Soul of Searing Steel

Joshua recalled the old game CG where he saw Brandon cut down Goliath with the Holy Brilliance.

At the time, Goliath's body was the entire Valley of Tears Fortress—while it appeared massive and was a mountain range in itself, it was just about dozens thousand meters only.

Compared to its present version, it was diminutive, palm-sized.

Still, it was explainable: from the bizarre sight a while ago, various parts of Goliath's body appeared to have been spread throughout other worlds, with only its heart being left in the Sixth Abyss. It was possible that Brandon the others had executed a strike plan, seizing the moment before Goliath's true form manifested to infiltrate the Abyss and kill Goliath's heart clone…

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Joshua had pondered mainly because of the difference between the two different worlds. He would never have thought about it if it was another unknown enemy, and begin to study its every attribute and find a vulnerability to exploit.

However, in that few seconds of gazing, he had seen through the essence of the Abyssal Liege and the reason for its unusual form.

The warrior did not even have to use his nose to pick up the dense scent of World Will. It was clear that Abyssal Lieges were beings treasured by Abyssal Wills—it was the same where Light worked together with him in the Bloodmoon Abyss, with a World Will making its appearance and individually supporting a being.

Unlike Light, however, Joshua had imagined that Abyssal Lieges could only command boundless power on its own soil. Now, things appeared to be a complete opposite—the Abyssal Will appeared to be hosted upon Goliath's body, which was now the Sixth Abyss, the dead world instead becoming a frivolous burden… on the other hand, the reason Goliath would part its body into so many pieces placed in other worlds was probably to spread its domain as the Sixth Abyss to fulfill its ends.

In laymen terms, Joshua had imagined that Abyssal Liege and Abyssal Wills existed as 'Soil' and 'Stone Tape', but they were in fact 'Individual and 'Spirit'.

"…You're telling me to lead my army and subjugate foreign Abyssals from unrest…"

Goliath finally spoke after a long silence. "Joshua van Radcliffe, you underestimate me too much."

"Long before you have discovered the anomalies, I have seen the signs and suppressed all species that are deemed a threat."

As if spoke, the demon's humanoid form spread its three-fingered hand that was more a murderous forelimb. Countless broken soul lights were burning in that palm, with millions of soul fragments dancing under the Demon King's power, conjuring the images of dozens of different demons.

"I realized that things were unusual at the very beginning. Several worlds and Abysses I had been spying upon were fighting amongst themselves, but when I prepare to lead my armies to take them, believing that it was a fine time for plunder, Saluka informed me that an uprising broke out at the burning river plains."

"I knew something was wrong then. My demonic minions had a pact signed in the name of the Abyssal Will, and must be of the archdemon pinnacle class if they intend rebellion. Having pacified them and realizing that it's an Evil God's influence, I realized that an opportunity is in our hands—for us, at least."

The dual-horned Demon King with eight eyes smiled cruelly. "Wiping them out had certainly created Chaos power composites, but breaking them isn't hard. Mycroftian, do not think that only your kind could realize that."

"Then could you tell that the Evil God's influence reaches the entire galaxy?"

Joshua sneered, his gigantic Steel human form slowly advancing in the Void. "Well done, Goliath, you had definitely uncovered the cause for disaster beforehand and vanquished it… but it appears that you would not accept our suggestion."

"No, I do accept it in pleasure. But before that, I still have something to do."

Goliath dragged its lower-body that resembled a cloud of stars that floated in the Void while quietly refuting Joshua. "As the king of demons, I am certainly aware that we are doomed against the present Mycroft civilization…"

"But that is why I shall do what I must."

"I would have you learn that there's a price to pay if you intend to banish wild, uncivilized, blood-lusting and warmongering demons."

The silver God of Steel and the Abyssal Liege that was shrouded in darkness glared at each other over a world. It would have been a long distance that might not be covered even with their entire life, but to the two champions who had reached their current threshold on the path of Extraordinary, it was a perfect distance, just like how martial artists could draw blood even at a three meters distance.

And amidst the standoff, Goliath the Demon King attacked first—promptly spreading its wings, two long dark scythes appeared in both his hands, stirring ripples as powerful as tidal waves and shifting the orbit of a small world. Even the Sixth Abyss was pushed slightly towards the distance away from the battlefield of those two profound beings, while surging Abyssal Breath unfurled, instantly covering the borders of a dozen worlds.

A single dark halo was slowly expanding over Goliath's two horns. It was the remains of a great will: the shed skin of a Steel Python, the remnant ambition of a World Will. Whatever the case may be, it was the Will of the Sixth Abyss given form, itself having fused into one form with its own Abyssal Liege—Goliath was its hope, and the Abyss would die alongside it if its Liege perishes.

"Show me your power!" The Demon King growled, dark-red fiery light shining upon its scythes. Like dying molten flames found upon dead worlds, it appeared out of place with Goliath's movements as it hotly and silently held destruction as it cut towards Joshua's head.

"As you wish!" On the other hand, the warrior laughed and clenched his fist which burnt an incandescent white. Embodying heat and negentropy comparable to the sun, the warrior did not take a single step back against the scythes that could have cut his head off, decisively stepping forward and facing it directly!

In that instant, most of the vicinity of the Sixth Abyss felt a formless impact force engulfing every realm.

