He showed not the slightest fear toward War Pope Sadam, and the confidence that radiated from his words invigorated everyone present.
At this moment, the power of [Public Opinion] was pushed to its limits.
Some enthusiastic citizens raised their newspapers and waved them at Sadam.
“Church of War, get out of Violet City!”
“Church of War, get out of Violet City! We don’t welcome you!”
“Don’t even think of threatening our Pope Sislia!”
In an instant, the entire Imperial Plaza became a hubbub of voices.
Curses filled the air, and everyone expressed their strong dissatisfaction with Sadam, the overbearing War Pope.
“Controversy—our people have their own judgments in their hearts. You can’t twist the facts.”
Lu Ming stood up, lifting her head slightly, her posture incomparably elegant.
She raised the Staff of Dawn high, symbolizing the morning light, and gave a slight bow to everyone present.
“Pope Sis, we support you! Don’t be afraid!”
“That’s right! Today, everyone in the Empire stands behind you!”
***
At that moment,
A warm, rich voice rang out as well.
“My name is Sack, High Priestess of the Justice Church. Should Pope Sislia have any request, just say the word.”
Sack, the High Priestess of the Justice Church, wore simple linen clothes and a straw hat upon his head.
He took off his hat and nodded gently to Lu Ming.
Seeing this, Lu Ming responded to Sack from a distance.
“Justice Church… the most renowned of the benevolent Gods, sibling to the Promise God.”
“When I ascend to godhood in the future, perhaps I could try recruiting them to my God System. Though, it seems… unlikely…”
Lu Ming boldly imagined the possibility, but quickly realized she might be overthinking it.
Below.
Sadam’s brows gradually knitted together, and he snorted hot air through his nose.
He truly hadn’t expected such an intense reaction from these damned pests.
“Justice Church, I didn’t expect even you to stand against me. Is this the oracle of the God of Justice?”
He shook his head abruptly.
“Forget it. To dwell on such things would disgrace the peerless wisdom bestowed upon me by my lord. Now, the time my lord spoke of has come.”
Sadam suddenly began to laugh.
“Sislia, as you wish, you shall debate with my lord in person.”
As he spoke, his entire body became bathed in a dense, blood-red radiance.
His eyes brimmed with fanatical worship.
“Great God of War, ‘Herafamas’!
You are the maker of order, the composer of justice for mortals; you are the very symbol of victory!”
“I beseech you—descend!”
A blood-red pillar of light pierced through heaven and earth.
Within the pillar, a majestic figure appeared, so magnificent that no one could look directly at it.
Scarlet chains spanned the sky, dyeing heaven and earth in blood.
One after another, visions appeared before everyone’s eyes.
Torn banners, shattered walls, soldiers’ shouts, the whispered ambitions of kings.
Fragments of these scenes wove together, forming a staircase to the divine realm.
***
The figure of the God of War, ‘Herafamas’, overlapped with Sadam and descended upon the world.
From the cracks in the stones of Imperial Plaza, a fluid of rust and blood seeped forth.
The clash of weapons echoed in the air.
Whenever citizens looked at the strangers beside them, a sudden wariness and belligerence arose in their hearts.
The very presence of the God of War stirred up ripples of “Conflict.”
Then,
Golden-red light replaced the original blood hue.
Sadam’s appearance transformed.
His deeply sunken eye sockets projected a gaze as sharp as the keenest blade.
His chiseled features possessed a stern, rugged beauty.
In that instant, Imperial Plaza fell silent; all thoughts fled, and everyone was paralyzed.
All they could do was stand dumbly, sensing that overwhelming presence.
Even the strongest of the churches bowed their heads, unable to resist.
Sack of the Justice Church frowned slightly, a trace of reverence in his eyes.
“Imperial Plaza has over ten thousand ordinary citizens gathered, yet the God of War descends among them without a care for their safety.”
“This already violates the third article of God’s Law of the Pantheon: when a god descends, it must be far from ordinary people.”
“To prevent things from spiraling out of control, I must report to my lord…”
The God of War, ‘Herafamas’, turned his gaze.
He looked toward Lu Ming.
The divine light that should have glimmered in his eyes was replaced by utter indifference.
It seemed he cared about nothing at all.
“Follower of the Dawn Goddess, I have come. If you have anything to say to me, speak it all.”
The God of War’s voice was filled with authority and coldness.
Lu Ming looked directly into the face of the God of War, matching his gaze.
The terrifying mastery of Divine Authority made Lu Ming’s pupils contract slightly.
“So he has become the Divine Authority itself… As expected, ascension means the utmost fusion with one’s Authority.”
“Judging by this, I have the qualifications to ascend as well!”
Before Lu Ming could speak,
The God of War rose powerfully into the sky from the ground.
He looked down at everyone, his divine might expanding unceasingly, as if reminding everyone to look up.
