Something like dark clouds moved in the darkness. It was as if pitch-black fog had transformed into a human.
It moved and slowly appeared before me. Red eyes and a hazy body like black fog.
However, its presence was different. It was far too vivid and massive. Just by its existence, the surrounding space warped and screamed.
[You, insignificant creature. How dare you presumptuously carry the energy of the stars!]
It spoke to me. It was not communication through language, but rather an expression of will that conveyed meaning.
Just by speaking, the sky rang out and space vibrated.
"What are you?"
I asked out of pure curiosity. It was something I had never seen in the game.
If I had to guess, it was an Outer God. Because it gave off a similar feeling to the Clown.
However, it was different from the Clown. If the Clown was merely a scout, the thing before my eyes was more serious.
An Outer God specialized in combat. In other words, it seemed to have purer strength than the Clown.
[You ask about me? How audacious. Insignificant creature, wash your ears clean and listen well. I am one who has shattered stars that you dare not fathom. I am Glamhator, who holds the position of Star-Shattering General in the Void Legion.]
It called itself Glamhator, Star-Shattering General of the Void Legion.
If what Primordial Void leads is a legion, then the position of general must be very high.
Just looking at its presence, I was thinking it might be directly below Taeho when—
[You, creature who carries the energy of the stars. I shall convey a cruel truth to you. Our great Primordial Void has chosen your world. The destruction of this world is unavoidable. The stars will be destroyed and light will disappear. So quietly accept your fate.]
Glamhator rambled on as it pleased.
I was a bit irritated, but I suppressed my anger and asked.
"You said Star-Shattering General. Then how strong are you in the legion?"
[How insolent! The Star-Shattering General exists directly below the great Primordial Void! You dare not even face me like this!]
While calling me insolent, it tells me everything I ask.
Star-Shattering General is directly below Taiheo. In other words, it's the most important executive of the legion.
It seems a bigger shot than expected has come. Since it's a general in the legion, I suppose that's natural.
"Do you know about the Clown?"
[You speak of that vermin who only possesses trickery? It was a creature who held the position of search captain, but it was far too greedy. It tried to devour for itself a world that should have been offered to the Primordial Void.]
It seems the Clown didn't have much trust within the Void from the start.
Still, being an Outer God, it did serve as search captain, but looking at the Star-Shattering General's reaction, it seems it wasn't at the general level.
However, the Clown's true value manifests in chaos. When it was in the Void, it probably wasn't at full power.
[Still, its merits are commendable. For finding such an abundant world.]
"Is the Star-Shattering General just you alone?"
Glamhator's eyes narrowed.
[You, creature who carries the stars. What is the intent of that question? Are you so curious about how many beings like me, Glamhator, exist?]
"Well, if you're the only general, that would mean you're the second-in-command of the legion."
[Star-Shattering Generals do not establish hierarchy among themselves. A Star-Shattering General is a Star-Shattering General. And the title of general belongs to no more than five, including myself.]
Five Star-Shattering Generals. Could it be that all those beings have swarmed here?
[Do you know why I have answered your questions like this?]
"I don't know. From what I can see, you don't seem to have a kind personality."
[Because I have shown final mercy to your world that will meet destruction. And I shall give you a choice. You who carries the light of the stars. This is given only to you.]
"Doesn't seem like a very good choice."
[Be grateful for your entire life. You have been granted the qualification to enter the Void. That attitude of facing me without being affected—you must surely be a star of this planet. Offer the star. Present it to the Void, and enter beneath the great Void to devote yourself!]
So that's what the choice was.
"A scout offer. For someone who came to destroy my world, that's quite a radical condition."
I chuckled.
Will I die together with the world that's being destroyed? Or will I offer this star to Taiheo and enter beneath the Void?
"If I offer this star, what happens to the people living here?"
[Creatures and such are not my concern. Those who cannot carry the stars will simply become one with the Void.]
"That only sounds like everyone dies."
I cast my gaze toward the Baienrus Kingdom.
A royal capital that once had history and tradition had now been transformed into hell.
Death, screams, and horrific filth filled it.
Imagine that covering this entire planet. And I alone should bow my head and live on unscathed in the midst of it?
With my Violet Fox comrades gone, separated from those I bickered with but got along well.
Abandoning all the knight order members I created.
Begging for my life?
"This bastard must be joking."
It was the first time that such harsh words came out of my mouth without my realizing.
That's how humiliating the proposal it made was, and how much it stirred my anger.
[You.]
"Did you think there was some meaning to me coming here in this state? Did you think I'd rush out barefoot in a hurry to greet you like some precious guest?"
Not a chance.
I put strength into the sword in my hand.
A powerful force surged from the sword imbued with the energy of the sun, moon, and stars.
"I came here to cut off all your heads. To behead the invaders who dared to come and usurp this planet without fear, and to seize victory."
[You insignificant thing. Do you know what you are saying? Are you asking if you dare to wage war against the Void?]
"Yes. War. I will kill every last one of you. That proud Star-Shattering General, and also that Taiheo beyond. This is my declaration."
The Star-Shattering General was silent.
Given its personality, I thought it would immediately fly into a rage and launch an attack. This was somewhat unexpected.
[So you choose resistance in the end. This can truly be called foolish.]
"Don't just talk, come at me."
[You are truly insolent as well. You dare to stand against me, Glamhator? Do not forget. This is war. And in war, soldiers go first.]
Glamhator waved its hand. Its rippling, fog-like hand, that is.
Then something began to float up from the royal capital.
At first I thought they were crosses.
When I focused my eyes to look closely, they were not crosses at all.
They were corpses of people with their arms spread out like crosses.
