At that moment when Violet lost her will to fight in the face of this transcendent evil.
Behind Ziz's wings, which were being torn apart and exploding, two griffin riders appeared.
They were the same two who had transported Violet and King Poseidon to the battlefield.
Swoosh!
The two griffin riders descended without a moment's hesitation into this hellscape where monster blood and flesh were raining down like a shower.
As promised, to retrieve the allies who had entered this hell first.
The 'Sleepless Lake Princess' slowly raised her hand, aiming at one of the griffin riders…
"Dance even without a head!"
Just then, the Dullahan Legion Commander sprang out from Ziz's corpse.
"Sing even without tears!"
Following him, the Banshee Legion Commander appeared, her torn dress fluttering.
"Those who have lost their heads, fight with me!"
"Those with only heads left! Wail together!"
Then.
Thud-!
The corpses of monsters that had died without heads all stood up in formation, and the corpses of monsters with only heads left all opened their mouths and began to wail.
"The pretense of being good ends here…"
"This battlefield belongs to us monsters!"
Leading the army of the headless, leading the choir of those with only heads, the two monster Legion Commanders glared with red eyes from within the pitch-black evil aura.
"The rest of you, get lost-!"
Leading their respective armies, the two monster Legion Commanders charged towards the 'Sleepless Lake Princess'.
They who had once abandoned being human and become monsters to destroy the world.
Were now charging at the monster of monsters, opposing the world's destruction.
"Ah…"
A griffin rider approached and snatched the nape of Violet, who was blankly watching this scene.
Thwack!
Violet, clinging to the back of the griffin rider, flew towards where King Poseidon was.
"Merfolk King!"
Violet shouted urgently.
"Let's escape together, quickly!"
"Hehe…"
But King Poseidon waved his hand, refusing to board.
"It seems my tenacious life ends here."
A large tooth was stuck and broken in the center of King Poseidon's abdomen. It was Leviathan's tooth.
Despite suffering such a severe injury during the battle, the Merfolk King had endured by suppressing the bleeding with his authority.
But it seemed to have reached its limit, as blood was pouring from his abdomen and back.
"I'll buy some time too, so hurry and go."
"But!"
"Those who can live must live. That's how hope is born on this battlefield."
Pushing away the griffin rider's hand, King Poseidon stood up, leaning on his trident.
And he smiled faintly at Violet.
"Thank you for rushing to save me."
"Your Majesty…!"
"If I can die for young people like you, that in itself is fortunate."
Boom!
An explosion sounded.
Not far away, the 'Sleepless Lake Princess' and the two monster Legion Commanders collided, and each time the Princess's sword swung, the monster army recruited on the spot by the two Legion Commanders was being annihilated.
The two griffin riders exchanged glances and shouted "Hya!" as they made their griffins ascend again.
Violet reached out her hand once towards King Poseidon and the two Legion Commanders, then tightly closed her eyes.
"…Hah."
King Poseidon, staring at the retreating allies, stretched out his hand to the side.
"Hey, Kraken."
There, the Kraken's body, with all its tentacles burst like balloons, was taking its last labored breaths.
"Surely it doesn't end with just this?"
King Poseidon drew out his last strength, connected the tip of his trident to his home sea, and as he spewed seawater from the spear tip… he thrust its end into the Kraken's body.
"…!"
As seawater filled its body, the Kraken regained its strength as if experiencing a final burst of life.
"Let's show them the rage of the sea, brother."
Guooooo-!
Filling its burst body with seawater in an instant.
Letting out a final roar, the Kraken rose and lunged at the 'Sleepless Lake Princess'.
Atop it, gripping his trident and leaping down, King Poseidon thrust his spear at the enemy commander with all his might.
To his left and right, the Dullahan Legion Commander and Banshee Legion Commander charged in, roaring together.
"…"
The 'Sleepless Lake Princess' only stared intently with emotionless eyes at these foolish ones resisting to the very end.
"…"
In the back seat of the griffin rider returning to the 'Blue Pearl'.
