Sovereign of the Ashes

As the war in Divine Descendants World continued, many creatures on the battlefield caught sight of a demonic figure wreathed in deep blue flames, roaming multiple battlefields west of the Western Continent.

Wherever he appeared, resistance crumbled before him.

The weaker creatures fighting across the Divine Descendants World began calling this mighty demon king the Dark Blue Demon, a title inspired by the deep blue law flames surrounding him.

That demon was none other than Sein, who had activated his elemental and lawful form.

He was putting his newfound strength to the test.

After years of war, the resistance of Divine Descendants World had grown increasingly feeble.

No one knew how much longer Overgod Marduk could hold out, but his minions were clearly reaching their limit.

Sein had grown considerably wealthier from the immense spoils he had gathered throughout the war.

His earlier offer to trade fairly with the Demon Clan had not been mere lip service.

However, the fact that the demon had left without collecting his payment genuinely caught Sein by surprise.

With that, the Demon Clan had effectively returned the favor they owed him.

Besides, Sein had barely interacted with them lately.

“That guy’s getting stronger way too fast! He only spent a few years in the laboratory, yet his strength has already increased by this much!” Belphane exclaimed from one corner of the battlefield as she watched Sein rampage unchecked in the distance.

Standing beside her was Mel, the Rank Four Dragon Warlock.

As a spellcaster herself, Mel knew that Sein’s strength could not have undergone such a dramatic transformation without years of preparation.

The peak Rank Five elemental power radiating from him was the result of everything he had accumulated over the years, not merely the breakthroughs he had achieved during his most recent five years of research.

Sein had likely begun laying the groundwork for the next phase of his research as early as his departure from the Dawn Empire.

Back then, he had only just advanced to the late stage of Rank Five.

No wonder Belphane was so astonished by the speed of his growth.

Mel and Belphane had also grown rapidly throughout the Clash of Civilizations, but they still could not keep pace with Sein.

“Have you tried the Blood Crystal Potions Sein gave you last time?” Mel asked.

“Not yet. What about you?” Belphane replied.

“You should find a chance to take it and see for yourself. Master Sein’s attainments in body tempering and apothecary have already surpassed ours by a considerable margin. And his expertise isn’t limited to elemental magic. He has also achieved remarkable results in mechanical arts,” Mel said.

“If I use all the Blood Crystal Potions he gave me, I should be able to advance by at least one minor stage. You should gain quite a bit of strength as well,” she added earnestly, patting Belphane on the shoulder.

Despite her youthful appearance, she spoke with the solemn air of a seasoned elder.

Belphane’s eyes immediately lit up.

“For real?”

Before Mel could say anything else, the Rank Six female knight pulled out a vial of blood-red potion and drained it in a single gulp.

Knights were nothing if not decisive.

As the potion entered Belphane’s body, a violent surge of power began building within her blood.

She tossed the empty vial aside, released a low growl, and entered combat mode before charging toward the nearest battlefield.

The God of Black Mist and several others were currently ganging up against a Rank Five native deity there.

The outcome had long since been decided, but Belphane’s arrival brought the battle to an even swifter end, like an autumn gale sweeping away fallen leaves.

The unfortunate Rank Five deity barely had time to understand what was happening before Belphane seized its divine body and twisted it into something like a pretzel.

Watching the female knight’s savage display, Mel shook her head before transforming into her dragon form.

Her violet scales shimmered with a dazzling spectrum of colors beneath the sunlight.

A moment later, dragon flames swept across the land.

A moment earlier, Mel had judged Belphane for being too violent. Yet the fear and destruction she herself unleashed upon the lesser creatures below were hardly any less terrifying.

***

At the heart of Divine Descendants World’s battlefield...

The Empress of Blades hovered in the air with her menacing bone wings spread wide behind her. Her cold gaze rested on Overgod Marduk, who had already lost an arm yet continued fighting like a cornered beast.

No matter how much Omnipotent Soul Marduk possessed, he could never withstand the combined assault of two Rank Eight beings—especially when both the Empress of Blades and Fermont were far stronger than him!

“I surrender!” Marduk declared.

“Isn’t the Magus Civilization currently at war with the Gallant Federation? I can lead Divine Descendants World to join your side!” he pleaded from within a vast expanse of blue crystalline walls.

Those crystalline walls were part of his Ark. By now, more than two-thirds of its main structure had been destroyed.

A medium-grade top-tier world-class secret treasure was on the verge of being reduced to scrap!

Marduk’s heart bled at the sight.

Of course, blood was quite literally pouring from his body as well.

Faced with Marduk’s desperate plea, the Empress of Blades remained unmoved. A soft chuckle escaped her lips.

“I don’t usually take prisoners. That’s more my big sister’s area of expertise. You can discuss it with her later.”

“Yes, of course! I’m more than willing to negotiate with the leaders of the Magus Civilization. I’m certain I can offer them terms they’ll find satisfactory!” Marduk hurriedly replied.

So what if he had to betray the interests of his homeplane? With death looming right before him, the Divine Descendant Overgod had no room to care about anything else.

They said gods loved the world. In truth, gods loved themselves most of all.

The Empress of Blades slowly raised the blade extending from her wrist. Her crimson tongue flicked out, catching a drop of divine blood as it slid along the edge.

The taste of an overlord’s blood brought a faint crimson flush to her cheeks.

That touch of color only made her otherworldly beauty even more striking.

Her mesmerizing brown pupils looked like countless mirror shards capable of drawing both mind and soul into their depths.

“Hmm... I’ll take your head with me. You can have a nice little chat with my big sister.”

The moment those words left her lips, the Empress of Blades vanished in a flash.

Marduk immediately understood that he had been tricked. His expression changed drastically as he hurriedly maneuvered the Ark to defend himself.

The blue crystalline barrier erupted with blinding light once more.

A moment later, another massive section of the Ark was sliced away by the Empress of Blades.

If this continued, the entire Ark would be destroyed.

Yet Marduk had no other choice.

There was no hope.

No path of escape.

Only utter despair!

In the past, the Gallant Federation had occasionally supported Marduk with long-range strikes from its apocalyptic weapons. Over the past few years, however, those attacks had been repeatedly intercepted and neutralized by the Insectoid legions on the battlefield below.

Sein and the others, caught amidst the chaos of battle, might not yet have fully grasped the overwhelming momentum of the Insectoids’ advance across Divine Descendants World.

Marduk did. Standing at the very center of the battlefield, he had the clearest view of the war as a whole!

The power of faith flowing to him from the believers of Divine Descendants World had grown increasingly faint over the years.

Gates of flesh and blood had been constructed across the land. Endless insect swarms ravaged the world. The flames of war scorched the heavens...

Divine Descendants World now teetered on the brink of annihilation.

Faced with this grim reality, Marduk raised his head toward the sky and let out a long sigh.

“It’s over...!”

At that very moment, a dazzling flash erupted beyond the plane, followed by a shooting star streaking across the distant void.

Who would have thought that someone else would meet their end even sooner than Marduk?

It was Venerable Tianyang of Myriad Manifestations World!