Even through the semi-translucent rift in space, that moment of brilliance—as though the sun itself had descended upon the earth—forced Malfurion, Lancerel, and the other unprepared elves, dryads, and humans to shut their eyes, shielding themselves from a radiance countless times brighter than any Blindness spell. Yet even so, they still felt as though an ocean of light stretched before them, boundless and dazzling.
The luminescence gradually returned to normal. Lancerel and Selyndra opened their eyes and gazed upon the Blood Plains, where a bizarre mushroom cloud—wide at the top, narrow at its stem—was rising slowly from the center. The demon powerhouses at its core had already been reduced to ash. Along the rim of the massive crater, melted sand had re-solidified into glass-like formations that reflected the crimson sunlight, creating a scene of crystalline, kaleidoscopic beauty.
Further out, among the demon host, not a single intact corpse could be found. Severed limbs, shattered skulls, and broken wings littered the ground everywhere. Blood of red, green, and other colors irrigated the sand and soil, lending them a grotesque yet strangely beautiful aesthetic—like a crimson man-eating flower slowly unfurling its petals.
Still farther out, the demon ranks had become sparse and scattered. Some had turned to corpses, others clutched their eyes and writhed on the ground in agony. The scales across their bodies were cracked and broken in every place, and not the slightest trace of their various innate defensive abilities remained.
Because this was a plain, and because numerous brittle white stone pillars stood tall across it, the tide-like demon army struck by the "Eternal Blazing Sun" had been like a flood cut off at its source—instantly dried up.
As for the different species of demons at the farthest distance who had not been directly harmed, the blow had been aimed at the leading Demon Dukes and other powerhouses. Now bereft of command, they seemed to have had their courage entirely shattered. They fled in panic, and in just a few dozen seconds, the Blood Plains fell silent save for the wailing of the wounded—not a single demon remained standing.
What was even more peculiar was that the air, once saturated with all manner of curses, had been cleansed after the detonation of the "Eternal Blazing Sun." It became remarkably pure, with no more faintly warping scenery or the sensation of corrosion eating at one's skin.
In that moment, this layer of the Abyss—the Blood Plains—had briefly ascended from its state as an endless abyss of chaotic carnage, malice, and rot into a pristine terrestrial paradise—provided one ignored the blood and corpses blanketing the ground.
The lord of this layer of the Abyss, the "Blood Monarch," made no appearance and offered no reaction whatsoever. He did nothing to stop the demons' panicked retreat, remaining eerily silent. The massive offensive had been quelled in an instant.
The semi-transparent spatial fissures seemed to shudder violently beneath the terrifying storm of energy, reducing the power of the seal by a considerable margin. Unfortunately, not a single demon dared seize the opportunity—they were re-enshrouded by Malfurion and the other druids, who had regained their composure and reinforced the binding.
Inside the Nameless Town.
Mason was discussing matters with Ferid in anxious tones when the sound of demons screaming and roaring reached their ears. He furrowed his brow. "The demons are attacking again. They've truly been driven mad by bloodlust."
"They say the Abyss has six hundred and sixty-six layers, but no one really knows how many there are, and the demons within are beyond counting. The losses from daily incursions mean nothing to the Demon Monarchs," Ferid replied. Over these past weeks, he had gained a profound understanding of just how numerous the demons truly were.
Demons were creatures of fundamental chaos, unable to control their killing urges and bloodlust, yet they still obeyed the instinct to seek advantage and avoid harm. Were it not for the high-ranking demons, Demon Dukes, and Demon Monarchs suppressing them through sheer force and intimidation, they would never have launched attack after relentless attack—especially when each assault ended in devastating casualties under the strikes of the Legendary Druids.
Mason opened his mouth, about to lament when this life would finally end, when an unimaginable roar erupted beside their ears, leaving both Sky Knights temporarily deafened.
Their gazes instinctively turned toward the Abyssal rift beyond the town, and they were immediately blinded by light of blinding intensity—as though the sun in the sky had detonated directly before their eyes!
Both men squeezed their eyes shut. Tears streamed down uncontrollably, and beneath their feet they felt the earth heave and roll in undulating waves, making it impossible to keep their footing.
"What kind of transcendent power is this?!" Mason steadied himself and blurted out, but his voice of shock was swallowed by the roar of the explosion.
At the same time, he noticed a faint burning sensation on his skin and felt a chill run through him. The explosion must have occurred on the Blood Plains—yet from such a vast distance, across an Abyssal rift, it could still transmit its heat all the way here?
Just how terrifying was its true power?
After a while, thanks to a Heaven Knight's powerful recovery, Mason's eyes returned to normal, and the sensation of something rolling in the depths of the earth faded away.
Then strange azure-colored scales grew from the corners of his eyes, his pupils contracted and turned vertical, and he looked toward the Abyssal rift once more—only to see that enormous mushroom cloud billowing outward. Combined with everything he had just experienced, Mason felt a profound shock rising from the depths of his heart.
"...This is the beauty of destruction..." The half cigar in Freid's hand had fallen to the ground as he stared at the distant scene with a mixture of astonishment and admiration.
Mason snapped back to reality. "A mushroom cloud... the Eternal Blazing Sun? The Arcane Council's reinforcements have arrived?"
When the Arcane Council had fought the Southern Church, the "Eternal Blazing Sun" had been cast before the entirety of Londtart—and its power was so vast and terrifying that the leaders of every nation had been forced to take notice. In the hands of Hathaway, who had just advanced to the pinnacle of the Legend rank, with materials prepared in advance, it already possessed power approaching that of a demigod. If Douglas had gone all out, it would likely have been comparable to Ivan casting Divine Blessing, or equivalent to a single strike from a demigod. Moreover, as the Arcane Council had privately revealed to the noble families of various nations, the power of this spell had no upper limit...
As Heaven Knights, Mason and Freid were indisputably among the upper echelon of the Colette Kingdom, and they had a deep impression of the mushroom cloud described in intelligence reports.
"I wonder if it's the Arcane Emperor, the Storm Sovereign, or the Elemental Dominator who's come?" Freid ventured, letting out a sigh of relief. "Looks like we can get out of here..."
With reinforcements arriving, the elves no longer had to fear attacks from the sea peoples amid the chaos.
Mason's expression also relaxed from its earlier tension. He glanced around the small town and said in a low voice, "I don't want to spend a single second more here—if I do, I'm going to lose control..."
As they spoke, both gazed again at the hazy, blood-colored plain beyond the rift, and offered a shared remark of their own: "Terrifying Arcane Magic..."