That terrifying divine power shook the entire Violet Empire.
Within the royal palace, several hidden Half-god existences instantly appeared, guarding all around the palace.
Then, the God of War spread his arms wide.
“I am the God of War, ‘Herafamas.'”
“For so long, all the empires of the continent have misunderstood one thing.”
“The God of Procreation is a deity of my God System, a benevolent god, not the depraved evil god of rumor.”
“On the contrary, the so-called Goddess of Fertility is very likely an evil god. Ever since my ascension in the Second Era, I have never heard of such an existence.”
“The only explanation is that this suddenly appeared Goddess of Fertility is the evil god.”
“She is a villain who used cunning and deceit to steal the faith belonging to the God of Procreation.”
“I swear in the name of War.”
***
The words of the God of War resounded in the ears of every human across the continent.
Duke Niel’s Mansion.
Garcia sat idly by the windowsill, playing with the Little Chicken Feather that Lu Ming had given her.
Suddenly, as if she heard something, she jumped up, her cheeks flushing red, pointing to the sky and shouting,
“Your Highness is not an evil god! Your Highness is the gentlest deity in the world!”
“God of War, you… you big dummy!”
“I swear in the name of the Promise God, one day, I’ll make you pay!”
Neil, passing by Garcia’s room, leaned against the door frame.
His gaze was deep.
“God of War, it seems you do not understand—force cannot keep humanity in submission forever.”
Somewhere on the outskirts of a city in the Violet Empire.
A one-armed man gripped a hoe with one hand, tilling the earth slowly but efficiently.
Each time he turned the soil,
A beautiful woman with two soft, cute puppy ears on her head
And a fluffy tail behind her, planted a seedling in the earth.
The woman’s skin was a healthy wheat color.
She wore a straw hat shading her from the sun.
Her tail wagged cheerfully, showing her delight.
“Daddy, wipe your sweat!”
Behind the man, a little girl with the same ears and tail said sweetly.
Hearing this, the man bent over, bringing his face close to the little girl.
He let her wipe his sweat with a damp cloth.
As the family of three took a break,
An incomparably dignified voice entered their ears.
But they only looked at each other, then burst into hearty laughter.
……….
After the God of War’s words echoed across the continent,
Many places in the Violet Empire immediately erupted in rebuttals—some even called out his divine name to curse him.
The God of War heard all these curses.
A trace of annoyance for this “chaotic noise” flashed in his golden-red eyes.
“Noisy.”
He wasn’t addressing anyone in particular, just uttered a single word.
[War] began to spread outward.
Within the Violet Empire—
A fisherman in the middle of a shouting match,
Arguing with a passerby about who supported Pope Sislia more on such a trivial matter,
Eventually escalated into a one-on-one, life-and-death brawl.
Inside a certain raucous tavern,
A second ago, drunkards were debating the God of War’s intentions.
The next, it turned into a full-blown factional brawl.
The owner looked at the shattered tables on the floor and fell into silence.
“So after all this, I’ve got to join the fight myself… Screw you all!”
With that, he plunged into the fray.
Lu Ming keenly sensed the changes around her.
“The way a god wields their Divine Authority is truly terrifying.”
This was the essence of the [War] Authority.
It instantly magnified and catalyzed even the smallest existing conflicts.
Amplified them to the point of explosive outbreak.
The god needn’t act personally; wherever there was the seed of conflict, it was an extension of his power.
The God of War shook his head slightly.
These protests were only temporary.
The faith stolen from the God of Procreation by the Goddess of Fertility would eventually be returned.
But he did not like being questioned.
Perhaps it was because he had not manifested for so long that humanity had forgotten the supreme authority of War.
Just as the God of War prepared to wipe out the faction at Duke Niel’s Mansion—the one actively opposing the Church of War—
To remind the world of a god’s majesty—
An unexpected event occurred.
A strange Corruption Aura descended from the universe, carrying the scent of divinity, though it was almost negligible compared to the aura of corruption.
“I am the former God of Procreation, ‘Xiunis.'”
“Now I have accepted the name of the Fallen. The Fallen Demon Spider is now my incarnation.”
“From now on, my name is the Demon God of Procreation, Fallen Spider Empress.”
“Those who worship me will gain evolution and embark on the path to becoming Ancient Evil.”
“All who worship the Goddess of Fertility are my enemies! May procreation be with you all.”
A bizarre female voice echoed across the entire continent.
One god’s proclamation after another.
Yet the two gods’ statements were utterly contradictory.
“‘Xiunis.'”
The God of War did not roar.
But the entire world heard his fury.
He did not even look to Xiunis in the cosmos.
He simply raised a hand, and lightly slashed at the void before him.
A vast “battle line” stretched across the sky, created out of thin air.
On one side of the battle line was Violet City.
On the other, reflected, was the fallen star domain where Xiunis dwelled.
“Declaration of war.”