The Snake Dowager was exceedingly protective of her descendants in the Shadow World. She'd even especially asked Leylin to suppress any possible chaos in the organisations with extraordinary strength, guiding them to the capital. Leylin could sense something strange from this.
"I and a few others are the source of all the extraordinary power in the Shadow World, so these descendants will be quite useful…" That was how the Dowager explained it, but before she could finish speaking Leylin's expression changed.
The entirety of the Shadow World began to howl out, and a huge net of purple and gold materialised all over it, full of an enchanting beauty.
"The origin force of the world is boiling… What is the Mistress of the Night up to?" The Snake Dowager muttered.
"I'm afraid she wants to deal with our allies, and also pull us into her trap. Remember my prediction just now?" Leylin now looked grim.
"Have Trial's Eye and the others been discovered already?" The Snake Dowager wrinkled her beautiful brows, and then straightened them out, "That doesn't matter. Even if the Mistress of the Night is just one step away from the peak of rank 8, Massa and the rest are also beings of laws. If she truly has the guts to walk out of the Shadow World, that'll be a great opportunity for us!"
Leylin shook his head, "I'm sorry, but I still stand by it. If she chose to act, then she should be rather certain that it'll work. It's better we stay hidden."
At this point he'd grown some respect for the Mistress of the Night. The courage to leave the Shadow World whose origin force protected her was really something, even if it was only an avatar.
After all, this avatar of hers would hold most of her power. The moment it fell, Shar would fall into a condition similar to or even worse than Beelzebub!
Currently, outside the Shadow World. Under the illumination of the boiling sea of origin force, Shar appeared in her black gown. She took one step forward, and the astral plane formed the most resplendent of pathways under her feet. It allowed her to reach the astral plane in an instant.
Rank 8 strength erupted out, merging the auras of several laws together as it suddenly swept past a gigantic black mountain in the astral plane.
*Crack! Crack!* A solid mountain the size of a small plane was shattered instantly by this strength, and the black dust generated from it devoured by the shadows. From the outside it looked like Shar had a massive black hole in her hand, sucking in everything without even a speck of dust left behind.
"I've got you!" Shar smiled like a flower all of a sudden, her jade-like fingers pointing at a grain of dust that hadn't been absorbed.
Space trembled violently, and a hidden plane opened up slowly amidst golden radiance.
"Trial!" "Justice!" "Judgement!" The golden light seemed to form a song of praise, forming a rune in the shape of a large, vertical pupil. The mysterious rune flashed as it exited the semi-plane, the power of light and electricity surrounding it.
"Trial's Eye, the final judge? Why are you going against me?" Shar's own body seemed to grow in the face of this giant eye that seemed to span the entire astral plane. She was eventually a head taller than the eye, bringing with her the pressure of an entire world.
"I guard contracts and enforce rules!" Trial's Eye used its own actions to answer, boundless golden light forming a holy lance that flickered with the laws of trial and justice.
"What a pity… I would have wanted someone like you to work with me!" Shar's expression showed the pity she felt as a large green web appeared in her hands to meet the lance.
This was a weave she'd constructed personally. It could not compare to Mystra's Weave or the Shadow Weave, but it was already enough to restrain Trial's Eye. Threads of shadow twined around the golden runes, corroding into them.
Evidently, Shar was more powerful than the Trial's Eye in terms of sheer might. While both of them were rank 8s, Shar was close to the peak.
*Crack! Crack!* The golden lance was melted away by the web, but the eye betrayed no emotions.
"Light of Judgement!" A thin white streak flew out of the centre of the eye, pushing space apart in the astral plane as it imperiled the planes and small worlds around them.
This was the power of judgement, the Trial's Eye's core law. In the face of such an attack, Shar had no choice but to get serious. Terrifying energy storms were formed in her surroundings, sweeping through the skies. A tremendous vortex absorbed the light..
From a distance this golden lustre was like a huge dragon, surging forward in the horrifying sea of shadow force.
"Hehe… stupid woman, you've actually left the Shadow World…" A voice suddenly sounded deep in Shar's mind, and an image of an old man wearing luxurious clothing appeared before her eyes.
"A spiritual attack? No, it's one on my truesoul itself!" Shar bit at her lips, and a layer of shadows quickly enveloped her.
"It's no use… I am a spirit grandmaster! No material power can hinder my soul energy!" Yuri began to chuckle madly.
"So this is the soul energy of a spirit-sucking monster, a brain-seizing devil?" Shar bit at her lips. All of a sudden, a smile full of confidence emerged on her face, "I got another one!"
"Stop trying to conceal it. I can see the terror and weakness hidden in the shadows of your mind." Yuri continued to attack her with all his might. The soul energy dispersed in her body, and Shar found that her control of her own body gradually weakened, as if there were two wills trying to gain control of her body.
"How foolish! Did you think you can truly see my mind? Get out here!" Shar yelled out, and terrifying soul force spread through the area like a giant invisible web going taut.
*Whoosh!* A streak of black lightning appeared in the sky, striking down to reveal an old man in imperial robes.
"Show your true face!" Exceedingly powerful shadow force was transformed by Shar's hand, the effects of divinity and magic combined within. It undulated power, at least as strong as a rank 7 spell.
The boundless shadow force turned into a black sickled that slashed at the back of Yuri's neck.
*Schlick!* The blade cut through silently, and the black lines it caused immediately moved out into the sliced through the world.
Yuri's body melted away, and the luxurious imperial robes immediately fell and turned into a pile of ashes. The body that was like molten wax regathered to form a new figure, that of a terrifying spirit-sucking master with tens of thousands of heads. Numerous tendrils hung down from these heads, making it like a willow that was even larger than a plane.
However, at this point, a hundred of its heads had all exploded at the same time, causing smelly yellow pus to flow out. Evidently, Shar's attack had injured its main body badly.
"I judge you!" The light of judgement broke out of the vortex during Shar's exchange with Yuri, arriving before the former goddess. A lustre that could melt worlds away was blocked by the black clothing, but Shar's right glove turned to powder as a look of pain emerged on her face.
One could not help but pity her. She was outside the Shadow World, no longer supported by its origin force. She was strong enough to have the upper hand against a single rank 8 existence, but fighting two would be difficult. As for three? As for three? Unless she was a peak rank 8 or had a specific advantage that targeted the enemies' weak points, that would be impossible!
A bundle of darkness slowly squirmed until it was underneath Shar, abruptly opening its mouth wide open. "Keke.. I like the shadow force on you very much!" Massa's voice sounded out, making her move upon Shar once she noticed the former goddess was injured.
However, there was a tone of greed and violence to her voice this time, completely different from the bashful lady that Leylin had met. It was like Snow White becoming an old witch.
Massa came from the Dark World, and she was enamoured by the law of shadows. Her understanding of the law of darkness gave her a natural advantage over Shar.
Three rank 8 existences were surrounding Shar in a triangle. The situation seemed to be a complete deadlock.
"Whatever it is, this isn't the Shadow World anymore. You're alone, and there's no way you can contend with the three of us…" Yuri's nine thousand or so heads emitted powerful spirit undulations, "Let us all attack… I want this woman's main body's brain!"
"Inform Allsnake, have her rush over with Leylin. That's the most dependable method!" Trial's Eye shook, separating a tiny golden eye from itself that suddenly dropped into the Shadow World.
Within a red villa, the Snake Dowager and Leylin were standing on the balcony. Their expressions changed as they saw a golden meteor fall to the ground.
"The aura of the jar imprint? So it can be used this way too…" Leylin nodded, finding that he had learnt something new. The golden light split in two, entering the eyes of the Snake Dowager and Leylin, allowing them to know the events of the astral plane as if they'd experienced it themselves.
"Seems like there's a great chance of them winning, now that Shar has given up the reinforcements from the Shadow World.. What do you think?" Leylin glanced at the Snake Dowager with a half smile.
"I actually have the same thoughts as you do. Shar isn't someone so easy to deal with, so she must have some plot. I'll send down the order to have them all retreat immediately!" The Snake Dowager's beautiful eyes moved, the words that she said stunning Leylin slightly.
"There's no use. Massa needs the shadow laws to make up for her own darkness. Yuri is also very envious. In a situation like this where things seem to be going so well, your suggestions will still…" Leylin shook his head.
-x-X-x-
"No matter what, we should at least try. If not our future plans will be more difficult to enact." The Snake Dowager smiled wryly as she whispered a few words into the Jar Spectre imprint. Two beings of law looked towards the sky from a balcony in a red villa, their gaze piercing across the horizon as they peered into a cosmic battle.
The Snake Dowager turned her head suddenly and asked Leylin, "Say… What is Shar scheming?"