Violet looked back with blank eyes.
The mission was successful.
Using the ultra-colossal monsters, the ground was devastated and the sky was completely cleared. The initial goal of delaying the monsters' advance was admirably achieved.
However-
Does any of this have meaning?
Violet stared at the distant battlefield, and the enemy commander standing in its center.
The countless gazes of the Outer Gods pouring from the split sky were clearly connected to the 'Sleepless Lake Princess' like pitch-black strings of darkness.
In that state, the Princess danced a swaying dance of death, holding her sword of darkness.
Before the lives she had struck down, atop the mountain-like pile of allied and enemy corpses, endlessly…
Truly, like a puppet dancing on the strings of fate.
Lake Kingdom.
10th Zone. King's Castle.
"The monsters can no longer be controlled."
After accepting my alliance.
The Demon King suddenly said.
"Player. Even if I cooperate with your plan, the monsters' advance to destroy the mortal world can no longer be stopped."
"…"
"The rules of this Apocalypse Calamity were devised by agreement between you and me, but what ultimately created and systematized this game is the will of the Outer Gods."
The Demon King looked upward. Towards the sky that couldn't possibly be seen from beneath this lake.
"They want to see destruction. They are beings who simply enjoy watching the destruction of a world, like pouring water into an anthill and observing."
"…"
"The 'Sleepless Lake Princess' is the agent of these Outer Gods. She is a puppet that moves directly connected to the will of the Outer Gods watching this world, that is, the observers."
So.
This means that the authority for the monsters' final offensive has already passed from the Demon King to the Outer Gods.
To enjoy this final game, what the Outer Gods are directly putting forth as a puppet and controlling is the embodiment of nightmares — the 'Sleepless Lake Princess'.
"I too hate you humans who treated that person as a monster and subjugated her a thousand years ago… but the final offensive of Apocalypse Calamity is separate. This is not something that can be stopped, regardless of my hatred or this alliance."
"…"
"Even if you and I form an alliance here. The monster invasion will continue to happen by the will of the Outer Gods. And the Outer Gods will try to destroy your world no matter what."
I smirked.
"That's exactly why, Demon King."
"…What?"
"Because the Outer Gods have directly intervened in this final monster offensive, because they are directly controlling Nameless as a puppet…"
I took out the black thorn staff, Everblack, from my chest.
"It's precisely at that point that we gain a chance of victory."
The Demon King was bewildered.
"What do you mean…?"
"You'll see if you watch. Now then, let's hurry and go."
I drew Everblack through the air.
Then space split, and a magical passage was created. It was a door leading to the spirit realm.
Standing in front of it, I pointed inside with a grin.
"Our battle… to the 'Spirit Realm Showdown'!"
Now two battles will proceed simultaneously.
The battle to stop the endless monsters in the mortal world, the Great Monster Invasion.
The battle to rebel against the Outer Gods in the spirit realm, the Spirit Realm Showdown.
These two final battles to be fought simultaneously are connected. To win, each needs the help of the other.
'Both will be tough fights. But.'V/\IssịT n0(v)eL/b(i)(n).𝘤𝑜/𝓂 for the b/est novel reading experi/en/ce
We can do it.
I believe in my people.
And I believe in myself, whom my people believe in.
I leapt into the door leading to the spirit realm, taking the lead. The Demon King urgently followed me.
And…
[Now Loading…Teleporting.]
[Tip — If you don't give up, there's always a way.]
The tip window I hadn't seen in a very long time flickered before my eyes.
Then it disappeared with a crackle.
Inwardly smiling at the Director who had squeezed out his last strength to send me this message, I thought.
Let's go.
To the path to the ending that lies before us.
Splash…!
After the sensation of being swept up in a rapid current enveloped my entire body, I entered the airspace of the spirit realm.
The Demon King, who had emerged from the passage right behind me, turned his head to look to the side.
"This is…"
A thorn tree stretching from the edge of the spirit realm's sky covered in aurora, all the way down to the far-off snow-white ground.
