921-930

Chapter 921 – A Choice That Makes His Heart Ache

Just as the cloaked figures swung their death scythes to claim the souls of the people that they had targeted, five glowing silver arrows pierced through the grim reapers' body, turning them into particles of light.

Everyone except Raymond had closed their eyes during the moment of life and death, so they didn't see how the Grim Reapers died. Only Raymond, managed to compose himself as he glanced in the direction where the arrows came from.

At the end of the street, a young lady, who seemed to be in her early teens, walked towards them with a bow in her hand.

She was wearing a set of light-weight armor with an intricate design that glowed faintly. Her long, black, hair was tied in a ponytail and held up by a purple butterfly hair clip.

Although she was still young, her beauty was enough to mesmerize anyone who laid their eyes on her.

"Good thing I arrived in time," the young black-haired beauty muttered.

Raymond's eyes widened in shock because the young lady walking towards them had an uncanny resemblance to his daughter, who had just opened her eyes to look at the face of their savior.

Belle's heart trembled after seeing the girl's face because she knew, with absolute certainty, that she was looking at someone very precious to her.

"W-What is your name?" Belle asked as her lips trembled.

She had seen Raizel in William's memories, which made her feel envious and jealous. However, when she laid her eyes on the young lady who shared her same features, she understood then and there that one of her wishes had been granted.

"Stella," The young lady answered with a smile. "Stella Von Ainsworth."

After giving out her name, Stella drew on her bow and three silver arrows materialized in her hand. With one swift motion, that neared perfection, the young lady released the string of her bow, and the three silver arrows pierced through the heads of three more grim reapers that had wandered over to their location.

After killing her targets, she continued walking towards Belle.

Aethon on the other hand transformed back to its original form and perched itself on Belle's shoulder. It deemed that Belle was safe, so it no longer felt the need to retain its battle form.

When William went to meet Dias, and Hebe, in that strange world. Aethon was transported to the Valley of the Monsters, where it had met the Mother of All Monsters, Echidna. There, the little wren was given the opportunity to drink some of her blood, which allowed its body to mutate and take on the form of a Giant Roc.

Echidna's blood also made Aethon very smart, which allowed it to make quick decisions, just like what it did when Belle and the others were attacked by grim reapers.

For the little Wren, Stella was not a threat because it could sense William's and Belle's bloodline flowing inside her body. Because of this, it didn't make any move to attack the girl and allowed her to come close to them.

"Here, wear this," Stella said as she presented a golden bracelet to Belle. "Papa needs all the help he can get."

"Papa?" Raymond asked. "Who's your Papa?"

The corner of Stella's lips curled up into a smile as she pointed at the red-headed teenager who was busy attacking the black tower.

"I'll be going now," Stella stated before winking at Belle. "Everyone, please take care."

As soon as Stella said those words, the sandals she was wearing grew wings. She then jumped to the roof of the nearest building and disappeared from sight, leaving Belle, her parents, and her two best friends, looking in the direction where Stella had gone.

—–

As William fought against the Giants, he noticed glowing orbs of light flying in the direction of the Black Tower.

He was very familiar with this scene because this was what happened whenever someone died in the Deadlands. Their souls would be housed inside the tower and stored to be used as a battery to power its operations.

After the souls had lost their strength, the tower had two options for them. One was to use the souls as a catalyst to turn them into Undead, the other one was to send them to the cycle of reincarnation to start their lives all over again.

William was stuck in a dilemma. If K-City was indeed the Deadlands then whatever he was doing right now was pointless.

The result had already been determined from the start, and the only thing he could do was to accept that this was inevitable.

However, William didn't want to accept it.

He wouldn't accept it.

Right now, Belle was inside K-City. No matter what happens, he wouldn't allow her to turn into an Undead Creature, or have her soul be used by the Tower then discarded after she was no longer of use.

This was something that William would prevent no matter what, even if it meant sacrificing everything to ensure her safety.

Suddenly, a giant red portal that spanned for miles appeared in the sky above K-City.

William felt that something very ominous was going to happen because the number of monsters that the Tower created increased drastically.

It was also at that moment when the city trembled, as it once again rose towards the sky.

The Half-Elf's expression became grim when he realized that the city was being sucked up toward the red portal, which would spell bad news for those who were still alive within the city.

< William. When this city enters that portal, the possibility of any life remaining in the city will cease to exist. Tell me, do you wish to save everyone? >

Optimus' voice broke William out of his daze as he firmly nodded his head.

< Very well. You have two choices. The first one is to teleport all the people from the city towards the ground before this place is swallowed up by the red portal.

In order to do this, you need to use your Einherjar Job Class and create perfect clones of yourself. After doing so, you will harness the power of the mirrors and use the laws that you have already absorbed in the Deadlands to teleport everyone out of the city.

Since the laws of the Deadlands have already merged with your body, mass teleport will be possible. Unfortunately, if you choose this option, you will be rendered motionless, and will not be able to defend yourself against any attacks. >

William nodded his head in understanding. Although this move was risky, as long as he endured a little, he would be able to save everyone.

"How about the second option?" William inquired.

< Same thing. You will need to use your Einherjar Job Class to break through the black tower's defenses. However, I have a bad feeling about this. >

"A bad feeling?"

< Yes. I feel like if we break the black tower's defenses, the final boss will make an appearance. Right now, we can't gain any information on our enemies, which puts us at a disadvantage. >

The red-headed teenager narrowed his eyes as he looked at the red portal above him. The time had come and he knew that no matter what choice he made, he would lose something important to him and it made his heart ache.

Chapter 922 – Finally, A Worthy Opponent!

Just as William was thinking on what choice to make, the black tower in front of him started to change form.

It shrank to a tenth of its size and formed a humanoid appearance. It had long hair, but calling it hair was not appropriate because they were like long slithering snakes that extended up to three meters, and they eyed William with contempt.

The face was similar to that of a human with a red gem on its forehead, but since it was made from the black tower, the body was completely black, like obsidian. The ten-meter tall creature eyed William with its golden eyes, and its mouth opened to a sneer revealing its fangs.

"Ok, looks like we go with Option 2," William muttered as he gripped Ruyi Jingu Bang firmly.

However, just before he was going to charge at the enemy, a voice that came from the red portal made him freeze in place.

"Ah! So, you're here!" Chloee shouted as she waved her hand at her disciple. "Hola, William!"

William looked at Chloee with a confused expression on his face. "Sixth Master? What are you doing here?"

"Obviously I'm looking for you!" Chloee replied as she flew towards William. "I met these three sisters along the way and they said that if I enter their portal, I will find you. Looks like they didn't lie to me, so here I am!"

The corner of Willam's lips twitched because of his Sixth Master's explanation. Although he understood that Chloee wasn't smart, she wasn't gullible either. For her to believe those three sisters required her to take a leap of faith. It just proved that she was dead-set on finding him which made the Half-Elf feel a little happy inside.

"Um? Do you know the name of those three sisters?" William asked.

"What three sisters?" Chloee asked back as she tilted her head in confusion.

"The three sisters that opened a portal so you can appear here."

"What are you talking about?"

The little familiar scratched her head as if trying to remember something. When she entered the portal, her memory of the "three sisters" was still fresh. However, after half a minute, she had forgotten about them completely, which was the same thing that had happened to William when he appeared on Earth.

"Nevermind, it's not important." William decided to just focus on the problem at hand for the time being. With the appearance of his Sixth Master, he had gained a reliable ally.

It was at that moment when the suction power of the red portal strengthened. Optimus immediately informed William that if nothing was done, the entire city would be swallowed by the portal in two minutes. Because of this, the Half-Elf decided to take a gamble.

