Chapter 576: The War Begins (1)

Chapter 576: The War Begins (1)

"O Lord."

It was a devout call.

Eugene opened his eyes. He had fallen into deep sleep while being aware of his surroundings. It was to bring his body and mind to an optimal state. Thanks to that, even though he had just awoken, his eyelids were not heavy, and his mind was crystal clear. In fact, Eugene felt sharper than ever, both mentally and physically, though he had just woken up.

"My Lord."

A soft whisper.

Eugene turned his head towards the gentle call coming from right beside him. That call made Eugene think of the distant past.

"Are you doing that on purpose?" he questioned.

Kristina tilted her head in confusion at the sudden question.

Eugene himself thought it was a foolish question to ask. Kristina and Anise did not know about his memory as Agaroth. Eugene rubbed his head in an attempt to erase the faint remnants of it.

"I’m wondering why you’re calling me like that all of a sudden," he corrected himself.

"Because today, of all days, Sir Eugene must be a god," Kristina replied with a faint smile.

He needed to be a god today more than ever. Eugene knew the meaning and weight behind her response and smirked bitterly.

"It's not just me who calls you that. Eugene, my god. Everyone in the Divine Army repeats it,” continued Kristina.

"I know," Eugene responded while placing a hand over his heart.

Simply being aware of it made the voices audible. The voices had grown incessantly over the past month, leading to today. He could feel the prayers and faith of those from all over the continent, as well as from his Divine Army.

It couldn’t be helped that the voices had grown stronger leading up to this day. The continent had been stirred over the month. Although an announcement was not made regarding the missiles and bombings, the very act of evacuation due to the war instilled fear in the citizens. The Divine Army in Neran felt the fear as well, knowing the onset of war was imminent.

They sought their god to forget their fears. In this world, their god was no longer far away. The very god who would listen to their prayers, confront the Demon Kings, and bring them victory in the war was right here. Because they knew this, their prayers were unceasing.

"The preparations for war are complete," Kristina whispered. She clutched the rosary around her neck as she bowed her head. "Everyone is waiting for your command, Sir Eugene."

"I told you that I didn’t want to do this,” answered Eugene.

"On a day like today, please say you will do it willingly, my God,” responded Kristina.

She raised her head again, and Anise, who had taken her place, glared at Eugene and snapped, "If not you, the Commander-in-Chief, then who else will declare the onset of war?"

"If it’s about qualifications, Sienna has plenty, and if it’s about trust, Lady Carmen also...."

"Please, Lord! You know how important today is, don’t you!" shouted Anise. Her expression was fierce as she berated Eugene.

"Yes,” Eugene chuckled and rose from the bed.

The sudden change in the atmosphere made Anise's shoulders twitch.

Stepping down from the bed, Eugene placed a hand on Anise’s shoulder and said, "Today is an important day. It could be the end of this era. Or, it might be the turning point that changes the end."

"My God," said Anise.

"Let’s not be too solemn, though,” declared Eugene.

Anise’s eyes fluttered angrily at his response. "Are you acting foolish just to ease my tension?" she questioned.

"I did mean to ease the tension, but I’m not joking when I say I don’t want to do it," answered Eugene.

"You really are...!" Anise started.

"I am indeed your God, and you are indeed my Saint. It’s true that today is important and special. But let’s not make too much of a fuss about it."

As Eugene spoke, he stretched out his hand, and a large jar nearby gently floated into the air. Anise blinked several times. She did not understand Eugene’s intent.

"Step back,” he commanded.

"Excuse me?" Anise questioned.

"Step back. It might splash,” he explained.

What could possibly splash? Anise did not understand, but she stepped back as Eugene had instructed. Meanwhile, the floating jar moved forward toward Eugene.

He quickly reached out and grabbed the jar. Instantly, the empty jar was filled with water.

"What are you doing...?" Before Anise could finish her sentence, Eugene lifted the jar above his head.

Splash!

The cold water poured down.

"What on earth.... What are you doing?" Anise gasped in shock.

Below the high walls was the Divine Army, the strongest troops gathered from across the continent. They were positioned on the plains between the continent and Pandemonium.

The soldiers roared upon seeing Eugene.

"Took your sweet time, didn’t you?" Sienna's voice rang out clearly even amid the deafening cheers from the plains.

