Lord of the Truth

1089  A whirlwind of blood and destruction

Bzzzt Bzzzt— More and more instant space portals began to open within the controlled zone established by Richard. A large number of demon emperors rushed out from the swirling portals, followed closely by more warlords, their weapons gleaming under the chaotic battlefield lights.

”I shall aid the Supreme General, Sakaar!” one of them shouted with unwavering determination.

”Defend the High Lordʼs son against the Earthly forces! Do not let them advance!!” Others roared, their voices filled with urgency and battle-hardened resolve.

A weak grin formed on Richardʼs blood drenched face. The overwhelming responsibility that had been weighing down on both him and Sakaar was now slightly alleviated. Yet, despite this momentary relief, Richardʼs expression did not remain joyful for long...

His eyes widened in horror as the same portals that had brought his allies also began spewing out martial emperors from the Empire of the Great Serpent!

”Oh no!”

”Kill them! Do not let them spread!!”

Above Richardʼs head, and right beside the brutal clash between Holak and Pythor, an even larger battle erupted among hundreds of mighty martial emperors. The air trembled under the sheer force of their colliding powers.

”Damn it!” Holak cursed in frustration as he noticed several martial emperors from the Great Serpent Empire rushing to reinforce their master. He had no choice now— he had to divert some of his strength to deal with them as well.

”Shut down those portals!!” Sakaarʼs furious command rang across the battlefield as his eyes darted toward the scene. More than thirty emperors from the Great Serpent Empire had already arrived. ”CHARLES! CLOSE THE PORTALS!!”

”No, wait, there are still too many soldiers over there!!” Richard snapped out of his reality when he heard the command.

But his intercession on their behalf was never listened too:

”Understood!”

From over fifty miles away, Charles Burton responded with a sharp salute towards Supreme General Sakaar to acknowledge his orders, even as he hated the guy as a superior, even as receiving the suicide order, he didnʼt hesitate for a moment.

Then he gave a unique smile towards Richard as if saying thank you, before immediately disabling all instant space portals. With calculated precision, he then raised his dagger high and bellowed at his soldiers, ”Kill them all! Do not let them reach His Excellency!!”

”CHAAAARGE!!!”

”....” Richard turned his gaze toward his own battlefield once once more, couldnʼt bring himself to look in that direction again.

Over there with General Charles Burton, he could still see a warlord, dozens of demon emperors, and thousands of Shadow Swords who hadnʼt managed to teleport in time. Closing the portals while they were still on the other side, surrounded by nearly 200 martial emperors and tens of warships meant only one thing… They all are going to die.

Lowering his head farther, Richard clenched his fists. His heart ached at the thought of the sacrifices being made. ”Ahh… AAAHHH!!” A deep, guttural cry of anguish escaped him as his flaming hair burned even fiercer, reflecting the storm raging within. Tears welled up in his eyes, but he refused to let them fall. He had no choice— he had to keep fighting.

BOOM BOOM BOOM—

Suddenly, the thunderous sound of approaching footsteps echoed from the west. A massive shadow, towering like a mountain, loomed over the battlefield, obscuring vision for all.

BOOOOOM!

The rear ranks of the Great Serpent Empireʼs infantry shattered under the devastating impact, and then, with an earth-shaking leap, Amon landed within the controlled zone.

”ADVANCE!!”

Richard saw the tide turning in their favor and wasted no time. He opened several openings in the western sector of the controlled zone, allowing the demon army that had been following Amon to surge forward.

Shhh Shhh—

Tens of thousands of demons poured through the gates like an unstoppable flood, untouched by the chaos of the city. Whenever an enemy attempted to obstruct them or launch a counterattack, Richard was there— his mind sharp, his actions precise, stopping every move before it could gain momentum.

Drip Drip—

The tears that had once filled Richardʼs eyes were mixed with blood. The sheer intensity of his control and the extreme soul division he was undergoing should have been enough to shatter his soul. Yet somehow, against all odds, he endured.

”Stay away from my brother!!”

At that very moment, a powerful shout erupted from behind the demon army, followed by a deafening Shwalaaaaa!