"Sixth Master, can you stall that thing for me?" William asked the little fairy who was busy looking at her surroundings.

Chloee eyed the ten-mater tall alien-like creature and frowned. Just like William, she couldn't appraise its rank, which made the little fairy smile fearlessly.

"Finally, a worthy opponent!" Chloee raised her small fist. "Our battle will be legendary! Okay. I'll handle this thing or whatever it is. You do what you need to do."

"Understood." William nodded. "Goodluck, Sixth Master."

William backed away so he wouldn't be involved in the battle that was about to take place. Truthfully, among the enemies that he had faced, nothing scared him more than his Sixth Master.

The little fairy was practically a cheat-like existence that was able to ignore the laws of the world. If the one who attacked the Black Tower earlier was Chloee, instead of William, there was a higher chance that her attack would break through because of her abilities that defied all logic.

Chloee fearlessly smiled as her body was enveloped with a bright light. When the light receded,

An adorable girl, who was the same height as Chiffon, floated in the sky. Her short blonde hair with curls in the end fluttered in the breeze, and her blue eyes that were as clear as the sky locked on to her target.

For Chloee, fighting against strong opponents was something she looked forward to. She was the only opponent that William recognized who had the ability to instantly kill him with a single punch, if he were to not take her seriously.

Suddenly a loud ringing sound reverberated in the surroundings, as the bells of the different churches in K-City rang at the same time. It was as if it was a sign that told everyone to endure for as long as they could because help was coming.

William hovered in the air with his eyes closed, as his hair slowly turned white.

With Chloee fighting the Black Tower, the Half-Elf could focus on the nine mirrors that had locked the entire city in a protective barrier.

Also, he needed to bend the laws to stop K-City from entering the red portal at all costs. The moment the city was engulfed by the portal, it was game over for every living Human that was still trapped in the city.

"Heroes of Valhalla," William said firmly.

Thirteen perfect clones appeared behind William holding the Mythical Weapons that had once wreaked havoc in the battlefield

Longinus, also known as the Holy Spear of Destiny. Some say that it had the ability to pierce through almost anything.

Khryselakatos, the Bow that was dedicated to the Goddess Artemis, the God of Hunting. It was said that it could shoot many arrows at once, covering the sun like rain.

Gae Bolg, the Spear of Mortal Pain that inflicted suffering to whoever was unlucky enough to be impaled by its deadly tip.

Caliburn, a Mythical Holy Sword that was said to be responsible for choosing the One True King that would lead the world to a new era.

The Grail Sword, a Sword used by a famous Knight who had served loyally to his King and fought alongside him through the harshest of battlefields.

Galatine, every light casts a shadow. If one was light, then this Sword represented the darkness. The Sword that tried to prevent the downfall of a kingdom, but ultimately failed in the end due to the overwhelming numbers and superiority of the foes it faced.

Arondight, a Sword that could only be wielded by the strongest Knight of an era. Only the best could wield this blade, and anyone who was foolish enough to try would lose their mind in the process.

Clarent, was a Ceremonial Sword that matched the power of the legendary weapon that was wielded by one of the true kings of Midgard. Deadly, and steady, sometimes it is often called the Kingslayer by many.

These weapons were special even among the weapons in William's arsenal.

They were the weapons that had accompanied William in almost all of his lifetimes. Sometimes he wielded them, sometimes they were wielded by others. However, one thing was certain, whenever he needed them, they would appear and answer his call.

"Scatter," William ordered and his thirteen clones flew in different directions.

Nine of them went to where the mirrors were located.

One of them went to where Belle and her group was in order to protect them.

Three went to deal with the giants that were starting to wreak havoc in the city.

William, on the other hand, hovered in the air as he activated the laws of the Deadlands that he had managed to collect.

His goal was the hardest of them all, which required all of his concentration.

While everyone was dealing with the enemies, he channeled his power to connect with every living human in K-City so he could teleport them away from it.

He was doing Plan A, B, and C all at once because the situation was that dire.

Wiliam didn't know if Chloee could beat the transformed Black Tower.

He didn't know if his clones could successfully prevent the city from entering the red portal.

And he didn't know if he would be able to save everyone from that gruesome fate that awaited them if his other plans were to fail.

However, he didn't have a choice.

Right now, the only thing he could do was give it everything he got, and pray to the Gods that the woman he loved with all of his heart would be able to leave this death-infested city… alive.

Chapter 923 – Ride Of The Valkyries

The death toll inside K-City was steadily rising.

As more people died due to the zombies and grim reapers, the undead army slowly grew. Now, they numbered in the tens of thousands, and there was simply no way to stop their advance.

William had his hands tied dealing with the Giant Black Golems, and trying to prevent the city from getting sucked by the red portal that was getting nearer with each passing second.

After taking a deep breath, William closed his eyes as he channeled all of his strength in gathering the still living humans in one part of the city, so that he could mass teleport them all in one go.

The red-headed teenager didn't have this ability. Fortunately, the nine mirrors did. Since he had absorbed their laws in the Deadlands, he was able to manipulate them to a certain extent. His only regret was that he couldn't take over them completely and use them to his advantage.

'Optimus, let's start,' William ordered.

< … Are you sure? There's no turning back if you go with this route. According to my calculations, the most ideal option is to just teleport Belle, her parents, and her best friends away from this place. As long as you do that, the losses you will gain are minimal. >

William took a deep breath before answering the System who only had his best interest in mind.

'True. If I just turn a blind eye to everything around me then that is certainly the best option to take,' William answered with a calm expression on his face. 'However, if I choose that option, I will feel guilty my whole life.'

Somewhere far away, a mother hid her daughter behind her as she brandished a chair towards a zombie in order to protect her.

The zombie was blown away by the impact, and the chair was destroyed, but another zombie took its place. Lunging at the woman, it was prepared to bite her neck to end her life.

Just as its nefarious teeth was about to sink its fangs on the mother's neck, the mother and daughter pair disappeared from the house and reappeared where Belle's group was.

William had teleported both of them at the nick of time, saving them from further harm.

'Optimus, I'm not trying to be a martyr or anything,' William stated as he kept on teleporting those who were currently in danger. 'However, I can't turn a blind eye when Gods play with the lives of mortals. This is something that I cannot allow no matter what. Not back then, not now, not in the future!'

Beams of light flew towards the Southern Part of K-City where Belle's group had been relocated. Beads of sweat formed on William's forehead as Optimus helped him lock on the people that were in immediate danger.

'Tell me, Optimus, am I stupid for doing something unnecessary?' William asked.

< Yes. But, I guess, that is what it means to be Human. Even if you're only Half-Human right now. Since you chose this path then I will help you carry it out till the end. >

'Good. Optimus, remember what I told you before.'

< Understood. Leave it to me, Will. >

'Thank you.'

William opened his eyes as he resolved himself to do what he couldn't do in the past. When the Giants of Destruction trampled upon Asgard, and destroyed everything he held dear in his life, he was unable to stop them.

Even when he gave everything he had, it was still all for naught. That's why, this time, he would not falter.

He would not fail.

"I'm sorry, Belle," William said softly as he pressed his fist over the shining blue gem on his chest. "In the name of the All Father, I command my body to unlock the First Seal of my Power."

The sky darkened as dark clouds covered the sun. William's body glowed in a pale silver light.

"Warriors are not always the fastest or the strongest of men," William stated as the radiance around him intensified. "Warriors are those who choose to stand between their enemy and all that they love or hold sacred."

