The once-vibrant territory had been reduced to a graveyard, a landscape that seemed to scream in agony and hatred.

The sky was a bruised canvas of dim light, where fire and black fog choked the heavens. Every few seconds, the very fabric of space above them would buckle and tear, collapsing in on itself.

It was a vision of the apocalypse.

In the distance, Demons roared. The clangor of blades clashing against chitin and bone rang out—a grim, discordant symphony played out in a waking nightmare.

Shrieks of pain echoed across the scorched earth. The wailing of Souls rose and fell like a macabre chorus.

"Dane. This... this is the Abyss."

"War is the only song this place knows. You can't purify this, Cedric. People aren't victims here; they're just another verse in the song."

ROAR!

The guttural cry didn't come from a throat of flesh, but from the depths of a Soul. It came from the Wraith Knight Cedric.

Strictly speaking, he was a Wraith Knight converted from a fallen Knight of the Light.

Years ago, when Orion had shattered the world barrier of the Abyss's sixth layer, Cedric and Dane had been huddled in the corner of some ruins, taking a piss. They were killed instantly by the shockwave of a battle between Arch Lords—collateral damage in a war of gods.

Fortunately, their Souls hadn't dissipated. They were salvaged by Ashreign, commander of the Wraith Knight armies, and successfully converted.

Because their Souls were naturally potent and pure, as their strength returned, so did fragments of their memories.

"The war won't stop," Cedric rasped, his eyes burning with cold fire.

"But that Demon right there? He needs to be put down."

Dane lunged forward, his spear blurring as he drove it straight through a Demon's skull, exploding it into a shower of gore.

This was just a skirmish, a localized pocket of violence.

The opponents facing the Wraith Knights were high-ranking Demons. Towering figures wreathed in abyssal fire, they reeked of sulfur and ancient malice. Their claws were sharp as razors, jagged like saws.

Across their skin, strange, rhythmic runes pulsed. These weren't tattoos; they were biological, functioning like veins. With every flash of the runes, the Demons were surged with endless, vile power.

"These damn things... no reason, no tactics. Just pure slaughter!"

Cedric wasn't stupid. After fighting for what felt like an eternity, he could read the enemy. These Demons fought with a fearless, mindless aggression that betrayed their nature.

They were the core forces of the Abyss Lords. Emotionless killing machines. The nightmare of any sentient being.

"Reinforcements from the Conquest Legion are right behind us," Dane shouted over the din. "Hold the line for another fifteen minutes, and we can encircle them!"

BOOM!

A Demon, realizing it was cornered, chose self-destruction over defeat. It detonated with a roar, heavily damaging a nearby Wraith Knight and sending a mushroom cloud of fel-fire blooming into the dark sky.

And yet, this was merely a footnote in the grand scheme of the battle.

High above the firmament, that mushroom cloud reflected in Orion's eyes. It was just one of many dotting the horizon.

Above the clouds, the battle between Arch Lords was raging with an intensity that dwarfed the skirmishes below. Orion saw it all, but he couldn't spare the attention to manage it.

"Do you regret offending House Julius now?"

Five Demigod presences descended, locking the space around Orion, hemming him in from all sides.

One of them stepped forward, leveling the accusation.

"So, it's you."

Orion recognized the voice. It belonged to the Demigod who had stood behind Eudan in the past—Hino Julius.

"That's right. Hino Julius, in the flesh," the man sneered. "I told you this wasn't over. Who gave you the courage to offend House Julius right here in Lord Julius's Territory?"

Arrogance. Hino was practically radiating it.

In his mind, the math was simple: three Demigods from House Julius plus two local Demigods against a single Over-tier existence. It was overkill.

He expected this Over-tier upstart to crumble under the pressure, to hand over everything he owned in the sixth layer without a fight.

Orion remained silent. He didn't answer Hino because someone else answered for him.

"I'd like to know who gave you the courage to gang up on my brother?"

The voice thundered across the sky.

Simultaneously, four massive Demigod Phantoms descended—Leonidas, Arthas, Alexander, and Edward. They took positions at the four cardinal points, effectively encircling the five enemy Demigods who had been surrounding Orion.

The moment the four brothers appeared, a formation locked down the heavens, using their positions as anchors. The trap had been sprung in reverse.

The atmosphere shifted instantly. Following Leonidas's taunt, a heavy silence fell.

In the center of the storm, Orion's expression remained flat. Slowly, he raised the War Scythe in his right hand.

"Who are you people?" demanded Pyre Julius. "Do you realize who the Abyssal Ruler of this realm is?"

Pyre Julius wasn't looking at Orion anymore. His eyes were fixed on the Deputy Commander.

Inside the Demigod Phantom of Deputy Commander Edward, a ball of Divine Fire burned with a quiet, terrifying intensity.

It was the mark of the Demigod Second-stage.

For Hino and his cohort, who were merely at the First Step, that Divine Fire was an existential threat. The mere radiation from it could incinerate their wills to ash.

"Don't look at me. Don't ask me," Deputy Commander Edward said, offering a smile that looked deceptively like that of a kind, harmless grandfather.

He gestured toward the center. "Your Fate is in his hands."

Orion's gaze swept over them. "Sorry to disappoint. You can form a mob to hunt me, so naturally, I can bring my own crew to hunt you."

"Five against five. And look at that... both you and I are here in our True Forms. Seems fair, doesn't it?"

Orion locked eyes with Hino Julius. He was genuinely surprised. He hadn't expected a Demigod to be foolish enough to descend onto a battlefield in their True Form.

Did Hino think that just because they were in the sixth layer, no one would dare ignore the authority of Julius? Was he banking his actual life on his family name?

The man was insane.

"Think this through," a new voice interjected, smooth and conciliatory. "The Abyssal Ruler here is Lord Julius. He is of our blood. I am Cima Julius. This is Pyre. Before you make a move, consider the consequences."

Cima Julius was the last of the House Julius group. Clearly, these Demigods weren't just brute force; they had a backup plan.

While Hino brought the aggression, Cima was the negotiator, trying to cool the temperature.

"I have to admit, you have strength," Cima continued, eyeing the Deputy Commander with a mix of gravity and inquiry. "Perhaps... this is all just a misunderstanding?"

"I told you," Edward smiled again, humble and gentle. "Don't look at me."

"I'm just one of the hired thugs he brought along."

Despite the gentle smile, there was no warmth in Edward's eyes. Behind the facade lay only cold indifference and killing intent.

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