Chapter 873: Completion of the siege
Vlad cast a brief glance down at the vast host assembled beneath him and waved his hand. The gesture was subtle, but the effect was immediate. Tens of thousands of soldiers rose to their feet, and then, like smoke scattering on the wind, they began to vanish in disciplined formations.
For over a year, they had basked in the radiation of the Red Sun of Wrath, their bodies and souls steeped in its power. Many had broken through long-standing barriers, some even surpassing the fabled limits of the Sage Realm. Yet now the time of cultivation and waiting was over. Each soldier dispersed to fulfill tasks crucial to the greater campaign.
Marshal Maximo could not restrain the awe that welled within him. His sharp eyes followed the disciplined retreat of the Xaos Forces, and a flicker of admiration passed across his weathered face. Hundreds of thousands moved as one, their cohesion as perfect as the turning of gears within some great celestial machine.
In less than ten minutes, the area was empty. What had moments ago been a sea of warriors was now silent sky and land.
"They fight with discipline," Maximo thought, "but it is more than that. These men and women carry a purpose larger than themselves. Their unity is not forged by fear, but by will—an unyielding spirit that drives them to push beyond their limits again and again."
The Marshal finally voiced his thoughts aloud.
"This army is on par with the elite troops of the Graecia Empire," he said with a faint smile, turning toward Vlad.
Vlad’s lips curved upward at the compliment.
"I appreciate the words, Marshal. These warriors are indeed the pride of my homeland. Many of them stood with me when I was nothing more than a young man stumbling through the ashes of apocalypse, searching for a path forward."
For a fleeting instant, nostalgia softened Vlad’s gaze. But the warmth was gone as quickly as it came, replaced by razor focus. He raised his right hand and clenched it into a fist.
From nothing, a black sphere manifested—opaque, dense, humming with restrained power. A moment later it expanded outward at terrifying speed, engulfing the True Depravitas, Overlord, and Marshal Maximo within its shadow.
Inside the sphere, the air was thick and silent. No sound from the outside world penetrated. No divine sense could probe within. It was a fortress of absolute secrecy.
"We may speak freely here," Vlad declared with quiet confidence. "No one can listen, and no method of divination can pierce this veil."
The awakening of the Red Sun of Wrath and his ascension as a True Sun Depravita had vastly magnified his control over the Laws. His Seal of Sin had also evolved, granting him new layers of power and precision. The sphere around them was a testament to that growth.
Marshal Maximo’s eyes widened. The sensation of utter severance from the outside world was staggering. It was not simply a barrier; it was as though they had been transported into an entirely different dimension.
"To achieve this with a single gesture..." Maximo thought, his heart racing. "His mastery over space may well exceed even Spartacus, the greatest Space Master of the Graecia Empire."
The realization brought a thrill to the Marshal’s chest. The stronger Vlad became, the greater his value would be in the war yet to come.
Steadying himself, he took a deep breath and organized his thoughts before speaking.
"I am pleased to report that the siege upon the Zanis Family’s Homeworld has been a success. We have severed all channels of communication and seized control of every world in its surrounding orbit."
His words ignited a visible spark.
Freya, Fafnir, Ouroboros, and Jormungandr all smiled with satisfaction. Overlord, more restrained, gave a solemn nod.
The war against the Zanis Family had always been a war of stages. The first was containment—cutting off the Homeworld by seizing the outlying systems that formed both its defensive buffer and its resource supply chain. Without those worlds, the Homeworld was isolated, its armies forced to fight without reinforcement or retreat.
Vlad’s eyes gleamed. Victory in this first stage meant the coming battles could be fought head-on, without fear of strikes from the rear.
But then Marshal Maximo’s expression darkened.
"Yet victory came at a cost," he admitted grimly. "The fighting was fierce. Casualties were heavy. Roughly six months after the invasion began, the Zanis Homeworld learned of our advance. They dispatched reinforcements—entire armies, each led by squads of High Legends. They came from every direction... except one."
The words hung heavy in the air. Maximo did not accuse Vlad outright, but the implication was clear. Why had no reinforcements been sent toward Exilion World? The omission was suspicious.
The Marshal trusted Vlad, but trust could not be blind. In war, unanswered questions were as deadly as blades.
Vlad did not take offense. His expression remained calm.
"You are correct. No reinforcements from the Zanis Homeworld reached this world. But there is a reason. Before Exilion was cut off from the rest of the universe, a scion of the Zanis Family arrived—Augustus. He came with a cadre of powerful Legends at his side. They were the ones who seized control of the planetary defenses and made our first months here so costly."
As he spoke, Vlad waved his hand again. The black sphere shimmered, and then images began to take form within its walls—visions crafted from memory and energy. The air around them filled with scenes from the early years of the Exilion War.
Marshal Maximo leaned forward, eyes narrowing with intensity. He recognized the face instantly. Augustus—one of the most dangerous High Legends of the Zanis bloodline. A strategist of genius and a warrior of unmatched cruelty.
The Marshal’s doubts eased. If Augustus himself had been deployed here, it made sense that no further reinforcements had been sent, as they were confident that the scion could hold it.
Maximo’s lips curved into a grim smile. His suspicions faded, replaced by clarity. There were still some questions, but they could wait.
But before the relief could fully settle, the scenes shifted. The battlefield dissolved, replaced by images of something darker—something beyond even Augustus. The energy twisted, and the vision revealed the Nightmare Universe Entity, its presence a blot of horror upon reality itself.