Chapter 158: The Silence After Victory
— — Eastern Icefield.
"Careful! It's about to fire its beam cannon again!" Dan Heng shouted. March 7th immediately constructed layers of ice shields.
"Understood!" Himeko called back.
"Welt, is the orbital cannon support ready?"
Welt's calm voice came from the comms. "Arriving in three seconds."
A dazzling pillar of light descended from the sky, striking the Doomsday Beast! With their perfect coordination, the Express Crew replicated their victory at the Herta Space Station.
— — Western Highlands.
Sampo faced the Doomsday Beast, sweat beading on his forehead. "Tsk, it's still a bit troublesome without a mask…" he muttered, dodging another attack. The battle was difficult, but the beast was already at its end.
— — Southern Valley.
The battle here was the most brutal. "Hold on!" Blood seeped from Gepard's clenched teeth. The massive shield he supported was covered in cracks. Seele's figure darted across the battlefield, but her speed had visibly slowed.
That Doomsday Beast began to gather a fatal blow. "It's over…" these two words appeared in everyone's hearts.
Just then — a pitch-black meteor descended from the sky! It slammed heavily between the Doomsday Beast and the crowd. When the smoke cleared, everyone was stunned.
Orion stood there quietly. He held his sword with one hand, the tip pointing at the ground. Those several annihilation beams, capable of destroying everything, were being firmly blocked—no, devoured—by the black flames swirling around his sword.
"Orion?!" Seele looked at him in disbelief.
He didn't turn his head. "That's enough. Leave the rest to me."
The enraged Doomsday Beast urged all its energy to crush this tiny figure. But Orion simply took a light step forward, and his figure vanished.
No one saw what happened. Their vision only captured a black blur flashing across the Doomsday Beast's massive body. Then, everything became still. A black line, finer than a hair, silently appeared on its neck, extending down through its entire body.
Crack.
The Doomsday Beast's massive body, along that black line, neatly slid apart, collapsed, and turned into dust.
The entire scene was dead silent.
"This… it's over?" Seele's mouth hung open.
This… is Orion's true strength? Bronya's heart was filled with shock.
Just then, a vibrant voice rang out. "Orion—!"
Stelle came running from the other side of the valley. She saw the dust, paused, then put her hands on her hips. "This… was too fast, wasn't it? You totally stole my kill!"
Bronya said in surprise, "Stelle? How did you get here? The two beasts to the north…"
"All resolved!" Stelle nodded, then pointed her bat at Orion. "He resolved all of them! I just led one away, and he instantly killed the other, then he came over and instantly killed mine too! I didn't even get to warm up!"
Three Doomsday Beasts, all resolved by Orion alone… in such a short time? This was no longer strength, but absurdity!
"Orion, you're too strong!" Stelle excitedly ran to his side and patted his shoulder. "I declare that from today on, you are my good brother! I'll follow you!"
"Really?" Orion turned his head, looking at her with a half-smile.
"Of course…" Stelle's voice suddenly paused. The moment their eyes met, that indescribable feeling surged again. "…Anyway!" She shook her head, her cheeks feeling a little hot. "Thanks to you! When we get back, I'll treat you to a big meal!"
Just then, Bronya's communicator rang. "Report! Good news from the eastern battlefield! The Express Crew has succeeded! Good news from the western battlefield! Sampo… also defeated the Doomsday Beast!"
"All Doomsday Beasts… completely cleared! We… we won!"
The Belobog warriors erupted in cheers! They raised their weapons, embraced their comrades, and fully vented their emotions.
In the cold void, Asat Pramad quietly watched. The death trap he had laid was swept off the board in a brutally unreasonable way. He felt no anger. On the contrary, he smiled. A genuine, joyful laugh echoed through the boundless universe.
"Ate… all the chess pieces? No intricate layout, just simply… swept everything off the board? Heh heh… this is much more interesting than any previous game. Interesting… too interesting…"
That languid figure took a step, then vanished amidst the star sea.
The next moment, in the Southern Valley, the cheers ceased abruptly. Everyone felt a chill from the deepest part of their souls, a fear of being absolutely suppressed.
Above the ruins, a figure had appeared. He wore an immaculate white suit, his hands casually tucked into his pants pockets. He wore a black bowler hat, the brim pulled low, obscuring his face. One could feel a chilling sense of mockery, treating all things as a joke.
Finally, the bowler hat tilted slightly, the shadow of its brim pointing directly at Orion.
"Heh…" A soft chuckle spilled from beneath that shadow. "Since you've eaten all the chess pieces, there's no choice… Then I, the 'King', shall personally step onto the board and play with you."
[Inorin Note:
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