Episode 1124
Chapter 258: The Predator of All Dimensions (14)

A small pocket of relative safety amid this horrific battlefield.

Originally, it was inside Laprarosa’s protective barrier. But now, with the shield gone and the heat from the Flame Orb scorching the entire warzone, this place was nothing more than a hell with no escape.

People were melting away in groups every second. Only superhumans—or those on their level—could barely maintain a protective barrier to withstand the heat and keep moving.

The seventh spear flew toward Laprarosa.

Krrk!

The spear grazed the lower part of Laprarosa by a hair’s breadth before disappearing into the darkness of Helluram’s sky behind it.

Laprarosa was dodging the spears spewed from the Flame Orb with increasing ease.

Though the spears still held the power to sink even Laprarosa in a single strike, they were no longer as sharp as before.

That meant Keliak’s senses were dulling. The onslaught from the Stellar Beings and the Immortals was dividing his attention, preventing him from focusing solely on Laprarosa.

His neck had been slashed dozens of times already, his heart pierced even more. He had allowed attacks that would have shredded a mere chunk of meat, let alone a human, at least a dozen times.

Still, Keliak kept showing resurrection beyond mere regeneration, but fundamentally, he was human.

Fatigue accumulated, senses dulled, life finite—human.

Though he seemed immortal, if struck beyond a certain irrecoverable point, death was inevitable. Even the senses of the Stellar Beings and the Solar Deities couldn’t pinpoint where that line lay.

“Everyone, stick to them more relentlessly! As long as Rondo and his group are kept in check, Laprarosa won’t get hit by the spears!”

It was Dante. Among the superhumans, he was the first to notice Keliak’s exhaustion and was focusing on restraining Rondo.

The five Stellar Beings, the Holy Water Corps, and the Seven Gods—Rondo was pressuring Laprarosa by targeting only those who had never lost their footing in the chaos.

“There’s only one Stellar Being left—Murakan—and they can’t use their cannons anymore. If we can just pin down Laprarosa once, it’s over!”

Rondo shouted hoarsely. The endless fighting had left him disheveled and gaunt.

The blue flames ignited by Rondo’s Azure Eye and the Stellar Beings of the Demon God Corps were holding back the allied superhumans.

Stellar Beings, Gods, and Superhumans.

There was an undeniable gap between them. Even though the Demon God Corps had chosen to become Keliak’s weapons, they were ultimately those who had reached the Stellar Beings by their own strength—like Faelito, who had been brainwashed by Jito.

In reality, Murakan alone was breaking through the wall formed by the enemy’s Stellar Beings and Gods. But the problem was the delay in the superhumans’ advance even after he opened the path.

‘In the end, someone has to make a sacrifice.’

It seemed that one by one, someone would have to risk death to support their comrades and get close enough to the enemy.

But it wasn’t a good plan. Even if sacrificing one superhuman allowed them to get close, the enemy would likely pull back easily.

‘Even if I sacrifice myself, I can only fight up close for about three minutes. If I can kill just one Stellar Being in that time, it wouldn’t be bad—but that’s unlikely…’

Compared to the power of Siron, Ban, and Keliak, it might seem small, but a Stellar Being was still a Stellar Being. With six total including Rondo, killing even one within three minutes was clearly impossible. The reverse might be true, but not this.

Moreover, sacrificing superhumans to seize an opportunity had its limits. Each reckless gamble with such low chances meant losing one person every time.

Still, they had no choice. The moment Laprarosa faltered even once in Rondo’s encirclement, Keliak’s spear would strike.

“…If Murakan opens the path this time, I’ll do whatever I can to hold them back.”

“If that’s your plan, I’ll sacrifice myself first.”

“Sir Tuben.”

“Wouldn’t it be better for someone younger like you to fight a little longer than me?”

Before Dante could respond, Veradin suddenly pointed to the sky and shouted.

“The ships’ power is coming back online!”

At those words, everyone looked up.

One by one, lights began to flicker on in all the hulls still afloat. The ships that had lost function under Keliak’s influence were starting to move again.

Wooooooosh…!

The fleet’s engines vibrated the sky. It wasn’t just the Bamel Alliance fleet regaining power—the Demon God Corps’ White Fleet also lit up.

But if the fleet battle resumed, the advantage would be with the Alliance. The performance gap between fleets had been proven even before Keliak’s arrival; the Demon God Corps only led in numbers.

But even that numerical advantage no longer mattered. The White Fleet had suffered more severe damage from Keliak’s magic and the shockwaves spreading across the battlefield.

Naturally, the fleet’s power returning now meant Keliak was more exhausted. Thanks to that, the superhumans no longer needed to sacrifice each other to fight the enemy.

