Local Netizen Elf’s Life In Another World
Case 350: Breakthrough.

Eva enters a world of chaos.

Everything in front of her seems extraordinary—like they don't belong in this reality. The ground she stands on is dyed colorfully, but in straight streaks that overlap each other. The sky she looks up to is a blanket of bright purple mixed with swirls of plasma. Planets collide at the corner of her eyes, comets draw stripes across—everything is soaked in that flavor of chaos.

''Hiss—''

Not even a minute has passed, but the energy permeating the air is already erring on infecting Eva's being—to take over her divinity and make it its own.

Instinctively, the goddess realizes one thing—this is the genesis of it all. Thousands of years of suffering on [Aria]... all comes from this place. The endlessly stretching universe holds no order or mercy, and Eva can't fathom its depth.

''This is but a fraction of the star's true power, sister.''

Eve's voice rings beside her ear.

''I've been here... I've been here for so long. Each time, I look at a different sky; each time, I wonder if this planet will soon turn to...''

''...No. I have been fighting against it for millennia. I know we can suppress it. As long as you are taken care of—''

''It's not so easy, sister.''

Caressing Eva's cheek, the woman softly speaks, ''I told you, no? What you have been fighting against is but a fraction of the star. Soon, its dormant state will mark the end of this civilization.''

Eve's tone carries something eerily similar to... anger—as though she truly detests the star's invasion.

''Tch.''

Slapping that hand away, Eva shoots a deadly glare. In response, her sister doesn't react much. With that apathetic face, she sighs, shakes her head, and directly addresses Eva, ''Sister. The planet has no chance against this.''

''Surrender.''

As if representing the will of the calamity, Eve's eyes flash a purple light. Even the environment around Eva starts to distort, and every entity floating here is eyeing her down, ready to pounce and destroy her.

''...No.''

But Eva doesn't yield.

She knows that even without her, the civilization's spirit will continue to burn—burn until they have nothing left to burn. Those resilient people won't ever surrender—not a chance.

More than fear, more than hesitation, what fills her heart right now is courage and hope.

''Sister...''

Meanwhile, at the Heart of Demons.

''Fuck...!!''

With a deafening boom, the pulsing dome covering the sky shatters into millions of pieces, blowing intense wind across the territory. Muffled screeches of shells tearing through the air now gnaw at the ears of the demons, soon sowing terror in their mind.

Led by mana-shielded tanks on the ground, the army directly rolls into the first military camp, trampling on each and every enemy with overwhelming firepower. Along the way, specialized platoons take detours to siege various strategic targets. The fleets of aircraft serve both as intelligence and a trusty spear, clearing the way with precision bombs and heavy machine guns.

By the time the soldiers on foot begin to occupy the first portion of the land, the tide of the battle has almost locked fully.

Equipped with lethal long-range weapons, fueled by a fleeting singing, and protected by the evergreen divine barrier, the army seems invincible.

''Out of the way!''

That is, until a figure as fast as a bolt and as unstoppable as an avalanche storms toward the convoy from afar. His claws tear through shells as though butter, and his quivering aura intercepts raining bombs with ease.

The moment Noxus lands close to the calvaries, the air itself trembles in fear.

Demon rangers and mages gather behind the commander, letting him shield them from the barrages of shells coming their way. In time, reinforcements from the other two military camps will arrive. 

It's not over yet.

''...?''

Or so Noxus thinks.

Somewhere far, far in the sky, dozens of sparkling dots steal his attention. By the second, they get continuously larger, and this distinct screech...

Missiles!

Noxus immediately snaps his long claws, fusing them into a lance, and prepares to intercept those things at once. However, their number is perhaps too much for one commander, and they appear to strike targets far away from where he is.

In despair, Noxus gives it his best, but only three fall.

The remaining ones strike precisely at the most vital military sites of the other two towns, effectively paralyzing them for the rest of the invasion.

''You fucking...!!''

Boiling with anger, Noxus violently swings his spear at the armored tanks. Just one swoop is enough to generate a shockwave that blows everything to pieces. It collides with the cat priestess's shield, clawing through a thick length, but it soon regenerates.

It looks as though breaking through that layer of defense requires immeasurable energy, which Noxus definitely has. Yet, he still has to protect the demons behind him against the continuous rain of bullets.

If Noxus can't effectively pierce their defense, his subordinates won't. Abandoning them doesn't sound prudent. Noxus can't possibly operate the various mechanisms scattered around the town, which are perhaps the only chance of turning the tide.

'...No, maybe I can use them as bait.'

At this rate, even if those demons managed to escape and get to the mechanisms, it wouldn't be much against that army. Too much time has passed.

''Kch!''

The decision comes within half a second. Noxus instantly phases through space forward, pulling himself past the priestess's barrier. At the very center of the formation, as a tank's barrel slowly points toward him, he yearns forward once more, landing lightly on its length.

Noxus kneels, his overly long arm reaches down, crumbling and curling the heavy barrel to a crisp.

Madness churning, Noxus's lance acutely turns at the crew within the vehicle. His shoulder pulls back, muscles swelling—

''...?!''

But right when it's about to fall, a streak—almost as thin as a string compared to Noxus' body—pierces through his shoulder. Before he can react, one, two, dozens more shots are fired, cleaving holes across his body.

This level of armor penetration, this precision, and this burning sensation...

''That bitch is here...''

The Elven Plague. The lunatic. The saint... Sylvia Everwood.

Riding on a colossal dragon, her eyes briefly meet Noxus's.

''...''

It isn't hard to imagine who fired those shots. The smoke on the gun Sylvia holds hasn't even dissipated yet.

Noxus stares at the woman's approaching figure for some time. Rather than fear, she appears more eager as the distance rapidly decreases.  Suddenly, the dragon, whose half-tone scales shine through the land's gloominess, pries open its jaw, and a swirling mass of divinity is gathered between its rows of teeth.

Almost unpromptedly, the bomb detonates, releasing a giant death ray that razes everything in its path into nothingness. Noxus turns around slowly, taking in the sight of the castle burning, smoke billowing.

'So this... this is the main force...'

Almost in disbelief, he takes hold of his lance once again.