***

In the Fifteenth Abyss, where all life had withered, with only dense smog and giant stone trees existed, the Drakonid and balrog who were studying the local demons and section of the Nether River looked up in shock at the skies. The heavens clouded by gloom was emanating a familiar presence to their party, just as a dark red flower of light slowly blossomed.

"It's really beautiful… Eh, why? Mister Syndicate, Zero-One, what are you doing?!"

The strong-willed Lisa murmured in admiration of the beauty, before realizing that the balrog and the huge Steel Elemental behind her had half-knelt, loyally paying their respects toward the weird sun.

Unlike the Count's apprentice, Syndicate who was linked to the warrior in Steel Strength while Zero-One was his first spawn, both had at once realized the true form of that flower of light.

"Bow, Lisa," Syndicate slowly rose after his salutations, speaking quietly as he looked up at the skies. "Not in blind worship but in rational reverence… it's not an exaggeration for the power that protects us."

"Bzzt-bzzt, bzzt-bzzt-bzzt-bzzt, bzzt-bzzt."

***

In the Thirty-Third Abyss, a barren world polluted by radioactive heavy metal particles, every place was either the ruins of all former cities or barren mountains and plains. Here, the First Party was fighting Toxic Metals Mud Monster unique to that Abyss.

When Karin brandished her fusion core staff to blast half a city's wreck and the entire monster into smithereens with a fission burst beam before dropping prone on Nick the dwarf's back, the siblings Ivan and Amelia who were fighting at the front were the first to notice a second, dark red sun appearing over their heads.

"Oh! It's the mentor's presence!" The dwarf, who was the most well-built and had the sharpest senses amongst them straightened himself as he gaped at the skies. His movement, however, threw the exhausted and mana-drained Karin down on the ground, who threw a vicious glare at Nick before fainting. The dwarf then turned and promptly reach out, screaming in agony.

"Ka—Rin—!!!"

"Quit it, let her sleep for a while—She is an atomic blast mage and wouldn't fear radiation… in fact, this realm has improved her greatly."

Amelia told him off, before looking up at the skies, while Ivan sheathed the two-handed sword that he had kept beside himself. "So, our mentor is here in the Abyss too?" He murmured in wonder. "Looks like the demons are in for it this time again."

"Weird. Why did I say 'again'?"

***

The Fifty-Seventh Abyss was a dry world without water vapors or any oxygen. All that could be found here was fissures and ravines, some that stretched directly to the world's core that still had certain warmth. Toxic gases kept billowing out of it, shaping into poisonous acidic clouds.

The world itself had been a paradise for Abyssal Ooze monsters, but after the Elite Party conducted a dozen days of research and exploration, the Oozes became an endangered species due to various unfortunate accidents. It was then that the Elite Party realized that they had overdone things and stopped attacking, and regretfully commence actual research and exploration.

However, unlike what happened the other Abysses, the Elite Party began to fight amongst themselves at the sight of that dark-red sun over their heads.

Or more precisely, engaged themselves in single-sided bullying.

"Rider—!!!"

Clergy, having silenced Rider with a spell, was yet to calm from his rage—even when the latter had shrunk himself at a corner of their research base, not daring to even move. Meanwhile, Mage was charging another similar spell while Alchemist was waving a potion that turns tongue and vocal cords into stone while watching Rider quietly. Priest simply looked on as if in pain, while Sol's soul held his head, puzzled, her nonexistent chest pressing over head as she watched the Elite Party squabble.

"It's the count!"

Stepping past Clergy, Mage threw a sinister glare at the panicking but voiceless Rider before saying gently, "What did you say just now? That a Tyrant Ooze would suddenly jump out from the core cracks and swallow our lab, or a sudden great earthquake like World Zero-One?"

"Did you say something again?"

Beside him, Alchemist was showing a gentle expression, but the potion that he held which bubbled threateningly was not. As he held it near Rider who violently shook his head, he whispered, "Haven't we made a gentleman's agreement that you must not say anything weird during a mission?"

"U-u-u, mph!"

Having been silenced, Rider hurriedly drew pen and paper from his pocket and wrote furiously and showed it to his teammates.

[No, listen to me. Why would I say that the count's presence meant calamity for us?"]

[I really didn't say anything! We've been exploring quietly for so long… whatever Tyrant Ooze is definitely not appearing, just as there won't be seismic shifts in this world that had died since who-knows-how-long.]

[Unless…]

Just as Rider tried to write […a meteor suddenly dropped], Priest at once charge his gravity aura to take away Rider's stationery, and breathed a long exhale when it was done. "F*ck, we're almost getting done in again… Ah, I swore, heat of the moment…"

"The Seven Gods would not blame you during such a time."

"It's fine. Cursing now doesn't count, our dear sister-in-law wouldn't mind."

"That's right. What's a little cursing when it's Rider we're talking about?"

Clergy, Mage, and Alchemist all breathed a sigh in relief and began to flatter their team leader. Nevertheless, when Priest was about to respond with humility, everyone including Rider and Sol's soul all ran to the window to look up at the skies.

Unthinkable power was exploding at the edge of the heavens, far beyond that Abyss. Shockwaves from clashing energies pushed the countless realms wafting in the Abyss, and a profound rain of asteroids appeared over the skies of the Fifty-Seventh Abyss, drawing erratic gray-blue trails as if a crude pencil drawing.

***

In that moment.

Half of the Abyss quaked from the power of the two individuals.

Such was their fight.

Or more precisely, such was their war.