[213] The War of the South Pole

Chapter 213: The War of the South Pole

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Blocks of red energy dissipated around him and his form materialized on the other side of the world. The Chaotic Clown of Catastrophe groaned as he appeared inside the South Tower. “Fucking hell! Goddamit, fuck!”

The first thing he did was slam his hand against the table nearby, shattering it. His enraged shouts were with the intent to kill, but there was nobody nearby to take his anger out on.

“Hey, calm there~” one of his fellow Gods, who had already been there before he teleported, said with suppressed laughter.

The Clown shot that person a glare, eyes darting past his surroundings. The dark, foreboding walls of the ancient structure seemed to pulsate with malevolent energy, casting long, ominous shadows that danced eerily in the dim light. His tall, lanky frame, adorned in a patchwork of colorful yet grotesque clown attire, appeared hunched and twisted, his face painted in a maniacal grin that opposed his rage.

His eyes, wild and bloodshot, looked at his fellow Divinity with a deranged intensity. Beside him, Umbrithar and Ryxara stood in stark contrast; a shady doctor and a dark beauty.

The Obsidian Stalker, Umbrithar, was a figure shrouded in darkness, his plague doctor mask adding a chilling air of mystery to his presence. The black cloak he wore seemed to merge seamlessly with the shadows, his raspy breathing the only sound emanating from him; otherwise, he was as calm as ever. It wasn’t him who spoke, he wasn’t the type to laugh and joke.

Ryxara, the Enchantress of Shadows, exuded an aura of seductive menace that would send any mortal into a lustful frenzy. It was her who spoke earlier, that wench. Her long, purple hair flowed like a river of alight shadows, and her gothic attire clung to her lithe frame. Purple lipstick and nails added to her dark allure.

The Chaotic Clown stared at her amethyst eyes with a glare, and in response, her eyes only sparkled with a cruel amusement.

She looked at him with a mixture of disdain and curiosity. "You can always pick a new Avatar, come on, don’t be childish, Malakar," Ryxara remarked, calling him by his name rather than title, her voice a sultry whisper that echoed through the chamber.

That smile made Malakar the Clown tremble in madness. Umbrithar shook his head, his voice a low growl. "Be careful with names, Enchantress."

She waved him off dismissively. "There are six of us here, half of Atlanton. Code names are just a bother now, what are we trying to hide?" She twirled a lock of her hair around her finger, her lips curling into a sly smile.

That was one thing Malakar agreed with her about. Ignoring her, since he would rather not give into in-fighting at these times, he let a mad grin widen his lips.

He turned away, his laughter echoing through the tower. "It doesn't matter what you call me, I'm enraged regardless. This Harbinger of Madness is madder than ever!" He let out an angry growl, a sound filled with twisted delight.

“Oh-ho~ look at him,” Ryxara covered her mouth with a fan and giggled.

"I… I need to be fast here! I'll tear apart the enemies here first and then return to the North Tower to deal with that woman. That whore!” The visage of that odd Goddess of Light flashed by his eyes, “I saw she’s got a daughter. I’ll capture them both, break both of their bodies and turn her daughter into my Avatar. I'll make her watch helplessly!"

Ryxara snickered, her eyes gleaming with malice, although her snicker held both humor and ridicule. Umbrithar remained silent, his gaze fixed on some distant point.

While the clown laughed like a maniac, filling the chamber with the echo of his creepy laugh, Ryxara tilted her head, her curiosity piqued. "What's on your mind, Umbrithar?"

He glanced at her, his voice a cold whisper. "Well, I've sent my Avatar to that second sun, Heaven, to cause a ruckus. He’s going to kill some strong souls there and cause a big scene, which will distract the Goddess who descended to the mortal world. She’ll be forced to return, leaving the fight against the North Tower. I’m just hoping my Avatar will be fast in his job."

Ryxara raised an eyebrow. "So you’re just worried about the timing, and not his life. Well it’s a low-class world anyway, I guess it makes sense.”

Umbrithar nodded. "Hmm. The Dimensional Suppression is the strongest if we stand on this planet since this is the Central World of this universe. So the suppression of his abilities will be slightly weakened once he slips inside the sun, from then it’ll be easy to take care of this mission thanks to his space powers."

When individuals from another universe invade the local [Heart of the Way] – also known as the [Will of the Universe] or [Heavenly Dao] – don’t take kindly to it. So it would often suppress the invaders’ level to a certain degree. The Gods of Atlanton were no exception, even if they could indeed tap into their true forms for a bit.

After conquering this planet, which was the Central Planet of this universe, the suppression will vanish. “If you say so,” Ryxara said, shrugging her shoulders.

