Topaz and Jade stepped forward immediately, eyes locked on the skyrocketing numbers, and then...
...
"Nanook, the Aeon of Destruction…"
------------------------
The being who walked out of Adlivun, a firsthand witness of the Emperor's War, a survivor of the Swarm Disaster.
An Aeon that emerged from destruction.
The youngest Aeon of the current era.
The legions under Their command swept through the realms, and Their threat to the universe stood on par with the Swarm Disaster and the Emperor's War.
In fact, in the present-day universe, the Antimatter legion is even more terrifying.
Because Their subjects remain ever vigilant.
Silver-white long hair, dark skin, golden eyes, their arm separated into floating pieces, and divine blood flowing like streams of gold from Their divine body—an unforgettable sight.
"Why... is Nanook here?"
Stelle held her bat tightly, eyes locked on Nanook.
Among those present at the scene, she was the most familiar with Nanook.
Why would this Aeon appear here? Could it be to avenge Their subordinate?
She racked her brains but still couldn't figure out Nanook's purpose in showing up.
"Supreme Executioner..." Fu Xuan looked grim, especially when Nanook's gaze fell upon Godzilla, her heart skipped a beat.
If she contacted the God of the Skybow now, could she…
Godzilla twisted his neck, tail lifting and swaying with ease, his vertical pupils—yet to fully fade—meeting Nanook's gaze.
"Rrrow~."
A curious roar.
If it had to be described, it would be… "What are you looking at?"
Godzilla did not sense even a trace of hostility from Nanook.
This indicated that this being wasn't here to fight, nor to avenge Their fallen general.
So Godzilla was truly curious—what exactly did They come for?
Soon after, Godzilla and the onlookers understood Nanook's intention.
Vast power of the Path of Destruction surged like a galaxy toward Godzilla, grand and moving.
"Is Supreme Executioner trying to make Godzilla Their new general!?"
Fu Xuan's expression tightened, her voice filled with panic.
At that moment, her projection was at the forefront, speaking with everyone, witnessing it all firsthand.
"No need to panic, Diviner Fu. The power of a Path is simply a form of self-elevation and expression of one's belief."
"Yeah, Nanook looked at me once, and look—I'm still perfectly fine." Stelle patted her chest proudly.
Hearing the two speak, those who were initially nervous gradually relaxed.
Encountering a Aeon had momentarily thrown them into disarray, but thinking about it now, it made sense.
····
Godzilla's eyes lit up, tail raised high, even straightened his posture.
He accepted every drop of the Path of Destruction that Nanook sent his way.
Godzilla had thoughts about Nanook's actions.
Back then, both his and Zephyro's wills were simple:
Kill the other, or be killed.
But in Godzilla's mind, only one thought existed: kill the other.
Their wills were frighteningly pure.
And the concepts of Aeons are precisely built upon such pure ideas.
Nothing draws Nanook's attention more than pure destruction—
And here, there were two such wills. One of which even belonged to a former general under Their command.
This drew Their attention even more.
So They came, bringing the residual power of Destruction to Godzilla.
Gulp, gulp.
Imaginary energy quickly transformed into the purest form of energy and entered Godzilla's body.
He believed only in his own strength!
So...
"Inhalation!"
A constant stream of Imaginary Energy entered Godzilla's body, ultimately nourishing his form with pure energy.
In the blink of an eye, he had the power of a top-tier Absorber.
Nanook stopped, golden eyes staring at the tilted-head Godzilla who was staring back.
Then, They vanished without a trace.
"Stingy." Godzilla huffed lightly, slightly annoyed by Nanook's sudden departure.
Though They brought benefits without offering help,
Still, considering They traveled countless light-years to deliver this power like a takeaway delivery—he ignored Them!
He turned, gazing into the starry sky, now cleared by the recent battle with only two Xianzhou ships remaining.
Godzilla's chest rumbled: "Rrraawwrr!"
The King of Monsters had defended his territory today!
.....
The war was over.
It ended in a way that felt surreal to everyone.
Especially the final appearance of the Aeon of Destruction Nanook, who became a legend among civilians, soldiers, and various organizations.
If the Xianzhou had any concrete followers of Supreme Executioner, belief in Them would have already spread everywhere.
But, no one paid much attention to the thick golden divine matter left behind.
The people of Xianzhou named Godzilla: "General of the Rising Sun."
Rising Sun, or even more aptly, the early morning sun.
This title alone showed how deeply the image of Godzilla emerging from the sun had etched itself into the Xianzhou people's minds.
...
"General of the Rising Sun, huh. Heh, a The Divine Foresight, and now a key figure in the Luofu military,"
Feixiao joked as he looked toward Jing Yuan.
Since the name Rising Sun was coined, it spread rapidly across the Xianzhou and was widely accepted.
And the one who spared Xianzhou from the devastation of the Lord Ravager, Godzilla was immensely popular among the people, even earning partial worship due to his overwhelming might.
Sure enough, within just half a day, the title had already reached Feixiao's ears.
