Notifications rang in his ears the moment Theo disappeared.
[Congratulations on your victory in the first round! Lords remaining: 11.283.450]
[The gods are mocking you and debating over which useless blessing to bestow upon you.]
[Takemikazuchi blesses your army on Izanagi's behalf: Thunderborne Rage: Every attack has a 30% chance to unleash a thunderbolt, dealing AoE damage based on strength.]
[Zeus, Odin, and Marduk are fuming and declaring the Japanese pantheon traitors.]
Adam slapped his leg in amusement, exploding into laughter.
"Not mocking me anymore?" He shoved his middle finger toward the sky. "How does it feel to fail again and again? You constantly cheated, but here I stand, a mortal, defying your oh-so-brilliant grandeur!"
His eyes narrowed at the next message.
[Mimi has been disqualified.]
divine glow engulfed the Amazons, their figures fading in the bright light.
Mimi threw her arms around his neck, biting her lip until the metallic tang of blood filled her mouth.
"Don't lose, big brother!"
"I won't." He patted her back, his voice a gentle whisper. "Rest well in your city, little sis, and wait for my victory."
They all disappeared as his words lingered in the air, leaving behind his two thousand soldiers and generals.
Yet, the gods weren't keen on giving him a second's respite and followed up with another notification.
[You have five seconds to participate in the second round.]
"You already know the answer." His fist clenched as he thrust it toward the sky. "Get us on the battlefield!"
The demons hesitated, their eyes narrowing before flames ignited within them. Their lords had spoken, and, honestly, the bastard gods sickened them more with each second crawling by. Oh, how they wished to see them fall from grace into an abyssal pit in which they would shred them into pieces.
"To the battlefield!"
No one knew who roared first, but a chorus soon followed, making Adam and the generals smile.
The jotuns followed, their powerful voices thundering as light particles engulfed them.
Spurred by the atmosphere, Adam pointed his finger toward the sky and smirked, far from imagining how insidious his mortal enemies could be.
Soon, they vanished in bright bursts, leaving behind a ravaged plain reeking of blood, death, and decay.
And when Adam reopened his eyes, an icy shudder ran down his spine.
A foreign yet familiar burning, even suffocating air infiltrated his nostrils as a distorted green filled his vision. Before he could understand where he was, Garduck's voice cracked beside him.
"Shit... we're back."
The noise of someone colliding with the dry ground followed as he saw despair and horror distort Luna's beautiful features.
"N-No... No!" She gripped her head, her hair fluttering as she shook it as though to wake up from a nightmare. "They got us..."
Her fingers trembled as she pointed at a humongous shadow piercing the red sky like a spear.
Simultaneously, a notification cleaved through his confusion like a burning blade.
[Second round's participants: Adam.]
[Not enough participants. Adjusting the event's rules according to the demon kings' suggestion: defeat the demon Marquis Leraje and his twenty legions.]
As his eyes widened, the towering shadow's grating laughter filled the sky.
"Did you miss me, my dear little imp? Oh, you can't imagine how I missed you. Welcome back to my demon realm!"
Dread's icy finger gripped Adam's heart before he shook his head and cursed.
Then, eyes narrowed, he pointed his finger at him.
"I'll never miss a bastard like you! Quit acting. You can't touch us without breaking the rules and triggering a reaction from the other gods!"
"I'm just observing your demise." Baal snorted and turned towards a black mass of giant Balors and greater djinns burning with the elements. "Enslave him, Leraje."
A gallant demon, leaner and shorter than the others, stepped before the army. His lush green long coat fluttered with his steps as he leaned on an intricate longbow. Flames glinted on his youthful face, casting shadows under his broad hunter's hat as he smirked.
"Don't forget my rewards, Baal. I want ten days and an infernal bow!"
Baal chuckled and pointed at a mountain spewing demonic essence in unholy quantities. The streams were so thick that they looked like molten rivers running along the walls, scalding vapor rising from them.
"Three days and the bow. Don't haggle with me, or you'll get a promise, but..." He let his words linger, everyone understanding he wouldn't keep it.
Leraje nodded begrudgingly.
"Three days in the purgatory's original flame are enough." He turned to his 133.320 demons and raised his fist. "Kill them all, feast on their essence, and capture the lord!"
Upon hearing Leraje's commands, Bart recovered.
His pupils constricted and trembled madly, and his muscles tensed, each fiber seemingly holding the weight of the sky.
He took a step forward, an inferno of determination and a hint of savagery raging in his eyes as his heart drummed in his chest.
"Burn and devour them all!"
His roar pierced through the tension, awakening the terrified army with his firm presence.
"In formation! Follow me!"
With a war cry, he lunged on the dry ground, each of his steps echoing like those of a demonic beast out for blood.
"Bart?! Shit! Follow him."
Adam roared and leapt to support Luna.
"I know you're not ready for this place, but we need you at full power to survive." He passed his arm around her shoulders and lifted her. "I'm with you. I'll always be."
He felt her tremble in his arm, his heart tightening at the terror dancing in her eyes. But time was against them. Though he wanted to help her overcome her trauma, the war would rage any second now, forcing his lips to twist in a conflicted grimace.
"Tsk. Annoying monkey." A voice echoed behind him, forcing his head to snap in its direction. "I'm sleeping for ten days after this. Wake me up again, and I promise you won't sleep for a month!"
Merlin grumbled, sat, and snapped his fingers before his back collided with the ground as he slipped into unconsciousness.
Simultaneously, the air trembled as long cracks, wafting the scent of space, spiderwebbed across it before mana swirled into a humming portal.
Adam's eyes widened as he watched a tanned foot firmly step onto their side, a voice dripping with arrogance echoing.
"Pathetic. Must I descend from my throne to clean up this mess? Watch closely, for I'll carve victory where you only managed disgrace."