At the same time, in the skies above the Absolute Demonic Front, Mesopotamia's Hell Dragon Riders were sweeping everything before them.
In the desert of the Radiant Composite Temple, Egypt's Anubis Legion and Scorching Sand Sphinxes grew fiercer the longer they fought.
Across the land of the Cycle of Creation, Death, and Reincarnation, the population of the Indian kingdoms seemed endless, as the fallen immersed in the Ganges returned once more.
Within the Sealing of the Four Seas of the End, the angels were swallowed by the deep-sea fleet and the ocean of creations from Echidna's arsenal before they could even land, unable to advance an inch.
Before the fortresses of the Eternal Empire of Madness, the Roman legions moved as one, millions strong, their divine might blazing as their steel torrent swept forward unstoppably.
Within the blood mist of the Hellish Asura Battlefield, Persia's Asura host raged freely, reveling in the joy of battle and slaughter.
Beneath the green waves of the Crystal Tree Sea Valley, those blazing white lights were utterly buried beneath the green vitality of life.
Within the realm of Huaxia Ninefold Mountains and Rivers, mountains formed shields, the terrain became a dragon, winding and protecting itself, while Great Qin's tiger-wolf army swept across the six directions.
Together with the current situation in Scandinavia, every battlefield across the Nine Ages of Gods firmly held the advantage.
As those radiant beings were shattered and reformed again and again, the spirit particles within them were silently absorbed and assimilated by the soil, the plants, the rivers, the mountains, and human bodies.
In truth, just as Holo had said, the entire World Tree was another life-cycle system built on the foundation of Gaia and the Nine Ages of Gods.
They had indeed suffered the first defeat in the battle for Earth and been forced to retreat into the World Tree.
But drawing back the fist was only for the sake of striking better.
Gathering the Nine Ages of Gods and Gaia's will to rebuild the defensive line was the same as establishing a complete, smaller circle inside the broken great circle of Earth's defensive sphere, one with a far smaller surface to protect.
Once the angelic army, as outsiders, entered the Nine Ages of Gods sustained by the World Tree, they were like bacteria infiltrating a human body. Their spirit particles would be silently filtered and devoured by Gaia's will and the reshaped world wall, then fed back to the Star Spirit Gaia and the lives that endured here.
This was exactly Samael's plan. He would turn these fanatical freaks who shouted holy war, underestimated their enemy, and advanced recklessly into nourishment for the World Tree and Gaia, step by step.
Since they were all spirit particles, if Jehovah could enjoy them, Gaia could naturally absorb them too.
...
On Avalon Island, the Ancient Serpent quietly looked at the miniature Earth model in his palm, taking in every shift in the war. The furrow between his brows gradually eased.
Everything was as expected. The situation was developing in their favor.
Heh. Only that Outer God himself, if he descended in person, would have the right to wrestle with me. You half-evolved oddities think you can reforge a planet? Arrogant.
Samael snorted coldly, killing intent filling his eyes.
However, these angels were not ignorant fools. As their losses became increasingly obvious, and the reinforcements that should have returned to the Heavenly Pool to be reborn in flesh still failed to arrive, the angels immediately realized something was wrong. They began chanting divine words, calling upon the True Name of the Lord.
"Be full, be full, be full, be full.
The cycle repeats, and after that comes five.
The wind descends from heaven, so wall it off.
The gates open in four directions, so close them all.
Its source is light, its might is flame. Our Lord is Jehovah, King of Kings!
From the Kingdom He emerges, and all things return to the One. At the three-way path of the former crown, He ascends above god.
Glory, majesty, power, authority, and kingdom all belong to Him, from before all ages, to now, and forever and ever!"
Hum!
At once, amid a strange vibration, specks of light dust surged out from the angels and the Seven Heavens, gathering toward the crown of an inverted tree grown from a wheel of light.
Ten solid rings of light, like crystalline fruit among the branches, nurtured infinite radiance. Obscure Hebrew divine script could faintly be seen upon them.
The Tree of Kabbalah!
Samael's brows tightened again, and his expression froze slightly.
Crack!
The next moment, the inverted tree, using the Ten Heavens and the Ten Guardian Angels as its points, descended from the dim starry sky while carrying an endless tide of nothingness. Inch by inch, it pierced the light membrane of the World Tree, connecting all of Heaven with the Nine Ages of Gods and smashing them together.
BOOM!
In that instant, the Nine Ages of Gods and the Ten Heavens shook violently. Countless lives were reduced to ash under the impact.
The entire Earth trembled fiercely. Scattered dust was thrown high into the air, blocking the radiance of the sun and moon. The dim, gray-yellow sky looked like the twilight of the end.
