Chapter 414 - 414: A Beacon On A Rainy Night
A wave of a thousand golden warriors descended from the skies.
Before them stood two thousand residents of the camp, bearing their weapons outright.
In the far distance, the colossal body of the Monarch shuddered, acknowledging the upcoming monumental clash, its gaze shifting toward them, observing in silent curiosity.
"Rise." Michael declared, making Devil assume his true form.
Devil, in turn, gazed at the nearing swarm, pupil narrowing.
"You do know…" The soul weapon regarded Michael with an unreadable expression. "…That you can just walk away, right? What's the point of risking everything for a bunch of… weaklings?"
For the first time, Devil didn't show his usual eagerness for battle. Instead, he hesitated. Even if he was willing to abandon them all, it seemed he was still concerned about Michael… His own way of showing it, perhaps.
"Leave… and miss out on the chance to take so many souls?" Michael retorted with a smirk. "Do you really want to neglect your one and only chance to slaughter so many spiritual beasts?"
Unlike other leaders who imposed their will on their followers, he was genuinely willing to listen to his crew. Even if he could have persuaded them otherwise, he respected their consensus and accepted their viewpoint when they all agreed.
"Your death wish." Devil shrugged nonchalantly. "Just remember not to complain to me when you… Lose something important."
'Master has made his stance clear!' Heaven's Judgment interjected. 'Do not try to sway his mind!'
Michael squinted, studying Devil, who was meant to voice the darkest parts of his intrusive thoughts lingering at the back of his subconscious.
Given Devil's assessment, did a part of him really think like that?
Shaking his head, dispelling any trace of hesitation, Michael glanced at Robert.
"Let's go."
The man nodded, and the two soared high into the air.
Since Michael had once been attacked by the Overlords lurking on the ceiling, he had taken great care not to rise to such heights again.
Today, that was no longer the case.
A few minutes later, the two Lords reached the ceiling of the hollow valley. The spiritual crystals glistened mesmerizingly, letting out a blinding light.
Exchanging nods, the two got to work.
Robert condensed the wind into a single point, increasing the pressure, then unleashed an immense slash.
Swoosh!
The air attack struck the spiritual crystals.
Unable to withstand the might of a Lord, they cracked, starting to fall.
Michael acted just as fast, the double barrel of his shotgun pointed at the large crystals, firing from point-blank range.
Crack!
Giving in to the power of their attacks, the crystals shattered along with the ceiling, great chunks beginning to topple to the ground below.
Amidst their free fall, the debris reflected light from one another like a waterfall, forming a never-before-seen rainbow condensed with spiritual energy.
The larger the debris the two Lords caused, the bigger the rainbow grew, and accordingly, the potency of the spiritual energy soared to new heights.
In response to the colossal destruction of the environment, the hollow valley grew deadly still.
Hreh'tar aliens of all sizes and tiers felt a deep hunger within them upon witnessing the scene.
Power.
At the base of the rainbow, there was power, ripe for the taking, all destined to be theirs.
Instantly, they let out bestial roars, forsaking all caution as they darted toward the source, eager to satiate their hunger for strength.
"That should do it." Michael concluded, stopping.
Due to his and Robert's actions, the ceiling near the feline camp had turned dark, with the crystals not illuminating the area but instead having fallen just in front of the camp's gates.
Robert remained silent for a few seconds, observing the army of aliens racing to reach them.
"Was this really the wisest choice?" He wondered.
"Fighting the Royal Champions fairly would lead to our demise. It is like fighting a thousand Grandmasters after all…" Michael reasoned.
"So we will rely on the aliens to do some of the dirty work. With the felines waiting safely behind the camp's fortifications, the aliens will bare their fangs at the upcoming ants, hopefully reducing their numbers."
Unlike in other situations, the enemy of Michael's enemy remained a foe. Yet that didn't deter him from turning the two opposing forces against each other… Only to wipe out the remaining survivors at the end.
Promptly, the two Lords descended toward the camp, the ants now mere minutes away from reaching the camp.
"With the ants and aliens fighting, the center of the battlefield will become chaotic." Michael said, gazing at the crew.
"If at any point you feel overwhelmed, don't hesitate to regroup at the camp. Your safety takes absolute priority."
Though they knew it, it never hurt to remind them of the basics.
Finally, the aliens reached the approaching swarm of ants.
BOOM!
Considering that the Royal Champions were equivalent to Grandmasters, only aliens of General and Overlord tier were capable of halting them.
Although there were not many left after Michael's crew had slaughtered a large portion of them during their journey to rescue the felines, the aliens still played their part nicely.
However, the majority of ants were not hindered by the aliens, their sights still focused on the camp.
"Prepare!" Michael's shout echoed across the feline ranks.
The swarm of ants descended upon the fortification walls. Michael, Robert, and Devil, considered the strongest, led the charge, meeting the swarming spiritual beasts head-on.
Particularly Michael, since the more damage he caused, the more attention he would draw to himself.
Using Lightning Surge he barged into the middle of the fray.
Wielding power far beyond a simple Lord, his fist collided with a Royal Champion.
The exoskeleton of the ant shattered on impact, the creature dying in a single strike.
Far from being done, Michael's eyes glowed menacingly.
With Psychokinesis, he commanded the spiritual crystals he had knocked to the ground to rise.
Like bullets, they shot upward, slamming into the bellies of the ants.
Taken by surprise, several dozen fell in that one attack, clearing a radius around Michael free of any foes that made him stand out like a beacon on a rainy night.
"I am far from being done."