Damien's mind returned to the dark reality of his position.
'The Giant Domain, Beast Domain, and Soul World are all gone. Eien has been completely broken through. No Return Pass is the last unbroken point.'
He closed his eyes as he came to a realization.
This was the truth of war.
No matter how fiercely he defended the No Return Pass, it didn't mean anything. Trillions of enemies could die by his blade, but trillions more would move around him and kill those standing behind him.
Whether it be the Blood-Drenched Wilderness, the Graveyard Sanctuary, the Ephemeral Border Stele, or any of the other territories of the universe's ring of defense, they'd been plowed through and left to rot.
At one point, these checkpoints all carried the presence of at least a few tens of thousands of Nine Revolutions masters, but now they were all dead or retreated to the bounds of the remaining universe.
The Nox pierced the biggest protection mechanism Grand Heavens Boundary possessed, and now that they were flooding into the universe, the war situation had taken a massive turn.
The war split into two fronts, one of the older generation and one of the younger generation.
Those who had reached the limits of their potential with age continued to fight battle upon battle filled with bloody slaughter, but it wasn't nearly as one-sided as it was previously.
Meanwhile, the experts of the universe were forced to show their allegiance. Those who turned traitor had to completely switch sides, which helped the allied forces create a united front they had been lacking before.
Now, the war looked a lot more like a competition.
The Demigods suppressed each other, forces of the same skill level fought directly, and the younger generation was tasked with controlling the momentum of the entire war with their battle.
After all, wasn't it natural to compare whose future had more potential?
Whether this situation was good or bad, Damien couldn't say.
However, he knew for certain that the universe's forces weren't acting at their full capacity.
Of the original three leaders of Heaven's Army, only one remained, and he barely had any power.
The other two were replaced by lizards wearing faces that didn't belong to them.
Order was in pieces, and the efficacy of the army was treacherous.
Because of this, people were needlessly dying.
'I've been more concerned about people's deaths recently.' Damien thought to himself as he chugged a gourd full of spirit liquor.
Although he said it, he knew it wasn't true. No matter how much he experienced, the indifference in his very core wouldn't change.
His concern wasn't the people, but what those people represented.
They were life. Their karma and fates intertwined and wove the fabric of the universe. The foundational elements found pillars in these people, and this was what allowed the universe to continue functioning.
The relationship between the universe and its inhabitants was symbiotic in the same way a World Core needed its surface population for survival as well.
Damien sighed. Until this point, he'd always been pulled into the "flow" of things. From his start on Earth to Apeiron, his fall into the Divine Realm, and even further than that, his actions always followed a set pattern.
As for who set this pattern? Even Damien didn't know. He had an inexplicable feeling that he couldn't pinpoint despite the impossible level he'd reached.
Universal Flow, which he originally thought was the flow that guided him, was only a part of it. The flow of the universe gave him direction in exchange for his help, but it didn't give him the immense luck and opportunity he possessed in general.
Nevertheless, if he couldn't find out now, he had no need to think about it too much.
All he needed to know now was that he had to hold up his end of the bargain.
For his own sake and for the sake of the universe that birthed him, housed him, and provided him the talent to reach this step, Damien didn't mind shouldering the entire war on his back.
It was a strange thing that gradually changed once he became a Celestial. He could no longer view worlds and universes, celestial existences, as mere objects.
The way he felt about the universe…the intrinsic bond he felt between them…it was like he was a grandchild being fostered and doted on by his grandparent.
And what sane grandchild would allow their grandparent to be killed off so easily? If Damien could help it, he'd take the entire universe into the Sanctuary to protect it from harm.
But this wasn't possible. And even if it was, it wouldn't solve the underlying problem.
The only thing Damien could do was heave another sigh as he stood up. His position was given to him by Immortal Blood Asura. Even if he wanted to play a more proactive part in this war, he didn't have the chance to.
If he left the No Return Pass, he'd die. This place was a graveyard chosen specifically for him.
But he had no interest in dying early.
While No Return Pass was hell for others, it was a perfect training ground for Damien. The limitless stream of Nox Beings constantly enhanced his Legend while also providing him battle experience, answers, and a target on which he could test his ever-improving comprehensions.
With the Void backing him, he didn't even need to worry about fatigue, and with the Mind Prison, his mentality could remain untouched by worry or other useless feelings.
For the past 1800 days, Damien faithfully moved towards his goals. He built his strength and bid his time. He couldn't directly influence the war effort, nor did he know the exact situation of the outside world, but he knew the worlds he saved from the Soul Emperor were proof of his contribution.
There was less than a month left in his imprisonment, and this was the first time in almost 5 years that he released his mind from its shackles.
The feelings of longing, of worry, of desolateness…these feelings overtook his mind for a period.
He smiled as a magical yet completely unrealistic future weaved itself into his thoughts, as if trying to counter his anxiety.
'When my situation finally stabilized, I'll leave this place triumphantly and return to my people with pride!'
'Together, we'll end this damn war!'
"...if only it could be that simple."
These were just illusions created by his intense feelings.
In reality, hope for something so beautiful no longer existed.
Rumble!
The ground rumbled and quaked chaotically. From beyond the abyss, hundreds of millions of Nox Beings raucously charged through No Return Pass. Their only goal was to carve a path forward regardless of life and death.
But Damien had already stood up for this very purpose. He even managed to complete a round of light stretches before they entered the danger zone.
With time ticking down, he put away his clones and started fighting on his own again.
It was nice to really feel the experience before it was over, right?
No, it was better to say he needed an outlet to let go of his rage:
So when the time finally came for him to fight…?
The Space-Time River appeared dazzlingly in the sky, its shimmering starlight raining down on the ground below.
Yet another slaughter was slowly beginning in this isolated and desolate pass.
