Lord of the Truth

1062  Footsteps

March! March! March!

Once again, the legions of the Great Serpent Empire advanced relentlessly.

Every now and then, one of the soul creatures would manage to break free from containment and lash out— BOOM!

”Come here!!” But it was swiftly intercepted, contained, and pulled away from the battlefield before they could cause too much damage.

Despite the relentless containment efforts, the soul creaturesʼ interference repeatedly shattered the soldiersʼ formations, forcing them to spend valuable time reorganizing. Their progress was painstakingly slow, and their numbers dwindled with every step forward—but still, they pushed on.

”Tch...!!” Sakaar clenched his teeth tightly as he watched the grueling scene unfold before him. The difference in numbers and capabilities was simply staggering. Even with his direct intervention, they couldnʼt stop the inevitable from creeping closer!

”Die! Die!! DIE!!!”

With a furious roar, Sakaar unleashed the five dark daisies orbiting around him, each one claiming the lives of five more enemies in a whirlwind of death and destruction.

His overwhelming rage blinded him for a fleeting moment, dulling his awareness of his surroundings—

In that split second, a deadly intent pierced through the air.

One of the imperial guardsʼ eyes gleamed with malice as he spotted the unprotected nape of Sakarʼs neck. His comrades had struck Sakarʼs head and back multiple times, shattering his armor completely. Now, at long last, an opportunity presented itself.

Swoosh!

Like an arrow loosed from a bow, the guard lunged forward, spear in hand. If he could drive it through Sakaarʼs neck from behind, this nightmare would finally end.

”Wha—?!”

Sakaar finally realized what was happening, but the guard was already mere inches away. By the time he could turn and defend himself, the spear would have already pierced his throat.

The dark energy exploded in the guardʼs face just before he could reach Sakaar— BOOM!

”Gyaaahhhhh!!!”

The sheer force of the blast stunned the imperial guard, leaving him frozen in place for a brief second—more than enough time for Sakaar to sidestep and evade the deadly strike. With a swift motion, he prepared to sever the guardʼs head.

But then—

A familiar voice echoed through the battlefield.

”I wouldnʼt touch him if I were you.”

”...Caesar?”

Sakaarʼs gaze shifted back to the guard, now engulfed in dark flames, his entire body consumed and crumbling rapidly. He was the last one of the hundred.

Sakaar exhaled, loosening his tense shoulders slightly upon seeing his comrade, ”Thanks.”

Caesar, standing calmly amidst the chaos, nodded.

”Are you finished with your battle?” Sakaar asked.

”Yes. I came to assist.” Caesarʼs gaze then shifted toward the heart of the battlefield, where the demonsʼ main army struggled against the relentless enemy forces. ”...But looks like thereʼs another place that needs me more.”

Sakaar took a long, assessing look at Caesar from head to toe, his expression grim, ”If you go in your current state, youʼll be surrounded and killed within two minutes, at most.”

Caesar smirked wryly, ”Thanks for the vote of confidence. I really needed that.” He cast another glance toward the massive army that continued to crawl toward them like an unstoppable tide. ”Do you have another solution?”

Sakaar remained silent for a moment. He wanted to tell Caesar that he would join him, but instead, he turned his gaze back to the battlefield behind them.

He had managed to take down a hundred high-level combat emperors within mere minutes, thanks to a combination of meticulous planning and brute force. But the fight was far from over.

There were still 300 more high-level martial emperors engaged in battle with what remained of the Underworld Daises, once forming nearly half of the Blood Sea. Alongside them was the formidable soul creature Hohenheim.

However, this strategy wouldnʼt hold them off for much longer.

The odds were quickly turning against them.

Perhaps, with the remaining forces of the Blood Sea and Hohenheimʼs support, Sakaar could still follow his original plan and take on the rest.

Even with his armor shattered and his body riddled with injuries, he could press on— but that was it. He couldnʼt afford to leave this place.

Those 300 high-level martial emperors were no less of a threat to the master than the advancing infantry army!

”Itʼs fine,” Caesar patted his comrade on the shoulder, understanding his thoughts instantly. ”Stay here and finish off those scum. Leave the small fry to me—one or two walls of fire should do the trick, haha!”

Sakaar nodded silently, scanning the area with his soul sense at its maximum range.

The moment Caesar reached the battlefield, he would undoubtedly be surrounded by several martial emperors, and his life could be in danger.

But there was no other way...

”...Hmmm?” Sakaarʼs brows furrowed in confusion. ”How did I not notice that mountain next to the city before?”

”Hah?” Caesar chuckled, following Sakaarʼs gaze toward the distant horizon.

What he saw made his smile fade.

A massive, dark figure loomed over the skyline, casting an ominous shadow across the battlefield.

Something colossal. Something that hadnʼt been there before.

Something... that was moving.

BAAAM! RUMBLE!

”What the hell...?”

BAAAM! RUMBLE!

One of the generals glanced down at his feet as pebbles and dust leaped into the air before settling again.

”Battalions one through three, reorganize yourselves immediately! What the hell are you doing?”

”Give them a break, man,” another general muttered. ”Theyʼre taking attacks from those soul creatures non-stop.”

”Tch~ I know, but if we donʼt push them hard, they wonʼt advance fast enough.”

BAAAM! RUMBLE!

This time, the generals themselves were lifted slightly off the ground.

”Ohh, No no, Something feels wrong.”

One of them spoke up, his eyes scanning the battlefield warily.

”...Hey, do you all feel those repeating tremors?”

”You noticed it too, huh?”

”Yeah. Do you think itʼs the work of one of the marshals? Those guys can cause some serious destruction.”

”Yeah, they must be hammering the enemy generals inside the city, who else can make such an impact on the ground?”

”I donʼt think so. These arenʼt just random explosions. Theyʼre happening at regular intervals, and the ground reacts the same way every single time...”

The general slowly turned his head, his face growing pale.

BAAAM! RUMBLE!

His voice came out hoarse and uncertain.

”...Footsteps?”

And then—

BAAAAAAAAAAAM!

The earth trembled violently, and an immense shadow stretched across the battlefield.