In a war to save the world and to destroy it.
At the center of this chaos, two purposes collided and intertwined with each other.
The alliance’s goal was to break through the enemies and send Kang Yu-hyun to the inner sanctum of the Shrine.
On the other hand, Logos’s goal was to stop Kang Yu-hyun from reaching this place.
Boom──!!!
Explosions erupted all around. Going beyond a war between humans, it was a reenactment of myth, where beings with transcendental powers gathered and clashed in one place.
On an ordinary planet, the power would already have been enough to split it in half. Yet, here in this confined area, the battles and explosions continued without end.
Countless lives were swept away. Death descended upon the Divine Spirits equally.
“Those dogs who sided with Logos!”
“You fools who reject the will of the gods!”
Screams, shouts, and death filled the fierce battlefield.
Among the many transcendental beings and Divine Spirits gathered there, certain figures stood out, displaying the might of strategic weapons.
They were the First Generation Divine Spirits.
And among those First Generation Divine Spirits, one stood out the most.
The greatest god of the Rigveda’s Triumvirate, Shiva, the god of destruction of the universe.
He wielded his weapon, the Trishula, the trident of thunder, and swept through the battlefield.
“It’s Shiva, the God of Destruction!”
“Everyone, retreat!”
Even among the First Generation Divine Spirits, not everyone had equal power.
Especially in Shiva’s case, he possessed overwhelming power and was known as Mahadeva (the Great God), and had once fought alone against all other First Generation Divine Spirits of the Rigveda and emerged victorious.
The strongest being of the Great Army Rigveda, symbolizing the natural destruction and dissolution of nature.
“Who dares to defy us!”
With Shiva’s roar, light radiated from the third eye on his forehead, sweeping over the battlefield.
Wherever the light touched, walls of intense flames erupted. Those caught in the flames, unable to distinguish between friend and foe, were reduced to ashes and vanished.
At the center of the swirling flames, Shiva, the God of Destruction, floated in majesty.
“Fools.”
How could they dream of resisting with such pitiful strength?
In the end, all ultimate truths that governed the world were, after all, about power. Those without power should be ruled, and even if they bore resentment, they should not resist.
For power itself is justice.
Ultimately, that’s the way it is. Submission to greater power is only natural. Shiva had recognized Logos’s power and chose to follow him.
To Shiva, the alliance opposing Logos was nothing more than weaklings banding together, defying justice for their survival.
Even if their strength was considerable, it didn’t fit with the pure legitimacy of power.
“A true philosopher should wield such power alone.”
That is a true god. How dare they lift their heads and rebel against such a being.
They should simply bow and await the divine punishment that would soon descend upon them.
For the powerless, this was the most fitting end.
“So here and now, as his representative, I shall grant you death.”
At that moment, a golden flash of light shot across the battlefield, halting in front of Shiva.
“Oh my, that won’t do. How about playing with someone of equal caliber instead of tormenting the weak?”
“You, Great Sage, Equal of Heaven.”
“Sorry, but I’m in a fighting mood today.”
“Very well. So you wish to stand against me? Fine. Let’s see what you’ve got.”
With those words, Shiva held the trident, the Trishula, in one hand and the Pasupata in the other.
The Trishula, the thunderous trident, was his weapon that could incinerate cities of iron, silver, and gold blessed by Brahma in a single blow.
The Pasupata was the strongest among the astras in Shiva’s possession.
Seeing this, Sun Wukong forced a strong smile and created some distance.
‘This is bad.’
To counter such overwhelming weapons, the Ruyi Jingu Bang was essential. However, he had handed it over to Yu-hyun, thinking it would be needed.
He still had countless magical skills and a body that served as a strategic weapon in its own right.
‘But with an opponent like that, delivering a finishing blow won’t be easy.’
Shiva was, undisputedly, the strongest of the Great Army Rigveda.
Just as Olympus had its ultimate weapon, Heracles, and Asgard had Thor, Rigveda had Shiva. Shiva was also skilled in the usage of absolute fire, making it hard for Sun Wukong to confidently guarantee victory even if he fought with all his strength.
A blinding light shot toward him. Sun Wukong dodged by moving the Nimbus Cloud at tremendous speed.
“Are you just going to keep running?”
Even one hit would be fatal on his end. The heat generated by the Eight Trigrams Furnace was enough to put his body at risk of melting, but Shiva’s light was far more dangerous than that furnace.
The ultra-high heat compressed within that light was enough to melt even his golden chain mail with a mere graze.
So, he had to somehow avoid the attacks, close the distance, and create an opening.
“You look like you could use some help.”
