A translucent white box materialized around the gigantic serpent, freezing it in place. Shiki, with a clenched fist, extended his left hand towards the box, a silent testament to his power. The formidable foe was neutralized, at least for now. The London skyline was now graced with the ethereal presence of a snake museum suspended in the sky.
"Seems like it worked," Nine commented, his voice laced with a hint of surprise. "Definitely not what I was expecting."
"What were you expecting?" Shiki asked, a playful smirk playing on his lips.
Nine's eyes narrowed. "That creature usually exists beyond the boundaries of creation, impervious to the constraints of time or space. Yet, here you are, defying the very rules of existence."
"Oh, is that meant to be a compliment or not?" Shiki inquired, his smirk widening.
"Neither," Nine responded flatly.
His smirk quickly faded as a frown etched itself on his face. "Haha," he let out a joyless laugh, a sudden realization dawning on him. "Wait, why aren't people running and screaming right now?"
"It only reveals itself to those it chooses to reveal itself to," Nine explained. "Besides, most three-dimensional beings are unable to perceive it due to the differences in dimensionality. It's actually for the better, really. Any ordinary person would either succumb to insanity or even contemplate suicide just from glimpsing in its direction."
"Wait, wait. Are you saying that we look insane to the people around us?" Shiki questioned, embarrassment creeping into his thoughts.
"That's not a concern, Shiki."
"You think it's not!?" he exclaimed, his embarrassment intensifying.
His left hand still reached out towards the box, as the formidable enemy remained neutralized for the time being. Shiki let out a sigh, realizing that this situation posed more of a personal challenge to his image than an actual threat to the planet.
"So, why is it here?" he asked, deliberately changing the subject, attempting to distract himself from the embarrassment.
With bated breath, Shiki hoped for an answer that would shed light on the significance of this occurrence, its implications for their existence, and the very world they lived in.
"I don't know," Nine admitted, his voice laced with uncertainty.
"Any guesses? Any inferences?" Shiki pleaded with Nine, desperate for any insight.
"I do have my speculations," Nine replied, his tone carrying a sense of complexity. "It could be related to our attempt to eliminate the Light bearer."
"But why would it have any qualms with that?" Shiki questioned, his hand instinctively adjusting the scabbard of his blade, prepared to unsheathe it if necessary.
"We don't have time to delve into that now," Nine explained, his voice laced with urgency. "It seems like it has friends."
At that moment, a dark rift tore through the sky, descending upon the city of London. Hundreds of thousands of humanoid warriors emerged, adorned in black, rigid armor and wielding a multitude of weapons. Towering over 4 meters in height, these faceless and merciless soldiers began charging towards the duo.
"Shiki, whatever you do, do not unleash that snake from your grasp. I'll take care of these small fries," Nine commanded, confidence resonating in his voice as he prepared to engage the enemy.
"Should I teleport us to one of my domains? The entire area is probably gonna be obliterated if we don't," Shiki proposed.
"I was about to bring forth my own," Nine replied.
"Nah, I'll release mine," Shiki retorted playfully, a mischievous smile on his face. "After all, my domains always looked better than yours."
"Of all the things you don't remember, you still recall that your domains are superior to mine in terms of aesthetics," Nine agreed, giving his friend the green light. "Hit it!"
With their plan confirmed, Shiki unleashed the power of his personal domain, transporting the humanoid warriors, the rift in spacetime, the frozen cosmic serpent, and themselves to a colossal battleground-like landscape. The sun remained forever locked in an eternal evening, casting an orange and red hue that blended with the infinite sky, adorned with occasional shimmering stars in its darker corners.
The Army of darkness would look around momentarily to analyze the surrounding land, immediately after rushing to them.
"I'll be here taking care of the snake while you annihilate that entire army charging at us," Shiki confidently declared.
"You never really lend me a hand in fights, do you? Even back then," Nine remarked with a soft smile, turning his gaze towards the approaching onslaught of warriors from the dark.
"Cut me some slack, this snake is honestly infinitely stronger than that army," Shiki responded, his tone filled with subtle amusement.
"It is," Nine replied, his blade now firmly gripped in his dominant left hand as he positioned himself to face the impending attack.
In a burst of speed, Nine traversed the battlefield, leaving dust in his wake, striking down his opponents with impeccable precision. His movements were fluid and efficient, swiftly maneuvering through the chaos of battle. Despite the numerous warriors pursuing him, not a single one managed to land a blow.