Transformed into black mummies, covered in filth, their skin overlaid like old tree bark or insect carapaces.
The sight of them floating and approaching with their arms spread out was as eerie as a scene from a horror movie.
The corpses had no heads. All of them seemed to have been beheaded, with smooth cross-sections above their necks.
Zzzzing.
Black spheres appeared where the corpses' heads should have been.
"What the hell is that now?"
The black spheres were perfect darkness that permitted not a single point of light.
As if holes had been drilled in the air, where heads should have been, basketball-sized pitch-black holes appeared.
An ominous purple glow rippled faintly around the edges of the holes.
[Did you dare think you could strike a general first in war? Foolish creature.]
Glamhator mocked me.
[What you must face are the soldiers of our Void.]
Void Soldiers, the minions of the legion, created when the corpses of people who died from erosion rose.
The ones whose heads had formed released their cross postures and rushed toward me all at once.
The momentum of the Void Soldiers was quite intense.
Though called soldiers, the aura and atmosphere they exuded were on a different level. A single soldier was comparable to a bishop of the Eternal God Church.
[Foolish creature. Having rejected the mercy I offered and willingly chosen punishment, die regretting your foolish rashness.]
Glamhator mocked Osian.
Seeing potential, he had made an offer that comes once in a lifetime, but Osian's action of coldly refusing it made considerable anger well up.
May he die as painfully as possible, and regret his choice until his death.
The Void Soldiers clung tightly to Osian's body.
Osian's figure was not visible, and instead only a massive black mass formed of Void Soldiers existed.
Flash!
Light burst.
An ear-splitting sound rang out. With the explosion, Void Soldiers scattered in all directions.
Their bodies were torn to shreds. Black bodily fluids and chunks of Void Soldier corpses fell to the ground.
Osian stood in place completely unharmed.
"I had expectations since you called them Void Soldiers, but is this all there is?"
Glamhator watched this sight and narrowed its black eyes.
[You. You do have something to rely on after all.]
Glamhator gestured and a black flash flickered in the contaminated royal capital and flew to its side.
It was a special individual with a considerably agile body.
The head part was still a black hole, but the body seemed to be wrapped in thick armor and was more than three times the size of a regular Void Soldier.
The aura it gave off was different from the Void Soldiers. The atmosphere around its body crackled and sparked black currents. Its very existence caused erosion.
[Black Star Corps. The title given to superior Void Soldiers that our legion is proud of. And this one is the strongest individual among them, the Black Star Corps Commander. The creatures of this lowly planet dare not withstand it.]
The Black Star Corps Commander growled.
Despite having no neck, its cry was loud. The tremendous power it possessed caused vibrations that transformed into sound.
Osian looked at the Black Star Corps Commander with an indifferent gaze.
Did it think it had been looked down upon?
The Black Star Corps Commander shot toward Osian like a bullet.
Its form blurred and disappeared, then the trajectory it passed left behind as a black line.
That speed was truly worthy of being called a flash.
In a short time of one second divided into hundreds. The Black Star Corps Commander swung its blade-like hand toward Osian's neck.
And in an even shorter and more finely divided time—Osian beheaded the Black Star Corps Commander with his sword.
The Black Star Corps Commander, its head and body separated, crumbled after a slight delay.
"I had expectations since it had such a grand name like Commander, but is this all there is?"
Glamhator was silent. It simply stared at Osian with a cold gaze.
Osian pointed his sword at Glamhator.
"If you're going to attack, come at me yourself. Or are you afraid?"
[Kahahahahaha!]
Glamhator laughed.
That laughter was so tremendous that the surrounding earth vibrated.
The ground where Glamhator floated was collapsing from the laughter alone.
Kuuuurumble!
The ground split and the earth overturned. A mountain peak not far away collapsed.
[Truly amusing. Yes. I shall take back calling you insignificant. You are strong enough.]
Glamhator spread its palm. Black clouds rose and took the form of a massive scythe.
On the face of the creature that had been in the form of rippling clouds, a mask of black material resembling goat horns was placed.
[I, the one who beheads the necks of stars. One corner of the Star-Shattering General who inherited His will. Glamhator shall face you directly.]
"Let me ask one thing."
[Yes. Ask whatever you wish.]
"The Stellar Veil should prevent your invasion, so how did you get in?"
[You mean that crude barrier in the sky?]
Glamhator pointed at the sky and laughed.
[Yes. It was quite interesting. A barrier created by gathering the power and rank of strong ones among the creatures of this planet. You've hidden well until now with that. However, that's nothing more than hiding without facing the problem.]
"But entering should be a separate matter."
[Yes. They interfered quite persistently from up there. Forcibly squeezing in from the outside is not easy work. However, if it opened from the inside, then it's different. One simply needs to advance on the path that was created.]
Osian had to acknowledge that the worst had happened.
Solenon seduced Oppressor Joseph and offered the residents of Baienrus Kingdom as sacrifices.
The ritual conducted from inside opened the Stellar Veil from within.
Osian looked at the sky. Beyond the pitch-black darkness, several lights could be seen faintly twinkling.
'They're fighting. The ancestors who became the Stellar Veil.'
Probably Glamhator had entered by seizing an opportunity. Even that was only a portion of its power, not its main body.
Nevertheless, it alone was enough to drive the world toward destruction. If it wasn't bluffing, it would have gone around beheading planets with that scythe.
'As time passes, more of them will swarm in. Other Star-Shattering Generals might come too.'
Then, in order not to lose momentum in this war—I'll behead it right here.
[Good! Come at me! Warrior of the stars!]
Glamhator shouted joyfully and swung its scythe toward Osian.