"Well, don’t be threatened by my troops stationed in front of your armies." Vesh’s voice rang in all directions. "We can’t attack each other just yet. So... how about I request all kings and queens to be present here in front of me? Let’s have a cozy meeting."

Waving his hand, Vesh created a platform in the air below his feet and a chair before he sat down.

In front of him, he created a total of 27 chairs for the rulers of the other 27 kingdoms. Each chair had five meters of distance between them, though the front row only had three chairs belonging to the three strongest kingdoms.

Pin-drop silence.

Except for the sound of the wind and leaves.

Vesh blinked.

A second later, his eyes moved as he sensed movement.

The Howling Star Kingdom’s queen moved, and a second later she was sitting in one of the three front-row seats.

The Asterisk Patriarch also arrived and sat down.

The other kings and queens of the remaining kingdoms also took their seats.

Only one remained.

Vesh’s eyes moved toward the Talzon Kingdom’s army.

King Talzon was there, mounted on a giant Bloom-rank horse with wings.

Vesh narrowed his eyes. ’Do they really want to fight me with those measly Bloom-rank monsters?’

King Talzon moved.

Like other Stem-rank powerhouses, he moved fast enough to vanish briefly as he crossed the short distance and arrived on the platform, sitting on his chair.

"Good." Vesh deliberately nodded and voiced out the word.

As if saying, good boy.

King Talzon’s jaw tightened. ’Bastard.’

"Nice to meet you, everyone."

"I’ll get straight to the point. No bullshit." Vesh spread his arms. "This army you see behind me is not an illusion."

Snap!

He snapped a finger. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

In that moment, all 100,000+ S-rank units unleashed their aura in a pressure sphere.

BUZZZZZZZZZZZ!

ROARR!

AWOOOOOO!!

HHHHRRRRR!!

DEATH.

First, all the monsters present were intensely agitated and trembled while roaring and screaming.

Their instincts sensed it, and their bodies obeyed it.

Every single monster in this area bent down in fear, trembling, as their minds were overwhelmed by the sheer difference in power they sensed.

As for the people, be it humans, dwarves, elves, demons, beastfolk, and other minor races, every single one of them felt two things in pair.

They exploded out in front of this pressure, leaving room for no doubt.

Death and despair.

Death because there was no way to survive against this Ananta army.

Despair because they would die without being able to inflict any sort of damage on them.

All the kings and queens on the platform were trembling, some inside, some outside.

Snap!

The world returned to what it was five seconds ago.

"Dear fellow intelligent beings." Vesh’s voice rang out. "I will not say how strong and infinitely powerful Ananta Kingdom will become given what we have."

"But please listen to this very carefully." Vesh shook his head and continued after a second-long pause. "There is no surviving against us if you fight. The army you see behind me is a fraction of what I can call."

"For example..." Vesh looked behind.

Meow!

The wind stopped.

Not weakened.

Stopped.

The clouds over the southern horizon began to separate smoothly, like curtains being pulled aside. A deep vibration followed, spreading across the sky rather than the ground, as if something massive was moving through the air itself.

Then the sunlight dimmed.

Shadows stretched across the northern mountain range.

Every eye turned.

And they saw them.

Ten colossal silhouettes... flying.

They were descending from the sky in overwhelming formation, each one moving in a different manner, each one embodying a different legend.

At the very front of them was a graceful and deadly black cat.

Behind her, the behemoths showed themselves one by one.

Sovereign Behemoth Dragon.

The mechanical dragon glided forward, but its wings burned with elemental flame. Each flap released a mixture of wind magic and thermal pressure.

Its chest core glowed blue-white.

Magic circles appeared briefly beneath its wings as it accelerated.

Its jaws opened slightly, revealing a rotating energy core capable of releasing condensed elemental breath of all elements.

Next appeared Stormfang Behemoth Tiger.

The tiger dashed through the sky, its wings trailing streaks of lightning. Each leap midair created temporary platforms of condensed mana.

Its claws crackled with electricity.

Its stripes pulsed with storm-element magic.

When it moved, thunder echoed.

Behind it arrived the Vermillion Phoenix Behemoth.

The phoenix radiated heat.

But not ordinary heat.

Mana flames burned across its wings, each feather composed of molten magical metal. Its core pulsed with fire-aspect energy, allowing it to hover using thermal lift.

Each flap released waves of fire mixed red and green. This fire was weaved with water and wood to give it a duality imprint whereby it could cause destruction, but also regeneration.

The sky behind it glowed in mixed colors.

Then those colors dispersed as the Titan Mammoth Behemoth appeared.

The mammoth floated using gravity formation cores embedded in its legs. Rings of stabilizing runes rotated beneath its body.

Its tusks glowed with earth-element energy.

Each movement compressed mana currents.

It hovered like a moving mountain.

