Chapter 60: The Final Battle (II)

Standing before Baal was the only female archmage left in the empire today—Jaina Malagigi Hastings. As she raised her wand, a circle of electric light appeared around her. The lightning released resonated with the thunderous power carried by Baal, and when they collided, they produced a dazzling burst of light.

“Interesting…” The tyrant Baal licked his lips as he observed this power different from his own. Carefully touching the area on his chest struck by lightning, he said to Nina with interest, “To be able to block my thunderous power with lightning is truly fascinating. It’s a shame, though… Lord Belial surely wouldn’t want me to fight you…”

Nina frowned slightly and said firmly, “Anyway, I won’t stand by and watch you slaughter our soldiers. Unless you leave this place and refuse to join this battle, I will stop you!”

“Is that so?” A hint of contempt flashed in Baal’s eyes. Shaking his head with a smirk, he said, “Those inferior creatures can at most serve as entertainment for me… Hey, are you sure you want to do this?”

“I said, unless you leave and swear not to join this battle!”

“Ah, that won’t do,” Baal said with a chuckle, licking his lips as he looked at Nina disdainfully. “Just a few words from you, and you expect me to leave? Even if Lord Belial has some concerns about you… Heh! It seems you also use thunderous power. Well, since those fools aren’t enough to entertain me, I’ll play around with you. Don’t worry, I won’t hurt you!”

“You… despicable!” Glaring at his contemptuous gaze, Nina gritted her teeth in anger and sneered, “You demons are so easy to talk to. At least I can’t guarantee that…” As she spoke, her expression changed slightly, and two swirling masses of energy appeared in front of her.

“Hm?” Under Baal’s intense gaze, fire and water elements nearby quickly gathered in front of Nina. Soon, the two masses merged, creating a sphere of thunderous power that emitted dangerous electric sparks.

Nina was an archmage who mastered fire, water, and the combined magic of lightning.

Watching the thunderous power gather around Nina, Bal chuckled. Suddenly, he clenched his fist, and a cluster of dark clouds appeared in the sky. Immediately afterward, a lightning bolt as thick as a pillar struck him, engulfing his entire body. Just as Nina was puzzled, a loud, triumphant laugh echoed from within the lightning pillar. Then, Bal stepped out—his once-human appearance now transformed into that of a demon from a painting. With horns on his head and feet planted on thunder, his skin had turned a strange dark gold. His bare upper body was covered in black runes representing thunder, with these runes spreading across his chest, arms, back, and throughout his body. In his left hand was a spear of lightning, and in his right hand, a hammer of thunder. His entire body was surrounded by countless tiny currents of electricity. This was the true form of the legendary demon god, the tyrant who ruled thunder—Bal!
【Third Round: Nina vs. The First Demon God, ‘The Tyrant Who Rules Thunder’ Bal】
Although the number of soldiers on Belial’s side was far smaller than that of the Allied Forces—only nine of them, including the king’s army of Savos, which numbered just a few hundred—while the Allied Forces had tens of thousands. It should be noted that these tens of thousands were not ordinary troops but a mixed force of the finest soldiers from various human nations: Altak infantry, Galic gunners and gun cavalry, the Order of Operelles, the Holy Crusaders of Salonia, Vando’s group of black magicians—these were the most elite combat forces of the two nations. Yet even so, the Allied Forces remained at a disadvantage under the assault of the ancient Savos warriors. This wasn’t because the human side was too weak. In fact, the lineup of high-level magicians on the human side was unprecedentedly strong. Aside from Thos and the Apostles, at least dozens of high-level magicians participated in this battle. There was also Nina, the empire’s only female high-level magician; Neomi Metment and Alma Bield, cardinals of the Church; Jerry Berford, the president of the Imperial Royal Magic Association who did little actual work; the old dean Gret Kane, who fought in spirit form; Professor Hode, whose power rivaled that of a high-level magician; and many other famous high-level magicians from history, such as Lina Anmond, Isolde Bird, Ignigo Ashken, and many more—these were all well-known names in the world of magic.

These ancient human magi, long deceased in history, though having lost their physical bodies, still possessed immense power in their souls. Faced with the unstoppable army of King Savos, they displayed the power known as that of great magi—summoning creatures such as giant rocks, flame demons, flame lords, and even demons from the abyss. Which of these creatures summoned by them was not an extremely formidable being in the realm of magic?

