The transparent barriers in front of the fifty-nine Locomotives lit up brilliantly, creating a blinding bastion against the falling stars. At the same time, the buildings below the North’s strongest force lit up, creating strands of pale light that wound around the Locomotives. The Five Lands’ semi-divinities split up to intercept the flanking spectres, while the ordinary fliers of the East and the Republic began to provide supporting fire from the rear.

Gemini watched as the Five Lands operated in unison, his breathing laboured.

“This is their first answer,” Thasvia replied quietly, before her presence expanded. “The Five Lands have found their reason to fight. Can you hear it?”

The Demon Sovereign lowered his eyelids, casting his divine sense to fill the area around him. He could sense the same burning will to fight, to resist the gift of the Abyss Sovereign.

Where did they get their determination from? What was driving them forward?

“I wonder…what’s their motivation?” Thasvia looked at the hardy little troops holding out against the ceaseless barrage of fire.

“It seems that our earlier ploy has succeeded,” said Gemini. “These people…they’re trying to protect their loved ones, convinced that Celestia’s creation will obliterate Orb. Others are trying to save those who have already entered Celestia…”

His ear twitched. “Yes. They believe that by ending this embryonic world, those who had been tricked inside would be freed once more.”

“Is that possible?” Thasvia asked.

“If Hereward doesn’t know, there’s really no point in asking me about all these,” said Gemini. “But it seems that this public relations campaign has been very successful, if nothing else. The Abyss Sovereign has been turned into the true enemy of the world, alluring the weak and the vulnerable into a false fantasy in which he alone rules. We, the people of Orb, are embarking on this crusade to end the contemptuous, detestable master of the Abyss, to end his bloody duplicity.”

The Breath-maker sighed. “I don’t think your representation of the Abyss Sovereign’s public image is accurate, though, if those curses and vows I hear right now are to be believed.”

“We can’t exactly be crass,” Gemini replied. “I had to dilute the battle cries I hear, right?”

“What for?” Thasvia asked. “Aria’s in my Divine Kingdom anyway. She isn’t going to pick up your crass words.”

“Stop trying to lead Gemini astray,” Lila cut in. “Besides, if he gets used to crass words, wouldn’t it damage the image of the great gods? Imagine if Hereward started swearing in public. Whoosh.”

“Now that you mention it, I should have tried to make Anren speak some uncouth words,” said Thasvia. “Might have stopped the Second Extermination and his megalomania.”

Gemini didn’t know what was a suitable response, so he made do by watching the Five Lands as they endured the heavy bombardment.

“That’s odd…” The Demon Sovereign narrowed his eyes.

“What’s odd?” Lila asked.

“Thasvia,” said Gemini, “can you sense the flow of energy in the Central Circle? There’s something peculiar about it.”

Her emerald-green hair fluttered as the wind picked up, and for a moment, thousands of green lines appeared. All of them were extending outwards from the gigantic tower in the middle of the continent. The green radiance was particularly striking at the tip of the tallest tower.

Gemini’s mind rapidly dissected the odd illumination of Thasvia’s working, forming multiple thoughts and opinions as the momentary illumination faded. Energy was being channelled to the centre of the continent at an alarming rate. At the same time, the numerous warnings that his thought strands were issuing told him that whatever dangers and difficulties the Five Lands would face in their approach would pale before the stronghold of the Abyss Sovereign.

“Beautiful,” Lila murmured. “But…”

The Demon Sovereign nodded slowly. “It does account for how the Abyss Sovereign is capable of expending so much energy. It’s not even his own, or the Abyss. He’s just simply siphoning it from the rest of the world.”

“The energy released from the on-going bombardment and defence would just return to him,” said Thasvia. “The forces of the Five Lands must compete in this regard, or else annihilation will be their fate.”

“Don’t worry about that,” said Gemini, his eyes fixed onto some of the Paragons and the Demigods of Orb. “Everyone saw that. Including the people that should. With that little prompt, they should be able to work something out. After all, if they can conduct a defence flawlessly…”

He looked at the reply the Five Lands were currently issuing to the Abyss Sovereign. What was that little kid, who had been driven into despair by him, thinking as he saw this scene?

“Tch.”

“What?”

“This is also affirming his path, right?” Gemini muttered darkly. “Little punk. He doesn’t actually care for Celestia.”

“As you explained some time ago, the Abyss Sovereign probably just wanted to see world peace. It’s a noble ideal,” said Thasvia, “just that he’s too extreme about it. Creating an entirely new world to curb the conflict-prone nature of mortals…that’s not just inspired, it’s also partially insane. Such an undertaking…it’s probably affected his psyche.”

Her green robes fluttered. “He might be already partially insane. You can tell from how…wrong that tower is. Just from the decorations alone. It looks like some exaggerated lair of some monstrous villain.”

“Maybe it’s on purpose,” said Gemini, before taking a glance at the black lightning that was dancing around the tower. It was the same black lightning that he had seen, at the root of the Demon God’s final inheritance, but if the Abyss Sovereign could simply harness it to make his stronghold look more ominous…

“Let’s just hope that’s the case,” said Thasvia. “If he can be reasoned with, this whole thing might end a lot more peacefully.”

“Maybe.” Gemini hugged Lila, who had been just watching the surreal battle below. “Let me hug you for a bit. I’m feeling depressed.”

Lila tilted her head. “Sure, but why?”

“Remember that black lightning I told you about?” Gemini asked.

“What about it?”

“Well…”