People who wanted to fight to protect the world stepped forward, each carrying their own will and conviction.
Their attacks all simultaneously targeted Taiheo.
Countless attacks that were impossible to count and difficult to distinguish by type became entangled with each other.
The light that crossed through the void and embroidered the space had various colors and shapes.
Within a fraction of a fraction of a moment, Taiheo quietly gazed at the spectacle as if he were about to appreciate a star in the night sky.
The moment ended.
Taiheo raised his hand as a black hole formed above his head. Though it was only the size of a baseball, it was still a black hole. It was a mass that warped even space itself.
All the attacks flying from the front were swallowed by that darkness. It was an unrealistically absurd sight. At that sight, some felt the overwhelming difference in power and hesitated.
"Don't stop!"
Whenever that happened, someone encouraged them.
It was the knights, it was members of the North Blinders, it was people from Zero Ground.
A soldier born into a wealthy family, conscripted without ever having held a gun, was seized with fear.
The one who helped him up was someone from the slums, a poor person without even a surname.
A noble officer, born into nobility and unable to bow his head to anyone, had fallen.
The one who supported and lifted him up was an orc soldier, discriminated against as a demi-human.
Priests helped black mages, gangs supported guards, workers supported businessmen.
In this moment, class differences did not exist. It didn't matter what environment they were born and raised in.
There was no race, no gender, no age boundary.
Because before the world, they were infinitely small.
Because no matter how much they struggled and fought to rank themselves within it, it was useless.
The greater world was only frightening. It would have been better if they had known nothing at all.
But once they knew, they had to make a choice.
Would they refuse the truth and bow their heads? Or would they endure the pain and keep watching until the end?
They chose one will.
Pa-pa-pa-pa-pang!
An explosion occurred in the space around Taiheo.
Though it was a black hole that absorbed all attacks, far more attacks were being inflicted.
Red flames spread, divine power exploded, magic scattered.
The beautiful cluster of light tore through the cold darkness Taiheo had created. The light generated heat, and the heat generated power.
Finally, an attack reached Taiheo.
"We did it!"
The allied forces, gaining momentum, continued their fierce attack even more.
"These impudent bastards dare!"
"Lord Taiheo! Are you alright!"
Ken-Ush and Agraphilia appeared. Both were in a considerably injured state. Due to the relentless momentum of the allied forces, even the incomplete Star-Crushing Generals could not avoid injury.
Following the two, the Void's army rose. Above the black plain that Taiheo had created and made distant, the Void's army charged in.
"Strike them down!"
"Protect!"
The allied forces' total offensive to strike down the Void while the legion resisted to protect that Void.
In the midst of it, the Void was quietly observing the scene with a black hole floating above its head.
'Is it observing the situation? Or is it preparing something?'
Osian, who had recovered to some degree, watched the Void with a wary gaze.
The Void seemed to be lost in thought about something. Was some past memory coming to mind from watching not only himself but everyone on the star resisting?
Osian re-gripped his sword. There was no leisure to be lost in sentiment.
If it let its guard down, all he had to do was slip through that gap and strike its neck.
Swoosh!
Osian moved forward. He indiscriminately cut down the Void soldiers and Black Star Corps blocking his way.
His comrades were with him by his side.
"You bastard! Existence of the star!"
Ken-Ush blocked Osian's path.
"You dare resist the Primordial Void! Offering your wretched lives is the only fate given to you lot!"
"For something shouting so shamelessly, your appearance isn't very good. That's your limit. Someone like you who bowed your head to the opponent's strength wouldn't understand our actions."
"Shut up! Don't insult my loyalty to the Void!"
Ken-Ush thrust at Osian. For a moment, there was an illusion that its bulk had become as huge as a mountain. However, the aftermath was certainly no illusion.
With this single strike, there was enough power to change the map. It was a powerful strike befitting a Star-Crushing General.
If he dodged, the allied forces behind would suffer tremendous damage so he blocked it.
Clang!
Ken-Ush's thrust is stopped, blocked by the sword. It seemed quite flustered. It had no choice but to be.
Perhaps if it were an ordinary Sun-Moon-Star Sword, it would have been somewhat difficult to block but right now, Osian had released all his power.
The pattern floating behind his back was drawing a circle with perfect curvature.