“Boom!”

A huge stone, as large as a castle, engulfed in raging flames fell from the sky and struck straight at the heart of King Savos’ army. The magma erupting from the exploding stone instantly swallowed the surrounding Savos soldiers.

Without giving those Savos soldiers any chance to breathe, a strange crimson glow appeared on the ground, followed by intense burning. Flames shot into the sky, spreading destructive energy in all directions.

Just as those flames were about to reach the human soldiers, a sudden storm froze the flames, protecting the human soldiers while encasing the Savos soldiers in ice.

These great magi from history even employed minor forbidden spells, and their mastery over these spells was far beyond what the Vando magi could match. After all, those were powerful spells that took a lifetime to master. Their strength even surpassed that of the old dean who had dedicated decades to magic.

Yes, it wasn’t that the human side was weak—it was simply that the Savos soldiers were too formidable. These “empty armor” powered by soul energy were shattered time and again by the forbidden spells of human magi and pierced by human soldiers’ weapons. Yet, no matter what methods the humans used, they couldn’t completely kill these ancient souls. Even the two cardinals of the Church, using holy light magic, couldn’t eradicate the ancient souls within those armors. As a result, the human front lines were forced to retreat time and again, falling into a passive position.

The root cause of this situation lay with that demon god who kept chanting spells—the Fourth Demon God, “Death’s Servant” Simachimo!

Death actually does not exist. Even if it once appeared, at least now, Death does not exist. Since the dawn of the world, the destination of souls has been the Land of Death, also known as the Realm of Death. And the rulers of that realm are the thirteen supreme, immortal kings who wield the power of death.

So, what exactly is Death? And what does “Death’s Servant” signify?

In fact, “Death God” merely represents a specific force derived from the world’s fundamental laws—namely, “death.” No life in the Third World can escape the grasp of death; this is the world’s basic law regarding death. In a sense, the Immortal Kings also exist as beings who abide by this law.

In other words, “servants of Death God” refer to those who can perceive the [Law of Death], follow it, command undead, and wield deathly powers. In other words, the Fourth Demon God, Ximachimo, possesses abilities similar to those of the Immortal Kings and is likewise recognized by the Law of Death. This is why he can awaken the souls of the warriors of Gusauros and grant them indestructible bodies—just as the Immortal Kings cannot be destroyed by any force within the Death Realm. As long as the Fourth Demon God, Ximachimo, continues to chant that ancient spell, the souls of Gusauros’ warriors will remain eternal, protected by the Law of Death.

“Ximachimo… I remember now… We must find someone to kill him! Even if we can’t kill him, we must interrupt his chanting; otherwise…” The Immortal King, Edmund Pankhes, the Bone Emperor, said, looking at the skeletal-looking demon god in the distance, his voice tinged with shock, anger, and panic.

“Hm, I didn’t expect it to be him…” The Immortal King, Utreid Baines, the Corpse Emperor, nodded heavily.

Since the Immortal Kings have long lives and have existed in the Death Realm since its creation, it’s only natural that they know something about the Kingdom of Gusauros—such as that wise man of Gusauros, Ximachimo, who is recognized by the Law of Death.

But then again, who could actually do this? At least the Immortal Kings cannot. Since the collapse of the Death Realm, their powers have been greatly weakened, and they’ve even lost their ability to remain immortal. In other words, they are now no different from the beings of the Third World—once their bodies are destroyed, they cannot be reborn unless they retrieve the Holy Spirit Stone from Belial and restore the Death Realm to normal operation.

The Immortal Kings looked around anxiously. First, they ruled out great magicians like the old dean in his soul form—after all, he was recognized by the Law of Death, and human magicians in soul form simply couldn’t approach Ximachimo without risking being controlled by him.

After considering several options, their gaze fell on Allen and Scott, who were fighting in the distance. But soon, they silently shook their heads.

