Nobody knows how to be a villain better than me.

The Asura King, Vritra, stamped his foot forward, and every muscle, joint, drop of blood, and cell in his body emitted a joyful cry of desire.

Asuras are a natural-born warrior race, born to fight and never resting until death. Their greatest pleasure is conquering one opponent after another!

"Tch, don't underestimate a leopard!"

Smoke Mirror, the god of war from the Mayan creation pillars, dressed in a mascot costume, grinded its fangs, its hair standing on end, and wielded its hooked claws as it swept across the sky. A series of booming sounds rippled through the air, and terrifying sonic booms, along with the rushing ether, stretched for hundreds of miles.

Amidst the flying sand and stones, the two figures, one gold and one red, surrounded by flames, remained motionless, gazing at each other silently.

Kukulkan stood there, his brow furrowed, gazing worriedly at the distant pass.

The Persian evil dragon—Purita, the Asura King; and the supreme three pillars of India—Vishnu, the god of order!

They've actually encountered an evenly matched opponent. Now, Thermopylae is in big trouble!

Chapter 121 Total War (3/4)

Meanwhile, in front of the Wenquan Pass, the surrounding rocks were studded with the remains of arrows and javelins, and every inch of land was covered with charred marks. Some of the large and small pits were filled with blood, bits of flesh, and human and even horse organs, while others were highly carbonized and emitting wisps of smoke, with the pungent smell of burnt flesh permeating the air.

The dead and wounded soldiers, dressed in different clothes and with different appearances, were intertwined and piled up on this land. Some were pushed off the cliff and left to be washed away by the sea; others were carried to the gap and piled up in front of the broken low wall.

The congealed blood clung to the corpses, forming clumps that created a gruesome and terrifying wall of human flesh.

puff!

A spear pierced into a still trembling body, twisting it around. The foreign soldier, who had raised his hand to cry for help and longed to live, finally coughed up blood, his pupils dilated, his body gradually stopped convulsing, and his limbs went limp.

As the murder weapon was pulled out, a gush of blood gushed out. The red-haired burly man, with several hideous scars on his chest and a cut near his eye that nearly pierced his skull, casually picked up a piece of cloth from a nearby corpse, wiped the blood off the spear tip, climbed the low wall, and gazed into the distance.

"Alexander, what are the losses of the city-states?"

"Of the 7000 elite troops we brought from the Tampe Valley, less than 3000 remain. Of the 400 warriors from Corinth, 150 have been killed or wounded; the 300 from Mycenae encountered the Undead and were all killed on the northern front; the 400 from Thebes have lost more than half their number; of the 500 from Thessaly, only a double-digit number have survived; my Macedonian pikemen have also lost two-thirds of their men; and the 1120 archers and hunters from Arcadia have been targeted by Persian sorcerers and are now scattered. I am currently regrouping them and have not yet obtained the final count..."

With his face covered in blood, his head wrapped in bandages, and one arm slinged to his chest, Prince Alexander of Macedon, despite the crimson blood staining the bandages, calmly recounted the situation of his allies. His one exposed eye kept a close eye on the battlefield, his expression as solemn as a statue.

"My situation is similar. The reinforcements from Mantini, Sespi, Phocis, and other city-states have all suffered losses of more than half, some even being completely wiped out. In addition, of Sparta's 300 royal guards, only 100 remain. Of the 1000 second-class border infantry, only four or five hundred are still operational. This number is barely enough to fill all the gaps."

Leonidas, the Spartan king who led the army, had a fixed gaze and a somber expression.

"Where are the magician and the priest?"

Alexander glanced at the several cone-shaped pits behind him, from which wisps of smoke were rising, and frowned as he asked.

"Even worse! That bastard Karna almost wiped out the entire spellcaster team with a single, full-force shot. Luckily, we joined forces to hold them off, otherwise we would all be heading to Hades in the underworld."

Leonidas's facial muscles twitched violently, and he felt a deep pang of heartache.

Since the council closed the Athenian Academy to prevent the status of the divine bloodline families from being shaken by spellcasters, many Greek magicians, due to being disliked, have fled to Egypt and Rome. Meanwhile, the most elite priests and priests are concentrated on Mount Ares, and the spellcaster force he cobbled together is now almost wiped out.

