Chapter 1123
Episode 258: The Predator of All Dimensions (13)
The sky was blazing fiercely.
Kelliak Ziphl unleashed his magic as if he had never once grown weary. Though the darkness Heluram had spread still lingered across the battlefield, it was no match for the searing heat radiating from the Flame Orb of Annihilation.
Kreeeeek!
A sharp, metallic screech rang out. The center of the Flame Orb suddenly split open like snow, and from within, a spear burst forth, heralding the sound.
Before anyone could react, the spear plunged toward the upper armor of Laprarosa.
If Malugia hadn’t amplified Beltian’s solar energy—the power sustaining Laprarosa’s core—the impact wouldn’t have been limited to just tearing the armor apart.
Kududud, drrrrr!
The upper armor barely withstood the blow before crumbling like rotted bark, crashing down to the ground. The shockwave alone carved massive craters all around, swallowing those who had lost consciousness or died without resistance.
Kelliak still made no distinction between friend or foe.
He seemed utterly indifferent to the fact that destroying Laprarosa would mean the massacre of the entire Demon God Corps. He paid no mind to his own troops standing in the attack’s path—neither the fleet, the Spear Stars, nor the phoenixes and gods he had summoned.
[Ugh…! How’s the workshop? What about the Sealed Princess!?]
“Fortunately, the Sealed Princess’s seal hasn’t been damaged! But if another shock like this hits, I can’t guarantee it will hold…!”
Ameris and Lokia’s workshop, and the great seal Talalis had cast to protect it.
If that seal were to break from the shock, the alliance would have only one chance left. There would be no way to shield Ameris and Lokia from further impacts, and from then on, every moment of battle would be a gamble—fighting while risking failure to lift the curse.
“Now this feels like a real fight. Death flickers before my eyes every second, and my skin crawls with chills.”
Through the widening crack in the Flame Orb, another spear was already forming. Amid the dreadful screeching, Kelliak’s mad laughter echoed.
“Shiron!”
Ban responded instantly. She and Shiron leapt into the air, scattering sword energy to intercept the spear.
Heluram still needed time to recover. Meanwhile, Malugia, Heilin, and the barely conscious Kragos launched themselves to keep the Flame Orb in check.
Shiron and Ban’s sword energy pierced the very heart of the Flame Orb. For a moment, the massive spearhead buckled, and then the solar energies—fragments of the Sun God’s essence—spread out in three chains, binding the Flame Orb.
The Flame Orb wasn’t made of Kelliak’s magic alone. It was a weapon forged from his flesh, his essence, and a part of his very being.
That’s why every time the Flame Orb was struck, Kelliak coughed up sticky clots of blood and bent over in agony. Yet, despite the spasms that seemed like they should have ended his life, he kept his gaze fixed on Laprarosa.
“Hahaha, you can’t stop me like this. Once that falls, you’ll all turn to dust one by one.”
Though momentarily distorted by the impact, the spear was forcing its way through the Flame Orb, emerging again.
It felt even stronger and more solid than before—having absorbed some of the aura, lightning, and solar energy from the recent strike.
A choice had to be made.
Not the Spear Stars fighting on the front lines, but Ruet had to decide. Should she take the spear’s blow again in place, or dodge it? The situation was too urgent to consult Jin.
If she dodged, the spear would inevitably fall to the ground—onto their allies protected by Laprarosa. Most of them would vanish without a sound or a cry, crushed beneath that overwhelming force.
[…Evasive maneuvers initiated. Use every possible method to avoid the attack.]
Ruet made her decision immediately. She had faced this dilemma before and had chosen to stand her ground then—only to be saved by Heluram’s timely intervention.
Having seen Kelliak cornered with her own eyes, she wanted to protect her comrades as much as possible.
But there was no guarantee the battle would end in their favor. Kelliak might look like he was faltering, but appearances were deceiving. Since the fight began, he had shown more power than ever.
Sorry.
Ruet swallowed the words she wanted to say and gritted her teeth. As Laprarosa surged upward, the spear struck the earth beneath with a devastating impact.
“Ah…!”
Jin almost turned around at that moment.
Death.
So much death.
The countless alliance soldiers who had come to help, to hold back even one more enemy.
About half of them were swallowed by Kelliak’s spear, turning to ash in an instant. Their final expressions, their eyes—Jin felt it all wash over her as if it were happening right before her.
