“They are billions,” said Viers solemnly as he looked at a grand army of Tyra Xerg from a high place in the Nest.

Three wraiths appeared beside Viers, seeing the same sight as Viers.

“A gross exaggeration. Not even three million at best,” Clarissa replied.

“Oh I know, I just wanted to say it.”

He also knew that many of them would die. His estimate was that he’d lose half today, maybe more.

Viers enjoyed the company. It had been so hectic lately, there were few moments for just the four of them since Stage 5 began. “Today will be a bloodbath.”

“This is the war that you started,” Paina’s hatred for war was evident from the start, after six months, her dislike only grew. “To the Whitelands you go… Do you plan to wipe everybody out?”

“I don't feel I have to wipe everybody out, Paina. Just my enemies.”

It was the immortal words of the Godfather, Michael Corleone. A damn good principle to live on. Though, Viers had no intention of having the same ending as him.

“Lord Viers, you truly do everything on your terms, don't you. And you do it in the way you want,” Farley said while feeling the wind caressing her cheek. They didn't have a flesh and blood body but Viers could make them feel as if they had, if he chose to.

“The best thing about being a villain, ladies, is that you can basically do whatever the hell you want until someone stops you.”

“...I’m jealous, you can think that way,” Paina muttered softly.

“It took me a long time to come to terms with myself. I know what I want, I know myself, I know my place in the world. That’s why I can move forward without fear or getting lost.”

The villain was a liar but he would not lie to himself.

“Come. This is a day of teeth and ambitions. Let’s make it happen.”

“What are your prospects of victory, Viers?” Clarissa was a lamian warrior princess. She’d fought wars before. And yet a war on this scale was a rarity, even for her age.

“I’m a reasonable person, Rissa. If there’s no hope of winning, I will not fight at all.”

Viers walked out the main gate of the Nest and was greeted by an army, arrayed and ready to fight. The Xerg were waiting for the Supreme Commander to arrive, to lead them.

The Gloomsiders and Zerrigan’s real body stood at the very front. They looked dashing with their preparations. Izabella toiled to make their best equipment even better in every way she could think of. Their eyes showed solid resolve, something that Viers instilled in them slowly in these past months.

Jaime, Izabella, Sakuya, and Zerrigan; they would go their separate ways after Stage 5 was over. Viers had become quite fond of their company. The time they spent together was not insignificant. Looking at them now, Viers thought that he would feel regret if this scene, this memory just faded with time.

“Gang, let’s take a group photo,” Viers said with a smile.

There were magical items that could produce life-like pictures or crystal orbs that could record videos but they didn't have any. So Viers used his Fatal Soulframe Arte -an arte meant to lethally attack someone- adjusted it to zero attack power, and produced five photos.

Viers gave one to each of them, accepting their thanks in return. All was set. Viers came forward to address the army. He was dressed for the occasion, wearing a green robe of intricate make, with threads of gold, and enchantments sewed into the very fabric.

Blithe Lich Robe, a rare soul gear that he got from unlocking the inventory rings of Farley’s belated father, the mastermind cultist that destroyed Luxore town. It was the man’s best gear.

Combined with his fake handsome face and fake chiseled body, it made him look like a badass and boosted his already obscene soul power to an even greater height.

“I’m not big on speeches… Who am I kidding, I love speeches. At least the good ones, but I’ll make it short. So! This is it. We all know the stakes. We all got our roles. Today, we will fulfill our greed and wants. We’re not heroes. Our cause is not just. I am doing this because of the most basic nature of humanity: I am not yet content! No one will give it to us so we’ll take it! Horsemen, Xerg… our enemies are strong but we are stronger! The End Times are here! We’ll bring it to their gates.”

Viers raised his fully healed left arm to the sky.

“Onward!!”

The war cries of millions of Tyra Xerg shook the sky and the earth shuddered.

A behemoth rose from a pool of green liquid. The Kaiju Primordial Pool was so big it might as well be a lake. As the thing stood from the pool, water fell off its back, as if a living mountain had emerged.

And there was another.

And another.

