Myth: The Ruler of Spirituality

However, the enemy he faced was ultimately not just one; avoiding the one in front, there was another waiting for him.

Accompanied by yet another flash of light, amidst the spiritual interference, a beam of light released by the left head of the three-headed Demon God struck directly at Crius’s left waist.

The power of corrosion spread instantly, melting a large hole where it touched. If it weren’t for his decisive action in cutting away the divine flesh and blood that was hit, the corrosion might have continued to spread across his divine body.

This was yet another experience gained from being struck repeatedly; instead of countering the corrosion with divine power, it was better to cut losses to preserve more important things...

"Huff—"

Furrowing his brow and taking a deep breath, the injury at his waist showed no signs of healing, Crius knew he was nearing his limit.

Too much time had passed, even with limited Wisdom, the Abyssal Demon Lords had gradually figured out his patterns, increasing the frequency of his injuries.

Glancing again at the surrounding environment, that Silver Humanity who had been quiet since the battle began was still nowhere to be found.

Crius gritted his teeth slightly, indeed, these humans were unreliable—

"Hmm?"

His expression changed; suddenly, Crius, a lord of Hell himself, seemed to have discovered something, a mix of surprise and dissatisfaction flashed across his face.

The boy full of lies finally made a move. It was his aura. And when it came, it was with an uproar that even he found daunting.

So he had gone to prepare his ultimate move... Feeling the alarm and dread rising in his heart, Crius grudgingly acknowledged this action.

It was understandable; compared to using the other party’s feeble strength to fight the Demon Gods, preparing some other force was more appropriate. What puzzled him was, why had no one told him this beforehand?

"Forget it... In any case, it’s finally your turn!"

Suspicions and questions were temporarily suppressed, to be investigated after the battle was over. Crius, watching the also agitated Demon Gods, couldn’t help but reveal a thrilled smile. Discover exclusive tales on empire

These twisted lives, I can finally—

Buzz—!

The thought had not even finished crossing his mind when in an instant, starting from the edge of the second layer of Hell, a tremendously terrifying aura spread out.

Within and beyond the realm, nearly all living beings felt that strong presence.

Meanwhile, at the core of the [Central Court], what had once been a large pit created when the God of Sleep fell had now become a lake, with a small island in the center where a tall Divine Tree swayed gracefully.

As the aura from the second layer of Hell rose, this land seemingly unaffected by war also changed. A radiant light bloomed from the branches of the Divine Tree Nidhogg, which, upon closer inspection, bore a resemblance to the force that had once carried the God of Sleep across heaven and earth.

In an instant, two forces from different realms resonated together, intertwining yet remaining distinctly separate. When it all ended, like the tip and tail of an arrow, it pointed directly along a straight line at the Demon Gods still embroiled in fierce battle.

What seemed like an age actually occurred in the blink of an eye. When the intense killing intent locked on its target, Crius hadn’t even finished his thought.

He should have been pleased, as this force was certainly not something the current Demon Gods could withstand... if he hadn’t been within the range being targeted as well.

"¿"

With wide eyes and a fleeting look of astonishment, Crius seemed about to say something, but as the preparation completed, the enormous ’Divine Arrow’ had already been shot forth.

In its path, space-time seemed frozen, the future upended... the Divine Arrow piercing through the world targeted the central head of the three-headed Demon God, which, as if foreseeing its own demise, roared and broke free from the lock of space-time in an instant.

"Roar—!!" n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

That wasn’t its own power but the protection inherited from Tartarus within the Demon Gods, a force not even Moya possessed. Even without personhood, the instinct of the Abyss could still sense the difference between the Mother of Demons and her offspring. After all, as a former Titan Deity, she was immortal, but they were not.

So this force came into being... As first-generation Demon Gods conceived by Tartarus himself, sparing no cost from his Origin, each was extraordinary. This was not only in terms of power but also because they contained a part of the Abyssal Origin and symbolized certain aspects of it, being part of His rules.

Even if this ’symbolism’ was different from the power of the Greater Ones and only meaningful within the Abyss, this further emphasized their importance to Tartarus himself.

Therefore, the Abyssal instinct did not wish for them to die, just as the present world did not wish for the Deities to die. It generously bestowed power that would bring them back into the Abyss when their lives were threatened by a higher force—if it had just been the power of the Serpent of the Central Court, the bestowed protection would have taken effect.

But reality held no ifs, and under this long-premeditated ’Arrow,’ all things were reduced to nothingness.

It felt like days or scarcely a second; the concept of time had already blurred. In the moment perceived by outsiders, it was eternity in the eyes of Crius.

At the edge of his vision, he saw only a Divine Tree shaking, some terrifying thing approaching, and then all existence was erased, bit by bit, until it was his turn at last.