Leon descended toward the rear lines of the battlefield. His armor was cracked. Blood stained the edges of his cloak.
Yet despite the exhaustion weighing upon his divine body, he continued moving from one battlefield to another without pause.
Everywhere he went, miracles followed.
Golden sunlight descended from the heavens, healing shattered limbs and restoring dying soldiers moments before death could claim them. Exhausted warriors regained their strength beneath his radiance while terrified civilians wept in relief upon seeing the divine figure protecting them from the chaos consuming the world.
And with every life he saved, faith gathered around him.
At first, it was only a trickle.
A wounded soldier whispering a prayer of gratitude. A mother begging for Leon’s protection. A frightened child calling his name instead of the Goddess’s.
But as the battle continued, those countless fragments of faith began converging into an enormous tide.
Across the planet, billions watched the battlefield through Yue’s broadcasts.
For the first time in recorded history... The planet’s dominant religion began to waver.
The Holy Church had ruled humanity’s beliefs for countless generations.
Worshipping Hyades was not merely faith—it was tradition, culture, and history itself. Entire civilisations had been built upon the Goddess’s image. Even now, many still clung desperately to their belief in her.
Some accused Solaris House of fabricating the broadcasts. Others claimed the Goddess was being manipulated. There were even those who insisted the destruction was all part of some divine trial.
But reality was cruel.
And undeniable.
The more the world watched, the clearer the truth became.
Hyades had abandoned humanity.
No... worse. She had turned against them.
Meanwhile, Leon stood on the battlefield protecting strangers until his body nearly collapsed. The contrast shattered the final illusions people desperately clung to.
One by one, prayers shifted.
From Hyades... To Leon.
The newest God born amidst humanity’s despair.
And the more faith Leon received, the stronger his divinity became. At some point, the balance reversed entirely. For every person Leon healed, the faith generated returned to him tenfold as divine power. His authority as the God of Protection was rapidly evolving.
Yet despite witnessing a new deity rise before her very eyes, Hyades remained utterly indifferent. Her attention remained focused on the two divinities obstructing her path.
Particularly, the white-haired woman who was relentlessly bombarding her with spiritual attacks.
BOOOOM!
Countless spirits surged across the battlefield as Yue unleashed another devastating barrage of elemental magic. Lightning spears descended from the heavens while tidal waves of spiritual fire crashed against Hyades’ roots.
At the same time, gigantic summoned spirits clawed and tore at the World Tree, spreading across the sky.
Yue’s attacks were not meant to defeat Hyades.
They were distractions. Every second she occupied the Goddess was another second Leon could continue gathering faith.
But Hyades did not appear threatened in the slightest.
After casually dispersing another storm of spiritual attacks, the Goddess finally spoke.
"Do you truly believe your plan will succeed?"
Her voice carried an eerie, mechanical calmness.
"That human lacks what is necessary to bee a true God."
"A God who stands above all."
Yue let out a cold laugh.
"Heh. You speak as though you know a great deal about ascension." Her ruby eyes narrowed sharply. "Is that because you were once human yourself?"
Silence.
Hyades slowly turned her gaze toward Yue. For the first time, faint amusement surfaced within those emotionless golden eyes.
"So the Will of Heaven revealed that much."
"You don’t need to hide your past," Yue replied coldly. "You were once nothing more than a little girl who inherited the Mandate of Heaven."
"And in your greed for power..."
"You slaughtered the other divines until you became the sole God."
Hyades remained silent for several moments.
Then... she laughed softly.
Not mockingly. Not angrily. Almost... disappointed.
"I see now," she murmured. "The Will of Heaven truly has bee nothing more than a gossipmonger."
Yue frowned.
"What do you mean?"
Hyades looked down upon her with detached pity.
"Oh, ignorant child."
"Did you truly believe the Will of Heaven is wholly benevolent?"
Yue froze.
For the briefest moment, uncertainty flickered across her face. In both of her lifetimes, Yue had followed the guidance of the Will of Heaven. Every hatred she carried toward Hyades originated from the records preserved within the Mysterious Grimoire.
And thus far... Those records had been correct.
Hyades had weled demons into the dimension. She had betrayed the world. She had bee humanity’s enemy.
But now... A terrifying thought surfaced in Yue’s mind.
What if the records were inplete?
What if Hyades once had a reason?
What if monopolising the Mandate of Heaven had originally been necessary?
The thought lingered only briefly.
Then Yue clenched her fists. It did not matter anymore. Even if the Will of Heaven manipulated her, she still remembered the future from her first life.
The ruined world.
The endless suffering.
The despair.
That future could never be allowed to repeat itself.
Yue raised her head firmly.
"It doesn’t matter what the Will of Heaven intended."
"You betrayed this world."
"And I will protect it."
Hyades stared at her quietly.
Then she slowly raised one hand. A miniature image of the planet appeared above her palm. The instant she grasped it... the world trembled.
RUMMMMMBLE!
The atmosphere distorted violently. Mountains shook. Oceans churned. Even the battlefield below began collapsing beneath unbearable pressure. Hyades was no longer relying solely on her own divinity. She was drawing power directly from the planet itself.
