I was still mourning Gregustus' death in such a manner and was struck by High Heaven's ultimatum, which was utterly inappropriate for a moment like this. David had already done everything he possibly could to prevent this empire from being completely destroyed, even though in the end the emperor died. I remembered again when David decided to reach Gregustus and Glynpatra faster by flying at incredible speed using his Grunginus Spear. That alone showed that David was sensitive to their critical situation.
Now I saw he openly and plainly rejecting Geriel's accusation. Honestly, I was afraid of what would happen next. If it followed the game's storyline, Gregustus did indeed die after being killed by High Heaven loyalists, and then David led The Graendall in launching a counterattack against High Heaven. However, the situation was now significantly different because Gregustus had been killed by Tiberos.
Suddenly, Geriel's voice from the sky was heard again in response to David's refusal.
"If that is what you desire, then you shall perish together with the people who have sinned across your entire planet!"
After that statement, I immediately ran toward David, who was still staring sharply at the sky.
"Sir! Are you going to fight all of them??? How are you going to do that??? They will all come, and even more innocent people will die!"
David looked at me again and then turned his head from side to side as if thinking. Mendicore then approached.
"My Lord, High Heaven will come with its entire fleet to carry out this purification mission. After Archangel Marsiel was permanently laid to rest back then, High Heaven's forces built an enormous flagship as their primary instrument..."
"During yesterday's battle, we saw High Heaven's fleet using the pillar of light that I called the 'Hammer of Heaven' to help destroy the enemy. This purification process is the same. The pillar of light generated by that largest flagship will destroy every living being on the targeted planet." Mendicore explained.
Upon hearing Mendicore's words, everyone who had been mourning panicked and begged David to stop High Heaven's insane course of action.
"I can't consolidate all of The Graendall's forces quickly to face this because many of my soldiers defected and ultimately died due to this conflict between brothers, My Lord!!!" Gruzhnil cried again. Everyone had already fallen into despair in facing all of this and hoped for a miracle.
"Take me to the tallest building right now!" David suddenly ordered to Gruzhnil.
We fell silent again at his words. What exactly was he going to do at that building? Was he truly going to fight High Heaven's fleet alone?
"Y-Yes, Great Lord David, I-I will take you there..." Gruzhnil stopped crying.
"Tell the rest of your loyals to remain on standby against them!" he continued. Gruzhnil merely nodded.
David and Gruzhnil then walked toward one of the shuttlecraft. I ran over to tell him something.
"Sir, we have already entered the final chapter of The Mayhem's storyline. You indeed have to go through the conflict with High Heaven according to that gameplay. I hope you will take your actions with great consideration..." I said in a rather quiet voice.
David looked at me again for only a brief moment. I felt that he realized I was still the one who knew the entirety of his journey. Perhaps even though he had already obtained his real name, he still was not allowed to know his own fate according to the game's storyline.
"Just wait and see..." he said as continued toward the shuttlecraft. Gruzhnil and David then left us, heading toward the tallest building in the capital.
"I-I will take F-Father's body back to the palace first. W-Will you c-come as well?" Glynpatra asked me through sobs. I thought for a moment.
"I sincerely apologize beforehand, Your Highness. I don't mean to avoid mourning together. But I actually want to see how Sir David will handle all of this..."
"It's alright, Johann. I understand that. Honestly, I also want to see it, but I have to take care of my father first. Be careful over there!" Glynpatra struggled to smile.
Several soldiers, Grelmure and Glynpatra helped carry Gregustus' body into the other shuttlecraft that was still functioning properly. After they flew away, I approached Mendicore and Sherubiel.
"Where shall we watch from, Johann?" Sherubiel asked.
"At the monument on the mountainside near the Capital. Mendicore, please create a portal there!"
Mendicore immediately created a portal, and we entered it together, arriving at our destination. I looked toward the Capital of Grivendal, and its condition was truly chaotic. Many buildings and vehicles had been damaged, and some were burning. Quite a number of casualties were lying on the streets. Many loyal soldiers could still be seen holding back the traitors in open areas while waiting for further instructions from Gruzhnil.
Then I looked into the distance at the top of the tallest building, where there was a shuttlecraft hovering above it. Just as I wanted to see it more clearly, my interface slot suddenly appeared again. I saw a binocular icon and instinctively summoned it into my hand. Honestly, I didn't care if they saw me doing something strange again. They didn't comment at all. Through binocular, I saw that David had already stepped onto the rooftop. He appeared to have put his armor back on. The shuttlecraft then flew back toward headquarters.
Suddenly, the siren echoing across the entire sky sounded again. Oh no! Had they already arrived in the skies above Planet Grivendal?!
"High Heaven's fleet is not coming with only that largest flagship! They also have many smaller ships, most likely to attack our forces that resist them. For them this is a declaration of war!" Mendicore said.
