At the heart of New Sprout City, atop the mountain peak, the Tree of Life, planted by Angela, still flourishes, bearing abundant fruit, undiminished by Angela's passing. It is evergreen and immortal, endlessly radiating energy.
Love is such a great and magical energy.
“Because the Tree of Life remains stable, and our own life network and all the systems are still functioning normally,” Alastor added. “There are no major problems within the city at the moment. It’s just that everyone knows that war has broken out, and people’s hearts are somewhat unsettled.”
Logically speaking, the New Yatu Free State, located on the eastern coast of the Pacific Ocean, is thousands of miles away from the main battlefields in Europe. Even if war were to break out, it shouldn't frighten the people of Evergreen State, right? Unfortunately, modern people are quite astute. They know that a war between the world's greatest powers will inevitably affect the entire world, regardless of where the battlefield is located.
“Our current strength is generally sufficient for self-preservation—though I’d like to say that—but when Mithra decided to devour the whole world, the word ‘self-preservation’ ceased to exist.” Alastor paused, then thoughtfully added, “Hayden, are you sure Mithra is determined to conquer the whole world right now?”
Hayden nodded: "Without a doubt. Because the end of the world has come. He can only fight the end of the world by unifying the will of all mankind; he can't delay any longer."
Others might not have thought much of this. But Abigail, whose mind was filled with about half of the knowledge and fragments of memories of the fallen angel Hecate, was immediately shocked: "He really wants to go to war with [God]?? No way!?"
"It's a pity, but that's really the case."
Hayden tapped the conference table gently.
"So we are now facing two problems at the same time. Mithra, and the end of the world. By the way, I don't have a reliable solution for the latter yet."
Karen interrupted his suspense: "What method is Mithra trying to use to combat the end of the world? Ultimately, what will the end of the world manifest itself in? Will the Earth suddenly explode out of thin air?"
“Mithra wants to use [Reincarnation] to devour the entire world, all of humanity, all sentient beings. He wants to synchronize the thoughts of everything in the world with him, to unite them as one—and then he will use this immense power to fight against the apocalypse.” Hayden rubbed his temples. “But I don’t actually know how this apocalypse will manifest itself. Mithra should know. And that’s why Abigail is so important to us right now.”
He turned to the Demon Goddess, and everyone looked at her. Abigail was dumbfounded.
“After losing Angela and the Peacock King, we have no trustworthy angels left in our party. I can’t exactly go to the Dead Sea to ask Astaroth. She’s too unreliable.” Hayden shrugged. “Abby, you inherited Hecate’s fallen angel knowledge and memories, are you up to the task now?”
"Don't force yourself on people! Angels think differently from humans! They're almost incompatible!"
This is indeed quite strange. Is Abigail now considered a fallen angel or a human? Hayden knows that Abigail possesses the immortality of a fallen angel, and Angela has also mentioned that Abigail inherited Hecate's true name as a fallen angel. However, this cannot be entirely viewed as a good thing, because Angela also told Hayden that the tests for angels and humans in the Last Judgment might be different…
If Abigail were to gain immortality and then inexplicably be captured and forced to take an angel's exam, that would be a real mess.
"Hayden, do you have a plan to deal with Mitra?" Alastor continued the discussion. "Then, wouldn't it be a better idea to let Mitra take the lead in dealing with the apocalypse first, and then defeat him afterward?"
Hayden shook his head: "I don't think so. Putting aside the fact that he'll definitely come after us first, the main point is that I don't think Mitra's plan will succeed at all."
"However, on the other hand, the plans I have right now still have many problems. I have an idea to deal with Mitra, but I lack the troops to put it into practice. I can't really rush over and fight Mitra's lunar base by myself or with just a few of you. That kind of thing only works in cyberpunk games."
Panya muttered to herself, "This kind of thing happens in cyberpunk animations too, it can lead to total annihilation."
If you don't speak, no one will think you are dumb.
Karen raised an eyebrow: "Are you planning to strike first and rush to Tushita Palace to behead them before Mithra can attack? But you just said that we lack the fighting power for such a head-on battle..."