“Sword Emperor Ship, charge!”

Dante’s Sword Emperor Ship, Veradin’s Tikan 9th Fleet, and Kinzel’s fleet.

The fleets, now powered up, surged toward the enemy as soon as orders were given. Over a hundred main cannons rained down on Rondo’s group, while the White Fleet responded more slowly.

‘Of all times…!’

Rondo gritted his teeth, staring at the incoming golden beams.

“Hold them back!”

Rondo’s group formed a protective barrier and regrouped. The barrage pounding their shield was heavier than expected.

“Hahaha! Finally, it’s my time to shine—Ainas! Bubbar, let’s ram Grnil right into their heads!”

“Hehe, let’s go, let’s go!”

Though Vishkel was the one actually commanding Kinzel’s fleet, Ainas and Bubbar shouted boisterously.

Yet, the moment their voices were heard, the superhumans couldn’t help but smirk. After nearly five days of continuous war, hope had never felt this close.

[I’ll take care of holding back the White Fleet!]

[Good. You, the Immortal, do that. This time, I’ll tear their throats out.]

The Golden Fleet’s bombardment couldn’t break through Rondo’s shield. But immediately after the barrage ended, when the ship Grnil rammed the shield directly, they faltered and fixed their gaze ahead.

A crack had formed in the shield. Before they could recharge their magic, superhumans’ blades pierced through.

“The Stellar Beings… are strong. But… I’m strong too.”

Bianca was the first to break through the shield. Despite the pressure from the Stellar Beings and Gods, she maintained her usual expressionless face as she swung her greatsword.

Alone, she wouldn’t have lasted long before being torn apart, but Berakt and Badrey supported her, and Zephyrin transformed into his true form, exhaling a breath of power.

Rondo’s group tried to widen the distance, raising their senses. But no matter how much they scanned, it was a dead zone. The Golden Fleet had already positioned itself behind them, and Murakan and the superhumans were closing in from both flanks.

“2nd and 3rd Fleets, focus solely on sealing the Holy Water Corps! We’ll tear them apart!”

“The Ielos have regained function too. The 9th Fleet will support Sir Veil!”

Neither side could break through easily. Surrounded, Rondo’s group swallowed their sighs as they watched Laprarosa slip further away.

At that very moment, the eighth spear emerged from the Flame Orb. If the Golden Fleet’s power hadn’t returned suddenly, Rondo would have likely pinned down Laprarosa.

Now, the tables had turned. Rondo’s side had to risk their lives. To break through the encirclement and reach Laprarosa quickly, someone had to be sacrificed.

The Holy Water Corps, the only force they could afford to lose, was already being restrained by the Alliance’s seal, and the Gods were powerless, captured by the Pluto clan.

‘Even with Sir Keliak here, could we… actually lose?’

Rondo’s heart sank with a sudden chill.

Something was seriously wrong. Even before Keliak’s arrival, they had reluctantly accepted mutual destruction as a last resort. Now, they were truly on the brink of defeat.

Unacceptable.

But there was little they could do. The despair that had plagued the Bamel Alliance throughout the battle was now creeping into Rondo’s very soul.

“Midor! You open the path first. Sir Keliak’s spear launch speed has slowed. If we fail, Sir Keliak will be in danger…”

Midor Elner of the 550th Dimension turned to Rondo with an expressionless face.

“Sir Keliak in danger?”

At those words, Rondo was momentarily speechless.

Keliak in danger. Among the Demon God Corps, especially those who had met him even once, no one had ever dared imagine such a thing.

“What are we loyal to Sir Keliak for, Rondo? Our leader crushed my dear brother Myuron like a bug and absorbed my real father, Keliak Ziphl of the 550th Dimension. I endured that pain and became a Stellar Being.”

“What are you trying to say?!”

“Our leader has been indiscriminately slaughtering his subordinates ever since we arrived here. That’s because he deemed them unnecessary,” Midor explained. “The Keliak Ziphl of the 33rd dimension represents absolute power that rules over all dimensions. It’s true immortality—something no god could ever challenge.”

“Midor!” someone interrupted.

“But right now, our leader isn’t acting like a god,” Midor continued, “he’s just a man who happens to be stronger than us, cornered and desperate. I swore loyalty to him because I believed that no matter what, no one could defy that absolute being. But if he’s someone who can’t overcome this crisis without help… then I refuse to be sacrificed.”

With a mocking laugh, Midor turned to Rondo and added, “If our leader truly needed our help, I wouldn’t have pledged loyalty to him in the first place. Don’t you see, Lord Rondo? Our leader has already revealed to the world that he is not the absolute being he claims to be.”