Chapter 409: The Demon Sword — Sword of Copperfield!

Hearing that the devils were also participating, the White Dragon Lord was mildly surprised. After a moment of thought, he understood: the Divine Alliance was making its move.

Ever since the devils screwed over the Divine Alliance, there had been no news. The White Dragon Lord had assumed the gods had resolved the matter in secret. He hadn't expected the Divine Alliance to save their killing blow for later. He predicted the devils would bleed heavily in this decisive battle.

"Aside from the devils, there's another important piece of news. Sir Engru Ghostwolf will lead the Alliance's Abomination-rank powerhouses to oversee this final battle and guard against any sudden attacks by the Abyssal Lords. I imagine the Divine Alliance and the devils will do the same. I'm sure you all understand what this means. Alright, next are the marching arrangements..."

After the coalition commander-in-chief, Osiris Giant of Light, finished assigning tasks, the various High-Tier Legends returned to their respective military zones to organize their armies for the march. The White Dragon Lord summoned his three deputies in the Seventh Army Group and distributed their assignments.

Commander Chelmo organized the army to pack up their tents and other supplies. Since the professionals possessed immense strength and most strategic resources were stored away in Spatial Equipment, the Seventh Army Group completed its marching preparations in just an hour.

The White Dragon Lord hovered in midair, gazing down at the densely packed army of a million soldiers below.

"Move out!"

The million-strong army mobilized, merging into a river of people. The spears in the soldiers' hands looked like a dense forest. The White Dragon Lord spread his wings and glided over the host.

...

Two days and one night later, the allied forces were about to converge with the Divine Alliance. From the sky, the White Dragon Lord spotted angels flying in from afar. Angels were also known as archons; belonging to the lawful good alignment, they were the favorite warriors and servants of the Gods of Justice.

Soon, the angels reached the very front of the allied army, where the commander-in-chief, Osiris Giant of Light, was stationed.

Osiris spoke with the leading angel for a moment. Shortly after, an order was passed down. Upon learning the Seventh Army Group's designated campsite, the White Dragon Lord relayed the information down the ranks.

As the soldiers busied themselves setting up camp, the White Dragon Lord received a message from Osiris: "Amos, the Divine Alliance is holding a pre-war council. Would you like to attend as an observer?"

Naturally, the White Dragon Lord wouldn't pass up an opportunity to gauge the direction of the coming war. He flew toward Osiris's position. When he arrived at the gathering point, he found Osiris and Mage Alan already waiting. He immediately understood that Osiris had selected one representative from the High-Tier Legend squads and one from the High-Tier Legend overseers. As for why he chose the White Dragon Lord and Mage Alan, it was partly due to their personal friendship and partly because both of them possessed outstanding strength.

The three flew toward the Divine Alliance's headquarters together. On the way, Osiris briefed the man and the dragon on the situation surrounding this council.

"Sir Engru just sent back word. The Divine Alliance's representative this time is the Radiant Archangel—Izel Light of Light."

Mage Alan exclaimed, "Izel Light of Light?! The same Light of Light with the best combat record in the last Blood War, who killed one Abyssal Lord and heavily wounded another?"

The White Dragon Lord was also somewhat surprised. The Radiant Archangel, Izel Light of Light, was the number one non-deity general under the God of Justice and Light, Nodashan. Rumors claimed his combat prowess rivaled that of some Greater Divine Power deities who didn't specialize in fighting.

Of course, what surprised the White Dragon Lord wasn't Light of Light's combat strength. Rather, sending the hero of the previous Blood War at a time like this was undoubtedly meant to provoke the fury of the Abyssal Lords.

The White Dragon Lord said, "Deploying Izel Light of Light right now means that supreme existence is looking to stir up trouble. Osiris, do you know anything more?"

"I don't, but I have a guess." Osiris didn't keep them in suspense and continued, "You might know that the catalyst for this Blood War's outbreak was a secret gathering held by the Abyssal Lords. And evil deities were involved too. That undoubtedly angered that supreme existence."

The White Dragon Lord and Alan looked thoughtful. The Divine Alliance was an organization established by the gods in ancient times to combat demons. Both good and evil deities were officially members of the Divine Alliance. However, after sweeping changes over the countless ages, the evil gods had long since vanished from its ranks. Only the good alignment—represented by the Justice Pantheon—and certain neutral gods still clung to their original intent.

Although the evil deities shirked their duties and avoided participating in the Blood War, they were nominally still members of the Divine Alliance. Yet now, evil gods were actively colluding with Abyssal Lords to plot against the Divine Alliance. It was no wonder that existence was furious.