The two Gods returned their attention to Malakar who had stopped laughing. “Argh,” he groaned again, louder this time, as he stepped closer to a window.

The view outside was bleak and desolate, the landscape scarred by old, raging battles as well as the general energy of the Blood Tower. "Stop chatting already. Let's finish the stupid bastards already."

Ryxara and Umbrithar nodded in unison. "Sure." That’s what they were here for, to eliminate the otherworlders who dared try to eat from their plate.

Malakar's grin grew even wider if that were possible. “I sense them nearby, let’s send a gift first before we go,” With a snap of his fingers, commanding the Blood Tower, he called forth otherworldly portals to open up across the landscape.

These were the same portals that have been spewing out monsters into this world for the last decade. The Gates.

From these swirling vortexes, hordes of monstrous creatures began to pour out, their roars and screeches filling the air. The ground trembled as the horde charged toward the enemy frontlines, a dark wave of chaos and destruction.

The only reason these nearby kingdoms hadn’t fallen already, the only reason a frontline existed, was because that fool Ignaroth, the Demonic Phoenix, was too cautious and cared too much about saving resources. Since there were no threats, he decided to preserve these monsters. Now, it was time to let them out.

Indeed, the Outer Gods’ demonic forces hadn’t ever gone all out. That was about to change. Malakar’s eyes gleamed with madness and anticipation as he watched his ‘welcome gift’ surge forward.

"Let the fun begin," he cackled, his voice dripping with sinister glee. After the horde vanished, he and his fellow gods also took the air.

Small butterflies flapped their wings, and the multiverse trembled.

Just like that, the first war that would incite the legendary event that would be titled The Crisis on Infinite Worlds began.

****

The battlefield roared with the racket of war, a dance of chaos and destruction. Elara and Sieran moved through the crowd of demons with a grace and fury that left the frontlines in awe.

Every swing of Elara's spear erased hundreds of demons, her movements were like a blur of deadly projectiles. Sieran's spells crackled through the air, arcs of lightning and blasts of pure energy reducing the demonic horde to ash.

The frontline was composed of the bravest fighters, war generals, legendary hunters, and students from the Academy, and even the Emperor himself, yet they could only watch. They stood in awe, unable to move, their breaths caught in their throats as they witnessed the two women obliterate the enemy with ease.

Two-headed trolls fell to the dance of supercharged lightning, demonic griffins fell to the slash of stellar mana, and dark-skinned titans fell to their combo attacks. There was little resistance as the two forces of nature clashed against the other world’s inhabitants.

The battle continued for hours, the enemy numbers decreasing by the second until it reached zero. As the last of the nearest batch of demons fell, the remaining demons, sensing the futility of their assault, turned and fled. Elara and Sieran stopped to wipe sweat from their foreheads, sighing to relax.

“Done for the day,” Elara said, and Sieran nodded.

“Seems so.”

The onlookers ran to them to hand them wet towels to wipe themselves, led by the Emperor and five generals who followed him. Since these two came here yesterday, the forces of Pangeal didn’t need to move at all. The Hero’s Party, even if it was just two of them, was enough to take care of half of the world’s demons with little sweat.

“I must thank you once again for your presence, Grand Duchess and Great Sage,” the Emperor of Thyranais said, a silver-haired man with golden eyes. If one closely paid attention, they’d notice his skin was a tint redder than normal.

“It’s my duty, young man,” Elara said to her descendant, the Emperor, resting her spear over her shoulders. “I’ve been neglecting my duty for a long time now, but it’s time I take care of it. We’ll move further to the South Pole once the Hero comes here.”

“Ah, yes, of course,” the Emperor nodded. He was still stunned at the news she brought with her, that the Hero had returned, but what could he do but believe her? Plus Sieran the wise also supported the claim, so while Elara could be hallucinating his presence knowing her mindset, the Emperor trusted the wise High Elf.

“Then, please let us return to the camp,” he said to the two ladies, turning around to lead them ahead. It was then that a large shadow fell from the skies.

A serpentine, coiling dragon cast a shadow down on the battlefield. Everyone’s head shot up in shock, and a shadow descended from the sky, landing gracefully beside them.

Aqua, with his black hair ruffled by the wind, stood tall and imposing. His presence was immediately felt, and the atmosphere shifted. The said dragon also lowered, which caught a few of the general’s attention.

“E-Emperor, it’s a serpent monster! We need to-”

“Princess Thalia, calm down,” the Emperor spoke softly to his daughter, one of the generals on this battlefield, as his eyes were locked on not the dragon but the man who had fallen from the skies. He went on one knee, startling everyone in the area, “I greet the Hero of Legends, ancestor Babylon.”

