I exhaled slowly as I watched the aftermath. There was no doubt. Her attack had been stronger. I glanced at her. She didn’t look at me but she already knew.
A small smile crossed my face.
Then I turned.
"Finish them," I said.
That was all it took.
My summons surged forward.
This time there was no resistance and we had closed the rift so fast there would be no reinforcement coming to help them.
Ragnar crashed into the battlefield like a falling mountain, his fists obliterating entire sections of the legion with each strike. Silver descended from above, tearing through formations with his wings, scattering enemies across the void. Ash’s sealing runes spread across the battlefield, collapsing entire clusters of enemies into nothing.
Aurora turned her entire section into a storm of lightning once again, but this time it was worse. The void itself screamed under the constant strikes, everything within her range disintegrating instantly.
Steve moved like a blade through water, cutting down anything in his path without slowing, while North and Knight eliminated commanders and control units one after another, dismantling what little structure remained.
Lyrate stepped forward. And finished the rest.
Her domain spread once more, and wherever it touched, life ended and transformed, entire waves of Eternals turning into residual death.
There was no battle anymore. What left was only destruction. Millions were killed. And none of them were given the chance to fight back.
The Naga army did not move.
They stayed back, suspended in the void, watching everything unfold in front of them as the battlefield turned into something far beyond a fight. The black blood of Eternals and abominations spread everywhere, drifting in slow currents, staining the space around us as wave after wave of enemies was wiped out.
Not a single Naga had to lift their weapon. We had taken care of everything.
As I looked across their ranks, I could read their expressions clearly. There was shock, deep and unmistakable, the kind that comes when something exceeds all expectations. But beneath that, there was something else as well.
Fear.
Not of the Eternals but of us.
I leaned back slightly, watching the destruction continue as the last remnants of the legion were erased from existence. And despite everything, I felt it settle within me.
Satisfaction and pride.
This was what it would take. Not just strength, but overwhelming dominance. The kind that left no room for resistance, no chance for recovery. If we were to truly stand against the Eternals... if I was to one day stand before Theras...
This was only the beginning.
A notification appeared in front of me.
[Merit Points: 230M]
I blinked in surprise.
This rift had given even more than the last one. I had expected an increase, but not this much. Before I could fully process it, another notification appeared.
[Congratulations on playing a pivotal role in helping your galaxy eliminate all active Grade 3 rifts.]
[Title Unlocked: Guardian of the Galaxy]
[Guardian of the Galaxy: Grants authority to hold a seat in the Council and provides access to restricted items in the Merit Shop.]
A faint smile formed on my face.
But it didn’t stop there. Another notification followed immediately.
[Achievement Unlocked: Lord Supreme]
[Lord Supreme: Unlocking Guardian of the Galaxy title before reaching Saint Rank.]
[Effect: +10% to all stats.]
I felt it instantly.
A surge passed through my body as every attribute increased at once. Ten percent might not sound like much, but at my current level, it was massive. Nearly a thousand points added to each stat in a single moment.
My muscles tightened. My perception sharpened. Even my control over Essence felt cleaner, more stable.
"...Now that’s useful," I muttered.
Another notification appeared.
[Role Unlocked: Galaxy Defender]
[Galaxy Defender: You have been added to the System’s list of Galaxy Defenders. Any threat deemed to have galaxy-level impact within the Blue Spiral will be directed to you first. Special quests may be assigned accordingly.]
I stared at it for a moment.
Then I smiled.
I had a feeling this was the same role that Defender Aurora held. It fit too well to be anything else. But at the same time, I had never heard of anyone in this galaxy carrying that title.
Which meant she probably wasn’t from here. Before I could think further, another notification appeared.
[Good work, Executor. See you soon :)]
I blinked.
’What?’
The thought came out louder than I intended inside my own mind.
See me?
The System?
Was it implying we would actually meet? That possibility hadn’t even crossed my mind before. The System had always been something distant, something absolute and untouchable. The idea that it could... interact like this, personally and directly, was unexpected.
Very unexpected.
"Billion... Billion?"
North’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts.
I turned slightly and saw her leaning closer, her expression curious as she studied my face.
"What are you thinking about?" she asked.
"Nothing," I replied, shaking my head lightly. "Just checking my status."
She nodded, though I could tell she wasn’t fully convinced.
"Everyone is waiting for you," she said, tilting her head behind me.
I followed her gaze.
The Naga forces had regrouped.
They stood in formation now, far more organized than before, their earlier shock replaced with something closer to discipline. Xeron stood at the front, Azalea beside him, and behind them were rows upon rows of soldiers, all standing at attention.
I took a slow breath, then turned fully toward them. Straightening slightly, I cleared my throat and began to speak.
"Before anything else," I said, "I want to acknowledge something that cannot be overlooked. For years... for far longer than most of us standing here have even been aware of this war, you have been fighting," I continued. "You have stood at the front, holding the line against an enemy that does not tire, does not negotiate, and does not stop."
My eyes moved across their ranks.
"You have lost your people. Your kin. Your soldiers. Entire generations that chose to stand and fight instead of stepping back. And yet... you did not fall back."
I gave a small nod.
"It is because of that resistance, because of your refusal to give in, that this galaxy still stands today. Every world that still exists, every race that still breathes... owes something to what you have endured."
I paused slightly.
"So for that... I thank you warriors of the Naga race."
There was no exaggeration in my tone. I truly believed that. The Naga race had led our galaxy for so long without giving in.
Then my expression shifted slightly.
"But do not mistake what we did today for victory. This invasion is not over. What we destroyed here were two Grade 3 rifts. That is all. The Eternals are still out there. Their forces still exist. Their supporters, those who betray our own kind, still move in the shadows."
"And as long as even one of them remains... this war is not finished."
My gaze sharpened.
"There is no peace waiting for us yet. No celebration. No rest. What we are dealing with is not just an enemy. It is a disease. A cancer that spreads, consumes, and corrupts everything it touches. And cancer is not something you push back. You remove it completely."
A silent intensity spread through the ranks.
"So do not relax. Do not lower your guard because of what happened today. If anything, this is the moment to push harder. To fight with more purpose, more clarity, and more resolve than ever before."
I looked at them all, one by one.
"Because the end of this war will not come from a single battle. It will come when there is nothing left of them."
"And when that day comes..." I said, a faint smile forming, "then we can call it victory."
I let the silence return for a moment before finishing.
"Until then... we keep moving forward."