The waves surged and the sea breeze swept across, yet in December, in the northern hemisphere, a bead of sweat suddenly rolled down Stormshot's forehead.
He was stronger than any other Chosen One present. As a sniper, his perception was unmatched, the best of the best. Yet precisely because of this, he suddenly sensed something ominous.
A feeling called terror surged in his heart.
It was like a reckless fool stabbing the earth, only to realize it was not earth, but a dormant prehistoric beast. And that beast, awakened by the stab, began to stir. With just a sleepy breath, the giant beast made him feel utterly insignificant and powerless. Who knew when it would crush him underfoot?
Absurdity, ridiculousness, disbelief, and uncontrollable fear instantly gripped his heart.
In the distance, countless warships still surrounded the center of the battlefield, but none fired.
Engines continued to roar, alarms blared shrilly, but to everyone present, these were now just background noise.
Subjectively, this noisy world had become silent, everyone waiting quietly for a single voice.
In their minds, the vast ocean felt small, unable to contain even a single tranquil presence.
Creak, creak—this was the wail of metal.
Clang, clang—these were the collisions of wreckage.
Under everyone's gaze, a dark figure slowly emerged from the inferno, unhurried and calm. Instantly, everyone held their breath, forgetting everything else. Perched atop the massive warships, all felt suddenly small, like commoners kneeling on either side of the imperial road—heads bowed, hearts in awe.
The shadow was large—it was the Alloy Containment Case! But now, the case was battered beyond recognition. As it moved forward, wreckage from the warships struck its sides, flipping it over and over. Creak, creak—the case finally gave in, and with a crash, it shattered completely.
Then, as if stripped of all pretense, the fragments tumbled into the sea, revealing the Sovereign within.
The Black Death Emperor—still the same Black Death Emperor. His robes, his bearing, his empty expression and indifferent gaze hadn't changed at all, not even the pace of his walk.
But now, everyone's eyes upon him had finally changed.
Even the dullest person, no matter how arrogant in the moment, will one day understand the height of mountains, the vastness of seas, the depth of the earth, the expanse of the sky, the greatness of the sun—and likewise, the power and eternity of the Black Death Emperor.
He strode through the sea of fire, imperial robes billowing.
He walked the path above the void, untouched by the mortal world.
He remained utterly unchanged, looking down on all.