Chapter 222: Godslayer
Chapter 222: Godslayer
Lightning and flame raged within Caelum’s palm, turning it into a living hell.
He slowly ground away Dread Master’s body and soul, making him endure pain no living being should have been able to withstand, yet refusing to let him die too quickly.
"What happened back then was entirely your own doing."
"I chose not to pursue the matter afterward and allowed you to live out the rest of your life, yet even that was not enough for you to understand."
"You truly are beyond saving."
"Since you delivered yourself to me, I will grant your wish."
"Letting you die easily would be far too merciful."
"It would be better to leave you unable to live and unable to die."
"Ah!"
The agony tearing through both body and soul drove Dread Master beyond endurance.
His voice cracked into a hoarse scream, and the arrogance he had carried for so long was crushed into dust.
Only then did he beg Caelum for mercy.
"Heir Apparent, I was wrong. I know I was wrong. Please spare me!"
Caelum remained unmoved.
He turned his palm.
Within the world held inside it, a thousand years passed.
Dread Master suffered for an entire millennium before his body and soul finally collapsed, scattering into nothingness.
A low hum spread through the air.
While Caelum dealt with Dread Master, enormous magic formations suddenly unfolded across Travira.
Layer after layer of radiant patterns filled the sky, their light shooting upward as the heavens changed color in an instant.
The entire city seemed to sink beneath an invisible weight.
The DMB energy alarms rang without pause.
The monitoring staff turned deathly pale.
"SSS rank energy reaction!"
SSS rank.
That meant planet destroying power.
One of the monitors spoke with a trembling voice.
"This attack has enough power to destroy the entire Earth!"
Van had been watching the battle in peace when the situation suddenly changed.
His eyes widened as he drew in a sharp breath.
"What is happening?"
Someone had actually summoned a Servant with SSS rank strength.
"Damn!"
Guy suddenly shouted through the communication channel.
"I remember now. Caelum is the one who beat Derek and me in Super Universe."
Derek immediately realized the truth.
He hurriedly warned Van.
"Van, do not get involved in this battle."
"Caelum may very well be an SSS rank player."
Back in Super Universe, Derek and Guy had used their Fusion Technique and still been beaten helplessly by Caelum.
Even so, after returning to reality and fusing again, Derek and Guy could reach SS rank combat strength.
Caelum could only be stronger.
The idea that he possessed SSS rank power was not exaggerated in the slightest.
Derek warned him again and again.
"Van, do not interfere."
"You will die."
A bead of cold sweat slid down Van’s forehead.
He stared at the apocalyptic sky in horror.
Infinite divine authority pressed down from above.
As a mortal, he felt despair rising within him against his will.
He swallowed nervously.
"Even if I wanted to interfere, I do not have the ability."
Neither Van nor the DMB had expected the participants in this Secret War to possess such terrifying strength.
Caelum in particular had clearly surpassed SS rank.
Now they could only hope the battle would not destroy Earth.
All they could do was watch.
At the same time, disaster monitoring agencies around the world detected the immense energy reaction.
The instant the readings reached SSS rank, several operators nearly suffered heart failure.
"Again?"
The invasion of the Divine Wasteland World had been classified as a disaster beyond SSS rank.
This signal was somewhat weaker and only reached SSS rank.
To the nations of Earth, however, there was almost no difference.
Thunder exploded across the sky.
The storm clouds twisted into a vast vortex above Travira.
Terrifying divine pressure descended upon the city.
Van and every DMB player stationed around Travira stopped breathing for a moment.
Not one of them could summon the will to resist.
The difference was too great.
This was not an existence they could fight.
Only a few breaths after the enormous formations appeared, a bolt of lightning descended from the vortex.
It carried enough power to split the entire Earth apart.
The radiance illuminated the world.
Its might promised destruction.
Yet the expected scene of heaven and earth collapsing never came.
The lightning fell in an instant, only to vanish the moment it was about to strike Caelum.
Caelum smiled with satisfaction.
"God of War, it has been a long time."
Thunder roared.
A figure appeared within the enormous vortex and looked down at Caelum.
"Godslayer."
Van froze at those words.
God of War?
Caelum seemed to know this Servant.
On the ground, Corvus watched the scene that resembled the end of the world.
Even someone as composed as him could not keep his heart completely still.
The two figures above were simply too powerful.
The other Servants did not even belong on the same level.
The strength of this Secret War’s Servants was astonishing even when compared with every previous war.
There was only one thing Corvus could not understand.
"Why does every Servant seem to have a grudge against him?"
Fenrir had.
Dread Master had.
Now even this Servant, who appeared to be a genuine god, shared some history with Caelum.
Corvus could not help wondering what kind of person Caelum truly was.
Why was he connected to people from so many different worlds?
A sharp whistle cut through the air.
A lightning spell struck Corvus with perfect accuracy.
Violent lightning exploded and blasted a deep crater into the solid concrete road.
Electric arcs danced across the ground.
Corvus walked out completely unharmed.
He dusted off his black suit and spoke without emotion.
"Stop wasting your effort."
"Our strength is roughly equal. Fighting would accomplish nothing."
He might have been powerless against Servants such as Dread Master, but that did not mean he was weak.
Even among mystics, defeating him would not be easy.
The wealthy man stepped out from the shadows.
His every movement was refined and courteous.
Since the ambush had failed, he did not attack again.
With the God of War still confronting Caelum above, the wealthy man confidently declared his victory to Corvus.
"Your Servant appears to possess some strength."
"Unfortunately, the final victor will still be me."
"The outcome was decided the moment I summoned Lord God."
"Dominion over the new world is destined to belong to me."
Corvus showed little reaction.
"Confidence is a good thing."
"But I believe you have far too much of it."
"What?"
The next moment, a deafening impact shook the city.
After only a single exchange, the God of War who had stood high above everyone was smashed out of the sky by Caelum.
Weapons of every shape and kind pierced his entire body.
The sight shattered the wealthy man’s certainty in an instant.
The blood drained from his face.
"Lord God!"
A deep hum spread across the heavens.
Ripples filled the entire sky as Caelum opened the vault of the Star of the Infinite.
Countless weapons and artifacts unfolded across the firmament, covering the heavens in every direction.
The sight alone made the heart tremble.
The scene from the world of Heroes and Magic was unfolding once again.
The God of War still remembered how Caelum had killed him in exactly this manner before.
This time was no different.
The only difference was that he had already prepared himself for death.
Had Dread Master not drawn Caelum out, the God of War would never have realized that Caelum had also joined this war.
The moment he saw Caelum appear with his own eyes, he knew defeat was inevitable.