"The very thing I feared has finally come to pass."
Awakened once again from her slumber, Laplace, robed in crimson, accepted the report handed to her by a lesser Laplace demon. Her magical eyes flickered, and she sighed helplessly.
"Lord of White Night… so you've ultimately made this choice." Laplace looked out at the resplendent starry sky of [Little Garden], her face a complicated mask of melancholy. "Back when you showed such unexpected concern for Riku of [Disboard], I should have realised it."
"The scene from the prophecy… that new Human Final Trial is very likely connected to [Disboard]," Laplace murmured with another sigh.
"Laplace. Come to the council chamber. We must discuss our course of action."
At that moment, a voice, neither male nor female, ethereal and formless, resonated within her mind. Her eyes narrowed slightly before she left her quarters.
Blade Heaven, City of Sudarśana.
The [Twelve Devas of Protection] had also received word from [Thousand Eyes].
The God Kings of the [Twelve Devas] gathered solemnly, each face heavy with concern.
"You should all know by now what has transpired with [Thousand Eyes]. The Lord of White Night has abandoned them, and under the escort of the [God-Slaying Demon Lord] Riku Dola, she has joined the forbidden community [Disboard]." Spoke the ruler of [Little Garden], Emperor Shakya, his tone grim.
"This is an upheaval that could shake the entire [Little Garden]. We cannot simply stand idly by." Brahma followed with equal severity.
"War… is unavoidable." Declared another God King, his divine majesty bursting forth like a sacred decree.
"Do not forget [Disboard] already bears the name of Taboo. Their strength has expanded to unprecedented levels." Another God King sighed heavily.
"If we had known their true purpose from the start, we should have done everything in our power to suppress their growth." Emperor Shakya admitted with a bitter smile.
It began with Athena and Poseidon. Then even the Halloween Queen was defeated and enslaved. Though since she was a Demon Lord, her loss did not overly concern the divine factions.
Finally, even [Christianity] was conquered and absorbed.
At first, it was merely the clash of two communities, and since [Christianity] belonged to the Northern Region, it was not their place to intervene.
But by the time they reacted, everything was already settled. [Disboard]'s power had swelled beyond measure; it was no longer something they could simply strike down at will.
And now, even the Lord of White Night had been recruited.
Gathering so many of [Little Garden]'s most renowned figures, absorbing the forces of multiple factions… Riku Dola's intentions made the God Kings uneasy.
"Still, if war does come, we may not be without hope of victory." Emperor Shakya added firmly.
His words earned nods of approval. The matter of the Lord of White Night touched upon the bottom line of all godly factions. Rallying them to stand together would not be difficult.
"However, there is another piece of news we must not ignore." Emperor Shakya's expression grew even darker.
"That is the prophecy of the all-knowing, almighty demon Laplace. A new Human Final Trial is soon to emerge. And it is very likely tied to [Disboard] and the Lord of White Night. Moreover, before this, the High Priest of [Zoroastrianism] gave a similar prophecy."
"The Human Final Trial!?" At those words, the expressions of all the God Kings changed. Shock and fear filled their faces.
The Human Final Trials were the nightmares of [Little Garden]. In the Dawn Era, the 'Geocentric Theory' had, by its power alone, repelled tens of millions of gods, a scene still vivid in their memories.
The Human Final Trial was the ultimate god-slayer. Any deity slain by them would not only have their life, but their very faith annihilated, erased utterly from existence, with no chance of revival.
The Lord of White Night's identity was unusual, but she had ultimately lost the spiritual grid of the 'Geocentric Theory.' Her sudden defection to [Disboard] was chaotic enough. But the possibility of a new Human Final Trial arising… that filled them with terror. For such beings carried unparalleled dread.
"Still… despite these two prophecies, human history has not shown any 'Historical Transition Period.'" One God King spoke calmly. He was the one tasked with observing human history through the Sun Authorities, guiding its course.
"Better to believe it may come than to assume it cannot. Neither of their prophecies has ever proven false." Emperor Shakya said gravely. "Therefore, no matter what, we must reclaim the Lord of White Night, who may be connected to this new Human Final Trial. She must not remain in the dangerous hands of [Disboard]."
"First, send envoys to negotiate with [Disboard]. At the same time, spread the word of what we know among the godly factions. Muster our forces. Prepare for war at any time!" Emperor Shakya concluded.
