Were things supposed to get worse from here?
The truth was: yes, yes they were.
In a place like Eien, in the deepest depths of Nox territory, surrounded by enemies on all sides, making this much noise would draw numerous enemy forces to their location without fail.
However, this didn't happen.
It wasn't that the Nox didn't come, but every single one that did…simply died.
There was an invisible dome around the basecamp area that blocked out any intruders. Whoever crossed this barrier would turn to ash without a single word of complaint.
It was the power of that man.
That strange man who still hadn't given his name didn't speak much.
He acted like a statue, holding the Hound Lord without killing him and allowing the younger generation around him to let out their feelings in peace.
"Who are you?" Su Ren asked, finally breaching the subject.
They couldn't stay silent forever, nor could they accept this kind of grace from an unknown entity. It was impossible to tell one's intentions in this brutal universe, and favors cost far more than lives.
"Ah, I'm—"
"—you can call me Alexander."
The man stopped himself quickly and finally gave his name.
"Do you know us?" Su Ren asked again.
"Do I…? Yes, but no. It's a little hard to explain, but it's not something you need to concern yourself. I'm not someone with bad intentions."
"Nobody has ever said that statement believably," Elena sneered.
"Haha, that's true! But, I'm serious. I really don't have any reason for coming here besides helping out with this."
The man named Alexander spoke with clear eyes indicating truth, but it was hard to trust him.
Nobody with such power could be moved easily!
No, this kind of person was a unique existence in the entire universe.
Didn't he fell a Demigod as a lower existence?!
The Hound Lord's state was such that he would die with a single touch of Alexander's pinky. If he wanted to, that Demigod would've long been dead.
Someone who could accomplish this kind of impossibility casually, someone who had this power yet still remained unknown in the universe…
This kind of person was dangerous.
Alexander seemed to understand the group's suspicions, as he raised his arms innocently.
"Haa, I won't try to get friendly, so don't worry. My business is over, so I'll take my leave."
He threw the Hound Lord's body on the ground in front of Rose.
"This isn't my kill. I'll let you have him."
Rose frowned as she gazed at it.
"Why?"
The question was obvious. They still didn't know this man, yet he was acting like they were people he absolutely had to satisfy.
"Hmm…"
Alexander scratched his head awkwardly and furrowed his brows in thought.
"I can't…"
"Well, let's just say the Judgement Order's biggest fan sends their regards."
He grinned, and before anyone could ask another question, he vanished.
He never needed a formation to come here in the first place.
The air was silent.
The dome around the camp didn't subside after Alexander left, but it was showing signs of destabilizing within the next few minutes.
Hans' body was now nothing more than a puddle of ink. It only took a single spark of fire to bring death upon him.
However, before anyone could move, Ruyue took over.
"Let me handle this."
The group cleared out, giving her space.
She raised her arms to her sides and summoned a large flow of mana that remained concentrated on the inky remains.
"An eye for an eye, a soul for a soul."
She didn't have a close relationship with Xue Yue. They could've been considered enemies at one point.
But regardless, Ruyue didn't have much family remaining in this world, especially not those worth being acquainted with.
Xue Yue just started showing her growth.
And now she was dead.
It didn't show on the outside, but she felt the impact of her death in her soul.
"Xue Yue deserves a new beginning, therefore, she will be reborn beautifully. However…"
Her eyes were cold.
"You do not deserve such privileges."
Deathly Yin overtook all. The atmosphere became eerie, the temperature dropping several tens of degrees into the negatives.
The Reaper of Souls, an underworld ruler of legend, appeared behind Ruyue menacingly, a figure in a hooded cape that flowed into oblivion.
Hans' remains were already starting to reform.
Pieces of his head and body could be seen stitching themselves together within the ink.
However, this was only for the better.
"This corrupted soul; you know what to do with it, right?"
[Hmmm…!]
The Reaper sighed domineeringly.
He became visible in Hans' newly reformed eye.
An eye he wished he never regenerated.
A shadowy claw made of pure death sunk into his remains, reaching past the physical into a plane only visible to Divinities.
He gripped "something" in his hand.
"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"
Hans screamed in agony.
The Reaper paid it no mind. He slowly pulled his arm away, separating that "something" from Hans' body.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
His incessant screams were haunting…
…hauntingly pleasant to those he tormented.
Hans' soul was separated from his body.
His screaming died down. His regeneration stopped as well.
After all, there was nothing left of Hans in that body.
It was just a husk.
"Hans" was…
SPLAT!
…crushed.
His soul was ripped into a thousand pieces and forced to endure unspeakable agony before it was completely erased from existence.
That soul would never experience rebirth.
At the same time, Rose borrowed Yggdrasil's Branch from Elena and held it in the air.
"This is why we fight," she said darkly.
"Today, we lost our comrades, our brothers and sisters, because of our weakness. This tragedy will never be forgotten. It will be carved into our souls for the rest of eternity."
The surviving members of the order, a measly number compared to their beginnings, looked at Rose with quivering eyes filled with rage and solemnity.
"However, we will not stop. I will not stop. This loss has reminded us of the reason we fight. To prevent such a thing from happening again, we cannot stop fighting."
"Carelessness will only kill us, but weakness will slaughter everyone we care for and wish to protect."
"So I will stand tall and follow this impossible path until the day I can no longer stand. Until the day life can no longer tolerate my presence, I will fight!"
SHIK!
Rose gritted her teeth, flames alit in her eyes, and stabbed through the Hound Lord's heart.
Just as Ruyue did, in a much less flashy manner, she eradicated the Hound Lord from existence.
The air was silent for a moment.
But the Judgement Order was not a flimsy group.
"I will fight."
"As will I."
Elena and Ruyue spoke up first.
"Allowing bastards to run wild isn't my style. I will also fight."
"Mm, you are talking like someone else right now, aren't you? Though, your courage is admirable. I will naturally be fighting as well."
"Mm, there's no turning back now.
Long Chen, Su Ren, Aishia…
One by one, from the leaders to the members, those who called themselves the Judgement Order voiced their solidarity, their will to pick up their arms.
"Good."
Rose nodded contentedly.
"Then…let us return home. We need to give our heroes a proper burial."
It was taxing.
It had to have been almost a year since they came to the shadow army.
But now wasn't the time to rest.
They needed to keep moving for the people who were forced to rest in their place.
Making it back to Heaven's Army.
That was the start.