The onlookers gasped, looking away from the dragon and toward the young man in the Hero’s old armor. He didn’t carry his iconic sword, but the sword he did carry had a hole sheen to it nonetheless. The wind blew, dust rose, and the Hero faced the kneeling Emperor.

"Rise, and well done," he said, his voice carrying over the battlefield. “You’ve held on for long. Your persistence will be rewarded with a victory today.” He declared.

The current Princess of the empire, Thalia, looked at her kneeling father in shock, a deep frown on her brows. She held back from saying anything as her father rose. A few others fell from the skies, from above the dragon’s back.

The Saintess touched the ground, and her presence all but confirmed that this man was indeed the Hero. The dragon itself had transformed into a beautiful woman, winking and waving at the previously scared crowd.

“Ser!!” Elara rushed to him, her eyes lighting up with a mix of relief and joy. She hugged him tightly and kissed him passionately, not caring about the eyes watching them.

Some soldiers gasped, some young men jealous, while Mem and Shoko, standing nearby, remained silent, their expressions unreadable.

"It's good to see you both safe," Aqua said once the kiss ended, his eyes meeting Sieran's.

Sieran nodded, a rare smile touching her lips. "Mhm. I'm glad you had a safe journey.”

Aqua turned his attention to Emperor Thyranais, who was standing nearby, his armor gleaming in the morning light. He was a large man, with hair white not from age, but from birth. War generals, legendary hunters, professors, and students from the Academy stood behind him.

"Your Majesty," Aqua greeted, extending his hand. A normal man would kneel, but the emperor had already kneeled in front of him, it was clear whose position was higher here. The Emperor grasped it firmly, a look of respect in his eyes.

"Sir Seriphoth," the Emperor said, his voice strong. "The Grand Duchess has spoken much of your return, but seeing you here... it's almost unbelievable."

Aqua smiled, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "I understand your skepticism. It's been a long time." Someone in his position shouldn't take unbelievable rumors at face value, even if they came from a seemingly reliable source. It was good a quality.

The Emperor nodded, his gaze steady. "Just being in your presence ascertains victory in my heart. You may think I'm just being polite, but it truly does feel that way in this old man's heart.”

Aqua's smile widened. "I'm glad to hear that. We'll need that spirit in the days to come. You'll rule for a long time, given your blood.”

“Aha, yes of course,” his eyes twinkled. So he can tell what flows through my blood? Or did the Duchess tell him?

The Thyranais Imperial Family often married the descendants of the Babylon Duke Family, due to how talented and influential those members became. Since Babylon was a family name Seriphoth chose when he was promoted as a noble, it wasn't an extension of the Imperial Family. The blood was far enough to marry without any issues. Due to this, the coming Emperors sometimes had both family's blood flowing within. Just like the current emperor. Although to be more accurate, he was a bit more peculiar than that.

Previously some Emperors had the blood of both the Royal family and the Duke family, however, the latter was only from Elara’s side. The Duke family, after all, was divided in two.

There was no Emperor who had the blood from the demonic side of the Babylon family, the Demoness’ descendants. None, before this Emperor himself. In fact, it was even more intricate than that. The last Emperor was Elara's descendant, and the wife he took was Lilithra’s descendent, and that's how this Emperor was born. The current Emperor was a direct descendant of both of Aqua's wives. Aqua found himself slightly excited by the revelation when Sieran had explained it to him earlier.

"So, you're my great-grandson," After talking for a bit more, Aqua said with a chuckle.

The Emperor laughed, a sound filled with warmth and pride. "The honor is mine, ancestor."

Beside the Emperor stood his eldest daughter, the Princess Thalia. She eyed Aqua with suspicion, her gaze sharp and calculating.

This man... the hero, huh, she thought, her brow furrowing. I never understood why people worship him like this when it's his foolishness that got him killed. The older generation demons were untrustworthy, unlike me and my father, who are mixed blood. Why would anybody trust a demoness?

Princess Thalia was part of the group that didn't fully believe in the Hero's legendary tales. If my stay in this camp has taught me anything, it's that rumors are often exaggerated. Barely surviving an encounter with a beast is spread around as having bravely and easily defeated that beast. He's probably not as strong as the legends, maybe even weaker than the current Lady Elara and Sieran, since they've had centuries to train, while he was nowhere to be seen.

It was good to be skeptical, so while Aqua noticed her glare, he didn't mind it.

While he conversed with the Emperor about some stuff, Quetzalcoatl, in her human form, watched the area with bored eyes. “Haah, when does this get good?”

