0.00 Seconds

0.11 seconds. Asahara dug his foot into the ground, halting him.

0.15 seconds. Asahara turned around, facing his allies.

0.17 seconds. Asahara used the ability Space Division. Asahara completed the attack. 

0.21 seconds. Hideyoshi and Fuuma were the first to be hit. They had yet to react.

0.25 seconds. The attack successfully hit all 48 allies. The estimated damage was 1,083,285,402 per person.

0.93 seconds. All allies defeated. Asahara initiated Solo Mode.

1.25 seconds. The goddesses reacted to the attack, immediately dropping the barrier. They were too shocked to continue.

1.30 seconds. Asahara used the ability Flash Step. 

1.31 seconds. Flash Step completed. Asahara was now in front of Weeksworth.

1.32 seconds. Asahara used Rigid Body and took the horse head on. The trample inflicted 0 damage to Asahara and 122 recoil damage to Weeksworth. 80% health remained.

1.56 seconds. Cordelia was thrown off her horse by inertia and took 2% damage from the fall 1.2 seconds later.

3.01 seconds. Asahara used the ability Steal, targeting Thadmor.

3.20 seconds. Steal succeeded, teleporting Thadmor to Asahara’s right hand. 

8.40 seconds. Cordelia rolled to a stop.

8.45 seconds. Asahara spoke to Cordelia, stating: “Thank you, princess.”

8.70 seconds. Asahara used Basic Melee Attack on Weeksworth and himself. 10,000,000,000 damage to each entity. 0% health remaining.

10 seconds. Both corpses hit the ground.

Within ten seconds, every protagonist in the army was dead. The cavalry attempted to circle around, but now, as the only force remaining on the hill, the eyes of the shadows focused on them. Morale broke instantly, and the conscripted force retreated as fast as the fortress could chase them. 

Now realizing the scope of their folly, the gods stood at a crossroads. They could attempt to deal with the fortress themselves, which was feasible given their powers, or save the protagonists' souls. The first option was risky, and the second had to be done immediately. With so many champions dead, they only had minutes before their souls returned to the Sea of Souls, flowing away forever. Elbeth made the call. Their souls shot back into the soul lighthouse, leaving their three avatars alone and defenseless to an approaching city. All 10,000 soldiers were left to die in its presence.

The Glynn Sisters returned home to find it a mess. Dozens of souls were floating about, weakening and dimming as time passed. 

“Grab as many as you can,” Elbeth commanded. “Marine, you’ll have to revive some of ours.”

“Got it.”

“Wait,” Rani observed. “They’re already reforming.”

The signs proved it. They were morphing much like they would when the goddesses touched them. However, their forms were not returning to their original selves. They were becoming denser, redder, like ceremonial beads. The souls screamed.

“That’s corruption!” Elbeth shouted. “Stop it, imme-.”

0.02 seconds. Asahara used Flash Step.

0.03 seconds. Asahara appeared behind Elbeth. Asahara used Basic Melee Attack, inflicting 1,421,942,909 damage to Elbeth. Applying buffs, blessings, and defenses, she took 64% damage. 

0.21 seconds. Marine used Tidal Wave and launched water at Asahara. 

0.74 seconds. Asahara dodged the attack toward Rani and Marine. Asahara switched to autopilot for melee combat.

The two sisters were not fighters. They were builders foremost, and never carried weapons as a matter of principle. They could only use their hands, feet, and magic to combat the swordsman. His attacks weren't out to kill them, but only so long as they kept up the defense. They had no time for defense.

“It’s been a while since I fought a god,” Akira said. “I didn’t think I’d be doing this much damage.”

“You bastard!” Rani grunted. “I’ll do more than kill you. I’ll make an underworld just for you, Akira!”

“Why are you doing this!?” Marine cried. “Did you intend to betray us this whole time?”

The two got on opposite sides of the hero and drowned him in their native magic, moonlight, and water. A combination of both led to a rain of crystallized shards in a whirlpool. They never used their magic to hurt people before, so they prayed their passion would rough up the intimidating swordsman.

18.31 seconds. Asahara sustained 12 damage from Unnamed Attack. 

18.35 seconds. Asahara equipped Planet Slicer and Thadmor in a dual-wield configuration.

18.36 seconds. Asahara used Flash Step.

18.37 seconds. Rani took 932,461,894 damage from Light Melee Attack. After calculations, she was at 45% health.

19.26 seconds. Asahara used Push. 

19.27 seconds. Push succeeded. Marine took 12,841,555 in knockback damage and stun. 9% health lost.

“I thought about it,” Akira shrugged. “It’s not like I haven’t heard of Glynn’s World. A backwater dump turned idyllic travel destination, run by some of the hottest upstarts this side of the plane? I was hoping for better content, but…Well, I always finish my games.”

Marine stood, and the Sea of Souls stood with her as a massive wave. They were out of time. At least the goddess could drown the Planet Killer. They may lose the souls, but she would deny the Great Devil their ally. Her attack was swift and precise, knocking Akira off his feet and sending him deep into the lighthouse. 

Marine returned to dry land, panting and bruised. Her sisters lay bleeding across the lighthouse, their red blood mixing with the glowing blue water, incapacitated, only focused on maintaining their own near-immortal lives. She stopped him, she thought.

Unfortunately, the souls couldn’t be saved. Worse, they were completely transformed, now solid red orbs, reflexive and holding a shadowy void beneath them. If looked at close enough, Marine could see eyes watching her from within. A visage struck her nervous system so hard she could barely stand. The goddess was met with overwhelming anxiety.

Suddenly, the water breached, and a mighty leviathan took over the waters, wrecking the goddess's home with each swing of its neck. Malice was overtaking the lighthouse. The beast's existence threatened to bring the structure to ruin, old cracks resurfacing in its endless barrier.

Akira stood on top of the beast’s head. “If my numbers are correct, I need to cast these buffs for it to kill you.”

109.25 seconds. Asahara cast Fortify x98 times on Leviathan.

109.87 seconds. Asahara cast Barbarian Strength x174 times on Leviathan.

110.31 seconds. Asahara cast Swift Wind x299 times on Leviathan.

110.77 seconds. Asahara cast Good Health x1003 times on Leviathan.

The beast didn’t look any different, but its malevolence had increased a millionfold, leaving Marine shivering.

“The game doesn’t require me to kill you, so if you live, just let me finish my job, alright?”

The orbs gravitated to the Black Swordsman’s orbit like a solar system. With everything in order, the man looked at Thadmor, analyzed it, tossed it, pulled another item from his coat, and chanted a phrase.

111.43 seconds. Asahara used the item Goddess Bell. 

111.44 seconds. Asahara has left combat.

All of their work, all of their planning. Their dreams of making Glynn’s World their own. Marine had never felt so much despair in her life, and she prayed that if anyone out there was to help her, they'd come now. Given the bonuses coursing through this serpent demon, she may not be able to last.