"Hmm…" Leylin rubbed his chin. "It's very hard to kill a rank 8 even if they're not strong at battles. They're very tenacious, and even heavily injuring an opponent at that level is a great accomplishment…
"However, Shar's different. She has extremely wild ambitions, so her goal won't be so simple. Her greatest power is the support of the Shadow World and Shadow Weave…" Leylin's eyes brightened, "Could she pull all her enemies at once into the Shadow World? If that's the case, Trial's Eye and the other two would be in danger of dying…"
Snake Dowager pondered further but she shook her head eventually. "That's impossible. Don't you know how hard it is to set up a teleportation formation for rank 8s? Moreover, once Trial's Eye and the other two discover that they're being teleported, they'd be able to interfere in a moment and cause the teleportation to fail…"
"The more you think it's impossible, the more I think it isn't! They'd believe the same thing, and let down their guard." Leylin rubbed his chin, his eyes filled with wisdom. "There's more than one way to do this… If you want to get to a mountain, you could also have the mountain move to you…"
"You mean…" The Snake Dowager's expression changed, "We have to let them know immediately!"
"I'm afraid that it'll be too late," Leylin shook his head helplessly, yet his eyes portrayed a very strong interest, "Such craziness and bravery, counting it all in one bet, this is indeed the Mistress of the Night!"
*Rumble!* The sun in the sky began to roar under their gazes, radiating even more light and heat than before as it seemed to expand continuously. At the same time, earthquakes and tsunamis burst out everywhere in the Empire. The earth split apart, revealing deep gorges in the ground as every single harbour was flooded. Destruction rained in but a few seconds.
And this was only on the surface. Someone gazing upon the Shadow World from the astral plane would see it come alive, as if breathing with life.
"Allsnake asked us to leave immediately. She says there's danger!" The Trial's Eye's enormous body floated in midair, and its eye that was as large as a world continuously flickered with lightning. There was a faint image of Shar's reflection within.
Shar was like a black lotus now, beginning to wilt under the attack of the other three.
"What? We just have to endure it for a little longer!" Yuri and Massa disagreed. These two would reap enormous benefits from Shar, hence they did not want to give up this easily.
"I'll take our alliance into account. Three helping hands, and I shall leave." The Trial's Eye made its decision after considering the request of the other two.
"Okay!" Yuri and Marsha looked each other in the eye as they gritted their teeth and agreed.
"This damned Snake Dowager, we could have made the Mistress of the Night perish if she were to join us at the start…"
Massa's spirit was extremely vengeful in the darkness, harbouring a grudge against the Snake Dowager. Suddenly, she stopped talking. "No! Something's wrong! My soul! Why is there a shadow overcast on my truesoul?"
"What?" Yuri was shocked as well, even if he was a specialist in souls. He racked his brains as he peered deep into his abyssal truesoul, using all his might to see the same shadow on his. It was extremely eerie.
"I'm a soul specialist, but a shadow was cast on my truesoul and the barriers broken down without my knowledge?" Yuri screamed in anger. A foreboding sense of danger crept over his truesoul once he discovered this shadow. It was something that could kill him!
"Not good, let's leave!" Only now did they agree to the Snake Dowager's suggestion to leave.
"Lacking! Very lacking! As beings of laws, your ability at detection and usage of laws is extremely inferior to that Magus and Allsnake. They would never be confused by my Soul Shadow…
"Also… Don't you think it's too late to leave?" Shar waved her hands from the middle of the three, "It has begun!"
*Boom!* The Shadow World surfaced up into the vast astral plane, its borders writhing continuously as they seemed to breathe with origin force.
The borders of the Shadow World suddenly expanded, its boundaries a terrifying monster that devoured everything. The parts of the astral plane around it— the spatial storms, rifts, meteors, and even small planes— were all devoured.
How powerful was the Shadow World? It was the strongest world in the astral plane apart from the Magus World and the World of Gods. As the monstrous borders began to expand, the dimensions beside it were annihilated. It had already grown half a fold, and these existences of laws had undoubtedly come within its bounds already.
Without the strength to fight against the entire sea of origin force, or the ability to cover half the size of the world in an instant, there was no way these people could escape their fates. A tide of world origin force formed, tens of thousands times more destructive than a tsunami.
The Shadow World had consumed four beings of law in an instant! The expressions of Yuri and the rest changed instantly, because this swallowing came with suppression.
Even if the Shadow World used up a large amount of its origin force, it was still a powerhouse. It had great reserves that allowed it to suppress rank 8 existences at will. Under the powerful intent of the world, all origin force, vitality, elements, energy particles and everything that contained energy in the Shadow World separated from the three beings. They could only rely on their own reserves, but the laws they wielded were suppressed as well. They grew many times weaker than before.
"Advancement of a world! You actually forced the Shadow World to advance! This is crazy, wouldn't the Shadow World be afraid of its origin force being depleted? Why would it allow you to do this?" The Trial's Eye sent a message.
The Shadow World was a large world. An attempt to expand once more would put it on par with Dreamscape. Nothing good would come of doing such a thing without sufficient energy; most of the world would turn desolate and barren.
And now the Shadow World had forced an advancement. Without enough origin force to advance, the World Will would only suffer! The Trial's Eye could not figure out why the Mistress of the Night was allowed to do this.
"Haha… Because I represent the Shadow World's Will!" Shar took a step forward. Everything before her had been consumed by the Shadow World, and she was considered its core. A large amount of origin force converged at this point.
Even if it was weakened, the origin force allowed Shar to reach the peak of her power. A black crack appeared on the crystal inside that palace within the sea of origin force, the one that contained Shar's true body. Now that she'd activated the origin force of the world on behalf of its will, her strength grew close to the peak of rank 8.
On the other hand, Trial's Eye and the rest were weakened, almost dropping below rank 8 in power. The tables had turned!
"Let's go!" Trial's Eye, Yuri, and Massa tried frantically to leave through the edges of the world.
"You've come to my home. How could I let you leave without attending to you well?" Glee spread on Shar's face, and she moved her hands like a master of the zither.
*Chi! Chi!* The true form of the Shadow Weave revealed itself, different from the one she'd conjured before. This Weave permeated the entire Shadow World, using the support of origin force to allow even the commoners of the Empire to cast spells.
The three beings of laws were like fish in a net. Repelled by the origin force, they were like caged beasts.
"I've caught you guys…" Shar walked up leisurely, and smiled with a wide grin. "So what if the origin force would be depleted? As long as the three of you are sacrificed, most of the origin force would be replenished, wouldn't it?"
...
"It is indeed a world advancement!" Protected by an invisible barrier in the red villa, Leylin sighed. "Those three are in danger…"
"We warned them of the trap early enough. At least one of them should be able to escape…" The Snake Dowager said with indifference, only able to predict the future.
"Massa has the least chance. After all, her element is suppressed the most. Outside of this world she can control shadows with darkness, but within the sides switch. Even if Shar doesn't manage to catch the other two, Massa will not escape…" Leylin added as he stroked his chin.
-x-X-x-
"The contract requires us to rescue them. You're not getting ready to move?" The Snake Dowager stared at Leylin with her beautiful eyes. The power of law surrounding them was weakening, their powers being chipped away.
This was the penalty for violating the agreement. Still, it didn't contain any malice or deliberate harm, only causing a slight drop in power which Leylin could handle.
"Not now. Shar has control of the situation, and within the Shadow World itself she's currently invincible," Leylin heavily shook his head.
Shar was a shrewd goddess, with a plan to solve all her problems in one fell swoop. She would surely have her ways to handle Leylin and the Snake Dowager, so if they rushed forward now they would effectively be falling into her trap. Even the Snake Dowager had no choice but to be prudent when facing this crazy and savage goddess.
"I feel the same way…" the Snake Dowager sighed.
But then, she was startled by a layer of large black clouds that covered the skies. Crimson lightning flashed as a precursor to a rain of blood, and a bloody storm fell upon the Shadow World.
Leylin could feel the entire world cheering with In the rainstorm, the depleted World Origin Force recovering before it fell below dangerous levels.
The Snake Dowager suddenly sighed, "Massa has fallen… I felt the annihilation of her truesoul…"
Shar's cunning and power had obviously exceeded her imagination, causing her to lose confidence in her plan. A second rainstorm struck not long after.
The intellectual creatures of this world could feel grief and pain in a terrifying roar that resounded from the rainstorm, "AHHHH! MISTRESS OF THE NIGHT! ALLSNAKE! YOU…"
"Yuri couldn't manage to escape either…"
"Trial! Trial! Trial!" A golden light shone through the western skies after Yuri's death, and phantom vertical eye appeared in mid-air.
