Soul of Searing Steel

“How is it? Is there really no way to pick up Joshua’s signal?”

“There’s no use—the distance is just too far…”

In the Piroth Galaxy, the edge of the cosmos—at the center of a huge Void observation array that had been set up temporarily, the tired Rune Master Barnil shook his head at a group of Legends and divine beings. “It really isn’t a problem with our technology,” he said rather reluctantly, “but he…has already left the furthest distance for Void observation. Don’t you get it? It’s similar to how we basically cannot encounter entire cosmos from the Void—it could never be observed even if we build another observation array a hundred times larger than this one.”

“At best, we could laterally determine Joshua’s situation by observing the movements of the Evil God horde—in other words, by watching the changes in that darkness of the Void.”

Beside Barnil, William the Mind Lord, who appeared equally exhausted, was rubbing his forehead while smiling bitterly. “If the swarm of darkness still moves, it proves that Joshua is still alive…and that is about all that we could do. Moreover, look—isn’t there a crimson star in the skies which has never been observed before? I’m guessing that is a manifestation of Joshua’s own divine power.”

“Damn it!”

The God of Might and Justice almost swung out to hammer the cap of a control panel beside him in rage, although he stayed his hand before he really struck it. “He…” he seethed, gritting his teeth, “When did he set up all of these?! Such power, such preparations…it simply wouldn’t have been ready so quickly!”

“That would probably be right after he had destroyed the Evil God of Death.”

Yana Milo, a Legendary champion of the Glorious Era, was unsure what to say at the moment. In the end, the thousands of words and lines could only be summed up with a single sigh. “He had once sought me out alone to ask about details in regards to Project Rebirth…since he had slain the Evil God of Death, Joshua had always been worried about the appearance of a Galactic-class enemy, or what we now know as the Demi Saints, in the future.”

“‘The God of Death may have come to be from a single galaxy, but a single cosmos consists of almost endless galaxies. What if multiple Evil Gods of Death had been born in a place we don’t know of? And what should we do if they come for us?’…that had been Joshua’s own words.”

“I was even wondering why that person would only ever imagine such matters? After all, we would never win if there really were so many Demi Saints, and we could just die fighting…I never knew that his worries would prove to be true.”

Yana Milo could not help but want to cover her face as she recalled the image of the past. If Joshua had not prepared himself so completely out of his paranoia as she had thought, if he had fought the endless swarm of Chaos with only the power of Demi Saint, the cosmos would probably have been destroyed so coldly just like the home world of the Ultimate Sublimator Collective, finally reduced to nothingness within the darkness.

“Then what should we do?” Barbarossa asked hoarsely. The Element Maven had always been fighting in the frontline, seeking a Truth that belonged to himself in the grandest battlefield in this cosmos. Even after his ability had assuredly risen to the next level, Barbarossa did not feel delight at all, but simply brandished his scepter in frustration. “Doing nothing but just sitting around here and watching—that’s not true either, since we can’t see it…while Joshua fights on alone?”

Every Legend and god present were silent in response to the question, which was more rhetorical and aimed at the mage himself than inquiring of the others.

There was no doubt that every god and champion here had all been protected.

The hordes of Chaos had now assuredly left them alone and gone far, far away.

Because of Joshua’s infinitely determined and swift actions, those uncountable dark tentacles and the legions of Evil Gods that could drown the entire cosmos had certainly simply departed after a brushing the fringes of the cosmos—all of them were heading to the endless depths of the Void together with the warrior, never to appear before them ever again.

What sort of emotions would come from being protected?

Bliss, comfort, relaxation, delight?

No.

It was rage, self-blame, an agonizing hatred over one’s own weakness, along with a helpless misery and bewilderment.

To protect and be protect were at once the warmest and coldest bonds in the world, because the cost which was only paid by a single side would leave that which was protected at a loss.

“This situation is even more hopeless than back then.”

