【 OH? MORE NEWCOMERS HAVE ARRIVED? 】

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Belial was extremely excited.

He had waited far too long for the day the invasion of the Prime Material Realm would finally begin.

Once a six-winged seraph, he had fallen into becoming an abyssal demon, and because of that, his hatred toward the gods ran deeper than almost anyone else’s.

Along with that hatred, he also loathed the world of Seigües itself, the birthplace of the gods.

Thus, from the moment the Demons officially launched its invasion of Seigües, he had volunteered himself to become one of the first Abyssal Myths to lead the Demon army into battle.

Unfortunately, as the commander of an Demon army belonging to the Third Layer of Hell, he had been assigned to the battlefield of the Elven Forest instead, thereby preventing him from immediately descending upon the human kingdoms and destroying them one by one.

However, after passing through the dimensional passageway into the endless oceans of Seigües, and later arriving at the Elven Forest alongside the demon army, all of his earlier disappointment quickly vanished the moment he laid eyes upon the elves.

As a corrupted fallen angel, Belial’s hatred for the gods was only one side of his nature.

What he loved even more was the destruction of beautiful things.

And the prosperous, breathtaking Elven Forest, together with its elegant and beautiful inhabitants themselves, stirred the destructive impulses hidden deep within his heart to their absolute peak.

He loved this mission beyond measure.

He would personally destroy this beautiful forest before his eyes, along with every single one of those elves!

However, just as he prepared to charge toward the Elven Forest, a graceful figure suddenly blocked his path.

The moment he saw the other person’s ice-blue hair, information regarding her immediately surfaced within his mind.

“Star of Dawn Aurora…”

The beautiful elven demigod spoke with a solemn expression.

“Your opponent is me, demon.”

As Belial gazed upon her slender legs and exquisite appearance, the desire for destruction within him intensified further and further.

He decided that he would personally drag this elven demigod before him into ruin, little by little.

That was what he thought.

And that was exactly what he did.

After driving away all the weaker Abyssal Myths and ordered them to fight the Mythical Dragons and the Divine Envoys of Death instead, he personally engaged Aurora alone.

Truly, this elven demigod was powerful.

As the envoy of the Goddess of Life, after borrowing the power of her god, Aurora’s strength was comparable to that of an Abyssal Myth who had yet to fully master a pseudo domain. In fact, she was perhaps even slightly stronger.

Unfortunately for her, Belial had long since fully mastered his domain, and even his strength had nearly reached the peak of Weaker Divine Power.

Of course, the strength he outwardly displayed remained only at the demigod rank.

Though he was insane, he was also extremely cautious.

He firmly believed in one principle: no matter the circumstances, one should never completely reveal all of one’s trump cards.

His true strength being at the Mythical-rank was his greatest hidden card.

Precisely because his real strength far surpassed what he outwardly displayed, what should have been a battle resembled far more a cat toying with a mouse.

Belial laughed viciously as he continuously carved wound after wound across Aurora’s body, yet deliberately refrained from delivering the killing blow.

However, even toys eventually lose their appeal.

After battling this beautiful demigod continuously for three days and three nights, Belial had finally grown tired of their game.

Looking at the elven demigod, whose appearance had already been ravaged into a miserable state, he decided to end her life immediately.

Yet at that very moment, a deep and resounding horn suddenly echoed from the direction of the ocean…

Hearing the sound, Belial frowned.

The horn signal to retreat…?

“Retreat? Which idiot is sounding this signal at a time like this?! Can’t they see we’ve already completely gained the upper hand?!”

Nearby, furious roars of dissatisfaction erupted from the other Abyssal Myths.

And indeed, their side had already seized the upper hand in this battle.

Those three Mythical-rank Dragons, who had resisted for several days despite possessing strength far beyond others of the same rank, were already on the verge of collapse beneath the relentless siege of the other Abyssal Myths.

Even his foe, demigod Aurora appeared moments away from falling.

Once these Myths loyal to the Goddess of Life perished, destroying the Elven Forest would become an effortless task.

However, soon afterward, an even deeper and heavier horn signal echoed once more.

Belial’s expression darkened slightly.

The Demons possessed their own complete military commands, and within the Demon Army, different horn signals each carried their own distinct meaning.

And the meaning of that particular horn call just now was unmistakable:

“A decree from Demon Lord Leviathan.”

The signal signified that the order to retreat had been personally issued by the Fifth Demon Lord, Leviathan himself.

The other Abyssal Myths exchanged glances, traces of uncertainty flashing through their eyes.

Could it be… that something had gone wrong?

The same thought surfaced simultaneously within all of their minds.

Several Abyssal Myths who were closely aligned with Leviathan immediately abandoned the battle without hesitation and flew into the distance.

However, the remaining nine Abyssal Myths, including Belial himself, made no move at all.

Hah—!

Retreat?

Victory was already within their grasp, so why the hell should they retreat now?!

Is the Abyss facing a crisis?

Belial let out a disdainful snort.

Even if Hell itself had already been breached, what did that have to do with him?

