BOOM!
A blinding flash of lightning tore through the dark sky with a blue-white light. Lux reflexively turned to the airplane window, his eyes narrowed as he observed the unusual natural phenomenon. The storm outside was no ordinary storm—the high concentration of [mana] in the air created extreme weather conditions that would limit their mobility on the battlefield.
'Is this a good or bad omen...' Lux thought, his fingers tapping lightly on the side of the airplane seat. But before he could reach a conclusion, the voice of a high-ranking Hunter broke the silence.
"Listen carefully!" the man's commanding voice echoed throughout the cabin. "Prepare yourselves. The raid begins now!"
The rear door of the combat aircraft slowly began to open. Wind and rain immediately rushed in violently. But that wasn't all that emerged from the darkness—
Dozens of purplish-black tentacles suddenly invaded the plane!
BOOM!
A tremendous explosion shook the air. In an instant, the aircraft carrying the Hunters exploded into a ball of fire that consumed every corner of the cabin.
'A flying octopus? Quite amusing,' thought Lux amidst the chaos. However, that humor quickly evaporated as he witnessed how the creature brutally tore the lives from trained Hunters as easily as breaking dry twigs.
"HELP! SAVE ME!"
"NO! DON'T COME CLOSER!"
Screams sliced through the air. The Hunters were not weak individuals—they were elite monster hunters who had faced various Magical Beasts. But the aerial battle in the midst of this [mana] storm had stripped away all their advantages.
In the middle of the chaos...
SLASH! BOOM!
Flashes of light cut through the darkness. In a matter of seconds, the giant octopus transformed into pieces of charred meat with a scent that stung the nostrils.
'Two Rank S Hunters,' Lux observed silently. 'From the Sun Order and Moon Order.'
One of them—a sturdy man with a sharp gaze—shook his head with a mocking smile. "Truly pathetic. The assassins from Shadow Order can't even adapt to sudden situations like this?"
Emotions of anger flared on the faces of several Shadow Order Hunters, but they restrained themselves. The main priority was to land safely on the mysterious island below—Cthulhu Island.
Some Hunters activated their Talents to slow their fall, while others relied on high-tech parachutes. The strong winds caused them to scatter to various landing points.
However, Cthulhu Island was not a place that welcomed guests warmly.
An assassin who had just landed on rocky ground had to face a giant hand that suddenly appeared—a Rank A+ Giant! The house-sized palm moved as fast as lightning.
SPLAT!
The assassin's body burst like a water bubble, spraying a mist of red blood that was quickly washed away by the rain.
The other Hunters tried to respond, but their reactions were too slow. More Giants appeared, surrounding them from various directions!
But amidst the chaos, several figures stood out with different auras.
"<
BOOM!
A blue fire tornado swept across a wide area, burning several Giants at once. Although not strong enough to kill them instantly, the attack inflicted severe damage that made the Giants retreat with howls of pain.
"Ah... not very enjoyable," muttered a figure with burn scars covering part of his body. Dabi—one of Lux's templates—walked casually across the battlefield, as if strolling through a city park.
Another pair of giant hands swung toward him, but before reaching their target, a gleaming blue blade cut those hands in one smooth motion.
A figure in a blue-red haori landed without a sound. Tomioka Giyū, the Water Hashira, cleaned his katana of thick green blood with one quick swing.
"You made me dirty," Dabi narrowed his eyes at the blood splatter on his clothes.
"..." Giyū looked at him briefly with his cold blue eyes. "Not my concern."
'Though only human, the speed and technique of his Water Breathing is equivalent to a Rank A Hunter,' Lux analyzed silently.
Suddenly, a large shadow covered Lux. A Giant as tall as a 20-story building raised its hand, ready to crush the masked assassin into dust!
But Lux's expression remained calm behind his mask. With one tap of his foot on the ground, dozens of ice blades as sharp as surgical knives erupted from below, piercing the giant's body!
As if that wasn't enough, the ice began to branch inside the Giant's body, growing hundreds of new spikes that mutilated the monster from the inside out.