Before I could even think further, I saw the silhouette of an enormous ship in the sky surrounded by swarm of much smaller ships. At a glance, they resembled the High Heaven fleet that I had already seen twice. The swarms began descending into Planet Grivendal's atmosphere. From all around, countless rockets and artillery shells suddenly launched into the sky, pursuing the smaller ships until they exploded.
"THIS IS OUR FINAL WARNING...!!! SURRENDER OR BE DESTROOOYEEEDDD...!!!" someone spoke loudly, most likely from the largest flagship.
Suddenly the sky became overcast, and thunder began to roar. However, the strangest thing was that the lightning was red. I pointed my binoculars toward the tallest building. David had already drawn his Grunginus Spear, and both the spear and his entire body emitted brilliant light along with bright red arcs of electricity.
Could these red lightning bolts be appearing because of that sacred spear? I had just realized it was the same red lightning I had seen during yesterday's battle before Azkerath nearly killed me.
"Is Lord David going to launch himself into the sky and destroy all of those ships with that spear???" Sherubiel asked anxiously.
"I don't think so. That would take far too long to stop them." I replied.
David then aimed his Grunginus toward the sky, pointing it directly at the largest flagship far away in outer space. Suddenly the spear underwent a transformation unlike anything I had ever seen, not even in the game itself.
Grunginus became enormously larger until David appeared to be holding the trunk of a gigantic tree. Not only that, the spear which had originally possessed a double-edged blade, transformed into a single-edged spearhead pointing upward. The transformation of Grunginus was accompanied by increasingly intense crimson thunder. Even the smaller ships no longer dared descend closer to Grivendal. Could it be... David intended to throw it directly up there???
"That spear can grow bigger because Grunginus is made from starstone from this planet's core! I truly never imagined that weapon would react so powerfully to Lord David's will!" Mendicore said.
David then gripped the gigantic spear tightly until it visibly trembled and assumed a throwing stance toward outer space. After taking several steps, David hurled the spear while letting out a powerful roar that I could hear even from here. Grunginus shot upward into the sky at incredible speed like a hurled comet. The thick overcast clouds were immediately swept aside across a vast area as the spear passed through them. My eyes widened, and my mouth fell open as I witnessed that spectacular sight.
***
[Inside the central command room of High Heaven's main flagship]
The angels observed Planet Grivendal's atmosphere filled with thick gray clouds accompanied by roaring crimson lightning. Suddenly the clouds were swept aside, forming a gigantic circle, and something resembling a red comet rapidly rushed toward them. The angels immediately stared in horror as the smaller ships exploded near the path of that crimson comet.
"ACTIVAAATEEE THE ENTIRE SHIELD SYSTEM NOOOWWW...!!!" shouted one angel, who was the fleet commander.
The other angels activated seven gigantic layers of yellow circular shields in front of the flagship. When the crimson comet finally struck the outermost shield, an enormous shockwave erupted, causing the nearby smaller ships to be blasted away once again.
However, instead of stopping immediately, the comet continued attempting to penetrate the shield. Only then did they realize that within the crimson comet was a spear spinning at tremendous speed as though drilling through their defenses. The angels became increasingly panicked as the comet shattered the first shield, continued piercing the next, shattered it again, and continued through each layer until it reached the final shield.
"EVACUAATEE EVERYYOONNEE FROM THIS SHIIPP NOOOWWW...!!!!!!" the angel commander screamed to everyone.
The angels immediately fled toward several portals inside the ship to save themselves after their operation had effectively been declared a failure. When the crimson comet finally shattered the last shield, it pierced straight through the flagship at tremendous speed and continued flying out into the endless cosmos until it disappeared from sight. Several sections of the flagship immediately exploded one after another, with the explosions spreading throughout the entire vessel. The angels who failed to escape in time were destroyed together with the explosions. The swarm of smaller ships scattered through outer space in every direction.
***
Through the binoculars, I had just witnessed the horrifying sight of David's Grunginus completely destroying that gigantic flagship. His actions were truly beyond anything I could have predicted and were vastly different from the gameplay. Even Mendicore and Sherubiel stood frozen in shock at this extraordinary event.
Suddenly Mendicore's body trembled violently. I became worried about what was happening. I asked what was wrong.
"I-It's alright, Johann... It seems someone is trying to contact me through this body..."
Mendicore projected a hologram. I was shocked to see that it was Geriel, who looked directly at me! Why was he contacting me through Mendicore???
"What have you done to make him become like this??? I know that you wish to learn the greatest secret of the universe, don't you? I have the answer. If you truly wish to know it, then come here! It doesn't matter if you bring him along! But remember this: if you try to use him to destroy my place, you will never obtain your answer!" Geriel said before disappearing.
Before I could even process what had just happened, Geriel had already struck me with the very message that had become the reason I continued following David until the very end.