She had to stay focused.
If she faltered even for a moment, crushed by the pain inside, Kelliak’s claws would seize the opportunity without hesitation. Fortunately, Jin’s sword remained aimed steadily forward.
Kelliak smiled, clearly pleased.
“You never disappoint me. Though compared to the number of Demon God Corps you’ve killed, it’s a small number, it’s been a long time since I’ve felt such joy in causing pain.”
Not everyone on the ground had died.
Thanks to Murakan and the alliance’s superhumans, who fought desperately to fill the gap left by Laprarosa’s fall.
[Ice Princess, are you okay!?]
“Even now, calling me that? Hurry and tell everyone to scatter, Murakan. We don’t know when another spear might fall…”
Siris spat foam from her mouth. Beside her, Lucy had five fist-sized holes in her body but was slowly recovering.
This time, the Pluto clan had taken the heaviest blow—a sacrifice made to protect their allies.
“Lady Linfa!”
It was Merry.
She hadn’t been able to raise a shield the moment the spear fell, already pressured by a Demon God Corps Spear Star.
Just when she thought she was done for, Linfa appeared before her. Though riddled with large wounds, Linfa couldn’t recover like Lucy.
“Why… why are you stronger than me, Lady Linfa…!”
“That doesn’t matter… Merry.”
Linfa gently stroked Merry’s face, then removed her glowing heart from her chest and handed it over.
“Brother’s… brother is… brother.”
In her slow, deliberate voice, Linfa struggled to say her final words as quickly as possible, grimacing repeatedly. But after giving away her glowing heart, she smiled softly.
“We live… with our hearts.”
Linfa’s eyes closed. Merry hugged her tightly once, then had no choice but to leave.
But she didn’t go alone. “What does it matter?” echoed in her mind. Though the Flame Orb was already spewing its next spear, Merry helped the fallen to their feet, taking in the faces of the dead as she moved.
Wherever the dead were passed over, a golden light remained. It was the power of regeneration that Jin possessed.
Merry wasn’t the only one experiencing this. Anyone who carried the dead in their hearts left behind a trail of golden light.
Resonance.
The power of regeneration was resonating with the entire alliance. Jin was deliberately turning away from death to fight, but her comrades were facing it in her stead.
After the spear fell, the one saving the most alliance soldiers was Eltiot. He still commanded the battlefield with the power of harmony, and a mournful wind, like a requiem, blew in his wake.
Everyone was confronting their grief head-on. Except for the Spear Stars on the front lines trying to maintain their heightened senses, the entire alliance was carrying the fragile balance between life and inevitable death, riding Eltiot’s wind.
“…Miss!?”
Hedo, standing among them, suddenly sensed a familiar energy and turned around. Sandra Ziphl—the lady he had cherished above all else—stood there. She wore an expression so subtle that even Hedo had never seen it before.
“This is dangerous. Why did you leave Laprarosa!?”
“Hedo, I just realized I’m almost immortal. I have to save our people.”
“No, Miss! Your nature is no match for Kelliak’s magic.”
“Enough! I’m too weak to help Jin directly, but am I supposed to just watch his people die? Sitting safely inside Laprarosa? Let’s go, now.”
Hedo couldn’t stop her. Sandra was already running across the ground, boiling like water from the Flame Orb’s heat. Her magic couldn’t offset the heat even for a moment. Her ankles had melted and regenerated a dozen times just getting close to Hedo.
“P-please… save me…”
Many enemies barely clung to life, begging for mercy. Like ordinary soldiers on any battlefield, they cried out to go home, to see their families.
But they didn’t save each other.
Or rather, they couldn’t. The Demon God Corps Spear Stars had already withdrawn to catch their breath, and Rondo—their commander—was dragging the remaining Spear Stars and gods to latch onto Laprarosa like hunting dogs.
As those trying to cling to each other and those trying to tear each other apart wandered the battlefield to escape the heat,
The Flame Orb relentlessly spewed spears. The seventh spear was already aimed at Laprarosa.
The speed at which the spears were drawn was gradually slowing down. Yet, the Guardians and the incarnations of the Sun God were losing their resistance just as much.
Beyond the dimensional gate, through the tangled maze of dimensional pathways, a darkened Demon God Stone was hurtling toward the battlefield.
There was no one on the battlefield who could stop it.