This impressive display of power quickly drew the attention of other Giants. With angry roars, they flocked toward Lux.
A mini-earthquake was created from their steps, making the ground shake violently. But Lux remained calm and only said one word:
"Do it."
SLASH!!
In the blink of an eye, a petite figure appeared in front of the line of Giants. The gleam of her white katana dazzled the eyes, like lightning splitting the darkness of night.
Without a chance to fight back, the Giants were cut into pieces! Greenish-black blood sprayed in all directions, creating a red rain that mixed with the rainwater.
The petite girl with white hair styled in twin tails sheathed her katana with an elegant movement, then wrinkled her nose. "Ugh... a disgusting smell."
'Inaba Tsukuyo,' Lux observed. 'Even though she's only a ✯✯ template, her sword speed surpasses most Rank B Hunters.'
In the midst of battle, Lux's eyes were drawn to a blonde woman hovering in the air. Artemisia Bell Ashcroft—with clear blue eyes and advanced technological equipment—was withstanding repeated attacks from the Giants with a transparent green shield—her Territory.
Each Giant's punch that hit her Territory created a visual energy wave like ripples in water. But the shield remained solid, not budging in the slightest.
With one swing of her blue light sword, Artemisia split the air—and the Giant's body before her. The pieces of the giant's body fell to the ground with a heavy thud, creating a pool of green blood that was quickly washed away by the rain.
The green Territory surrounding her kept Artemisia clean and dry in the midst of heavy rain and blood splatter.
Dabi, seeing the effectiveness of Artemisia's Territory, wasted no time. "Move aside for a moment."
Blue fire spewed from his hands, burning the remaining Giants. Artemisia was slightly startled—not because of the power of his fire, but because of Dabi's courage to attack without coordination.
"What?" Dabi shrugged when he saw the gazes of Artemisia, Inaba, and Giyū. "No need to be surprised. This is normal."
[Ding! Zero Order group is starting to gain attention! Earned 500,000 Achievement Points!]
In the distance, Hunters from the Sun Order and Moon Order were watching carefully. They had heard about the 'Frost Assassin' who established a new group, but they didn't expect each member to have power equivalent to high-class Hunters.
The Rank S Hunters from both major Orders exchanged meaningful glances. Their initial plan to use Shadow Order assassins as bait might need to be reconsidered with the presence of Zero Order.
***
"Seen up close, that creature looks more terrifying than I imagined..."
Queenie sighed deeply, her eyes fixed on the Rank SSS Giant before her. The heavy aura emitted by the creature made the air feel like mud—even Rank A Hunters had difficulty breathing near it.
"Guild Leader, all preparations are complete," reported one of the Hunters.
"Good work." Queenie nodded, her eyes flashing sharply.
To face a Rank SSS Giant, Queenie had brought great power—First Order, Third Order, and Fifth Order. Her total force: 12 Rank S Hunters, 3 Rank SS Hunters, and herself as a Rank SSS Hunter.
The rest—Second Order and Fourth Order—were ordered to handle four Rank S+ Giants found in other sectors.
A crazy smile began to form on Queenie's face. Her eyes flashed with terrifying enthusiasm. "Alright, let's begin."
With one tap of her foot on the ground, a deep black shadow spread from her body. Then—
BLAM!!
The Raid against the Rank SSS Giant began with an explosion of [mana] energy that split the sky!
***
At another location, the Moon Order Guild had also arrived to conduct their raid on their own target.
The sound of a tremendous explosion was heard from the distance—a sign that Queenie's raid had begun. Kira, the Leader of the Moon Order Guild, took it as a signal to begin their attack as well.
"Prepare yourselves," his voice was calm but full of authority. "Our target is the King of Cthulhu, classified as a Rank SSS Magical Beast. Don't allow even the slightest negligence."
Unlike Shadow Order which had five Rank SS Hunters, Moon Order only had two. Therefore, Kira brought almost all of his guild's main force—20 Rank S Hunters, 2 Rank SS Hunters, 100 Rank A Hunters, and 20 Rank A+ Hunters, plus himself as a Rank SSS Hunter.
