Chapter 288: In My Name, Matthew, I Formally Declare War on Limbo
A terrifying dark presence erupted from the palace in an instant.
The violent pressure sweeping through the arena forced both Illyana and the monster she had been fighting to stop.
The creature immediately collapsed to the ground in terror, trembling uncontrollably.
Even Illyana’s seemingly fragile body struggled to remain steady.
Her small face, long since hardened into numbness beneath the dirt and scars, finally showed another emotion—surprise. She turned toward the source of her nightmares, Belasco, and saw the fury on his face.
What happened?
Why is he so angry?
Questions arose within Illyana, whose mind had long been dulled by years of torment and whose emotions had been reduced to cold detachment.
Boom—!
Belasco vanished.
Yet the terrifying pressure he had released still lingered throughout the palace.
A moment later, he appeared high above the palace, suspended in the air. His deep-red cloak snapped violently behind him as he stared toward the southwest.
Far beyond the fortress, an aura had erupted that clearly did not belong to Limbo.
But Belasco had felt it before. He had encountered that kind of power several months ago in Mephisto’s hell realm. Only this time, it felt even more imposing—more terrifying.
And beyond that, Belasco could sense an immense concentration of vitality. So many powerful life forces had gathered together that they seemed almost like an ocean. Within the hostile environment of Limbo, their presence was impossibly bright and obvious.
Why had humans suddenly appeared in Limbo?
Belasco was deeply bewildered, his expression turning cold. This was his domain. Mere humans had dared enter his territory and openly provoke its ruler in such a blatant fashion. They clearly had no idea what they were facing.
The title of ruler of Limbo was not merely symbolic. It represented actual authority over the dimension itself. Belasco could manipulate Limbo’s energy, and while within its borders, he was close to omnipotent.
A dark violet light flickered in Belasco’s eyes. His clawed hands moved slightly as he prepared to annihilate the human army from across the enormous distance.
Then, just before he could act, he stopped.
High above, beneath a sky of dark reds, blood oranges, and deep purples, a figure suddenly emerged through the perpetual sulfurous and crimson mist..
He sat upon a throne, clad in magnificent armor.
The armor was heavy and perfectly structured, with segmented shoulder guards, bracers, and layered leg plates flowing seamlessly together. Raised relief patterns covered its surface, while a broad golden belt circled his waist. Heavy metal boots covered his feet, and a long dark-red cloak descended behind him.
He had black hair and strikingly refined features. There was an elegance to his appearance, but also an overwhelming majesty.
The instant he appeared, the presence of a supreme, godlike being spread across all of Limbo.
There was no dramatic arrival or elaborate spectacle. He simply appeared there, and yet the moment he did, everything else seemed to lose significance.
Every gaze was drawn toward him. It was as though all light had gathered around a single figure.
He was the Emperor of Humanity—the living will of an entire civilization.
“Who is that? A human?”
“Look! Another human appeared!”
“Damn human! He dares face the great Belasco directly? That is blasphemy. He deserves death!”
“You idiots—can’t you feel how powerful that human is?”
“I feel like I’m going to die… and he hasn’t even done anything!”
The demons living within the Dark Fortress also noticed the disturbance overhead.
They looked up and saw both their ruler, Belasco, and the human who had suddenly appeared seated upon a throne in the sky.
The demons reacted in different ways, immediately breaking into scattered discussion.
Unlike the disorganized lesser demons outside the city, however, these were stronger and far more cunning.
They understood when caution was necessary.
He might have looked human, but a single glance was enough to fill them with an overwhelming sense of suffocation and danger.
Instinct alone made many of them afraid to meet his gaze.
And that meant only one thing—
absolute power.
Power so overwhelming that they could not even summon the courage to face it.
“You’re the human who entered Mephisto’s hell realm back then.”
Belasco needed only a single glance to realize that Matthew was not someone he could underestimate.
Even though Matthew was sitting there alone without an army at his side, Belasco still regarded him with extreme caution. At his level, there were many things that could be understood from a single look, and Matthew was clearly powerful enough that even someone as arrogant as Belasco had to take him seriously.
Belasco had already been surprised months ago that Earth had produced a human as powerful as Matthew, someone capable of entering Mephisto’s hell realm and leaving unharmed.
What surprised him even more was that Matthew had now appeared in Limbo with a human army, making his intentions impossible to misunderstand.
“I am Matthew, Emperor of the Terra Empire. Belasco, you have entered Earth multiple times, abducted one of Terra’s citizens, tortured her for years, and intended to use her as a sacrifice.
