Lord of the Truth

Chapter 2011 Hell

BOOOOOOOOM

The young manʼs eyes shot wide open in sheer shock as a titanic explosion erupted, shaking the very fabric of the planet beneath them. The ground trembled, rocks cracked, and the very air seemed to ripple under the intensity of the blast.

They had been standing atop a high hill, a vantage point that should have kept them safe, and yet the explosion occurred dozens of miles away. Even from that distance, the force of the shockwave slammed into them with such ferocity that all of them were violently forced to stagger back several steps, struggling to maintain balance on the unstable earth. ”What... what was that?!” one of the young men shouted, panic and awe mingling in his voice. He strained his neck, looking up toward the origin of the projectile. His eyes widened further, pupils dilating as the clouds above parted slightly to reveal a colossal silhouette.

A spaceship had merged, massive and terrifying, looming through the clouded sky like a harbinger of doom. Its design was brutal and nightmarish, every edge sharp and angular, every gun barrel glinting ominously as they prepared for a second strike.

It was Supremacy Note-4, unmistakable even from miles away. ”Why would a fourth-generation Supremacy Note intervene in a war against nothing more than plague creatures? This is insane!” the youths muttered, a mix of disbelief and dread creeping into their voices.

He turned to glance at his comrades, expecting debate or discussion-but none of them were looking upward. None were questioning or theorizing. Instead, every single one of them stared downward, eyes fixed at the base of the hill. ”...?”

The young soldier followed their gaze, and as soon as he looked, his jaw dropped slightly in silent horror.

Hell.

There was no other word that could even begin to capture what lay before them.

The earth below was utterly stripped of life-no plants, no soil, nothing that could sustain any form of growth. Only blood, ash, and glowing embers remained, scorched into the ground by the earlier explosion.

And upon that ruined landscape... there were hundreds of thousands of evolved crimson plague creatures.

No-millions.

The explosion had left a colossal crater in the ground. Inside it, shredded and charred plague bodies lay scattered, proof that the single shot had mercilessly annihilated hundreds of them in an instant.

But-swoosh swoosh-the crimson plague leapt over the crater as if the blast had never existed. Their momentum never faltered. They charged onward, relentless, unstoppable.

Completely naked, they ran on their long, powerful legs, each pounding step sending tremors through the earth. Their long white hair streamed behind them like a raging cloud of fury, whipping in the wind. Horns curved sharply from their heads like shark fins cutting through the air, stirring terror wherever they moved. Their blood- and ash-streaked fangs glistened menacingly, ready to pierce anything in their path.

Their arms swung violently, pumping with immense force as they charged, some even running on all fours, giving the appearance of monsters that had never learned to walk properly. Every movement, every leap, every swing seemed to carry the desperate intent of escaping hell-or dragging more humans into it.

Yet, they would not achieve their goal without resistance.

Swoooooosh

Hundreds of flying creatures appeared on the other side of the battlefield. Each had small, curved horns and leathery blue wings, and all wore the famous blue armor of the Double Centennial Grave Empire.

The Crixians, as they were known, opened their mouths wide and exhaled. ”Hooooof!!”

Torrents of blue fire erupted from their throats, sweeping across the battlefield in waves. ”Graaaaaaaa!!!” ”Kiiiiiiiek!!!”

The sounds of melting flesh and skin drowned out all the screams of agony from both sides.

Yet even the impenetrable wall of purifying flame could not stop the relentless advance.

Shaaa Shaaa

Thousands of blood tendrils surged from below, striking toward the Crixians with deadly precision, attempting to ensnare them in their grasp. ”Keep moving! Donʼt stay in one place for more than three seconds!!” the unit commander shouted, leaping and dodging the whipping tendrils while simultaneously striking back at the charging plague.

But not all could evade the attacks. ”Argh!!”

Several Crixians were caught, dragged down into the carnage below, their wings flailing uselessly as the tendrils tore into them. ”Damn it!” the commander roared, spotting groups of crimson plague trying to pierce the blue armor protecting the captured soldiers. They sought to shred the flesh beneath, to devour his men alive. He swung his weapon back and bellowed with ferocity, ”What are you doing?! Advance!! Push forward!!”

