Chapter 664 Prelude to War (2/2)

”I know that the Sacred Swordsman is formidable,” he said mildly, ”but he is no master in that aspect.”

Igor shook his head in return. ”He might be the only one who could do it,” the pontiff said quietly. ”World Will possess no actual form—any physical seal would only hold it temporarily, and yet 'it' would keep slipping out all the time, and the information flow that caused everything at present was because it slipped out.”

”However, Mystletainn, the Sword of the Silver Oak is its bane. It is difficult for all things in Mycroft to hurt their Mother, and only unnatural, artificial creations could ever strike against them. That is the Holy Sword that the Sacred Swordsman's clan had forged across generations: it is not crafted from steel but from a solid, long and wide artificial space. It bears no thickness, but could transmute everything its blade struck into essence similar to itself, making it invincible. Even if the World Will lashed out at it, it would simply be compressed into a flat surface for a brief moment.”

”I see, so it's inert two-dimensional transmutation… if that's so, you would set up a perfect Klein Bottle seal, imprisoning the Steel Python forever.”

Joshua nodded after listening silently to the old pontiff's explanation. ”A perfect seal, and without external interference it would either regain clarity or die in the endless isolation… if there is no external interference.”

As he spoke, the warrior looked up to the Void—he had heard the draconic cry and the stink of the Abyss that were two familiar presences. And on the other side of the Void, three massive lifeforces illuminated their surroundings like the suns. Void Behemoth, superior lifeform, or perhaps some other supernatural creature was rapidly approaching the Infinite Horizon as well.

There were at least six or seven Legendary-tier beings, and perhaps one untraceable deity. It was nigh impossible to stop them from not destroying the combining and the sealing ritual, and focusing their efforts in stopping one would allow others to swiftly bypass their interception. Nevertheless, neither Joshua nor Igor showed any signs of worry.

What was more, there were no other Legendary champions beside them. The Void was empty and devoid of any presence, and no one was hiding.

Could they intend to stop all those powerful enemies with the power of two?

They just might be to do that one day, but not today.

Joshua swept his gaze over the Void.

He was already prepared.

***

Kanor the Black Dragon has already approached Mycroft; it could clearly see the dazzling light of the world. Complex feelings roused in its black dragon heart, it was a sensation as if it had returned to a homeland where it was not welcomed, even spurned. But it was precisely because of that sensation that it reaffirmed itself to attain the power of 'That Person'.

It is only by attaining that power that the exiled Celestial Dragons would secure their own future and their own world, and not be a hermit in the world of 'others', a docile ostrich.

At the same time, it sensed the powerful presences of other powerful beings that did not lose out to it, coming from other directions. Kanor, however, was not afraid—as it had been blessed before, the black dragon was fearless against powerful foes and invincible.”

Powerful negative energies eroded the dimensions as Kanor broke through the chaos of dimensional turbulence, arriving by the edge of the world, a dimensional region where there was a hint of Order. Looking up, the black dragon saw that colossal world in the distance, and the black plane that was slowly fusing into the outer walls of the world. Like tidal waves, the brute force surged without end at the surrounding Multiverse, displaying its existence to all.

It was the omen that the Mycroft civilization was reawakening, that the age of gods is at hand once again as deities descended.

There were also two figures standing aloft in the Void, in front of the two fusing worlds.

One was an elderly person with gray hair and white robes, a scepter in hand. His whole body was streaming with dense holy light that was near-solid, and stood motionless. But contrary to that posture of serenity, the Dragon could feel the oppressive light of 'Death and Terror' welling incessantly out of him.

The other was a huge man with black hair and crimson eyes—light itself was distorted beside him, the ripples of dimension screaming in anguish. Everything about him was simple: whether it was his body composition, energy essence or power it commanded, the black dragon could see it all… and yet there was no meaning in doing so. In its brief exchange of blows with that man, as long as that simple and pure man stood there, all things would end up in two distinct absolutes—success and failure, victory and defeat, as well as the simplest and most pristine words: life and death.

