My front door leads to a comic strip

Chapter 176, 175: Gods have fallen, but the banner of justice will finally fly high in Orario!

At the top of the Tower of Babel, the night wind howled, causing Erebus's magnificent robes to flutter wildly.

His hands were tied behind his back with specially made ropes.

Beneath the tower, countless torches formed a flowing sea of ​​flames, as if to ignite the night in Orario.

The clamor of voices converged into a torrent of desire to end the turmoil.

"What a grand send-off!"

Erebus chuckled softly, his tone revealing no trace of dejection, but rather an almost intoxicated satisfaction. "I never imagined that so many people would come to witness my execution."

"This 'hospitality' is certainly fitting for my final act."

He tilted his head slightly, his gaze passing over the howling wind and landing on the black-haired youth standing not far away, holding a sword.

Gu Yuan held the "Sword of Justice" given to him by Astrea, its blade gleaming with a solemn, cold light under the pale moonlight.

The goddess Astraea stepped forward, her azure eyes first sweeping over the expectant crowd below, then calmly but clearly looking at Erebus: "These children have long suffered under the tyranny of your dark faction."

"Now that the root of the turmoil is about to be eradicated, Orario is poised for a long-awaited dawn, and it is only natural that they have gathered here in anticipation."

Her tone shifted abruptly, her voice suddenly becoming authoritative, as if carrying immense weight: "Erebus, do not try to stall for time or confuse the issue with words."

"We have arrived at the summit of the Tower of Babel as you requested, and the sword of justice is drawn."

"Now is the time for you to fulfill your promise and reveal the whereabouts of the rest of the evil gods."

Erebus withdrew his gaze from Gu Yuan and sighed leisurely at Astraea, as if scolding her for her lack of understanding: "Don't be in such a hurry, Astraea, this is my only remaining time in the lower realm."

He paused, a hint of mockery in his serious tone, "Once a god dies and is sent back, it will take at least ten thousand years before they can descend again."

"I need to think about it carefully and weigh that information thoroughly—"

"If we say something wrong or miss something, it's alright for us gods; we can just go back and get some sleep."

"But those children who take the risk will lose their lives in vain."

Astraea frowned slightly, a hint of displeasure flashing in her eyes, but she knew that Erebus was telling the truth, and that things had come to this point, and he had no way to escape.

She suppressed her emotions and said coldly, "—I hope you cherish these last moments."

In the same top floor of the Tower of Babel, but in a distant, shadowy corridor, the goddess Freya stood by the railing, her heart churning with complex emotions.

"It was still too late."

A barely perceptible hint of annoyance flashed across her stunningly beautiful face, her long silver hair swaying slightly in the night breeze. "Although I knew he was strong, I never imagined he would be this strong."

Ota, her proudest knight and Orario's ultimate weapon, was almost fatally wounded when facing the "Silent" Alphia.

However, Gu Yuan was able to subdue him in a single move during a direct confrontation.

That power, that potential, stirred her heartstrings, making her unable to control herself.

"If—if I were the one who met him first, if such a brilliant soul belonged to me—"

The thought surfaced uncontrollably, but Freya quickly suppressed it.

She shook her head gently and murmured to herself, "No, there's no point in thinking about these things now."

"He has accomplished such a feat that my Freya Familia is no longer worthy of him."

"Even if Ota relinquishes his position as captain—"

"Since that's the case—"

Freya's gaze hardened again, and she murmured, "My beauty, the wealth, resources, and connections of my clan are something that Astraea, who adheres to poverty and justice, can never match—"

She felt she still had a chance; even if she couldn't invite Gu Yuan to join her clan and become his one-night companion, it would still be good to have a place in his heart.

As the goddess of love and beauty, she has absolute confidence in her charm.

My gaze returned to the sword-wielding figure atop the tower, and a plan quietly took shape.

"After this is over—give him a gift he can't refuse."

She pondered, "I need to subtly showcase my wealth, while also demonstrating my discerning eye and—charm."

"Is it a rare spellbook? Or some kind of secret treasure that would even rank-one adventurers covet? Or—to put it more simply?"

She hesitated for a moment, determined to choose a gift that would best touch the recipient's heart.

Meanwhile, in a dark building not far from the Tower of Babel, two goddesses were looking out the window at the fateful scene unfolding atop the tower.

The vengeful goddess Alecto sighed deeply, her voice filled with resentment and disbelief: "I never imagined we would be defeated so quickly and so thoroughly."

-

"We clearly had a decisive advantage around dusk, so how did we end up completely wiped out by nightfall?"

The usual hypocritical smile on Apat's face vanished, replaced by a desolate look of shared sorrow: "Yes, not only the entire Dark Faction, but all my children have also lost contact tonight."

She gave a bitter smile. "Clearly, they've all returned to the Celestial Realm. Now—the tide has turned."

She paused for a moment, as if making up her mind, and said to Alecto, "I'm going to leave Orario tomorrow."

