CHAPTER 217: THE MIGHTY ONES
Noises came from far away and Emperor Victor watched the small creatures that occasionally wandered about, looting stores, looking for food.
The building was tall and even though the city was large, for someone of his ability to look into the distance was child’s play.
He kept his expression serious, as if this matter was important... All to ignore the gaze beside him.
In the end, he couldn’t hold it and looked at the elf, whose white eyes sparkled as she looked at him.
“I’m sorry. Next time, I’ll tell you what I was doing,” Victor said with a smile.
“The problem is that you sent me with a ‘coupon’. Too menial a task,” Ersin replied with a serious look and seeing Victor give her a smile, she ended up sighing.
The truth was that Victor could have sent anyone, he could have even gone himself, but the effect would only increase when someone as serious as ‘Ersin’ was present.
A level neither so low nor him that would be too high.
“By the way, doesn’t His Majesty want to take some of the creatures with you?” Ersin asked, changing the subject as she saw Victor’s smile grow as he looked at her.
Emperor Victor’s lips bowed and in response, he looked at the green creatures that were scattered about the city.
The little green creatures were the wildest and were the most common, but no matter their savagery, they followed orders from those above.
That was what Victor had seen since he had arrived here.
“No, I don’t want pets. I’m not good at taking care of them,” Victor replied, giving an amused smile.
His gaze swept over the buildings and noticed that even one building had collapsed from the battles, then he scanned the square and noticed a large barrier blurring everything.
“Don’t you wish to fix everything, Your Majesty? To be a hero?” Ersin asked respectfully, hiding a teasing tone.
Something was not quite common, but it made Victor’s lips tilt.
Be a hero?
To solve everything?
“I don’t think it’s very heroic to kill them all. Those bastards have their troops looting the city by rationing food,” Victor said in a simple tone and with the same bored expression he pointed out. “Besides, I’ve already raised my reputation. I don’t need to create another ‘show’.”
The SS Ranks couldn’t attack with their full strength due to the instability of the abyssal portal and if he moved by throwing a punch... His strength could not only destroy the buildings but cause the abyssal portal to completely tear apart.
But, above all, they were of no interest to him.
He was carrying the weight of half a continent and he wasn’t about to add a country on another continent that also gave him no profit.
Looking at the group that was flying in the middle of the city, he declared, “Me being here is enough.”
They were several goblins of different statures and builds, which Victor marked as the leaders.
Despite the remoteness, Victor’s eyes narrowed fully, taking in each of them.
Their strength, ability, and the objects he analyzed all slowly.
“What do you think?” Victor asked the elf beside him.
“If they all die or move away from the place, something will happen,” Ersin replied with professionalism and wisdom.
Yes, something would happen and that was to destabilize the abyssal portal, a tearing being possible because those leaders tied their lives to the stability of the portal.
It was not in a simple way, but in a way that could bring the calamity that plagued the other side and if that happened, the world would be in danger... Or at least that was what many believed.
For Victor, those times that the ‘world’ was in danger were numerous and prior to this situation happening.
The monsters that came after the ‘Great Cataclysm’, the unchecked nature, the European and American civil wars, the undead calamity, the demonic war, and now this.
What’s more, he came closer to death than to the end of the world.
For him, a true apocalypse had no warning. It was secret and moved quietly unnoticed by the gods and the mighty, ready to strike when no one expected it.
“I hope they settle their differences,” Victor muttered as he saw the goblins stop, and from the other side, Duke Kristoph and Cardinal Auguste appeared.
Both sides looked at each other and as they descended on top of a building, Duke Kristoph snapped his fingers, bringing up another goblin with scars on his body.
He was healthy, but as soon as the other group’s gazes appeared, he was filled with anger at the sight of one of their members.
“Don’t accept anything! Kill all the humans and let’s plunder their land! Let’s kill them all!” Roared that goblin who was detained.
He had heard their voices because of having gone through the Church of Knowledge to understand that language.
“A bad start...” Ersin muttered, but Victor let out a hollow laugh as he watched Duke Kristoph snap his fingers, silencing the goblin.
On the other side was the big and tall goblin, who was the first to appear, and there were also three other goblins.
A small one whose gaze was wild and fierce, a medium one wearing a shaman’s robe, and a tall and large one.
“Your world is dying being corrupted by ‘Chaos’. Your lands are barren and full of monsters, the weak are corrupted and females give birth to monsters tearing the mothers from within. Hope is slowly lost and the other ‘races’ have been corrupted by ‘Chaos’. Their only salvation lay on the other side of the portal,” Narrated Duke Kristoph with an indifferent and calm look.