Violent lightning tore through the Shadow Weave, and the huge eye instantly split into two. One was surrounded by the Shadow Weave, while the other took the chance to escape the bounds of the world into the astral plane.
"The Trial's Eye managed to escape, but with serious injury," Leylin sighed, "Two fell, and one escaped with heavy injuries. Three existences of law lost their power in a split second. Such effort and scheming is truly worthy of the Mistress of the Night."
*Crack!* The imprint of a jar shattered in the Snake Dowager's hands. She furrowed her brows as she told Leylin, "I just received news from the Trial's Eye. It plans to return to the Purgatory World, and won't be coming back."
"Seems like it suffered heavy injuries," Leylin nodded, fear lingering within him. The Trial's Eye had been quite unlucky this time round. Of course, compared to the other two who fell, it could be considered lucky.
"However, with a lack of preparation to advance the world itself, this would be suicidal behaviour on the part of the World Will. We can conclude that Shar has more than 50% control over the world."
The Snake Dowager nodded imposingly at Leylin's conclusion.
The advancement of a world was no joking matter. Even if it expanded in size, the current Shadow World would face great danger if it tried to advance without accumulating enough origin force or making progress in its civilisation.
The cities that had originally been brimming with elemental power were affected by the advancement, dropping in energy concentration. A chain reaction was triggered, but its effects were yet to show themselves.
Leylin believed this move would render half of the original Shadow World barren, and the soil would lose its fertility. Without sufficient food, the humans would suffer heavy casualties.
With the reducing number of intelligent creatures and the death of the flora, the World Will would weaken. It would have to suffer the consequences of all this damage, so it was effectively committing suicide. An independent World Will would never do such a thing. This made it clear that the majority of the World Will was now under Shar's control.
Leylin faintly felt like this was only a half-advancement, merely an expansion of size. The energy it required for this was much smaller, so the situation could be stabilised, albeit barely, with a few existences of law as sacrifices.
...
Within the imperial palace, Princess Ling rushed to Emperor Aragon's side, "Father!"
"Yes. What happened? Rest assured, I can handle the news!" Emperor Aragon ordered impatiently.
"Yes…" Ling glanced secretly at the emperor, taking a deep breath before reporting the bad news, "The data says this is a level 9 earthquake. Half the capital has already fallen into ruin. We don't have data about the other cities yet, but the situation there isn't looking good either. We've lost contact with several coastal cities that have experienced both earthquakes and tsunamis…
"Estimates say more than ten billion citizens were affected, and the damage extends throughout the empire. It poses a fatal blow to our economy, and experts are saying that the famine and plagues that will follow are going to exhaust our food reserves. In the worst case scenario… in the worst case scenario…"
Ling couldn't continue speaking, but her trembling voice already made everything clear— this disaster was enough to destroy the whole empire.
"Haha…" Emperor Aragon instead calmed down after hearing the news, his laughter like that of an injured wolf.
"Great Master, are you prepared to abandon us?" Aragon's bleak expression ultimately turned into madness. "Ling! Don't you think it's best chance now? No matter how hard we try to remedy the situation, the whole empire won't be able to avoid the fate of destruction. We might as well do it ourselves!"
Ling silently pondered over the matter. Indeed, what her father said made sense. This terrifying disaster would be the root cause of the empire's destruction anyway, but if the Tree of Life Project was initiated the entire empire could grow immortal and wipe out the rebel existences.
"Moreover… that voice at the end, you heard it as well, didn't you?" Emperor Aragon's eyes sparkled. "The Allsnake has returned alongside an unknown existence. This follows the prophecy left behind in the Book of Salvation by Ari!"
"That indeed is an astonishing power… If it weren't because of the disaster, I'm afraid that it we would have questioned its existence…" Ling couldn't help but think back to the voice that rang out in the hearts of all intelligent creatures, as well as that unresigned roar. Especially the name of Allsnake, it was exactly the same as in Ari's prophecy.
"With the arrival of our mistress of ancient times, the flames of rebellion will rise," Emperor Aragon mumbled. He then waved suddenly, "Ling, go out and reveal the second half of the Book of Salvation to the rebel soldiers."
"What do you intend to do?" Ling hesitated. The existence of a rebel organisation was no secret in the army.
"Release the news to the rebel organisation. We need them to attract the attention of the ancient master and restrict her. We might earn enough time to complete the alternate Tree of Life…" Aragon's eyes flashed with cunning. To scheme against multiple existences of law at the same time was like dancing on sharp knives.
"I shall obey!" Ling left after a moment's hesitation. Outside the secret chamber, she moved to a high platform where she could see the entire capital in a mess. Even with the protection of advanced technology and the Shadow Weave, half the city had been destroyed.
More than ten million people were wandering the streets aimlessly and crying. It had a serious impact on social security. Even though the empire's special disaster relief team backed by its wealth could appease millions, the scale of the disaster greatly exceeded even their limits.
"Alas… Is such a beautiful and glorious empire in its twilight? What awaits us at the end of this path, total darkness or the light of dawn?" A single tear dripped down her face.
...
Night time. Leylin and Allsnake were seated in a hall, enjoying a candlelight dinner as Crowley waited on them from the side with humility and respect.
"Mistress!" Crowley had received some news from the Bloodline Alliance, "People from the Bloodline Alliance have contacted me hoping to receive your guidance."
"Do they know of our existence?" Leylin wiped his lips with a white napkin. He felt like the technological advancement of the Shadow World had spilled over into their culinary skills.
"Yes. Bobbi's saying a member of the rebel soldiers gave her a part of the Book of Salvation that details Mistress's existence. The prophecy says you are the one true saviour!" Crowley said with excitement.
"Blind Ari?" The Snake Dowager gently closed her eyes, seemingly trying to sense something. "Familiar yet strange… This prophetic power, is she a reincarnation of the prophet Kalle?"
"So, what do you plan to do?" Leylin laughed. Their dinner done, Xavier tidied up the table and placed a chessboard on it. He was dressed like a waiter.
"What do you think?" The Snake Dowager gazed at Leylin
"We're currently the king and queen," Leylin pointed to the core of the board, "the most important cards. We shouldn't throw that away so easily, instead sending some pawns first to test the waters."
Having said that, he picked up a pawn and moved it one step forward.
-x-X-x-
"Indeed!" The Snake Dowager looked at the board and nodded before she turned towards Crowley.
"You are henceforth my representative, able to command all rebel forces." Dark red bloodline force formed a serpentine black eye that surrounded Crowley, causing his strength to rise several degrees once more.
"Yes, Mistress. Your will is my command!" Crowley knelt down.
"You go follow him," Leylin told the slightly fervent Xavier.
"Re– Really? Thank you, Master!" Xavier hurriedly responded. The unbearable pressure had made him subservient somewhere along the line, especially now that he was in the presence of two of these terrifying existences.
"You served us well, so here's a tidbit of information. Your sister is currently inside the palace as well. Try harder, kid!" Xavier hadn't left yet, and this news caused his body to tremble as he picked up his pace.
Once the two of them left, a strange atmosphere enveloped the surroundings of the villa.
"What do you think of their chances of success?" the Snake Dowager broke the silence. She stretched her body, causing Leylin to smell a unique scent that caused his heart to skip a beat.
Leylin opened his mouth after a moment of silence, "Project X has been in progress for so many years, and a big portion of the natural world has been taken over. The Shadow Weave's influence has also permeated the whole world… Our opponent can choose to act at any time.
"Instead of leaving the button in the hands of the Mistress of the Night, why not have the subordinates detonate the bomb in advance? Isn't now the best opportunity?"
It was impossible for the Mistress of the Night to have taken care of three existences of laws without paying a certain price. The opponent would definitely be weakened, so the chances of their success were much higher. Things would grow more unclear once she made a complete recovery.
"The Mistress of the Night squandered away a great amount of the world's accumulated origin force, it'll be difficult for it to recover soon." Leylin grasped a wisp of air while revealing a bizarre smile.
The advancement of the Shadow World this time had failed. Its reserves of origin force were insufficient, and the civilisation itself wasn't prepared either. Shar naturally understood this, so instead of causing it to advance she'd had the place expand. The World Origin Force had yet to condense, and there were numerous other missing factors as well.
Because of all this, the Shadow World had been weakened by nothing. The sacrifices of Massa and Yuri only allowed it to recover slightly.
However, if Shar had enough time on hand she could lead the Shadow World to recovery, causing it to burgeon with origin force. At that time, the Mistress of the Night would not be so easy to handle.
...