Holding a cross spear, Kira gave orders in a calm but firm voice. "Begin the raid."
The Moon Order Hunters dashed forward with incredible speed. Kira led from the front line, closing his eyes to sense the presence of the King of Cthulhu.
'Strange,' he thought. 'According to information, the King of Cthulhu has a very large body and an aura that is easy to detect.'
But instead of feeling a heavy aura as expected, Kira couldn't find a trace of the Rank SSS Magical Beast's presence at all.
Was the information wrong? Or perhaps the King of Cthulhu wasn't here? Part of him hoped so—he didn't want his Guild to suffer major losses.
Suddenly, Kira felt something that made his hair stand on end.
"Everyone stop!" he commanded sharply.
"Guild Leader? What's wro—"
"Quiet."
The Deputy Leader of the Moon Order Guild was startled by Kira's very serious expression.
Cold sweat began to flow down Kira's temple. His hands gripping the cross spear became wet with nervousness. But his voice remained calm as he said, "King of Cthulhu, come out. I know you're there."
The Hunters were surprised and immediately took defensive positions. Even though they couldn't sense anything, they trusted their Guild Leader's instinct.
Then they saw it—a tentacled creature walking on two hands. Its body was purple and red with disgustingly writhing tentacles.
"That's the King of Cthulhu?" one of the Hunters whispered in confusion.
According to information, the King of Cthulhu was supposed to be very large, no less than a Rank SSS Giant. But the creature before them, apart from its disgusting tentacles, had a human-sized body.
The creature tilted its head, as if just noticing the Hunters' presence. Then, a strange sound came from the creature:
"[𝓗𝓾𝓶𝓪𝓷𝓼]?"
That single word was heard clearly in their ears, but somehow, their heads immediately buzzed heavily, as if something was trying to destroy their minds from within!
Kira's expression changed drastically.
"Damn it! Everyone! Retreat immed—"
KABOOM!!
***
"Their battle has already begun, huh? Let's hope they all die. That way, all the benefits in this raid become mine."
Taiyo, Leader of the Sun Order Guild and a Rank SSS Hunter, enjoyed a cold juice while relaxing under a luxury field tent. Beside him, the Guild Deputy Leader looked uneasy.
Noticing his subordinate's doubt, Taiyo asked sharply, "What? Just say what you want to tell me."
"It's, Guild Leader... Is it okay to let this happen? Our cooperation with Shadow Order and Moon Order has been going on for quite some time."
"So what? That's not my business or..." Taiyo's gaze turned dangerous. "Are you saying my decision is wrong?"
Feeling the killing aura that suddenly filled the tent, the Deputy stuttered, "N-no! I'm the one who's wrong, Leader."
"..." Taiyo snorted coldly. "You don't know how valuable a Legendary Item is. If you saw it directly, you would understand why I'm doing this."
The Sun Order Deputy remained silent. Whatever Taiyo said, he would accept it—as long as his life was spared.
And at that very moment—
KABOOM!!
The sound of a tremendous explosion shook the entire Cthulhu Island! Taiyo and the Sun Order Hunters were startled.
They turned and witnessed a pillar of reddish-black [mana] energy piercing the sky! Heavy pressure swept across the entire island, making breath catch in their throats.
THUMP!
Taiyo's heart seemed to stop beating. A death aura that he had never felt before suddenly flooded the area.
CRACK!
The sound of cracking filled the air. The magic barrier that imprisoned Cthulhu Island—which was supposed to hide this island from the outside world—began to collapse!
A terrible wave of [mana] spread to all corners of the world, felt by various parties in an instant!
"DAMN IT!" The crystal glass in Taiyo's hand shattered into pieces.
"Leader! A major problem has occurred!" a Rank S Hunter ran up to Taiyo in panic.
"I KNOW THAT, YOU BASTARD!" roared Taiyo with fury. His eyes flashed with hatred. "Prepare the entire force! We WILL FIGHT! Whether it's Magical Beasts or Hunters from this island... KILL THEM ALL!"
"Y-YES, LEADER!"
