Chapter 346: WAR BEGINS
Greg returned to Apocalypse, prepared for the final war.
But before that, he needed to handle one last contingency.
He had to make sure no one could interfere once the fighting started.
Greg stepped through the dimensional gate, slipping back into the human realm.
Reaching into the darkness, he closed his eyes and felt the familiar pull.
A deep connection stirred with the strongest point of shadow, guiding him straight to the one he sought.
Moving through the shadow realm, Greg emerged silently within Rebecca’s hidden hideout.
"Quite the task you’re taking care of," Greg said calmly.
He pulled out a chair and sat down, his movements steady and unhurried.
His presence did not go unnoticed. A second later, Number One appeared beside him, eyes sharp and wary.
"You have the balls to show up here?" Number One asked coldly, voice low and edged with threat.
"I’m not here for you," Greg replied, calm as still water. "I’m here for her."
"You really want to die so badly, don’t you?" Number One growled. His aura flared rapidly, pressing against the room like an invisible storm.
"Number One," Rebecca cut in firmly, raising a hand. "I wish to hear what he wants to say. Stand down."
Number One’s jaw tightened, but he held back.
"What do you want?" Rebecca asked, her gaze steady on Greg.
"A temporary alliance," Greg answered. "I will be dealing with the Demon King soon."
"So?" Rebecca leaned forward slightly. "What does that have to do with me?"
"Let’s not pretend," Greg said evenly.
"You hate him. You want him dead. So do I. I’m going to handle it for both of us. All I need from you is to hold off the Celestial King and keep him from interfering."
Rebecca studied him for a long moment, the silence thick between them. Finally, she nodded.
"Very well. I’ll do just that." She turned to Number One. "Can you oversee this?"
"Yes," Number One affirmed, his voice still cold but committed. "Leave it to me."
With the threat of outside interference now removed, Greg rose without another word.
He left quickly, vanishing back through the shadows and returning to the demon realm.
"How are the preparations?" Greg asked as soon as he arrived.
"Everything has been accounted for," Annabelle answered, her tone calm and focused.
"Let’s just hope we aren’t caught by surprise."
The group waited in quiet tension, the air around them heavy with anticipation for the final war to begin.
[Countdown to the war]
[10. 9. 8. ... 3. 2. 1.]
[The war has begun. Defend your province and ensure you survive.]
"It has begun," Greg muttered.
He stood tall on the castle wall, the cold stone beneath his boots vibrating faintly with distant movement.
Staring out across the wide, shadowed expanse in front of the castle, he heard the rising war cries of demons marching toward them.
The sound rolled like thunder across the barren land.
With his sharp eyes, he could see their numbers clearly.
They outnumbered his forces at least ten to one.
The sea of enemies stretched far into the distance, a dark tide of fangs, claws, and rage.
The number of demons was far greater than he had expected.
Their sheer mass made the ground tremble under their approach.
"It doesn’t matter," Greg muttered, his voice low and resolute. "They will all die the same."
"Long rangers!" Annabelle called out, her voice sharp and commanding. "Be prepared! Ready! Fire!!"
She coordinated the long-range fighters, mostly copycats mixed with a few specialized demons.
Their positions along the wall were tight and disciplined.
Attacks erupted from the castle wall, hurtling downward in a storm of energy and projectiles toward the enemies below.
The air whistled and cracked with power.
The barrage slammed into the front lines, exploding against demon flesh and killing dozens in the first wave.
Smoke and dust rose in thick clouds.
The long rangers kept releasing attack after attack, pouring everything they had into thinning the endless horde as much as possible.
Each strike lit up the battlefield in flashes of light and shadow.
Soon the wrath demons reached the base of the castle walls.
Their massive bodies slammed against the stone, muscles bulging with raw power as they began to shatter and crumble the defenses.
Others scaled the walls with terrifying speed, claws digging into cracks as they climbed straight toward the long rangers above.
Before long, the long rangers lost their effectiveness.
The enemy numbers were simply too overwhelming to hold back from a distance.
"Brian," Annabelle said, her voice cutting through the chaos.
"It’s your turn."
Brian nodded once in understanding. He stepped to the edge of the castle wall, gripping his sword tightly.
The wind whipped around him, carrying the scent of blood and smoke.
Holding his sword firm, he leapt from the wall, descending with unstoppable force.
Boom!
He landed cleanly on the ground, the impact sending cracks spider-webbing outward through the dirt.
Dust billowed up around him as he rose, now surrounded by a writhing sea of countless demons.
"Howl of the whirlwind tempest," Brian called out, his voice ringing clear over the chaos.
He swung his sword in a wide, controlled rotational pattern.
With him at the center, a fierce whirlwind exploded outward, roaring like a living storm.
The spinning gale swept every demon around him off their feet, hurling them through the air in a whirlwind of dust, blood, and broken limbs.
Brian became a relentless killing machine.
He carved through the horde with brutal efficiency, cutting down every creature that dared step into his path.
A pride demon lunged at him, its massive claw slicing through the air with deadly speed.
But before the blow could land, Brian had already spun and sliced the demon cleanly in two.
He twisted mid-motion, driving his blade straight into another demon’s gaping mouth.
With a powerful yank, he tore the jaw apart, freeing his sword in a spray of dark blood.
Now unhindered, Brian leaped high into the sky, muscles coiled with power.
"Song of annihilation!" he muttered, voice low and focused. He swung his sword downward in a devastating arc.
A blinding ray of pure destruction slammed into the ground below.
The impact shredded every demon caught in its path, tearing flesh and bone into scattered pieces that rained across the battlefield.
Still suspended in the air, Brian hurled his sword toward another dense cluster of demons.
Crack. Boom!
The blade detonated on impact, erupting in a brilliant firework of explosive force.
The blast obliterated dozens of demons in a single, devastating burst.