The Blood Nest had changed greatly by the time Crowley and Xavier arrived at the capital. Although the earthquakes hadn't caused much damage to their core base, a large number of strangers had gathered in the basement's inner conference hall.
Among these strangers were people dressed in black Chinese gowns, witches with sharp hats, knights clad in armour, and expert martial artists. The ones that attracted Xavier's attention were the group of people clad in army uniform that occupied the area. Everyone there had an aura of blood and iron that was unique to the armed forces.
'This should be the rebels Clive mentioned before…' Xavier noticed that several members of the Bloodline Alliance interacted with the rest of the groups, whereas the soldiers waited silently without any communication whatsoever.
The situation in the hall was chaotic, with many people arguing over the changes that occurred a few days ago. Everyone had been frightened by that disaster that seemed able to destroy the world. Project X and the Tree of Life were brought up frequently as well.
"Everyone, quiet down!" The arrival of Crowley and Xavier immediately attracted a great deal of attention. The thousands of eyes in the hall caused every pore in the younger one's body to tense up.
After all, none of those gathered here were exactly 'ordinary.' Any other citizen of the empire, even your average soldier, would've collapsed under the immense pressure.
Bobbi pushed the other members of the Bloodline Alliance aside, her face filled with expectation, "How is it? Did that person agree?"
"No, but she didn't reject us either…" Crowley shook his head. "The ancestor appointed me to act on behalf of her will to overthrow the decadent empire."
"Without their assistance we won't be able to resist the mastermind behind the empire." Clive shook his head from within the group of levels. Only the higher-ups of the empire truly understood how terrifying the Mistress of the Night was.
With her support, the imperial family held absolute power. If not for the threat of Project X and the Tree of Life, these soldiers would never have done something so arduous and thankless as rebelling unless their brains had gone haywire.
"What age are we in right now? To believe the existence of ancient myths based on some prophecies? Isn't that ridiculous?" A questioning voice sounded out from the crowd, attracting numerous opinions in favour of the ridicule. Although they all held extraordinary powers themselves, they still had their reservations about ancient myths.
"This is a treasure the empire retrieved at the cost of their largest submarine. The Book of Salvation was left behind by the blind prophet Ari, and we managed to decipher the prophecy. As all souls become one, the day of doom approaches. That's already happened. We need the help of the Snake Dowager!"
Clive tossed a stone tablet out, translating the words and images upon it.
"These mysterious ancient relics have no credibility!" The same voice spoke out.
"What about this?"
*Hssssss!* A terrifying hiss resounded in the massive hall, and turbulent bloodline energy formed a gigantic chimera made up of over a hundred different snakes, seemingly covered by various grotesque scales.
"This bloodline?" Many of the bloodline carriers in the Bloodline Alliance descended from the Snake Dowager. Looking at this scene, they'd immediately knelt down.
They felt the will of their ancestors surround Crowley, his bloodline causing them to swear allegiance by instinct. As the origin of their bloodline, the Snake Dowager could subdue Crowley and the rest with but a wisp of her aura.
Such was the absolute control of a higher bloodline. It afforded more power than any spells of the soul, and it was impossible for the weaker bloodline to break out of their superiors' grasp unless they managed to extract the source of their bloodline from them. However, Leylin was the only one in history who'd managed to do such a thing.
"He's surpassed the energy limit!
"He broke through the rumoured energy limit just like that?" someone else muttered, and everyone changed in complexion. Crowley looked down upon the kneeling bloodline carriers like he was an emperor.
The so called energy limit was propaganda created by the empire. Technology and the Shadow Weave could only do so much, and they hadn't been able to pass a certain threshold. Because of that, they'd called this threshold the energy limit.
The empire's strongest energy weapons were only equivalent to a peak rank 6 Magus in power. Nobody had broken through that barrier.
And yet, Crowley managed to break through that rank with mere borrowed power. His body and spirit had been transformed by the Snake Dowager, increasing his capabilities to the peak of rank 6. With the help of the temporary authority from the Snake Dowager he could use some bloodline power to pass the bottleneck and become a half-step rank 7.
Although near rank 7 strength still left him having to kneel down in front of other beings of law like Leylin, Crowley was now undoubtedly the strongest person in the empire. He opened a path up with ferocity and violent imposition, instantly finding the fellow who'd been speaking all along.
"Do you have any opinions?" Strong winds blew to accompany his kingly demeanor.
"No! Not at all!" The person who spoke was a youngster with dyed hair and pierced ears. In the face of the terrifying pressure, he couldn't even speak properly.
*Boom!* The floor shattered, and Crowley's silhouette instantly appeared in mid-air. The hall overflowed with the arrogant and overbearing aura of the hundred snakes, and the other bloodline carriers felt it difficult to even breath.
"I'm the best proof of her existence. Her help allowed me to break through that so-called energy limit, entering a new realm…" Crowley gazed upon everyone from above, "Furthermore, that existence agreed to stop the Mistress of the Night mentioned in the prophecy. Can all of us not even handle the imperial family?"
He roared in a loud voice, "Everyone here is aware of the existence of the two projects. Thus, now it is time for us to make a choice. Die loyal to that empire, or join me… In rebellion!"
-x-X-x-
Crowley's oratory wasn't particularly outstanding. It neither caused their blood to boil nor attracted their attention. By all rights the speech was a failure that couldn't even fool little kids.
Fortunately, he had great assistance. The Shadow Empire's recent actions had enraged the heavens and the peoples. Project X and the Tree of Life Project were too wide-spread, affecting everyone be they nobles, peasants, or prisoners. The upper class couldn't be blamed for instigating a rebellion.
If someone was disturbed in the comfort of their home by a stranger who told them they were but clones who would be assimilated to a whole, and that they'd become complete idiots, it was only to be expected that they'd grow mad. This was just a disaster occurring in broad daylight.
Although this wasn't really the fault of the imperial family, the others would still lump them together. The Empire had already disparaged the Bloodline Alliance and other organisation, causing great distrust from the public. Now it seemed like they were psychopaths plotting to bring about the end of the world.
This situation endangered ordinary citizens and government officials alike. Rebel funding grew greatly, developing further. If they'd planned such a huge counterattack on the outskirts of the Empire before, they would've been killed by the imperial guards who came knocking on the door. Now, however, things were different. The refugees who's jumped ship felt bitter as well.
They had to support the rebel groups with all they had. What would assisting the Empire achieve? Good politicians would never believe that the empire would leave their souls free after assimilating them into the whole.
As a result, it could be said that the Empire had given birth to the rebel army.
"Down with the Empire!" "Overthrow the Empire!" Under the pressure of death, the heads of several major organisations had quickly reached a consensus.
"Excellent!" Seeing the many faces flushed with righteous indignation, a smile bloomed on Crowley's face. He pressed a button, and a map was projected behind him.
"This is the imperial capital!" Unlike before, the city was now devastated. The surrounding regions had been thrown into disarray as well, "We only have one target this time, the Imperial Palace! We have to thoroughly destroy the core of all evil!" Crowley vehemently clenched his fist.
"There are at least 300,000 troops surrounding the capital on normal occasions, not to mention the police and the Special Forces. We'd never be afforded such an opportunity in that case. However… General Clive!"
"I will only say two things!" The grey-haired Clive was filled with bloodlust, and like a true military man he didn't mince his words. "Firstly, the horrific disaster hurt the army greatly. Many soldiers are still participating in the relief efforts, and their information network has been broken up. While us old fellows who are held in some prestige cannot incite the troops to march with us, temporarily stalling them won't be an issue...
"Second. As a result of a lack of support for the royal family, our people have already maneuvered themselves into key positions, including several major transport hubs and the Ministry of Defence."
Hearing Clive speak, the eyes of the audience came alive. With so many favourable conditions stacking up, they finally saw a glimmer of hope for success.
"We can't delay. Let's plan this operation out immediately!" Bobbi said. She then glanced at Crowley, "We should also designate a chief for us."
...
Kerallen, within the Imperial Palace.
Emperor Aragon was sat on his throne, glancing down at a rare scene of numerous royals enjoying a sumptuous dinner in one place.
The Empress was here, alongside his several sons and daughters, the Secretary of State, the Minister of Maritime Affairs, and the Minister of Defence.
'Which of these people is truly loyal to me?' Emperor Aragorn suddenly felt a sense of melancholy. He completely lost interest in the wine within the crystal flask.
"Father!" Ling walked in just then, dressed in military uniform. Javis was following behind her like a loyal dog. She performed a salute before making her report, "The Special Forces learned that the Bloodline Alliance is conspiring to attack the palace."
