Esquin fought fiercely against the four Divine Beasts in the sky above Fengdu Land. Rifts spread across the sky like a spider's web, the result of their battle. Their overwhelming energy exerted pressure on every living being in the land.

The might of the Gods was a power that had not been seen in over a hundred years.

Only now did people once again recognize the overwhelming strength of the beings who stood at the top of the world.

Boom!!

The darkness seemed alive, biting through the sky. Vermilion Bird unleashed a torrent of flames, transforming the entire sky above Fengdu Land.

Ohm!!

A sea of raging flames flooded the heavens, captivating the attention of every living being below. The warmth it radiated felt comforting, yet they knew that anyone who touched those flames would perish instantly.

Esquin stood in the middle of the flames, the darkness around him devouring the fire that sought to burn him.

"You're finally taking this seriously...

"

He frowned as he propelled himself high into the sky, above the sea of flames. Only then did he realize that Vermilion Bird had vanished.

Suddenly, Esquin's eyes widened as he turned around. The space behind him tore apart, and a gigantic flaming bird emerged from the rift. In an instant, the bird transformed into a woman enveloped in flames.

It was Vermilion Bird.

The darkness surrounding Esquin erupted, but it was already too late. Vermilion Bird hurled him upward, above the atmosphere, and the sea of flames followed suit.

Boom!!

"I, the Vermilion Bird, awaken the great power within myself. I burn away desire, hatred, and ignorance.

"

Vermilion Bird appeared before Esquin and threw a powerful punch, a massive bird's shadow manifesting behind her.

"Thou shalt never feel anything as I burn everything. Witness for thyself as I become the great existence that ignited the ember of nirvana.

"

The space distorted as a sun formed around Esquin and Vermilion Bird, becoming the center of their confrontation.

"The radiant might of the nirvana flames, Elyra Fenix.

"

Vermilion Bird's appearance transformed. The flames surrounding her body shifted to a pale flame devoid of heat. Her form was adorned with crimson and golden tattoos, and she grew an additional pair of wings.

The Monster Lord Transformation.

The ultimate power of the Monster Lords.

It was called a transformation, but some Monster Lords barely changed in appearance when they used this power.

"So this is the might of the Vermilion Bird, one of the four Divine Beasts,

" Esquin muttered to himself. He then looked down and added,

"It's impressive, but we're almost finished here.

"

On the ground, the Gluttony Army was nearly done setting up everything. This war had just begun, and chaos was about to ensue.

Esquin chuckled before taking a step forward.

"Let me see just how great the Divine Beasts truly are!

"

He faced the Vermilion Bird once more, along with the other three Divine Beasts.

Boom!

The six God-rank powerhouses that Esquin had brought stood calmly, watching the battle unfold. They slowly released their energy, causing a brilliant formation to materialize on the

ground.

The entire area on their side had transformed into a massive fortress filled with all sorts of runes, with spatial rifts forming all around it.

More and more experts from the Gluttony Army stepped out of the spatial rifts.

They intended to turn this land into a battlefield. Having already established their presence here, they knew it wouldn't fall easily.

On the other side, the army from the Cult of Great Divine Beasts felt a sense of gloom. Despite the enemy's arrival in their territory, they knew they couldn't act. After all, six Gods stood at the forefront, and attempting to intervene would be suicide. They needed to maintain the formation to ensure the four Divine Beasts received the enhancements required to battle the Ruler of Gluttony.

"We can't fight this war alone,

" a Tenth Shackle Realm expert from the Cult of Great Divine Beasts said.

Indeed, they required the strength of the other sects in the Immortal Land. If possible, they should summon the Heavenly Court to this battle. After all, the Heavenly Court was the most powerful faction in the entire Immortal Land.

...

Meanwhile, in the three theaters.

A warrior lying on the ground, covered in wounds, slowly opened his eyes.

"Argh! W-What happened...?

"

He lifted his head and surveyed a land of ruins. The sky was dark and filled with cracks that spread in all directions like a spider's web. The ground vibrated incessantly, and countless corpses were scattered everywhere.

