The day of the battle had dawned.
The hill known as Armageddon was an endless wasteland, filled with barren sand. Over time, this ultimate battlefield had expanded, now becoming a place where the world's might clashed.
Leading the front toward the hill of Megiddo were the first-generation Divine Spirits and beings with comparable power.
And leading all these allied forces was none other than Yu-hyun.
“To see such power gathered in one place… it’s unprecedented.”
One Divine Spirit approached Yu-hyun and spoke as they drew near.
Recognizing the presence without needing to look, Yu-hyun welcomed him warmly.
“It’s been a while, Lean.”
Once known as a place covered solely in ice, where even conversations were said to freeze, now the planet Guard, more beautiful than anything, was Lean’s domain to protect.
He, too, had joined this final war wielding the Key Sword to lend Yu-hyun his strength.
“How are Ringug and the others?”
“They’re so healthy it’s almost a nuisance. Ringug has grown into a fine Guard warrior now.”
“I hope we can meet them someday.”
“We will. That’s why I’m here fighting in this war.”
Ending the light reunion of an old acquaintance, they turned their gaze forward.
At the center of the desert, a massive fortress in the form of a towering shrine stood as if reigning over the heavens.
And around it were the gathered enemies.
“They, too, have brought every soldier capable of fighting.”
Adorned with dazzling weapons and legends, their enemies were just as formidable as the allied forces, which had scraped together every last bit of strength.
Some of them stood out as particularly powerful figures.
“All the main gods have gathered.”
Above the clouds stood a man in a white suit, holding a lightning bolt called Astrape in one hand.
With white hair and a well-kept beard, his appearance resembled that of an aristocrat from ancient times. This slim, imposing man looking down on them with arrogance was none other than Zeus, the main god of Olympus.
‘And next to him, the one on horseback…’
Next to Zeus was a sharp-looking man mounted on a horse.
But not just any horse—this mythical beast had eight legs: Sleipnir.
The man atop it, holding a red spear in one hand and wearing an eyepatch over one eye, was Odin, the main god of Asgard.
There were others with an intense presence as well: Anu, the main god of the Great Army of Anunnaki.
The Trinity of Rigveda—Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva.
Ahura Mazda, lord of the Great Army of Avesta.
Ra, the main god of Hermopolis.
Even Mara Papias, the demon king who was thought to have fled.
They were forces that were in no way inferior to the allied forces, if not equal.
Tension was written all over the faces of the allied army as they faced such a powerful array of opponents.
More than anything, behind them, white shadows known as Elohim poured out from the massive fortress like clouds of dust.
Yet.
There was no fear or flight among them. Running away would mean the end.
Not only would their lives be lost, but the world where their families, loved ones, and close friends lived would disappear.
They had to prevent that at all costs.
They had come to this place for that reason alone.
Thud.
The two armies maintained a certain distance, entering into a standoff.
Standing at the front, Yu-hyun surveyed the ranks of the allied forces. Knowing that it was a mere human leading this magnificent army from the very front, they all looked at him with eyes filled with hope.
Even the Divine Spirits, not just the soldiers of the Great Army.
“Why don’t you say a few words?”
Beside him, Kwon Jia lightly tapped his arm.
Though she spoke casually, she was as tense as everyone else.
In countless regressions, never had she reached this point. This was undeniably the first time.
“A few words, you say…”
In response, Yu-hyun muttered softly.
Everyone pricked their ears, eager to hear what he had to say. Their nerves were on edge to the point that even this kind of hope was something they clung to.
The only sound lingering in the silent battlefield was the breeze carrying grains of sand.
Yu-hyun spoke, loud enough for all to hear.
“Look over there.”
His hand pointed toward the shrine floating in the sky.
Specifically, beyond it, toward the Logos, hidden deep within.
“Our enemy, who treats us like mere toys, has finally come within reach. You all know the truth of this world, and now you’ve come to the brink of fighting to save it from destruction. I understand. We are now engaged in a battle we cannot escape.”
