Chapter 1858 Prelude [6]
Chapter 1858 Prelude [6]
It was the first time the world had faced Damien like this.
Most of them didn't even know his face. To them, he was more of a spiritual entity attached to the stories of heroes.
His act of appearing in front of them signaled more than Damien himself expected. They were mostly prepared when their leaders brought them together and told them to prepare to fight for their lives, but his image set it all in stone.
Quintillions of existences watched him, whether in person surrounding Void Palace or on screens throughout the world. They all had their eyes trained on a single man as he stood up to speak.
"This is my first time greeting everyone like this. Maybe I should start things off with a joke?" Damien spoke with a smile. He knew that the line wouldn't hit when the atmosphere was this dim, but it was still important. He wanted to humanize himself in their eyes, because if they saw him as one of their own, his words would resonate deeper.
He definitely got a few laughs. When the whole world was watching, his choice to start with humor in such a grim situation definitely touched at least a few circles.
But, the people weren't here for his jokes.
He was their representative, the hero of their cosmos.
They needed to see that side of him as well.
"You are all aware of what we face. They are not new enemies, nor are they enemies that we have never defeated. Our current enemies are nothing more than puppets created from the ashes of those we have slain."
"However, their leader is a vile man."
"He is a man that thirsts for our land. He is a man who wants nothing more than to see us suffering. There is nothing but greed in his eyes. In that sense, he is no better than a pig."
The citizens didn't have any fear when they fought in the Heavenly World. This was their home territory, so they always felt like they had the advantage no matter what happened.
14:35
"Since when have we, the proud denizens of the True Void Universe, allowed pigs to best us?!"
Damien's eyes changed. Something in his aura radiated majesty, and though he was not using any sort of techniques or technology to boost his voice, every single person could clearly hear his voice.
He was no longer using his own mouth to communicate. No, his voice had become one with the world itself.
"You will see it for yourselves soon," he continued.
The citizens didn't have any fear when they fought in the Heavenly World. This was their home territory, so they always felt like they had the advantage no matter what happened.
Now, as they'd been informed that the time had come to step on enemy soil for the first time, the fear they lacked naturally caught up to them.
It plagued their hearts, making them wonder if they'd really be okay.
Damien's job was to provide them security, even if it was false.
"The Sacred Abyss is nothing," he said. "That cosmos does not have life. It is a land of death and misery. The people in that land are forced to struggle and survive without the same security that we have. They are the true captives of the Dark God. Our mission this time is not just to defeat the enemy, but also to save people." Nôv(el)B\\jnn
"Think about your homes. Think about your families. Think about everything this world has to offer. We are fighting to save it and to allow others to see its beauty. We are fighting to purge evil. Remember, no matter what happens in the battle ahead, each and every one of you will attain glory."
"You may not be written by name in the history books. Most historians will only bother to name the most important figures in a conflict. However, those names do not matter, because even the people who will go down in history will remember the rest of you as the true heroes. You will be the hidden heroes of this world, its true protectors."
Multiple different methods, all meant to give the armies purpose, were deployed.
It didn't matter what they aimed for.
If they wanted to protect, they had to fight with everything they had. If they wanted to be heroes, they had to fight with everything they had. If they wanted to be recognized in the history books, they had to fight with everything they had. And, even if they only wanted the glory of being an unnamed hero…well, it didn't need to be said another time.
Damien's words rang true with several implications behind them, but his voice seemed to carry his intent perfectly to each and every person who listened. Whether they were smart or dull, literate or not, they understood exactly what he wanted to convey.
"The time has come for all of you to shine. After so many years, the time has come to rid this world of all of the calamities that plagued it!"
Straea was the doing of the Foreign Races. The downfall of society when Dante disappeared was the doing of the Foreign Races. The destruction of the lower universe was the doing of the Foreign Races.
From start to finish, everything led back to the Dark God.
The crowd was listening intently. They understood that this speech was not a final goodbye, but a moment for them to look back on with pride once they survived. Damien smiled confidently at his people. He had much more he wanted to say. Truthfully, standing in front of them and giving a valiant speech was something he'd been looking forward to doing.
But, there was nothing left to be said.
The eyes of those people all said the same thing. Their hearts were fueled by the same fire.
If Damien said anymore, he would just be holding them back from what they truly wanted.
And that was war. "These Foreign Race scum…" he began. He swept his arm through the air. No matter where they were, the screens in the world suddenly switched to a different picture at the same time. They showed scenes of Dimensional Cracks surrounded by Foreign Territories crawling with enemies. "...they are nothing in front of us." Those words resounded through the fabric of space and time. A mysterious wave of energy spread through the land, and in a single instant, all of it was gone.
The Dimensional Cracks, the Foreign Territory, and the Foreign Races. All of them disappeared from the world at once.
And, at the very same time, everyone concentrated on points nearby as their senses alerted them to rampant mana fluctuations.
As if the heavens themselves were preparing them to assemble, new Dimensional Cracks opened. They were an aquamarine blue color and had a much warmer aura than those of the Foreign Races.
"Now, everyone, make them kneel, and slaughter without mercy!"
Damien's shout shook their souls. The spirit of battle he had been building within their minds and bodies boiled forth as they felt the sheer power and fighting intent in his words.
He held his arm out, his eyes locked with those of the Dark God beyond the veil.
Finally, he gave the command that everyone had been waiting for. "Charge!"
RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!
The war cry of the True Void people forced the very fabric of reality to tremble before their might.
As one, they charged through the Dimensional Cracks. There was no more time to waste; no more time to hesitate. At this very moment, the final battle for the fate of everything had begun.
And it would not end until only one side remained.