Having been knocked out of Joshua’s trail of flame and into the cosmos, the God of Order and Destruction clenched his fist in embarrassment. The beautiful blue-haired youth recalled the bygone memories, including the sight of the Sage luring swarms of Evil Gods and Fertility itself down to depths of the Abyss. “We…have been helpless…” he said, seething. “All along.”

“That is why we must become more powerful.”

The God of Life who had been unusually silent all along suddenly spoke, her tone at once solemn and filled with resolve. “All of us must become even stronger.”

“Whatever the cost may be.”

***

Meanwhile, the ‘God’ was not deliberately thinking about ‘protecting’.

It was done simply because it could be done, just as it was done because it had to be done. From start to end, all Joshua had been doing was to solve problems that were encountered and that could incidentally only be handled by himself. That was why he had resolved everything as if it was only natural without any exaggeration or praise, because all were as they should be.

In the distant Void and within empty husks left after countless cosmoses had fallen, a domain of nothingness so empty that its borders could not be observed from whichever angle, the Giant God who had been leading the legions of Evil Gods and streaking towards the distance at top speed all along hence turned his head.

He had turned to see the endless foes that were pouring towards him—the darkness which would overturn heaven and earth as they pressed towards him. Joshua did not even attempt to extend his view at the cosmos he had left, but instead raised his hand to look at the burning scarlet divine power upon it.

Over the prolonged pursuit, every crimson divine pattern had fully extended. Alongside Steel Strength, they had now become the whirling divine symbol, with divinity and divine power finally coming under the Giant God’s full control and becoming his power.

That was why now was the time to begin.

“I stand against the enemies of all life; I am the one and only who surpasses all.”

His voice echoed. In the face of the unending darkness, the four-armed Giant God spread his hands to profoundly declare his sacred words, speaking with utmost seriousness. “I am kinder than those who are kind, and even more evil than those who are evil.”

“I shall be fire if my foe is water, and the light if my foe is the darkness. If my foe brings ruin, I would bring forth greater ruin in salvation.”

The voice resounded over the Void just like the rumbling of a great bell, stirring a violent dimensional storm. The divine being who had abandoned even ‘future’ was beyond souls of steel, and it was in that declaration where he came alight. “I shall exact judgment upon all Chaos and evil, all darkness and vileness. I am the God of War, Resistance, and Transcendence!”

“To fight against all of you, that is why I have descended here.”

The transformation of the True God was fully accomplished—before, he had been merely a Demi Saint controlling great divine power.

And now, surging divine might had completely melded with the essence of the Demi Saint, becoming a part of himself.

The warrior who fought for no other was embodying miracles. The power that he had obtained not out of his desire to protect was now safeguarding the entire Multiverse!

In the illusory Void, another colossal rift had appeared again. The scarlet gap was expanding once more, causing the infinite power of the God of War to spill out from the Root and pour into the Giant God’s body!

Boom!

The Demi Saint Evil Gods, which were leading the pursuing Chaos, were hence firmly tethered where they were by the overflowing divine power of the Giant God. It was as if they were fishes struggling against a great torrent that could not advance an inch—in that same instant, a Demi Saint God which had never came to be in the Multiverse had thus been born.

Meanwhile, across the nearby cosmoses, the cosmoses that were further away over the Silent Void as well as the entire Multiverse, every being that would stand against the Chaos in the past, present, or even the future could hear the voice of that divine being.

In addition, all the other deities whose divinity concerned war, duels, challenge, slaughter, or destruction had lost a portion or the entirety their own power. They realized in panic that the door to the Root, which was perpetually open at every moment, was closing itself to Them—or more correctly, them! In the briefest of instants, they were no longer divine beings but mortals, with the divinity that once allowed their ascension as gods now waning like a fire in the storm, with its dousing imminent.

It was just that an even greater being was blocking everything from the Root, and it was actually a full obstacle that prevented the deities of conflict from using any of their divine powers. As an analogy, when the gods were drawing divine power previously, it had been no different from drawing water from the ocean, with the sea level never falling an inch even if millions of deities would draw from it at the same time. Now, however, it was as if that ocean had been frozen under the domination of a great will, with the other deities having to break the ice if they want to keep drawing divine power, heading to the depths where the oceans had yet to be claimed…and it was almost impossible.

