A Formidable Foe

Across the vast East Siberian wilderness, a massive, pitch-black canopy hung over the earth like an inverted bowl, locking the space it covered from every direction and completely severing all contact with the outside world.

Outside this False Canopy, several majestic phantoms hovered. These figures were blurred and colossal, generally standing sixty to seventy meters tall. One could only barely discern their genders and attire; among them were warriors, monks, priests, and even spheres of light whose forms could not solidify.

These giant phantoms were the Chief Gods of the world's major pantheons. They had manifested avatars in the mortal world through power projection specifically to deal with this Celestial Enemy from the Primeval Era. As the heads of their respective pantheons, they had to shoulder this responsibility in an age where the Ancient Gods had withered away.

The divine power incarnations of these Chief Gods floated above the dark canopy, exerting their strength in unison in an attempt to tear it apart. However, their divine power proved to be completely ineffective against the canopy constructed from Chang'e's power, vanishing like a clay ox into the sea. Even at maximum output, there was no visible effect; it seemed that no matter how strong the divine power was, it would be instantly erased upon contact with Chang'e's power.

Chang'e was an Alien God, and the most powerful deity of the planet she once inhabited. Her strength was such that she survived even after her home planet's destruction, leaping across countless light-years to invade Earth in an attempt to erode it into her new home. In her prime, she could kill several Ancient Gods in a one-against-many battle. Even now, while she was in an extremely incomplete and fragmented state, she was not someone the current Chief Gods could easily handle.

Chang'e's power carried Alien Laws, which were nothing short of a violent poison to the Modern Gods who existed by relying on the laws of this world. Although the Chief Gods' divine power was formidable, its efficacy was drastically reduced before the thick canopy built from a massive amount of Chang'e's power. Furthermore, when fighting Chang'e, Modern Gods had to constantly worry about their godheads being eroded and destroyed. Consequently, these Chief Gods were essentially only projecting avatars to participate in the suppression of the Moon Feather Princess, while their true bodies remained in the Celestial Realm.

Against Chang'e, the natural enemy of Modern Gods, such caution was a necessary prudence.

Among the countless phantoms of the Chief Gods, there was only one physical entity: the white-bearded, white-haired Daoist in white robes who had previously appeared at the summit of the Kunlun Mountains. He was only the size of an ordinary human and did not seem to be using divine power. He was working alongside the Chief Gods to break through the False Canopy, and because the nature of his power was different, his efforts were far more effective. Ripples surged across the pure black canopy, yet even so, it showed no signs of shattering.

Faced with this situation, the worry between the Daoist's brows deepened. It was clear that while their current output placed immense pressure on the Moon Feather Princess, it was still insufficient to break the canopy and interfere with what lay behind it.

"We need a combined effort from the inside..." the Daoist murmured, staring at the dark canopy.

...

Inside the False Canopy, the silver-clad winter forest had been transformed into a state of pure, flawless white under the influence of Chang'e's power. Not a single branch swayed or vibrated. The crystallized earth was a vast expanse of white light, reflecting the radiance of the Blood Moon in the sky like a mirror. The crystalline white forest reflected the crimson moon, creating a scene of extraordinary beauty—a dreamlike vision that felt unreal.

This was the landscape of Chang'e's former home planet.

In the heart of this pure white crystalline forest, two behemoths were locked in a fierce struggle. Miketsu, having grown massive thanks to Shuten-doji's demonic power, gripped the long Demonic Fang Blade as she fought the Moon Feather Princess in close quarters. Titanic forces ran wild, and the crystalline forest was crushed and pulverized by the shockwaves of their battle. Tiny crystals turned into clouds of white mist, diffusing heavily into the air.

"Hah!"