Five titans, five kaijus, the superweapons that Viers used a gargantuan amount of resources to make were being awakened from their slumber. They slowly walked out of their watery birthplace, kept in hibernation all this time, hidden from the eyes of the Tyrant’s enemies. The ground shook and cried from every step of these thirty-meter tall monstrosities.

Each kaiju was shaped differently, no two were the same. One had gigantic blades for arms, one turtle-thing was starting to emit dark-green spores, one was like a hairy, bloated worm, one looked like a five-headed hydra, and one was a humanoid with a squid head.

The Soul Tyrant mobilized the full force of the entire Blacklands. Soon, the Aberrants would begin their sixth big invasion and the entirety of Stage 5 would be plunged into a great war.

“Let there be carnage!”

***

“He comes after all.”

A Knight of Latias would stand firm and brave no matter the enemy. As a squire, Eugene strived to be a man possessing that quality. Yet, when he saw the sky darkened from thousands of airborne Tyra Xerg, he felt fear.

After the Soul Tyrant made it clear he wouldn't negotiate and the only path of survival was a joint effort, the United Alliance was soon created. What Anne and her group proposed and never came to pass these few months, became a reality when a great evil threatened their interests. These rulers that ruled from their ivory castles became as obedient as scared puppies.

The Alliance then pooled their resources and managed to awaken a Giant of Light. These giants were monuments of their disunity. They had been unmoving statues, silently watching their follies. When one of them started moving, the people of the kingdoms were roused.

But Eugene felt it was too late. How could he not, when he saw two monstrosities that were about to step on him and his foot soldiers like ants?

The Alliance only had one Giant of Light, the time and resources prevented them from awakening a second. The Giant of Light was not even on this battlefield. The war council had agreed that the guardian would be better suited at the northern border, fighting the new Aberrant Hulk that would certainly be coming, instead of guarding an attack that might or might not be coming from the Blacklands.

But Tanael really came. This greedy black spark holder chose to attack simultaneously with the intense Aberrant incursion. They had anticipated the possibility of Tanael’s attack, for there was no better time than now. Without any choice, the Alliance split its forces into two.

A sea of enemies and two dreadnoughts. Although this front had been allocated more forces than the other, Eugene didn't think it would be enough but he felt a warmth inside his heart. There was still hope.

Anne, the Child of the Holy Phoenix stood with them.

“Milord elf. Your eyes are better than mine. Who are those two on the head of the giant Xerg?”

“Black Cat and Tanael,” Fithel replied.

“The Soul Tyrant himself, eh? Should we be glad or disappointed that he came to this place, Baster?”

Eugene’s horse replied to his pat by shaking its neck.

Black Cat, although the woman had been calling herself Conquest since Tanael had created his merry band, the Gloomsiders. She was the least dangerous, in Eugene’s opinion, but all four horsemen -although they had never been seen riding horses- were no easy opponents. Tanael chose his people well.

“We should look at the bright side. At least Tanael doesn't have three of those things,” Eugene tried to be positive for Boram. He looked a bit shaken.

“He does,” Troy added. “The third went towards our northern battlefront. Our scouts saw yet another two in the Blacklands, presumably to battle the Aberrants incursion there.”

“So he has five in total… Bollocks.”

The tide of murderous critters that swallowed the ground and sky, blocking them with their bodies, finally stopped around a hundred meters away from the United Alliance’s coalition army.

“Tanael,” Anne’s voice was carried by the wind from far away and remained clear despite the distance. She stood at the very front as if she meant to hold back the vicious darkness of human greed made manifest that were the Xerg. “Why have you come?”

“I come to bring Apocalypse to you all,” the man’s voice was similarly touched with magic. No screaming was needed for it to be heard. “It is unrefusable.”

“We refuse.” Anne was nobly defiant.

“I insist.” Tanael sentenced death with ease.

The Xerg charged while letting out ungodly shrieks and the army invoked their war formations. Powers rose from both sides. Anne hit one of the Xerg Titans with her full force, the one whose head Tanael sat upon. Phoenix flames blazed bright, but the other kaiju stepped in, using its body as a shield.

The giant monster was only slightly burned and retaliated with a cleave using its blade hand. Great mass severed the earth with a deafening noise. Anne dodged by flying to the sky, wings of fire sprung from her back.