The warriors of darkness quickly surrounded Nine, attempting to cut off any potential escape routes and nullify his hit-and-run tactics. However, with a single swing of his blade, Nine effortlessly cut through their ranks, creating a path through the encircling darkness.
The rift in spacetime opened wider, unleashing an unending horde of warriors of darkness. What started as thousands quickly multiplied into millions, an overwhelming sea of opponents determined to eradicate Shiki and Nine, their motivations and intentions still shrouded in mystery.
Shiki, in the midst of the chaos, called out to Nine, who was several hundred meters away, diligently slashing through the army.
"Nine, how strong do you think these guys are?" Shiki questioned, his voice filled with both curiosity and caution.
"A single one of them is on par with an individual at the Crusader level," Nine answered, his body count rapidly increasing as he relentlessly destroyed the approaching warriors of darkness. "So, just a hundred of them can match the military might of formidable nations like Vancouden or Malaysia."
"They're quite powerful. But what about their entire force?" Shiki inquired further, wanting to gauge the scale of their opponents.
Nine somersaulted through the air, gracefully landing on his left ankle while balancing himself with his right hand, slightly sliding backward as he landed. His gaze remained fixed on the army as he stood, meeting Shiki's eyes.
"They haven't deployed their full force yet, so it's difficult to estimate," Nine replied, his voice calm and steady. "How can I gauge their strength if I haven't killed them all?"
"Fair point," Shiki conceded, acknowledging the reality that the rift continued to pour forth more and more warriors, solidifying their position as the first stronghold of humanity in this desperate battle.
"Hey, look at that one. It seems slightly smaller than the others," Shiki pointed out, his gaze fixed on a particular figure among the warriors.
The warriors of darkness parted ways for this distinct individual, bowing their heads in reverence as he passed through their ranks.
"That one must be a leader or a commander. Just look at him! He's dripping with the crown and that giant greatsword," Shiki suggested, arguing the possibility.
The Crowned Warrior indeed stood apart from the rest, exuding an aura of authority. A flowing black cape and a golden crown rested on his head, marking him as a king of warriors.
"I'm not disagreeing with you, Shiki," Nine responded, his eyes wearied by the presence of this new adversary. "I am well aware that he is significantly more powerful than the others. However, he is still nowhere near my level to be considered a true threat. Don't you feel the same, Shiki?" Nine questioned, his words tinged with cautious confidence.
Shiki remained silent, offering no response to Nine's question, as their focus shifted back to the relentless battle unfolding before them.
"Not talking, huh?" Nine commented on his friend's silence.
"There is a reason," Shiki replied, ruffling his hair and taking a deep breath. A slight crescent formed on his lips as he exhaled. "Just finish them already. We don't have much time, and frankly, I'm getting bored. We still have this snake to deal with."
"Affirmative," Nine replied, sheathing his katana and extending his left hand towards the evening sun. "Also, I'm going to use that star if you don't mind."
"Grayscale," Nine declared, an edge of seriousness evident in his tone.
With a steady motion, Nine dragged the star closer, gradually decreasing its size. Shiki flicked his finger, seamlessly replacing the evening star with a new one.
Finally, the star rested in the palm of Nine's hand—now transformed into a black hole the size of a bullet. His left hand forming a finger gun, there was only one word to say.
"Bang," he spoke. The black hole projectile surged forward, moving swiftly towards the heart of the army before unleashing its devastating power in a violent explosion. The criticality of the blast consumed everything in its path. To protect themselves, Nine extended the range of grayscale, enveloping both Shiki and himself.
The blast radius extended for what seemed like light-years, obliterating everything in its wake. Amidst the destruction, only Shiki, Nine, and the serpent standing in space remained, as the rift in spacetime closed, bringing an end to the army that had plagued them.
"I'll have to rebuild the planet and another star again," Shiki groaned, the weight of the task ahead sinking in. He would need to start from scratch, rebuilding everything that was destroyed.
"More importantly, what do we do with the snake? If we release it, it will most likely pursue us again," Nine addressed the pressing matter at hand.
"Well, shouldn't you explain why it's trying to kill us?" Shiki asked, his curiosity piqued by the intriguing and important question.
"It's... complicated," Nine responded, his voice tinged with both gravity and knowledge of the complexities at play. "But I'll clue you in."