Chapter 147 Above

[Air Self-Defense Force – Shimizu]

"Wait... seriously? This is real? We can't counter this on our side..."

"Captain!"

"I know! Pull back from the front line—everyone else, follow me!"

It's shameful... but I can't keep fighting when I know we can't win. No point in piling on more sacrifices. Our role ends here... I guess...

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[Air Self-Defense Force – Sakuragi]

I was limping forward, leaning on a member of the "Suzaku" unit, when I froze at the sight of countless warships appearing in the sky. So this is it... I failed to fulfill my purpose...

"Disgraceful..."

I wanted to help... even just a little... but honestly, even if Gojo-sama showed up, could we really win against this number...?

Hope had vanished completely by now.

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[Air Self-Defense Force – Gifu Base – Sakuragi]

"Fumika... is she okay? Sakuragi-san and the others..."

"She'll be fine. She has to be..."

In a room at Gifu Base, I was watching the situation in Mongolia on TV and smartphone videos with a colleague. One moment we were told we were winning—then suddenly, we're in deep trouble.

Sakuragi-san and the others are worrying me too... but if we lose this battle... what happens to the world...?

"Gojo-san..."

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[Switzerland – Geneva – United Nations Headquarters]

"This... this can't be..."

General Matthew, commander of the UN forces, stood frozen, staring at the monitor. It wasn’t just him—every military officer who saw the footage was speechless.

From the pitch-black warships, countless fighter jets launched into the sky.

The number was beyond anything Earth’s entire military power could ever hope to match. Millions of fighters... it was beyond imagination.

Thousands of warships descended upon the ocean, attacking our fleet and aircraft carriers from both sky and sea. The联合's vessels were sunk by the dozen, and the rest had no choice but to retreat.

In the center of the black fleet, a massive structure resembling a castle floating in the sky appeared. It looked like an impenetrable fortress, radiating a heavy, oppressive aura.

"Is the enemy commander in that thing...? Then we have no choice—we must hit it hard. Concentrate all attacks on that fortress!"

Over ten ballistic missiles launched, but were blocked by a barrier. Even fighter attacks were rendered useless.

Stronger than the shields of the warships we'd fought before—by far.

"Can't... we can't do it..."

As Matthew faltered, a thin beam of light shot out from the fortress, arcing from northeast to southeast.

A sudden silence enveloped everything—then—

Where the light struck, everything exploded. A monstrous blast erupted. Flames roared up like walls, vaporizing anything caught in the blast. Nothing remained.

"China's 71st through 77th Group Armies, Russia's 6th Independent Tank Brigade—all destroyed! We don't even know how wide the damage is spreading!"

Matthew stared, doubting his own eyes. Was he dreaming?

"This isn't working... we might have to consider surrender... assuming we can even communicate with them, of course..."

Matthew grimaced at the military officer's suggestion.

Turning this situation around seemed impossible. He thought it was hopeless, and the idea of surrender flickered in his mind—just to minimize the losses.

Even if Gojo returned, he doubted they could turn the tide. They were too far behind.

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【Qingchao News Headquarters――】

"Seriously... this can't be beatable..."

"No way... we're already done for."

The image of enemy warships filling the sky struck despair into the journalists who saw it.

And seeing the unimaginable attacks from those fortress-like weapons only deepened the despair.

While their fellow reporters sat stunned, Matsuda stood up, stepped closer to the television, and stared, frozen in the footage.

"Not yet... not over yet..."

"Matsuda..."

Hope still flickered in Matsuda's eyes.

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【Leo Garcia――】

"What the hell is that!?"

A flash erupted from what looked like a massive castle—then an explosion rocked the distance. Completely different from the black warships they'd seen before.

"What now, Leo?"

Carlo asked, but we were already beyond help.

"Pull back. Don’t know if we’ll make it out... but we have to try."

We started retreating, helping the wounded, leaving the battlefield behind. The only way out was the transport ship.

Hurrying toward the transport ship waiting elsewhere—

"What the hell is that!? It’s coming this way!"

Freyja’s voice snapped my head up. Three massive warships were landing ahead of us. Two more were descending from behind.

One warship approached from each side.

Clearly targeting us.

"Can’t run...?"

The front hatch of the landed warship opened. Over a hundred figures emerged. Not soldiers with guns.

Three warriors in silver armor, wielding swords.

Then came others—also armored, but different. Swords, bows, spears, axes—weapons in hand.

And from behind, another hundred or so people were stepping down from the warships.

More than a dozen people were descending from the warships on either side. Altogether, we were surrounded by nearly three hundred enemies.

