The casualties and bloodshed of this war exceeded anything anyone had imagined. Those who arrived later had no way to resist the monsters once they closed in.
Killing a single monster might cost them four lives, or even five.
Heavy artillery and aircraft bombarded them tirelessly. Some pilots, driven past reason by the fighting, simply flew their planes straight into the masses of monsters with their remaining bombs aboard.
When the last monster collapsed with a howl, no one even noticed. They were still searching warily for more.
At last, more and more people froze. Scattered cheers began to rise, then joined into a single roar as the survivors across the battlefield shouted with all their might.
They laughed, then fell to their knees and wept like madmen. The land was devastated, severed limbs covering every stretch of ground the eye could see.
Smoke curled from blackened shell craters. The setting sun was blood-red, and Zhang Xiao felt exhaustion battering his mind in endless waves.
He simply sat down, gasping for breath.
A bottle of water appeared before him. He looked up to find Director Zhao, one of whose arms had been severed cleanly at the elbow.
His remaining hand held the bottle of mineral water, and an indescribable smile rested on his round face.
It held an extraordinarily complex mix of emotions.
"Celestial Master, we... won..."
"Yes, we won... a victory that nearly destroyed both sides..."
Zhang Xiao looked away from Zhao Yuanxu's severed arm and answered softly.
Director Zhao plopped down beside Zhang Xiao, and the two quietly watched the battlefield in the dusk.
Dim golden sunlight spilled over the earth, illuminating every facet of human life before them.
They watched people laugh and weep, giving free rein to everything in their hearts.
Light stirred across the