"Hmm?" Empire Aragon's brows twitched, and Javis immediately knelt down, "I can vouch for the credibility of the news with my life!"
"Sigh… These are truly troubled times!" Aragon put down the crystal flask, massaging his brows with his right hand in helplessness. The entire hall was silent, as if they could only hear the heavy breathing of their monarch.
Just when everyone assumed that the Emperor would order the capture of the rebels, he instead made a shocking decision, "Alright then. Initiate Project X and the Tree of Life Project immediately!
"Sigh… Everyone please follow me. All the entrances of the palace are to be shut. Without my orders, no one is allowed to enter or leave!" A long sigh escaped from Emperor Aragon. Upon bringing a wave of important ministers out of the palace, numerous high-ranking guards followed after.
All the forces of the Empire, be it the Special Forces, the intelligence team, or other elites fell into order under Ling's command. The whole place wound up, as if a machine.
"It's ready!" The other royal family looked at each other, and a strange silence soon followed. The older princes' gazes were fixed on Princess Ling, their thoughts unknown.
The princess herself told Javis to leave, moving alone to another meeting room. A few miserable cries sounded out, and complete silence followed them.
"I didn't think that the Minister of Defence would have betrayed me. Ha, and to think he was my best friend…" Emperor Aragon walked out a few minutes later, sighing as he used a white handkerchief to wipe the bloodstains off his body.
"My path is destined not to be understood by others, but I have no choice!" Emperor Aragon couldn't help by sigh as he looked at the only child to whom he could entrust this task.
"All preparations have been completed, father. Please follow me." Ling didn't betray any emotion on her face, the calm in her eyes making it impossible to guess her thoughts. The two arrived at the imperial garden, all the vegetation within flattened to form a huge plaza.
"Let's begin!" Emperor Aragon commanded, holding back the excitement in his heart.
The entire plaza began to tremble, the earth gradually splitting open as it formed a box. A fantastic white tower appeared from the ground, its interior completely solid while its exterior was filled with light. It dazzled with a gorgeous lustre.
Twelve bright pearls could be seen atop the tower, forming a circle connected by thick black metal chains to the centre. A girl was sleeping in each pearl, and Jill was amongst them. They were curled up like babies in their mothers' wombs, and their eyebrows furrowed from time to time. And just like a womb, there was a large amount of translucent liquid around them, a crystal clear thread from within connecting to their bodies.
"The console of the Tree of Life!" Emperor Aragon looked at the metal console in front of him with a crazy and fervent expression. "Look at it, Ling, such a beautiful crown…"
"Yes," Ling's eyes were filled with a radiance as well. She had to admit, the brilliant tower with its twelve pearls looked like a massive crown.
However, she was very clear that this was a test for her father. If the Mistress of the Night appeared here at this point, she and her father would be fated for death.
'No… Perhaps father might survive, but I'll definitely die.' Ling looked at her father's hands. Only she knew that the array from the strongroom had been transferred to his body, Kalle's eyes and the mermaid scales on his person.
Before he continued, Emperor Aragon called out to his daughter, "Go activate the final X mutation before the Tree of Life Project begins. No matter who our opponents are, they're likely to face great trouble."
Ling's body trembled as she received this command, one that was equal to setting the devils loose. Still, she managed to retreat respectfully from the place.
"Sword Saint, Night Devil, follow closely!" Emperor Aragon commanded immediately after. Two silhouettes appeared behind his back, his final line of defence. Right now, he'd sent the two of them out.
The two old men saluted to Emperor Aragon, slowly blending into the breeze. Emperor Aragon looked at his surroundings and revealed a trace of smile as he walked into the plaza.
*Ding!* A layer of pure white energy instantly separated the plaza from the outside world.
"All the unstable factors have been removed." Emperor Aragon looked around, seeing that he was alone at the console tower. He couldn't help but reveal a smile of satisfaction, "I will definitely be able to devour the assimilated soul body, becoming a God!"
He walked towards the centre of the metal tower with unswerving determination.
-x-X-x-
By this time, the rebel army had successfully infiltrated the capital under Clive's lead. They were heading towards the palace as Clive's communication device rang out. Several words were transmitted over, causing Clive's facial expression to change immediately.
"It's a code from the palace, we've been found out! The palace has been closed down, and the imperial forces were mobilised…" Clive's expression grew unsightly, "Without those insiders it'll be much more difficult for us to break into the palace…"
"We didn't expect to avoid much trouble in the first place. In fact, just being able to infiltrate the capital is worth being excited over, isn't it?" Crowley looked behind him.
They were currently in the capital's streets, those behind them all bloodline carriers and warriors armed with firearms, along with a portion of the military. This motley crowd radiated grandeur as they walked forward.
Even more surprising was that the capital's citizens were all hiding behind closed doors, glancing occasionally at them but not standing out. It was like the guards of the capital had all perished. The group felt strange, as if the imperial army and the entire capital accepted their presence.
"Looks like revealing the existence of Project X and the Tree of Life to the public has indeed been effective…" Bobbi looked at her surroundings, "At least those lower-ranked soldiers will not fight against us."
"More important is that outing the royal family destroyed their trust in their government. We now have to work separately. Cut the palace's power; even if they have a spare we can still take advantage of the confusion."
An unswerving determination appeared on Clive's face. "The interior of the Special Forces headquarters contains a detailed map of the palace. It can help us with our plan, I'll take care of it!"
"Do you want to settle your grudge with your brother?" Bobbi rolled her eyes. "It's up to you. Although I've had problems with them for a while, our target right now is the palace."
"Thanks!" Clive straightened his back, an unyielding and determined look on his face. "I promise I'll succeed!"
A portion of the retired and serving officers separated from the rebel army, rushing towards the headquarters of the Special Forces.
"Eh? What's going on?" After arriving at the Special Forces headquarters, Clive was stunned to discover that it has become a slaughterhouse. Numerous black cloaked bodies fell on the ground with an unbelieving expression.
"This was all done by one person, and…" Clive stood up and walked past a dead body while entering the headquarters.
"You're finally here, my benevolent brother!" Javis had long been waiting here, his eyes containing an evil sneer.
Preventing the others from indiscriminately rushing into action, Clive spoke with a heavy tone. "You killed those people outside? Why?"
"They were a group of fools. They started to panic and think of rebelling after hearing the rumours, so I had to send the useless trash off personally." Javis blew his fingernails while speaking, as if he had only killed a few ants.
"Even now you still can't let it go? I'm sorry for what happened, but our brother should not be the reason for you to turn to evil. It's time to stop!" Tears brimmed in Clive's eyes as he spoke.
"Stop? Are you kidding me? The project is going to succeed, and third brother's soul is about to come back. At this point in time, you are telling me to stop?" Clothes ripped apart, and a cloud of black energy emerged from Javis' body. "I'll turn you into a corpse!"
"Sigh… I didn't expect that it would come to this between brothers…" Clive sighed, "You were a genius from birth. However, you lacked the most important quality of the strong as you advanced on your road for power… Love, and forgiveness…"
One of the soldiers raised his laser gun, firing a warning shot towards Javis.
"It's not too late for you to change your mind," Clive tried to persuade him for the last time.
"You should be the one changing their mind, not me!" Even surrounded by the rebels there was not a trace of fear in Javis' eyes. Instead, he seemed like he was watching a good show.
"Not good!" Clive understood his brother well, and he'd noticed the abnormality. Still, he couldn't make out what it was.
*Thud!* One of the rebels suddenly fell to the floor, twitching unconsciously.
"What's wrong?" Clive's astonishing eyesight allowed him to instantly notice a layer of dark green spreading on the surface of the soldier's neck.
*Thud! Thud!* The condition seemed to spread, numerous rebels starting to fall one by one. The rest were left staring at each other.
"The X gene mutated! Have they begun to act?"
Javis seized this moment's opportunity to attack. "Shadow Wind!"
*Whoosh!* A violent tornado suddenly blew everyone away. A cluster of shadows suddenly turned those who remained standing into a fog of blood.
"Guards!" Javis' rampant laughter was oddly obvious in the wind.
*Creak! Creak!* The metal floor opened up, rows of armed robots moving out to surround Clive and the rest.
"How now? Who's surrounding who?" Javis looked at his brother. "To be absent minded with the fall of a few soldiers, you haven't changed indeed. Still so hypocritical!"
"Even if I'm being hypocritical, it's still my duty. Just like I rushed here, not to save the country but to prevent you from falling further. Come back, brother!" Clive suddenly stood up.
"Annoying preaching…" Javis dug his ears and turned back. "However, I can give you a chance.
