"Kuh! What is this?!"
"Fall back! Reform the lines!"
The martial world alliance retreated, reorganizing their ranks. The lightning strikes hadn't harmed anyone, targeting only the ordinary jiangshi. But no one considered it a good sign.
Crack
Spurt
Monstrous beings emerged from the fallen jiangshi, like insects hatching from cocoons. Some humanoid, some bestial, some grotesque beyond comprehension. Their sizes varied wildly, some massive despite emerging from human-sized jiangshi.
Click Clack
Tae-chunggeom Un-hak, the Kunlun survivor, gulped, staring at the creature approaching him, its hooves clicking against the ground.
A four-legged beast, over three meters tall, its faded fur a dull gray. Sharp black horns protruded from its head, and flames flickered around its hooves.
'…Is that… a Kirin?'
A legendary beast, revered as a divine creature alongside dragons. But this one radiated a sinister aura, devoid of any auspiciousness.
[Hah…]
The Kirin exhaled, a dark mist spreading across the ground, melting the earth. Un-hak, meeting its bloodshot gaze, flinched, stepping back.
He knew he was no match for this creature. He couldn't even hope to slow it down.
'To face such a monster…'
He would need to be at least Transformation Realm… no, Transcendent Realm. He couldn't judge accurately, having never reached such heights, but the Kirin's presence was overwhelming.
And he wasn't wrong. Despite its corruption as a jiangshi, this Kirin had once been a member of Golden Island's leadership.
'What have you done, Demonic Cult?'
He gripped his sword tightly. Not all of these monsters would be Transcendent Realm level, but that was little comfort. There were hundreds of them, judging by their sheer size and numbers.
'…I thought we could win if we worked together. Were we too late?'
While the martial world factions squabbled amongst themselves, the Demonic Cult had been preparing for world domination, amassing power far beyond their reach.
"Huff… Huff…"
"What the hell? What are those monsters? How…"
"Damn, is there… no way out…?"
Despair spread through the alliance as legendary creatures appeared, radiating killing intent. Their hopes dwindled, victory seeming impossible. Even the Transcendent Realm masters, locked in fierce battles, frowned, their expressions grim.
"What's wrong? Have you finally given up?"
The Heavenly Demon sneered, surveying the battlefield.
"Hahaha… You've finally realized, haven't you? You fought well, but it was futile. You never had a chance."
Flap Flap
A massive black phoenix circled above him, its wingspan several meters wide, radiating an ominous aura. Its power was undeniable.
The delicate balance of the battle shattered. This power difference was insurmountable.
'It's over.'
Abbot Mu-jin, fighting valiantly with one arm, General Jeongcheon, fighting alongside him, Sword Saint, facing the Demon Sword Master, Gwak Cheol, slowly gaining the upper hand against the Blood Demon jiangshi, and even Blood Asura, cutting down Transformation Realm jiangshi to reach the Heavenly Demon…
The same thought filled their minds.
Mission failed.
This final battle would end in defeat for the Murim Alliance. The Heavenly Demon would have his way, and the crippled martial world would never recover.
They were speechless.
"Kahaha! Bullshit!"
Except for one.
The madman, still fighting on the front lines.
KABOOM
He didn't waste time with words, charging towards the Heavenly Demon, throwing a punch.
"A meaningless struggle."
The Heavenly Demon deflected the attack effortlessly, speaking calmly. He had needed the help of two others to fight him evenly before. He couldn't possibly win alone now.
"I don't know about that! It ain't over till it's over! Let's go again!"
But Harley ignored the odds, doing what he always did.
"Get a grip, you fools! You're going to give up just because things look bad? You're going to waste this grand stage?"
His words echoed across the battlefield as he continued his relentless assault on the Heavenly Demon.
"Knowing when to retreat is also a virtue."
"Kahaha! What good is retreating? Will meat fall from the sky? I might as well charge forward!"
If the outcome was the same, he would choose his own path. Accept defeat gracefully, or fight to the bitter end.
Harley always chose the latter.
"I'm a spiteful bastard. I can't stand seeing others succeed!"
Even if his own demise was certain, he wouldn't let his enemy achieve victory easily. If they wanted to celebrate, they would do so over his broken body.
He would make sure of it.
His declaration, filled with selfish defiance, echoed across the battlefield, momentarily stunning those consumed by despair.
"…A-Ahaha…"
"Impressive. In many ways."
"…I understand what he means."
Not everyone agreed with his words, but they understood his intent, his resolve.
"Right, we can't give up."
"I'll take as many of them with me as I can."
"…My child is only three years old. I have to go back."
The despair began to lift, replaced by various emotions: resentment, anger towards the Demonic Cult, and a desperate will to survive.
"Kahaha! Now you're getting it! Let's have some fun, my friends!"
"…A noisy nuisance."
Hari's sudden surge in power, as if awakened, also inspired them. And jiangshi were merely puppets controlled by their masters. They only needed to remove the heads.