"Huh?" Alexo was startled at first, then a ruthless glint appeared on his face. "Leave? Fine—at least you can leave. As for me, I can't leave even if I wanted to."

"Fortunately, we successfully kidnapped the leader of the Ganesha Familia and that little girl before, which may be the last card I can use."

"Oh?" Apate looked at her with slight surprise. "So this was your doing?"

But her tone quickly turned helpless and pessimistic, "Unfortunately, it's too late now, this card is useless."

"I know," Alexo said through gritted teeth, his fingers gripping the window frame tightly. "It's all because of that human boy! If it weren't for him, we wouldn't be in this situation!"

"I can only keep this card for now and see when it comes in handy—perhaps it can save my life."

At the top of the Tower of Babel, Erebus finally ended his long monologue, which seemed to be a final statement from the underworld.

"—Therefore, there are currently three evil gods lurking in Orario that have not yet been exposed."

Erebus stated clearly, his gaze sweeping over Gu Yuan and Astraea, "Alectus, goddess of vengeance. Apate, goddess of deception. And—Rudra, goddess of destruction and healing."

Gu Yuan silently memorized these three names. He already knew Alecto and Apate.

And Rudra—after a moment's thought, he remembered that this was the mastermind behind the ambush in the underground city two years later, who almost wiped out the Astrea Familia.

She is also the chief deity of the clan to which Ryū Rion's mortal enemy belongs.

"So it was him—but now that I'm here, everything will be fine, and this will never happen."

Gu Yuan made a silent decision, his eyes becoming even sharper.

Erebus observed Gu Yuan's reaction with great interest, deliberately asking with a guiding curiosity, "Now that you know of their existence, what do you plan to do next?"

Without any hesitation, Gu Yuan uttered two words: "Kill."

Erebus feigned surprise, his tone exaggerated, as if he had heard something amusing: "Oh? Such a bloodthirsty nature, are you really alright? You belong to the Astrea Familia, which advocates justice and order."

Gu Yuan snorted coldly, about to retort, when Goddess Astraea stepped forward, her voice gentle yet carrying unwavering strength: "I trust Gu Yuan. He knows his limits and won't indiscriminately kill the innocent. I will fulfill my supervisory duties to ensure that justice is served, rather than sliding into the abyss of revenge."

She turned her gaze to Erebus, ending the conversation. "Erebus, you have finished your last words, and the time has come. Are you ready to face your final judgment?"

Erebus's nonchalant expression gradually faded.

He took a deep look at the crowd gathering like stars below the tower, then glanced at Gu Yuan, and sighed softly, as if he had truly let go of everything: "Since you, Astraea, are my guarantor, then I am at ease."

He looked at Gu Yuan again, his eyes deep, "I look forward to hearing your heroic legend ten thousand years from now."

Gu Yuan was slightly taken aback, and immediately realized that Erebus was still clinging to his theory of "hero cultivation".

He did not respond, but silently raised the "Sword of Justice" in his hand, its cold tip gleaming in the moonlight, aimed at Erebus's back.

Erebus took one last look at the crowd gathering below the tower like sparks, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

Although this wasn't the perfect script he initially envisioned, the ending—didn't seem too bad.

"At least, I personally selected and drew the curtain on the climax and finale of this drama."

*Pfft*

The faint sound of a blade piercing flesh was masked by the wind, and the sword of justice pierced the heart of the god of darkness without hindrance.

The next moment, immense divine power erupted from the sword!

boom!

A pure and dazzling white-gold beam of light, like a ladder to heaven, rose up from the top of the Tower of Babel, pierced the sky, and completely swallowed Erebus!

The light dispelled the darkness at the top of the tower, as if day had suddenly arrived, illuminating Gu Yuan's resolute profile and Astraea's solemn expression.

In that blinding, divine light, Erebus turned his head with difficulty, gazing deeply at Gu Yuan one last time. His lips moved, as if he wanted to leave behind his final words: "I will remember you forever—"

The following words were swallowed up by the sudden burst of divine power and the sound of the wind, and Gu Yuan could not hear them clearly.

All he saw was Erebus's figure gradually becoming transparent and illusory within the dazzling pillar of light, eventually dissipating completely into the world like shattered starlight, and being forcibly returned to the heavens.

The beam of light slowly dissipated, and the night sky returned to its deep, inky blue, as if the miraculous scene just now was merely an illusion.

Below the tower, the crowd, who had been holding their breath and watching the commotion at the top, fell into a deathly silence upon seeing the terrifying pillar of light symbolizing the "fall" and repatriation of a god. Then, a collective gasp erupted: "Ohhhhhh!!!!"

Words cannot describe the feelings at this moment; the deafening cheers erupted like a tsunami!

People waved torches, embraced each other and wept. The fear and gloom that had been suppressed in their hearts for a long time seemed to vanish with the pillar of light that ascended to the sky!

Orario has finally seen the long-awaited dawn!

Inside a distant building, Alecto watched the blinding wave of cheers, slammed his fist against the window frame with a dull thud, and his face turned ashen.