The expressions of those goblins turned ugly... At least uglier than they normally were and gave looks to the captured goblin, who could say nothing to defend himself.
Only the leader remained serious, looking forward to the solemnity of someone who carried his race on his back.
Zrag... That was his name.
Emperor Victor had received the report, and looking at him made him realize he was someone of note.
“Did you know what awaited you when you crossed that portal?” Duke Kristoph asked and with a smile, he questioned. “Tell me Zrag. Did the voice tell you what would await you?”
For the first time, Zrag’s gaze turned to Duke Kristoph seriously.
The Abyssal Portal was not created, it was only discovered by a goblin that united all the others.
Understanding how it worked allowed him to get to this side.
By his hatred of humans, he made it clear that they existed on the other side, but if the portal was created by humans, then surely they would have used it to escape.
However, a goblin out of nowhere appeared to save his race by knowing about the portals and how to use them, allowing him to unite all the tribes.
The best archmages of Terra nova could not connect to this world after the demons could not return due to divine intervention... It was a world where magic prevailed and was powerful.
A world where there were gigantic dragons that could travel between planes, yet they could not get there.
But suddenly an abysmal portal does and the Gods fall silent.
Gods like the God of Time and Space, whose mythology said he could see the future.
Why did such entities only ‘warn’ but did not intervene?
Emperor Victor knew the answer clearly after reading the short report of that world and that was... Because they knew.
“Tell me Zrag, what was the name of that voice?” asked Duke Kristoph earnestly.
The other goblins looked at their leader and then at that man.
Duke Kristoph’s question was not only given to create division and see if the other party knew the story of their leader.
At least from the preliminary report before coming here, Victor knew that they had ‘Gods’ known as ‘Guardians’, but it was in such a way that they were unresponsive... At least, that was what the captured goblin knew, who seemed to be someone more dedicated to fighting than learning.
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
Victor thought it was possible that it was just like on earth before the ‘Great Cataclysm’, where churches existed, but the existences were not responding or at least not responding on a general level like now or like the Gods of Terra nova.
He could feel what was happening, he was touching the tip of the iceberg above the abyssal portals, but he kept all his thoughts to himself.
“Shut the fuck up! Stop talking crap!” snarled the smaller feral goblin.
Their eyes began to fill with madness, and the leader raised his hand to stop them.
“What do you want?” Zrag asked in a raised voice.
He looked imposing and did not seem at all perturbed by Duke Kristoph’s words, but he still did not deny that he had heard the voice.
“Peace. We only want peace.” Duke Kristoph replied in a serious tone.
Cardinal Auguste remained silent.
This was a ‘peace’ negotiation... Duke Kristoph was the intermediary for those who sought peace.
As individuals who first came by design of a God who connected the two worlds, the Terranovians came to protect Earth.
The God of Time and Space was not very participative on Terra nova, but his influence was widespread and his interconnections were also high.
One example was that the Falion Empire came with the support of the Goddess of Knowledge.
Even though time passed, the connection between worlds was maintained and the Church of Knowledge was in charge of organizing those who came... In a way, their mission was maintained.
In that sense, the Falion Empire would always intercede on the side of ‘peace’, just as they did against the demons.
And just as they did not wish to round up those demons, now they did not wish to round up the goblins.
Practically...
“They don’t intend to bear the consequences,” Victor muttered, chuckling to himself.
They would choose peace before they have to bear the consequences of causing a tear and bringing what was on the other side.
Unlike him receiving the written reports, Duke Kristoph might even have even looked at the creature’s memories.
It was possible that it was not fear, but simply too much responsibility for his position as ambassador.
He was just doing his job. Unfortunately, today was not his day.
“Peace? Hahaha... We don’t want peace, dare to come near us and you will pay dearly for the consequences.” Snarled the little goblin wildly and with a look full of madness, he announced. “You will die... All of you will fall into our hands. You will die and be trampled cruelly.”
Had winning the city given him confidence?
Victor shifted his gaze to the others, and they too wore vicious smiles full of savagery.
“I already said it... It is useless to reason with these creatures,” intervened Cardinal Auguste, slowly raising his aura and looking at the goblins, announced. “Earthlings have no fear of death... With the Goddess of Order at our side, we have no fear of any Evil God.”
His SS Rank aura spread, achieving some cries of despair around him.
“Mankind is not afraid of ‘Chaos’...”