A pair of white wings protruded from behind his back, and a silver armor that the Einherjars wore to battle adorned his body.

William chanted as the powers that had been bestowed to him thousands of years ago manifested in full.

—–

Southern Continent…

Wendy raised her head to look at the sky. Her eyes glowed with power, as she held the spear in her hand firmly.

Thor, who was always by her side, also raised its head and howled towards the heavens. Its body grew in size as the streaks of lightning on its body glowed brightly.

—–

Inside the Thousand Beast Domain…

Charmaine and the other Elves raised their heads towards the sky. Their hearts trembled as William's voice passed through their minds.

It was an unusual sensation, as if they were being bathed in some kind of power that they had never felt before. A few seconds later, all of them gathered. They knew what they had to do, as if they had done it countless times in the past.

Their Prince had spoken, and they would answer his call.

——

"What sort of dream is that, Odin?

I dreamed I rose up before dawn

to clear up Valhalla for slain people.

I aroused the Einheriar,

bade them get up to strew the benches,

clean the beer-cups,

the valkyries to serve wine

for the arrival of a Prince."

William smiled as he finished his chant.

Right now, he felt the power that he had wielded in a time that had been long forgotten. Although it fell short against the battle against the Army of Destruction, it was more than enough to accomplish the goal that he had set out to make.

"Caretakers of those that have fallen, come and wave the flags of battle. Today, we fight, and show the Gods our courage. To Odin and Thor we pay our homage."

"Show them the might of Asgard," William ordered. "Sing our songs of victory and make the world remember our names!"

"Ride of the Valkyries!"

William raised his hand and several portals appeared above him. A powerful hymn echoed across the city as the winged horses carrying the maidens of war appeared in the battlefield.

Suddenly a golden portal appeared, and from it came a three meter tall wolf whose body was cloaked in lightning bolts.

Seated on its back was none other than William's first wife, Wendy.

Her long blonde hair danced in the breeze, making her look like a War Goddess that had descended into the mortal realm to wage war against those who were foolish enough to oppose her.

In her left hand, she held a banner that fluttered freely, showing its unmatched majesty and glory. It was the banner of the Angorian War Sovereign that William had made when they were still in the Southern Continent.

In her right hand, she held a silver spear firmly in her hands. Its blade glowed faintly as if it was looking forward to the battle that was about to be waged.

Wendy's blue eyes turned crimson red as she circulated the power in her body. She had many questions to ask her husband, but that would have to wait until he dealt with the small fries that were now flying in their direction.

The Valkyries, headed by Charmaine, fell into formation behind Wendy, for the Elven beauties knew that the young lady in front of them was not only their Master's wife, but their Captain as well.

"Your orders, My Liege?" Wendy's gaze landed on William whose eyes looked back at her with love and affection.

"Safeguard the people and annihilate anything that dares to stand in your way," William ordered. "Go and show these fiends no mercy!"

"As you command!" Wendy shouted. "Rally to me!"

Thor roared as it ran in the sky as if it was running on land. The Valkyries followed behind her as they summoned their bows to strike.

"Kill!" Wendy ordered.

What followed next was the whistling of arrows as they rained down on their enemies. The deadly formation flew across the city and decimated the undead and grim reapers that were in their path.

Those who were on the ground were captivated by the grand sight. They all cheered and saluted the warrior maidens who had saved them from their plight.

Chapter 924 – It's Boring To Punch A Punching Bag

The city, which was slowly being sucked toward the red portal in the heavens, stopped mid-way, as William's clones successfully took control of the mirrors.

As the battle between Chloee and the transformed black tower intensified, the clones started to slowly, but surefly, make the city descend towards the ground.

Although they couldn't use the mirrors to break the barrier, as long as nothing unexpected happened, the city would be safe from the red portal above their heads.

"Eyah!" Chloee shouted as he smashed her fist against the enemy's chest, that she and William decided to call Deimos, sending it crashing towards the ground.

William's Sixth Master had a devilish grin on her adorable face as she descended and smashed her fist against the enemy's chest a second time. She was a familiar born to fight. Anything that required punching, smashing, kicking, beating up, breaking, and obliterating fell under her forte.

It was not an exaggeration to say that Chloee was born to fight.

Her Master, Celeste, was the Virtue of Chastity. The beautiful Elf's combat power was close to zero, and she relied on her two powerful familiars to fight for her.

Chloee specialized in physical attacks, and Claire in magical attacks. Both of them were the Brawn and the Brains behind Celeste, and ensured that no one would be able to hurt her under their watch.

The Deimos broke free from Chloee's bombardment and roared in anger. Its powerful barrier was useless against the violent young lady whose punch could easily shatter it to pieces.

The reason why Chloee was a cheat-like existence was her ability to break any law with her physical attacks. Even the strongest barrier would crumble under her relentless assault.

"Hah! Stop roaring, you weakling" Chloee shouted. "I'm going to obliterate your **** and make sure to **** you good!"

The only drawback of her rule breaking power was that she would curse at her target, which Wiliam thought was unfair. Not only did the little fairy have the power to smack you, she would even curse you as well.

What kind of penalty was that?

After receiving several strikes from the battle junkie fairy, several cracks appeared in the Deimos' body which forced it to unleash several laser beams that forced Chloee to evade.

The Deimos hurriedly backed away and unleashed an ear-piercing scream that made all the people in K-City who heard it feel their souls trembling from their bodies. A few seconds later, all of them collapsed on the ground, and golden orbs of light left their bodies to fly towards the Deimos who intended to devour them all.

The scream also reached Belle's location, and everyone in their surroundings felt as if their souls were leaving their bodies.

It was at that moment when the golden bracelet on Belle's wrist that had been given to her by Stella shone. Immediately, a golden dome appeared around her, enveloping all the people that William had gathered in their location.,

The effects of the soul-stirring scream disappeared, and although several people collapsed on the ground, their souls didn't leave their bodies.

Unfortunately, only a small minority was protected, while the rest of the survivors in K-City fell to the ground with their souls flying towards the Deimos in the sky.

"Oh no, you don't!" Chloee shouted as she kicked the Deimos away and prevented it from devouring any of the souls that it had conjured.

However, just like iron filling attracted to a magnet, the souls also flew in the direction of the transformed black tower, which frustrated Chloee.

"Ei! Stop playing dirty you ******!" Chloee shouted as she once again kicked the Deimos farther away.

Unfortunately, there were also souls flying towards her enemy from that direction, which the Deimos happily absorbed.

After eating hundreds of souls, the Deimos body turned golden. Just as Chloee was about to deliver another punch to it, the Deimos also unleashed its own punch, meeting the familiar's attack head on.

The result was Chloee smashing towards several skyscrapers like a bullet passing through watermelons.

After devouring hundreds of souls, the power of the Deimos intensified, surpassing Chloee's current strength.

"This is bad," Chloee muttered as she propped herself up from the rubble. "Celeste just bought these clothes for me. Now they're going to be ruined."

The familiar wiped the blood that streamed down at the side of her lips as a cheeky grin appeared on her face.

"That's more like it," Chloee said as she flew towards the Deimos while laughing like a little witch. "It's boring to punch a punching bag. Now, this is what I call a fight!"

The two once again clashed, and this time, it was the golden Deimos that got blown away by Chloee's punch. William's Sixth Master had a peculiar ability. She grows incredibly strong when she gets injured.

This was another reason why the Half-Elf called the familiar a cheater. She was simply a monster hiding behind an adorable face!

Knowing that it was at a disadvantage, the Deimos was planning to devour more souls when it heard the sound of singing.

