Chapter 1040 Deadlock, The Attempt to Push the Danger While

Desperately Searching for Their Final Hope

Day 341 - 1:18 PM - Final Defense Line, Ariake Banks, Ariake, Reclaimed City, Ruins of Tokyo, Japan

Everyone watched as the fireball that was once a helicopter crashed to the ground. No matter whether it was the soldiers or the refugees, their hearts sunk in dismay. Each explosion and death among the soldiers would be one or more steps back away from salvation.

But it was no time for mourning. Letting sadness and despair take over in these times meant giving up on any possible hope they could still have.

ROOOOARRR!!!

The terrifying roar repeatedly entered everyone's ears. Each roar felt like a nail was getting driven into their hearts, pushing them further into despair.

And as if the eight-headed monster was not enough, the other dangers the Reclaimed City was facing arrived slowly.

"The Goo Creatures are here!"

A sharp-sighted [Ability Holder] shouted while keeping watch near the bridge.

Goo Creatures. It was what the refugees called the [Miasmic Residues]. They got the name due to the scene of these creatures seeping out of the ground like goo before forming their unstable humanoid forms.

Nonetheless, what the people called these creatures was not the problem right now. It was the fact that these creatures were now closing into Ariake.

Everyone now knew it was dangerous to fight these creatures upfront. Many of them learned it the hard way, watching the victims of these creatures dry up like raisins after getting caught by their goo-like arms.

But if they learned the danger, they also learned ways to defend themselves.

"Ready the explosives! Those fighting in close quarters, use longer weapons!"

The Field Commander shouted.

And following the arrival of the [Miasmic Residues], the [Vanguard Units] also began making their move.

It was not easy to kill the [Miasmic Residues]. Physical attacks like slashes or stabs would barely make any impact on their goo-like bodies. The damage done by such attacks would regenerate soon enough. However, accumulating damage faster than they could regenerate would cause them to dissipate for good. In this case, using explosives was one of the two best methods. And the other?

WOOOOM!

Flames blew out of the arms of several [Vanguard Armors] as they tested their weapons before sortie.

Flamethrowers. Flames could dissolve the [Miasmic Residues]. It was a slow process, and the effectiveness versus fuel consumption was bad. Nonetheless, it worked better than explosives that bore randomized results.

The Yamata-no-Orochi in the sky and the [Miasmic Residues] on the ground and underwater, everyone participating in the defense had their hands busy.

But inside the laboratory, the Prime Minister and everyone inside were watching through the monitors. Their main focus was not the monitor showing the ongoing battle outside but the monitors which showed a scene within Toyosu.

After setting up a few new surveillance drones, the drones were immediately sent for a specific mission. It was to search for people swallowed by the flames.

To search for their hope.

"Sir! We found some movements on the east side!"

An operator controlling one of the drones yelled. The scenes captured on his monitor were immediately cast on the main monitor. And as he said, there were movements captured by the drone.

The operator immediately controlled the drone to fly closer to the location. Those watching wished it was what they were looking for.

However, it was not what they wanted to see, but an unexpected situation nonetheless.

What did the drone capture?

It was the scene of an armored woman wearing similar armor to what the Evernight Group wore, together with a giant golden dog and a dragon, escorting a group of "Send rescue helicopters quick!"

survivors from Toyosu.

It was a group of survivors from Toyosu. This scene was something very unexpected to find, considering the damage done by the explosion.

They were fighting through a pack of Goo Creatures. The golden dog and the dragon carried survivors on their backs while the armored woman tried to fend against the growing horde of Goo-Creatures. The dragon also spewed flames in random intervals to help the woman, but by the looks of it, the dragon was already running on fumes. It might also be the reason why the dragon was moving on land instead of flying out of danger.

"Send rescue helicopters quick!"

The Prime Minister immediately ordered, and everyone went to work.

Seeing survivors from such a catastrophe was a good thing. However, by the looks of it, the armored woman and the two giant animals were struggling because they had to protect the survivors. If the three were on their own, it would likely be easier for them to get out of that situation.

Everyone in the laboratory watched in suspense. The number of [Miasmic Residues] surrounding the group was getting thicker as time went on.

But the woman was not giving up. She held the strange sword in her hand and slashed out with a large blade made of black flames. It cleaved through the thick number of enemies, letting the group move further.

The Prime Minister turned his head to the other drone operators.

"Are they not found yet?"

The Prime Minister asked.

However, no one could answer the question. The operators had yet to see anything out of the ordinary within the affected parts of Toyosu.

BOOOOOM!

A flash of explosion was seen on the monitor showing the battle outside. Another helicopter exploded after getting hit by the monster's counterattack.

And worse, the eight-headed monster was learning how to cope with the situation.

The barrage of tank cannons and artillery targetted the monster's heads. It only needed to get its head into a position the attacks could not target.

With a few wild squirms in the sky, the giant monster rotated its body, with its back facing the barrage of attacks from the Defense Forces. historical

Usually, it would be suicide to turn one's back facing the enemies. But in this situation, the monster's back was one of the hardest parts of its body, which the attacks from the defense forces could not damage.

But the defense forces would not just let that happen.

When the eight-headed monster turned on its back, the Susanno launched another pair of its specialized shells.