"Understood!!!" All the God Kings nodded heavily, disappearing from the council chamber without delay.
"Haah… more chaos. Riku Dola, what a troublesome man you are." Emperor Shakya shook his head with a wry smile.
Since Riku's arrival, [Little Garden] had known no peace.
[Little Garden], Third Layer. Skyborne City.
Riku, the Halloween Queen, and the Lord of White Night had already returned to the [Skyborne Palace].
Riku gathered all officers and senior cadres of Skyborne City to welcome the Lord of White Night's joining.
This astonished even Athena, Poseidon, and the other senior members. To invite even the Lord of White Night into [Disboard], such skill was not something an ordinary leader could possess.
Still, the sharper minds among them, like Athena, understood well: war was coming again. This time, against multiple top-tier communities and innumerable gods.
Yet even so, having followed Riku this long, they were utterly fearless. Though their leader enjoyed acting the hands-off commander, their faith in him was blind and absolute.
Gods or Buddhas, it made no difference. Riku destroyed them all with ease. Even millions of deities could be struck down.
"Athena, my lady, war approaches. We should summon reinforcements from the [Northern Region] division." Athena said solemnly, her tone weighty.
"Yes. Summoning the strength of the [Christianity] division is necessary. However, Jesus and God need not come." Riku nodded slowly.
"Jesus and God… Though the Northern Region does indeed require them to remain on guard, this war is too important. And it will strike here, at the headquarters of [Skyborne City]." Athena bit her lip, unable to hold back her words.
Having another two–digit powerhouse would mean an earth-shaking difference.
"The gods of the Northern Region have never accepted us. If Jesus and the division of [Christianity] abandon too much of their strength, they may seize the opportunity to act. The losses would be great." Riku said calmly. "Do not worry. Even without Jesus, the power we hold here is more than enough."
"Hmm, then let's do this, let God bring half of the [Christianity] branch's forces here." Riku pondered for a moment before finally choosing to heed part of Athena's advice.
This made Athena breathe a sigh of relief. Riku trusted her deeply. He had entrusted her with the management of Skyborne City and even left the strategy of war in her hands. Because of that, she didn't want to betray Riku's trust and only wished to do her very best.
Although the fact that the [Son of God] would not come left her feeling immense pressure, if God himself came, it would at least ease part of that burden. God's status was unique, and if he commanded the angels personally, their combat power would be more than doubled. Moreover, God himself was a mighty three-digit deity with a multitude of methods.
Although the defeat in the previous battle made him seem weak, the truth was that Riku had been too strong, not that God had been too weak.
Afterwards, the cadres and senior members present all spoke up, arranging various strategies.
Half an hour later, the meeting finally ended, and everyone returned to their respective duties.
"To stand against the millions of communities in the Eastern District… truly makes me nostalgic," the Queen of White Night sighed.
"Riku, when I first met you, I never imagined you'd come this far," the Queen of White Night said with emotion.
"Really? Back then, I already told you whether gods or Buddhas, they're nothing." Riku replied casually.
"At the time, I didn't believe it. Now, of course, I do." The Queen of White Night froze for a moment, then shook her head. When she first saw the strength Riku displayed, she thought he was just overestimating himself.
But as she came to understand him more and more, she finally accepted that what Riku had said back then wasn't mere boasting; he truly had the strength and the resolve to back it up.
"Next, we just wait for the response from [Thousand Eyes] and [Twelve Guardian Gods]," the Halloween Queen said elegantly.
Riku, the Queen of White Night, and the Halloween Queen all smiled knowingly.
Just as everyone had predicted, [Twelve Guardian Gods] and [Thousand Eyes] both dispatched envoys to [Skyborne City]. Their purpose was self-evident.
However, under Riku's orders, these envoys were not even granted an audience with him and were instead forcefully driven away by Athena.
On this matter, there was nothing to negotiate. If they wanted to take away the Queen of White Night, then they would have to show their true strength.
Because of this, both [Thousand Eyes] and [Twelve Guardian Gods] were furious, believing that [Disboard] had grown far too arrogant.
Due to the importance of the Queen of White Night, combined with the danger that [Disboard] posed, [Thousand Eyes] and [Twelve Guardian Gods] did not hesitate to form a powerful alliance, further contacting many large-scale communities in the Eastern District.