"A showdown between the two of us, where both our people are not to interfere. If you can defeat me, I can give you anything you want. Be it the palace plans or the most important of intelligence…"
"Just what I had in mind!" Clive clenched his fists, and a terrifying aura exploded in the air.
"Well, then come with me!" Javis walked in and brought Clive to an ancient colosseum. "So how's this for an arena? It'll serve well as your burial place, won't it?"
"If death can save you, I will not hesitate." Clive finally understood that his brother had changed long ago. He'd become a demon the moment he joined the Special Forces.
*Boom!" Two silhouettes rammed ferociously into each other in the dusty sky, a terrifying battle aura flooding the whole colosseum.
...
During this time, a majority of the people in the capital had quietly fallen to the ground. Be they merchants, officials, or even royals, nobody was spared. Everyone who fell foamed at the mouth, a layer of dark green spreading around their bodies. The change was especially pronounced in their eyes. Blood vessels thickened as their pupils lost colour, the eyes turning a complete white.
It wasn't just the humans facing such a situation. The entirety of nature and the ecosphere had suffered from disaster. A majority of insects and other small animals broke out with the symptoms immediately, while those with larger bodies soon followed. The dark green spots spread continuously around their bodies, finally forming a huge mark— the letter X!
"X Gene! This damned Empire, they really did dare to act!" Crowley looked in fury as his men fell to the floor without end.
Still, it was the soldiers, martial artists, and knights that suffered the heaviest casualties. The protection of extraordinary power allowed the Bloodline Alliance and the Coven of Witches to escape the calamity with minimal losses.
"With Project X activated, the Tree of Life won't be far behind. We need to break through the palace as soon as possible and get rid of the evil!" Crowley gazed at the huge capital. The masses that were crying due to the previous disaster had received another blow, half of the city dead silent while the other half screamed.
The X gene had spread through more than 60% of the population. About sixty amongst every hundred people had fallen under the Empire's control the moment it activated the program.
"It seems like they've only lost their mobility and consciousness? They might still be saved!" Bobbi released a sigh of relief.
"No. Don't you feel like this is suspicious?" Crowley's facial expression was instead imposing. "Look at the current situation. Doesn't it look as if the Empire is purging their original consciousness to pave the road for the Tree of Life's activation?"
"Report!" Just then, a liaison officer ran over. "Our front lines have reached the palace, but the enemy robots are holding us back. We're currently in a stalemate!"
"Sure enough, the Empire has prepared for this situation!" Crowley waved his hands. "Let's rush there… We can only hope Clive deals with Javis more quickly…"
...
The entrance of the Imperial Palace.
Xavier, who was in the midst of battle, suddenly noticed the defensive forcefield of the palace weaken, the robots losing the radiance in their eyes. A pleasant smile surfaced on his eyes.
"Clive's succeeded! Everyone, rush in with me!"
The morale of the rebels rose instantly. Although the Empire had a reserve energy source for moments like this, they didn't have the time to switch. Their defence was suddenly broken.
-x-X-x-
Three groups merged inside the palace. Xavier looked at a wounded Clive and revealed a smile, "Well done, Mister Clive! We have one last target remaining!"
"Mm. Javis told me about the Emperor's arrangement, and a backdoor to manipulate the robots before he… died…" Clive wasn't smiling. His expression had a trace of loneliness. "He could've killed me, I didn't expect him to back off so suddenly at the end… He's so pitiful…"
"Everything was caused by the Empire. We're here to correct that mistake!" Crowley and Bobbi came over, looking resolute.
"We don't have much time! The Tree of Life is over there!" They could already see a white beam rising from within the palace, connecting with the skies to release a shocking glow of light.
"Snakebite Fist— Ultimate Snakebite!" Black energy roared forth from Xavier's fist, the terrifying destructive energy it contained even surpassing laser weapons. The robots blocking their road were sent flying and broke apart in midair.
"Mister Leylin… Made me this strong with a few pointers…" Xavier ran inside the palace, the occasional robot blocking him turned into scrap metal. He'd finally understood just how terrifying Leylin was. Just the fact that he could be beside the Snake Dowager was sufficient to show his status.
"Hiss… Scram!" Although Xavier's strength was already shocking, he was quite lacking in comparison to Crowley. That one low roar of his caused a gigantic beast made of a few hundred phantom snakes to surface, black air condensing to turn it real.
*Rumble!* *Rumble!* The chimera crushed a wave of robots into pieces, the corrosive liquid coming from the snakes causing the entire palace to collapse…
"Hmm?" Breaking open a brilliant and beautiful door, Xavier retreated a few steps in clear intimidation.
What welcomed him was a dazzling sight in the palace, exquisite dishes filling an entire long table. However, a few youths in royal clothing were lying on the ground, a dark green X visible on their skin.
A poised lady was clutching at her chest, sitting upright with a pained smile and an exquisite dagger stabbed into her body. A rose of blood had bloomed upon her clothes.
"This is… What's going on?" Xavier murmured in disbelief.
"Just a simple change in the palace…" Bobbi walked in and glanced around, her eyes filled with disdain. However when she saw the few young princes and princesses on the ground, her facial expression finally changed.
"The X gene! Even the royal family wasn't spared? Our old thoughts might be wrong; that existence doesn't support the royal family, instead just using it as a puppet or plaything!"
"Why are you still staring blankly? The whole world is filled with such tragedy right now. We have to find the anti-teleportation array and anti-gravity room quickly. I don't want to waste time breaking through each room one by one!" Crowley's roar transmitted from the outside. The entire building was demolished with his ferocious strength as he continued rushing towards the incoming robots.
*Bang!* The huge building collapsed under the weight of marble, its pillars bending into an arc before it crashed into the ground. Numerous robots collapsed, but an even denser horde took their place, walking out from all directions like a terrifying flood. The scene numbed the scalps of those present.
"Damn it! It looks like the other party has long been prepared…" Xavier bit his teeth, and his body started to shake. A trace of black mist was emitted from his pores, and Bobbi was shocked to discover that her ability to sense him weakened, as if he was disappearing into thin air.
"These robots' scanners are inflexible, I'll sneak past them." A resolute expression surfaced on Xavier's face. Under the control of Snakebite Fist, his blood slowly cooled and he began to restrain his energy fluctuations.
"Wait for me, Jill!" Xavier broke through the robots, rushing directly towards that pillar of light.
...
"Such a troublesome little demon," Crowley said from atop the giant beast, "Don't tell me I'll have to use that move…"
The beast started hissing even louder as if sensing his intentions, terrifying energy converging on its body.
"The target is the Tree of Life. Great Mistress, please give me strength!" Frightening balls of energy formed with Crowley's prayers, merging together rapidly and rippling with terrifying power.
"Ha! Scram!" The surging balls of energy formed a massive black hole. Be it the robots, the forcefield, or the building itself, everything was devoured by the black hole to reveal a wide, spacious passageway.
"Dawn, activate!" A slender mechanical figure descended just then. A terrifying furnace roared as the Shadow Weave stilled around the area. The beam of light that had killed the Metalback Whale appeared once more!
Extremely dazzling white light instantly collided with the black hole, their collision distorting the surroundings. A storm of annihilation ensued, instantly destroying most of the palace and inflicting great casualties amongst both the robots and the rebels.
A mushroom cloud rushed into the sky, and the Tree of Life held firm and steady. A strange mechanical armour stood in front of Crowley, forming its last line of defence.
The armour was smooth yet slender, its back attached to a skeletal wing and a hooked tail. It looked like an angel revealing its dark side.
"Scram, or you'll end up dead!" An increasingly murderous look appeared in Crowley's eyes. Regardless of who it was, being interrupted in the moment before success in life would cause one to fly into a rage.
"I'm sorry, I can't that." A female voice was transmitted from the glowing armour.
Ling was staring at the screen from within the control room, the man standing on the gigantic beast drawing all her attention.
"An attack surpassing the Empire's energy limit… If I hadn't taken Dawn from the submarine I'm afraid I wouldn't have been able to block that attack…" Ling's face revealed a bitter smile.
"Dawn is the pinnacle of the Empire's technology, built to the limit of our energy. It's our last trump card, our final defence…" Ling turned and looked at the direction of the Imperial Garden. "Father… This is all I can do for you…"
"Attack, kill them all and get rid of the Empire!" Crowley did not stop just because the other party was a girl. Such a thing would be extravagant for the rebel army. In a critical moment of life and death, any who blocked him would only be torn apart!
"For the Empire!" Ling shouted, and the radiant armour activated as a light sword with the power to cut through space appeared in its hands. The robot collided with the giant snake.
"Old man! The final moment is here…" The shadows flashed, and two old men on the verge of collapse appeared.