"We've only survived this battle temporarily, it's just a stroke of luck. The divine wheel I obtained through a great sacrifice to Zeus was damaged in the previous fight. From now on, we'll have to rely on ourselves..."

Alexander looked down at the dimly lit, slightly cracked short sword in his hand, his expression becoming more somber.

Leonidas leaned on his spear and shield, gazing at the white-topped tents that blended seamlessly with the sky and the seemingly endless Persian army, a self-mocking look appearing in his eyes.

"It seems the situation is getting worse. Perhaps we'll have to go have tea with Lord Hades tonight."

"not necessarily!"

The Macedonian prince gazed into the mist-shrouded valley, his eyes gleaming with keen insight, and then calmly spoke.

"In the battle just now, that man named Karna seemed to have some strength left, but he gave up on continuing the advance. The Persians' retreat was also very hasty. Otherwise, it would be hard to say whether Thermopylae could have withstood this wave of impact. I think something must have happened to the Persians from behind, forcing them to turn their spearheads and take precautions."

"Athens reinforcements?"

Leonidas countered with a question, then shook his head and chuckled.

"Do you really believe those gentlemen on Mount War God would have the mercy to send reinforcements to support us unruly barbarians?"

Alexander shook his head slightly, but his expression remained unchanged, showing his unwavering conviction in his judgment.

"Mount Ares is hard to say, but it could be another force. The Egyptians' defection seems a bit unusual. Looking at the big picture, the most likely explanation is that something unexpected has happened on the Roman side, which could become the fulcrum to change the course of the Greek war."

"Could it be the Romans who have come?"

"I don't know. Greece is already a battleground, and anyone could come. The key is whether they are friend or foe. But it seems that they have indirectly saved our lives and given us a rare chance to catch our breath. With the intervention of an external force responsible for containing the Persian military, our situation can be improved. This can be considered good news."

hope so……

As the Spartan king murmured, his gaze fell upon the Persian camp in front of the battle lines, and he was astonished to find obvious changes within the enemy's ranks.

At this moment, on the high platform built of nine layers of square bricks, piled with fragrant wood, firewood and animal fat, the corpses of the fallen warriors were thrown into the blazing sacred fire. In the purification of the flames of light, their sins were washed away, their bodies turned to ashes, and their spirits returned to the embrace of the true god Ahura.

“ashem vohu…yata ahu…”

Thousands of Zoroastrian priests in white robes crossed their arms over their chests, while nearby female attendants threw spices into the flames and writhed in a wild and flamboyant dance.

"What are they talking about?"

Alexander blinked, looking somewhat confused.

"The Zoroastrian Prayer!"

Leonidas's pupils contracted sharply, his face froze, and he uttered the answer in a dry voice.

"There's only one possibility for this situation... The Persians are going to fight to the death!"

At the same time, as if to confirm the words of the Spartan king, one after another, the undead army, with silver masks on their faces, holding curved swords and round shields, and dressed in black armor, marched out in neat formation. Under the influence of the war dance and the light of the sacred fire, their bloodlust and madness rose up, like demons crawling out of hell, like a tangible red and black ether tide, like rolling blood-red smoke rising into the sky, crushing down with overwhelming force, almost suffocating people.

Moo~ Moo~

Before these black-armored soldiers, dozens of muffled roars echoed throughout Thermopylae. War elephants, their skins inscribed with intricate runes, carried dozens of mystical mages wielding magic lamps and archers from the Meteor Legion, their heavy steps crushing forward.

The great hero Arash and the arcane mage Scheherazade are prominently featured.

On the most robust of the giant elephants, a small girl holding a short-handled axe sat cross-legged.

Not only that, a golden sun also rose slowly from the Persian army formation, and the huge golden-red spear gathered its endless flames. Its terrifying power rose steadily and was about to reach its limit!

Chapter 122 The Spear of Annihilation, the Shield of Immortality! (4/4)

Bang bang bang!