Therefore, in my name, Matthew, I formally declare war on Limbo.”
The instant those final words were spoken, the entire sky erupted.
BOOM!
A terrifying sea of lightning swallowed the heavens above Limbo. Blue-white thunder covered the blood-red sky and illuminated the ground as though it were daylight, while countless bolts twisted and collided like silver serpents amid an apocalypse.
The pressure was so immense that all of Limbo seemed to tremble.
Throughout the Dark Fortress and the surrounding lands, demons were forced to their knees beneath that overwhelming presence. Strong or weak, every demon began trembling in fear.
The absolute force of Matthew’s will crushed their resistance so completely that they could not even summon the courage to fight back.
It was suppression born from an overwhelming difference in the very level of their existence.
“No… impossible! How can a human be this powerful?”
“We’re finished! We’re all going to die!”
“Have faith in our Lord! Trust in Lord Belasco, he will protect us!”
“Damn it, what did Belasco do? Wait, I remember now. It was that human girl. I heard he brought a little girl back from Earth several years ago and has been torturing her ever since.”
“We have to run! If beings at this level start fighting, the Dark Fortress will definitely be destroyed, and we’ll die with it!”
“Move! Why… why can’t I even flap my wings?!”
The demons were terrified and furious at the same time, shocked by Matthew’s declaration while also enraged that they had been dragged into the consequences.
Many served Belasco out of submission to his absolute power, but that did not mean they were willing to die for him.
They could fight other armies, but a battle between beings like Belasco and Matthew was something completely beyond them. Trying to interfere would amount to suicide.
Belasco, meanwhile, was horrified by Matthew’s undisguised display of power, but Matthew’s declaration—or rather, his unilateral judgment—also filled him with overwhelming rage.
“You ignorant human! How dare you act so arrogantly in Limbo!”
Belasco’s roar shook the entire realm.
He released an equally terrifying surge of energy.
A massive current of power erupted across the sky, glowing like flowing magma, and collided violently with Matthew’s endless sea of lightning.
In an instant, the heavens were split cleanly into two distinct halves.
On one side flowed an endless expanse of molten energy.
On the other raged an ocean of lightning.
Matthew remained seated on his throne beneath the thunderclouds, staring coldly down at the enraged Belasco.
That gaze struck directly at Belasco’s pride.
Belasco felt as though he might lose his mind from anger.
Some unknown human lunatic had invaded Limbo without warning and now had the audacity to accuse Belasco of abducting one of his citizens.
One of his citizens?
Belasco paused.
He frowned slightly as the image of Illyana’s dirty, numb face surfaced in his mind.
Was this human brat actually talking about Illyana?
Before he could think further, Matthew attacked.
Still seated on the throne, Matthew rested his right elbow on the armrest and supported his cheek with the back of his hand. His left hand remained on the opposite armrest, and one armored finger tapped lightly against its surface.
Buzz—!
An invisible ripple spread outward from the point of contact.
Gravity immediately warped the space around Belasco.
The surrounding space twisted and compressed into a chaotic mass as immense attractive and repulsive forces collided from every direction. Space itself seemed to become a violent grinder, crushing and tearing at Belasco’s body from countless angles.
Belasco sensed the danger the instant Matthew moved.
Pure white energy erupted from both of his hands, spreading around his body as he forcibly shattered the distorted space Matthew had created.
Then Belasco transformed into a streak of red light and shot upward, stopping at the same altitude as Matthew.
“You human brat, you’re more treacherous than a devil.”
Belasco’s expression was grim.
He had not expected Matthew to attack without the slightest warning or give him even a moment to think. That kind of underhanded decisiveness was no less vicious than something a demon would do.
“That was only a greeting, Belasco. Keep your attention on me.” Matthew showed no surprise that his sudden attack had been broken, nor did Belasco’s insult anger him. Instead, he spoke softly with a faint smile.
“What exactly do you want? Are you truly planning to wage war against me?” Belasco forcibly suppressed his anger and asked one final time.
Matthew gently shook his head.
“Do you think I came here to play games with you, Belasco?”
“You’ve lived for who knows how many years. Surely you aren’t still that naive.”
Matthew could have made a demand first and told Belasco to release Illyana.
But Belasco would never have agreed.
So Matthew had never intended to waste time with pointless negotiation.
From the moment Matthew entered Limbo, there had been no possibility of this conflict ending peacefully.
“Then die, arrogant human brat!”
Belasco finally erupted in fury.
Boom—
A terrifying wave of energy exploded outward.