"Yeah… It's been a long time since we fought alongside each other, Night Devil…" Sword Saint wiped the handle of his broken iron sword, sighing suddenly.
"The last glory of the Empire… shall be protected by us!" Night Devil suddenly roared, he and Sword Saint forming streams of light that rushed towards the rebels with the robot army.
"Kill!" Bobbi made eye-contact with the other higher-ups, deciding to fight. Both sides were fighting for their goals and beliefs; there was no possibility of turning back.
Outside the Imperial Garden, the rebel army and last resistance of the Empire collided. The overflowing energy scattered and caused a terrifying fluctuation.
...
"Emperor!"
"To govern everything!"
"God!"
Emperor Aragon's eyes were filled with eagerness as he stepped onto the central metal platform. A flash of light verified him as he moved towards the top of the Tree of Life, towards its crown. The surroundings of the platform were absolutely empty, with but an isolated metal seat present.
"The resistance of hundreds of generations, thousands of years of unwillingness… Dear ancestors, please bless and protect me!" A trace of resoluteness appeared on Emperor Aragon's face, and he took a box out of his bosom. Inside was a pair of shrivelled eyes and some mermaid scales.
"Bring it on!" Madness flashed in Aragon's eyes as he directly swallowed these items, "I am the world!"
Immediately after, a horrifying change emerged on his body. Tumours spread out along his body, with scales and humanoid faces on them. Aragon struggled to sit on the metal throne.
*Kacha! Kacha!* Many channels opened up around the tower, revealing needles attached to tubes. The tubes seemed to possess their own lives, encircling the Emperor.
*Pu! Pu! Pu!* "AAAAHHH!" Soon after, hundreds of thousands of these tiny needles pierced into Aragon's body, stimulating all his nerves. The pain he felt exceeded the limits of human ability, able to cause a normal person to perish instantly. Even he couldn't help but release a bestial roar.
Numerous tubes wriggled amidst this terrifying roar, seemingly trying to draw something in as Aragon's body shrunk rapidly. He turned into a near-corpse.
-x-X-x-
The hundreds of thousands of tubes sucked Emperor Aragon dry in just a moment, devouring all his nutrients until he seemed less than a corpse. His body suddenly trembled, the fire in his eyes dying out.
However, a heated soul broke through the boundary of illusory and real before the moment of his death, moving through the tubes to reach the bottom of the tower instantly. Subsequently, a mind-blowing light beam suddenly soared into the sky!
"This is…" Xavier involuntarily exited stealth, a frightening expression on his face. Just a glance had sent terror into his heart, as if an inescapable crisis was approaching him.
"Project Tree of Life… I must stop it… Eh? Jill?!" Xavier shouted as he suddenly saw Jill's silhouette within one of the twelve pearls. His little sister was sadly unconscious, not able to respond.
"I'm coming right away, I'll save you! You have to persist!" Black scales instantly covered Xavier's hands, and he released a strong power.
"Open for me!" Xavier attacked the defensive forcefield repeatedly with his fists, but his Snakebite Fist could not cause it to even tremble.
"How can it be? Why is this so?" Xavier was about to fall apart, the black shadows converging on his hands repeatedly smashing the light. However, this was the core of the Empire's defence, using the most advanced technology and resources. It stood unmoving as a mountain, firmly rooted to the ground.
*Buzz!* A soul emerged from within the pillar of light at this moment, near the crown of the metal tower. It seemed to bellow out as it emitted a light that stirred the hearts of the people.
The Shadow Weave materialised on top of the tower, covering the entire world. The light beam crackled as it separated from the metal tower, connecting instead to the Shadow Weave.
Branches continued to spread out, and within a few moments a primordial tree made of light was formed in mid air, its many branches tightly linked to the Shadow Weave.
"The Tree of Life… It's begun…" All the survivors in the Empire looked up at this moment, seeing the massive tree.
"Damn it! Damn it!" Xavier brandished his fists constantly. Even his scales shattered to the force of his blows, blood spilling onto the membrane of light.
"Snake Dowager, or Leylin… Either one of you… please give me strength!" Falling into despair, Xavier couldn't bear it anymore as he prayed…
Within the palace, Leylin and Allsnake were in the middle of their chess match.
"It looks like those bloodline carriers are experiencing difficulties… What do you think?" Allsnake twirled a piece in her hand, a smile on her face. It was as if everything had happened in front of her.
"Regardless of what they do, the Empire… No, the royal family is destined to fail…" A trace of disdain could be seen in Leylin's smile, "Even we can sense this easily, how could it escape Shar? I'm afraid she's letting them continue these small tricks, waiting for the right time to harvest the rewards."
"But what should be do about it?" The Snake Dowager stared at Leylin with her beautiful eyes, a trace of coquettishness in her expression. "I've noticed you have other plans in your mind."
"That's a secret, and the source of my confidence. Forgive me, I cannot reveal it to you right now." Leylin shot the Snake Dowager a sincere look, "When the time is right, I'll fulfill my end of the contract. Please trust in me until then."
"What about now? Are we not doing anything?" The Snake Dowager leaned back lazily, whether she really believed in Leylin's words unknown.
"Right now? We can add in a variable or two, waiting for Shar's reaction." Leylin smiled softly, placing a finger on a datura flower rune.
...
Outside the Imperial Garden, Xavier suddenly felt his body heat up.
"This feeling…" He tore his shirt apart, seeing a beautiful black flower slowly blooming on his chest above his heart. The pain seemed to tear his body apart, constantly eroding his nerves.
The last time this happened he'd been unable to endure the pain, losing consciousness. However, things were different this time; several upgrades in strength allowed Xavier to persevere, gnashing his teeth in an effort to remain conscious.
"Hee… AAAH…" The extreme force caused his gums to bleed. At the same time, he felt a terrifying power moving within his body.
"Snakebite Fist!" A black phantom snake with scarlet eyes suddenly emerged in front of Xavier, a few stories tall. An earth-shattering roar resounded as he punched out, the surrounding earth trembling as the defensive forcefield shattered.
"Jill!" Xavier instantly rushed towards Jill's location.
"Scram!" The pillar of light radiated anger, and numerous needle tubes suddenly charged towards Xavier.
"These insignificant things…" Xavier used his hands to catch them, but the moment he made contact his face changed. 'So hard, even harder than alloys. It's also so powerful, and this current…'
*Bang!* The boy was sent flying.
"There cannot be any damage to the Tree of Life!" The tree completed its preparations amidst the fluctuations of the soul, suddenly spreading out.
"Eh?" Xavier suddenly felt light-headed, as if his spirit had been extracted. Fortunately, the datura flower's protection had allowed him to remain conscious.
However, he would rather have fainted than watch the scene in front of him. Particles of light emerged from everywhere in the capital like rain, converging on the pillar of light. The twelve pearls lit up, the faces of the girls within revealing painful expressions.
Once the powerful soul energy was transformed, it gathered at the centre of the tower that housed the Tree of Life. The tree grew in size, slowly increasing its pull on Xavier's soul.
"It has started!" Ling, in control of Dawn, released a sigh of relief as she separated from Crowley.
"Hateful! This is all your fault!" Crowley looked at his surroundings as an invisible net of energy began to materialise, looking like a bunch of branches that grabbed onto the fallen whose bodies had been infected with the X gene.
A particle of light was then drawn out of these people, moving towards the tree as if this web was a bunch of roots. Looking at the scene, Crowley could not help but feel extremely terrified.
"It's useless even if you knock me down now…" Ling forced a bitter smile while looking at Crowley, "It'll start with the bodies affected by the X gene, their souls providing the Tree of Life its initial nourishment. Then will be the ordinary people who weren't infected, followed by ability wielders and bloodline carriers… With the Tree of Life's rapid growth, the force with which it will absorb these souls will grow… No one can escape, and abandoning the Rapid Shadows just ridiculous. The Shadow Weave is everywhere, such a thing would only help delay the inevitable by a few minutes, nothing more…"
"Since you knew all this, why not do anything to stop it?" Crowley was thoroughly enraged. The chimera of snakes roared and rushed forward.
"Because… This is my fate…" Ling laughed bitterly, her eyes showing reminiscence.
"Cough…" She suddenly coughed and spat out fresh blood.
"It looks like I won't be able to continue from now? After all, I only have an ordinary physique…" There was a trace of a smile on the princess' face as the armour collided with the beast, roots from the Shadow Weave appearing to bore into her body. The feeling of one's soul being grabbed caused her face to stiffen.
"Self-destruct!" Before losing her consciousness, Ling issued the last order.
*Boom!* The armour grabbed the chimeral beast, before disintegrating in a terrifying explosion.