It was faint at first, but it gradually became stronger.

On top of a skyscraper, in the middle of the city, two little girls held each other's hands as they sang together.

The souls that were flying towards the Deimos stopped in mid-air before slowly turning to fly in the twin's direction.

While all of this was happening, William was busy teleporting the collapsed bodies to the South of K-City where Belle was located. Although their souls had left their bodies, their physical vessels were very much alive, so the Half-Elf decided to relocate them first.

He had a feeling that once their souls were returned to their bodies, they would once again regain consciousness, or at least, that was what he hoped would happen.

Although the Half-Elf was unsure of the identities of the two girls, he was glad that they were on his side.

He simply watched the adorable, pink-haired twins, who reminded him of his wife, Chiffon, sing their hearts out. Their bodies swayed slightly as the souls gathered around them, as if they were spectators watching a performance.

A minute later, the twins stopped singing. They glanced at each other and nodded their heads at the same time.

Suddenly, both girls opened their mouths wide… and devoured the souls that were floating around them.

William almost did a double-take when he saw this scene. He was now unsure if the twins were allies, or enemies, because the two of them were devouring the souls of people as if they were just drinking some fruit juice.

The grim reapers who were tasked to collect souls all flew towards the twin girls because the Deimos was locked with Chloee in battle.

When the two girls saw the scary looking Grim Reapers heading in their direction, both of them hugged each other and cried out loud in fear.

"D-Don't come close to Maple! If you do, Maple will cry!"

"C-Cinnamon is not tasty! Please don't eat Cinnamon!"

The Grim Reapers didn't give a hoot about what the two girls were saying. The only thing they planned to do was slice them in half, so that all the souls that Maple and Cinnamon had devoured would return to their Master, which was being beaten black and blue by the little Juggernaut, whose strength was steadily increasing.

Chapter 925 – The Appearance Of The Final Boss

While the two little girls were crying out in fear while hugging each other, the Grim Reapers closed in on them with weapons held high.

William was currently immobile, and unable to move from his spot. He had no choice, but to watch helplessly as the two girls were swarmed by Grim Reapers in every direction.

It was at that moment when a shower of silver arrows descended from the sky, forming a protective tornado around the pink-haired twins. The tornado destroyed any grim reaper who dared to come close to them.

Hundreds of grim reapers died in that single exchange, while a hundred more died after the tornado expanded. The moment that a small opening was created, a golden lasso appeared out of nowhere and wrapped itself around the two little girls, who both screamed in fright.

With a powerful tug, Maple and Cinnamon were pulled from the top of the building. Both girls were crying and calling out their Mama and Papa to come and save them.

The twins disappeared from William's view, and no matter how much he scanned the surroundings, he wasn't able to detect their presence. It was as if both girls vanished into thin air.

'System, find their location,' William ordered.

< I've already done a thorough scan on the area where they were taken away from, but nothing is appearing on the radar. They might be using some powerful artifacts to hide their presence from my detection. >

The Half-Elf frowned. The appearance of the two little girls were unexpected, as well as the shower of silver arrows that came out of nowhere.

However, the one thing that surprised him the most was the appearance of the golden lasso. It was impossible for William to not identify such a thing because he had seen it used many times in the past.

The Half-Elf didn't need to be a genius to connect the dots, but he still found it hard to explain why they had appeared in this timeline.

Wendy had also noticed the exchange from afar, but she had no time to investigate what happened. She and the Valkyries were busy eliminating every Undead and Grim Reapers that they encountered around the Southern Area of the City where William had transported the survivors.

For the most part, the Grim Reapers didn't pose any threat to them. Thor's lightning bolts, as well as the arrows of the Elves killed all the enemies before they could even come close.

The only problem was that their group was only a little more than a dozen and they were fighting against tens of thousands of enemies that were starting to swarm to their location.

Now that all the Humans were gathered in one location, the enemy forces had also congregated to form an unstoppable army that washed over the city like a tidal wave.

Wendy didn't falter as she held William's banner in her hand firmly.

"Kyrie Eleison!" Wendy shouted as a dome of light covered the Valkyries as they faced the tide of enemies head on. The Undead and Grim Reapers that clashed against the dome of light were instantly annihilated by the holy power that emanated from the banner in Wendy's hand.

The Elves didn't stand idle while this was happening and unleashed a barrage of arrows at the unending tide that was pouring towards them.

William had ordered them to become the first line of defense against the enemy and protect the people behind them, so they didn't budge one step and stood their ground.

As the enemies continued their suicide assault, the light of the barrier that Wendy had erected started to dim.

The blonde-haired beauty knew that their defensive barrier was reaching its limit and could shatter any time. Even so, she refused to give up. This was the first time that William had personally asked her help, so she had no intention of failing her mission.

The Elves were of the same mind. Even if their arms were starting to ache, and their fingers bled from pulling the strings over and over again, none of them stopped attacking.

They were William's Valkyries, his personal unit that would carry his banner in the battlefield. No matter what happened, they shouldn't fall no matter what.

"Illuminate the World! Rhongomyniad!"

A beam of holy light sliced through the battlefield, instantly turning those it hit into particles of light.

William's clone, that had been assigned to protect Belle and the others, extended his help in order to help Wendy and the Valkyries to hold the frontlines. Even so, it was not enough as more enemies advanced steadily.

"Exterminate, Khyrselakatos!"

Thousands of arrows that glowed eerily cut through the enemy ranks from the West, as another one of William's clones, that were fighting against the Giant Black Golems, lent his aid from the distance.

"Cut through the firmament!" another clone roared. "Raze the world, Arondight!"

A black laser beam passed through the enemy's ranks, annihilating everything in its path. After these combined attacks, the numbers of grim readers were drastically reduced as they scattered like wild ducks hearing the sound of gunshots.

Judging by the current state of the battlefield, William and his forces were gaining the upper hand. Although they were being overwhelmed with numbers, it was tolerable, and he couldn't foresee any immediate danger to those he was doing his best to protect.

However, just as William was about to breathe a sigh of relief, his sixth sense suddenly kicked in and warned him of a danger that was coming from above their heads.

Suddenly, a powerful pressure—that was similar to a mountain descending upon his shoulders—erupted from the red portal in the sky.

Wendy and the Valkyries were all caught by surprise, and were forced to crash to the ground due to the unbelievable power that seemed to hold the entire world in its grasp.

A loud explosion erupted as Chloee crashed into the building right next to William. The Golden Deimos she was fighting suddenly became stronger, and she lost in a contest of strength between the two of them.

Three more figures crashed on the ground at William's feet as three of his clones that were fighting against the Giant Black Golems were blown away by their powerful counter-attack.

William's expression became grim as he stared at the red portal that was hiding a powerful presence within. He knew that the Mastermind had finally decided to take the matters in his own hands, and interfere with the battle.

After spending time with the Gods, he was certain that there was a being that far surpassed the power of mortals, observing them from the Heavens.

As the Half-Elf and the other defenders tried to resist the pressure that was holding them in place, the city once again started to rise towards the red portal.

When the floating city was halfway to its destination, William saw a pair of golden pupils staring at him from the depths of the portal, which made the red-headed teenager's heart shudder.

Gritting his teeth, William forced himself to stand up as he gathered all the power in his body. He had long expected that this whole incident wasn't simple.

When he saw the Deadlands for the first time, he wondered how such a big city that closely resembled a city belonging to Earth had appeared between the boundaries of life and death.

Today, he found the answer to his question, and he didn't like it one bit. The Final Boss has arrived, and with it, the fate of the entire city had finally taken a turn for the worst.