The Hunter immediately ran to gather the troops. Meanwhile, although Taiyo appeared furious, his hands were trembling. The death aura he had felt earlier... wasn't something he had ever faced.
'And this feeling... Does it come from the Moon Order Guild Leader? What's really happening?'
***
"Woah!"
"What the—"
At Queenie's location, the entire force felt the [mana] explosion that shook the foundation of the island. Just by feeling the wave alone, most Rank S Hunters were thrown back like dry leaves in a storm!
But it wasn't just the human forces that were affected—the Giants including the Rank SSS Giant were also pushed back by an invisible force!
Queenie's eyes shone with a mixture of madness and fear. Her body shuddered uncontrollably because her instinct screamed that a deadly danger was approaching!
'Oh... able to make a Rank SSS Hunter feel threatened, I wonder what's happening over there...'
The Rank SSS Giant that was their target also fell silent, as if sensing the presence of something superior.
Then, a terrible earthquake shook the ground, followed by the emergence of countless giant tentacles colored purplish-black!
"Insane!"
"What are these tentacles?!"
"DAMN IT!"
The tentacles moved with unimaginable speed, sweeping across a wide area and catching anything that moved—not only the Hunters, but also the Giants!
The Giants fought with all their might, but their resistance was futile. Before long, even the Rank SSS Giant was caught by the deadly tentacle coils!
And it was then that Queenie witnessed a scene that changed everything.
"Ah..." Both of Queenie's eyes widened. Time seemed to slow down. Her expression was a mixture of awe and terror. Her body trembled violently. "...We won't be able to complete this raid."
The Giants and Hunters caught by the tentacles underwent a terrifying transformation. Their bodies slowly changed color to deep black, as if swallowed by darkness from within. Then, all their eyes glowed blood red.
"ROAR!!!"
BANG!!
The transformed Rank SSS Giant swung its giant sword with a purplish-black energy sheath. That single swing obliterated most of Cthulhu Island in an instant!
***
"W-what happened?!"
"E-earthquake? No, this is a [mana] explosion!"
Lux and his group's steps stopped abruptly. Slowly, Lux turned to see the source of the chaos. A strong [mana] gust hit his body like a storm—
Woosh!
"?!!"
For the first time, Lux's calm expression behind his mask changed. A deadly aura was approaching them!
A large shadow covered the rain above their heads. Looking up, a pair of glowing red eyes stared at them with a hungry gaze...
It was one of the Rank S+ Giants they had seen before. No—its aura was different now.
"Rank SS+..." Lux whispered.
"GRAAAAHHH...!!"
The roar of the upgraded Giant created a shock wave that split the air!
BANG!!
No one had time to react. An attack from a Rank SS+ creature was no joke—one strike killed dozens of Hunters instantly!
"Kuh!"
Inaba Tsukuyo, the weakest among Lux's templates, would have died if not for the quick intervention of Artemisia and Giyū!
Artemisia created a Territory with extraordinary reflexes to protect everyone, but even that strong shield shattered to pieces when hit by the shock wave!
"Retreat! Retreat immediately!" shouted one of the Rank S Hunters from Shadow Order.
But before they could move, the giant foot of the Rank SS+ Giant stepped on the unfortunate Hunter, turning him into a pool of blood instantly!
"<
As if already anticipating this situation, Dabi unleashed the most powerful blue fire attack he possessed! A concentrated blast of hot fire shot out like a giant blue laser!
The fire even vaporized rain drops in its path!
BOOM!!
The Rank SS+ Giant was hit directly—but what surprised everyone was that Dabi's tremendous attack only left a small burn mark on its skin!
"Hmm... Very strong." Dabi frowned, feeling his body getting hotter due to excessive use of his Quirk.
Seeing an opportunity, two Rank S Hunters from Sun Order released hot energy shots, while Hunters from Moon Order summoned restraining magic chains.
But all those attacks were like mosquito bites to the monster that had just risen!
The Rank SS+ Giant roared in fury and swung a giant magic staff. A magic circle over a hundred meters in diameter appeared above their heads. In an instant, everyone's body felt like it was being crushed by a mountain!