Some were angry at the truth.
Others despaired at it.
Could mere creations ever hope to stand against their creator? The answer to that question was all too clear.
Yet there was something that could not be halted—an unyielding resolve to press forward.
“I won’t tell you to enjoy what you can’t avoid or to fight to the death. Think only of one thing: what will happen to the precious things we must protect if we fall back here?”
Yes.
Everyone who had gathered here did so because they believed it was the right thing to do, because there were things they had to protect.
They already knew the enemy was powerful. Rather than turning away from that truth, they faced it unwaveringly.
They would not run away. Even in the face of these limits, their minds brimmed with courage.
“So let’s show them. Let’s show them the pride of those who stand to protect, who fight to move forward.”
And let’s show those treacherous souls who side with the vile Logos what true power is.
“For the future.”
With those final words, everyone raised their weapons high.
“For the future!”
“For the future!”
“Yes! Let’s fight to the end!”
Hearing the thunderous roar that shook the battlefield, Yu-hyun nodded in satisfaction.
Then he turned his gaze straight ahead.
Toward the enemies who were watching them.
“Let’s go.”
Breaking the standoff, Yu-hyun took the first step forward.
* * *
“Break through!”
With only one remaining pair of wings, Michael gripped a sword of light in one hand and gave orders to the angels of Eden.
“Make sure Kang Yu-hyun reaches the shrine!”
The Logos’s forces began to counterattack.
“Stop them!”
One of Rigveda’s Trinity, Vishnu, formed hand signs with multiple arms and shouted.
“Don’t let them reach Logos-sama!”
The armies gathered from every world roared as they charged at each other.
It was a spectacle of epic proportions, but there was no time to be mesmerized.
Carelessness here meant death.
Boom!
As the distance closed, soldiers from both sides collided. Explosions and screams followed.
There was no blood. Those who died turned into characters, scattering, eventually absorbed by the shrine.
“Die!”
“Dogs of Logos!”
“The future is ours!”
Gritting their teeth at the sight, the allied forces focused on the battle before them.
The scale of this conflict was beyond any war fought on Earth. The Divine Spirits adorned with stories clashed in the air, filling the space with a dazzling shower of light that made it hard to keep their eyes open.
“Michael! I’ll send you to that foolish Satan!”
Vishnu moved his many arms, unleashing his story.
“I have become death, the destroyer of worlds.”
The verse from the scripture, the Bhagavad Gita.
As Vishnu recited it, intense light radiated from the chakram, mace, and lotus in his hands.
Each attack held power rivaling that of a nuclear bomb, and Michael gritted her teeth as she moved to counter him.
Ordinarily, with her full set of twelve wings, she would have blocked or deflected Vishnu’s assault, but now she couldn’t.
“To dare face me with incomplete power!”
As Vishnu was about to end Michael's life, a black shadow intervened in their battle.
Vishnu initially tried to ignore it, but realizing the attack was extraordinary, he withdrew, stepping back.
“To dare intrude on my fight… Mammon!”
“What’s yours or mine in a war?”
“Is the demon of Pandemonium siding with Eden?”
Mammon, the Demon Lord of Greed, one of the seven lords of Pandemonium.
Obsessed with owning all the currency in the mixed realms, he was the world’s wealthiest figure.
He was the one who built the Temple of Myriad Demons in Pandemonium, and his name was synonymous with the term “money-worship.”
And now, he was aiding Michael, attacking Vishnu.
“Well, I was once an angel, so there’s no reason I can’t fight alongside you.”
More than that, Mammon was known as the demon among the lords of Pandemonium who had the best relations with Eden.
He preferred protecting his wealth over waging wars and destroying others.
“Besides, if we lose here, all the wealth I’ve accumulated will disappear.”
Mammon’s eyes gleamed darkly.
“That’s no good at all. I can’t let that happen.”
A surge of black magic exploded from his body.
* * *