Even the two opposing trees of light seemed to burn violently, their branches and leaves breaking apart as stardust-like motes of light scattered continuously from the point of contact.
"Arise, O Lord, and scatter Your enemies. Let those who hate You flee before You. Let them be driven away like smoke before the wind. Let the wicked be destroyed before the face of God, like wax melted by fire!"
Immediately after, the supreme angels guarding the Ten Heavens each faced the rulers of the Nine Ages of Gods.
Lakel, who represented "Wisdom," also known as the "Supreme Father," and ruled the Realm of Primordial Motion, faced Athena, Goddess of Wisdom and leader of the Three Goddesses of Greece.
Yafkel, who represented "Understanding," also known as the "Supreme Mother," and ruled the Realm of Saturn, faced Zeus, master of the Roman Pantheon.
Randekir, who represented "Mercy" and ruled the Realm of Jupiter, faced Arjuna, blessed jointly by the Indian Trimurti, divided, and granted Divinity.
Kamel, who represented "Severity" and ruled the Realm of Mars, faced Quetzalcoatl, the South American Lord of the Sun and King of Conquest.
Michael, who represented "Beauty" and ruled the Realm of the Sun, faced Tiamat, the Mother of Origins of Mesopotamia.
Anar, who represented "Victory" and ruled the Realm of Venus, faced the Great Qin Ancestral Dragon, whose virtue surpassed the Three Sovereigns and whose achievements eclipsed the Five Emperors.
Raphael, who represented "Glory" and ruled the Realm of Mercury, faced Odin, the Scandinavian Main God of knowledge and the arts.
Gabriel, who represented "Foundation" and ruled the Realm of the Moon, faced Nitocris, the new queen of Egypt and incarnation of Horus.
Shanda Feng, who represented "Kingdom" and ruled the Realm of Earth, faced Vritra, Persia's god of war and King of the Asuras.
At the same time, the angels under their command, belonging to the various legions and heavens, advanced alongside their commanders and clashed with the gods and humans of the Ages of Gods.
And Metatron, standing at the pinnacle of the Tree of Kabbalah, representing "Crown" and known as "Little Jehovah," led the army of Pure Fire Heaven in a grand march toward the World Tree's network.
"O God, Your mercy reaches the heavens.
O God, Your faithfulness reaches the firmament.
You send grace from heaven to save me.
You send me mercy and truth.
O God, may You be exalted above the heavens.
O God, may Your glory rise above all the earth.
I will sing, I will praise.
I will praise You.
Among all peoples, I will give thanks to You.
You are my refuge and my rock.
You are my place of shelter.
I will rejoice, I will sing.
I will worship You.
Among all nations, I will proclaim You!"
Angels of every shape sang hymns, burning violently in rapture. Like meteors streaking across the sky, they dyed the sky above the World Tree the dying crimson of sunset.
Just as those large and small balls of light were about to fall toward Avalon Island, a pitch-black vortex suddenly formed in midair. A dark, cold stone gate slowly opened, swallowing every ray of light into the demonic realm where all was covered in shadow, where sunlight could never reach, into that silent, icy world of death.
The Gate of the Demonic Realm overflowing with death.
What emerged was Scáthach's domain, the tenth defensive line standing guard before Avalon Island, founded upon the Celtic and Irish mythological system. The Forbidden Paradise of Life, the Land of Shadows.
"Leave them to me!"
Before the gate, the purple-haired queen spun the crimson magic spear in her hand and strode forward with her head held high.
"But..."
Samael's brows twisted together, and he could not help speaking.
Compared to the other Nine Ages of Gods, Irish and Celtic mythology was relatively weak, and Boudica had taken part of their military strength away. Yet Scáthach would be facing Pure Fire Heaven, the closest of the Ten Heavens to infinite light, and Metatron, known as "Little Jehovah."
"Samael, do what you need to do."
Hearing his hesitation, Scáthach turned her head slightly and rebuked him calmly, like a dignified teacher.
Then the Queen of the Land of Shadows smiled, looking gently at Samael as her voice turned confident and soft.
"Don't worry about me. When one strike of the spear reaches perfection, even a god can be slain. Don't forget, I'm immortal. After this battle, remember to treat me to a drink. And no running away again."
Samael bit his lower lip hard and nodded heavily. He closed his eyes and sat down, at the same time using the authority granted by Gaia to accelerate the World Tree's filtering and decomposition of the angelic army.
As that figure crossed the void step by step, climbing toward her own battlefield, resolve appeared between Scáthach's brows, and the corners of her lips lifted slightly.
Samael, you've already done enough for us, and for this world.
If the end must come, then at least this time, let us walk ahead of you.
My dearest friend, my... beloved...