Because the most powerful god of war in history would be there.

“No…”

Raising the great sword and the giant axe and aiming true at the horde of Evil Gods who were showing no fear and still raring to go, the divine being laughed and shook his head. “I am not some god of battle…”

“I am war itself!”

With those words, the burning great sword began to expand unbridled with the injection of divine power—in fact, it should not be called a sword as it was instead a complete, tailored world that was growing and strengthening in the god’s hand! Its world barrier was emanating dazzling luster as almost unending divine strength honed its edge into a blade, creating millions of overlapping dimensional storms, ever swirling and having the momentum to shatter everything!

One could even see boundless divine power constructing ruins within the world. Like in Stellaris, the world runes that were used for strengthening, boosting, and blessing the realm with the capacity to expand without end and absorb all energy were blossoming with unparalleled force. In fact, Joshua did not even have to exert his own power before it began to rotate on its own, growing as it consumed the Chaos!

Swinging such a blade and cutting through the Void imposingly, the infinite Chaos spawns were obliterated by the mere presence of the World Sword and diminished into nothingness. Ordinary Evil Gods were rapidly dissolving like snow beneath the sun as well, devoured by the great sword as its own power. It was only the Ultimate Legend-tier Evil Gods and the Demi Saint Evil Gods that could struggle or retaliate without being vaporized at once.

Be that as it may, just a brush of that blade had suppressed seventeen Ultimate Evil Gods and One Demi Saint Evil Gods, bound within the world inside the sword and worn down just like fuel.

Since the first swing of the sword proved effective, the next swing soon followed without hesitation—with Joshua lifting it aloft and chopping down directly, the crimson divine strength connected to the rift cut by the blade, slitting a massive cross in the Void that stormed towards the darkness once more.

Nonetheless, after the chase had lasted for so long, there were not too many weak spawns or ordinary Evil Gods left at the front of the legions of Evil Gods, with most being Ultimate Evil Gods and Demi Saint Evil Gods along with their spawns. Furthermore, as the divine power charged by Joshua stormed forth, several horrific presences that were no less inferior appeared from the dark horde as if in response!

There was no question that there were actually differences between the Demi Saints. One such as the Evil God of Cohesion, which became a Demi Saint not before, but after the fall of its civilization, was fated to be not that formidable after the fall of its civilization. On the other hand, what if a Demi Saint had been present in the former civilization of an Evil God before its fall? More than that, what if they had been the remains of neighbors to the earliest civilizations in the Multiverse which came up with the three paths: ‘Eternity’, ‘Infinity’, and ‘Absolute’?

Surely the power of those Evil Gods could not to be compared with normal Demi Saints’.

***

A dark nebula flowed away from the swarms of Chaos. It resembled a boiling smoke—volatile, rippling, a majestic and unobservable electron cloud that bounded towards the World Sword. Not only was it not cut down, but the nebula transformed instead, bending its edge and dispersing the dimensional storms it stirred. Even the runes that covered the blade was briefly losing effect due to the extremely unusual change, leaving a gap upon the World Barrier of the blade.

Joshua became alert in response. The Evil God before him was perhaps the Evil God of Upheaval which lay waste to the home cosmos of the Ultimate Sublimator Collective, an entity with its sheer presence leaving worlds in ruin. In the past, the Ultimate Sublimator Collective was not able to see the essence of its ability, and could only describe it as rapid turning—still, the Giant God understood from a single glance that the power it wielded was the essence of Chaotic futures which manipulated futures and possibilities!

The Evil God of Upheaval must have been one of the First Civilizations like the Evil God of Fertility, which was founded nearby the Initial Flame and bathed in its light. What had led to its destruction could have well been the personal handiwork of the Mastermind, a ruin caused by the rapidly shifting probabilities due to infinite futures! In turn, that ruin also imbued a part of the Mastermind’s attribute of Chaotic future upon the Evil God after the destruction of its civilization.

