A massive wing of Valkyries deployed their own magic circles to intercept him. As the dark sphere began to eclipse the sun, the advance halted. A grueling war of attrition between the Valkyries' spells and Apophis's darkness began… but Apophis looks bored.
He has the power to overwhelm them in a heartbeat if he chooses. He's only holding back because he's enjoying the spectacle.
Azi Dahaka and Apophis—the strength of these two is off the charts. Is it the power of the Holy Grail that has boosted them beyond their previous limits? Or, knowing them, did they simply spend their time since revival honing their own power? Either way, their current strength is an anomaly.
Falbium Asmodeus, one of the Great Satans, finally spoke up.
"Their ability to teleport without interference is likely Azi Dahaka's forbidden magic. It's a nightmare to deal with. And if they're being buffed by the power of the Red Dragon Emperor clones… well, barriers don't mean a thing to them. At this rate, cooperation between factions is becoming impossible. Every nation is too busy fortifying their own borders against a sudden raid to help anyone else."
Serafall followed, her expression uncharacteristically grim.
"I wonder if someone is coaching these Evil Dragons? It looks like mindless violence, but their movements feel… tactical. There's a certain lightness to their footwork."
Serafall is right. They seem to have a specific quota. They don't stay to ensure total annihilation; once they've caused a sufficient level of ruin, they move on.
While the allied factions want to send reinforcements to whichever mythology is currently under fire, the fact that the Trihexa legion can bypass world-class barriers means every faction is pinned down, terrified of leaving their own home undefended.
Even so, the Devils, Fallen Angels, and Heaven have sent whatever forces they can spare. The anti-terror team, D×D, has already deployed to the Norse front. On the monitor, I could see Rias and her team bravely holding the line against a swarm of Evil Dragons.
Barakiel turned to the Satans, his brow furrowed. "What is the status of the Underworld? I heard reports of widespread panic."
In the Devil territories, we've mobilized the military, the police, High-class Devils, and even Ultimate-class Devils with their entire peerages across every major city, starting with Lilith. We've called up almost every scrap of fighting force we have, and it still feels like it isn't enough. We could handle a normal crisis, but the scale of this opponent is simply different.
Word of the situation has reached the civilian population, and the Underworld is spiraling into a panic reminiscent of the Evil Tree incident. To make matters worse, some opportunistic bottom-feeders are using the chaos to start their own riots. They're being suppressed quickly, but the atmosphere everywhere is one of pure disorder.
Trihexa and the Evil Dragon Army. My students, my subordinates, and my comrades are out there bleeding, yet I'm stuck here in a room playing commander. I hate it.
…Maybe I retired from the front lines a little too early.
But whining won't change the reality of the situation. I have to do what only I can do.
As I steeled my resolve, a new wave of reinforcements appeared on the Norse battlefield.
"The Hindu Gods…! Even the Asura have come to our aid!"
The monkey god Hanuman and the elephant-headed Ganesha appeared, leading a massive host of followers. Even Varuna, the Asura King, had brought his subordinates to join the fray in the Norse lands.
The Hindu pantheon is home to some of the most monstrously powerful beings across all mythologies. With a single strike, these gods began vaporizing the mass-produced Evil Dragons and the clones of the Red Dragon Emperor.
However, no matter how many they culled, the enemy numbers continued to swell.
From one of Trihexa's heads—the dragon-shaped one—round, egg-like objects were being spat out. These eggs hatched instantly into more clones and lesser dragons.
This is the primary reason we're struggling.
Rizevim must have modified the beast. Trihexa wasn't just a weapon; it was a mobile factory for an entire army.
Even when the Norse and Hindu gods focused their fire on Trihexa itself, the beast barely seemed to notice. They managed to inflict minor wounds, but the creature's regenerative abilities closed them up in seconds.
The sheer resilience of Trihexa is staggering. This is the legendary beast of the Apocalypse…!
Looking at the sheer number of gods involved, this was no longer a skirmish. This was the Great War at the end of time. It had already eclipsed the scale of the ancient war between the Three Factions.
Then, without warning, Trihexa's forces ceased their assault. A massive teleportation circle expanded to cover their entire army, and they vanished into the light.
The battlefield fell into a stunned, hollow silence. They had likely achieved whatever objective they had set for this tier.
We immediately ordered our subordinates to track their next destination, but I already knew it would be a wasted effort.
Minutes passed with no sign of them anywhere else in the world.
Then—
"YEAAAAAAAAH!"
A roar of victory erupted from the screen. The Norse realm had been successfully defended—at least for now.
But the reason for their sudden retreat was likely something far more mundane.
Falbium looked troubled. "…The Grail?"
"Most likely," I replied. "The Holy Grail probably hit its temporary limit. Even if it can mass-produce an army like that, it isn't truly infinite. No matter how much you enhance it, there's always a breaking point."
The only thing in this world that is truly "infinite" is Ophis in her prime.
Just as the defense of the Norse realm was confirmed, the door to the briefing room opened. It was Sirzechs, back from his errand.
"It seems Asgard is safe for the moment."
"Yeah. We can call it a successful defense, for what it's worth."
Sirzechs nodded, scanning the faces of everyone in the room.
"Let's share this news with the people of the Underworld."
And so, the Crimson Demon Lord Lucifer prepared to address his citizens, hoping to offer a glimmer of hope to a world paralyzed by fear.
[Azazel side out]
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