The figure of Holy Keisha faded like a phantom on the deck of the giant gorge, but the majesty that shrouded the heavens and Earth did not dissipate with her.
Instead, with her departure, an even heavier, oppressive feeling of an impending storm weighed down on everyone's hearts.
Heavens Blade Judgment... is about to be launched!
In Earth's outer orbit, the Heavens Blade Department flagship did not move, but the space around it began to ripple strangely.
Brilliant golden beams of light extended from various parts of the flagship, like the stretching veins of a god, converging at a point in front of the flagship.
At that point, the light grew brighter and more intense, gradually condensing into a core made purely of destructive energy that could not be looked at directly with the naked eye!
The terrifying energy fluctuations, even through the atmosphere, caused sensitive instruments on Earth to sound alarms frantically and made all living beings who perceived it tremble instinctively.
Angel Yan's figure appeared outside the flagship, hovering in front of that gathering light of destruction.
She looked solemn, her hands forming a complex and ancient Angel battle seal in front of her chest, her golden hair dancing wildly in the violent energy flow, her red skirt and silver armor rustling.
Her eyes reflected the increasingly terrifying light of judgment, her gaze firm, without the slightest hesitation.
She was the direct executor and guide of this "Heavens Blade Judgment."
The target of the judgment had already been locked—the Demon Queen, Morgana, who was hiding somewhere on Earth and thought she was concealed flawlessly!
On the giant gorge, Du Kao, Elder Huang, and the others were pale, looking up at the increasingly bright golden dot in the sky, like a second sun, as despair and powerlessness, like cold seawater, completely submerged them.
They could feel that once that power descended, even if the target was not Juxia City, the mere energy of its explosion and dispersion would be enough to cause immeasurable damage to Earth's ecosystem!
And the innocent civilians near where Morgana was hiding... it was even more unimaginable!
"Quick! Activate all communication channels! Contact Queen Keisha! Contact Angel Yan!" Du Kao roared hoarsely, "Cannot judge! Absolutely not!"
However, all communication requests were like stones sinking into the sea.
The Angel side had clearly entered the final execution stage and was no longer accepting any "interference."
Just at this suffocating moment of despair.
Above Juxia City, not far from the "isolated island" of the Angel International Building, the space suddenly twisted violently, like a scroll clutched by an invisible giant hand!
Dark Energy, thick enough to be nauseating and mixed with the scent of sulfur, corruption, and chaos, surged out wildly, instantly dispelling the normal energy field in that airspace!
A huge, hideous throne with demon wings, cast entirely from dark alloy and covered in spikes and blasphemous runes, appeared abruptly above the city, as if rising from the abyss of hell!
Sitting lazily and diagonally on the throne was the Demon Queen—Morgana, wearing dark purple leather armor, heavy smoky makeup, and a crazy, venomous curve to her scarlet lips!
She did not hide, but instead brazenly displayed her Demon One flagship and throne above one of Earth's most prosperous cities!
This was simply the most arrogant and naked provocation!
"Keisha!!! You old hag! Bitch!"
Morgana's shrill, venomous, and angry roar, through some powerful information broadcast, instantly covered the entire Juxia City and even spread to all communication networks still operating on Earth!
Her voice no longer had its usual deliberate laziness and charm, leaving only hysterical madness.
"What the hell do you want to do?! Launch the Heavens Blade Judgment?! Here?! On Earth?! Who gave you the authority?! You self-righteous bitch of justice!"
Her projection suddenly stood up from the throne, spreading her arms as if to embrace the city below, her scarlet eyes scanning the streets and buildings that had fallen into even greater panic because of her sudden appearance, her voice suddenly becoming "affectionate" and "passionate," full of bewitchment:
"Look! You all look! What is below? It's a city! It's countless living, life-loving Earthlings! It's my people! It's the land I love!"
"I, Morgana, Demon Queen, came to Earth bringing love and freedom! I came to spread the gospel of corruption! I came to save these poor souls bound by hypocritical justice and so-called order! I am not an invader! I am... a revolutionary! A liberator!"