"Wha—"
The gravitational pressure reached an absurd level. Some Hunters with weaker defenses immediately exploded into a mist of blood.
Even two Rank S Hunters from Moon Order experienced instant death!
BANG!
Suddenly from the ruins of the ground, a three-headed ice dragon emerged with a thunderous roar! The creature immediately pounced on the Rank SS+ Giant!
The Giant's body was heavily shaken by the impact and lost balance. The ice dragon continued to launch successive attacks, biting and tearing the Giant's body with ice teeth as sharp as diamonds.
The Rank SS+ Giant didn't stand idle. Its terrible punch hit the side of the ice dragon, creating cracks throughout the creature's body.
The two colossal creatures wrestled in a fierce battle!
Not far from there, Lux knelt with heavy breath. Artemisia immediately approached him with a worried face.
"Young Master!"
"I'm fine," Lux tried to stand. "More than that, we need to quickly—"
His words were cut short as his heart beat rapidly. Not just Lux, everyone present turned their gaze to the sky with expressions of horror.
Dozens—no, scores—of giant magic circles appeared in the sky!
'This is... very bad,' thought Lux.
"GRAAAAHHH!!"
Hearing the Giant's roar, all the magic circles lit up simultaneously. Various destructive elements—fire, ice, lightning, wind, sand—spewed from those circles, bombarding an area of one kilometer with incredible power!
KABOOM!!
The three-headed ice dragon created by Lux was destroyed instantly, becoming crystal fragments that soon disappeared swept away by the elemental storm!
The Rank SS+ Giant was unharmed thanks to the protective shield it created. It roared in victory, shaking the air with its ear-splitting sound.
"GAAAHHHH—"
"<
A cold female voice cut off the Giant's roar. Before the monster could react, a terrible thunder rumbled accompanied by a purple flash that moved at a speed invisible to the eye!
BOOM!!! SLASH!
The electro energy slash pierced through the Rank SS+ Giant's body from front to back! The seemingly invincible monster was split into two perfect halves, before its body exploded into particles of light!
The creature that had previously been like the worst natural disaster was killed by a single attack!
The power of that slash was so tremendous that it created a small dimensional crack, revealing a symbol of three curved purple ponytails—the symbol of the Electro Archon's majesty!
"Good work... Raiden."
Lux stood with a body full of wounds, cleaning dust from his clothes. Around him, ice fragments and remains of Artemisia's Territory glittered in the lightning light.
Before the combined magic attack could annihilate them, Lux and Artemisia had exerted all their power to survive. Lux even used the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception to nullify all types of damage directed at him—an ability that only applied to himself.
The other templates weren't so lucky. Dabi's hand was completely destroyed, Artemisia's CR-Unit suffered severe damage due to overheating. Inaba Tsukuyo and Tomioka Giyū were also injured, though not as badly as Dabi and Artemisia.
[Ding! Major damage detected on templates!]
[Damage to Template Todoroki Touya / Dabi (✯✯✯) : 70% – Severe Injury. Recommended to deactivate this template]
[Damage to Artemisia Bell Ashcroft (✯✯✯) : 80% – Loss of combat ability. Recommended to immediately deactivate this template]
'Deactivate both templates—no. Except for Raiden Ei / Shogun, deactivate all templates.'
The four templates transformed into cards that returned to Lux's hand.
[Time to restore Template Todoroki Touya / Dabi (✯✯✯) : '01 Month, 10 Days, 1 Hours, 50 Minutes'. Consume 10,000,000 Achievement Points for instant recovery]
[Time to restore Template Artemisia Bell Ashcroft (✯✯✯) : '02 Month, 20 Days, 2 Hours, 01 Minutes'. Consume 30,000,000 Achievement Points for instant recovery]
'I was careless.'
Heaving a heavy sigh, Lux cursed his carelessness. The raid that should have been a routine exercise had now turned into a disaster. His two main templates—the most powerful weapons in his arsenal—were now inaccessible. A price too high to pay for a moment's lack of vigilance.
'Still...'