A voice rang out and from another nearby building, another aura spread.
It was like a light that devoured the darkness purifying everything around it, it was an extremely powerful presence that gave the feeling that it would burn everything in its path.
Victor watched the old man releasing that aura... An aura of a calamity, an SSS Rank.
The ‘Archangel Michael’ had left his lands to come to this negotiation, proving that humanity was not afraid.
Letting it be seen that the earthlings would fear neither goblins nor the gods that were at their back.
The aura of that single old man managed to spread light around him like a small white sun that managed to terrify all that felt it.
“We’ve faced too many gods to count... Adding another one doesn’t matter.”
Another voice rang out and from the other side, an Arab man wearing ancient clothes like a mighty ‘sultan’ witnessed the scene with a light smile.
His surroundings shook... No, the earth itself shook as his excitement alone generated a tremor throughout the area.
To the point that the building, he stood in cracked, giving the sensation of a spider web being created with those cracks as the thread.
He was the only one who could say that he had faced so many gods and that was because he was standing next to the demons who prayed to Demon Gods constantly.
The King of Arabia, the ‘Titan’ who led his land and unified the Arabian peninsula, managing to stop the demons in the European-demon war.
A calamity that could cause a city to be swallowed by the earth, that man was such a calamity.
Victor gave him an annoyed look, but then looked at the goblins and announced. “We’ll see how long you last before you’re crushed.”
As if his atmosphere wanted to match his words, a crushing aura spread like a mountain falling from the sky.
It was tangible... The aura cracked chairs and weak objects, causing the goblins that were far enough away to tremble as they felt such pressure.
“I don’t believe in gods, but I believe that nature will endure eternally,” a growling voice came from behind Victor’s back.
It was not Ersin; it was a voice as thick as a beast and as if it wanted to prove that it was such an existence, the aura of a wild beast arose.
It generated an intangible pressure, making all those who felt it cold and afraid... As if they saw an avalanche of snow falling towards them.
Victor did not have to look to recognize that roaring tone.
The Holy Beast of Switzerland, the ‘Barbegazi’, the hired beast of Finn Ackermann, the Director of Cernunnos Academy... That single beast was an SSS Rank equal in strength to humans.
It was here to prove that humans were not the only natives of this world, to show that they were.
The Holy Beasts would protect the land they inhabited with their claws and fangs, even if they had to slit the throats of those who desired their skin.
“We are not weak and we are not afraid. You should be the ones who should fear us.” Cardinal Auguste announced in a cold, serious tone.
Did they win the city? Did they take on some S-ranks?
It was a short-lived victory.
It was true that if one of them got close, their aura alone could destabilize the abyssal portal, but not wanting to bear the consequences didn’t mean they couldn’t.
They all had their own responsibilities and their own desires, but they were here showing that Earth, as weak as it might seem and as disunited as it was, there were individuals strong enough to protect it.
Was the Abyssal Portal an act of an Evil God? Was it proof that they were ceasing to be children? Or was it created to amuse those existences looking down from high in the sky?
In the end, it didn’t matter.
“Surrender, and you may live,” Cardinal Auguste commanded solemnly.
Those desperate green creatures were not the real problem... What was problematic was what was of the place where they came from.
This peace they spoke of was only unconditional surrender.
Would they live well?
No, Victor knew.
Depending on who took over and depending on the circumstances, it was possible they would be bound with magical contracts and then thrown into dangerous areas like the lawless lands, claiming an area was their territory.
Pitting them against the demons, the contracts would prevent the two from coming together, and that meant they would have to fight.
At least, that was what he would do, and the other side was not naïve.
Zrag the ‘Savior’ looked earnestly at the beings releasing overwhelming force but did not respond.
The reason was simple.
“We will not surrender, we will not fall!” The small green creature was the first to growl wildly, as if the desire not to give in rose up in them.
The desire not to look small and be in the hands of others... To be wild and free.
“We will survive or fall into despair along with you.” Announced the shaman, the voice of an elder in madness.
The third only growled loudly.
Yes, they were all desperate creatures under the guidance of the only ones who could survive in the face of ‘Chaos’... Lunatics who gave themselves over to despair and took cruel paths to reach their destination.
There was only one way forward, it was victory and defeat... It was survive or die.
They were walking a rope to victory, and no one wished to fall.
Zrag just watched, seriously, the only sane one in a sea of lunatics and the only one who managed to unite them to avoid the death of his race.
He was the captain of that sinking boat and as a loyal captain, he would go down with the boat.