Chapter 926 – The Time Has Come To Fight Together!

William's clones who were currently standing beside the nine mirrors of the Deadlands hurriedly left their stations and returned to his side.

They lost control over the mirrors and no matter what they did, they couldn't stop the city from rising up towards the red portal. Since that was the case, they needed to regroup in order to think of a new solution on how to deal with the problem.

The Half-Elf and his allies all gathered outside of the golden barrier that was made by the golden bracelet that was currently on Belle's wrist.

The red-headed teenager didn't know how the black-haired beauty acquired the bracelet in her possession, but he didn't have time to ask that now. With the power of the golden barrier, all the Humans that were inside were unharmed by the powerful pressure that was currently descending from the Heavens.

Wendy and the rest of William's Valkyries had taken a formation with the Half-Elf at the center.

The blonde-haired beauty faced the enemies in front of her, as she firmly held William's banner in her hand.

William's clones were at the forefront of the formation, taking defensive positions. The weapons on their hands glowed and created a secondary barrier that protected them, and the people that were sheltered by the golden dome behind them.

The Half-Elf closed his eyes as memories of his little brothers and sisters at the Smiles Orphanage disappeared from his memories.

Taking a deep breath, he once again opened them as he stared at the golden eyes that were looking down upon them from the center of the red portal.

A snort filled with contempt echoed across the city as the Golden Deimos, the Giant Black Golems, the Grim Reapers, and the Undead, all made their way towards the Southern part of K-City where all the survivors had been gathered.

The Giant Golems smashed every building that they came across, just because it was blocking their path. The grim countless grim reapers hovered above the sky like a plague of locusts that was about to devour all life from the world. As for the Undead, they were the least of all the threats, but threats nonetheless.

They walked shakily towards the South without any sense of urgency. It was as if the end result wouldn't change whether they arrived sooner or not.

The Deimos opened its mouth and gave an eerie chuckle that made the people's hearts skip a beat due to fright.

Right now, everyone had only one question in their minds and that was…

"How can we leave this place alive?"

These were the words that Raymond subconsciously muttered as he stared at the helpless situation in front of him.

Earlier, he felt that they still had a chance to win against the stacked up odds that were not in their favor. Unfortunately, that dream shattered the moment a being that far surpassed the realm of mortals intervened in the battle.

"So annoying." Chloee clicked her tongue as she glared hatefully at the Deimos that she had been beating up earlier. Even if she had lost an exchange against her enemy, it didn't bother her one bit.

Her only concern was that she couldn't afford to leave William's side because the enemies might overpower their defensive formation and involve the innocent people in their battle.

"Will, is there anything we can do?" Chloee asked.

William nodded. "We can only do the thing we can do, Sixth Master, and that is to fight."

"You're right." Chloe grinned. "Times like this, sitting down to talk is useless. Let's just smack them good and smash them to pieces until they can no longer regenerate."

William smiled because he had already expected this reply from his Sixth Master. Right now, he and Optimus were busy making plans for how they would deal with the enemies that were almost at their doorstep.

< We can no longer stop K-City from being swallowed up by the red portal. This is already a done deal. I'm afraid that aside from the enemies in front of us, we also need to deal with that divine creature. >

'Yes.' William agreed. 'Still, that is one big snake. This is going to be tough.'

William's vision had passed through the void and saw the owner of the pair of golden eyes that were staring at him. It was a gigantic black serpent that was at least four hundred meters tall.

< The only good news is that its rank is currently at the Pseudo-God Realm. A step away from being a true God. I'm very sure that it will not let us leave peacefully, so a fight is inevitable. >

'I can't summon Sun Wukong, and my Heroic Avatar is already used up,' William stated. 'Also, I will need a long time to channel enough magical powers to teleport everyone.

"Our options of leaving this place are dwindling down. I don't know if our protective barrier, or Belle's golden dome will be enough to safeguard the people when we enter the red portal."

< Well, it just means that you need all the help you can get. Why don't you summon Elliot and Conan to come here and fight by your side. We still didn't have any data about the Familiar Fusion. Maybe it can help tilt the tide of battle by a small margin. >

William had almost forgotten about his two familiars that were currently in Hestia. They were a part of his soul, so he could summon them anytime and anywhere.

'Okay, sounds like a plan. Do you have other ideas?' William asked.

< Yes, but if you need to wait for the right opportunity to unleash its power. We only have one shot at this, so you will have to put everything on the line to make this work. >

William listened patiently to the plan that Optimus had formulated. According to its calculation, their chances of winning was five percent at most. Even so, five percent was better than zero, so the Half-Elf was more than willing to give it a try.

"Come forth, Elliot, Conan," William ordered. "The time has come to fight together!"

Two lightning bolts descended from the sky. One was white, the other black. They were none other than William's two familiars whom he hadn't seen since he had left Hestia Academy to search for the Hall of Thunder in the Forbidden Ground, Seventh Sanctum.

Chapter 927 – Remember My Name, Boy

"My goodness, did you accidentally poke the hornet's nest, Will?" Elliot asked in a teasing tone as he landed on William's right shoulder.

"Kekeke, just a bunch of golems, and a giant snake," Conan chuckled as he landed on William's left shoulder. "This is going to be fun."

"Hoho, you say it's fun, but why are your legs shaking?"

"A-Are you stupid? This is excitement! This Great Conan is looking forward to fighting a great battle!"

William smiled because the banter of his two familiars lightened his mood up by a bit. He had fought with Elliot and Conan when they were clearing the Dungeon of Atlantis, but he had never used his Familiar Fusion skill with both of them.

"Elliot, Conan, activate seventy percent of your powers," William ordered. "We will fight them together."

"Got it."

"Kekeke."

The two familiars' bodies floated in the air and grew until they turned into fourteen-year old versions of William. They then pressed their hands against William's back as they activated the skill that would merge the three of them together.

A skill that would give William a taste of the power of a true Familiamancer.

""Familiar Fusion!""

The wings behind Wiliam's back changed color as they turned into streaks of white and black lightning.

Power surged inside Wiliam's body as he gained full access to the powers of his Familiars.

'So, this is what it's like to merge with you two,' William thought.

'How is it?' Elliot asked. 'Do you feel that you can take on the entire world right now?'

'Kekeke. Although we still can't beat that giant snake, defeating its lackeys is not a problem!' Conan voiced his assurance.

The change on William's body carried over to his clones. All of them also grew a pair of white and black wings made of lightning.

Chloee who was hovering beside William suddenly had a brilliant idea as she placed her hands behind William's back.

"Um, Sixth Master, what are you doing?" William asked.

"I plan to merge with you as well," Chloee answered with a smile.

"Is that even possible?"

"I don't know, but it's worth a try!"

Just like William, Chloee was also unsure if it would work. Her Master was Celeste, and she held a piece of her soul, just like Elliot and Conan held a piece of William's.

However, the violent familiar knew that even if she were to fight against the Golden Deimos, her power would fall short because there was a Pseudo-Demigod that was interfering with her battle.

Since that was the case, she was more than willing to merge with William so they could fight against the Big Boss that was looking at them with contempt. Chloee's fists were itching to give the Gargantuan Black Serpent a good beating in order to vent out her frustrations.

"Familiar Fusion!" Chloee shouted.

William wasn't expecting anything to happen, but suddenly Chloee's body turned into particles of light and flew towards the gem on his chest.

A few seconds later, the Half-Elf's body was assaulted by an extreme pain that he had never felt before. It was as if someone was forcefully intruding on his body, and trying to squeeze itself in.