For although Allen and Scott are outstanding young leaders with exceptional abilities—possessing powers comparable to those of great magicians at less than twenty years old—they still lack the strength to break through the onslaught of the Gushavos warriors and interrupt Simachimo’s spellcasting. After all, they are still too young.
The only ones they can rely on are…
Unconsciously, the gaze of the Immortal Kings fell on the “Dark Knight” Simonli and the “Fate Archer” Lelajin. These two were demons on the human side, also possessing immortality. Perhaps only they could break through the fierce attacks of the Gushavos warriors and interrupt the spellcasting of the Fourth Demon, Simachimo.
Of course, this was only possible if Belial took no action. If Belial himself used his divine power of “erasing existence” to kill these two demons, Simonli and Lelajin would have no chance to resist, as they were not protected by any laws nor had the ability to perceive laws or access primordial forces. Naturally, they could not resist the “Power of Escape” of the Ancient Will Sloth—a divine power capable of deceiving the world and twisting laws.
In fact, the Immortal Kings wanted these two demons to take a chance and see if Belial would act personally. After all, these five ancient beings were not human allies; they merely wanted to defeat Belial and reclaim the Holy Spirit Stone from him. To achieve this goal, it made no difference to them whether a human died or a demon died, for they were the rulers of the Land of Death and the masters of souls. Their alliance with humans was merely out of necessity.
However, the Immortal Kings’ plan was not put into action, as Simonli and Lelajin had already found their opponents…
“I’ve found you, Elioeg!” Riding atop a black warhorse, Simonli used his Obsidian Knight Sword to block Elioeg’s punch, thereby saving a soldier from Altak who had already given up hope.
Well, it was just incidental. Since the start of this battle, Simonli had been searching for Elioeg’s voice, hoping to continue the unfinished battle from Sassan Square.

“Oh?” Aelioeg, the demon god ranked fifteenth, laughed heartily as he watched the Altak soldier repeatedly thanking Simonli. With a hearty smile, he said, “I never thought you’d really choose to side with humans, Simonli. How foolish! — What do you intend to do?”
Simonli tossed aside his Onyx Knight Sword and said mockingly, “Slaying these humans who can’t even fight back—is this really your usual style, Aelioeg? How disappointing!” Then, raising his sword, he said in a deep voice, “I remember we still have a fight left unfinished between us!”
“Oh?” Aelioeg raised his head slightly, raised his eyebrows, and said with a smile, “I really didn’t expect you to dare show up in front of me, let alone challenge me… Don’t forget, you’re just a weakling ranked sixty-sixth, while I’m fifteenth.”
“Hmph!” Ignoring the Altak soldier’s gratitude, Simonli snorted coldly, interrupting Aelioeg’s words. He raised his Onyx Sword and pointed it at him, saying coldly, “Too arrogant, kid! Let me teach you that your so-called ranking is nothing but a silly joke!”
“How foolish, Simonli!” Aelioeg clenched his fist and tensed his muscles, then laughed heartily before turning serious. “A true warrior never fears challenges from others! Let me show you the gap between sixty-six and fifteen—a gap that can’t be crossed!”
“Tch! Stop talking nonsense!” Angered, Simonli pulled the reins with his left hand and swung his Onyx Knight Sword downward. With a clang, Aelioeg managed to block the sharp sword with just his fist.
“Boom!”
The powerful gusts of wind generated by the two demon gods sent the nearby human soldiers tumbling everywhere. Those weaker ones were even blown far away, falling into the chaos and getting caught up in the fight unintentionally.
“Great! Great! I didn’t expect you, a guy ranked sixty-sixth, to be that tough after all!” Aelioeg, who had exchanged a few blows with Simonli, laughed heartily before suddenly turning to shout behind him, “Hey, Babatos, leave this guy to me. Don’t get involved!”
“Got it!” The one who spoke was a archer clad in a gray cloak. His gaze was fixed on his opponent standing in front of him—his younger brother, also renowned as a skilled archer, “The Archer of Misfortune,” Lelajin.