She suddenly raised her hand to point at the sky, at the gathering light of judgment, her voice rising again, full of grief, indignation, and threats:
"And Keisha! The biggest dictator in this Universe! A tyrant! What does she want to do?! She wants to use her 'Heavens Blade Judgment' to destroy all of this! Just to kill me! Just for her bullshit 'justice'!"
"I'm telling you! And I'm telling that bitch Keisha!" A cruel and resolute smile appeared on Morgana's face. The demon wing throne behind her suddenly deformed, extending several hideous, fully charged giant energy cannons, their muzzles pointing directly at the most densely populated urban area of Juxia City below!
"My Demon One is right above Juxia City! It has already locked onto seventeen major population centers below, three large shelters, and... oh, let me see, the secret entrance to your so-called 'Super Seminary' also seems to be down there?"
"Keisha! If you dare to smash that bullshit judgment down! I guarantee that before the light of judgment lands, my artillery fire will send these lovely people below to heaven first!"
"Millions of people? No, maybe tens of millions of people will be buried with me! In your Earthling terms, this is called... hostages! Hahaha!"
She laughed madly, her laughter filled with the pleasure of revenge and a kind of twisted, mutually destructive madness.
"Aren't you self-proclaimed righteous, self-proclaimed protectors of the weak? Come on! Judge me! Let's see if your judgment wipes me out first, or if my artillery fire wipes out this city first! Let's see if you, Keisha, kill more people, or I, Morgana, kill more people!"
"Using the lives of tens of millions of Earthlings to trade for my life, Morgana! Keisha, do you think this deal is worth it?! Can your 'justice' withstand such a calculation?!"
Morgana's threat echoed in the sky like the most vicious curse.
She not only appeared publicly, placing herself under judgment, but also cunningly and cruelly tied millions of civilians in Juxia City to her war chariot, using their lives as shields to blackmail Keisha, to blackmail the Angel's "justice"!
This shameless, crazy, yet extremely effective move stunned everyone who heard it, followed by surging anger and deeper despair.
Demons... are indeed demons! Without any bottom line, using any means to achieve their goals!
Du Kao's eyes were splitting with rage, and he roared into the communicator: "All anti-aircraft units! Lock onto that demon throne! Open fire! Shoot her down!"
However, the order was given, but the response was silence.
The anti-aircraft positions below, whether missiles or anti-aircraft guns, had their targeting systems interfered with by a powerful information turbulence the moment the demon throne appeared, rendering them completely ineffective.
Occasionally, a few missiles fired by inertia were deflected or detonated prematurely by an invisible force field when approaching the demon throne.
Morgana didn't even look at those futile attacks. Her gaze, with a cruelty and playfulness like a cat playing with a mouse, turned to the deck of the giant gorge, turned to... Ge Xiaolun, who had just been "logic-locked" by Artoria, was now struggling to climb up, his face looking worse than a dead person's.
"Oh? Look who this is?" Morgana raised her eyebrows in feigned surprise, "Isn't this our Earth's 'future main god,' Power of the Galaxy, little Ge Xiaolun? What's wrong, did you fall hard just now? Do you want big sister to help you check?"
Her mockery was like a whip, lashing onto Ge Xiaolun's already crumbling nerves.
Everyone's gaze on the deck also involuntarily focused on Ge Xiaolun.
A trace of complex hope flashed in Du Kao's eyes, Elder Huang frowned, Rose turned her face away, and Liu Chuang and Zhao Xin were hesitant to speak...
Ge Xiaolun trembled all over, looking up at the hideous demon throne in the sky, at Morgana's malicious smile, and then at the increasingly bright golden eye in outer space that seemed like the God of Death opening his eyes.
In his ears was Morgana's crazy threat, and before his eyes were the faint, more panicked cries and clamor from the city below.
Millions of people... tens of millions of people... buried with her... Father... Mother... those ordinary faces...
If the judgment falls... if the demons open fire... No! Cannot! Cannot be like this!
A complex emotion mixed with fear, anger, unwillingness, and a nearly instinctive sense of responsibility after being pushed to a desperate situation exploded in his chest like magma!
