After all, if he let Arthur have his own way, the end result would be ugly, much uglier than what ever thought about.
He didn't care about losing all the troops he had, they weren't his people to begin with. In his eyes they were just minions, pieces he would move and discard whenever he wanted.
Yet the result of this attack was what he cared about. If he lost all his forces in return for nothing, nothing but the destruction of dozens of cities only, then this would be his defeat.
It wouldn't only be a defeat, but it would be rather a humiliation, a stain he would never be able to wipe in his entire life.
So just after he realized what Arthur did, and regained his sense and clarity of mind after such a really painful punch from his foe, the grandmaster found no other choice but to start his real attack.
It all started after two hours of the Arthur's forces full out assault. As Arthur predicted from the start, a gigantic whirlpool appeared on top of the mountain city, big enough to even cover five more cities far away from the mountain.
Arthur felt it first, even before Gege would come and scream in utter excitement. He felt the early signs of the presence of such force, a familiar energy that he fought against more than once before.
The energy of that distasteful grandmaster.
"You finally decided to move your lazy ass and attack? Humph, let's see what you have prepared for me," Arthur snorted, took out his sword and strode in short and confident steps towards the outside of the palace.
The world was just in midday, but at this moment it felt like a grand eclipse just happened to the sun. Arthur stood outside his palace, overseeing with calm demeanor the grand apocalyptic scene that was happening above him.
The entire sky vanished and was replaced with a gigantic portal that stretched out to all ends. Arthur couldn't see clearly the final border of that portal. And yet seeing this didn't make him frown, instead he smiled and even laughed.
"Interesting, let's see how much force you prepared for me, bastard!"
*Snap!*
He snapped his fingers, a signal that Gege didn't need words to understand or execute. The next instant a grand scene appeared in response to that incoming threat.
"You brought your portal and warriors, let me bring my portals and fighters… And like every single time, this will be your utter defeat and humiliating loss!"
Arthur's voice wasn't that loud, but it carried a strange aura and strength enough to crush mountains and topple skies. At this moment Arthur knew the distance between him and ascension to the higher realms was so close, so tiny to be even crossed if he just exerted more power to accomplish it.
And this battle demarcated the historical moments before he would extend his forces and took over not only one world, but ten.
"Come! Come and let's put an end to your futile struggle," an angry voice came through the skies, like thunder reverberating and echoing everywhere.
Despite the mighty and oppressive energy it carried, Arthur wasn't fazed. All he felt was an old man, on the verge of his death, steps away from his defeat and humiliation.
Just hearing that voice made Arthur more confident in his win. He even doubted his enemy would have the courage to take another challenge against him.
Even if that enemy didn't decide to come after Arthur anymore, Arthur would wait until he ascended to the higher realm, strengthen his empire domain in that place, then he would seek his own revenge over that irritating enemy.
Even if Arthur won each conflict, that enemy made sure to bring that victory with great cost. Arthur didn't forget the many setbacks he faced thanks to that enemy, the many lives he sacrificed from his own forces, and even the two girls getting kidnapped and without knowing their whereabouts even till now.
The debt between the two wasn't small, yet Arthur knew a time would come to repay all this double folds even to his enemy.
"Come forth my valiant originals," as the sky flashed with an ominous dark red energy that made all the people under its coverage suffocate and wanted to vomit, Arthur gave the order for his mighty originals to appear.
Arthur could have stepped in and fought, using his advanced and deadly scorching sun sword technique. Or he could have even used his own pillar of light to attack anything in his reach. But he didn't.
He felt at this moment what a true emperor would feel, might and strength beyond description. He felt like there was no single person or god in this universe that could stand against him at this moment.
If he wanted, then he could not only swallow ten worlds, say a hundred or even a thousand. A thought flashed by his mind at this point, while bathed with a strange energy that he didn't recognize at all.
The energy of people's faith!
At this moment, and with such a gigantic and brutal looking clash between Arthur's empire and Arthur's sworn enemy, the mere citizens of the empire felt how grandiose their emperor truly was.
It wasn't a simple recognition for him and his deeds. After all if not for Arthur and his dedication to save and rescue them, they would have been left to rot as slaves under unknown tyrant clan or academy.
But this time it was different. Arthur wasn't only standing to defend his empire, he was standing tall against such mighty waves to defend the lives of his people.
In their eyes, Arthur turned from an emperor who saved and helped them live a peaceful life, to a being whose existence was equal to the lives they were living.
A seed of faith was planted inside the soul of every single person, and without prior agreement, all prayed for Arthur's victory.
Wisps of faith energy dissipated deeply and silently from all directions of the world, from all corners of his empire, and all entered into his body, nourishing his soul.
The golden body he had began to show obvious changes to the naked eye under the baptism of such faith. The missing piece that Arthur didn't know how to accomplish represented itself at last in this fight.
Arthur would never have thought that the reason behind the ten worlds' condition and having a backing foundation like a clan or an academy was meant only for this; producing faith energy and letting him absorb it.
Without faith, how could anyone ascend to the ranks of gods? Arthur missed this point, and he was excused in doing so.
After all his ascension was destined to be different, so much different than others who ascended before him. Yet he didn't notice that, didn't know about that difference, and all this time he mistook himself for ascending to the higher realms.
And then the first clash appeared when a mighty wave of enemies gushed out of the gigantic portal, assaulting everything and everywhere the portal covered within its dark cover.
"Spread the originals around," Arthur's voice was calm, "bring that lazy octopus from the lake. She rested and played for such a long time. Let her and her offspring come and do their tribute for my generosity all these years."
'Alright,' Gege knew it wasn't time to argue, so she executed the order at once.
However a bizarre scene occurred on top of Arthur's head; another whirlpool appeared out there.
When any single original was summoned, the portals were stretched to fit their immense energy and giant bodies. However this was limited to tens of meters, at max a hundred meter radius portal.
But this time this portal was different. To simply describe it, it extended over one third of the enemy's portal, making Arthur frown.
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