Lord of the Truth

1054  Sakaar stepping up

Fwoooo~~

Booooom!

"What's happening up ahead?! What are those sounds?!"

"Help!!"

"Arghhh--!!"

The synchronized assault of the marshals was devastating, obliterating the formations of the vanguard of the Great Serpent Empire's army. Not a single soldier in that massive force could advance even a step in the presence of the two marshals. Then, the true calamity struck— a hundred martial emperors crashing into their ranks like an unstoppable tidal wave.

The colossal silver beasts trampled them like insects underfoot, their massive frames unstoppable. The silver martial emperors descended with ferocity unparalleled, slashing and smashing with brutal efficiency.

Heads and severed limbs flew through the air, scattering blood and gore in all directions. Their fighting style lacked any trace of humanity or mercy, their savagery amplified to monstrous levels compared to their lives before.

"Noooo!!!"

Many soldiers of the Great Serpent Empire's army froze in sheer horror, their eyes widening as they recognized faces among the attackers. Old comrades, revered officers, and even famed imperial guards stood among the hundred, their silver eyes devoid of emotion, wreaking havoc on their own.

"No… this can't be real, what is happening here? What is happening here!?" one soldier gasped, staring in disbelief as his former commander—once his idol—mercilessly tore through their ranks.

"What… is this?!"

Sakaar's mind reeled at the surreal sight unfolding before him. His instincts screamed that he must be dreaming, and in a desperate attempt to wake himself, he struck the space between his horns. Bam! Bam! The pain shot through him, but the nightmare didn't fade.

"…It's real?!"

"What's happening?!"

"Is that our fifty-third brother? Isn't he supposed to be on the Poison Rock Planet? What is he doing attacking our men?!"

Bang! Bam! Bam!

In the distance, a fierce battle raged between the Lord and Pythor, their strikes reverberating like thunder.

"…?!"

Until this moment, Sakaar had assumed that his Lord's role in the battle was limited. After all, he had already done so much—summoning the soul creature Hovenheim, enduring the agonizing toll it took on his soul reserves, and stalling Pythor with his words. Sakaar believed his Lord was buying time— spinning lies, perhaps confessing intriguing truths, all to delay the inevitable.

He thought his Lord was stalling until he, Sakaar, could defeat his own opponents and join the fight against Pythor, standing side by side to tip the scales.

But now...

Swoosh! Swoosh! Bam!

Pythor struck again and again, his whips cutting through the air so fast they seemed to vanish into nothingness, their power enough to cleave through mountains and shatter the earth.

Yet, not a single lash found its target, The Lord, he flickered and reappeared mere centimeters away from each strike, his movements confined to a single, unyielding circle no larger than a single step. It was as if he'd wagered with fate itself, determined not to leave that small space.

Even as he faced a planetary emperor, The Lord laughed. His voice carried a playful derision, as though the ferocious duel unfolding around him was but a mild diversion. While battling Pythor with such ease, he had simultaneously deployed his soul beast Hovenheim, as well as marshals and a hundred silver martial emperors to annihilate the advancing enemy forces.

What kind of power was this? What kind of monstrous dominance is this?

"Hah~ I've let my thoughts run wild, The Lord is the Lord after all." Sakaar chuckled to himself, shaking his head in self-mockery. The awe he felt for his lord swelled anew. He turned to Hovenheim, the massive silver soul beast tearing through their enemies like a storm of vengeance incarnate. "Switch with me!"

Despite their bound servitude, soul creatures possessed fragments of their master's will. At Sakaar's command, Hovenheim immediately responded with a deafening roar. KRRRRRRRR! Its immense branches lashed out, slamming into unprepared opponents and launching them into the ground like broken puppets.

"Grrrraaah!!"

Sakaar seized the opportunity, his hands closing into tight fists. Half of the Underworld Lilies surrounding him began merging rapidly, their petals swirling like whirlpools of crimson death. The merging lilies grew in size until Sakaar clenched his fists again. BOOM! The five lilies condensed into small, fiery blooms no larger than a hand. Yet, within each flower swirled the wrath of oceans of blood—a fraction of the abyss.

"Now!" Sakar leaped toward the hundred silver martial emperors tasked with stalling Hovenheim.

"What is happening?!"

"The demon is coming!"

The nearly 100 Martial Emprors Hovenheim was battling finally turned their horrified gazes toward Sakaar. Five underworld daisies rotated ominously around him, their deadly hum resonating like death's whisper.

"Kill the demon first!" The silver emperors adjusted their strategy, converging on Sakaar. Perhaps this time, they could defeat their new target instead of battling the unrelenting, regenerating soul beast.

ZZZZN! ZZZZN!

The five lilies shot toward their prey with terrifying speed. BOOM! The first martial emperor disintegrated into a cloud of crimson mist. BOOM! Another fell, reduced to nothingness.

"What—?!"

The remaining martial emperors froze momentarily, their battle-hardened instincts urging them to act.

"Attack! Don't let those things touch you!" they roared, hurling their mightiest blows at Sakaar.

BAM! BAM! BAM!

Their weapons of legend crashed into Sakaar's crimson-black armor. The sheer force made him stagger, blood spurting from his mouth. Yet the armor —crafted uniquely for him— absorbed much of the damage. While the combined might of their epic weapons and powerful foes was no trivial matter, Sakaar endured.

Unlike his opponents, battered and fatigued from an hour of relentless combat against Soul Creature Hovenheim, Sakaar stood as a fresh, unyielding force. The difference in their preparation, physical endurance, and energy reserves was undeniable.

If Sakaar had faced this barrage earlier in the day, the outcome might have been different. Broken bones, severed limbs, or worse—those were possibilities. But now? The odds were entirely in his favor.

"Again!" Sakaar bellowed, hurling his hands forward. The five daises roared to life, finding new targets among his enemies.

"Damn it!" Those nearest to the deadly blooms attempted to flee, but their broken bodies betrayed them, slowing their movements. The daises reached them in a flash. BOOM! BOOM! They were obliterated, leaving only vaporized remnants.

"Damn it all!" one of them shouted, his voice trembling with fear as he watched the daises circle again, ready to strike.