And these guys… each one of them’s seriously strong.

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『Hey hey… I came down just in case “Hostile Intent” was detected… but are these guys the world’s supernatural talent?』

God General Apollo

Demon Race Lv3546

『Good thing they’re grouped up. Makes it easier to wipe them out all at once.』

God General Persephone

Demon Race Lv3311

『Forget that—no response from Cronos and the others. I don’t want to think it, but… could they’ve been killed by these guys?』

God General Hermes

Demon Race Lv3473

『Unlikely, but I can’t imagine they’d abandon their roles… So it’s safer to assume these guys did it.』

『You’re telling me… ordinary humans… took down a demon… even a God General?』

『We’ll just have to exterminate them all.』

Apollo signals the surrounding demons. As they raise their weapons and assume battle stances, one of the human group fires an arrow laced with magic.

The arrow hits the demon’s magical barrier and explodes—but still, Apollo is certain. This one’s definitely a supernatural… and a damn skilled one at that. And then—

『Go!』

Nearly three hundred demons unleash magic and arrows in unison. The humans desperately raise a barrier, but it’s no use—several are hit.

The humans try to attack the weaker demons on the flanks, sending about ten warriors—sword and spear in hand—charging toward the demon on the left.

『Wasting time… Hermes!』

Apollo calls out. Hermes draws his sword, grinning.

『Leave it to me.』

Stepping forward, his form vanishes. In an instant, he reappears before the humans on the left, slicing through two warriors with a single swing—upper body and lower body cleaved apart.

The humans flinch. No mercy. They unleash a barrage of long-range attacks all at once. The casualties are massive. One by one, the humans fall.

『If all the talents in this world are gathered here, then killing them all means we’ll have no one left to oppose us, right?』

『Yeah… but don’t get cocky. Take them out one by one, for sure.』

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『Stop it!!』

More and more of the Vermilion Bird’s members are being killed. I can’t just stand here and watch—my own squad dying, and me doing nothing?

I block the silver-armored man’s sword with the Ruyi Golden Cudgel, face-to-face, glaring.

『Huh. Not bad. A real fighter, after all.』

『You—!!』

In a flash, his form vanishes. I search frantically—where’d he go?

『Gah!?』

He slashed my back. This speed… it’s on par with the “Leader” Gojo took down in China.

『Wang!!』

Leo and Freyja rush to help me. But fighting this guy? We’re all gonna die.

『Don’t come!!』

The wound on my back is deeper than I thought. I won’t last long.

『While I hold him, you all figure out how to escape! Leo, take care of the Vermilion Bird members…』

『But…』

Freyja stares at me, eyes wide with tears. She’s talented—like Noah and Emily. She can’t die here like this.

Survival for all of us? Impossible.

I make my decision. I focus every last bit of my remaining energy into the Ruyi Golden Cudgel. With a smug smile on the silver-armored man’s face, I charge into my final battle.

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That day, people all over the world watching the scene unfold on TV and video would be plunged into despair—overwhelmed by the sudden, overwhelming number of enemies appearing out of nowhere.

The relief that had come from earlier reports claiming we were gaining the upper hand made the shock all the more devastating.

Some prayed to gods, others sank into despair, and some clung desperately to the hope of miracles.

And in the midst of it all—

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“UOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWW!?!”

Out from the door Lazus had opened, I was suddenly flung into the air.

Startled, I adjusted my body with gravity manipulation and used wind magic to stabilize myself. I slowed my fall, hovered in midair, and looked around.

I didn’t know where I was—but between the clouds, something black was visible.

“What the hell’s that?”

Hundreds of black ships. Floating in the sky. Explosions rippling across them—clearly in the middle of a battle.

“So that’s the Demon God King’s army…?”

Looks like I’ve stumbled right into the thick of it. And I can feel something… unnatural. Something I’ve never sensed before.

He’s here… The Demon God King is among them…

I glance down at the 【冥王の十指】 on my hand. Black gloves, each finger set with a different colored gem—but I never asked how to use them.

Guess I’m just gonna have to wing it.

I clench my right fist, pouring magic into it. The orange gem on my hand shatters into dust—and a massive surge of magical energy erupts around me.

A phrase forms in my mind.

“Ah… so that’s how it works.”

I cross my arms over my chest, letting gravity take me as I focus my will.

“Summoning High-Grade Magic—”

Orange light bursts from my body, and the air goes utterly silent.

"——The Final War of the Gods (Ragnarok)——!!"

A colossal, twelve-pointed magic circle bloomed across the sky.