul-Eating Cage!"

His voice was deep and resonant, filled with anger and sorrow: "No amount of corruption can take your soul away!"

David nodded slowly, signaling everyone to be on guard, while keeping his eyes on the enemy figures still lurking in various places in the distance, not daring to show themselves.

"Time is limited, we must hurry—otherwise, the 'Black Scar' will stir again!" His upright posture exuded the air of a commander: "Open up the path to redemption with all our might!"

Irene's half-body, entwined with dark, living veins, trembled slightly, and spiderweb-like black crystal patterns writhed and twisted along her skin.

The pain on her face flickered between light and shadow, and her eyes, a mixture of coldness and fire, radiated a heartbreaking yet desperate light.

David, along with Hill, Arya, Anne, Lia, and others, stood slowly around the altar, each with a solemn expression as hard as cast iron in the dead of winter.

The air was filled with the scent of frost and decay, and the dark crystal clusters seemed to be devouring all life force. A faint, cold, rusty smell stirred the deepest unease in everyone's heart.

Irene struggled to open her right eye, a painful yet resolute glint of icy blue flame burning within it. Her lips trembled, her voice broken and fragmented, yet still filled with endless desolation and resolve: "...David...Hill...Quick...Go..." Her voice echoed like the tattered toll of a bell from ancient times, reverberating across the empty altar, "Seal...Destroy me..."

Those words were like a final warning bell, striking the most hidden corner of every knight's heart in the silence.

However, the next moment, the power of the abyss suddenly gained the upper hand, and a terrifying shockwave that shook the heavens and the earth erupted from Irene's body.

This shockwave, a mixture of the Queen's former inviolable aura and the twisted, malevolent energy corrupted by the abyss, was as merciless and terrifying as the night swallowing the stars.

It was mixed with the chilling cold of the underworld and the roar of demons, constantly tearing apart the void of space and shattering the rune array around the altar.

Hill's eyes narrowed, and he quickly swung his sword to block. A blue-white holy flame erupted like a raging sea, violently colliding with the terrifying shockwave, bursting forth with scorching lightning and thunderous roar.

Even so, this evil force field still made the knights' hair stand on end and their blood run cold.

Just as everyone was focused on resisting this calamity, a cold and loud voice suddenly entered the core of David's consciousness.

"The core of chaos... resonance..." The deep, sinister voice carried an irresistible allure and threat, "The Queen of this realm... is now my flesh and blood..."

"Join... and share the authority of the Abyss..."

"or……"

"Watch her transform into..."

"Beneath the throne of my god..."

"The most beautiful decoration..."

The voice was like a messenger from the underworld slowly uttering a sinister curse, each word seemingly carrying a sharp, poisonous needle capable of corroding the soul and will, constantly entangled and twisting in David's mind.

He felt the blue and white flames within the chaotic core tremble slightly as if being eroded by darkness. It was an invisible but extremely dangerous mental battle that was quietly erupting!

His expression shifted from resolute to complex, a mixture of anger and unspeakable pain and struggle.

He gripped the sword hilt tightly, his muscles tense to the limit: "No! I will not let you defile it! All the souls that have been sacrificed for the Silver Moon will not become your playthings!"

Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly felt a chill rise from the soles of his feet, as if the whispers of millions of dead souls surrounded him, or as if sharp claws reaching out from a crack in the void were trying to pull him into eternal darkness.

The air suddenly became heavy, overwhelming all his senses, but he remained standing, using his will to build a solid defense against the attack.

The knights standing beside him also felt the powerful evil intent permeating the space. Some hesitated to speak, some gritted their teeth and bit their lips, but none of them chose to back down.

They knew that they were not just fighting against the decaying palace in front of them, but against a catastrophe that touched the very foundation of their souls and even the very origin of the world order!
Aliya closed her eyes and focused her mind. She channeled the powerful natural energy within her body, infusing the pure earth's heritage energy into the grand array's runes, while simultaneously drawing upon starlight to form a protective shield.

“No matter how powerful our opponents are, we have the will to protect them,” she said softly. “The source of nature will purify all filth, and we must not allow corruption to devour the Silver Moon.”

Anne clasped her hands together in prayer, her magic blending healing and spiritual comfort, and together with Leah, they layered protective barriers, providing them with a moment's respite from this terrifying impact.

Even so, all the knights felt their spirits teetering on the brink of collapse; some were deathly pale, while others wore tragic smiles. Hill stared intently at Irene, and whispered, "Queen! Hold on! You haven't been completely taken from yourself! We swear to stand with you to the death!"

Before she could finish speaking, Irene's last moment of lucidity vanished in an instant. Tears streamed down her face, crystallizing into tiny, transparent fragments that shone brightly in the dim light.

This is a cry of blood and despair, a struggle and a farewell, and more like an undying vow written with life itself!

David's fingers turned white as he gripped the sword. He knew that this was not just a battle between the body and magic, but an extreme test of faith and will against fate.

The voice of the fallen god that descended into their sea of ​​consciousness was like a summoner from the eternal other shore, pushing them to the brink of life and death while simultaneously testing the purity of their souls!

Deep within the royal court, coldness and darkness intertwine to form an endless mist.

The air was filled with the smell of decay and frost, occasionally mixed with a low, grating sound like steel grinding together.