As time passed, a crusade army of millions, led by [Thousand Eyes] and [Twelve Guardian Gods], was quickly assembled.
On [Disboard]'s side, they likewise summoned two hundred thousand angels from the [Christianity] branch in the Northern District. Adding in [Disboard]'s own strength, they had around three to four hundred thousand forces in total.
The army was mainly composed of angelic legions, but also included gods, spirit beings, dragon-kind, phantasmal beasts, demons, and many other races.
Such a large-scale operation from the top communities cast a heavy atmosphere over the entire Eastern District, as if a storm were approaching and doomsday itself was about to descend.
The news even spread to the other regions.
In the Northern District, since [Christianity] had transferred half of its forces away and with the Eastern District moving, the gods there couldn't help but harbour their own schemes. They, too, wanted to imitate [Thousand Eyes] and [Twelve Guardian Gods] by forming an army of millions to attack the [Christianity] branch.
However, before they could act, the [Son of God] erupted with overwhelming might. His two-digit [Authority] swept across heaven and earth, proclaiming his existence.
This made the gods of the Northern District realise that the [Son of God] of the [Christianity] branch had not left. They could only temporarily suppress their ambitions.
Of course, if the battle in the Eastern District turned white-hot, and [Skyborne City]'s headquarters of [Disboard] began to show signs of weakness and passivity, these gods would likely pounce like cats catching the scent of fish.
After all, the two-digit [Authority] was not unique to the [Son of God]. It was just that his identity as a [God-Slayer] made the other gods especially wary.
In the Western District, the [Twelve Olympian Gods] were also beginning to stir restlessly.
Especially the five chief gods who had revived Zeus, Apollo, and the others after being slain by Riku's [Longinus: Spear of Godslayer]. Though they had been resurrected from faith over the past year, their spirit ranks had declined, and their strength had greatly diminished!
Especially Apollo, whose hold on his three-digit strength was already precarious. Even the once four-digit [Breaker of the Great War] could probably defeat him now.
As for Zeus, his strength had also declined, and the title of "King of the Gods" no longer carried the weight it once had.
This miserable state caused the [Twelve Olympian Gods] to completely lose their leading position in the Western District. Adding to the humiliation of their defeat at the hands of [Disboard], their prestige had completely collapsed.
Even the so-called fallen [Norse Mythology] had now mounted their heads, seizing the title of leading community in the Western District.
This caused Zeus and the other chief gods to hate Riku to the extreme.
Thus, Zeus even considered rallying the gods to march to the Eastern District and join the crusade against [Disboard].
However, after being crushed by Riku, his arrogance was finally restrained to some extent. He forcibly suppressed that idea and chose instead to observe. Just like the gods of the Northern District, if [Disboard] showed any sign of weakness, Zeus would not hesitate to launch a raid on the Eastern District!
Only the Southern District remained calm, as if the turmoil in the Eastern District had not affected them at all. Compared to the East, West, and North, the Southern District seemed like a paradise untouched by great wars, where only small skirmishes occurred.
At this time of gathering storm and impending chaos, while all the gods and the majority of the communities had their eyes fixed on [Disboard], [Thousand Eyes], [Twelve Guardian Gods], and their army of millions.
In a place unknown to them, a mysterious stone that had absorbed the essence of the sun and moon suddenly cracked. From within, a golden-haired girl with delicate features and heroic brows sat down upon the grass, her eyes filled with innocent confusion as though she had just been born.
Yet her figure was graceful, her skin smooth as jade, not inferior in the slightest, even compared to the Queen of White Night, something that made the scene all the more bewildering.
"Demon Lord… Equal to Heaven."
Then, as if some information suddenly surfaced in her mind, the girl murmured these words unconsciously.
High above the Skyborne City, floating over the vast ten-thousand-meter [Heavy Rock Mountains], even for those who could not fly, there had usually been special channels of transport leading up. But now, at this special moment, all of those channels were sealed shut.
Within [Skyborne City], most of the residents had temporarily evacuated. The branches of various major communities were also closed.
All of this was because war was drawing near.
The reason such a perfect evacuation was possible was precisely due to the tacit understanding between [Disboard], [Thousand Eyes], and [Twelve Guardian Gods] on this matter. None of them wanted innocents to be harmed.