Chapter 88: The Final Station
Since launching its invasion of Solor, the Abyssal Demon Realm had grown desolate.
Its vast, sparsely populated lands were now even emptier, with few demons to be seen.
Even the once-bustling cities and settlements were now silent, though to the other races of Solor, the Abyss had always been a desolate place.
But now, it was quieter than ever.
In the heart of the Abyss, without Elthorp’s protection, the gray hall, bound by crimson chains, stood alone.
Vivian, in the Vampire territory, had not led her knights to battle, nor had she gone to the heart of the Abyss to protect Queen Shaya. She had remained, doing nothing.
Shaya hadn’t given such an order, but Vivian knew it was what her Queen would have wanted.
Their final battle was a private one.
A battle that would determine the fate of the conjoined world of the Abyss and Solor.
Knowing the war would eventually end, that the demon legions and the forces of Solor would reach a stalemate, Bai had, as promised, returned to the Abyss.
A silver-white light, like a shooting star, streaked across the Abyss, towards its heart.
No one could stop her. No one dared.
Sensing her approach, Queen Shaya, sealed in the gray hall, slowly opened her eyes.
The crimson runes on the ground faded, and the surrounding chains also vanished.
Without Shaya’s power, the sealing ritual was barely functioning, the dark-gold chains binding the crystal shattering, one by one.
The sealing ritual, constructed by Neily with the power of “Bai,” had been doomed to fail the moment Bai had unleashed her full destructive power, the moment she had resonated with the Abyssal Lord.
Shaya knew this. Even with all her strength, she couldn’t maintain it for long.
Unless… she defeated Bai, forced her consciousness into an eternal slumber, and the Abyssal Lord, no longer sensing the power of destruction, would fall silent again.
This was what had driven her to this final battle.
And Bai, on her journey to the Place of Divine Advent, to face her final destiny, also had to pass through Shaya, whose life was now intertwined with hers.
Neither of them would back down. So, this battle… was unavoidable.
“You’ve come, Bai,” Shaya said, emerging from the gray hall, her expression as proud as ever, looking down at Bai from her position in the sky.
“Just walking the path I must walk, Queen Shaya… or should I say, Big Sister,” Bai said, looking up at her, her expression calm, yet resolute, her aura a burning flame, no hint of subservience.
“You are just like her, so stubborn, so unyielding, so unwilling to run,” Shaya said.
With the sealing ritual shattered, and with Bai’s appearance, her memories had returned.
And with them, a renewed determination.
“Last time, I tried to convince her, but I failed,” she said, her gaze fixed on Bai, her voice devoid of emotion.
“But this time, I will not fail… because I am stronger now. Strong enough to suppress you.”
“One day, I will prove it. I can do anything… everything!”
She had never seen the Abyssal Lord—God—as an invincible opponent.
She had striven to become stronger, had used every means at her disposal, to defeat God, to avenge her “Big Sister,” “Bai.”
Even with her memories gone, that obsession had remained, buried deep within her.
And in a way, she had wanted to prove to “Bai” that God was not invincible, that with a strategic retreat, one could always return, stronger than before.
Bai knew this. She knew what Shaya meant, what she wanted to do.
So, she said, her voice low, “I understand all of this. You want to do so much. But the final result is still just… endless despair.”
“Impossible, Bai,” Shaya said, her fists clenched. “I saw God’s advent with my own eyes. She can be defeated. It’s just a matter of strength.”
“God’s existence is beyond strength… ‘she’ is the embodiment of a rule,” Bai said softly. Her connection to God was deep. She knew her true nature.
It was a strange, ineffable feeling, something words could not describe. Even “rule” was an inadequate term.
“There’s no need to say any more, Bai. At our level, words are useless,” Shaya said, a crimson rune glowing on her hand, a blood-red flame in her eyes.
A blood-red longsword materialized in her hand, and the flame spread, engulfing the blade.
The purest Vampire power, burning their own life force to temporarily enhance their strength.
It was a secret technique unique to the Vampires, and though it had a severe drawback, its effect was unparalleled.
She wasn’t holding back. From the very beginning, she was going all out.
Her power, amplified by the secret technique, had reached the peak of the World Ender Class, on the verge of the legendary God Class, the [Void Class].
At this level, ordinary spells were useless. A single swing of her blood-red sword was more powerful than any spell, even a forbidden one.
This was the strongest opponent Bai had ever faced. Even Elthorp, at his peak, wouldn’t have lasted three blows against her.
But… Bai was not Elthorp. And Elthorp had died at her hands.
She no longer looked up at Shaya. Before Shaya could attack, she looked down at Ara, who was standing beside her, a mixture of anxiety and concern on her face, and a faint smile touched her lips.
“Ara.”
“Yes… Ara is here!”
“It’s time to fight.”
“Ara… Ara will help!”
“Give it your all, Ara,” Bai said, her eyes downcast. “This is our last battle.”
“The last battle… we can fight side-by-side.”