He remembered Monkey King's angry staff that hated him for not living up to expectations, remembered his comrades' cold eyes, remembered Rose's completely dead gaze, and also remembered... what Du Kao had once said, that he was the "Power of the Galaxy," the "future main god," and Earth's "hope"!
That's right! I am the Power of the Galaxy! I am a main god! At this time, I should be the one to make the decision! I should be the one to protect the Earthlings!
A twisted "sense of mission" and "hero complex," born from immense pressure and almost like self-hypnosis, instantly overwhelmed all his cowardice and fear.
He suddenly straightened his body, which was still somewhat stiff due to the "logic lock," took a deep breath, used all his strength, and let out what he considered the most firm, powerful, and "correct" roar of his life, towards the sky, towards Morgana, and as if towards Keisha and Yan in outer space:
"I! Ge Xiaolun! Power of the Galaxy! As the main god of Earth—"
His voice was hoarse from the effort, even cracking, but under the dead silent deck and the sky filled only with demonic laughter and energy buzzing, it was exceptionally clear:
"—Refuse authorization!!!"
"I refuse to let the Angels launch the Heavens Blade Judgment on Earth! I absolutely forbid it! Risking the lives of tens of millions of Earthling compatriots! Betting on that one in ten thousand possibility! Absolutely forbid it!"
He roared until he was hoarse, his face flushed, veins bulging, as if he wanted to vent all the previous grievances, fear, and unwillingness through this roar.
He felt that he was full of power, full of determination, full of... the responsibility of being a "main god"!
"The safety of Earth, the lives of Earthlings, should be decided by us Earthlings ourselves! By me, the Power of the Galaxy! Not by you Angels, or demons, to act recklessly!"
After roaring, his chest heaved violently, staring fixedly at the sky, waiting for a response, waiting for... some kind of recognition, or change.
A brief silence.
Then—
"Pfft... Hahaha! Hahahaha!!!"
Morgana's wild laughter erupted like a tsunami, louder and more wanton than before, filled with undisguised mockery, pleasure, and... a kind of unbridled joy at seeing the funniest farce!
"Did you hear that? Keisha! Did you hear that?!" Morgana laughed until she was swaying back and forth, pointing at Ge Xiaolun below, tears almost streaming out from laughing, "Your 'Power of the Galaxy'! Earth's 'future main god'! He refused you! He ordered you not to judge! Hahaha! Too interesting! Really too interesting!"
"A coward and deserter who was scared to the point of wetting his pants, 'executed' by his own people with a pistol, and knocked flying by a monkey with a stick! Now he actually claims to be a 'main god' and orders the King of Gods around?! Hahaha! This is the funniest joke I've heard in my life!"
"Power of the Galaxy? That's it? That's it?!"
Morgana's mockery was like the most vicious icicle, piercing Ge Xiaolun's newly risen, illusory "sense of mission" and "hero feeling," leaving it riddled with holes and instantly freezing it.
The blood on his face faded rapidly, becoming whiter than paper, his body trembled uncontrollably again, he opened his mouth, but could not make any sound, only Morgana's piercing, crazy laughter echoed between heaven and Earth, and roared in his mind, mocking his overestimation of himself, his stupidity, his everything...
Du Kao closed his eyes in pain.
Elder Huang sighed deeply.
The others on the deck had complex expressions, and no one spoke.
And in outer space, the gathering light of judgment, its brightness... seemed to pause slightly for a moment, but immediately, it continued to strengthen, charge, and lock on unwaveringly.
In Angel Yan's eyes flashed a trace of cold indifference, turning a deaf ear to the farcical "refusal" and mockery below.
Her task was to execute the Queen's will, lock onto the demon, and launch the judgment.
As for the authorization of the "Power of the Galaxy"? That had always... just been a formality based on "respect," a test, a... stepping stone for some people to see their own position clearly.
Since the stepping stone had been crushed by himself, there was no need to worry about it anymore.
The judgment depended only on whether the demon deserved to be executed, and... the Queen's final decision.
Between the starry sky and the city, the demon's wild laughter, the judgment's charging, the mortals' despair, the coward's cry... intertwined into an absurd and cruel war symphony.
And the real chess player was still calmly placing her chess pieces.
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