In reality, the so-called Upheaval was the creation of endless possibilities in which a target would be destroyed, implemented through universal constants, causing an outbreak of conflicts within civilizations. Endless futures would therefore mean endless possibilities—that is, endless upheavals!

It was the remains of a civilizations which was so ancient it could be traced back to Creation, just as it could have been able to destroy the Mastermind.

Regardless, it was now an enemy of Joshua’s.

The Evil God of Upheaval hence streaked past, dragging a distorted trail over the Void.

That was not all—another dark grey streak of light darted out of the Chaos swarm. It was the presence of a Demi Saint Evil God which was comparable to Upheaval, but Joshua did not have the time to examine its origins. In the face of those powerful foes that kept coming, he did not hesitate to swing his World Sword, stopping Upheaval from reaching himself, and raised his black giant axe aloft.

At present, the giant axe was not merely a weapon forged from Steel Strength and divine power either. If the immeasurably sturdy great sword had been crafted by imitating worlds, the giant axe was crafted in the form of the Darkest Abyss, an Axe of Finality materializing after consuming boundless Chaos and world fragments! It was the frame of a supermassive singular realm which was still growing even now in anticipation of the Big Bang, where it would be sprinkled with flesh of countless Evil Gods!

Brandishing the two weapons that were more divine realms than divine items, Joshua fearlessly advanced into the swarms of Chaos. In a split second, boundless light shone forth as Evil Gods that could destroy entire worlds and leave countless civilizations in palpating fear dissolved, while in the depths of the light, the Giant God was engaging several turbid Chaos in a melee, a Chaos that not even gods could look directly upon.

If it had been waged in a cosmos, their battle would have led to major destruction of worlds, even triggering a chain of collapse on the cosmic scale. It was only in the depths of the Silent Void and in the midst of cosmic corpses that their fight would not affect anything else—nevertheless, the light released by each swing of sword and axe would visibly create many a radiant sky, just as each strike of the Chaos upon the Giant God’s body could have broken worlds.

It was a long battle with massive shockwaves spreading and boundless energy accumulating, even creating an obscure nebula upon the Silent Void. The innumerable purified corpses of Evil Gods were combined with the divine withering ability of the god, birthing a sight that was essentially identical to the moment when the Multiverse gained form in the Void through the Initial Flame—the shape of many worlds were spawning from within as well, before being left in pieces by the shockwaves from the war.

To the people in the other cosmos, the scarlet divine light which hung over the Void had never once dimmed, just as it was an evidence and declaration that faraway, the warrior was still alive.

At the moment, one of the advantages of divine power was the unending reserves which might was hence revealed—even after fighting for so long, Joshua did not feel tired while his strength remained at peak levels without receding. It was as if every divine power across the Multiverse that was connected to war had gathered entirely upon him.

His eyes were ablaze, with worlds coming to be and ending within his eye sockets. The sheer energy contained had become vast streams of light that were granted divine strength and inscribed with runes, eventually becoming a bolt of lightning that struck upon the Chaos, repelling it. Hence, seizing the moment, Joshua brazenly swung his axe and hammered it upon Upheaval, at the cost of eating a direct strike from another Demi Saint Evil God.

In a split second, endless Chaos was absorbed in to the Axe of Finality, and then ejected as the shapes of countless worlds. Even if Demi Saint Evil Gods were near invincible and one as powerful as Upheaval could hardly be set on fire, a sufficiently large inferno would still burn mountains and boil seals.

Still, it would be a different case entirely if it was a body of water as massive as a planetary system which insides was changing dramatically to the point of birthing stars.

They must be weakened every step of the way if they were to be destroyed, and the Axe of Finality which simulated the Darkest Abyss was incidentally a weapon which did so. The power which had once converted the power of Evil Gods from an entire galaxy into the strength of a world was compressed into a single axe, and if struck, the exceedingly thick Chaos would at once assume the shape of a world and escape from the control of the Demi Saint Evil God.