For Belial, rather than rushing back, it would be far better to first exterminate all of the Goddess of Life’s subordinates, trample the entire Elven Forest into ruin, and gorge himself upon the flesh, blood, and pain of the elves to his heart’s content before considering anything else.

That was the collective thought shared by the remaining Abyssal Myths.

Belial included.

However, within his heart, he had another plan entirely…

Leviathan had urged them to retreat so urgently, which could only mean that he had encountered some kind of serious trouble…

If that was the case, then the situation on Leviathan’s side would certainly be extremely dangerous.

Therefore, compared to rushing back immediately, it would be far better to let those fools return first and test the waters before he followed later on…

As for whether the danger might come from Seigües itself…

What a joke.

The power here was suppressed to the demigod rank, and the passageway remained sealed.

So what possible threat could exist here?

And even if danger truly appeared, with his strength, escaping would not be difficult.

With that thought in mind, Belial let out a savage grin and reached toward the pale-faced elven demigod Aurora.

He could hardly wait to see her slender neck torn apart by his own hands.

However, just as Belial was about to seize Aurora, a violent surge of divine power suddenly descended from the skies above.

Confused, Belial looked up and saw a magnificent triumphal arch gate radiating golden light appeared above him.

The moment he saw the brilliantly shining gate, and sensed the aura emanating from it—an aura that caused even the other Abyssal Myths to tremble with fear—his expression changed slightly.

In the next instant, golden radiance engulfed the heavens.

Amid ethereal holy hymns, a beautiful and sacred goddess appeared in the sky above.

The instant Belial saw the familiar silver hair and violet eyes, his eyes widened in horror.

“The Goddess of Life!”

Without the slightest hesitation, he immediately withdrew his outstretched hand, turned around, and fled at full speed.

W-What kind of joke was this?!

That was the Goddess of Life!

A terrifying existence who had single-handedly annihilated multiple Mythical beings, with enough Evil Gods slain by her to form an entire line!

Even though he himself was a true Abyssal Myth, there was only one possible outcome if he faced her directly.

—Death.

Cold sweat instantly drenched Belial’s body as he furiously cursed Leviathan for being utterly unreliable.

Hadn’t that idiot Leviathan claimed that the Goddess of Life had been sealed away?

Then how had she suddenly appeared here?!

At the same time, realization dawned upon him.

So it turned out the horn signaling to retreat earlier had not sounded because Leviathan had encountered danger in the Abyss.

Rather…

It had sounded because danger was about to descend upon them!

Terrifying divine power fluctuations erupted behind him, accompanied by a vast and overwhelming pressure.

The immense energy felt like a blazing sun rising at his back.

Sensing an aura no weaker than Leviathan’s, Belial’s expression changed drastically, and he fled even faster.

Damn it!

Why did it feel as though the Goddess of Life had become even stronger?!

What exactly had Leviathan done?!

His heart filled with shock and fury.

Run!

He had to escape immediately!

He was fast. As long as he could outrun the fools beside him who still had yet to react, then once he escaped the Seigües World, he would be safe!

Thus, Belial frantically burned through his divine power and shot across the skies like a falling meteor. After fleeing thousands of miles and finally overtaking the several Abyssal Myths who had begun retreating before him, he became the first to arrive above the dimensional gate connected to the Abyss beneath the ocean.

Yet at that very moment, a crimson light suddenly encased his body and Belial was horrified to discover that all the power within him instantly fell completely out of his control.

Immediately afterward, ripples spread through the space above the dimensional gate as a silver-haired female figure slowly emerged.

“You’re quite fast.”

He heard an ethereal and beautiful voice, one that nevertheless caused every Evil God to tremble uncontrollably.

Then, Belial felt an immense force pulling at him, as though he had been thrown into some randomly created teleportation passageway.

He tried to struggle.

He tried to roar in fury.

Yet, to his terror, he discovered that he had completely lost control over his own body.

In the end, he could only helplessly watch as the divine laws of space swallowed him whole.

And in the final instant before his vision faded into darkness, he saw the Goddess of Life casually glance toward the dimensional gate to the Abyss, causing it to collapse completely.

He also saw the remaining Abyssal Myths, their expressions filled with horror, instantly turning around and fleeing back toward the direction of the Elven Forest without hesitation.

In the next moment, his vision went black.

Despair filled Belial’s heart.

Am I going to die?

However, his consciousness did not fade. After a brief period of darkness, his vision gradually became clear once more.

With a dull thud, Belial found himself collapsing onto the ground.

In the next instant, he discovered with delight that the restraints binding his body had vanished, restoring his ability to move.

Yet what disappointed him was that some kind of seal had already been permanently placed within his body, completely suppressing his divine power.

Fortunately, at the very least… he could still move.

Belial gritted his teeth and abruptly leaped to his feet.

Looking around, he discovered that he had arrived inside a magnificent and luxurious chamber.

His expression remained confused, not yet understanding the situation, when he suddenly spotted two familiar figures.

“…Luria? Alissa?”

Belial’s face instantly froze in shock.