Hayden did not directly answer Karen's question.
When everything seems to be set in stone, how should you fight?
How do you fight against something so huge, so complex, so powerful that no one can figure it out?
“The main problem now is that we lack manpower and we lack understanding of the specifics of how the world will end.” At this point, Hayden suddenly turned his head to look in another direction. “But I guess they should all be here by now.”
what?
As soon as she finished speaking, Karen also received a communication from the security department of New Sprout City, and her eyes widened in surprise. Then she turned to everyone and said, "A representative from Wotan Company has arrived."
"Who?" Alastor asked immediately. "Freya again?"
“This time it’s not,” Kallen frowned. “It’s Odin himself who has come.”
奥丁
This is a name that everyone has heard of, or even seen and knows.
Hayden nodded. "Okay. I knew he'd be here."
Although everyone had already heard Hayden recount his four-hundred-year journey through time, they were still somewhat surprised to hear this.
They would probably be even more surprised when Karen let Odin into the city and into the conference room.
"Long time no see, Odin brothers."
Hayden sat at his conference table and nodded to his sworn brother, who had sworn brotherhood with blood, as he entered the room.
"You look older."
This is actually quite strange, because Odin still looks the same as he did four hundred years ago, wearing a gray cloak and a wide-brimmed hat, with only his right eye showing. Gungnir is leaning on his right shoulder, and he looks about fifty years old. How can gods age? Besides, the Wotan Corporation has always had the evergreen technology developed by the goddess Eden.
But Odin does seem to have aged, a kind of mental aging and weariness.
“You look quite…” Odin also scrutinized Hayden with his gray one eye for a while, “Loki, you look quite… grown up.”
This sounds even stranger. When Odin met Hayden Loki, the latter was already in his thirties. So why use the word "grown up" now?
However, Hayden didn't seem to find anything wrong with this peculiar statement. Instead, he nodded and replied, "Indeed. The cost of growing up is not small."
Red Leaf served Odin a cup of tea. Odin calmly sat down at the large conference table, took a sip of tea, and then began to speak: "During the last battle in Japan, you mysteriously disappeared. Mithra even informed us that you had been brainwashed by the ancient gods from beyond the heavens."
Hayden shrugged. "Not surprising. He probably still thinks so. How many Assamese believe Mithra's theory?"
“I don’t believe it, Thor doesn’t believe it either, so there aren’t many who do believe it. But when Mithra was at the height of his power, we couldn’t directly contradict him.” Odin took another sip of tea, a bitter fragrance permeating his heart and soul. “So for the past four hundred years, I’ve been pondering and researching what Mithra really wanted to do… and what this outer universe really is.”
Hayden asked directly, "What conclusion did you draw?"
"Although it's only hindsight, I now understand why Mithra is so powerful, more than ten times stronger than any normal God of Capital," Odin said calmly.
Hayden shook his head: "I roughly guessed that too. We can compare our answers later, but I don't think the difference will be too big."
“Perhaps, but there’s something else you’d never know.” Odin finally smiled, looking somewhat proud. “You’re all too busy looking down at your feet to have time to look up at the stars, aren’t you?”
These words left Hayden and Karen exchanging bewildered glances. Neither of them were fools; they immediately understood Odin's meaning—while New Sprout City and Karen's companies and influence had flourished in recent years, they were almost entirely confined to Earth's resources. They neither had, nor could they possibly have, the time and energy to tinker with things in space.
However, this part, including technologies such as space development, has been the work of established financial giants like Mitra Corporation, Wotan Corporation, and even Smoke Mirror Corporation for at least a hundred years.
“My ‘Ravens’ are scattered throughout the entire solar system; they are my eyes and ears. I also have telescopes in the Asgard space city that can observe the universe. That’s why I know things that you absolutely cannot know right now.”
At this point, Odin's expression turned solemn.
"The doomsday messenger from the outer universe has arrived. And Mithra is fighting Him at the edge of the solar system."
………………ah?
Even by Hayden's standards of rapid growth over four centuries, this sounds incredibly strange.