Then arrived the Abyss Serpent Behemoth.

The serpent glided through the air using wind and shadow magic. Blade-fins along its body emitted directional mana thrust.

Its eyes glowed violet.

Subtle ripples of air followed its movement.

It moved like a ribbon.

Then the clouds suddenly turned stormy as the Storm Roc Behemoth appeared, tearing through them.

Lightning danced across its wings.

Storm clouds formed around it.

Each wingbeat summoned bursts of wind magic.

Electric arcs jumped between feathers.

It flew like a thunder god.

Below appeared the Ironhorn Juggernaut Rhino.

Heavy armored wings pushed downward, reinforced by earth magic. Its horn glowed with condensed impact energy.

Gravity distortions formed beneath it.

It radiated crushing pressure all around as even the air distorted in the surroundings.

Then came the Sky Whale Behemoth.

Cold mist poured from its body.

Water and ice magic stabilized its floating form. Mana fins rippled slowly.

Its core pulsed deep blue.

The temperature around it dropped.

It drifted silently, casting a large shadow over Talzon’s army.

Lastly came the Chimera Dominion Behemoth.

Three heads glowed with different elements.

Fire.

Lightning.

Darkness.

Multiple wings beat in staggered rhythm while mana thrusters stabilized its body. Energy flowed across its limbs.

It looked like a fusion of legends as all ten behemoths arrived over the northern mountain range.

The entire northern mountain range felt small.

These kilometer-big behemoths floated in such a way that it gave the illusion of them warping the sky above them.

Silence swallowed the battlefield, except for the wildly beating of their own hearts they were hearing as utter pressure radiated from these gigantic monsters.

They were the war behemoths that Vesh had created over the past four days.

So...

One hundred thousand Bloom-rank units.

And ten gigantic war behemoths possessing power and energy equivalent to thousands of Bloom-rank units.

"This..." Vesh leaned back calmly. "...is still only a fraction of Ananta Kingdom’s capabilities."

The words fell like a hammer.

[Arga: Director is really funny. How is this a cozy meeting?]

[Vinz: To him, this is indeed cozy...]

A middle-aged king seated in the third row swallowed, then slowly stood up. His armor rattled faintly as his legs trembled.

"I... I concede."

He bowed.

Not slightly.

Deeply.

"My kingdom, Valdren... submits to Ananta Kingdom."

The moment he said it, the tension shattered.

Another ruler stood.

Then another.

Then three more.

"I surrender."

"My kingdom yields."

"We accept Ananta Kingdom’s rule."

"I do not wish to sacrifice my people."

One by one, rulers rose from their seats.

Some spoke firmly.

Some spoke bitterly.

Some spoke quietly.

But all of them reached the same conclusion.

Behind Vesh stood one hundred thousand S-rank war machines.

Above them floated the ten behemoths.

And this was only what he chose to show.

A queen in emerald robes clenched her fists before standing. "I refuse to throw my citizens into a meaningless war. My kingdom submits."

A dwarf king slammed his fist on his chest. "We fight when there’s honor. This... is suicide. We surrender."

An elf monarch exhaled slowly. "Ananta Kingdom... we yield."

The chain reaction spread.

Row by row.

Seat by seat.

Twenty-four rulers stood.

All except three.

Vesh looked at the trio and blinked.

"Ananta Kingdom." Queen Lyra stood up. "Howling Star concedes. But is your policy the same as it was before this event?"

Vesh chuckled. "Same as in, not dominating, but spreading peace, harmony, and development, letting people keep their place as long as they adapt to the laws and rules of Ananta Kingdom?"

Queen Lyra nodded.

"That is the one thing that will never change. Ananta Kingdom wishes no meaningless bloodshed. But if someone wants blood..." Vesh looked straight at Harven, who was far away in Talzon’s army, standing atop a giant four-armed gorilla of Bloom-rank.

"Let’s just say that shedding blood might as well be our specialty given the prowess we have."

"..."

"We also would like to accept the grace of the Ananta Kingdom." The Asterisk Patriarch stood up and bowed. "But could we have negotiations on some laws?"

Vesh narrowed his eyes. "What laws?"

"As in, Ananta Court—"

"No." Vesh rejected before the Asterisk king even finished speaking.

"Death." Vesh slowly exhaled. "It will come for all. And when Abyss Eyes activates, and judgment arrives, no one will escape. But there will be a chance of redemption if you are in regret of what you have done. This regret will be detected."

"Ananta Kingdom does wish to make a paradise." Vesh looked up at the sky. "For that, law, order, entertainment, peace, and power, all of these are important."

Looking back at the Asterisk king, his cold voice rang. "Be it you or anyone. Once part of the Ananta Kingdom, all are equal."

"Paradise? Hahaha..." King Talzon began laughing.