"How I wish to go back to my childhood, looking at my father push my swing…" Ling smiled before she fell into total darkness, her body swallowed by the fire.
"Crowley! Crowley!" Bobbi rushed over, only to see a bottomless black hole. The range of the destruction had been surprisingly small, but this wasn't Ling's goodwill. She'd instead focused all the destructive might on her opponent.
The area surrounding them had been annihilated, the earth itself completely gone to reveal a bottomless underground tunnel. Crowley had borne the full brunt of this attack, would he be able to survive?
Bobbi's face was filled with tears as she constantly called for Crowley.
"Cough… Rest assured! Before the destruction of the Empire, I will not die…" A few long back snakes similar to vines grabbed the edges of the pit before Crowley climbed out. However, he was not in a good state— Half of his body had been destroyed, both of his legs and his right arm gone.
"She was a respectable opponent, but also a pitiful person…" Crowley looked at the pit and sighed.
*Whoosh!* His body muscles suddenly squirmed, and he finally even grew out a new arm and legs. His newborn limbs had delicate white skin, seeming no different from the rest of him.
-x-X-x-
Perhaps it was because of the bizarreness of the recent events, Bobbi just accepted Crowley's regeneration with some elation. He managed to help the others upon his return, killing Night Devil and Sword Saint before moving to the final battleground.
It was there that he saw the elegant and imposing metal tower, with the needle-topped tubes surrounding it seemingly alive.
"Crowley! Hurry!" The large metal pipes moved once more, stopping Xavier outside the tree. There were numerous wounds on his body, but the youth continued to sprint forward as he headed for the tower with pearls.
"The Tree of Life!" The tree's huge roots had spread throughout the top of the tower, its huge branches covering the skies and making for a vantage point over the entire empire.
There was a crimson glow on the tree's bark, forming a vague image of a face filled with madness.
"Ling is so useless!" Rage appeared on the face once it saw and the rest come over. A powerful gust of energy shot forth as many of the roots of the branches of the Tree of Life shot forward to attack them. Many of the rebel troops were caught by these vines, their souls immediately extracted as corpses fell to the ground.
"At such a time… There's nothing to be afraid of even if I die…" Crowley pushed Bobbi away, revealing a black serpent imprint on his back.
"The final seal… Unseal now!"
*Hiss!* A powerful surge of darkness spread out, and the chimeral serpent appeared once more. Only now, it looked even more illusory than before.
"I give you all my life force… Annihilate it!" Black blood oozed out of Crowley's pores, continuously entering the body of the giant serpent. It hissed as it received the nourishment, a powerful ball of energy converging in its mouth as it materialised again.
"I'll bury you!" Several hundred balls of energy converged, forming a terrifying black hole once more. The branches were destroyed in front of its might, saving many lives.
Facing this attack, even Aragon who'd turned into the Tree of Life had to be cautious. The massive tree shrank down a little as powerful soul force formed a thick wall before the black hole.
*Boom!* An explosion rocked the place the moment the black hole came into contact, shattering the wall.
However, the Tree of Life still stood tall after the dust settled, and even worse there was no damage to it at all!
"I've already become one with the Tree of Life. With the first stage of soul collection complete, nobody in the world can annihilate me anymore…" Aragon bellowed as his face appeared on the now-crimson tree.
"Just the soul energy of the empire could bring me to such a realm… I will plant firmly into the earth, becoming the core of the realm as I spread my roots throughout the world!" Aragon's spirit projection seemed extremely zealous, his insanity overwhelming.
"Are you afraid now? Do you feel that fear? Run for your lives! If you're lucky enough… you might be able to last through the end and watch the world perish with me… No, you'll watch the beginning of a new world!" Aragon issued his decree.
The Tree of Life immediately swelled as he spoke, terrifying roots piercing into the ground and covering the entire palace in an instant. The twelve pearls were operating at full force. A few of the girls were already unable to withstand the damage, blood spurting out of their orifices.
"Jill! Jill!" Xavier roared in rage. There had never been a day when he'd felt as cowardly and helpless before.
*Kacha! Kacha!* Cracks appeared on the ground as the Tree of Life's roots continuously expanded through the planet. Very soon it spanned the entire empire. The crown of pearls grew at the same time, expanding until it reached the skies to connect to the Shadow Weave. Even after that it continued to expand.
It wasn't just the cities, and it wasn't only humans. Anything in the Empire with the ability to think had its truesoul absorbed by the Weave.
"Javis told me the Tree of Life expands in three stages. The first time it will cover the entire region. The second time it will move to cover the entire planet. The third and final stage is when it will fuse with the world itself, becoming a god!"
Clive stepped forward, "It will be impossible to defeat in its second and third stages of growth. We need to take this opportunity now to eliminate it!"
Bobbi nodded her head. "Even as it continues to expand it's protecting those twelve pearls. They should be its core!"
"Young people, the world needs you! The old will create an opportunity for the future!" Clive stood forward with other survivors.
"That's right…"Crowley had stood up as well, even if he was close to collapsing. "Even with the bloodline phantom we won't be able to escape the final purge of the Weave… We can only gamble on this once chance!"
"Listen up, Xavier! We'll concentrate our power to make a chance for you. Your mission is to charge in and destroy the twelve pearls. Remember, don't attack the tree. That's on a completely different level from you!" Crowley looked at Xavier and smiled, "Don't you wish to save your sister? Then do it. Do it and, at the same time, save the world!"
"Let's go!" Clive charged ahead, activating a platinum card against the numerous branches and pipes. "The newest technology in the Empire, a Space Reversal Pulse. I hope it'll be of some use!" One last smile escaped Clive's face as his body turned to dust amidst a large explosion.
"Wait for me, old man!" Another steel-faced soldier dashed forward, choosing to destroy himself without any hesitation. The sacrifice caused Xavier to clench his fists tightly.
*Rumble! Rumble! Rumble!* Explosions rang out one after the other, and a path was built upon human lives.
"This is great… That soul fortress from before can't restore itself so easily after this much damage. We have a better chance…" Crowley pulled at Xavier, a hundred-headed giant snake charging into the vicinity of the metallic tower.
*Whoosh!* Numerous terrifying needles shot towards them like enraged beasts, the Tree of Life up above howling in anger.
On the other hand, the powerful bloodline carriers dashed out in silence, using their lives to open up the path to victory.
*Chi! Chi!* Great numbers of thin needles pricked into the hundred-headed beast, the terrifying incisions causing the huge beast's torso to shrivel up. It soon turned into a bag of skin and bones, and Crowley seemed to have lost all blood in his face.
"No! Why is this happening?" Hot tears blurred Xavier's sight.
"Kid, did you think we're doing this for you? No, this is for the world!" The continuous sacrifices brought them ever closer to the platform. 20 metres… 10 metres… 5 metres…
Aragon was infuriated by the time they reached the place, the terrifying soul attacks of those branches surging violently in their direction.
"I'll marry you, Crowley…" Bobbi stood up from the snake at this moment, her back turned to Crowley. She then jumped off the giant beast, a pair of dark green butterfly wings extending from her back in mid air. It looked dazzling and beautiful.
A dark green lustre appeared around the wings, and although it seemed weak it managed to withstand the onslaught of attacks.
The Tree of Life's attack was like the palm of the devil king. However, a frail butterfly still managed to dance under the might of this devil, shining brilliantly with the last bit of life it had.
Bobbi's sacrifice finally brought Xavier and Crowley to the twelve pearls. The former could see Jill within one of them, able to tell apart every pore on her body.
"Xavier! You can only count on yourself in life. The Mistress is far too superior to us; hoping for her to pity us is only something the inferior trash does…" Crowley had his back to Xavier as he spoke quickly, "This is my final realisation! Hence… The only ones able to save humankind are ourselves. Do it!
"Aragon! Die!" Crowley's body turned into a ray of light amidst his roars, merging into the hundred-headed beasts as he formed Xavier's last line of defence.
"Guys… guys…" Xavier's tears flowed uncontrollably, but he did not hesitate further.
He knew full well that he could not give up this chance that everyone had fought about with their lives. Snakebite Fist leapt into action as the black datura flower bloomed on his back. All his other issues solved, he stood properly in front of Jill.
"Stop!" Terrifying soul fluctuations reverberated from behind him, but Xavier did not turn back. Someone reliable was protecting him.
"This bullshit empire!" Terrifying black energy appeared on Xavier's hands.
"This bullshit project!" A beam of light from the datura flower engulfed Xavier's body, allowing his strength to reach its peak.
"You bullshit Aragon! Die!" he bellowed, unleashing his strongest punch ever.
-x-X-x-