You are very strong, but my painting style is better than yours!

(It's time to unite all of humanity and launch an expedition to wipe out all aliens!)

Chapter 545 Humans, looking up at the sky.

With Iori's help, the Apostles, led by Rick, not only had the confidence to negotiate on equal footing with the alien races, but their intelligence activities also became more convenient and efficient.

They can appear openly before orcs, forest elves, and goblins, using their language skills to guide them.

It wasn't through lies, but through genuine intelligence, which naturally made the other side act according to their wishes. Although there were unexpected incidents, they generally achieved their goal: to instill fear in them of the "upcoming great war" and drive them away from the center of the continent that would become the battlefield.

This wasn't Iori being particularly kind; it was simply clearing the stage before the day of destiny arrived. This stage should rightfully only have [humans] and [Skywings], along with their respective gods, remaining.

The situation developed faster than expected, or rather, the gods acted more decisively than anticipated, without attempting any sabotage. After confirming the unusual behavior of the [Skywing Race], they promptly went into seclusion and ordered all their followers to shrink their forces and lie low.

Some divine beings even fled into space for their own safety, waiting for the war to end, much like refugees fleeing a catastrophe.

Iori wasn't interested in these guys anyway, so he didn't pay them much attention. In order to prepare for his battle with Altshu, he also entered a meditative state, adjusting his fighting spirit and rationality to a perfect balance.

Suddenly, this continent, which had been in chaos for tens of thousands of years, miraculously fell silent. There were no more large-scale racial wars, and everyone waited with a mixture of anticipation and fear for something...

Just when things were getting into a stalemate, another participant finally arrived.

The aerial city of the Fantasy species, Abantheim, which carries the god-slaying race, the Winged Race, and the war god, Artes, has arrived high in the sky at the center of the continent!

boom!

The elven corridor between heaven and earth emitted a vast and muffled sound, which could be heard more clearly by the superior races who understood the essence of magic, while to the ordinary races it was like a thunderclap resounding inside a great bell.

"Is that a human city-state? This is the first time someone has so openly invited us to be their 'guests.' How could we refuse!"

Through layers of clouds and magical barriers, Azriel looked at the human city-state that had been remarkably well-constructed in just one month. Her expression twisted, her feigned cuteness vanished, leaving only the murderous intent befitting the nature of the Skywing race.

"Gentlemen, the hunt is about to begin!"

"Hahahaha!"

Just as the entire Skywing race was preparing for battle, a hearty laugh brought them to a halt.

While it's nice to have some appetizers before the main course, how can you let your family members take center stage at this moment that everyone is watching?

Only a war god like him could uphold this glory!

"Step back and wait for the applause."

"Yes, my lord... I acted impulsively."

Azriel lowered her head deeply: "We really shouldn't steal the show. In that case, let these wild monkeys live a little longer."

"monkey?"

The God of War, Artesius, raised his eyelids: "What are you talking about, Primordial Individual? To dare to challenge an opponent who is absolutely invincible, that courage already surpasses many of the vulgarities of this world."

The races shaped by the gods, including you, are all endowed with potential, but you yourselves are confined to your 'talents' and dare not transcend the boundaries set by the Creator.

This is loyalty, but it is also weakness.

However, these very monkeys you speak of now stand proudly before us, and the gods they serve have raised their provocative spears against me!

The voice of Artesius, the God of War, resounded throughout the entire Throne Hall.

"I have never seen any forest elves or goblins. Cowards who don't even dare to look up at the sky, no matter how many tens of thousands of years have passed, have no right to be looked at by me."

As the strongest, the only ones I will ever look upon are the heroes who come to claim this title—humans, the only race not created by the gods, whom you have never paid attention to.

"...Not created by the gods?"

Azriel looked up in surprise, but the God of War, Artes, showed no sign of offering an explanation.

"As a reward for daring to look up at the sky, I also want to show my utmost respect."

The man calmly raised his right hand—

"All Skywing race members, prepare!"

"—!"