The broken crystal clusters around the altar wriggled and moved like demons, emitting a suffocating dark light that made the entire altar look sinister and terrifying.

In the center of this cold and eerie space, a twisted and enormous human figure slowly appeared.

That was the projection of the Fallen God's power at the bottom of the abyss rift, a humanoid avatar pieced together from abyssal crystals and the blurry phantom of Irene.

Its enormous body soared into the clouds, its entire body composed of scattered fragments of broken crystals connected by eerie veins, each crystal inlaid with dark and despairing patterns.

The avatar's head vaguely revealed Irene's pale, distorted face, her icy blue and pitch-black eyes revealing unfathomable malice and endless pain.

It resembled a colossal beast from the underworld, radiating an aura that transcended the material plane, causing the surrounding space to seem to freeze.

David stood before the altar, his gaze as resolute as cold steel.

He scanned Irene's face, which was ravaged and tormented to the extreme, yet remained stubbornly unyielding;
His gaze shifted to Hill, who was clutching his blood-stained medal, his face covered in scars but his eyes still held an unwavering and undying belief.

With another glance, he saw behind him a small group of elite knights who had not yet been corrupted by the demonic influence and remained conscious after the purification by the Holy Flame of Dawn.

This scene was like the steel will forged by countless flames, shattering the last trace of hesitation and weakness in David's heart.

He took a deep breath of the cold air, gripped the sword hilt tightly, his knuckles turning white, standing like an unbreakable boulder in the eye of the storm.

He murmured softly to the distorted, enormous humanoid projection:

"You only deserve to be burned to ashes."

The voice was powerful and resounding, like a horn blasting through mountains and splitting the earth, echoing in the silent royal court, carrying with it an unwavering determination and an indomitable fury to fight against the shackles of fate.

The surrounding knights were all roused by the sound. They straightened their chests, gripped their weapons, and a sense of shared destiny resonated within them.

It was as if numerous flames had converged into an indestructible wall of fire.

This is not only a physical battle, but also a final contest between spiritual beliefs; it is a life-or-death struggle about redemption, sacrifice, and the only hope for the future!
The incarnation of the fallen god slowly raised his arms, each crystal reflecting a sinister and eerie light between his fingers, like stars falling into a bottomless black hole.

Its natural and transcendent pressure, which transcends the laws of the mortal world, constantly pressed down on everyone's chest, making it difficult for them to breathe.

David gritted his teeth and furrowed his brow, focusing all his attention on resisting the corrupting temptations of his inner chaos, while simultaneously activating all the holy flame power within his body to support his soul's defenses.

He knew there was no way out, no way to compromise. He could only build an impregnable wall with his flesh and blood and meet the evil force from the deepest part of the ancient abyss with unwavering determination!

Hill stood between the left and right flanks, his wrist trembling slightly, yet he held his sword upright. "David, no matter how dark the road ahead, we will stand with you!" His voice was firm and unwavering. "The Silver Moon Knights will never allow the Queen's fall to become an eternal stain!"

As the two sides' auras began to collide and surge, the earth seemed to tremble as well, and faint sounds of ice peaks collapsing in the distance echoed, creating a strange resonance with the rhythm of the battle.

This is a great battle that transcends the constraints of time and space; it is the ultimate contest between hope and destruction!
Arya gripped the sword tightly, her eyes flashing with a cold light. "Let us use our blades to sever the shackles of fate and restore a bright future to the Silvermoon!"

Her voice was resolute, sweeping away all her fatigue, leaving only a burning obsession with victory!

Anne prayed silently, her staff lowered, her eyes closed as she focused her mind, trying to alleviate the pain and stabilize the knights' mental state with her warm holy light.

"As long as we breathe, we will not give up—because faith is stronger than death!"

Lia silently summoned the elements of nature, using azure spells to construct an even thicker protective layer, providing crucial protection for the impending conflict: "Protect your consciousness, I will protect each other's souls with my life!"

Time and space seemed to freeze, forming the most solemn and dignified pre-battle silence between heaven and earth.

Everyone's heart was churning with emotion, but no one retreated, for this was the only path to the hope of dawn!
They bear not only their own lives, but also the future destiny of their entire race!

this moment,
Is it choosing to succumb to temptation?

Or will we face the final judgment?

David raised his longsword high once more, and the blue and white holy flames resonated with the chaotic core, bursting forth like a galaxy falling onto the sea and stirring up towering waves!
His deep, resonant voice shook the heavens and the earth:
"I swear by the blood of the Silver Moon Knights."
Purify the decay with the holy flame of dawn.
We declare war on you!

Arrogant fallen god, I will break your shackles.
May your darkness be extinguished forever!

As David's resounding vow fell, the dark, ghostly mist that filled the space began to surge violently, and the power of the abyss and the holy flame reached their peak in this moment.

The massive magic circle patterns on the ground shone with a blazing blue-white light, surging endlessly like a galaxy pouring down.

David slowly closed his eyes, his muscles tensing. He pointed the greatsword in his hand vertically at the center of the altar. The dark, shimmering chaotic core seemed to sense the pulse of his will, rippling in the dim light.

This energy draws upon the information runes of his most primal bloodline meditation method deep within his heart, a soul code sculpted by the ancestors of the Silver Moon Knights with their lives and faith over thousands of years.

(End of this chapter)