A cascading torrent of black flames surged downward like a wrathful inferno, sweeping through the most densely packed enemy ranks. In that single devastating attack, Caesar reaped the lives of several thousand soldiers before stepping into the controlled zone himself, perfectly synchronized with the arrival of the last demon warrior.

Swish Swish—

The soul creatures also began their retreat, falling back under the leadership of Marshals Lunta and Snite. By the time they reached the controlled airspace, their numbers had dwindled to just forty-three, but they had managed to take down several enemies along the way.

Once they arrived, all the demon emperors soared into the sky, positioning themselves beside Generals Sakaar and Caesar to defend the aerial perimeter. Meanwhile, the soul creatures scattered along the land borders, standing side by side with the demon army, ready to assist Richard in the battle ahead.

As for the three remaining warlords… one of them, who had been fiercely protecting Richard, had already collapsed, his body reduced to scattered remains from the sheer number of limbs he had lost. Only two remained now, standing resolutely at Richardʼs side, striking down any martial emperor or warship that dared to target him.

BAM BAM BOOM!

”AHH! AAAAAAAAAHHH!!!”

What was unfolding in this moment was the very definition of chaos. The army, now compressed into a relatively small circular formation, had gained some defensive cohesion—but at the same time, they had become an easy target, surrounded by an ocean of enemies on all sides.

The entirety of the Great Serpent Empireʼs military force had arrived.

The Southern 600,000 law-using soldiers, and 600 martial emperors —including 100 elite imperial guards— stood ready for battle. The foot soldiers stretched as far as the eye could see, while the emperors filled the skies like a swarm of locusts blotting out the sun.

Swish Swish—

Hundreds of warships circled above the controlled zone with terrifying speed. Their colossal cannons fired relentlessly, unleashing a rain of destruction, all converging toward one primary target—Richard. They knew that if Richard fell, if he ceased his efforts, everything else would collapse like a house of cards.

Pffft—

Richard spat out more than a liter of blood. His face had aged as if a hundred years had passed in mere minutes. His eyes had sunken so deeply into their sockets that they looked as if they might vanish into his skull. Even with the assistance of the soul creatures and the goblin army, the immense spiritual strain on him had not lessened— it was only growing heavier with each passing second.

The highly trained forces of the Great Serpent Empire were tightening their grip with calculated precision, advancing in intricate formations that made dealing with them exponentially more difficult.

Tsssshhhhh--

Caesarʼs once-glorious green wings flickered and then vanished completely. His ability to generate his black flames had plummeted to less than a quarter of its original power, and the blazing barrier he had been using to shield a portion of the sky had dissipated. His complexion turned deathly pale, but he dared not ask Richard for more energy— he knew the cost of doing so.

Forget about Richard needing this energy the most, if he diverted his attention to Caesar for even a second, the semi safe zone would turn into hell. As Amon was the main man when gathering the army, now it all depends on Richard to keep them alive!

”Hold the line!!” Sakaar roared, his voice echoing across the battlefield. He scanned the area, searching for a way to send one of his elite warriors to aid those trapped in dire situations.

But as his gaze swept the sky, he was met with a horrifying sight— more than a thousand enemy martial emperors had completely encircled them.

His own subordinates, his comrades, were being slaughtered mere meters away, yet he was powerless to intervene.

”No…” he whispered in despair.

”HAAAAAHAHAHAHA!!”

A chilling, triumphant laughter split through the air like a blade, it was Pythor.

BANG BANG!

At that moment, Holak was still bombarding Pythor with relentless attacks, as he always had. But no matter how many times he struck, the fragmented mist of Pythorʼs body simply reassembled, restoring him to an unscathed state. He had mastered this ability to perfection.

Sakaarʼs mouth hung open in disbelief.

At this rate… they wouldnʼt survive another five minutes.

Then, in that cursed moment, Sakaar suddenly heard a voice resonate within his spiritual domain. A voice that was eerily familiar.

(”Hey… If you want to survive, retreat now or take cover away from the Great Serpent Empireʼs army. Iʼll give you ten seconds. After that, donʼt blame me for what happens next.”)