The ground shook, the air screamed with fire and blood, and the battle for survival had only just begun.

Boooo

A massive land army, stretching tens of thousands of soldiers strong, began to advance steadily across the scarred terrain. Dust and debris rose in their wake, and the ground itself seemed to tremble under the synchronized march of so many boots.

At the very center of this immense formation were soldiers clad in gleaming white and gold armor-the elite Swords of Light, the vanguard of the army. Leading them personally was Billy, his presence alone inspiring confidence and order among the ranks.

After they had advanced a significant distance, Billy raised his sword high, the sunlight catching off its blade, and pointed it resolutely toward the front lines. ”End of the World Wall.”

Biiiiim

In perfect unison, thousands of Swords of Light unleashed concentrated laser beams that cut through the air like bolts of pure energy. The blasts incinerated every crimson plague creature within the immediate vicinity and focused particularly on those plague soldiers holding the Crixians captive.

The lasers did not instantly kill the Demons-their necks and torsos remained intact-but the beams inflicted serious injuries, tearing muscles and burning flesh, causing chaos and halting the advance of the crimson plague entirely. In the process, the imprisoned Crixian soldiers were freed, their chains melted or shattered by the beams.

Once the initial barrage ceased, the Swords of Light formed a defensive line, firing upon any plague creature that attempted to cross a specific boundary: the End of the World Wall.

This was Billyʼs ultimate decree-any creature that dared to cross that invisible line would be torn apart, shredded by beams of concentrated light. With that area cleared and the wall now extending across a vast swath of battlefield, Billy stepped forward, every movement precise and authoritative. Every soldier behind him mirrored his advance, and the wall seemed to push forward with them, a living barrier of deadly energy. ”Raaaar-”

At that precise moment, dense shadows began descending from the sky. Armored, four-winged flying monsters appeared, casting massive silhouettes over the battlefield. They were the Draco creatures, terrifying in both size and presence.

Each Draco carried three to five riders, clad in various types of armor, holding bows and launching volleys of arrows inscribed with arcane runes. The arrows streaked through the sky like streaks of dark light, aimed to pierce armor and flesh alike.

These were the mercenary forces Morgana had contracted from the surrounding powers in the sector, equipped with the weapons she had purchased for them. Their arrival bolstered the Crixiansʼ strength and slightly eased the pressure of the crimson plague, though their reaction time and battlefield coordination were far slower than the Crixians!

The moment they appeared above the heads of the crimson plague, they were immediately targeted. Projectiles, swinging blood tendrils, and other deadly attacks rained down upon them. Despite this, some of the more extraordinary plague creatures managed astonishing leaps, striking high enough to pierce the chests of the Dracos themselves, dragging the riders down with crushing force.

Gulp

The young soldiers atop the hill swallowed hard, a nervous knot forming in their stomachs. Some stepped back involuntarily. ”So... this is... the crimson plague?” one whispered, voice trembling with awe and fear. ”What you see before you is the first true evolution of the plague,” the Attendant explained, his brow furrowed as he surveyed the battlefield. ”They grow taller, their hair turns white, and their intelligence increases slightly. Each one of these is now at the level of a Martial Emperor.” ”This planet was one of the massive epicenters that evolved at an unnaturally rapid pace...” ”But,” he continued, lowering his voice slightly, ”all of these are not what you should fear the most. Thanks to the Mrged Light of Purity Law, they can be handled with relative ease. However...” He pointed deliberately toward a distant direction, where one particular plague was already making its move. ”See that one? Itʼs using its own blood as a slingshot to launch itself into the air, snatching a Draco and its riders in one swift motion. That is likely a mutated plague, a creature like Marshal Sakaar, Second King Amon, and General Slaughter Helga. Facing even one of them in combat is exhausting beyond measure.” He crossed his arms, emphasizing his point. ”And also-”

Bam..... Bam

The Attendantʼs words were abruptly cut off by distant explosions that echoed across the battlefield like rolling thunder.

But if one listened closely, beyond the roar and destruction, there was another sound...

The faint, yet unmistakable sound of footsteps-thousands of them, advancing steadily, growing louder with every passing second. The next wave of terror was approaching.