All the Skywing races looked up at the God of War, their eyes filled with shock.

Since the God of War has said this, there is only one command he represents.

Led by the God of War, his unparalleled power was unleashed by the combined might of all the Skywinged Elves, culminating in an unmatched strike—

[Divine Strike]!

"Yes!"

Azriel hardened her resolve: "All Winged Races, heed my command! Prepare to unleash [Sky Strike] and shower this world with the final flames of destruction!"

How will the [Skywing Species] fight?

The previous grand display must have been an all-out effort to bring out all their cards and maximize their chances of victory... even though there was already an almost 100% probability of success.

So, it must be the [Skywing Species] that first deployed their vanguard, forcing the human gods to make the first move. Perhaps that ancient fantasy species that carries the floating city will also join in—

The energy fluctuations coming from the sky in the next moment completely overturned their idea.

Om-!

It was a terrifying thing beyond words, a dazzling light that stretched to the ends of the earth, a power that even the gods trembled at.

This is despair itself!

A destructive force that surpasses the imagination of ordinary life forms, mercilessly crushing all hostile things.

Even the gods who were watching from the void—including the Forest God and the Forging God—fell silent.

Perhaps even the gods cannot judge this.

Power powerful enough to shake the very foundations of a planet was now manifested in the hands of a god-like being named Altshu.

【Divine Strike】—A trump card that can decide the outcome of a war in an instant!

The light that shone above the sky at that moment seemed to proclaim the end of the world, filling all races with despair.

The battle was over almost as soon as it began… This was the shared thought of all intelligent beings who witnessed the attack. It was unstoppable; when the God of War, Artesius, became serious, the outcome was already decided.

Besides humans!

For the first time in ten thousand years, they remained steadfast in gazing at the sky when faced with an alien race that could easily annihilate them!

Recognize your place: an insignificant speck of dust.

The majestic voice of the God of War, accompanied by the world-destroying radiance, resounded throughout heaven and earth.

Even the most brilliant minds are but fleeting illusions, their rise and fall happening in the blink of an eye.

Struggle, roar, resist, and then despair.

Only later did I realize that even the smallest accumulation, like grains of sand forming a tower or ants climbing a ladder, is still less than a fraction of the power of heaven.

No one can refute this... The God of War proved it with his own power.

It's not the difference between the [Divine Race] and other races, but the difference between an individual named [Altshu] and all other creatures in the world.

Its value is:

Unable to measure!

"The Complete Unlocking of the World-Saving Divine Blade!"

A shooting star, like dawn piercing the horizon, fearlessly cuts through the light of the end.

Just as the orbiting stars converge into a single line, platinum stars are born within it, and an incomparably handsome young god stands in the void, gazing directly at the sky under this radiant light, his pupils reflecting an aurora capable of cleaving stars.

Put away your arrogance, feel the pain, and then die...

O gods who look down upon this earth, cast your gaze upon the ants!

Hold fast to the title of "Strongest Hegemon"!

Iori's voice echoed across the final battlefield amidst the devastating torrent.

"Look, this is a sign of impending doom!"

In an instant, the entire world froze. This wasn't a perceptual illusion, but a distortion of spacetime in reality. After a brief pause, the overwhelming collision of energy instantly tore apart light and shadow and the entire sky as far as the eye could see.

Crimson haze, heavy black clouds, golden sunlight, azure sky—these scenes were torn apart one by one in the blink of an eye, and what was finally presented to the whole world was the vast emptiness that seemed to connect with the starry sky after space was completely opened up!

hum!

In the ever-flowing Elf Corridor between heaven and earth, this invisible and immense power ceased to operate, and the world seemed to detach from the timeline. In Iori's eyes, everything turned gray and white, and only he himself could move freely.

With three steps, it easily traversed the planet's atmosphere.

Iori stood in the void, calmly watching the God of War, Artes, in the distance—he too had broken away from the floating city.

call!

The grayish-white color quickly faded, and the two returned to the normal world. Time resumed its flow, and the auras intertwined in the space, as if the whole world was trembling because of this battle.