“Come along if you’ve got the guts,” he growled with a vicious grin, getting his subordinates to stand up.
Victor laughed and retracted his aura calmly.
He could go and assassinate them, it was quite possible they wouldn’t withstand even one of his blows. It was even likely to knock them out if he moved well.
The possibilities were many, and that meant it was possible that someone had stayed behind to destabilize the portal.
Even when the leaders were captured.
“Then we will bear the consequences together,” Cardinal Auguste said, and the auras of calamities receded.
The goblins flew away, and Victor’s smile only grew.
The leader was waiting to see the situation, to see if humanity was united or disunited, to see if anyone favorable wished to cooperate with them... But the other leaders only sought war believing there was only one way forward.
Charging through the darkness as they had always been doing.
Waiting... Waiting was also good for the allied forces.
It was true that demons could contact them and worse, the demonic sects might approach to try to spread their faith, but it was the same for humans.
The Gods might stand by and watch, but that didn’t mean they were completely hand-tied.
They just had to find a way to stop the goblins from setting off the bomb called the ‘Abyssal Portal’ and once that goal was achieved, then it would be time to move.
Victor could watch as Duke Kristoph and Cardinal Auguste retreated.
The ‘Archangel Michael’ also retreated, disappearing with a flash of light and for his part, he only looked at the King of Arabia, whose gaze was fixed on him, and raised his middle finger at him.
The other party also raised his middle finger.
“Your Majesty, please control yourself. This is not the right time to look for trouble,” Ersin said in a strict tone.
A mocking laugh came from the other party far away, and Victor could hear it clearly.
“Someday I’ll beat him up,” Victor muttered, extending his voice towards the other party as he noticed him leaving.
Heavy footsteps could be heard at his back, along with quiet footsteps.
“Apparently the rumors are true. You two are getting along badly,” said a clear and calm voice.
Emperor Victor looked at the human who had spoken.
He was a grown man who was about to enter old age, his thinness did not hide his serious and calm look of someone powerful.
That man was Finn Ackermann, Director of the Cernunnos Academy, an individual of SS Rank in personal strength, known as the first SSS rank tamer because of the beast at his side.
A creature three meters tall in Victor’s eyes was a yeti... That was the only way it could be described.
Straight out of the legends, that creature was a three-meter tall giant with white fur and big feet.
No one knew how it was ‘born’... Was it an ape that evolved?
Appearing out of nowhere and saving people in the mountains of Switzerland, this creature made a name for itself as the Guardian Beast of Switzerland.
The Barbegazi was one of the few holy beasts in the world and one of the strongest beings on Earth with whom mankind had a good relationship.
“So many calamities, but still they did not give in. I have to admit, they have courage,” said the Barbegazi, revealing a fierce smile.
“Courage and madness always go hand in hand,” Victor said and with a laugh, he expressed. “Though I guess a magical beast wouldn’t give up either, would it? After all, to surrender is to be in the hands of the other.”
If he were to go to an unknown place and encounter terrifying beings while he had to protect his kind, the truth was that he wouldn’t surrender either.
To surrender was to leave his fate in the hands of the other side... And it was certain that no one would want to leave their fate in the hands of strangers.
After all, they could be killed when the other party had the opportunity.
“When one is faced with despair, the easiest path is death.” Director Ackermann said solemnly.
Dying was easy... Living in the abyss and continuing was the hard part.
“In the end, no matter, the meeting failed and they will have to fight,” said the Barbegazi, and with a snarl, he growled. “That means I came uselessly. I couldn’t even face them. What a waste of time.”
“Totally.” Victor interceded and when that beast looked at him, he gave a feral grin and asked. “How about we go train?”
His fierce look infected that beast, who revealed his fangs as his muscles tensed.
“Sure. I’ve been training with some kids, and despite their efforts, I have to restrain myself,” replied the Barbegazi, growling and stomping on the ground managing to shake the building, he added. “It would be great if you could teach them a few things.”
Victor understood that the ‘children’ he was referring to were not humans, but magical beasts.
But he gave a smile.
“I’m training with a girl myself. Her ferocity and enthusiasm are too infectious. You should meet her,” Victor commented, getting up animatedly.
The Barbegazi let out a cheerful yet fierce laugh, clearly very enthusiastic about the idea.
All the while, Director Ackermann and Ersin gave each other an apologetic smile.
What about the Abyssal Portal?
They had done enough... At least more than other powerful individuals.
Now it was up to the allied forces.