[The Great Sun Mirror Mandala]
Before that power symbolizing truth, circulation, and perfection, even a Star-Crushing General could do nothing.
"If you were going to come, you should have come with your true body."
"This...!"
Ken-Ush's legs, which had been about to step forward, collapsed heavily.
An axe emanating cold air had broken its leg.
Crack!
Ken-Ush's body was pressed down heavily. A quarterstaff concentrated with massive divine power struck down on its shoulder.
Ken-Ush's head turned toward Osian. It gazed at the sword that had approached right before it at the last moment as if it would never bow its head in the end.
Swoosh!
Ken-Ush's severed head rolled on the ground and Agraphilia saw that sight.
"Ken-Ush!"
The relationship between the Star-Crushing Generals wasn't that good. Though they served the same Void, there was no sense of camaraderie.
However, in this battle situation, it wasn't to the point of mocking even the death of a fellow Star-Crushing General.
"Soldiers!"
Agraphilia reached her hand toward the rift. It was a rift that had been somehow forced open when Taiheo entered.
Beyond it, the Void's army summoned by Agraphilia was charging in.
Giant meteorites fell from the sky. They were clumps of Void soldiers. All those pitch-black things were enemy forces.
They couldn't completely block the falling meteorites. Though Sky Dragons and Sea Dragons breathed their breath, there were too many meteorites for that.
"Block them! Block them somehow!"
"Don't let them fall!"
At that moment, on the ground, a massive surge arose. There were countless octopus tentacles full of sharp thorns.
Sharp teeth lined the suckers, wriggling, and sharp thorns filled each segment.
The cephalopod legs that bloomed from the ground multiplied to an enormous number and surged up toward the sky. It was as if a mountain-sized sea anemone had bloomed.
"My goodness."
"Wh-what is that!"
While everyone was shocked, the giant octopus tentacles caught the falling meteorites.
Crunch! Crunch-crunch!
With an eerie sound, the meteorites were consumed.
Agraphilia was shocked at seeing that sight.
"Cthulatlap! Why are you here!"
A very threatening and enormous existence among the Outer Gods. Why was this creature, which had only remained in the deep outer seas like the endless abyss where even starlight was submerged?
She had heard rumors that there was an avatar on this star, but the fact that it was directly helping like this was truly shocking.
"Even so, there's nothing a mere avatar like you can do!"
Agraphilia expressed her anger and tried to summon additional Void forces.
Then suddenly, she felt something strange and looked back at the rift because no additional forces were coming down.
"What?"
A massive vibration echoed from beyond the rift. That wave contained some kind of spatial, mystical power.
A red light spread from beyond the darkness of the rift that had been only pitch-black.
Like dropping red ink on a pitch-black canvas, a crimson color like freshly spilled blood spread iridescently.
Beyond that spreading rift, countless tree branches extended forth.
Snap! Snap-snap-snap!
Branches that seemed to bleed caught the falling meteorites and decomposed them on the spot. Not stopping there, they extended long toward Agraphilia.
"This is...! The Red Eternity!"
Agraphilia cried out seeing the Red Eternal suddenly join the fight.
Basilio felt the same way.
"This crazy bastard came all the way here!"
The Red Eternity was also one of the Outer Gods targeting this star. And its obsession with the star was horrifically extreme.
[This is my star.]
The Red Eternity released its will full of anger. The number of branches grabbing Agraphilia increased.
Agraphilia also resisted as her power of enchantment broke the branches and scattered blood in all directions.
However, the power of the Red Eternity intervening through the widened rift was not easy even for Agraphilia, who was a Star-Crushing General.
Because the one here was her avatar, and she had consumed considerable power due to the battle.
[You dare, those who covet what is mine. I will kill all of you first.]
Snap-snap-snap-snap!
The Red Eternity squeezed Agraphilia. She couldn't even scream because even that was covered and swallowed by the branches.
Soon after, a giant eye appeared among the branches. It rolled around and then gazed at Taiheo.
The branches wriggled and headed toward Taiheo.
The rift that Taiheo had created now was much larger than the rift that had been opened before. Even to pass through this and settle on the star, it was right to eliminate Taiheo blocking the way.
Cthulatlap also stepped forward.
After the giant octopus legs caught all the meteorites, they headed toward Taiheo as if targeting prey.
Osian was the same. The Mandala Sword aimed for Taiheo’s neck.