Similar to a glass filled with water, the moment a foreign object were to be placed inside it, the water would overflow. This was what was happening to William right now, but without the spillover.

It was as if his body was forcefully integrating the foreign object inside it, without letting go of anything that belonged to it, causing William extreme pain.

William spat a mouthful of blood as the blood vessels bulged inside his body. The Half-Elf felt as if he was being split apart from within. Seeing his sorry state, Wendy and the Elves couldn't help but look at him anxiously.

However, the monsters had already arrived in front of them, so they had no choice but to face the enemies in front of them.

"Everyone, hold your ground!" Wendy ordered. "Valkyries, open fire!"

The Elves once again initiated a volley of attacks which passed through their protective barrier, covering the sky in an arrow shower.

They didn't waste their time targeting the Giant Golems, and merely focused their attacks on the grim reapers that hovered in the sky.

The Giant Black Golems opened their mouths and unleashed a breath attack that made the protective barrier tremble. Even so, William's clones, that had been boosted by the power of the Familiars, gained Elliot's defensive prowess.

They had summoned several elemental shields, creating a third layer of protection against the long range attacks of their enemies.

Meanwhile, while all of this was going on, William struggled to pacify Chloee's power that was starting to merge with his body.

In order to protect William's body from being destroyed from within, the power of his Einherjar Job Class started to burn his memories at a faster rate.

All of his memories from when he was a child until he had grown to a teenager flashed before his eyes. William subconsciously tried to hold unto these fleeting memories, but they disappeared before he could even grab hold of them.

Suddenly a very dear memory appeared in front of him.

—–

A pair of teenagers, wearing pirate costumes made their way to the festival in the countryside. The two of them visited many stalls and ate many snacks along the way.

Then, the images of an unusual stall appeared where a mysterious lady beckoned for them to check what she has to offer.

"You have good eyes, young lady," the saleslady said with an approving tone. "This silver ring is part of a pair. The name of this ring is called the 'Ring of Vega' and its counterpart the 'Ring of Altair'.

"Legend has it that if two people were to exchange and wear these rings, no matter how far away they are from each other, they would eventually be reunited. Just like the legend of the Star Crossed Lovers…"

——

"Nooooo!" William shouted as he used all of his willpower to contain the power that was rampaging inside his body. "I won't let you take this memory away from me!"

William roared in anger as his body shone like a miniature sun. There were things that he could sacrifice, and things that he couldn't.

There was no way in hell where he would just stand by and allow something so precious be taken away from him.

When the light receded, everyone saw William half-kneeling on the ground. The armor that he had worn earlier had disintegrated, leaving him stark naked.

The only thing that covered his body was the pair of wings that sprouted on his back.

On the back of Wiliam's right hand, a tattoo that looked like the Celtic Triquetra appeared.

White smoke rose up from his body, as the Half-Elf panted for breath. He felt like dying, but this sensation only lasted for a minute before his body stabilized.

"Okay! The break's over!" Chloee's lively and vengeful voice was heard inside William's sea of consciousness. "Let's pulverize that snake and turn it into stew! Let's go!"

"My goodness, let Will catch his breath first," Elliot's carefree voice commented. "You sure did something very reckless. We almost kicked the bucket."

"I really thought that we were a goner," Conan said anxiously. "Fortunately, Will managed to pull through at the last second or else we're going to take a one-way trip to the Cycle of Reincarnation."

Conan's worried words almost made William chuckle, but he couldn't because even breathing was painful.

The sound of explosions could be heard around him, but William paid them no mind. A strand of golden lightning bolt briefly streaked within the depths of his pupils as he slowly stood up from the ground.

A suit of armor slowly covered his body once more, as the power of his Einherjar Job Class stabilized. This time, instead of silver armor, the armor he wore was golden.

It was very similar to the one Odin wore in battle a thousand years ago.

William looked at the golden eyes that were staring down on him from within the depths of the red portal.

He looked at it steadily without batting an eye as golden lightning streaked across his body.

Half a minute later, the entirety of K-City had been sucked up by the red portal. It was at that moment when the survivors finally saw the Gargantuan Beast that was waiting for them in the void.

"Who are you?" William asked the towering serpent who was looking down on them as if it was looking down on insects. .

The Gargantuan Black Serpent flicked its forked tongue as if finding Wiliam's question quite amusing.

"Apophis," the Black Serpent replied. "Remember my name, Boy. For it is the name of the God that will send all of you to the afterlife."

Chapter 928 – Memories That Burned Brightly

"Apophis," William muttered. 'Do you have any idea who this guy is, Optimus?'

< Yes. He is one of the Gods of Chaos who is the mortal enemy of the Sun Gods. He was banished to the void after he was defeated, and lost a big part of his Divinity. This might be the reason why his rank had regressed to that of a Pseudo-God. >

William clicked his tongue. He had never had a good relationship with the Sun God, Lugh. The mere thought of fighting against the Sun Gods' mortal enemy irritated William to no end.

'Are you sure the plan you told me will work?' William asked.

< Yes. As long as you live long enough to execute it. >

William nodded his head in understanding. He then glanced at his clones who all gave him a brief nod of understanding.

They knew the role that they needed to play, and they would leave the rest to William.

"Wendy, please, hold the line for as long as you can," William said softly as he and his clones flew outside the protective barrier.

Right now, his clones' priority was to fight against the enemies, while Wendy's and the Valkyries' roles would be to protect the people behind them.

William felt regretful that Chloee's power didn't carry over to his clones. If that had happened then the threat of the enemies that they were facing would decrease drastically. Even so, William had no choice but to wrap this battle up quickly.

He couldn't afford to fight a protracted battle, because he would lose far too much if that happened.

"Let's go," William ordered as he and his clones turned into lightning bolts and charged through the enemy lines.

The red-headed teenager's target was none other than Apophis. As long as the God of Chaos stood, they would always be at a disadvantage.

The Gigantic Serpent didn't see any of the insects as a threat to his existence. His only goal was to collect the power of souls in order to regain the Divinity he had lost in the battle against his mortal enemy, the Sun God, Ra.

This conceited thinking was quite normal to the God whose powers could only be challenged by those of the same rank.

He didn't even consider the Half-Elf who was flying straight at him to be a worthy opponent.

William didn't care what the Giant Serpent was thinking as he shortened the distance between them. Only when he was a hundred meter away from his opponent did he activate his skill Heroism, which he had gained after gaining the Quick-Shot Shepherd Job Class.

Whenever William was fighting against an opponent who was stronger than him, he and his allies would gain a 50% boost to their overall strength.

William's current strength was at the Peak of the Demigod Rank after merging with Chloee. With the help of the skill Heroism, his power was further boosted to unprecedented heights. Although he was still far from the Pseudo-God Realm, he had gained Chloee's cheat-like abilities which would allow him to break the Laws of the void, without having his memories taken from him.

The power of the elements swirled in William's right hand making the emblem on the back of his hand shine. He planned to use the strongest attack that he could muster to deal with the Gigantic Snake that towered above him.

"Impudent insect," Apophis flicked its massive tail to swat the annoying fly that dared to challenge its divinity.

The speed of the attack was simply too fast, making it impossible to evade. The only thing that William could do was to meet the attack with an attack of his own.

"World End Tempest!" William roared as he smashed his strongest attack at the tail that reminded him of what it was like to be on the opposing end of an enlarged Ruyi Jingu Bang.

The tail was simply massive. Even the Half-Elf felt like what he was doing was futile, but he still went ahead and met the attack headon.

