With the dark space trial nearing its close, the World Energy Barrier began to show slight signs of fluctuation, but these weren't noticed at all by those outside forces.
Niflheim and Asgard had a nearly endless supply of 3rd class beings that they threw into the war. But no matter how impossible it seemed for them to have such a massive reserve of troops, it wasn't strange when one considered their status.
Regardless of anything else, Niflheim and Asgard were the only influences that reigned over the unnamed world. Even organizations like Shadow Garden were only formed by those who escaped the previous two.
In this sense, it was similar to if the Celestial Star Palace controlled half the forces of the entire Cloud Plane. Even producing millions of 3rd class beings was a simple matter at this level.
But this reality only brought despair to those who rebelled against them. Doing so meant taking the entire world as one's enemy. And when the entire world arrived on a single battlefield, holding them off was more difficult than anyone could ever imagine.
But those of Shadow Garden and even those from the Cloud Plane had resolved themselves to give their lives to their cause long ago. If they didn't have even this much commitment, they would've never been chosen by their respective organizations.
Therefore, they continued fighting. Even as their brothers and sisters died in droves, they fought with everything they had.
The forces of these two powers were nowhere near adequate enough in size to combat the endless wave of 3rd class beings, but at least on the 4th class side, they were relatively even. It was only due to this that Niflheim and Asgard's forces weren't able to mop up hundreds or even thousands of enemies in a single swoop, allowing Shadow Garden and the Cloud Plane forces at least some minor respite.
Still, they wouldn't last much longer. If the situation continued to deteriorate, they would inevitably lose.
Aishia knew this better than anyone. Until several hours ago, even she'd been part of Asgard's forces. Her current actions of siding with their enemies could even be considered a temper tantrum on her part.
Even she didn't understand why she was fighting so hard. Even though she'd lived for over 10,000 years, it was a sheltered 10,000 years where she only ever fought with the protection of many elders.
Now, experiencing the reality of warfare, she was disgusted. She couldn't believe that the world was so vile, that the people who smiled at her so warmly could become such cold-blooded killers when the situation called for it.
But in the end, was she much different? Even as she endured her disgust, she cut down people who used to look up to her like cabbages. She didn't give a single care to their lives, using them to vent her grievances with the organization they belonged to.
Did these 3rd class beings harm her in any way? Were they even aware of the truth behind Asgard? In the end, these were just people who only knew how to follow orders. They didn't deserve to be targeted by her hatred.
Aishia began to understand. She began to understand that the justice she held in such high regard was nothing more than a pipe dream. Even if one had absolute power, creating such justice would be impossible.
Because the fundamental makings of human nature didn't lean towards morality, they leaned towards survival and survival alone.
This was the curse of any existence with spiritual intelligence. Even if one overcame the fear of death, they wouldn't accept it even at the last moment.
At least, those who built the proper resolve as a practitioner wouldn't.
Aishia's eyes hardened. If she wished to even maintain a semblance of her personal morality, she would need to adapt to this cruel world. She would need to change and accommodate it before she could change it at all.
But would she live that long?
Surrounding her was a mob of 4th class existences. On Shadow Garden's side, she was doing a large portion of the heavy lifting when in terms of 4th class battles.
She didn't mind it, though. She only wished that her mana capacity would last her until all her enemies fell.
However, this was an empty hope. With every second, her mana dwindled further. Those facing her were 4th classes at the end of the day. Despite their apparent weakness in front of her spear, they were absolutely qualified to be her opponents.
Aishia's awareness spread, taking account of her surroundings. The scent of hopelessness assailed her senses no matter how hard she tried to block it.
Her grip on her spear tightened. The mana in her body circulated fiercely, shining with a bright ethereal light that didn't match the bloody image and aura she built on the battlefield.
If her enemies were to title her at the moment, she was like a holy asura. Just this temperament alone was enough to strike fear in their hearts.
They never wished for this fight! They didn't want to throw their lives away like dogs! But what could they do?! Disobeying a Demigod would lead to a far more pitiful death. The most they could do was hope to die valiantly on the battlefield, or be lucky enough to survive in the end.
The hopelessness Aishia sensed wasn't just from Shadow Garden or the Cloud Plane forces, but from all the ordinary foot soldiers on the ground.
It was true that war was the best opportunity for growth, but out of these millions of troops, only the smallest minority of them would survive long enough to enjoy those benefits.
In that atmosphere of utter hopelessness, a faint sound resounded from the horizon. It was faint, but for some reason, it was loud enough to announce its presence even through the chaos of this massive battlefield.
Aishia looked over curiously, her mana still moving ceaselessly to slay her enemies. Approaching the battlefield was a massive unknown object.
Its shadow alone spanned thousands of kilometers. The sound coming from its movement was becoming increasingly deafening as it neared the battlefield.
Aishia's face inadvertently paled. If this object were to fall onto the battlefield, the shockwave from its impact would be enough to kill more soldiers than she'd killed in the time she'd participated in this war.
But nothing of the sort would happen. Considering the individual who piloted this massive object, such a crass methodology would be more than just condemned.
As the flying object neared, its figure became more defined, and its presence became harder to ignore. There were some sections of the warfront where people stopped fighting, focusing their attention on the mind-boggling sight in front of them.
A massive city that floated in the sky. With this sight in front of them, could anyone remain calm?
It seemed as if this city's arrival was planned for the direst moment. When the scales were just about to tip in favor of Niflheim and Asgard, it revealed its presence and entered domineeringly.
But those on the ground had to wonder…
Just who would this floating city align itself with? And what effect would its presence have on this war?