“My kaijus take half damage from fire attacks. Let’s see how you fare against them, yeah?”

Teeth, steel, screams, fire, bones, magic, claws, swords, blood, death.

***

Amidst the scene of carnage that was the Whitelands Northern Battlefront, a pair of thirty-meter tall beings were duking it out. The Giant of Light was on equal terms with the Aberrant Hulk. Those two created casualties amongst their allies and enemies both, but the smaller armies didn't stop fighting. They couldn't afford to, the Aberrants cared not for their fallen brethren, though the humans did. Despite the anguish and the chaos, they must fight or they would lose. Should they lose, the Aberrants would pour down upon their homes and kill everyone they held dear.

Aravin had just returned to the army headquarters, covered in blood. He had been culling the Aberrants, helping his army. It was going well, at least on his end. It was because his soldiers were strong. The lady’s sacrifice made his army one of the better ones among the seventeen. His group was more coordinated too. He supplanted his king’s influence and made his own coalition with Naya and Sabine’s forces. He had the highest command concerning the army now. The rulers didn't like it. Understandable since he basically raised a coup but it didn't matter. He didn't have the time for political bickering or other mundane nonsense. He needed spark shards to heal the lady as per the promise.

“Watch out overhead!”

The Giant of Light fell, his elbow would’ve flattened Aravin if he didn't move out of the way. Some of his men were not so lucky or so skilled and died. The Giant rose again to battle the Hulk that had the appearance of a spider from the deepest pits of Hell.

Silver claws slashed and the Aberrant beside him died. Naya approached Aravin.

“Aravin, the Xergs are coming as we predicted. They are about to hit our flank. Anne held two big monsters and the bulk of Tanael’s army on the other battlefield but at least a hundred thousand insects and a big monster are coming our way.”

“...We already have our hands full fighting the Aberrants. Shit. This is going to get ugly.”

“The dwarves are holding their ground but they won't last long without help. Tanael’s big ugly worm is tearing them apart.”

“We’ll reinforce them,” Aravin then shouted to his men. “Five hundred, with me!”

“Sabine is already on the way,” Naya informed while running with Aravin. Her silver hair had flecks of blood in it.

“Un,” Aravin nodded strongly.

Aravin and Naya found the dwarf trial taker, Gulzul, surrounded by a pack of Shredders. The two made short work of them and saved the male dwarf. A flier attempted to sneak attack but Aravin’s flying slash of light bisected it in two and the two halves of its body fell to the ground.

“Thanks for saving my beard, laddie.”

“Don't mention it,” Aravin replied. “The walkers are too many. We need to thin them first so we can focus on the big one.”

“Aye. I got you!”

“I will go from the right. You-”

“Found you!”

A ball of pale white came out of nowhere. Aravin managed to defend against it. He knew this Arte. He’d seen it many times. It was a soul Arte!

“Tanael!? How are you here?” Aravin said with confusion to the sudden appearance of Tanael.

“I am so great I can be in two places at once!”

Before Aravin could reply to his absurd boast, Aravin felt a sense of danger coming from his back. He parried the vicious strike with his sword.

“I’m here too,” said the man using a black sword.

“Get away from Aravin!”

Naya let loose a flurry of claws and Jaime took a few steps back. Aravin’s thoughts flashed lightning fast. He was in a dangerous situation with many strong enemies in his surroundings. If he was bogged down here too long, the battle lines would collapse.

“Naya, I’ll defeat Tanael as quickly as possible-”

“No strategizing in front of a villain of my caliber!” Tanael rudely interrupted him by launching his soul Artes.

He was aiming for Naya so Aravin moved in to defend her.

“Your opponent is me!” Jaime gave him a strong vertical slash.

Naya and Gulzul started double-teaming Tanael but Aravin’s unease had only grown. Tanael was not normal, he feared Naya’s fate.

So he must defeat the interruption as soon as possible!

“Jaime,” his tone was serious. “Let’s end the knot of ill relation between us, once and for all.”

Jaime raised his sword and made a stance. Voice ice-cold and bone-deep.

“Let’s.”