Reilakin placed three arrows on the bowstring, focusing intently on his opponent. With a deep voice, he said, “Your opponent is me, Babatos!”
The demon god Babatos shook his head slightly, looking at Reilakin with pity. He said calmly, “You shouldn’t have come, Kars Reilakin. You must know you have no chance of winning against me—none at all…”
“I know,” Reilakin interrupted his brother Babatos. He raised his bow, nocked an arrow, and pointed it at Babatos, saying firmly, “But I still want to try. Between us, who is the true archer?”
“Oh?” Babatos frowned slightly and laughed lightly at Reilakin. “So eager to challenge your own brother? Kars! My arrows aren’t as weak as yours. I won’t give you any chance to react. Though I can’t kill you, I’ll make you suffer like never before… Even so, do you still want to challenge me?”
“Yes! Pick up your bow, Babatos!”
“Hmph, what an stubborn brother!” Babatos shook his head helplessly. He removed the giant bow from his back and drew an arrow from his quiver, saying calmly, “One arrow is enough to deal with you!”
With that, he slowly nocked the arrow on the bowstring and stood face to face with Reilakin.
After a brief silence, both of their expressions suddenly changed. In a flash, they shot their arrows simultaneously. The difference was that Babatos’ arrow traveled almost instantly, piercing Reilakin’s chest right away, causing his hands holding the bow to tremble.
With another swish, Babatos easily shot down Reilakin’s arrow aimed at him. Then he turned to look at Reilakin, who was kneeling on the ground, clutching his chest in pain. With a hint of pity and sarcasm, he said, “It must hurt, my brother. Though we’re both immortal, we still feel pain… The feeling of having your heart pierced must be awful, right?”
“Tch!” Reilakin gritted his teeth, forcefully pulling the arrow out of his chest and throwing it aside. Then he stood up and raised his giant bow again at Babatos.
“Do you still want to continue?” Babatos said jokingly. “It’s useless, Kars. You can’t pose any threat to me. And every one of my arrows can hit your heart…”

“What’s the big deal?” A cold smirk appeared on Lelarkin’s lips as he loaded nine arrows onto his bow at once. Smirking, he said, “Let me see, Barbatos—how many of my arrows can you shoot down?” The moment he released the bow, Barbatos’ arrow pierced his heart again, but this time, Lelarkin paid it no mind. Enduring the intense pain in his chest, he continued to shoot arrows without pause. In just a few seconds, hundreds of arrows had been shot at Barbatos. “You bastard…” Barbatos looked stunned. He drew his bow and shot arrows at lightning speed, not only shooting down the arrows aimed at him but also firing back at Lelarkin—how fast must that be? In just one minute of combat, Barbatos had shot down hundreds of Lelarkin’s arrows, while Lelarkin had been hit by over a dozen arrows in the chest. Yet Barbatos hadn’t been hit by a single arrow… “Isn’t it time to end this farce, Kars? You can’t beat me!” “That’s not certain,” Lelarkin said with a grim smile. Struggling to get up from the ground under Barbatos’ astonished gaze, he raised his bow again and said in a deep voice, “My brother, don’t forget— I don’t need to aim. As long as I’ve seen someone’s face, my arrow will surely hit them. But you don’t have that ability… Let’s see which one of us will be the first to bring the other down—whether your swift arrows or me depleting your strength first…” With that, he suddenly released the taut bow, and nine arrows were shot at Barbatos. Facing the endless stream of arrows aimed at him, Barbatos’ expression turned serious for the first time. “You brat…”
[Fourth Round: ‘Dark Knight’ Simonley vs ‘Berserker’ Elioq, ‘Cursed Archer’ Lelarkin vs ‘Death Archer’ Barbatos].
This meant even fewer people could interrupt the Fourth Demon God Simachimo’s spellcasting. Just then, Thos took action. Perhaps he too couldn’t bear to watch human soldiers die one after another at the hands of the Gusaos warriors. Using his teleportation magic, his figure appeared and disappeared rapidly, weaving through the Gusaos warriors’ attacks as he moved swiftly toward the Fourth Demon God Simachimo. For someone who mastered the Source Power, understood the Will of the World, and could perceive the laws of the world, avoiding the Gusaos warriors’ attacks was incredibly easy. The Immortal Kings also noticed Thos’ actions, their emotions complex.

They hoped that Thors could successfully interrupt the incantation of the fourth demon lord, Simachimo, yet they didn’t want Thors, one of their main fighters, to get involved in the battle so early. After weighing the pros and cons, they still hoped that Thors, now in possession of the Source Power, could deal with Simachimo—provided, of course, that it wouldn’t draw Belial’s attention.
But would things really go that smoothly?
Perhaps Belial could ignore the others, but Thors…
Just as Thors was about to use his teleportation magic to get close to Simachimo, with his hand about to touch the latter’s body and inject the sacred power he had gathered into it, a sudden hand appeared out of nowhere in front of Thors and grabbed him…
It was Belial!
“Are you in such a hurry to end this game, ‘me’ of this world?”