A barrage of arrows and spells rained down on the narrow positions of Thermopylae, causing violent tremors. The surrounding rocks crumbled and shattered, sending boulders flying through the air with a sharp, mournful sound, and then crashing against the shields erected along the line.

Some of the shrapnel, even those that had gone all out, pierced through gaps in the wooden shields or formations, embedding themselves in human bodies, bringing out clouds of blood mist and falling limbs, followed by screams and muffled groans.

"Archers, 200 men per row, spread out horizontally, 500 paces in front, firing upwards at a 45-degree angle, taking turns in staggered rows. First rank, fire!"

Under the cover of rocks and low walls, Alexander drew his short sword and organized the Arcadian archers to launch a counterattack.

"Apollo of Light, Artemis of the Hunt, the two great gods above, grant us protection, and inflict death upon our enemies!"

The Arcadians, who worshipped Artemis and her brother, silently recited divine prayers before drawing their cedar bows. The runes on the arrowheads gleamed coldly in the flow of ether.

Tsk tsk tsk!

As the bowstring trembled, hundreds of arrows pierced the air and fell, whistling sharply as they hurtled towards the enemy figures beneath the barrier.

In an instant, several soldiers standing on the elephant saddle were pierced through the chest and skull, fell to the ground, and were immediately trampled into a bloody pulp by the elephant's hooves.

However, most of the arrows were blocked by the raised round shields and the sweeping elephant trunks, so the damage caused by a volley of arrows was actually very limited for the Persian army.

"Second row, chant divine words, activate inscriptions, release! Rotate in turn, don't stop!"

Alexander tried his best to remain calm, but his brow furrowed more and more, and in his sharp eyes he vaguely saw a dark cloud hanging over him.

Moo~ Moo~

At this moment, the war elephants advancing forward were all riddled with thorns, but because of their thick skin and flesh, their movements were not affected at all. The faint pain caused these sluggish monsters to let out angry roars, their eyes blood red, and their trunks picked up stones the size of millstones from the vicinity, hurling them towards the Greek camp with a whooshing sound.

Boom boom boom!

In an instant, the massive boulder crashed down with a deafening roar, slicing through the archers' ranks and piercing through the Arcadian archer phalanx that had formed the long-range defense. The heavily damaged interior was almost completely hollowed out.

Unburdened from their restraints, the Persian Meteor Legion and sorcerers unleashed a furious barrage of firepower. Exploding arrows, whistling spells, and falling rocks repeatedly ravaged every inch of Thermopylae. Lacking any means of countermeasure, the Greeks suffered heavy losses.

"Rear guard, form ranks!"

Seeing that his formation was about to collapse and the Black Undead Army was surging in like a tide under the cover of the Meteor Legion and the Arcane Masters, Leonidas immediately swung his spear and pounded his shield, letting out a hysterical roar.

"Bang! Boom!"

"Bang! Boom!"

"Bang! Boom!"

Amidst the resounding beats reminiscent of war drums, the remaining 100-odd Spartan royal guards braved arrows, spells, and falling rocks to form a tight formation. The overlapping patterns of light on their shields coalesced into an impregnable iron wall.

The royal guards leaned on each other, their arm muscles bulging, divine runes shimmering on their bodies, using all their strength to hold their shields with one hand, forcefully repelling the Persian offensive.

"Roar!"

As the dark mass of troops entered the medium-to-long-range battlefield, long-prepared javelins were unleashed with a whoosh, bombarding the positions ahead like missiles.

In an instant, dozens of war elephants at the front had their tough skin torn apart and their skulls pierced. Some charged wildly, while others fell to the ground with mournful cries. The undead soldiers and archers and mages on the elephant saddles who were using them as cover nearby were caught off guard and many were crushed and trampled into a pool of blood and flesh.

Suddenly, the pressure on the Greeks lessened dramatically. The battle-hardened soldiers erupted in deafening cheers, spontaneously seeking out groups and instinctively gravitating towards the Spartan royal guards for a false sense of security.

hum!

But suddenly, looking down at the swarm of ants, it slowly opened its eyes, revealing a pair of cold and indifferent heterochromatic red and blue eyes, and a dazzling light radiated from its golden body in mid-air.