At that moment, a Divine Spirit approached Sun Wukong, blocking Shiva’s astra attack.
‘He blocked that heat?’
Sun Wukong looked at the man standing beside him. A man with radiant blonde hair, clad in armor made from the pelt of a beast.
In his hand was a single sword. But more surprising was the fact that with such a simple weapon, he hadn’t just deflected Shiva’s attack but had outright blocked it.
Feeling the cool touch on his skin, Sun Wukong realized what was happening.
“So you’re emitting cold. A Divine Spirit I’ve never seen before. Who are you?”
“I am Lean, Guardian of the Gard. I only became a Divine Spirit five years ago, so I’m still just a novice.”
“Amazing. For a five-year rookie, you’re impressive.”
Especially, his swordsmanship, infused with extreme skill, surpassed even the cold aura he emitted.
That technique was clearly something that only a being who had consistently trained long before becoming a Divine Spirit could possess.
To have this level of skill despite being a relatively new Divine Spirit.
That meant this guy was of another class entirely.
As a comrade to fight alongside, he was more than qualified.
“However, it seems your tale lacks sufficient weight. Do you happen to know how to use absolute fire?”
“No. I’m not yet able to…”
“To block his attack in that state—that must be a matter of elemental affinity.”
The ultra-high-heat astra that melts everything, and the ultra-cold Key Sword that freezes even tales.
For Shiva, Lean’s power represented the ultimate mismatch.
Ordinarily, only Satan, the ruler of Cocytus, the eternal frozen land, would have been able to stop Shiva, but now a new nemesis had appeared.
“Whatever it is, it’s not bad.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Though it’s a bit of a blow to my pride, I’ll need your help. Winning isn’t necessary. If we can just stall him, it’ll benefit us. Will you do it?”
Sun Wukong was someone whose name was always mentioned when discussing the strongest within the realm.
Lean had heard about how formidable Sun Wukong was.
And now, Sun Wukong was saying he needed Lean’s help.
“Gladly.”
This battle was one for survival but also to repay the favor he had received from Yu-hyun.
* * *
“Dragon unit! Clear the path!”
Massive dragons from the Great Army Dragonica advanced to the front.
Their enormous bodies and immense strength befitted them. The infinite power that emanated from their hearts was soon released through their breath.
Seeing the dragons’ open jaws, Logos’s enemy soldiers panicked.
“Dr-dragon species! It’s the dragons of Dragonica!”
“Everyone, move back! They’ll sweep through us!”
The commanders shouted, but their voices were soon drowned out by the dragons’ roaring breaths.
In an instant, parts of the front line were cut down in chunks. Those caught in the breath of the dragons were reduced to ashes and vanished.
“Well, well. It’s certainly hot in here.”
In that moment, the flames split apart left and right, and an intense arrow of light came flying from within.
The dragons, taken aback mid-breath, were caught off guard as the arrow pierced right through their foreheads.
The dragon scales, which could fend off or deflect any external attack, melted away and were penetrated. The bodies of the dragons plummeted to the ground.
“My goodness! The dragon scales were pierced by a mere arrow?!”
“Who the hell could…!”
Even among the allied forces, cries of astonishment broke out.
Everyone’s attention was directed at the remnants of the dragon’s breath still lingering in the air.
When the breath finally dissipated, an old man clad in radiant white appeared, wearing a crown that shone like the sun.
“It’s the Sun God Ra…”
“The Lord of Hermopolis has arrived!”
The lead figure of Egyptian mythology, Ra, the Sun God of Hermopolis.
Though he appeared benevolent, he was a seasoned monster who had long defended his place despite numerous rebellions by other gods.
The arrow of the sun he had released contained massive solar energy within itself.
No matter how extraordinary a dragon’s scales might be, they were powerless against Ra’s arrows.
[Everyone, fall back!]
With a booming roar, a dragon much larger than any other emerged.
Ra’s eyes glinted as he recognized it.
“Oh. The Dragon
King of the Red Scales came out to face this old man?”
[Not only me.]
With red scales at the forefront, there were also blue, green, yellow, purple, black, and white.
The Seven Dragon Kings of Dragonica, the seven pillars supporting the Great Army, had arrived.
Dragons from the divine era rivaling First Generation Divine Spirits. Among them, the White Dragon Sharyuliel was a figure of remarkable success, having risen from the bottom to the throne of the king.
Even Ra, the Sun God, would struggle against the Seven Dragon Kings.
Of course, that only applied if he were alone.
“Fight, my children.”
One by one, the Divine Spirits of Hermopolis emerged behind Ra.
Osiris, ruler of the afterlife.
Anubis, the wolf god of immortality and resurrection.