At present, with Joshua’s strength to remaining at his peak whereas the Evil Gods fighting against him were weakening, the god’s victory was foreseeable if nothing unexpected were to happen.

Even so, would it be possible for nothing unexpected to happen in the Silent Void and the encirclement of infinite Chaos?

Joshua may have been maiming the Evil God of Upheaval with a chop of his axe and repelling another Demi Saint Evil God with a swing of his sword, but the warrior was still not showing any satisfaction—never-ending streams of Ultimate Evil Gods and Demi Saint Evil Gods were still lunging at him like a torrent.

After all, could the Chaos be limited just because divine power was unlimited? Even if a dozen ordinary Demi Saint Evil Gods and two of the stronger Demi Saint Evil Gods could not be a threat, would the encirclement of dozens of ordinary Demi Saint Evil Gods along with more than a few more formidable Demi Saint Evil Gods with the power of the Evil God of Upheaval also not pose a threat to him?

It would have been a situation that was certainly inevitable if he had kept fighting—held back by the powerful foes, the speed at which he streaked through the Void had greatly decreased. Ultimate Evil Gods notwithstanding, even ordinary Evil Gods or spawns were now keeping up with him, and Joshua could certainly see the Chaos swarm that was several times the volume of a cosmos once again hot on his heels, ensnaring him.

In the end, even if ordinary Evil Gods still could not get near him, he would not be able to run or escape under the engulfment of Chaos, and would ultimately fall to the growing circle of Demi Saint Evil Gods.

It appeared that he was at his limit.

Nonetheless, his expression was ever calm, never once losing composure.

***

Steel Strength was a power whereupon a trap lurked.

In this Multiverse where the Wise One of Steel might have perished, any being who would try to ascend as Demi Saints or Wise Ones in the power system of Steel Strength would definitely be caught in the pitfall set in place by the Mastermind, and hence be warped into a Demi Saint Evil God—the same rule applied to psionic energy, with Joshua himself having personally seen several Demi Saint Evil Gods of such origins.

On the other hand, the Demi Saint paths such as becoming a world like a supermassive singular realm, Stellaris, or even the Ultimate Sublimator Collective was actually too narrow. While fine as weapons, it was all they could be, and not a power of resistance.

That was why now, with other paths being incomplete and not too functional, he could only choose to become a deity and use the primeval Extraordinary to face those foes of all life.

Be that as it may, he had also reached the limits of divine power. Other power systems would fluctuate—they could burst or wither, allowing one to easily defeat an opponent of the same level when peaking, but also leading to inescapable defeats when weakened. It was different for divine power, however, since it would perpetually stay at a peaking state without any fluctuations, and would certainly neither burst nor wither.

Perhaps one could describe the burst as being equal to dying, for Divine Death was a Sword of Damocles hovering above the heads every deity, threatening them from ever using the height of their power.

But that applied to deities afraid of dying.

Taking a deep breath, Joshua roared once.

Having already been prepared, scarlet flames once against ignited over his body as broiling divine power poured down from the Root, imbuing itself upon his body as if commanded by a god—and without hesitation or pause, Joshua simply and simply drove his power beyond his limits, up to the threshold of Divine Death!

Boom!

The already grievously injured Evil God of Upheaval was hence shattered into a few chunks. Then, with the swing of the great sword, the chunks were blown away by the horrific force in the back of the sword, with the pieces disintegrating even in the Void. Then, another Demi Saint Evil God which resembled a dark vortex was also directly set upon by the Giant God—two titanic hands covered in divine light reaching from above and below, and hence punched from dark vortex into two dimensional lines of a swirls by the force comparable to the Big Bang, before being ignited and reduced to ashes.

The Last Flame was ablaze! That exceedingly dazzling and conspicuous scarlet divine light had completely illuminated all surrounding darkness!

