The black energy wave surged forward, carrying with it the chilling power to consume all in its path, like a cataclysmic flood racing toward the Starcore altar's barrier. Wherever it passed, the air twisted and collapsed, light was torn into fragments, and the soldiers of the allied forces charging forward felt the immense force and were pushed back.
"Hold firm!" Kai's roar reverberated through the sky. He leapt into the air, landing at the heart of the barrier, his hands pressing firmly into the grooves where the Starcore fragments were embedded. His Starcore energy poured out without reservation, and the pocket watch on his chest trembled violently, its blue light almost engulfing his body. "Everyone, lend me your strength!"
Linor followed closely behind, thrusting her sword into the ground. The Elven Guardian Hymn rose from her lips, a gentle yet resolute green magical glow spreading along the blade, merging with the runes of the barrier. Ironhammer raised his massive forge hammer, smashing it into the base of the barrier, and the Dwarven runes flared with bright red light, flowing like molten lava through the metal inscriptions.
"For our home!" The soldiers of the allied forces shouted, their voices breaking through the heavens. Human steam energy, Elven natural magic, Dwarven forging power, and the wild energy of the beast tribes—all poured into the barrier in a dazzling display of light, as if a river of stars converging from all directions.
The once flickering barrier exploded into unprecedented brilliance. Blue, green, and red lights intertwined, forming a massive dome of light that firmly blocked the oncoming wave of energy.
Boom—!
The clash between the energy wave and the barrier sent a deafening shockwave through the land. Rocks around the altar shattered, the ground cracked open into bottomless chasms, but the light dome held strong, its surface rippling like water, dissipating the devouring darkness layer by layer.
The shadow let out a shrill screech, its crimson eyes filled with the first signs of fear. It frantically gathered energy, the black mist churning, forming countless claws that scratched at the barrier but left only fleeting white scars behind.
"Its power is waning!" Linor cried out in excitement. She could clearly feel that the barrier's light was feeding back into the Starcore fragments, and the fragments' power was nourishing every living being that had contributed energy, creating a perfect cycle.
Kai's lips curled into a resolute smile. He knew the time for the seal had come.
"By the power of the Starcore, in my name, I call upon the light of both realms to seal the ancient shadow!" Kai's voice echoed with ancient rhythm, the seal incantation etched deep within his soul, passed down through the Sacred Tree's legacy.
As his words fell, the seven Starcore fragments blazed simultaneously. A beam of light shot from the altar, piercing the heavens, and directly impaled the core of the shadow. The shadow let out a desperate howl, attempting to break free, but it found itself bound by the light beam, its dark energy being relentlessly siphoned and purified.
"NO—!" The shadow's roar was filled with bitter resistance, but its form began to dissolve at a visible rate. The twisted mist turned into specks of starlight, drawn into the Starcore fragments, and its blood-red eyes eventually dimmed, vanishing completely from the world.
The black mist dissipated, and sunlight broke through the clouds, once again bathing the land. The mountains and forests that had been consumed by the shadow began to slowly regain their shapes, and greenery crept back over the scorched earth.
Kai slowly withdrew his hand, his body going limp as he nearly collapsed to the ground. Linor, quick as ever, caught him, her eyes red with concern. "Are you okay?"
Kai shook his head, looking at the cheering soldiers around him, at Ironhammer joyfully waving his hammer, and at the Elves singing joyous songs. Despite the exhaustion, a smile of relief spread across his face. "I'm fine. We've won."
The war that had determined the fate of both realms had finally come to an end.
The light from the Starcore altar gradually faded, and the seven fragments quietly nestled back into their grooves, emitting a soft glow. No longer were they the cause of conflict; they had truly become the cornerstone of the protection of both realms.
Kai and Linor stood side by side at the top of the altar, gazing at the vast lands below them, watching the beings of both realms embrace and cheer. They exchanged a smile.
"Do you think there will ever be war again?" Linor asked softly.
Kai tightened his grip on her hand, his gaze shifting toward the distant starry sky, filled with hope. "No, because from this day on, we have only one home—a home protected by both magic and technology."
Beneath the sunlight, the glow of the Starcore shimmered brightly, illuminating the new future of the two realms' union.