Altshu's body was tall and imposing, with pairs of beautiful wings of light unfurling behind him like ribbons of light encircling the stars. His eyes were filled with fighting spirit, and the corners of his mouth were slightly upturned, as if he had been looking forward to this battle for a long time.

"Aizen Iori, you've finally arrived."

Artes' voice was deep and powerful, as if it came from the depths of the universe.

"Althos, your title of the strongest will be ended by me today."

Iori responded calmly, the savior sword in her hand trembling slightly, its blade gleaming with a simple metallic light, not at all like the blade that had just shattered [God Strike].

"Insanity!"

Artes laughed loudly, then raised his hand and waved it, sending a dazzling beam of light crashing down from the sky, striking Iori's location.

Strictly speaking, the Skywing races are all inferior versions designed based on him. Just as the Skywing races become weak when using [Sky Strike], Altshu's [God Strike] also consumes a lot of energy.

However, the moment this war god stood in front of Iori, his depleted energy was quickly restored, and his aura was at its peak!

Iori flashed, but instead of moving, she slashed her sword, cutting through the illusion created by the light and shadow.

boom! ! !

The two beams of light slammed into the ground, bursting with dazzling light and tearing a huge crack in the earth, but they just happened to avoid human cities.

Artes didn't specifically target that area; it's just that for a powerhouse of his caliber, the so-called "center of the world" was still too narrow as a battlefield.

Whoosh!

Iori's figure had already appeared behind Altshu, each hand holding a weapon, the Kusanagi sword in her left hand slashing towards Altshu's back with the power of lightning.

"Humph!"

Artesu snorted coldly, and the wings of light on his back suddenly unfurled, forming an indestructible barrier that blocked Iori's slash. The blade collided with the wings of light, producing a piercing metallic scraping sound and sparks flying everywhere.

"Your weapon is very sharp, but it is not enough to defeat me."

Artes turned around, but instead of using his most proficient spear, he punched Iori.

To him, weapons and hand-to-hand combat were probably no different; they were just forms of releasing power.

Wherever the fist passed, space was torn apart, forming a pitch-black rift that drew Iori's body in like an eye in the void.

Iori dared not take the blow head-on and dodged it with a quick movement.

However, Altshu's attack did not stop. As his light wings unfolded, countless blinding beams of light shot out, attacking like a storm, each strike carrying destructive power.

boom! boom! boom!

Iori dodged Altshu's attacks constantly, occasionally using the Ama no Kusanagi and the Savior Blade to parry, but each collision brought him immense pressure. Altshu's power far exceeded his expectations; even at his current level, he could hardly withstand it head-on, and was forced to retreat continuously, flying tens of thousands of meters away.

A dazzling bolt of lightning erupted from the blade, lunging towards Altshu like a giant dragon. Wherever the lightning passed, space was torn apart, the atmosphere was evaporated, and the entire world seemed as fragile as glass.

A hint of surprise flashed in Altshu's eyes, but he did not back down; instead, he stepped forward. His fist collided with the lightning, unleashing a deafening roar. The lightning was shattered by his fist, turning into countless electric snakes that scattered in all directions.

"What's wrong? Aizen Iori, is this all you've got? You're not even as good as Tatsumi!"

Artesu scoffed, his punches growing even more ferocious.

Iori didn't respond, but a look of understanding flashed in his eyes. The next moment, the power within him began to rise rapidly. The lightning power on the Kusanagi Sword became increasingly violent, and the brilliance condensed by the divine blade reached its peak, causing the space around the sword to distort.

—At this moment, Iori's aura was infinitely close to that of the God of War, but she was still just a tiny bit short.

"There's no other way, because I have to be careful too."

Iori and Altshu exchanged glances, and Iori smiled casually, "Wouldn't it be a waste of your resources if I accidentally used a power that surpasses yours?"

"...Haha! This is hilarious, so hilarious! I haven't been this happy in a long time!"