With cautious steps, Lux approached the lifeless giant body lying before him. As a holder of special information, he knew for certain that this creature should have been only a Rank S+ Giant. But the reality before him was different.
His gaze hardened as he observed the creature whose power had exceeded normal classification. "Jumped straight to Rank SS+," he whispered, his throat feeling dry. "This is not an anomaly that can be taken lightly."
If not for the presence of Raiden Ei—The Electro Shogun who became his shield and sword—Lux was certain his body would now be covered in blood. Even with the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, an ability that gave him vision to see the death points of all existences, the battle just now had nearly cost him his life.
Speaking of his mystic eyes...
"The death lines are unstable."
Lux's eyes glowed with a dark blue light—a mixture of galactic shimmer and the darkness of a black hole that swallows light. His Mystic Eyes activated, searching for the pattern of death that usually appeared like fine networks on the surface of reality.
But this time was different. The death lines that usually looked like elegant carvings now appeared like tangled threads caught in a storm. Messy. Chaotic. Raging.
There were only two logical possibilities.
"An entity with power capable of disrupting destiny itself," Lux murmured, "Or..."
His eyes narrowed sharply, "...the presence of a Son of Destiny."
If the second option was correct, the situation could still be controlled. But if it was the first—something strong enough to damage the order of death itself...
"I need to find out—"
BOOM!!
The ground shook violently, making Lux stagger. One earthquake followed another, like the heartbeat of a giant awakening from its slumber. His eyes narrowed toward the horizon, and there—emerging from the depths of the dark sea—a blood-red glow rose high.
'That is...'
Before his brain could process the sight, his fighting instinct screamed loudly. A deadly aura erupted from behind!
BOOM!! SLASH!!
A giant arrow—more accurately described as a launched spear—shot toward Lux with speed that split the air. But Raiden Ei, with awareness honed over centuries, acted in an instant.
Musou Isshin—the sword capable of splitting an island—was gracefully drawn. A purple electric flash exploded, roaring as it split the sky. The attack that had been capable of destroying a building now vanished into ash that scattered in the wind.
Lux rotated his body, facing his attacker.
'Another Rank SS+ Giant?'
A giant figure standing 60 meters tall stood with a colossal bow in its hand. Its eyes flashed wildly, full of killing intent. Lux raised an eyebrow—the situation was getting more complicated, but at least this creature wasn't a magic user like the previous one.
One Rank SS+ could still be handled.
But his breath caught seeing the next sight. Behind the giant archer, hundreds of other Giants moved forward—like a tidal wave ready to destroy everything in its path.
From the sea, giant octopus monsters equivalent to several Rank S creatures surfaced, their tentacles moving wildly searching for prey.
They were surrounded.
Lux and Raiden Ei now stood in the middle of an ocean of bloodthirsty monsters. As the last circle of the siege, the sky itself seemed to darken.
Aware that their power was not enough, Lux concentrated, preparing to summon Takamiya Mayuri as reinforcement. But before he could, a dark, oppressive aura suddenly filled the atmosphere!
BOOM!!
The ground shook violently, even the other Giants were seen retreating in fear.
"No... That?" Lux froze, his eyes widening slightly. Even Raiden Ei—who had faced various opponents—changed her expression to one of highest vigilance.
Before them, a monster figure 300 meters tall towered. Its muscular body with skin as black as obsidian was filled with ancient engravings glowing red. In its hand was a giant sword adorned with dark and gold ornaments that emanated an aura of death. Its grin exposed rows of teeth as sharp as daggers.
Its red eyes were fixed directly on Lux and the dimensional crack created from Raiden Ei's previous attack.
'A Rank SSS Giant?' Lux's mind raced. 'This creature should be facing Queenie and the main team at another location...'
But the bitter reality was displayed before him. And worse, the aura emitted by this monster far exceeded the SSS classification he knew.
'Moreover, this Giant's power—'
Lux's thought was cut off when the giant creature swung its sword. A flash of reddish-black energy shot forth—splitting the air, destroying all barriers like paper, and heading straight for them!
SLASH!!!
Lux's world was instantly filled with blinding light and unbearable pain.