And now, it was not just the dark swarm which was coming at Joshua—every Evil God, every element of Chaos and all of the darkness which had yet to arrive and were still invading other cosmoses had all turned their eyes, ceasing their assault at hand and left raring to go towards that same faraway place.

Because all of them could see a scarlet star hanging at the highest point over the Void, where the most glaring Eternity was—it was alight in a blaze as if to gather all power from present to the end futures into this single moment, while shining with a splendor that illuminated the entire Multiverse!

***

Meanwhile, in that very moment, still caught in the lethal battle against Evil Gods and the terrible melee against the Chaos where death was destined, there was only calmness within Joshua’s heart.

[War.

If such is my fate.

I would triumph over it too.]

Even if he had already pushed his power to the limit of Divine Death and was feeling the incessantly growing and expanding ‘pull’ from the Root and the Initial Flame, Joshua still felt no fear because he had never been afraid of his own death or hesitant about his own ruin. Swinging great sword and giant axe, the Giant God who had set himself in flames mercilessly cut down every Chaos and Evil God coming at him, only feeling a tiny shred of disappointment.

It was disappointment that his own path could not come to fruition. It would have been a path laden in beautiful sights even if difficult, and he had imagined that he would hence become a Wise One with it.

Nonetheless, he had been the one to severe that hope.

“And it was clearly a path that fits my own identity.”

Be that as it may, the faint regret quickly diminished, for the god who was reveling in battle soon no longer had the time to spare for excess thoughts—because more and more unending waves of stronger Evil Gods were assaulting him once again, bent on killing the Flame that was him.

And at that very moment, the divinity which the God of Conservation and Reformation as well as the God of Love and Death left, along with the Steel Pythons hosted in Joshua’s body could feel a searing presence extending from every corner of his form. Though those still-existent intelligent minds knew about the path they themselves had chosen, they could not help but be emotional now.

Karlis the Steel Python gazed upon its all, watching as the profound divine power not only destroyed the Evil Gods before their eyes, but even their very essence. He could also see that warm and radiant Flame descending from endless distance, guiding the most powerful god that there was back to its embrace.

But before that, it would be them—the children of Flame and Steel—who returned first.

“Joshua…you are no longer you, just as you are still you.”

Before being led away by the great fiery light, the Steel Python spoke softly as if to itself. “Ah, Sage…so you had fought like this against the Chaos all those years ago? The extinction of the people of Karlis truly cannot be compared to this at all—it really wasn’t your fault…”

“But now, I can finally stand alongside an heir of yours. He is actually a stronger and more determined person…it…it is a pity…just as it is a blessing…Joshua, I don’t have to see your final moments, before I…leave…”

Meanwhile, Joshua—or more precisely, the warrior could no longer hear any sound.

Even the armor of Steel Pythons was at its limit.

Still, it was in the endless battle that Joshua suddenly realized something.

The last moment of Divine Death was about to come.

In response, Joshua simply smiled.

It was such a rapid, powerful, and overwhelming force that was fuelling him into the Flame, to go to that place where the gods would slumber in absolute peace and serenity.

“So…that is the Initial Flame?” he said quietly before firmly shaking his head. “However, I am not going to rest in peace just like that!”

“I am the King of Searing Soul, the Lord of All Armies.”

“The hope of becoming stronger, the expectations of the future, the path of the Wise Ones, the yearning for life. Kinship, bonds, memories, even name—I could give up and sacrifice all of those things.”

The God of War and Slaughter’s final solemn declaration echoed throughout the Void.

There was now no longer any other color other than divine scarlet crimson in Joshua’s eyes, just like a fire that was reaching its end.

“I shall embrace death and the inferno!” He laughed. “I shall embrace all miserable Chaos and this dark Multiverse!”

Divine power burst out as the final moments of Divine Death approached.

There was neither sadness nor tears.

The god had relinquished everything, just as he embraced everything.

Around him, even the Demi Saint Evil Gods were being repelled even if it was only his light, unable to advance even an inch. Some had hissed and tried to rush up and drown out the illumination, only to drown in it instead.