"Have they found out which evil gods are involved yet?"

"So far, it's still just the Lady of Plague and the Lord of Savagery. Though, perhaps our ranks are simply too low to be privy to higher-level intelligence. I heard that supreme existence sent someone to blockade the Lady of Plague's domain, while the Lord of Savagery has hidden his Divine Kingdom quite well. His traces haven't been found yet, but I imagine he wouldn't dare step outside."

Mage Alan gloated, "So after dealing with the evil gods, it's the demons' turn now."

A thought occurred to the White Dragon Lord. "After the fall of the Demon Prince, Demogorgon, the Abyss no longer has any powerhouse capable of matching that existence. Do you think that existence will take the field personally?"

Mage Alan replied, "That should be impossible, right?"

"We'll let time answer that question," Osiris continued. "As for the person in charge of the devils' side this time, well..."

Osiris looked at the White Dragon Lord. "It's that traitor from your Nordhill Plane. The newly appointed King of the Devilkin—Ogus, Master of the Demon Sword."

The White Dragon Lord gloated, "Then he's in for some rotten luck this time."

"You can say that again."

The relationship between the devils and the Divine Alliance was already delicate, and the devils had recently screwed them over again. Not to mention, Ogus was originally a paladin devoted to the God of Justice and Light. They could practically imagine the kind of grief the new King of the Devilkin was going to catch.

As the three chatted, they flew swiftly toward the Divine Alliance's headquarters. From a distance, the White Dragon Lord spotted a city suspended in the sky, complete with towering spires. He blurted out in surprise, "A Floating City?"

Mage Alan said, "It's not a Floating City, but it's close enough."

Osiris explained, "This is a peculiar type of floating island produced by the Seven-Layered Celestial Mountain—specifically, the Radiant Heaven. It can hover in the air without relying on external forces. The Divine Alliance transported three large floating islands into the Abyss to serve as mobile fortresses. I have to admit, they're incredibly effective. When the devils retreated last time, it was only thanks to these super fortresses that our forces didn't completely collapse."

The White Dragon Lord observed the floating island closely and noticed how it differed from a Floating City. The inverted mountain peak at its base was significantly longer than those of Floating Cities.

The exterior of the Divine Alliance's headquarters was heavily guarded. Angels patrolled in groups of over a dozen, constantly circling the floating island. But with Osiris negotiating their entry, the White Dragon Lord's group passed through unimpeded, soon entering the fortress atop the island.

Upon entering the fortress, the White Dragon Lord finally understood what it meant for Legends to be everywhere. Looking around, three out of every ten people were legendary powerhouses. Even High-Tier Legends were a common sight.

The trio made their way into the fortress's core. Guided by angel attendants, they arrived at a grand hall. Nine towering, majestic stone pillars supported a space vast enough for the White Dragon Lord to fly in freely, and the walls were covered in exquisite reliefs. Beneath the cavernous expanse held up by the pillars were concentric rings of chairs that sloped downward toward the center. Three aisles cut through the numerous seats, connecting the three main entrances to the heart of the hall. An unusual equilateral triangular conference table sat in the very center, with an ornately designed chair positioned at each of its three corners. A bright yet gentle beam of light shined down from the domed ceiling, illuminating the middle of the triangular table.

The White Dragon Lord looked up at the light source and realized it came from a gemstone set in the center of the dome. Because of the vast distance and the intense glare, he couldn't make out the gem's true appearance, but he could clearly sense how extraordinary it was.

"The three corners of that triangular table represent the three major factions fighting the demons," Osiris explained. "The innermost seat represents the Divine Alliance, the left represents the devils, and the right seat represents the volunteers from across the multiverse who resist the demons. Our Alliance has always acted as their representative."

If the Divine Alliance was the regular army fighting the demons, then the multiversal volunteers were an independent militia. The Avengers Alliance was the most united faction within this 'militia.' All five of their presiding planes were backed by powerhouses rivaling Intermediate Divine Power, and the Otag World even boasted a powerhouse comparable to Greater Divine Power. With the Alliance's strength securing its indisputable first-place standing among the volunteers, taking that seat naturally convinced everyone else.

Osiris led the White Dragon Lord and Mage Alan to the seating area behind their faction's designated chair, finding good spots near the front to sit down.

The White Dragon Lord's group had arrived quite early. There were only a few dozen people in the hall so far. The three of them chatted about intelligence regarding the Blood War as they waited for the council to begin.

As time passed, more and more people filed into the hall. The seating area for the Divine Alliance—the hosts—filled up particularly quickly. Once their own section was full, the Divine Alliance members wishing to observe the meeting refused to occupy the seats of other factions. They either left entirely or simply found an empty spot on the floor to sit.