"Brahma, curse me! By the divine power of my father Surya, may this be your witness. May mountains be burned and seas boiled, an unprecedented and unparalleled event!"

In the cool yet magnetic chanting of divine words, the scorching sensation of burning flesh, drying blood, and scorching armor and bones poured forth.

Peng! Peng!

Several soldiers, their skin as red as boiled shrimp and their bodies curled up, were instantly engulfed in flames as the ether inside and around them twisted and ignited. Amidst screams, they were gradually burned to ashes.

"In the name of my ancestor Hercules, I awaken the courage of my blood, gather souls into mountains, build walls of blood and flesh, unite our wills into a fortress, never to fall! Grant me the power to burn once more, O blood of Zeus!"

Leonidas's eyes widened in fury as he frantically channeled his divine power to resist the sun's might. At the same time, he lightly brushed his spear against the round shield, which was covered in arrows and charred marks, stepped forward, straightened his back, and roared with a thunderous roar that seemed to strike the sky.

"Ho! Ho ho!"

Almost simultaneously, the Spartan royal guards stood up with their shields raised, aiming their spears at the blazing sun in the sky. The subtle but powerful military forces resonated with each other, forging themselves into a forest of steel spears that burned with the flames of aggression.

To live is to have life burning brightly at every moment.

However, the heart of God... the blood of man...

It's unknown which of the embers, in its final moments, emitted the most dazzling light and heat.

boom!

In mid-air, the son of Surya, the Indian sun god, clad in golden armor, swung his spear forward. Under the blazing golden-red light, the raging flames burned away the spears that were thrown at him, and the spears crashed into the Greek camp ahead like comets falling to earth.

As the air twisted and exploded, the red and black ethereal tides stirred up fierce winds, and a huge mushroom cloud rose into the sky.

As the smoke and dust gradually dissipated, the acrid smell of burnt protein filled the air. Large sections of the remaining wall were gone, and the gap that had been blocked with corpses had now become a crater a hundred meters in diameter, with unburnt remains and armor fragments scattered around it.

As a result, the number of the garrison at Thermopylae was drastically reduced, falling below 2000. The core Spartan royal guards numbered less than 100, and almost all the surviving soldiers were wounded.

"Greeks, make way and submit! You have done all you can. This is not a humiliating defeat, but an honorable exit."

Karna slowly lowered himself, looking down with a rare seriousness in his red and blue heterochromatic eyes.

"Friends, this is Thermopylae, behind us lies Sparta, and where we stand is Greece! Tell him your answer!"

At the same time, staggering figures, dragging their wounded bodies, gathered here, proudly banging their shields and issuing mocking declarations.

"Come and take it if you dare!"

"Come and take it if you dare!"

"Come and take it if you dare!"

One by one, figures emerged from behind the mountain path, rubble, and low walls, stepping over the corpses and broken swords and tattered hair scattered on the ground, gathering forward. They laughed heartily and unrestrainedly, venting their emotions to the fullest, puffing out their chests, and joining in the shouts.

Among them were not only Spartans, but also Arcadians, Thebans, Corinthians, Mycenaeans, Thessalians… They came from all directions, born in different city-states, but they all shared a common title: Greek soldiers! Guardians of this land!

"Very well, now that you have made your choice, there is no need for mercy or condemnation on the battlefield. Your courage deserves my full strength as a farewell gift. Foreign warriors, further words are useless; bid farewell to destiny from this day forward!"

Karna, adorned with a sun disc, slowly unfurled his divinely crafted weapon, its massive spear drawing in the surrounding ether.

"Having witnessed the mercy of the King of Gods, annihilation is this very strike... My father Surya, by this clear example, descended with divine might to burn everything... O Sun, submit to death!"

Under the rhythmic chanting of divine words, the power of the sun god and the skills of Brahma converged into an invincible torrent of flames, delivering a devastating blow to the crumbling pass!

"Rho Aias (Covering the Seven Rings of the Seraphim)!"

"Akhilleus Kosmos (The Small World Surrounding the Sky)!"