"Heh, Godzilla truly lives up to the name, doesn't he?" Jing Yuan chuckled.
"That's right, I also think this title suits Godzilla perfectly."
Yukong agreed with a radiant smile.
In this battle, most of the foxian pilots returned, and the heavily fortified Fourth District barely managed to survive thanks to the medical measures in place at the time.
She finally brought everyone back.
"This time, it's a great victory for the Xianzhou!"
Feixiao chuckled lightly: "This trip truly wasn't in vain. To witness such a spectacle, I must thank General Divine Foresight for remembering me."
After a bit of post-battle small talk, they began discussing follow-up matters.
"I intend to send news of this victory across the universe, recounting every detail to rally the alliance and reassure the wounded!"
Fu Xuan said solemnly.
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Although the final enemy, Zephyro the Lord Ravager, was taken down by Godzilla, given the current good relations between Godzilla and the Xianzhou, and the alliance established between Jarilo and the Xianzhou, this victory could indeed be widely announced.
Especially to deter those lurking in the shadows, hoping to take advantage of the Xianzhou's weakness to profit from the chaos!
"I'll handle the alliance side of things. With General Jing Yuan present, it wouldn't be appropriate for him to step forward."
Feixiao spoke up, taking on the task of reporting to the alliance.
There's much suspicion of Jing Yuan within the alliance. If he were to report Godzilla's might and mention Luofu's good relations with Godzilla, even a fool could imagine what those leeches would think.
Everyone went about tying up loose ends, and all tasks were eventually assigned.
"By the way, General Feixiao, do you still remember what I said during the battle?"
"Hmm? Which part?" Feixiao tilted her head, puzzled.
"How's the mineral reserve of the Yaoqing Artisanship Commission?"
...
Jarilo-VI.
Peaceful.
Aside from a few new towering trees, everything was just as before.
"Sigh, I wonder when Lord Godzilla will return." Pela leaned against the window, thinking.
They all knew that Jarilo's battlefield was only a small part of the whole. If it weren't for the existence of life here, the Antimatter legion wouldn't even have bothered to look this way.
But this also meant the main battlefield was even more dangerous.
So much time had passed—people were starting to worry…
But her worries soon vanished like smoke.
Boom!
That familiar searing presence returned. For some reason, this heat felt closer to the sun.
She looked up in joy, gazing at the towering figure that blocked out the sky. Pela was overwhelmed with happiness.
"Lord Godzilla!"
Godzilla, at that moment, sensed the antimatter engine's tightly wrapped in tree roots and tapped his tail in satisfaction.
He had sensed these guys from the start. Influenced by him, in his territory, how could they possibly cause trouble?
Now it seemed they were quite well-behaved.
As his tail approached them, the tree roots above shifted aside, revealing the antimatter engine.
Hooking it with his tail, Godzilla strode toward his home.
"Yo, finally decided to come back?"
Serval looked up with annoyance at this guy who had suddenly vanished.
Feeling the scorching heat radiating from him, she softly sighed.
No need to ask—it must've been an intense battle.
I'll forgive you this time…
Gently stroking Godzilla's still-warm skin, Serval slowly closed her eyes.
Godzilla's return wasn't only a joy for the people of Jarilo.
The Cloud Knights stationed here to defend against the antimatter legion were equally thrilled.
Godzilla's safe return meant the Xianzhou had secured a grand victory, right?
What could be more exciting for a warrior than this!?
...
This battle attracted attention from all sides, and everyone eagerly awaited the result. Would the Xianzhou triumph, would the Legion bring more destruction, or would both sides suffer?
No matter the outcome, it was certain the Xianzhou would be severely damaged. Many speculated on the aftermath and began preparing accordingly.
But soon, the great victory from the Xianzhou mercilessly shattered their illusions.
A sweeping victory!
The entire Antimatter Legion was wiped out, and Zephyro, the Lord Ravager, was slain!
Even the previously undisclosed Phantylia was revealed—two Lord Ravagers had fallen, shaking the universe!
And that wasn't all—after Zephyro's fall, Nanook once again appeared.
Right in front of everyone, he gifted an enormous amount of imaginary energy to the giant beast known by the Xianzhou as Godzilla.
Any powerful faction capable of surviving in the universe had ways to detect imaginary energy, and according to their scans, that amount of energy was enough to form a top-tier Emanator!
The next Lord Ravager!
That such vast power was granted to a beast—it was… well, fine, no objections.
Those who survive in the universe know well: strength is what matters.
Especially since this beast had not only power but intelligence.
The Xianzhou had good relations with it, likely having formed an agreement.
This wasn't uncommon.
For example, the Hunt Aeon, Lan, ascended to become an Aeon after forming an agreement with the Heliobi tribe's leader, Flint Emperor, and played a major role in the war against the Abundance.
Many forces were stirred into action, striving for alliances.
A top-tier force like this would have massive influence across the cosmos. If it wished, it could quickly build a faction capable of negotiating with the Xianzhou or even the IPC on equal footing.
