Then I Will Be Your Army of Thousands

It's all in chaos, everything's in complete chaos.

For the Lyra People, this was undoubtedly a night they would never forget.

In the first half of the night, they were still celebrating, preparing to welcome the new era and bid farewell to the Old God.

But in the middle of the night, everything changed.

The fireworks were over, but the fire did not stop; it continued to burn wildly, but it was not burning the gunpowder, but the Lyra People's flesh and their absurd and insane fantasies.

They watched helplessly as one Gear Train after another collided on the tracks, as one prosthetic limb after another went out of control and killed its owner, as people engulfed in flames rushed out of the ruins and fell to the ground screaming.

Everything felt like the end of the world.

But the first half of the night was still full of hope for the future.

In such despair and fear, the Lyra People unanimously turned to the Tower of Babel, their spiritual refuge for thousands of years.

That tower built the city; that tower brought order and stability.

Now, all of this is being destroyed, so people are drawn to the tower again, almost instinctively.

But as they got closer, they discovered that the giant tower that had stood for thousands of years was now teetering precariously in the approaching morning light, as if it might collapse at any moment.

"Back off! Back off!"

Cha Mo Si yelled at the top of his lungs at the surging crowd.

"Don't go any further!"

The regrouped skeletal Knight attempted to form a human wall, but their bodies appeared too frail in the face of such a massive number, like a thin sheet of paper that could be punctured at any moment.

But there was nothing they could do; they had to stay there and prevent people from moving forward.

Because they knew very well what the situation was like inside the Tower of Babel.

Their revered Tower of Babel bishop has gone mad.

Regardless of whether he is mentally insane, he is insane in his behavior.

He had transformed into a monster more terrifying than the Abyss Land, instantly wiping out a full-strength Devil Knight.

Therefore, if these unarmed civilians were allowed to rush in, the consequences would obviously be unimaginable.

However, facing such a large number of people, it was simply too difficult for them alone. Even if they shouted themselves hoarse and made sure those in the front row heard them, it would be to no avail, because those in the back wouldn't hear them. They would still desperately push forward, shoving those in the front row like waves into the collapsing Tower of Babel.

"Where are the Devil Squad!" a squad leader roared at Cha Mo Si. "Where are they?!"

"They're on their way." Cha Mo Si could only roar in response, feeling as if his throat was burning. "They're in a lot of trouble too, and they're doing their best to get here."

"I just hope they get here before we get trampled to death by these guys!" the squad leader said. "Why are they still moving forward?! Can't they see that the Tower of Babel is already in trouble?!"

... Yes, why keep rushing forward?

Cha Mo Si looked again at the surging crowd before him, his expression a mix of emotions.

As a skeletal Knight, he was different from most Lyra People. He had visited other churches, experienced the customs and culture of different places, and had a certain understanding of the outside world.

However, the vast majority of Lyra People do not.

In their eyes, the world was simple, and the only things that were simple were Lyra City and the desolate land outside the city.

So when such an accident happened, they didn't think about running outside; instead, they instinctively moved towards the Tower of Babel, the most dangerous place.

Because in the minds of most Lyra People, the Tower of Babel is the safest and most important place, and leaving Lyra is almost never an option in their minds.

There would be no problem as long as they left the city, but nobody wanted to leave.

This is simply... a disaster created specifically for Lyra.

"What the hell are you thinking!" Another captain's shout jolted Cha Mo Si out of Cha Mo Si daze. "You're about to let go of my hand!"

Cha Mo Si then noticed that his hand, which was holding the other person's, was about to be separated from him by the crowd.

"This can't go on!" Cha Mo Si yelled at another captain. "We have to find a way to let them know that it's not safe here, and that leaving the city is the safest option!"

"I agree with you! So how do you plan to let them know that?!"

Before Cha Mo Si could speak, he saw a skeleton Knight finally give in and be knocked to the ground by the crowd. Dozens of people trampled over his body in an instant and rushed toward the Tower of Babel.

The skeletal Knight also went silent in an instant.

"Damn it! Ke Dun!!" The fallen skeletal Knight was one of the squad leader's subordinates, and the scene before him nearly made him grind his teeth to dust. "You beasts..."

Before they could finish speaking, they heard a series of muffled thuds.

They immediately turned their heads and saw that the dozens of people who had rushed to the Tower of Babel suddenly burst open like balloons punctured by needles, their internal organs shattered on the ground.

Everyone was stunned.

Then they saw the Tower of Babel shaking even more violently, with countless fragments falling from the top.

Like a throbbing embryo.

It also resembles a giant egg about to hatch.

Pain,

It hurts.

Ao Li Wei felt as if his soul was being torn apart.

He had never had such an experience before.

Is this the consequence of being caught up in the battle of the Gods?

After obtaining a portion of Lyra's divine power, Ao Li Wei always thought he could be considered a minor Demigod. But when he actually got involved in the battle between Lyra and the New God, he realized how naive he had been.

The aftershocks of a battle between gods, even if it's just two broken gods, are enough to shatter him.

He wanted to extricate himself, but it was too late.

He briefly connected with the New God.

He possessed the power of God, the vision of God, and the desire of God...

That is the desire for new life and eternal life.

Ao Li Wei closed his eyes.

The intense desire tore at his nerves, causing him to moan in extreme pain, uttering sounds that were completely unlike those of a human.

He could no longer bear it.

Regardless of the stance,

He (He) wants it all.

It arrives.

"Roar!!!!"

The colossal tower that connected heaven and earth finally cracked and collapsed.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, a massive figure emerged from the broken tower.

He was like a freak with his skin peeled off, his body covered only in bright red blood and flesh.

Then He opened His enormous mouth, which looked as if it had been cut by scissors, and aimed it at the sky where the glow of dawn could already be faintly seen.