Until then, Taiheo, who had been standing still, finally moved.
[Now it is ready.]
With those words the black hole floating above his head expanded greatly.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa!
Massive darkness spread in all directions as if pushing.
The branches of Red Eternity falling from the rift in the sky, the tentacles of Cthulatlap surging from the ground, the starlight Osian was emitting, everything was eaten by the darkness and disappeared.
Vision flipped over. Only darkness where nothing could be seen filled everything.
Osian gritted his teeth. This was dangerous. The moment they let this be, the allied forces would be annihilated.
Osian drew out the power of the Mandala to the limit. It was an instinctive reaction. He had to block it somehow.
Kwang!
The Mandala pattern floating behind his back rose like a shield and collided with the expanding darkness.
Cracks formed on the surface of the Mandala that collided with the darkness. The power was insufficient. At this rate, the Mandala would break.
Gaien stood beside Osian.
"Gaien! Tell everyone to retreat!"
Gaien didn't answer. He used his starlight and infused it into Osian's Mandala.
"You...!"
"I'm here too. Successor."
Asmer stepped forward. Despite his considerably tired face, he smiled and infused his starlight into the Mandala.
That wasn't all.
"Lord Successor. This is disappointing. Are you going alone, leaving us behind?"
Anthony, a member of the Starlight Knights, said. Beside him, Jonathan silently placed his hand on the Mandala.
Georgie, Berken, and Perth were the same.
"If it weren't for you, we would have continued to be at the bottom. So please allow us to help you too. Just this once."
David said that and infused his Moon Scar into the Mandala.
"We haven't known each other for long, but I still owe you many debts. So I'll help too."
Lukai was the same. He infused his immature but brilliant sun ring into the Mandala.
The Mandala that seemed about to break rapidly restored and withstood the darkness. The black hole stopped expanding as all the knights exerted their strength and tried to push it back.
At that moment, something walked from beyond the darkness.
It was Taiheo wearing purple armor.
Taiheo and Osian's eyes met.
Osian tried to open his mouth to say something. However, no voice came out.
Taiheo swung his gravity sword in the darkness.
Kwa-ching!
The Mandala shattered, and a massive explosion occurred.
Osian opened his eyes.
'Did I... lose consciousness?'
He hurriedly raised his body. At that moment, he realized someone was covering his body.
"Asmer."
At the moment the explosion occurred, Asmer had thrown his body to protect him.
Osian tried to wake Asmer but stopped his hand.
His lower body didn't exist.
Asmer was smiling as if he had willingly done the right thing to protect the Successor.
Osian touched his face with trembling hands. Cold. No warmth could be felt at all.
In Osian's vision, he saw Gaien's figure.
His torn-apart body was difficult to recognize in its original form. It was a more terrible end than Asmer's. He had ended up like that trying to block the darkness from the closest position.
"Jonathan."
Jonathan was standing. He had hardened his body to block the explosion as much as possible.
Jonathan, emitting smoke, was naked. Soon his body collapsed as his entire back had been blown off.
At their deaths, his mind became distant.
He thought he was accustomed to seeing someone's death. But the reality was not so.
The deaths of those he thought precious, those he was close to, were truly like gouging out his chest with a dagger.
-Step.
A shadow fell before Ossian.
Osian, who had raised his body using his sword as support, gazed at Taiheo standing before him.
Despite having committed such acts, it showed no change whatsoever. It didn't even show signs of fatigue. It was a natural appearance, as if breathing.
At that moment, in a corner of Osian's vision, he saw Berken looking at the fallen Jonathan.
Having survived thanks to Jonathan, he shed bloody tears with wide-open eyes.
"Comrade. I won't let you go alone."
Berken rose from his spot and moved with staggering steps. The speed soon increased, and he leaped in a parabolic arc toward Taiheo.
Osian's eyes widened.
No. Don't go.
Those words tried to come out of his throat, but what overflowed was blood.
-Puk!
Berken's body exploded but Taiheo didn't even look back at him. Just a massive power had exploded Berken on its own.
The stench of blood and death. Even colder than that was the massive sense of despair that they might not be able to win.
[Let us end this.]
Taiheo said in a voice so calm it was unbelievable that he was the perpetrator who caused all this slaughter.
A black hole appeared above his head and the world was submerged in darkness.