Crimson streaks of light arced outwards from the Locomotives, which had surrounded the enormous battlefield of the great gods. Like flowers growing outwards, vermilion trails sprouted in the dozens from every single metal hulk, raining down on the stars and the dark moon.

Time seemed to slow as conflagrations raged around the Demon God’s Divine Kingdom, engulfing the smaller comets of darkness that were already retreating. Monstrous roars that shook Gaius to the very core spiralled up into the clear skies, only to be cut off in the next second.

The two stars that were snuggling up to the dark world of the Demon God were steadily distancing themselves from their original target. Without their contrast, Gaius could see the sphere of darkness clearly, as it trembled under the unbelievable bombardment.

Now that the great gods engaging the Demon God had retreated, Gaius could see for himself the true appearance of the World’s Blight. Projections of a young man, with raven-black hair and a darkened third eye, floated all around the dark realm of the Demon God’s Divine Kingdom. These projections were utterly still, watching in silence as his Divine Kingdom and its inhabitants fell into ruin.

As detonations continued to ripple through the Demon God’s Divine Kingdom, black streaks broke free from the realm of absolute darkness, shooting towards the Wildlands.

Gaius felt his heart clench up. The demon Demigods had been routed; each of them retreating in their own manner. Whatever lower-level troops that were left behind rapidly devolved into a meandering mass of dark specks attempting to break out in all directions, and he couldn’t help but notice a cold smile surface on Pinnacle Kolya’s face.

“To think that this war would be over this quickly,” he muttered. “A perfect victory, brought about by the sacrifice of the gods of old and years of unceasing innovation.”

The Oracle nodded. “Even our normal armaments are already this effective.”

“We did not expect the Locomotives to be this devastating.” The Pinnacle shook his head, and his next words were quiet, audible to only Gaius and the others around him. “O God without a name, the one who bears the title of World’s Blight. In this foreign land, far from the place of your power, I shall leave you this salute from my Peacebringers. Go in peace.”

Oracle Galina raised her hand. “Fire.”

With those words, the enormous barrels attached to the front of every Locomotive lit up with a prismatic radiance, a radiance that seemed to dim the world by merely shining. Whatever low-level peons of the Demon God that were struggling desperately under the earlier bombardment froze, and a profound emotion of fear flooded Gaius’ mind.

That emotion dispersed a millisecond later as thirty-three pillars of prismatic light stabbed into the dark world. Vibrant flowers bloomed throughout the black sphere, and blocks of solid shadow began to fall into the Never-ending Ocean. The Divine Kingdom was shattering, crumbling apart, as were the projections of the Demon God.

The prismatic spears that connected the Locomotives to the dark world blazed up with an even greater intensity. At the same time, silver light connected one Locomotive to the next, turning the North’s encirclement into a spoked wheel.

A guttural groan echoed out into the battlefield, and a prismatic radiance erupted out from within the Divine Kingdom itself, leaking out through the cracks between the thirty-three spears. The numerous projections of the Demon God turned to look at the black sphere as a singular entity, as did everyone else around the battlefield.

Gods. Humans. Beastfolk. Demons.

All watched as the black world of the Demon God shattered, destroyed from within by a blooming flower of seven-coloured radiance. The flower expanded rapidly, engulfing all in its wake, including the motionless projections of the Demon God himself.

A detonation that rocked Orb itself followed, and Gaius, bracing himself, closed his eyes as an unbelievable power swept outwards. Holding on to Isabelle tightly, Gaius felt the tsunami of divinity wash over everyone, blowing everyone backwards. His Domain erupted outwards, and the seemingly ceaseless wave of power parted before him.

In this blinding world, Gaius opened his eyes. His gut told him that only he alone could do such a feat, as the only person who had this unique Domain in the whole of Orb.

He didn’t dare to use those eyes of his, but there was no need to.

A black shadow, the purest form of the Bounded Presence that was the Demon God, stood out in a world dyed by intense light. It was falling apart; the features that were making it seem humanoid eaten away by the power of those Peacebringers.

Before long, only a dark bead was left. A small speck of darkness, one that was only distinguishable when the world around was filled with blinding light. Gaius stared at it in silence.

Now that the core of the Demon God had been laid out in the open, he could immediately sense a touch of madness. The World’s Blight had come into contact with the Crying Abyss too, but rather than giving into its madness, the Demon God had withstood it.

Gaius let out a small sigh. “Be at peace.”

The dark bead shattered into two pieces. One of those pieces shot towards the sky, while the second piece hurtled towards the Wildlands. Gaius, however, wasn’t worried.

The Demon God was dead. Those two pieces were the remnants of his power, an inheritance for someone of his choosing.

Besides, even if he wanted to interfere, there was nothing he could do.

With the departure of those beads, the purifying light began to recede. The flood of divinity, the scorching light that had burned the Demon God and his Divine Kingdom into nothingness…everything had vanished.

No proof that the Demon God once existed now remained.

“It’s over.”

Gaius didn’t know who said that, but these murmurs soon ignited into a tumultuous, concerted roar, a roar of victory that infected all present. With the Demon God defeated, slain in an abrupt twist of events, what was going to happen next?

He didn’t know, but neither did he expect things to…devolve in such a direction.

Only Isabelle, who was currently in his embrace, could feel his body tremble.