---------------------------------
Meanwhile, the universe
In Neptune's orbit
Mitra Corporation's space fleet is ready to engage.
These colossal warships flying through space are not significantly different in appearance from the Mithraic airships Hayden saw four hundred years ago, except that their size and power are many times greater. Each of these giant space warships is equivalent in size to three airships from four hundred years ago, almost like a small city flying in space. They are all equipped with the latest arcane propulsion systems, capable of accelerating to twenty percent of the speed of light and enabling teleportation within the solar system. Their internal ecological systems are also perfectly optimized, allowing them to navigate almost independently in space.
Their weaponry is also incredibly powerful. Their solar-powered light cannons can cleave through continental shelves with a single shot, and their warships certainly carry more than one such cannon.
Mitra prepared a full one hundred of these colossal spaceships near Neptune's orbit. This was the first line of defense in his solar system defense system.
Each warship is manned by three thousand Vajra Warriors, who are now on high alert.
"A massive surge of extraterrestrial energy has been detected! The spacetime singularity has opened!"
"The entire fleet shall immediately prepare for battle!"
The universe trembled like fabric in the wind. In this moment that made even the heart skip a beat, the planets dimmed, then brightened again. A twinkling star broke through the barriers of space and time, unfolding like a sheet of origami in the material universe.
...That thing actually looked like a huge red ball of light.
The fleet commander did not hesitate at all and immediately ordered the entire fleet: "Fire!"
What happened next was very unpleasant.
432: Drums of War
"Fire!"
At the command, countless cannon shots poured out from a hundred space warships.
They have pyrolysis cannons capable of decomposing matter, focusing solar lances with super high heat, high power, and high concentration, plasma lightning arcs that burn violently in the void, and matter acceleration cannons that use electromagnetic propulsion to accelerate armor-piercing iron projectiles to half the speed of light, with the simplest principle.
If no other powerful deities interfere, such a giant spaceship alone could suppress Earth-like planets.
If a hundred of these giant ships were to fire simultaneously, they would probably be able to destroy the planet itself, right?
Unfortunately, their enemy, the red orb of light, will not be destroyed.
Faced with these rapidly approaching light cannons, disintegration cannons, and plasma lightning arcs, a red halo appeared above the sphere of light. The halo started small but was incredibly bright, enveloping everything in its red glow. Then it expanded rapidly in all directions, growing larger than any city, country, or continent, and releasing an ultra-high temperature far exceeding that of the sun.
The solar spear was sucked in, the lightning arc was sucked in, the matter disintegration cannon missed everything, and the armor-piercing iron projectile was instantly vaporized.
At the same time, three more spaceships flying at the forefront were engulfed by the red halo, instantly exploding and scattering in all directions, leaving not even solid fragments behind. Their hull metal, weighing tens of millions of tons, all turned into incandescent liquid, the molten metal flying through space.
Moreover, the red orb did something incredible to them.
All of these melted, vaporized, and scattered metals were drawn together by the red halo, forming a giant, humanoid mechanical body around the sphere of light.
A colossal angel of steel, surrounded by a halo of fire. At its core was an enormous, beautiful eye, the color of flame.
He remained where he had just burned three warships, not in a hurry to attack. In reality, only twenty seconds had passed since He appeared.
Mithra was not the only one who witnessed all of this.
Odin's mechanical raven, perched on Neptune's rings, witnessed it all.
What his raven saw was equivalent to what Odin saw himself. And Odin was quite straightforward, projecting what he saw directly into the conference room, so that Hayden and the others could see it clearly.
Several people in the conference room were witnessing angels in battle for the first time in their lives, and they were all astonished as if they had eaten too many chili peppers.
However, there were also people like Alastor who were surprised by this: "Where did Mitra get so many space fleets...?"
"It's obvious he's been busy with this for four hundred years..." Hayden rubbed his temples. "My God, he's spent four hundred years and resources just to secretly carry out this kind of grand plan in the universe... Mitra, what do you take humanity for?"
Not everyone understood the implication of Hayden's words. Panya, for example, didn't get it. However, people generally wouldn't make such a request of a silly little cat.