Those two were so powerful they far surpassed typical Legends. Being Legendary champions specialized in 'combat', their living state is not to continue their own tribe, not for their race's progress and not for the development of civilization. They are selfish and alone, yet selfless and profound, having abandoned the possibility of other path and chose that of pure might, to stand here and fight beings such as them, the intruders.

Be that as it may, did they want to stop every single one of them with just that duo? Kanor could not stop itself from sneering. It had long understood human pride, but never could it imagine that it could fester to such extent.

Even if one of them was called Igor, the most powerful person of Mycroft and a god amongst men, it would not do.

The other powerful beings apart from the black dragon had arrived as well. Controlling a gravity boundary that could drive deep into the core of planets, Leviathan the Void Behemoth broke into the Void. As for the Ether Dragon, the chaos of dimensional turbulence was nothing when it wagged its colossal tail, becoming a moving force for it instead. There was also a superior lifeform originating from an unknown world, following right behind the two abyssal beings which bodies were flashing with spatial ripples.

Without hesitation, the beings that came to directly answer the call from Mycroft the Steel Python had now arrived. They naturally noticed the two standing before the Infinite Horizon as well, and was left puzzled.

It was in that moment that the black-haired man turned his head in the distance, and spoke a single line to the old white-robed man.

”I'm off.”

***

Joshua then turned again toward the powerful beings that were rapidly nearing the Infinite Horizon. The warrior could see beings he was acquainted with as well as unfamiliar presences. While some of them were colossal and others humanoid, the power of those beings is, without exception, unquestionable. They are all paragon of worlds.

Looking on, Joshua raised his right hand which held a silver sphere. In it, a brilliance as if a star flickered: the contracted forms amidst the Multiverse surfaced on the sphere that constituted of complete light, with massive galaxies, constellations and light belts appearing within.

Facing the many powerful beings that intend to ignore him and Igor while simply proceeding to interfere with the Infinite Horizon's combining, Joshua crushed the sphere in his palm.

Silver light filled the Void around the world of Mycroft all at once, and the man who rarely set traps smiled.

”Multiverse Sacrificial Grounds, activate—Multi-Quadrant Teleportation, commence… Estimated coordinates confirmed, dimensional teleportation zone, launch!”

In one split second, the demiplane that only floated around the world of Mycroft that seemed virtually non-existent unleashed unimaginable power, an energy flow so brutal it astonished even the Legendary champions toyed with the dimensions. Space itself was warped as the phantom of a silver sun presented itself in the Void, while a calm and dispassionate voice echoed in the airless dimensional turbulence: ”Teleporting objective detected—coercive warping commencing.”

A power that once raged across ten thousand worlds and trembled the Abyss itself began to resonate. As Black Dragon, Void Behemoth, Ether Dragon, and Demon General looked on in infinite astonishment, a massive black space rapidly expended, countless mysterious radiance of stars rapidly flashing within.

It was impossible to stop multiple Legendary champions unless there were five times the number of equally powerful individuals, and though the world of Mycroft is powerful it certainly did not have such depth. Therefore, instead of getting into a melee at a battlefield of the opponent's choice, it was better to arm traps and prepare accordingly in other worlds alongside other Legends, and dump every enemy to that precise spot using an unstoppable force.

Joshua was one of them as well. He, however, did not resist, and simply allowed himself to be teleported away.

”I'm going,” he shrugged as he left.

”Go, and come back alive.” The old man—the only one not transported away—smiled in return.

”You too.”

Tremendous dimensional ripples flickered. In that instant, the Void that had been shaken by the power of multiple Legends and upheaved by Chaos returned to calmness. Looking at the Void around him, the elderly pontiff did not let down his guard after his side's successful ambush on the enemy, and after half a beat, Igor looked up toward a part of the Void where five different radiance gradually appeared.

Before the world, a god amongst men lifted his head, looking at the Void serenely.

And on the other side of the Void, the Five-Headed Dragon God slowly appeared, lowering every one of its skulls to stare at the old pope.