Dodging a beam of white light fired by the Moon Feather Princess, Miketsu took the opportunity to lunge forward. She swung her blade upward, carving a massive gash into the Moon Feather Princess's abdomen. Despite the horrific wound, the Moon Feather Princess was completely unfazed. She counterattacked with a claw swipe toward Miketsu. Miketsu used the flat of her blade to parry the strike, but the sheer force still sent her flying back hundreds of meters, her feet plowing two deep furrows into the ground.

"Ugh... Even like this, am I still at a disadvantage?"

Miketsu exhaled deeply as she stabilized herself. The Moon Feather Princess before her was the most powerful enemy she had ever encountered; her previous foes paled in comparison. Furthermore, the Moon Feather Princess was not even using her full strength in this fight.

Currently, the Moon Feather Princess was channeling the vast majority of her energy to maintain the False Canopy to resist the joint interference of the Chief Gods. This caused her physical body's strength to drop significantly. She could no longer use massive area-of-effect energy bombardments, and even her external light beams were rare. Her primary method of attack was physical brawling with Miketsu. Yet, even under these conditions, Miketsu could not gain the upper hand.

Miketsu faced numerous disadvantages against the Moon Feather Princess. First, as a Modern God, simply being near Chang'e caused her severe discomfort. Even with double-layered protection applied beforehand, it only served to delay the inevitable. As the concentration of Chang'e's power in the area increased, her discomfort grew stronger; it was only a matter of time before her godhead was endangered.

Because Chang'e's power naturally countered divine power, almost all of Miketsu's external divine power attacks were ineffective. Her spiritual and demonic powers were of too low a level to yield much result either. Furthermore, due to the difference in their tiers, Miketsu's causality vision was significantly weakened against the Moon Feather Princess, preventing her from perceiving everything as clearly as she usually did.

Then there was the disparity in size. The Moon Feather Princess was over three hundred meters tall, while Miketsu, limited by the output of the Demonic Blade, could only reach a maximum of seventy meters. The Moon Feather Princess was not only larger but also possessed an immortality that surpassed even that of a person of hourai. This meant that no matter how many times Miketsu's attacks landed, they were ultimately meaningless.

"Truly... a rare and powerful foe. If this continues, I might actually lose..." With a bitter smile, Miketsu gripped her Demonic Blade and charged at the Moon Feather Princess once more. She knew that she was the only one who could stop the Moon Feather Princess and Chang'e. If she fell, then Kaguya... and indeed the entire world, would face a cataclysmic end.

...

"Mother..."

In the distance, where the white crystalline forest had not yet reached, Princess Kaguya stood on a cliff, gazing anxiously at the distant battle. It was clear she knew Miketsu was at a disadvantage, but she was unable to help.

"This is bad... All those Chief Gods are blocked outside the canopy and can't interfere. Uka-no-Mitama-no-Mikoto is strong, but she's still a Modern God. Being countered by Chang'e, she won't be able to hold out for long." Standing on the other side, Suwako clenched her hands urgently. She understood the gravity of the situation but was completely powerless. Her Ancient God divine power within the divine stone was almost entirely exhausted; going there now would only cause trouble for Miketsu.

Was there nothing they could do but wait for death?

Just then, Kaguya suddenly noticed something. She pointed toward the sky and shouted.

"Look! Something is flying this way!"

Following the direction Kaguya pointed, Princess Kaguya and Suwako looked into the distance. They saw a spaceship in the style of the Lunar Capital wobbling toward them, eventually crashing into the nearby snow with a thunderous boom.

The group exchanged glances before running toward the ship. When they reached the side of the vessel, they saw the hatch open. Two figures emerged from within.

"Phew... We finally landed safely. I almost thought we were going to crash and burn," Eirin said, patting her chest in relief. Then, her tone shifted immediately.

"To be honest, if I hadn't considered the fact that you were on board, I really would have just let go of the controls and let this ship crash. After all, the moon rabbits have already moved to the Monitoring Pavilion. Falling straight down would have been faster, don't you think, Tamamo-no-Mae?" Eirin said, glancing at the woman beside her.