Gradually, the 'volunteer' seating area where the White Dragon Lord sat also filled to capacity. However, the devils' section only held a handful of scattered individuals. Furthermore, the devils were subjected to open hostility from the Divine Alliance's area. If the occasion hadn't forbidden it, the White Dragon Lord didn't doubt for a second that those devils would have been beaten up.

Bong... Bong... Bong...

The long, echoing chime of a bell rang out. The softly murmuring crowd instantly fell silent, turning their eyes to the hall's entrance. An angel bearing dazzling, golden wings slowly walked in. He was clad in beautifully crafted armor, which instantly reminded the White Dragon Lord of the holy warriors from comic books. This was the Radiant Archangel, Izel Light of Light.

Trailing behind Izel Light of Light were two others. One was Archangel Nomoga, whom the White Dragon Lord had met once before. The other was a humanoid figure draped in a platinum cloak lined with gold trim, wrapped so tightly that their face was completely obscured. The White Dragon Lord guessed it was the avatar of some deity, or perhaps even a true god in the flesh.

Izel Light of Light took his seat at the triangular conference table, while the two divine powerhouses sat in the observer section.

Engru Ghostwolf appeared from the entrance at the end of his aisle. The old orc had dressed up for the occasion. He wore a Shaman Mask, an adornment reserved strictly for momentous events in shamanic culture. It was a snow-white wolfskin mask that draped from the top of his head down to his nose. A porcupine-quill cape rested on his shoulders, and a Skull Necklace made of fist-sized skulls hung around his neck. Gripping a Ram-Headed Staff, the old shaman walked down the aisle, step by step.

Two Abomination-rank powerhouses followed closely behind the old shaman. One of them wore luxurious purple robes. Arcane energy rippled outward from him as if the magic itself were breathing. Needless to say, this was an Abomination-rank arcanist from the Otag World named Conrad the Guide.

The other was a brawny man bulging with knotted muscles. Though the White Dragon Lord had never seen him in person, he recognized the man's title—Baldwin the Axethrower. That seemingly ordinary moniker actually originated from the last Blood War. Baldwin had hurled his battleaxe and buried it straight into the skull of the Abyssal Lord of Greed, successfully inflicting heavy wounds that laid the groundwork for that Demon Lord's eventual fall. Baldwin the Axethrower did not hail from the five presiding planes, but was a powerhouse who emerged from a minor world. His homeland had long since been consumed and made part of the Abyss. Driven by vengeance, he had joined the Avengers Alliance.

After the Alliance's three Abomination-rank powerhouses took their seats, the newly appointed King of the Devilkin—Ogus, Master of the Demon Sword—appeared at the hall's entrance.

The White Dragon Lord stared intently at Ogus. During their last encounter, even though Ogus had joined the Demon Church, he had at least still been a normal human. Now, he had thoroughly transformed into a devil. His ominous, dark red skin was parched and covered in cracks, and ghastly white bone spurs protruded from his elbows, knees, and other joints. A terrifying Greatsword hovered behind his back.

A blood-red demonic eye grew on the Greatsword's hilt. The eye darted back and forth, as if searching for prey. The eye was surrounded by an indescribable substance that resembled fleshy tissue, and this sinister flesh twitched continuously like a living organism.

The Demon Sword — Sword of Copperfield!

Copperfield was originally a one-eyed Abyssal Lord who stood against the Lord of Hell, Edius. He ended up inadvertently captured alive by the Lord of Hell. To punish his foe, the Lord of Hell tossed him into a purgatorial forge alive, smelting him into a demonic blade—the Sword of Copperfield!

This demon sword had passed through the hands of multiple owners. To date, the number of Abomination-rank powerhouses who had fallen to this blade was steadily approaching the triple digits—including several of its previous wielders.

Under the hostile glares of the crowd, the solitary, newly appointed King of the Devilkin stared straight ahead, walking firmly and unswervingly toward the devils' seat. Perhaps because they had been warned beforehand, no one made any extreme moves.

Izel Light of Light, Engru Ghostwolf, and Ogus, Master of the Demon Sword, each occupied a corner of the triangular conference table. The atmosphere instantly grew solemn.

Not long after Ogus, Master of the Demon Sword, sat down, the tolling of the bell rang out once more. The Radiant Archangel, Izel Light of Light—who had been resting with his eyes closed—opened his dazzling golden eyes. A gleam of light so concentrated it seemed nearly solid shot an inch out from his pupils.

"It is time."