Karen, however, was concerned with another question: "Abigail, you have the memories and knowledge of a fallen angel. Do you know any detailed information about this visitor from outer space?"
Why do you two like making me do this kind of thing? But Abigail didn't complain about it directly. She knew how serious the situation was, so she could only rub her head frantically like the clever Ikkyu, while staring intently at Odin's live stream... As she watched, she actually managed to find some useful information in Hecate's memories.
Just as Angela and Asmodius were closely related, Hecate also had a close relationship with this new angel.
“This is… Uriel.”
"Drawing the knowledge of fallen angels from the depths of the secret fire," the demon goddess murmured.
"The Angel of Death, the Angel of End, the Destroyer, the Reaper, one of the seven angels who come before God, the most terrifying of all the Seraphim—the Fire of God (Uri-El)!"
This sounds quite different from the gentle and kind Raphael (the elixir of life).
“Attack the Divine Medicine and refuse to take it, so naturally the Divine Fire will follow. Is that the pattern?” Hayden shook his head and complained, continuing to watch Odin’s live stream. “However, it seems things won’t end so easily.”
Mitra probably didn't know the name of his opponent, but that didn't affect his long-prepared war. The Solar System Guardian Fleet was well-prepared and trained for this battle, and had always been connected by the Star Network. After the first three spaceships were caught in Uriel's halo and exploded, the remaining ninety-seven ships immediately dispersed and teleported away with astonishing efficiency, avoiding the embarrassing and tragic situation of being wiped out by Uriel's halo with a single wave.
They weren't foolish enough to continue using weapons that had proven ineffective; instead, they immediately switched. All ninety-seven spaceships simultaneously began firing gravity beams at Uriel.
Gravity, or universal gravitation, is the force that attracts objects to each other. It is the most fundamental force in the universe—and perhaps even the greatest force, love, is related to it.
Similarly, [Reincarnation] also requires the propulsion of "gravity." Therefore, conversely, [Reincarnation] can also be used to leverage gravity for attacks. Ninety-seven space warships, controlling gravity, unleashed incredibly powerful gravitational beams towards the Seraph Uriel!
This gravity is like a surging river; anyone swallowed by it will be crushed to pieces, and even the residue will be ground up and disappear without a trace!
What would be the effect of using such power against the Seraph Uriel?
To everyone's surprise, it actually worked to some extent! At least this time, Uriel didn't just stand there taking the hits, nor did he directly suck the gravitational beam in. Instead, he deployed his halo, blocking the beam like a shield. No sound could be heard in space, but watching this immersive scene from afar, everyone couldn't help but experience a bell-like auditory hallucination.
“It seems Mithra does have some ability to fight angels,” Hayden muttered. “But that alone isn’t enough.”
The weapons that the Mithra fleet initially used to attack Uriel—high-temperature, lightning, and sub-light-speed mass projectiles—were like phantoms passing right through the angels, completely unnecessary to their attention.
This time, the [Reincarnation] gravity beam cannon did have some noticeable effect. However, while this gravity wave could easily slaughter Bodhisattvas, it was still somewhat ineffective against angels, much like the difference between a solid and a liquid. Using this gravity cannon to attack angels was like a child shooting an adult with a toy water gun. You might ask if the adult felt it or would dodge—of course they would—but expecting a child to kill an adult with a toy water gun was still quite difficult.
Besides, this adult is not Raphael. He will retaliate.
Uriel has already begun his operation.
Behind Him unfolded countless wings of crimson flames. These enormous wings were as large as planets. With a single sweep across the universe, fourteen spaceships that couldn't teleport or dodge in time were destroyed. The temperature of those wings was hundreds of times that of the sun's core; the spaceships swept through didn't even have a chance to vaporize.
Moreover, Uriel's wings of light tore open even more spacetime tunnels in the universe. In an instant, nearly a hundred beams of light flew out from those tunnels.
There are even more angels!
Perhaps this flapping of wings wasn't an attack at all; perhaps Uriel had planned it all along. Their attack method this time wasn't to have a single super-powerful individual raze the human world to the ground, but rather to summon an entire legion of angels!
"Powers".