For several minutes, the Star Eater remained motionless, trapped under the relentless barrage from Utopia. It could do nothing but endure as waves of cannons and missiles bombarded its massive form, shaking the entire battlefield.
Explosions erupted across its monstrous body. Its flesh was torn apart and burned, its black blood splattering into the void of space. The creature could do nothing—only watch as its body was destroyed piece by piece.
And yet, despite its suffering, the Star Eater roared in fury.
"Keep going!" the King commanded. "It's getting weaker!"
"The energy system is charging—50% reached!"
The King frowned. "It's taking longer than expected. How long can we hold it off…?"
Even as the battle raged, a deep unease crept into his mind. His gaze flickered toward the Phantom King, the Spirit Queen, and the countless people pouring their magic into the great cannon. They were exhausted—pale and trembling, their bodies barely standing.
"If it weren't for the Phantom King's help… we wouldn't have even lasted this long." The King clenched his fists. "No, I can't think like that. Everyone is fighting with everything they have."
Yet the unease in his chest did not fade.
Far from the battlefield, atop the highest tower of Atlantis, a dark figure stood watching.
Its gaze lingered on the King.
"Not bad… This performance meets my expectations." The figure muttered to itself. "But it's time to raise the difficulty."
With a wave of its hand, an invisible force surged forward, streaking through the battlefield—straight toward the Star Eater.
"Now… rise."
As the Star Eater writhed in agony, something deep within its monstrous being awakened—a sensation buried in its subconscious, an ancient fury reborn.
A shockwave burst outward as its rage consumed the battlefield, deflecting incoming missiles and bullets.
"This feeling..." The King gasped, struggling to stay on his feet. "The gods' seal… it's breaking."
"Status?! How much longer?!"
"70% charged!"
But the Star Eater had already begun its counterattack.
One of its massive limbs suddenly pierced through Utopia's atmosphere, tearing apart the sky.
The arm crashed down, obliterating everything in its path. Entire squadrons of cannons were crushed under its weight, explosions engulfing the battlefield in a sea of earth and fire. The screams of dying soldiers filled the air.
"Damn you! Die, monster!"
Survivors turned their cannons toward the massive limb. Leaders unleashed devastating spells. Dragons soared toward it, grappling against its impossible strength.
Cannon fire and magic bombarded the limb relentlessly.
Finally, with a final explosive barrage, the monstrous arm was severed—plummeting to the earth with a cataclysmic impact, leveling what remained of the battlefield.
But there was no time to celebrate.
The Star Eater, now consumed by fury, began to shed its own flesh.
Each severed chunk sprouted tendrils, developing a mind of its own—swarming toward incoming missiles, intercepting them before they could reach its core.
More flesh rained down upon Utopia, targeting the remaining cannons.
Destruction spread across the battlefield.
But the soldiers refused to yield.
Magicians and artillery forces fought back, unleashing every spell and weapon at their disposal.
The sky above Utopia became a maelstrom of explosions, a storm of fire and magic.
For the first time since the battle began… the war reached a deadlock.
The King looked up, breathing heavily.
"I wish I could help, but…" He clenched his teeth. "The strain of maintaining all these Gates has nearly drained me dry. I can only rely on them now."
"Status?! Is the system ready?!"
"80% charged!"
"KEEP FIRING! ABYSSAL BREAKER IS ALMOST READY!"
"YES, SIR!"
While the soldiers fought desperately, the Phantom King and Spirit Queen—despite their exhaustion—continued to pour their last reserves of mana into the cannon.
Even on the brink of collapse, they couldn't resist taunting each other.
"Still just standing there?" The Phantom King smirked. "Are you sure you've given it your all?"
The Spirit Queen scoffed. "There are still people behind us, still fighting. That means we're not done yet."
"You look exhausted."
"Oh? And you don't?"
"Want to make a bet?" she suddenly asked, panting.
The Phantom King raised an eyebrow. "I'm listening."
"We unleash all our power at the same time. Whoever collapses first has to admit the other is stronger."
A dry chuckle. "Fine. But you don't look like you'll last long either."
"Shut up and do it."
Their bodies blazed with magic, forcing the cannon to charge even faster.
"90% CHARGED!"
And then…
The light around the Spirit Queen began to fade.
And for a moment he saw specks of light begin to appear around the Spirit Queen.
"Impossible." The King stopped dead.
"Damn it! Is the system ready?!"
"Ninety-nine percent charged. Converting energy."
The Ghost King, panting, continued to pour mana into it.
"Still standing… I won't lose…" he muttered.
"What about you—"
The Phantom King turned to taunt her again—but froze.
She was gone.
Only shimmering embers of dissolved mana remained. No words. No farewell.
A silent, absolute end.
The battlefield fell still for a moment.
The Phantom King lowered his head.
"So… our little game is over." His voice trembled. "But you disappeared before admitting I was stronger. You liar."
For the first time in his life… he felt something.
A tear fell from his eye.
"So this is grief."
He wiped it away and gritted his teeth.
"It's not that bad."
The Phantom King looked at the lights again.
