At that moment, the King of Kings raised his hand high and summoned forth a golden Holy Grail, brimming to the edge, from a silver-white vortex gate, then tilted it downward.
Sizzle!
Crimson-black mud, burning like molten lava, poured over the fractures in the World Wall, instantly melting and breaking them down. Fungal, vein-like red-black patterns split off and spread outward, eroding everything around them at a visible speed.
At the same time, a cold, ethereal voice descended from the heavens, echoing in all directions.
"Proclamation: I govern death, and I govern life.
What I wound, I also heal.
None may escape my palm, none may flee my gaze.
Let it be undone.
The ruined, the decayed, I summon them all back.
Entrust yourselves to me, learn from me, obey me.
In times of rest, forget not the hymn, forget not the prayer, forget not me.
With my lightness, I lift all burdens. Rest in my hands.
For your sins, be anointed with oil and branded with my mark.
Eternal life is bestowed through death; forgiveness is granted in the present, sealed by my incarnation.
Let this world revere my name as holy.
Let my kingdom descend.
Let my will be done upon the earth, as it is in heaven.
For glory, majesty, power, authority, and dominion are all mine.
From eternity past, to the present, and unto eternity everlasting.
—Let mercy look upon this place!"
How beautiful. How vast. How boundlessly compassionate.
Supreme Light, God above gods, please show mercy here!
For a brief moment, the humans gazing up at that radiant existence wore expressions of rapture. Their smiles turned vacant, their eyes filled with longing, as though they had glimpsed the paradise they had always yearned for.
As their minds wavered, they spread their arms and stepped stiffly out of the divine domain covering the valley, like puppets on strings, bathing in the strands of holy light pouring down through the cracks in the World Wall.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
In an instant, the bodies of hundreds of those who stepped forward shattered apart, turning into countless motes of light that flowed upward into the so-called "heaven."
At the same time, within the void, violent chaotic currents gathered and roiled, poised to erupt like a Sword of Damocles hanging overhead.
Across Greece, forests were reduced to ash. Animals, Magical Beasts, and sea monsters alike melted away under the baptism of holy light.
Then the seas boiled, the earth shook, and tectonic plates split apart.
Floods, tempests, landslides, Ether tides, and countless other disasters followed one after another.
The Olympian gods' faces changed drastically as their divine power drained away at alarming speed, their Authorities being stripped and weakened in succession.
Clearly, this descending abomination was taking advantage of their weakness, intending to break down the Greek World and convert it into nourishment for itself.
And to reap the benefits afterward, the Alien vanguard was undoubtedly the fierce beast Marduk had deliberately lured into conflict with Greece.
Win or lose, he would be the one to clean up the aftermath.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Driven by desperation, the gods launched wave after wave of attacks against Marduk's projected image.
Yet even riddled with holes, even shattered and torn apart, the phantom of the King of Kings quickly reassembled and continued its erosion of the Greek World Egg.
The substance overflowing from the Holy Grail kept spreading. The sky collapsed and split apart, stars fell, the sun and moon were destroyed, and day and night lost all distinction.
The world was breaking down step by step, steadily returning to chaos.
"The Sea of Imaginary Numbers… I see it… He is… in the Sea of Imaginary Numbers…"
At that moment, the Goddess of Beginning Tiamat's cross-shaped star pupils snapped fully open. She looked past the light overhead and stared deep into the void, fixing her gaze on that profound darkness as she murmured heavily.
Marduk's true body was hidden within the Sea of Imaginary Numbers.
Above the dark, churning sea, the gods stiffened at her words. Their eyes sharpened, anger surging as they clenched their fists.
Just as expected. That bastard hasn't changed at all.
Watching Marduk's familiar habit of skulking in the shadows yet again, Samael let out a cold smile.
"We can't win… we're too weak… we're… far too weak…"
The rising fury of the gods was abruptly doused by the Goddess of Beginning's grim conclusion.
As they watched the world fracture and collapse before their eyes, the gods stood amid storm and thunder, exchanging silent looks.
The King of Kings had already completed the unification of Mesopotamian divinity.
If Zeus, Samael, and Tiamat had all been at their peak, they could have fought him head-on, perhaps even with the upper hand.
But to win this colossal battle that would decide the future of Greece, they had already given everything. They had wrung out the last drop of their potential, leaving behind nothing but empty shells.
Now, they could barely erase even this projection, let alone confront the [Omnipotent God] standing at the very apex of an Age of Gods.
So what if they had found Marduk's true body? What difference did it make? They no longer had the strength to lock arms with the King of Kings.
Damn it. They had poured in endless effort and paid an unbearable price just to reach this point.
Did that mean they could only lie down like lambs, helplessly waiting to be slaughtered by that bastard?
Samael's heart churned with rage and frustration. He wanted nothing more than to charge straight into the Sea of Imaginary Numbers and fight Marduk to the death.
"There is still one way…"
Just as the gods stood at their wits' end, that sudden voice echoed through the air. Everyone's spirits lifted as they turned toward Athena, whose eyes gleamed with calm, penetrating wisdom.
At that moment, the three goddesses exchanged knowing smiles and stepped forward together. Their gentle gazes settled on Samael as they bowed with reverence.
That tenderness and reluctance sent a chill through Samael's heart. A sense of foreboding surged up. His expression changed drastically as he rushed forward, shouting in desperation.
"No!"
But it was already too late.
Athena, Medusa, and Themis clasped hands, smiled faintly, and closed their eyes. Their divine bodies began to break apart, and the divine power and authority pouring from within them surged like rivers into the sea, converging upon Samael and flooding into him.
The ancient serpent stared at the three divine cores hovering in midair, their light now dim. He clenched his teeth hard enough to draw blood, his eyes turning red as he instantly understood their intent.
A Grand Sacrifice.
Abandoning their divine bodies, offering up their authority, allowing their divinity to flow back to their god, their king.
"Dad, don't cry. We're only sleeping for a while. As long as we win, as long as Greece still exists, there will come a day when we meet again.
Entrusting all hope and the future to you and the Mother Goddess is our choice, and it's the only chance we have to win!"
The golden divine core trembled softly as Athena's phantom emerged from within. She winked at Samael with a gentle smile, and as her consciousness faded, those solemn words echoed in his ears.
"Our god, our king. We have given you everything, offered all that we are.
So please, for our sake, for the sake of this world, claim victory!"
Buzz—buzz—buzz—buzz!
At the same time, a deep resonance filled the air. The surviving Orphic gods, including the hundred-headed dragon Ladon, the Colchis dragon, and the nine-headed Hydra, all dissolved their divine bodies without hesitation. They refined their divine power and authority into pure spirit particles and offered them to their supreme god.
Almost simultaneously, Ishtar, Ere, and Gilgamesh exchanged glances and nodded. With calm expressions, they looked toward the Goddess of Beginning and disintegrated themselves one after another, offering up their divine power and authority. They placed all hope, all stakes, on the two figures standing at the center, committing to this gamble without reservation.
Mother Goddess, once you chose self-exile for the sake of your children.
This time, let us become the kindling, raising the flame for you, to light the road ahead.