The monster's back was way wider than any of its eight heads. It was an easier target. The explosion of the specialized shells was seen as the shells made contact with the monster's back without missing.

ROOOOARR!!!

The monster roared in pain as the specialized shells discharged high-voltage electricity, which easily spread throughout the monster's body.

Angered, it roared, facing the warship. But that exposed its heads once again and were immediately met with another barrage of attacks.

The monster was unable to attack effectively or even move forward due to the attacks of the Defense Forces. However, it was clear that the attacks it received could not leave any substantial damage. Yes, the cannons and artillery managed to hurt it, but no expected injuries could be seen on the monster.

It was a deadlock. And any wrong move would cause the Defense Forces to lose this battle immediately.

The Prime Minister nervously clenched his fists.

'Did they really die?'

That question filled his mind as the scene where their hopes were swallowed by the flames of that explosion.

***

Day 341 - 12:12 PM - Mountain Base, Mount Malabito, General Nakar, Province of Quezon, Philippines

Several minutes earlier, when the explosion caused by Gar'Vlam's death swallowed everything in its path.

The alliance of the Temple, Auraboros, Evernight, and the Black Lotus was swallowed by the wave of flames. But as Mark decided to do something he did not want to do, they escaped in time.

It was to bring everyone to the Mountain Base.

A portal opened at the training grounds of the Mountain Base. Everyone in the alliance present stepped out of the portal.

And forgetting the life-and-death situation they had just experienced, they raised their heads, staring at the spectacular sight before them.

"Wow..."

The Priestess could not help but show her childish side as she gazed upon the beauty of the gigantic three with red glowing leaves.

"This place... It is your place, isn't it?"

The Empress turned to Mark. Considering Yukine was present during the attack of the Chinese Branch of Auraboros on the Mountain Base, it was not surprising that she knew the details and clues to guess where they were currently.

"Uncle, is it okay to bring them here?" Emika fearlessly asked, glancing at the Empress and the members of Auraboros. "I don't think most of everyone here will welcome them."

The question was unsurprising. Auraboros had brought trouble to Mark and the base many times. And all of those instances were pretty much life-and-death situations. It would be surprising if the people in the Mountain Base were welcoming towards the members of Auraboros.

"It's fine," Mark shrugged. "It's not like we are on a tour. We're only here to escape the situation for a bit. We have to return immediately soon."

The Empress could hear Emika's question, but she was not really affected. She knew the bad things the Auraboros did to many places and people. She was in no place to ask to be welcomed by anyone.

Mark then turned to everyone.

"We'll rest for a few minutes! Take your breaths before we return."

Mark's yell snapped those in a trance back to reality.

The members of the Black Lotus were not surprised by the sights within the Mountain Base. They were here before the battle started, after all. What surprised Ren was the fact that Sayuri was also familiar with the base.

After asking Sayuri, only then Ren and the others learned that she was also here during the stay of the members of the Black Lotus. However, since her appearance was different and her presence was so thin, they did not realize it at all.

The training grounds had seats for the audience. It was not hard for everyone to find someplace to sit and rest.

But there was a reason Mark decided to bring them here, aside from trying to escape from the explosion.

"This is amazing."

Tsubasa said as she sat beside the Priestess. The latter was also in agreement. It was because they could feel their fatigue recovering fast. And best of all, they could feel their magical reserves rapidly replenishing.

It was not only Tsubasa and the Priestess. It was the same for the members of the Temple and the Auraboros. As they were all magical creatures, they were more sensitive to magical energy. And they could tell that they were recovering due to the giant red tree that towered over them.

The Empress and the Priestess turned to Mark. This situation was clearly the reason why he decided to bring them here. It was to replenish their reserves for the final fight.

Everyone needed to recover. The Priestess needed it the most here. Since the start of the battle, it was the Priestess who used up the most magical energy to protect the reclaimed city. The energy deficiency caused her to be less effective during the battle. And now, she was recovering it at a fast rate.

"Master."

A maid came to the training grounds to greet Mark and his group. This scene caused the guests to look at Mark strangely. After all, it was uncanny to have someone in a maid uniform to serve him during the apocalypse. Now that they had seen it, there was another one. The guests looked at the younger maid, who was following behind the eldest daughter.

The guests could hear Mark talking to the maid. Unfortunately, not everyone could understand what they were talking about.

But it was just Mark telling Odelina that there was no need to welcome the guests he had brought since they would leave immediately.

That aside, someone entered the training grounds. It was an uncanny couple.

Unexpectedly, it was a pair of an [Elder Succubus] and...

The Empress and the Priestess felt shivers and cold sweat on their backs. The two could feel an unfathomable pressure from the man that entered with the [Elder Succubus].

This man in front of them was just as dangerous as the Serpent God. That was what their instincts were telling them.

And looking at the interaction between the two, there was no doubt that while the man was not Mark's subordinate, he respected the latter's words.

The realization made the two turn to Mark. Just who was Mark to have someone like that man follow him? Furthermore, there was also the [Sylph].

Anyone trying to attack this place would just be courting death since two Godly beings were guarding it.

The Empress rubbed her head. This uncharacteristic behavior of the Empress just showed how the stupid other branches that offended Mark were basically done for.