Then,

"Roar!!!"

A hundred-meter-high column of flame erupted from its enormous mouth, quickly forming a pillar of fire that seemed capable of piercing the heavens and the earth.

The towering flames ignited the night sky, and the resulting heatwave quickly vaporized the dozens of Knights and civilians closest to the Tower of Babel.

Then, people saw streaks of fire falling from the sky.

Fire rained down from the sky.

The flames ignited the Lyra.

Only at this moment did people finally understand.

What is despair?

"... What is that?"

Ina stared blankly at the enraged beast beneath the giant flames.

Not only her, but the Devil Knight she brought with her were also completely astonished.

What exactly is that?

Even though everyone had the answer in their hearts, they still couldn't believe it was true.

Before today, the most dangerous thing they had ever seen was the giant pollutant in the Abyss Land, but compared to the raging beast before them, that giant pollutant was simply a joke.

They felt a strong sense of dread just looking at that raging beast from afar, as if they would die from a ruptured heart at any moment.

That enraged beast...

No.

Ina gripped the hilt of the Blazing Fire Sword tightly, trying her best to suppress the trembling in her body.

That's not some angry beast.

Using the word "beast" to describe someone is the greatest insult.

Without a doubt, that was... God.

Although it is unknown which one it is, there is no doubt that it is one of them.

He did wake up.

They awoke at the very moment they least wanted to see it; the fiery rain that seemed to set the entire Lyra ablaze was both an expression of His anger and a prelude to His coming.

But whatever it was, this apocalyptic scene made Ina understand the meaning of Jie La Er's words. "The coming of God will bring great sacrifices."

"Vice Captain," one of the Devil Knight asked, "Are we still..."

"Move forward," Ina whispered. "We have no choice. Don't forget, every minute we spend is bought with our lives."

In fact, Ina didn't need to remind them; the people here would never forget their colleagues who were still risking their lives to buy time in the Fifth District.

"Forward," Ina commanded again. "Whatever that is... destroy it."

Everyone nodded.

As Ina said, they had no choice; even if there was a sea of fire ahead, they could only resolutely charge forward.

But at that moment, there was another loud bang, and then the whole earth shook.

What's going on here?!

Before everyone could figure it out, they saw that another part of the already dilapidated Tower of Babel had collapsed.

A giant hand, interwoven with flesh and Holy Light, emerged from the wreckage, grabbed the fleshy monster that was still spewing fury into the sky, and slammed it to the ground.

Then they heard an even more awe-inspiring roar, which shook the entire earth as if the whole city was responding to Him.

Then everyone understood His identity.

Ina murmured.

"Tian... qin..."

Click.

Ju wiped the sweat from his forehead, then used all his strength to tighten the last screw on Jie La Er's chest plate.

"Okay," she said.

Jie La Er looked down at his body.

Although it's not as good as when she was at her peak, Tachibana was still able to do this much given the tight schedule and the complex situation outside.

He was already very satisfied.

"Thank you." Jie La Er stood up and slung the Chainsaw Sword, which had also been repaired, over his shoulder. "You will definitely become an excellent Mechanic."

Ju kept her head down and didn't say anything.

She finally looked up when Jie La Er had finished all his preparations and reached the door.

Why?

Jie La Er stopped Open the door.

"Why do you insist on going?" Ju said. "Sister Ina already said that we will leave here as soon as it gets light, and everything here will have nothing to do with you anymore."

"No, Tachibana," Jie La Er said, "That's just self-deception. My affairs..."

He pointed to the slightly faded Night Star Sleeve badge on his shoulder with his finger.

"It's not over yet."

Ju lowered her head again.

She is not good at persuading others with words.

She just felt very uncomfortable, as if something was stabbing her chest, and it hurt a lot.

"As for you, Tachibana."

"Are you telling me to stop taking revenge on Lyra?" Ju asked softly.

"No," Jie La Er shook his head. "What I mean is, do what you want to do."

Tachibana raised her head again, looking at Jie La Er with some surprise.

"No one can make decisions for you, because no one has gone through what you have." Jie La Er looked into Tachibana's eyes and said softly, "So no one should be able to understand you on your behalf... not even me."

Ju opened her mouth, as if to say something, but couldn't utter a single word.

"But what I want to say is, before making the final decision, why not try a different life, a life different from your current one?" Jie La Er said softly. "Like my life, there were ten difficult years, but many more happy ones. Don't get stuck in the past, and don't be afraid of the future. That's what I want to say to you, and if your father were here, he would say the same thing."

Ju felt her eyes were a little sore.

She instinctively raised her head, blinking hard to keep the tears from falling.

But when she wiped away her tears and lowered her head again...

Jie La Er is no longer here.

Everyone is fleeing.

Flames replaced the rising sun and ignited the sky. Lyra and Immortality fought fiercely in the fire rain. The ancient city, thousands of years old, crumbled at a visible speed, and the fleeing people struggled and fell in the sea of fire.

"Is it necessary?" Bai Wei's voice echoed in Jie La Er's mind. "Immortality has been forcibly brought down in an abnormal manner, Lyra is not as weak as imagined. It will not succeed. Even if it wins, it will be a Pyrrhic victory, and it will not be able to do anything more... From a certain perspective, Lyra has already been saved, and the sacrifice is within a completely acceptable range."

"Even after everything has settled down, you will still be a hero of this city."

"You've already gotten everything you wanted, haven't you?"

"No." Jie La Er shook his head. "There's still one more to go."

"...Heh." Bai Wei chuckled, seemingly with a sigh, yet also with mockery, "That certainly sounds like your style."

"So, shall we make a deal?"

"Why should I refuse?" Bai Wei said. "Go."

"Since you are already prepared to die."

"Then I will be your vast army."