A powerful explosion took place as William's strongest attack collided with Apophis' tail. However, the clash only lasted for a mere second before the Half-Elf was sent crashing towards the ground destroying several buildings along the way.

The last building that he had crashed into even fell on top of the Half-Elf crushing him under its weight.

Wendy and Belle, who was paying close attention to William, felt their hearts tighten inside their chest as they witnessed their Beloved being crushed by a building. He was their only hope, and seeing how the Giant Serpent had sent him flying with a casual flick of his tail, made them very anxious.

If he, the strongest of them all, couldn't beat Apophis then the only fate that waited for them was death.

Just as the two were thinking about William's safety. A loud explosion occurred as William freed himself from the collapsed building that had fallen over him.

'Sh*t that hurt,' William cursed internally.

Chloee's power had now taken effect after he had received damage from the Black Serpent's attack. His strength was now multiplied by five, but that was not the Half-Elf's current concern.

Although he had a grim expression on his face, he and Optimus finally saw the possibility of their plan succeeding.

< Remember, Will, we only have one shot. Make it count. >

'Understood.' William gritted his teeth as he flew towards Apophis, who no longer cared about him.

It was more interested in the people that were shielded by the golden dome of light, so it slowly made its way towards them.

The God of Chaos loved suffering, so he wanted the people to feel despair in their last moments as he devoured their very lives from their bodies.

Wendy and the Valkyries tensed when they saw through the Black Serpent's intention. However, even if they knew that Apophis was planning to do, what could they do about it?

It was at this moment when William descended from the sky, making a beeline towards the Giant Serpent's head, while chanting words that came from a world that had now ceased to exist.

"When the heavens above did not exist,

And earth beneath had not come into being —

There was Apsu, the first in order, their begetter,

And demiurge Tia-mat, who gave birth to them all."

A stone tablet flew out of the gem on William's chest, followed by another, until seven tablets hovered around him, forming a circle.

"Celestial God, ruler of the skies that has long been forgotten, may you hear my desperate prayer," William chanted. "Grant me your strength, so I may slay the enemies that bring Chaos upon the world. Support me with your heavenly blessing, and grant me your sacred favor."

The tablets shone brightly, imitating the rays of the sun with William at its center.

"Marduk! Let your eternal light pierce through the darkness, and burn my foes in glorious flames!" William roared. "Obliterate all who stand before me!"

"Enuma Elish!"

The seven tablets of creation that came from a world that had ceased to exist, enveloped William's entire being in a radiant light, forming a miniature sun.

Apophis, who had sensed the dangerous attack coming from behind him, tried to evade it, but it was already too late. He had grown complacent that William couldn't do anything to him, so the God of Chaos ignored the Half-Elf completely.

A loud pain-filled shriek erupted from his jaws as the miniature sun smashed against his head with a vengeance.

Right now, he was only at the Realm of a Pseudo-God, and the attack that William used was an attack that contained the true Divinities of the Gods that had left their wills on the Seven Tablets of Creation.

A blinding light covered the entirety of the Deadlands, forcing everyone to shield their eyes. The Grim Reapers, and the Undead, all burst into flames as the light shone upon their bodies.

The bodies of the Golden Deimos as well as the Giant Black Golems started to crack as the cores in their bodies were burned to ashes.

None of them saw the image of the God whose sword had pierced through Apophis' head, pinning him on the ground.

Apophis' screams echoed across the void as he regretted his decision to turn his back on the Half-Elf, whose memories of his past life burned alongside the radiant rays that chased away the seeds of darkness, which had planted themselves inside everyone's hearts.

Chapter 929 – I Will Wait For You In My Home Turf

When Belle opened her eyes, she found herself staring at a giant crater that was slowly filling up with seawater.

The wind brushed past her, ruffling the hair on her head. It was then when she realized that she was no longer in the city where a great battle was being waged. She had returned to Earth, along with the other survivors, who were now gazing at the same scene as her.

Gazing at the giant crater where K-City used to exist.

The golden dome that was protecting all of them had long disappeared. Everyone was still in a daze, but it didn't take long for all of them to comprehend that they had somehow survived the hellish nightmare they were in, and would live to tell the tale to others.

"Will?" Belle looked around to find the red-headed teenager, but he was nowhere to be found.

That was the moment when she raised her head to look up at the sky. A red portal hovered in the sky, as red lightning bolts snaked across its borders.

The black-haired beauty felt an ache in her heart as she saw flashes of light appearing from within the red portal's black depths. Sounds of explosions, similar to the rumbling of thunder spread throughout her surroundings.

Clearly, the battle was far from over. They were merely teleported out of the city and returned to Earth, so that they wouldn't be hit with the crossfire that far surpassed their realm of understanding.

Some distance away from the crowd, two pink haired girls opened their adorable mouths and blew bubbles out of them.

Although they looked like bubbles, they were actually the souls of the people that they had devoured earlier. These souls returned to their rightful bodies, and would regain consciousness not long after.

After all the souls were released, the pink-haired little girl named Cinnamon burped, while her twin sister, Maple, patted her back to make her feel better.

Standing beside them were their two older sisters, who were staring at the red portal in the sky. They had also been teleported out of the city in the aftermath of William's attack that forced everyone, except himself and his clones, to return back to Earth through the red portal.

"Big Sister, Maple wants a hug," Maple said with her arms spread wide.

Her older sister who had long, red hair picked her up and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Me, too! Big Sister, Cinnamon wants a hug as well." Cinnamon latched onto her other big sister, who had long, black hair.

The black-haired beauty picked up her litter sister and gave her a kiss as well. After doing so, all of them stared at the red portal where flashes of light could be seen here and there. As warriors, they knew that it was the sign of intense fighting that could only be witnessed in the void.

—–

"In the end, you chose to fight alone," Wendy sighed as she gazed at the red portal in the heavens.

She knew that William had teleported her away because he cared about her, but her heart still ached at the thought that her first love was risking his life in battle, while she remained safe from harm.

While she was deep in thought, Charmaine and the Elves walked up to her and gave her a respectful bow.

"Lady Wendy, what should we do now?" Charmaine asked. "Should we head back to the portal and assist Sir William?"

Wendy reluctantly shook her head. She understood that even if they returned to the city to help William, their presence would only serve more of a hindrance than help.

Just as Wendy was about to return her gaze to the sky, she noticed someone approaching her from the corner of her vision.

William's first wife turned her head to her left side and stared at the black-haired beauty, who was staring back at her with a determined gaze.

"Your name is Wendy, correct?" Belle asked. "Will told me many things about you."

Wendy nodded. "You must be Belle. Will has also told me many things about you."

Both ladies appraised each other, and Charmaine felt a subtle pressure coming from both of them. No sparks flew from their eyes, nor words of challenge were spoken.

Belle and Wendy simply stared at each other, and tried to learn more about their Beloved's First Wife / True Love.

"Thank you for loving Will," Belle said. "Because you were by his side, he was able to love again."

Wendy just smiled and nodded her head in acknowledgement. "Thank you for continuing to love him as well. I want to ask you many questions, but unfortunately, my time is up."

Wendy's and Thor's body was slowly turning into particles of light. She and Thor were forcefully taken by William from Hestia, and the time that she could remain in another world was limited.

"Don't have any regrets," Wendy said as she stared at the black-haired beauty in front of her. "Time waits for no one. He no longer belongs to this world. Sooner or later, he will return to our world. I pray that before that happens, you will be able to finally let go of him. Don't worry, I promise to take care of him in your place."

Wendy gave Belle a sweet smile that irritated the black-haired beauty. Although William's first wife hadn't explicitly said anything, she had hinted that Belle could just stay on Earth, and leave William in the care of his wives back in Hestia.