At that very moment, the god, whose entire body was filled with golden cracks from which unending godly flame leaked, threw away the sword and axe in his hand. As the very last moments come, he chose to stride ahead by himself, laughing as he dashed to the infinitely dark Chaos. The blaze that was flowing from his body would ignite Evil Gods just by brushing at them, leaving even Demi Saint Evil Gods terribly hurt—at the same time, the warrior carefreely split upon his own chest, at once destroying his own divine form and letting inexhaustive divine power burst out from it, consuming all that was around him.

The frame of one world after another were overflowing from the ripples resulting from the battle between god and Chaos. Each darted away and imprisoned one Evil God after another similar to how the Evil God of Wither had been bound, converting them into worlds of Order ever so gradually. At the same time, the god, who had completely torn open his own chest, exposed the core silver world at the core. Joshua unleashed the last bit of his power which far surpass ordinary Demi Saints’ to pull in every Demi Saint Evil Gods within reach, forcefully binding them and sealing them within his own body.

Infinitely dazzling radiance also began to shine in that single moment.

At the same time, the scarlet rift which had been hovering beside the deity was now turning physical from its previously intangible form, whereas the scarlet radiance from the divinity of war was also becoming thinner and transparent, like a radiance covering everything.

It was the light of the Initial Flame.

***

Transcending the endless dimensions and the entire Multiverse, the light of all origins had hence arrived. It gently shone upon the body of the god, bringing along a pull of abundant, unstoppable power. At the same time, some infinite will that existed in the Initial Flame appeared to have sensed something, but the conflict between the profound was ever so tremendous and unstoppable that there was neither opening nor any power that could do anything about it.

The tender light of the flame instantly extinguished every power around the Silent Void with complete equality, save for divine power. Be that as it may, there was still unending darkness approaching, as if a slit had been cut into the gloomy skies. Even with distant sunlight shining upon the sea’s surface, both the darkness in the depths of the sea and the ever present dark clouds were only briefly forced away.

“All that is darkness…”

“I will be your ruin!”

In the end, the god who was still sealing Evil Gods was no longer to be seen. Only a voice that was becoming fainter and indistinct resounded from the light, with a vague silhouette seemingly still brandishing his fist as if to punch out at the endless dark Chaos…or at the Initial Flame which was pulling everything towards it.

It is not as if the Initial Flame can’t be fought.

Amidst that tender radiance, the man who would fight until the end was laughing.

Then, the light in his eyes vanished.

The Flame receded, its radiance diminishing.

The consciousness of a divine being had left the Multiverse and returned to the fold of the Initial Flame.

[To continue the good fight in the quest for freedom, the Last Flame was gliding through the darkness.]

[Saving the shuddering stars with eternal and the endless battle.]

The faraway starlight glimmered from a distant place, while the inexhaustive darkness churned and drowned the very edge of dimensions.

***

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Void in the cosmos, the crowd which had been waiting for a long time saw that crimson star hanging aloft in the skies promptly gaining magnificence before abruptly darkening, with countless people hence shedding tears or left mourning.

As if it was the end everything, even if it was all far from over.

Whether man or god, warrior or Joshua, his battle—or indeed His battle—was far from over.

Boom!

Another rumble echoed through the Void.

After the consciousness had departed, after the mind had diminished, after all soul and intelligence had returned to the Initial Flame, the body of the Giant God was still firmly moving. It did not hesitate to lunge at once at the multitude of Evil Gods that were at a loss as they roamed the Void, seemingly to find their next target.

It had already been consumed by Chaos, with its core silver world having been dyed pitch-black by the many Evil Gods it had forcibly sealed—but the man’s intended effect was taking root.

As the Giant God body which had now lost all restraint and all control, it continued to fight in accordance to the last command that his mind had entrusted it! It began to absorb the power of all Evil Gods around itself, and hence, in that part of the Void which was unspeakably distant from its home cosmos, a dark world began to uncontrollably devour, convert, and involve!