It was the stem and roots of the Black Thorn Tree, Everblack.
"…"
Just as the Demon King seemed about to sink into some complex thoughts.
Screech!
Along with a sudden intense mechanical sound, a huge airship revealed itself beside us.
"This is…"
"The more fighting power, the better, right?"
I grinned and pointed at the airship.
"Let me introduce you. My ship 'La Mancha'. And…"
On the deck of the airship was my father, driving with magic circles floating on the back of his hand. Traha 'Peacemaker' Everblack.
And behind him, five knights stood in formation-
The Emperor's Imperial Guard 'Glory Knights' were standing with resolute expressions, waiting for me.
"The Emperor of the mortal world and his Imperial Guard."
Neither the Emperor nor the Glory Knights can fight anymore in the mortal world.
But here in the spirit realm, they move in the form of spirit bodies, not physical bodies. In other words, their physical damage has naturally recovered.
And the Emperor and Glory Knights have all fought endless battles on the Empire's northern front — right here on the spirit realm's god-war front.
In other words, they can be called specialists in spirit realm combat.
Among the heroes of the World Guardian Front, there are no warriors more suited for the Spirit Realm Showdown than them.
Thud!
The Demon King and I stepped onto the deck.
The Emperor and all the Glory Knights looked at the Demon King standing behind me with astonished eyes.
"Ash. Are you really going to carry out that crazy plan of allying with the Demon King?"
As expected of His Majesty the Emperor, blurting it out without hesitation even though the person in question is right here listening.
But the Demon King himself seemed to agree that this plan was crazy, as he didn't look particularly displeased and just stared at me blankly.
So I answered cheerfully.
"Yes!"
"Crazy bastard…"
The Emperor snorted a laugh, then raised his hand to drive La Mancha.
"That's my son alright."
The ship gliding through the air began to descend rapidly — towards the end of Everblack's roots.
Meanwhile, I addressed the Glory Knights.
"Glory Knights. I'm sorry for bringing you back to a dangerous battlefield."
"Not at all, Your Highness."
Hecate, standing at the front, smiled.
"We're glad to be able to join the final battle."
"This isn't why I left you all on the front lines though…"
Scratching the back of my head awkwardly, I admonished them again.
"You'll be able to fight like before here, but the curse of immortality is gone. Always remember that you only have one life."
"We'll keep that in mind."
Hecate scratched the back of her head sheepishly.
"We want to… find something we want to do somewhere other than the battlefield. So we'll try our best not to die."
"…"
These twisted patriots who had dedicated their lives to the country, the battlefield, the Emperor. May they survive and find what they truly want to do.
As I prayed, La Mancha had already reached the white sandy beach below the roots.
And on this beach where transparent water was rolling in, four giants were waiting for us.
Dwarf, Elf, Beastkin, Merfolk…
They were the racial deities of the four heterogeneous races, the four great gods.
"…Are we really allying with them and fighting together?"
"Yes."
I nodded at Hecate's question.
We've already finished discussing this Spirit Realm Showdown through the avatars put forth by the gods — Kellibey, Verdandi, Kuilan, and the Rompeller siblings.
Those four great gods will also fight alongside us.
"To weave those who were fighting to kill each other into an alliance again, really…"
Hecate glanced at me.
"Your Highness is extraordinary."
"I do get called crazy a lot."
I think I just heard it from the Emperor a moment ago too.
Thud…!
La Mancha landed on the beach.
I went to stand at the bow of the ship. The four great gods who had walked out from the beach approached the front of the ship.
Turning my back to them, I addressed the Emperor, Glory Knights, and Demon King standing on the deck.
"Alright. Since it seems all the personnel who will join us immediately are gathered… I'll explain the operation outline for this 'Spirit Realm Showdown' once more."
Taking a deep breath.
I said.
"First, we'll burn all the guardian trees of every race! All of them!"
…
A moment of silence.
The Emperor, who had been listening quietly, muttered with a low sigh.
"As expected… he's my son…"