"The next time we meet, we will have a long discussion about this," Belle replied with a determined gaze. "I love William, and I will find a way for the two of us to be together."

"You do that," Wendy replied in a teasing tone. She then waved her hand to bid goodbye with a smug expression on her face. "I'll wait for you on my home turf."

After saying her final farewell Wendy returned to Hestia.

Belle sighed internally after the blonde-haired beauty disappeared. Although she didn't want to admit it, Wendy had locked onto ther with an incredible pressure. The Captain of the Valkyries looked so confident, and so at ease, knowing that she was William's first wife, and nothing could shake her position in his heart.

Because of this, Belle finally decided on one thing. As long as William returned safely to her side, regardless of what her parents think, she would definitely do everything in her power to not have any regrets.

"Will," Belle said softly. "Win and come back to me."

Chapter 930 – The One Who Would Have The Last Laugh

After William unleashed the might of the Seven Tablets of Creation, Apophis received a fatal injury that would have killed any Demigod.

Unfortunately, he was a former God, so he had survived William's attack. Even so, his strength had decreased greatly in an effort to prevent his injuries from worsening.

"Damn you!" Apophis roared as he unleashed a breath attack at the Half-Elf, who was also suffering from serious injuries.

The Half-Elf raised his hand and the Seven Tablets of Creation formed a circle in front of him, creating a barrier to block the Pseudo-God's attack.

Even though the barrier had successfully prevented the breath attack from reaching William, it was not able to stop the force behind it.

A muffled groan escaped William's lips as he endured the attack that made him skid across the ruined streets for hundreds of meters, until the breath attack ended.

The cut on his right cheek was bleeding, as well as the other injuries he received during his exchange with Apophis, but he didn't have time to heal them. The enraged Black Serpent's head had a hole in it, with blood spilling out like a river.

If he wasn't a former God, he would have been dead by now.

'Optimus, how long?'

< Fifteen more minutes. >

'I might be dead by then.'

< Then don't die. Problem solved. >

William sighed internally as he moved his battered body using his willpower.

"How dare you?!" Apophis roared in anger as his body slowly shrank. "How dare you challenge the might of a God?!"

The Half-Elf raised his middle finger at the God of Chaos who had now shrank to a three-meter tall humanoid snake. This was the form of a Naga that William had encountered in the Dungeon of Atlantis when he was challenging the lower floors of the dungeon.

He wanted to tell the angry Apophis that this wasn't his first time fighting against a God. However, he chose not to say anything because even breathing posed a great challenge to him right now.

'Using an attack that belonged to a God of Creation is something that should be used as a last resort,' William thought. 'It's like firing a thousand Railguns at once. My body, and stamina will not be able to use it a second time.'

Stormcaller fired several lightning bolts at the Naga, in order to give William some breathing time. Unfortunately, all it did was make the injured Apophis more angry, which made him attack William with unrestrained fury.

"Take three steps to the right," Elliot said.

"And execute a roundhouse kick right after!" Conan commented.

Both of Williams' Familiars were helping him from his Sea of Consciousness. Right now, Elliot was using his power of Clairvoyance to see a few seconds in the future, while Conan calculated the most effective attack that would deal significant damage to their enemy.

The Half-Elf followed the advice of his Familiars and executed a roundhouse kick after taking three steps to his right side. The kick landed on the Naga's chest, sending him crashing towards a building in the distance.

Due to the heaviness of William's injuries, Chloee's ability had multiplied his strength to its limits. Because Apophis received an almost lethal injury, he was forced to use its Divinity in order to prevent it from worsening.

Because of this, William's attack was now capable of dealing significant damage to his enemy. However, he knew that even if he punched, and kicked Apophis for an entire day, he would still lose in the end. The only thing that could kill the Pseudo-God was an attack infused by a powerful divinity.

'How many minutes?'

< Twelve more minutes. >

William's legs were already shaking in an effort to support his body. After a brief struggle, he went down on one knee as breathed heavily, ignoring the stinging pain in his chest.

The building where Apophis crashed suddenly exploded as the angry Naga rose up towards the sky.

"I've had enough of you! Time to die!" Just as the God of Chaos was about to unleash an attack that would destroy a quarter of the city, he felt a disturbance at the Western outskirts of K-City.

Narrowing its eyes, its vision zoomed in on an underground subway where William's thirteen clones were hiding.

They were busy channeling powerful flames into a spear that floated at the center of their formation. The spear was none other than Soleil. Because of the absence of the sun, it couldn't unleash its strongest attack, which was one of Apophis' weaknesses.

Soleil was a spear that belonged to the Sun God, Lugh.

Since William was no longer able to unleash the power of Enuma Elish to call upon the Will of Marduk, his only hope was to charge Soleil manually, and let it deal the killing blow on the Pseudo-God, while he was still in a weakened state.

Apophis was very sensitive to the power of the sun, so the moment he discovered the power of Soleil, it immediately changed its strategy and decided to deal with the greatest threat first.

< Warning! Apophis has discovered where the clones are hiding! >

William raised his head just in time to see the Naga aiming its powerful attack at the Western part of the city.

"Where are you looking at?! Face me!" William shouted as he pointed his finger at his adversary. "Duel EX!"

Just as Apophis was about to unleash its concentrated breath attack its body unconsciously moved, which forced it to face William's direction.

A powerful blast erupted from its mouth and headed straight towards the Half-Elf who unleashed all of his defensive spells to protect himself from harm.

Conan unleashed several elemental shields, and physical shields in front of William, while the Seven Tablets of Creation formed a barrier around him.

Elliot unleashed a concentrated lightning bolt to face the Breath Attack head on, but it only lasted for a second before it was swallowed up by Apophis' hate-filled assault.

A blinding explosion erupted in Wiliam's location, which created a mushroom cloud in the sky.

When the smoke receded, the Half-Elf laid at the center of a mile-long crater, with blood seeping out of his lips, nose, ears.

The Tablets of Creation lay scattered on the ground beside him. Having used up all of their powers to defend William, they all flew towards the gem on William's chest in order to recharge their divinity.

The Half-Elf gagged as more blood rose from his throat. He was unable to hold it back, because he no longer had the strength to do so. Because of this, more blood seeped out of the corner of his lips, as he stared at the dark sky above him.

Several of his bones were broken, and the wounds on the different parts of his body bled freely. Right now, William was already feeling light-headed due to the loss of blood. However, he knew that the moment he closed his eyes, he would not be able to open them again.

Apophis snorted after seeing the aftermath of its attack. However, it would need a few more minutes before it could fire another attack that was as strong as the one that it had unleashed.

The God of Chaos wasn't faring well either. After using its breath attack, it wouldn't be able to attack William's clones due to its injured state.

The Pseudo-God eyed Soleil critically and deemed that it would be able to recover its strength before the spear could reach the point where it could threaten his existence. Right now, it was the only weapon that posed a threat to the God of Chaos, so it took its observation seriously.

'This hateful insect!' Apophis cursed internally as it shifted its gaze back to William. 'To think that a bug is able to make me suffer such a setback. I will make sure to torture his soul later!'

The Naga steadied its breathing as it slowly gathered the magical energy present in the void. As someone that had been banished by the Gods and forced to wander this endless world, Apophis had learned a few tricks during his exile.

A brief stalemate descended on the battlefield as both sides tried to buy some time to unleash their strongest attacks. All of them knew that their next clash would decide the victor and the loser, and the God of Chaos vowed that he would be the one who had the last laugh.