"If there is a next life... I still want to fight you. Only you." He said with a relief that was different from his usual strength.
Then he took a deep breath and raised his head, rage evident in his eyes.
"You bastard! TAKE OUR ANGRY!"
With a final cry, he poured the last of his magic into the cannon.
"Systems fully charged! READY TO FIRE!"
He fell to his knees, barely able to turn toward the King.
"The rest… I leave to you."
Then, he too dissolved into light.
The battlefield was silent.
No cheers. No celebration.
Only the King stood beneath the great cannon. His hands trembled.
"…Phantom King… Spirit Queen…"
His voice broke.
A hollow, burning fury filled his chest.
"…Damn it all."
He raised his sword.
"ABYSSAL BREAKER—FIRE!!!"
The King roared, suppressing his pain and grief.
The cannon roared in response.
Energy surged from its core. Gears gnashed, pistons pumped, magic pulsed like tidal waves. Runes flared to life, their glow spreading across the massive gun barrel aimed straight at the heavens.
Crystals ignited, drawing in the surrounding mana through intricate, glowing threads. Magic circles detached from the barrel, swirling around the twin cannons.
Then—two vortexes of energy formed.
Two cosmic storms spiraled toward each other, fusing into an overwhelming force.
"Target locked."
As the Star Eater's massive body pierced the atmosphere, the twin vortexes were sucked into the cannon.
For a single heartbeat—the world fell silent.
Then, a soundless flash.
And then—an explosion.
The ground cracked beneath the Abyssal Breaker. Space itself twisted and tore as a shockwave burst outward, drowning out even the Star Eater's screams.
The shockwave buffers activated—but even they couldn't withstand the force. Their surfaces crumbled under the sheer impact.
The King, standing beneath the cannon, erected layer upon layer of barriers—struggling to survive the crushing pressure.
Then, from the chaos, light erupted.
A blinding radiance engulfed Utopia.
Twin beams of divine power tore through the sky—pillars of hope burning through the darkness.
The beams spiraled, merging into a single, colossal blast—a holy storm of annihilation. It crashed into the Star Eater, tearing through its crimson shields like paper, ripping apart its monstrous flesh.
The Star Eater screamed.
Its anguished cry shook the sky, deflecting bullets and magical waves. But even its shrieks of agony could not stop the Abyssal Breaker from tearing it apart.
It thrashed, twisting its colossal body, desperately attempting to retreat.
But the moment it entered the Abyssal Breaker's sights…
It was already too late.
The cannon's targeting systems locked onto its very existence.
Its limbs flailed, but turrets and missile strikes pinned it down.
Gravity rockets exploded along its escape path, generating force fields that warped space itself. In an instant, the air filled with glowing magical stones—anchoring reality, trapping the Star Eater in an inescapable, collapsing cage.
Each attempt to escape only brought more agony.
Its monstrous flesh was torn apart, scattered like cursed embers—falling from a dying star.
The King, bleeding but alive, teleported away from the cannon, his breath ragged.
He looked up at the battlefield, his body screaming in exhaustion—
But something was wrong.
"Why was it so… easy?"
A cold realization gripped his chest.
"Why didn't it use any other abilities…?"
His fists clenched.
"...Or does it still have them?"
As if answering his unspoken fears—
The Star Eater… stopped moving.
Its mangled body curled inward, its enormous limbs shielding its body.
A crimson glow pulsed beneath its flesh.
Then—a shield materialized.
A barrier of pure despair expanded around the creature, blocking every incoming attack.
Every cannon. Every missile.
Nothing could pierce it.
Except—
The Abyssal Breaker's light.
Even now, its divine beam still burned into the Star Eater's flesh.
But the King wasn't relieved.
If anything… his unease only grew.
"What is that…?" His voice was barely a whisper.
A nearby officer paled. "Sir… all weapons are ineffective. Only the Abyssal Breaker can hurt it now."
"…Cease fire. Reload everything."
"Y-Yes, sir!"
As the battlefield fell into uneasy silence, the King watched the creature closely.
Then—
The Star Eater opened its mouth.
A void of thorns and abyssal hunger split apart its monstrous jaws.
The Abyssal Breaker's divine light was sucked inside.
And from that gaping abyss—
A crimson beam erupted.
A beam born from despair itself.
It collided with the Abyssal Breaker's light—
And the world shook.
"What the hell is this…?" the King whispered, his heart pounding.
The beams clashed, twisting and writhing—divine hope against ultimate hunger.
Then…
The Abyssal Breaker's light… began to waver.
The crimson despair was pushing back.
"It's… mimicking us!" an officer screamed.
The King's eyes widened in horror."It's mimicking the Abyssal Breaker!"
This was beyond anything they had prepared for.
"KEEP FIRING! USE EVERY CANNON, EVERY MISSILE—EVERYTHING!!"
But nothing penetrated the crimson barrier anymore.
It was too late.
The people of Utopia stood frozen in horror.
Their last hope—
The light of salvation—
Was being swallowed whole.
By a hunger that could never be satisfied.
By despair made manifest.
Could any miracle save them now?