Copious mass began to drag against everything around it, the inexhaustive gravity spreading towards the endless distance. Uncountable shapes of worlds hence encircled the dark world that would not stop devouring Evil Gods, orbiting, growing, and waiting.

Was that the end?

Far from it.

***

Another long period had passed.

In the large observation array built at the edge of the Cosmos, Zero Three, Black, and Light had been keeping their eyes on the depths of the endlessly distant Silent Void day after day. They certainly saw nothing, since that sector seemed to have been completely covered in Chaos after the scarlet star was gone. There were only the squirming motions of certain monumental darkness leaving or advancing.

Even so, they had no intention on giving up.

None of the others would stop them, because the observation array was valuable, even if only to check if those hordes of Evil Gods were returning. Moreover, there was certainly nothing sinister about Zero Three, Black, and one World Will voluntarily stationing themselves there—all in all, the champions had many things to do, since whether it was to restore worlds, groom the next generation of champions, or make contact with the other cosmoses, everything required time and effort.

Hence, day after day and year after year, the dimensions began to change color while the stars changed their orbits.

Black, now a Legendary Ancient Dragon, had once again arrived upon the core hub of the observation array.

She still had hope but she was not expectant. Compared to using the instrument and gazing into the distance, the dragon girl would prefer to head out to the distant Void with her own power and see for herself the last resting place of his master.

Shedding tears? Be miserable? Be at a loss? Such emotions were meaningless, as her master had told her a long time ago. She had abandoned such things as well as her own laziness, only ever determinedly going forward just like what that man expected of her.

Sitting down at a familiar place, Black handily scanned through the volumes of data over the screen. She read everything seriously, but most information was identical to those before and had no value—but even so, the dragon girl still carefully noted everything without fail into her mind, comparing it to the information that Zero Three had sent to her after taking the last shift.

“Eh?”

Black suddenly murmured softly, puzzledly stroking her own horns and turning to another panel. “Why…why is it all empty?”

Her brow tightening, Black quickly moved to the main controller seat and shifted the direction of the observation array with her own clearance, charging, to examine the anomaly at the place where that man had left, bringing along endless Evil Gods of Chaos.

Even so, that sector was simply empty no matter how many times she checked—at first, there were still some shadows shifting or miniscule dimensional ripples.

Now, however, there was simply nothing, with a naught recorded in the data.

“No, that’s not right.” Black mumbled. “That’s impossible…why is it empty?”

Then, she thought of an unthinkable possibility.

But it was also the only possibility.

***

“What is it, Black? What have you found?!”

Soon, with a powerful ripple of magical energy, Zero Three’s clone had appeared along with Light, The God of Might, Nostradamus, as well as every other god and champion, both from Mycroft or foreign.

Everyone learned that Black had suddenly moved the observation array wildly to scan the depths of the Void, but they were not concerned with Black going berserk. After all, with such a long time having passed, the living had to move forward even if there was sadness in their hearts, or they would be letting down those who sacrificed themselves.

However, what they found was the black dragon girl sobbing silently as she was sprawled over the control panel. She had already stopped moving the array, with the center screen displaying a blank Void.

“He did not leave us…”

Black’s words were muffled as she sobbed. “Master is still with us…fighting and protecting us…”

Clenching her hands, Zero Three gravely stepped forward, carefully scanning all data and crosschecking it with the data she had gathered after such a long time, counting, theorizing.

Eventually, her hands relaxed, and she began to tremble.

And her eyes were becoming misty too.

It did not take long for everyone present to gasp in surprise. All of them, without exception, were watching that part of the Void but hardly able to hold back their shock, emotion and astonishment.

The truth was very simple.

Because almost all of the greatest assaulting swarms of darkness in the history of the Multiverse had been destroyed in one fell swoop, with the temporal trap that completed shrouded the former fields of battle having assumed form before the eyes of all.

In this Multiverse that was at once too cruel and very tender, as long as one was powerful enough…

…even death was nothing other than the beginning of a new battle.

Volume Nineteen, The Last Flame. End.