These were actually the two Abyssal Myths who had long since disappeared!

However, both of them now appeared utterly dispirited and exhausted, reminding him of lesser demons who had been tormented for ages.

Behind them, Belial even saw other Abyssal Myths, who, if he remembered correctly, were named Hagnit and Diriel, sprawled lifelessly upon the ground, their faces filled with utter despair.

And beside them stood Duke Anduria, the Demonic Unicorn, his eyes vacant as he stared blankly toward the ceiling.

Under his breath, he continued muttering continously like a broken recorder:

“One elf… two elves… three elves…”

Upon seeing Belial, Luria and Alissa turned their gazes toward him.

Then, the two Abyssal Myths suddenly smiled, revealing expressions filled with indescribable meaning.

“Oh! Lord Belial… so you have arrived here as well?”

Arrived here?

Where exactly was this place anyway?

Looking at the complicated smiles on the two Abyssal Myths’ faces, whose smiles that seemed to contain sympathy, relief, amusement, consolation, and even a strange sense of liberation, Belial felt a chill slowly creep into his heart.

In the very next moment, a thick and powerful arm wrapped around his shoulder.

A burst of gloating laughter sounded from beside him, followed by an even more familiar voice.

“Hehehehehe… Hahahaha! Good, good! looks like another newcomer has arrived?”

“Well, well, well~ If it isn’t Belial of the Third Layer of Hell!”

“Heheheh, Belial, where’s Leviathan? Why didn’t that bastard come along with you?”

Belial turned around in shock, only to discover with utter disbelief that the speaker was none other than the Seventh Demon Lord, Azazel, who was rumored to have been sealed away by the Goddess of Life!

At this very moment, the Seventh Demon Lord had one arm wrapped around Belial’s shoulder while casually holding a fruit of some sort in the other hand, happily chewing away with a thoroughly delighted expression.

“Azazel…? where is this place?”

Belial swallowed nervously.

Azazel glanced at him with a deeply meaningful smile and chuckled.

“No rush, no rush.”

“You’ll understand soon enough.”

After speaking, a booklet suddenly appeared in his hand. Inside were illustrations of one magnificent palace after another.

“Heheheh, there should still be plenty of people arriving later, right? Since you’re the first one here, I’m in a good mood today, so I’ll allow you to pick whichever place you like~”

“Just don’t choose the ugliest ones. Those are being reserved for Leviathan and the others.”

Azazel said with a cheerful grin.

Behind him, a thick black tail swayed happily from side to side.

Belial: “…”

Could someone please tell him…

Where is he right now?

→⟐←

Above Mirovia.

Faced with the sudden turn of events, the remaining Abyssal Myths all fell into stunned disbelief.

Then, without the slightest hesitation, they turned and fled one after another.

Unfortunately for them, they did not get very far before being intercepted.

The difference in strength determined everything.

Eve’s figure flashed across the sky like a dancing butterfly. With every graceful movement, she would appear beside another fleeing Abyssal Myth.

Those who were ugly were immediately cut down without mercy by a single strike of her sword, all of their energy instantly absorbed.

Brilliant explosions of light bloomed across the skies like dazzling fireworks, except that every single burst represented the death of an Abyssal Myth.

As for those who appeared more pleasing to the eye, or who possessed some kind of potential value, Evé either sealed or bound them effortlessly with vines before casually tossing them into the Labyrinth Dungeon.

For a time, the entire sky became a chaotic scene of terrified Abyssal Myths fleeing desperately, while the beautiful and sacred goddess leisurely hunted them down with ease and elegance, as though performing a graceful dance.

Despairing screams echoed throughout the heavens.

The Abyssal Myths, who had been so arrogant only moments earlier, now resembled helpless chickens seized by an eagle, weak, pitiful, and utterly powerless.

In the blink of an eye, more than a dozen mighty Abyssal Myths were completely swept away by that beautiful and divine figure.

At last, calm returned to the skies.

On the ground below, players, elves, and even the demons themselves stared dumbfounded at the Goddess of Life who stood above all things and crushed everything in her path.

Seeing her, Aurora and the other demigods were filled with excitement.

However, Evé merely smiled faintly at them and gave a slight nod before transforming into a stream of light and vanishing once more.

This battlefield had already been resolved.

Another battlefield was still waiting for her elsewhere.

With Eve’s departure, Mirovia fell into silence.

Yet only moments later, as the players looked toward the demon army outside the city, dangerous glints began appearing in their eyes.

“The Goddess has finally descended! Charge out there! Kill those demons!”

Someone shouted excitedly.

Immediately afterward, all the players erupted into excited howls and charged out of the city toward the demons.

Seeing the players charging toward them with overwhelming momentum, the leaderless demons trembled in fear before instantly turning around and fleeing toward the sea without hesitation.

Their entire demon army collapsed on the spot.

Meanwhile, Demacia stood blankly atop the tower of Mirovia’s temple, staring absentmindedly at the bone whistle in his hand that he had not yet even blown.

“So… when exactly am I supposed to use the Death God’s Divine Punishment?”

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