No one wanted to fight a top-tier Emanator.
Not even the IPC… the Amber King wouldn't answer their calls for help to eliminate such an enemy.
...
After reporting the outcome of the war, this alliance meeting was convened with unprecedented speed.
"Good afternoon, everyone?" Jing Yuan smiled and spoke first.
"..."
"Ahem, General Divine Foresight and The Vanquishing General don't seem like people who just experienced a great battle."
An old man responded cheerfully.
"I've read the battle report sent by the two Arbiter-Generals. The minimal losses make it the most brilliant battle since the founding of the Alliance—winning a beautiful fight with the fewest casualties. You two have taught everyone here a lesson."
"Not at all, you flatter us too much."
The old man's words opened up the room's conversation.
"General Jing Yuan, about that individual…" someone asked hesitantly.
"Godzilla," Jing Yuan reminded him.
"Oh, Godzilla. Could you tell us more about him? We've only seen information in the report you previously sent, but his performance in this battle was truly astonishing."
"Certainly."
Jing Yuan smiled slightly and began recounting the story of Luofu's alliance with Godzilla.
He omitted the suppression of Godzilla on Mara, focusing instead on his achievements and power.
In the meeting room, General Jing Yuan applied all his life's learning to present his case.
The effect was clear, though many could tell he was exaggerating.
Still, considering Godzilla had indeed defeated the Lord Ravager Zephyro head-on, those who wanted to slander him sat back down in silence.
"Ahem, General Jing Yuan isn't wrong. Godzilla helped Luofu defeat Phantylia and stopped the Ambrosial Arbor from sprouting. This contribution is important to the Xianzhou Alliance and to us all. If we make a hero feel unappreciated, who here would still be willing to give their all for the Alliance?"
The speaker was an old man with white beard and a kind face, Flaming Heart Arbiter-General Huaiyan of Xianzhou Zhuming.
"He merely invited a friend to tour the Xianzhou. Some people are overthinking it. There are six Xianzhou ships, spread across the stars. If there's no urgent matter, who would bother who? General Divine Foresight simply hosted a friend, what's the fault in that?"
At these words, the room fell silent.
...
The meeting ended quickly. Aside from the Ambrosial Arbor incident and the recent battle being of major concern, the earlier accusations against Jing Yuan were seemingly forgotten.
"Heh, a bunch of bullies who fear the strong. Can't even stay calm in their own homes. Truly disgusting," Feixiao sneered.
The Arbiter-Generals all shared the same view of the Alliance's incompetent officials: if you're not going to do anything, then step aside. Sitting around all day waiting to eat, and you still have the nerve to whine?
You think the Seven Arbiter-Generals of the Xianzhou have time to waste? Every day they're buried in paperwork, and even minor injuries get used as excuses to shirk duty. Who has the patience to play with you?
"Anyway, at least the outcome is good. Things should calm down for a while,"
Jing Yuan shook his head and chuckled softly.
The Godzilla card was incredibly useful, especially after just destroying Zephyro and facing Nanook head-on. Godzilla's reputation had been elevated to a new height.
For the time being, these people wouldn't dare stir trouble.
No matter how furious they got, as long as he was living well, that was enough.
...
"Hmm, the scheduled time, I'll respond later."
After finishing yet another IPC call today, Himeko, feeling quite drained, set her phone on the table and didn't even want to glance at it.
"Haah, how many calls has Himeko taken today? Aren't those guys annoying?"
March 7th lay sprawled on the couch, half her body sunk into it, grumbling in boredom.
She didn't look like someone who had just been through a war at all.
"Can't be helped, it's a big world out there…" Welt said with a heavy expression.
"Uh, Uncle Yang, maybe don't talk right now, you're kind of scaring me," March 7th said awkwardly, then turned her gaze toward the phone on the table again.
"Everyone's asking about Godzilla. How do they even know this stuff?"
"You guys keep running off to Scalegorge Waterscape to find Godzilla. Of course the IPC noticed."
Himeko shook her head helplessly and took a sip of coffee to refresh herself.
"Although the IPC doesn't have strong influence on Xianzhou Luofu, they do operate across the star sea. In this area, their capabilities aren't weak. Their channels are extensive."
The Astral Express had been running for years, and Himeko had connections all across the universe, many of them inside the IPC.
It was obvious to anyone how seriously the IPC viewed Godzilla.
A being capable of killing the Lord Ravager in direct combat, if they could form an alliance or friendship with him, even within the IPC, they'd have limitless power.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it ascension.
Even the IPC's Envoys couldn't defeat an Lord Ravager cleanly in a frontal battle.
So they tirelessly tried all avenues to contact Godzilla.
"Hmph, when the dragon was hidden in the abyss you ignored him, and now that he's soaring through the skies you want to sidle up?" Stelle sneered.
March 7th nodded repeatedly, then suddenly turned her head to look at Stelle with shock: "When did you start studying behind my back!?"