She suddenly appeared at his side and gently elbowed him in the ribs.

"It was you who told me to sleep off my worries,” Eugene said.

"I didn't expect you to sleep in this late,” Sienna retorted.

"It's still just noon. It’s not that late. So, how are things?" Eugene asked, taking in the Archwizards assembling beside Sienna.

"We’ve done all we can prepare,” Sienna answered.

The magical corps had been the most occupied over the past month, with Sienna and the Archwizards at the forefront.

They connected the Samar Forest to the World Tree, establishing a powerful defensive barrier, and erected similar barriers over each kingdom's major cities. Simultaneously, they had set up various magics in these plains to prepare for the battle and mass-produced magical scrolls to support the Divine Army.

Kristina and Anise, along with the priests, had also participated in the mass production of holy water and divine magic, but their efforts paled in comparison to Sienna and the wizards.

"I also visited Lehainjar in the middle of the night,” Sienna added.

Summoning Molon would leave Lehainjar empty. As such, Sienna needed to use her magic to artificially prevent the emergence of the Nur. Thanks to that, Sienna had been in Lehainjar until just earlier.

"What about Pandemonium?" questioned Eugene.

"It's empty. Doesn’t look like there's a second wave. It's impossible for them to strike us from the rear,” answered Sienna.

"Huh," Eugene chuckled dryly as he looked forward.

Pandemonium was out of sight. The end of the plains was not visible either. Beyond the Divine Army lay a vast army made up of demons and demonic creatures. It seemed as if all the demonic creatures bred in Helmuth had gathered on this plain. It wasn’t just demons, either. He could see humans here and there, and though not many, there were giants and a few beastfolk as well.

"Are we just going to smash into each other with all our might?" Sienna asked.

"The battle on the ground won't mean much to the Demon King of Incarceration,” answered Eugene.

Sienna stared darkly at the blackened skies of Babel. Even if the ground forces were annihilated, it would mean nothing to the Demon King of Incarceration. He was a Great Demon King, and he could sweep the continent alone if he wished.

"But not me,” continued Eugene. His left hand was still placed over his heart, and it emitted an increasingly fierce light. "If this is war, then I want victory.”

His left hand fell from his chest. Eugene raised his hand above his head, with all of the Divine Army watching him.

Whoosh!

The divine fire that had enveloped his left hand blazed fiercely. Eugene grinned and casually tossed the flames up into the sky.

Whoosh!

The flames soared high and swelled explosively. Amidst the magically darkened sky, a blood-red sun was forged. Just as Agaroth had done in the Age of Myth, Eugene crafted a miracle, conjuring a sun with his divine power.

"Ah...."

The Divine Army forgot to shout, entranced by the sun in the sky.

Everyone knew this was not the real sun, though it appeared so. Yet, for the troops on this battlefield, this artificial sun shone more brilliantly than the actual sun. They had roared to forget their fears and trepidations, but now, such roars were unnecessary as no trace of fear could be felt. Instead, feelings of faith and courage overflowed from their hearts.

"Sanctuary..." Anise exclaimed in awe, turning to look at Eugene.

Even during his battle with Noir, Eugene's sanctuary had not covered such an extensive area. But now, without even deploying Prominence, Eugene had turned the entire plain into a sanctuary. Within this sanctuary, the faithful could fight tirelessly. Wounds would heal rapidly, and divine power would enhance their mana. The mere presence of that sun drastically increased the power of the Divine Army several-fold.

"I'm not one for grand speeches," Eugene admitted as he caught the gaze of the entire Divine Army.

He extended his hand.

Whoosh!

The Lionheart banner, previously affixed to the walls of Neran, flew into Eugene's hand. Recalling the march in Hauria, Eugene grinned.

"Troops,” he said.

Creak, creak....

The ominous sound echoed from the flagstaff in his hand. Mana filled the staff and wrapped it in flames.

Crack!

From Eugene’s hand, the flagstaff shot forth, piercing through space and impaling the largest giant in the enemy's ranks. As it pierced, flames burst forth and caused the giant’s body to explode. The surrounding demons and monsters were instantly reduced to ashes.

"Let's survive to see this through,” he said with a smile.

In the midst of the enemy camp, the Lionheart banner fluttered boldly.