Beside her, the Saintess, who had been unusually silent, caught the attention of the other two wives. Her quiet demeanor did not go unnoticed by them, who exchanged curious and worried glances.

“What's up with her?”

“Better to ask her than ponder about it.”

“Should I?” Elara crossed her arms, tilting her head. “Nah, never mind. I'll ask once all this ends.”

By then, Aqua's talk with the Emperor had come to an end. It was time to let his decision be known. His voice broke the silence, drawing everyone's attention. "Your Majesty, we need to evacuate the area. The fire of war will soon rage through these lands, and it's best if you and your people are far from here."

The Emperor nodded, his face serious. "I understand. We'll begin preparations immediately." Rather than try to offer their measly strength to these overpowered individuals, the Emperor was wise to take the order.

For the next hour, the camp was a flurry of activity as the Emperor and his people prepared to leave. Due to the urgency, they were forced to abandon much of their gear and supplies, taking only what was essential. Yet, under the Emperor's command, there was a sense of order and discipline among the ranks despite the urgency.

However, before they could depart, a dark shadow fell over the camp. For an instant they thought Quetzalcoatl had transformed again, but when they looked up their heart dropped.

Where they expected a serpentine dragon coiling overhead, they rather found a horde of monsters this time. They emerged from the horizon, uncountable in number, rushing out from the South Pole with the speed of a tsunami. A whole lot of True Grade Ahaiyutes, demonic dragons, and legendary beasts led the charge, their roars shaking the very ground.

“Oh, Goddess,” the Emperor's face paled, and his daughter's eyes widened with fear.

"Father..." she whispered, her voice trembling. It was a much larger horde than they'd ever faced, no, it was larger than all the horde they'd faced combined.

How many monsters were there?

Ten thousand? Hundreds of thousands? Millions?!

“This… this is bad,” the Emperor sweated even as he grabbed his long sword. Since the Hero was here, not all of them would probably die, but a considerable portion of them would be sacrificed. They should have been quicker!

Elara stepped forward, her spear ready. "How annoying. I'll take care of it, you guys—"

Aqua stepped ahead of her, his long hair swaying in the wind. The wind whistled a song. "No, I'll handle this."

He stepped ahead, his sword glinting in the light. All the battlefield’s eyes locked on him. Expectations and awe filled the air as he let out a deep breath, his eyes narrowing as he focused on the approaching horde.

"Grand Chariot: 7th Star, Dubhe." He held his sword instead of swinging it, muttering the attack names to assert his Sage’s authority. "Vagabond Style, Form Two, Sword that Beheads the Ocean."

Yet, he remained in his pose. The world seemed to hold its breath, he didn't swing his blade just yet. The 2nd Vagabond style was intended for a wide-range attack, but it wasn't enough to cover such a large area with his current strength. So he needed to tap into higher skills for this.

Aqua's blade vibrated, the world began to hum… and an Icon formed in the sky.

The same Icon that had tried to manifest itself when he fought against Ranefer for the first time with the Sword of Xolotl, once again pushed to claim him. In truth, he had awakened it two months ago just in case.

The [Sword Icon] manifested overhead.

Aqua leaped into the sky, towards the incoming horde. The breath that the world was holding exploded as Aqua's sword technique erupted with the power of a thousand volcanoes.

The weight of a dying star crushed down on the horde, and fourteen thousand deep slashes of his blade rushed forward. The destructive force was akin to a nuclear explosion, erasing the monstrous horde in a single, blinding attack.

— Boom-Boom-Boom-Boom-Book-....

— Boom-Boom-Boom-Boom-....

— Boom-Boom-Boom-....

— Boom-Boom-....

— BOOM-....!!!

Hundreds of kilometers were overtaken by monsters, and all of them were clouded by the light of explosion by the time his attack ended.

As the light faded and the sounds returned, everyone stood in stunned silence, their eyes wide with awe. Aqua landed back on his feet, calmly tucking his sword back into its sheath, his expression etched with a smile.

Elara, Sieran, and the rest of the frontlines could only stare in amazement. The Princess's suspicions melted away, replaced by sheer awe. Behind them, everyone fell to their knees.

“T-the Hero!”

“THE HERO!”

People cheered as if their life depended on it.

Aqua turned to the Emperor and his daughter, his voice steady. "Now, let's get you all to safety."

The Emperor found it hard to speak. He closed his wide mouth, nodding fast, his voice filled with gratitude. "Thank you, Sir. We'll do so right away."

With the horde defeated and the path clear. Aqua and his allies stood guard, ensuring the safe departure of the Emperor and his people.

The battle for Thyranais had only just begun, but with Aqua leading the charge, hope burned brighter than ever.

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