"But from my perspective..."
Hyades said softly,
"I am merely purging the filth that will eventually drag this world into chaos."
The World Tree behind her erupted with divine radiance. Its branches expanded endlessly toward the heavens while innumerable roots spread across the sky like a living apocalypse.
Soon, the entire battlefield was engulfed by her domain.
The heavens themselves belonged to her. Everything beneath her authority felt insignificant. Even Yue felt her soul trembling instinctively.
The pressure was overwhelming.
For the first time since her rebirth... fear gripped her heart.
Her instincts screamed at her to flee.
Then, a pale blue flame ignited softly around her shoulders.
It was warm and gentle... Like an older brother placing a reassuring hand upon her back.
Yue’s trembling gradually subsided. She slowly turned around. And saw Leon standing there. His face was pale from exhaustion after healing countless people nonstop. His breathing was uneven. His divine aura flickered unsteadily from overexertion.
Yet despite everything, he still stood firm.
Leon stared toward the heavens at the Goddess towering above the battlefield. Then he spoke calmly.
"Yue... I’m ready."
Yue’s eyes widened slightly.
"Leon..."
At that moment, Leon released the faith he had gathered from humanity. Golden divinity erupted outward. Not only Yue and Yval, but everyone on the battlefield received his blessing.
The wounded. The exhausted. The elite warriors are preparing for their final assault.
All of them were embraced beneath Leon’s protection. Then Leon raised Ascalon toward the heavens and roared: "I’m taking Ella back!"
BOOOOOOM!
Leon shot into the sky like a divine et. Golden flames erupted around him, transforming him into the image of a celestial lion charging fearlessly toward the heavens.
Even before absolute power.
Even before certain death.
Leon still advanced.
Because that was what heroes did. They stood at the frontlines. They became the shield protecting everyone behind them. And when necessary, they sacrificed themselves.
But Hyades would not allow him passage so easily.
The World Tree unleashed countless vines toward Leon. Each one moved faster than sound. Each one carried enough force to shatter mountains. Leon’s momentum came to a halt instantly as the vines smashed into him and hurled him back toward the battlefield.
BOOOOM!
He crashed into the ground violently.
Hyades looked down upon him emotionlessly.
Then she raised her hand for the killing blow.
But before she could strike...
A wave of spiritual resonance exploded across the battlefield. Yue appeared before Leon and redirected the ining vines with overwhelming spiritual force. Her connection to Origin granted her near-limitless mana for a brief period, allowing her to distort the battlefield itself. She landed beside Leon quickly.
"Are you alright?"
Leon forced himself upright.
"Y-Yeah," he lied.
The impact had damaged his body heavily. But his regeneration was already repairing the injuries. Leon looked upward grimly.
"There’s no way I can reach her while those vines are protecting her."
Above them, Hyades floated near the World Tree’s canopy while endless roots twisted around her like divine serpents. Physical attacks failed. Magic failed. Even approaching her was nearly impossible.
Then Yue spoke.
"We’ll handle the vines." Yval descended beside them and nodded firmly. "We’ll clear a path."
"You focus entirely on striking the Goddess."
Leon stared at them silently for a moment. Then he nodded.
"...I’m counting on you."
Yval moved first.
ROOOOOOOOAR!
The Dragon Goddess unleashed a catastrophic pillar of golden dragonfire into the heavens. Entire sections of the World Tree ignited as the preliminary layers of vines burned away. But it still wasn’t enough. So Yval charged upward personally, using her colossal dragon body to smash through the remaining barriers.
"GO!"
Yue shouted. At the same time, every spirit under her mand attacked simultaneously. Lightning storms descended. Flames exploded. Wind blades shredded the skies. Frozen waters sealed entire root masses in ice.
The battlefield became pure elemental chaos.
And then... the others joined in as well.
Alrock swung his Zenith Blade, releasing enormous flaming crescents that carved open pathways through the vines.
Venya created immense wind currents to accelerate Leon’s ascent. Johann continuously cast enhancement and support magic from below. Even the soldiers of the Hyades Republic fought desperately to support Leon’s advance.
At that moment, Leon finally understood.
If he wanted to defeat Hyades... If he wished to challenge the Goddess who had ruled the planet for aeons... He could not do it alone.
He needed everyone.
The people he had protected.
The people who believed in him.
And so... Leon flew.
The divine lion surged through Venya’s wind tunnel while war erupted all around him. Hyades summoned more vines endlessly. But each one was intercepted.
Yue. Yval. Eldorin. Solaris. The allied armies. Humanity itself was pushing Leon forward.
And before long, he reached her.
Face-to-face with the Goddess.
Or rather... Face-to-face with Ellahan, the one he loved most.
Leon’s expression softened painfully. Looking into the face of the woman he loved, he whispered quietly:
"Forgive me for taking so long, Ella."
"I’ll save you now."
Then, Leon thrust Ascalon forward. The holy blade pierced directly through Hyades’ heart.
For the very first time since descending upon the battlefield... the Goddess was wounded.
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