If they could just hold out until the heroes defeated the Heavenly Demon… perhaps they had a chance.
The martial artists and sorcerers looked at each other. The initial formations had long since dissolved in the chaotic battle. Thanks to the Zhuge Clan's spells, they could quickly regroup after their formations broke, but fighting alongside their rivals was still inefficient.
'But now…'
'…Tsk, there's no other way.'
Their lives were on the line. Their families, the future of the world, were threatened by a common enemy. Fighting alongside their rivals was unpleasant, but the Demonic Cultists were far worse.
"Hey, spearman. I'll take the front. Cover me."
"It's Crescent Moon Spear. Just create an opening, and I'll pierce their heads."
They united, setting aside their rivalries, fighting back-to-back. If one fell, the other would be next.
A true alliance, forged in the face of death. Like a dying flame flaring brightly one last time, their combined power surged.
Even the Transcendent Realm masters, aware of the dire situation, were affected.
"Haha! I like this guy! We should spar sometime."
Blood Asura, wearing metal gauntlets with sharp blades extending from his fingertips, grinned before charging towards a massive yokai. The others resumed their battles with renewed vigor.
Their change in mindset couldn't overcome the overwhelming power difference. It merely delayed the inevitable. Their resolve wouldn't last…
But before their demise—
Another change occurred.
Whoosh
A streak of silent light shot across the battlefield, striking the black phoenix circling above the Heavenly Demon, disrupting the combined attacks against him.
KABOOM
[Screech!]
The sniper-like attack tore through the phoenix's wing, sending it crashing to the ground. All eyes turned towards the source of the attack.
Zhuge Howon, the Zhuge Clan leader, was among them, and—
'Wait, that energy…'
He recognized it. Harris, the otherworlder who had brought Ha Seung-hoon to the Zhuge Clan. He had finally appeared.
'He's late, but I'm glad he's here.'
He searched for Harris, but—
He saw something unexpected.
"…What is that?"
His enhanced vision saw something approaching from the distance.
A dragon, formed from concentrated energy, about six meters long, carrying several people on its back.
"…Did they actually succeed?"
His eyes widened as he recognized two familiar faces. Ha Seung-hoon, who had promised to find a way to rescue the captured Dragon Children, and his daughter, Zhuge Huimei, kidnapped by the Demonic Cult.
"Hah… Hahaha… I can't believe they actually did it. But what is that? Some kind of summoned creature?"
As he watched in astonishment, the dragon-shaped object rapidly approached the alliance, evading Demonic Cultists and flying yokai, aided by long-range sniper fire that cleared the path.
"…How?"
The Heavenly Demon's expression hardened.
"What are you waiting for? Stop them!"
An uncharacteristicly urgent command. He tried to move, but Hari, clinging tenaciously to him, wouldn't allow it.
"Kahaha! We're just getting started! Where do you think you're going?!"
"You insolent fool!"
Even the Heavenly Demon couldn't ignore Harley's relentless assault. And Abbot Mu-jin and General Jeongcheon, sensing the change in the situation, pressed their attack.
"It's useless! I'll kill you all and retrieve the sacrifices!"
The dragon-shaped object landed amidst the alliance, and the Heavenly Demon roared.
[ROAR]
[Grrr!]
Yokai jiangshi roared and snarled, their dark energy surging. The Demonic Cult still held the advantage. Rescuing the Dragon Children wouldn't change the outcome. They were surrounded. Unless something drastic happened.
And the heavens… or rather, the stage director, had already made his choice.
Crack
As the Demonic Cult's power surged, a cracking sound echoed through the air. No one could pinpoint its source. It didn't seem to be coming from any specific object.
Crackle
But as the sound repeated, people began to look up. Towards the dark, cloud-filled sky. That was the source of the sound.
Crack
Spiderweb-like cracks appeared in the clouds, faint light seeping through. A ray of hope piercing the darkness.
And finally—
KABOOM
A deafening roar shook the world as the cracks shattered the clouds, scattering them.
[ROAR]
[Graww!]
Accompanied by roars of immense power—
Whoosh
A fierce wind swept across the land, dispelling the demonic energy.
"Ah…"
"What…?"
Massive figures emerged from the dispersed clouds, gliding gracefully through the air, looking down upon the battlefield. An auspicious aura radiated from them, unlike the corrupted yokai jiangshi below.
The Azure Dragon of the East, the Red Dragon of the South, the White Dragon of the West, the Black Dragon of the North.
And in the center—
[ROAR]
A slightly unusual-looking Yellow Dragon.
Their presence stabilized the volatile energy of the demonic realm, a feat no one had achieved before, even temporarily. And yokai, taking advantage of the opening, began to appear, gathering around the Five Dragons.
'This is quite a spectacle.'
Hugo, having finally reached the center of the Murim Alliance after overcoming various obstacles, gazed up at the yokai filling the sky, awestruck. The goal of this stage was to unite all factions of Ganghwange, including Golden Island and the yokai.