System's POV

Chapter 1464: Last Desperate Attempt

’This can’t be happening!’ Zaphiel’s mind was distraught.

Still reeling in shock, he struggled to focus on his clash against Apollyon, who had finally joined the battle.

It felt like only a minute had passed since he confidently believed that victory was in his hands, assisted by three Demigods and over a dozen Celestial-Ranked Infernals.

Not to mention the massive Infernal Army that had come to help him conquer the world of Solterra.

It should’ve been an unbeatable lineup. They were so powerful that all the other Celestials and Fiends cooperating together, even with powers unleashed, would’ve struggled to resist them.

Zaphiel wondered if he was merely trapped in an illusion. How could three Demigods, a couple Celestial-Ranked Infernals, and countless members of infernal armies perish so quickly? It wasn’t realistic.

When Apollyon’s ankle connected with his face, the Celestial immediately realized it was neither an illusion nor dream. Worse, they were now in the thick of battle.

To make matters worse, Mammon had joined the fight between him and Apollyon, giving him a hard time.

"Damn it!" Zaphiel shouted. "Why?! Why is this happening?! Who are you, Zion Leventis?! Answer me!"

"Shut up and fight!" Mammon roared as his body increased to a ten-meter-tall golden buddha. He then used a palm strike to swat Zaphiel from the sky, making him crash into the sea.

The battle had entered a very chaotic state, blood raining from the sky. Rocky had appeared behind Zion, using its body to shield its Master, Tiona, and Stella from the falling blood rain.

The Majin Prince Sahard, who used to serve as Thirteen’s mount for a while, stood two meters behind the teenage boy, ready to protect him from danger.

Thirteen’s hands moved like a blur, forming hand seals to support his allies in battle. He gave the Army of the Apocalypse some buffs that improved their fighting abilities, allowing them to fight to the fullest.

From time to time, he would glance at the battle between Zaphiel, Apollyon, and Mammon.

He could no longer use Athena’s beam strikes, but he still had a few aces up his sleeve. Originally, firing Athena’s beam cannon all the way from Pangea to Solterra wasn’t allowed.

However, when the Infernals appeared, The One permitted him to do it. A few days before this battle happened, Laplace Demon summoned Thirteen to the Astral Realm, where The One waited for him.

There, the three of them talked about countermeasures and what if scenarios.

The God of Wanderers agreed to Thirteen’s demands as long as the conditions were met. And one of those conditions was for an outside party to suddenly invade Solterra.

If the circumstances matched, Thirteen would have the freedom to use any technological weapon he owned.

This move had eliminated the three greatest threats from the Infernal Army, allowing them to fight on an even playing field.

While the Celestials and Fiends of Solterra outnumbered their same-level enemies, the Infernal Army outnumbered the lower-ranked army under their command.

Even now, Infernals were still pouring out of the red portal in the sky, as if their numbers were truly endless.

If not for Cranky, Forneus, and Dantanian assisting the Army of the Apocalypse in battle, they would have taken more losses than ‌they had now.

"Zion, this is bad," Stella said. "It’s only a matter of time before the Army of Apocalypse is defeated."

She felt like they would lose in a battle of attrition, for the opposing side was simply too numerous. To make matters worse, some Infernals even resorted to suicide attacks, detonating themselves at the heat of battle.

Thirteen didn’t immediately answer Stella.

His hands continued to move in complex patterns, golden runes circling above the battlefield before descending like gentle snowfall upon the warriors of the Apocalypse.

He knew Stella was right.

They were already outnumbered, and the only reason they could resist was because they had more Celestials and Fiends on their side.

The Majin Kings, Princes, and Princesses were also fighting bravely at the front lines of battle, and they were all equipped with Divine Weapons. Even so, it was only a matter of time before they get exhausted. And the battle didn’t seem to be ending soon.

"Zion! Do you have something else in mind?!" Camazotz landed in front of the teenage boy, urgency creeping into his voice.

"Give me a minute," Thirteen replied calmly.

A thunderous explosion erupted to their left as one of the Celestial-Ranked Infernals detonated himself, intending to take Dantanian with him to the afterlife.

However, the Fiend of Many Faces quickly sensed something wrong and backed away in time, preventing himself from being seriously injured by the detonation.

Both allies and foes nearby the blasting zone were obliterated by the Infernal’s explosion, creating a massive mushroom cloud in the sky.

The remaining four Celestial-Ranked Infernals were no longer arrogant. They fought like cornered beasts, tearing through the battlefield in a desperate attempt to turn the tide.

A roar of anger came from the red portal in the sky. The Great Warlord, Arkael, was getting frustrated that his army wasn’t able to finish their enemies.

If he failed this invasion, he would become a laughingstock in the Infernal Realm, and his authority would diminish!

"Pathetic!" Arkael’s voice boomed from beyond the rift. "If my commanders cannot conquer this world, then I shall personally oversee its destruction."

Arkael tried to force the red portal apart with brute strength, planning to pass through it.

Zaphiel felt invigorated by his ally’s action as he fought a defensive battle against Apollyon and Mammon.

"It doesn’t matter how much you resist!" Zaphiel laughed. "In the end, I will be victorious!"

Apollyon and Mammon increased the ferocity of their attacks to hide their anxiety. The Great Warlord’s overwhelming aura surpassed the Demigod Rank.

If Arkael managed to cross over, none of them would be able to defeat him!

"Anytime now, Thirteen!" Camazotz shouted as he tore an infernal with his claws.

Thirteen didn’t reply because he was busy making hand seals.

Beads of sweat formed on his forehead as he continued his task. The moment he completed his hand seals, he clapped a single time, and the magical formation came to life.

Countless pillars of different colors shot up from the sea and into the sky. A magical formation appeared, covering the red portal in the sky. Thirteen then pressed his hands together, as if squeezing something shut.

The magical formation activated and forced the red portal to close.

Arkael roared in anger. Despite his efforts, the portal he’d been trying to expand was shrinking instead, preventing him from crossing over.

Seeing this, Camazotz and the Army of the Apocalypse grew more determined to hold their ground until Thirteen managed to close the portal successfully.

They knew that as long as the teenage boy succeeded, their enemy’s morale would drastically decrease, allowing them to gain the upper hand and finish them off more quickly.

Out of desperation, the Celestial-Ranked Infernals and hundreds of High-Ranking Infernals ignored fighting everyone else and flew toward Thirteen, intending to stop him from closing the portal.

Some of them even intended to detonate themselves just to kill him, allowing their Warlord to descend upon the world.

"Oh no, you don’t!" Camazotz increased his speed, zigzagging across the sky and killing as many as he could.

Cranky also flew back to the rear of the army in order to protect Thirteen from the desperate Infernals.

Suddenly, a booming sound similar to a hundred thunderclaps spread across the battlefield.

Thirteen had forced the red portal shut, preventing Arkael from descending into Solterra.