Hundreds of concentrated energy blasts fell from the sky like meteors, causing massive

explosions.

"Huff... Huff...

"

The warrior forced himself to stand. He recalled that after the ancient Monster Lord had

appeared, the gods on their side had launched a fierce attack.

Goddess Skadi, God Amanikable, and the onster Lord Cherubim.

After that, everything seemed to collapse.

"Hey! You still alive?! Hurry up and retreat!

" A voice sounded in his ears.

The warrior turned his head and saw a figure with dark red hair.

"Yeah, somehow I'm still alive,

" he replied.

"That's good. You better hurry up, or else you'll die. The situation isn't looking good for us,

" the dark red-haired warrior said.

The two warriors began to run, despite their bodies being covered in wounds. It wasn't wise

to fly right now, as God-rank powerhouses clashed in the sky. A mere whisper of their intense

energy could be fatal.

Bang! Bang!

Hundreds of monstrous dark entities, filled with tentacles, marched forward, causing the ground to shake. Each one emitted an eerie sound that affected a person's mind.

The two warriors wore gloomy expressions as they glanced back at the advancing monsters.

Each one of those creatures radiated incredible energy.

Swoosh!!

"How many survived the aftermath?

" the warrior asked.

"I don't know,

" the dark red-haired warrior replied, shaking his head.

Almost a million warriors had perished in mere moments. Even the Thrones stationed at the frontline had fallen quickly. Only a few hundred remained among the hundreds of thousands

who had fought.

The survivors possessed strength, but those who were weaker and at lower levels had perished without a chance. None of them had made it through. The friends they had laughed and shared drinks with were all gone.

"Goddess Skadi ordered all survivors to retreat. She wants us to get out of here and has warned the cities beyond the three theaters to evacuate,

" the dark red-haired warrior said.

Goddess Skadi knew that their current strength wouldn't stand against the monsters. Moreover, if these creatures reached the cities beyond, it would endanger countless lives.

Soon, the two warriors spotted other survivors. They were all desperately trying to flee from the monstrous dark entities.

Their priority was clear: escape and allow the ordinary people to evacuate far from this impending doom. The three theaters had collapsed, and these monsters would wreak havoc,

leaving death in their wake.

"At this rate, those monsters will catch up,

" the dark red-haired warrior said as he stopped in

his tracks. He slowly turned to face the horde of monsters.

"What are you trying to do?

" the other warrior asked.

"You go; I'll buy us some time,

" the dark red-haired warrior replied.

"Then...

" the warrior stood beside the dark-haired warrior and said,

"I'll help you double that

time.

"

"You...!!

" The dark red-haired warrior turned his head, but upon seeing the determined look in Aken's eyes, he swallowed what he was about to say. He smiled and asked,

"What's your

name?

"

"Aken, a warrior from the Great Aaru Holy Land.

"

"That's a fine name. I'm Erik, a proud warrior from Asgard! And today, we die as warriors, brother!!

" The dark red-haired warrior, Erik, roared as he raised his sword high.

Both warriors stood firm on the ground, facing the incoming monstrosity known as the Dark Young. The army of monstrous creatures surged forward like a dark tide, their growls echoing

across the battlefield.

ROAR!!!

As the rest of the survivors retreated, two brave warriors fought fiercely to the end to buy

them some time. They never gave up until they took their last breath. Standing side by side, they appeared as if they had been brothers their entire lives. All that mattered to them was that the warrior beside them would stand by them until the end.

Somewhere in the land of Aaru.

"Mom, when's Dad gonna come home?

" a young girl asked, looking up at her mother.

The mother smiled gently as she stroked the head of her child.

"Soon, your father is going to

return.

"

"Really?

" The young girl looked at her mother with great expectations.

"Yes, so you have to be a good girl,

" the mother replied.

This is war.

Countless people in the land were affected by it. In this chaotic situation, the brave spirit of the warriors lives on.