Like an onion being stripped of layer after layer, large and small fragments of steel that were ruthlessly crushed fell from the sky like rain, smashing the ground below until it resembled the surface of a planet bombarded by meteorites. Even the wreckage alone was enough to pose a fatal threat to fragile creatures, but in front of the emerald-haired Flügel, such a powerful steel fortress was as fragile as a newborn baby.
As if strolling in a garden, the huge steel fortress that Schwi had deployed did not even have the possibility of posing a threat to Azril. No matter how grand the momentum was, no matter how huge the spirits it drove, it was all meaningless if it couldn't hit the target.
The logical circuit, which should have been forever rational and calm, was now anxiously making mistakes. The thoughts of wanting to live and wanting to last longer were bouncing around infinitely in Schwi's mind. She even had the thought of escaping, of fleeing this war, but in the end, she clenched her fists and stayed here, trying her best to lock onto the figure of that Flügel through layers of armor.
This was also good, Schwi had this thought for a moment—just to be in a stalemate like this. She would infinitely cover the area with maximum firepower, and even if she couldn't hit that Flügel, it was enough as long as she could force her to be unable to fight back with all her strength.
However, in the next second, as if she had seen through her cowardly thought, amidst the rain of light, the emerald-haired Flügel curled her lips into a scornful smile. She just slightly turned her wings and passed by a scorching pillar of light, and her slender palm also raised.
Six gigantic, pitch-black walls instantly appeared from an empty space, forming a complete and closed hexahedron that sealed the steel fortress that Schwi had transformed into. This was Azril most proud move, which could completely display her powerful control over spirits.
A sea-like amount of spirits poured into the pitch-black hexahedron. Heavenly Strikes that were even more powerful than a regular Heavenly Strike were released in the confined space, exploding and shattering in an extremely short amount of time. The pitch-black walls also dispersed, revealing the steel fortress within that had been completely ravaged and broken.
The steel armor that could barely cover her before was completely destroyed. Her body, which was in the core of the fortress, had already been transformed into a huge machine. Only her upper body, arms, and head could barely be recognized as Schwi. She was thus exposed without any protection in front of Azril.
Their eyes met. Although she didn't need to breathe, Schwi felt as if she was lacking oxygen, suffocating from fear of death.
"...Found you Nyaa~" Azril said unhurriedly and chuckled in a low, evil tone, "...scrap metal~"
This was just a microcosm of a corner of this massive war. The view shifted from this corner, and the field of vision expanded. The entire world was reflected in the pair of golden-yellow glowing pupils. Looking down from above, overseeing the entire world, at the very top of the city transformed from a fantasy-type, the God of War Artosh was standing at the edge of his palace, carefully experiencing his current emotions.
Was it anticipation? Or... a desire? What kind of result would satisfy him the most?
[...I might be defeated, you know.]
If an ordinary Flügel were to hear this, it would be shocking and unacceptable, and they would even kill themselves. Yet, the God of War said it so calmly, as if the target he was talking about was not himself, not the concept of war, the invincible existence.
All the Flügel had already been dispatched. The only one left in the entire city was a Flügel with only a single wing, accompanying Artosh.
"You must be joking," the Flügel named Rafil said without hesitation.
After she had managed to win a war for the Flügel, she lost a wing due to being severely injured, and her power also dropped significantly. This was why she remained here even after her sisters had been dispatched.
[I am very strong.]
"Undoubtedly."
[No race's power can defeat me.]
"Naturally."
[Because of this, I feel lonely.]
"...Is it what Little Jib said?" After being slightly stunned, Rafil immediately recalled the words Jibril had said in this palace not long ago, which had then spread throughout the entire Flügel race.
[Exactly.]
The God of War gave a positive answer. He was still looking forward, not in a purposeless glance, but truly seeing something, without deviating.
[What the strongest desires... is it?]
This time, she chose not to reply. The blue-haired Flügel just lowered her head respectfully. She knew that her master, whom she served, did not need others' opinions at this time.
And Artosh's gaze extended infinitely, passing through the Elf and Dwarfs, Dragons and Giants, and fantasy-types and Flügel that were in fierce fire exchange, all the way to the farthest place where there was no smoke of war, at the deepest and purest part of the Spirit Corridor, where that embarrassed figure, who couldn't even move on his own, was.
Jibril, the side-story individual whom he had been anticipating and valued the most, was also standing beside him—his creation, the extension of his will... was she crying?
He was uncontrollably filled with curiosity, and even a hint of anticipation and excitement. But what excited the God of War even more was that creature whose flesh and blood had dried up.
What would the future be like?
What would he be like?
The delusion and challenge from a weakling.
As his mind turned, at this moment, all the Flügel on the battlefield, except for Jibril at the farthest point, suddenly looked up as if they had sensed something. Including Azril, no matter how fanatically they were fighting a moment ago, in the next second, these war-crazed individuals simultaneously left the battlefield at the fastest speed and flew neatly from the scattered battlefield towards the Flügel's city, traveling through space.
Adding the last of her power to the ring on her finger, Schwi tightly gripped the hand with the ring on it and even closed her eyes, waiting for the execution from that Flügel—but it never came.
She opened her eyes again in a daze. There was nothing in front of her. She then turned her gaze to her back. There, Schwi knew that the man who had been anticipated by her, Riku, and all of humanity was there, practicing the illusory dream that had become the delusion of all humans.
She couldn't see it, but more than this unknown, in the next second, Schwi suddenly turned her head and looked at the high altitude in the very north of this battlefield.
Under the city made of white blocks, hundreds of small figures stood still.