Note: This novel will pause for a while because my brain and hands are overheating. No, just kidding. I need to focus on the Indonesian version first before continuing. Don't worry, it won't be long.
***
While Lux and Itsuka Kotori were frantically searching for the Last Boss Dungeon Break, from another perspective, the forces sent by the World Organization were also engaged in battle.
Despite the damage to their electronic equipment, their strength wasn't diminished. On the contrary, this made the assembled Hunter forces take the attack more seriously!
Every Hunter in the combat formation advanced with full alertness, their eyes reflecting iron determination and hands gripping weapons tightly. Even though it was a Giant Rank SS+, under the relentless barrage of attacks from this special force, the monster couldn't put up meaningful resistance.
The Giant figures and octopuses around them were destroyed in just a few strikes! Blood and thick green fluid splashed into the air, creating a horrifying scene against the gray sky.
However, the situation changed drastically when Taiyo, the Sun Order Guild Leader, appeared with all his forces, directly attacking the World Organization formation!
"Sun Order Leader! Do you know the consequences of attacking World Organization forces!?" shouted one of the commanders with a face showing shock mixed with anger.
Taiyo grinned widely. His eyes flashed with hatred. "Why should I care?! Die!" he shouted with rage while joining both his palms.
Heat energy accumulated between his fingers, forming a miniature sun pulsating with dazzling yellowish light. With a quick movement, he fired the miniature sun version toward the SSS Rank Hunter who was one of the force leaders!
BOOOMMM...!!!
The miniature sun exploded violently, its heat wave so extreme that the sea instantly evaporated. The water vapor hissed and turned into thick white fog that enveloped the battle area.
But when the sea evaporated, everyone's expressions changed to horror seeing blackish-purple tentacles that ambushed them from the depths! Dozens, no, hundreds of tentacles emerged from the exposed seabed, moving with terrifying speed!
BOOOOOMMM...!!
Fortunately, the Hunters formed by the World Organization weren't ordinary fighters. Though surprised, it was only momentary before they revealed why they were called Top Hunters!
With perfect coordination, various types of attacks were launched in succession. High-caliber firearms, elemental magic, and sharp weapons coated with sacred energy—all deployed in an impressive orchestra of destruction. Every emerging tentacle was instantly crushed without mercy. Combined with the attacks of every SSS Rank Hunter, these sea creatures were helpless under the mighty onslaught!
Then, an oppressive silence suddenly descended. Everyone froze when they heard a frightening roar from afar. A thick wave of [mana] like a tsunami swept through the area, making anyone's eyes widen in horror!
"WOAH!-" a Hunter shouted while staggering backward.
"DAMN, WHAT IS THAT CREATURE?!" yelled another, his face turning pale.
The Hunters couldn't help but curse. Their fear increased when they saw Rank A Hunters and below instantly losing consciousness, collapsing like puppets with cut strings!
"You bastard, Taiyo! What have you done?!" snapped one of the SS Rank Hunters who was still able to stand.
Taiyo laughed out loud, his voice echoing amid the chaos. "Hahaha!! Are you afraid?! I suggest you leave this place!" His arrogance was evident in his grinning face.
The Hunters who heard this were furious, their fists clenched until their knuckles turned white. But unbeknownst to them all, even Taiyo was sweating coldly—because he had no idea what creature he had awakened!
At that moment, a giant dark shadow covered their area. Despite the loud thunder exploding in the sky, they could still see the silhouette of a frightening creature standing menacingly in the distance.
Its body reached a height of 300 meters, covered in black-golden armor with horrifying ornaments, and wielding a very large dark golden sword capable of splitting a mountain in one swing!
The [mana] pressure it emanated far exceeded Rank SSS!
This fact alone made everyone present shudder in fear, their knees trembling uncontrollably.
However, what left them stunned wasn't just the presence of this terrifying creature, but the figure of an elegant woman standing fearlessly before it!
***
The Giant Rank SSS, or more appropriately called the Giant King, wasn't like ordinary Giants. If people thought the creature's movements were slow due to its large body, they were gravely mistaken.
Because even with its giant body, its speed was no joke at all!
Raiden Ei who confronted it nearly died several times whenever the Giant King's sword was swung, creating waves of dark energy that split the air with a terrifying sound!
But...
The title of Electro Archon wasn't just a mere title.
JEDAAARRR....!!
The grand circle with purple electricity behind Raiden Ei—Chakra Desiderata—began to glow brightly, emitting dazzling purple light. Pure electro energy flowed like a river into the elegant woman's body, recharging her unlimited power!
From the darkening sky, dozens of purple thunder dragon heads formed with glowing eyes and lightning fangs. Each one could destroy a city and was enough to cause instant death to SS+ Rank Hunters!
But to kill the creature before her, Raiden Ei didn't hold back at all! There was no mercy in her sharp gaze.
As for the great damage to this island, the woman didn't care about that at all because...
'This monster must be killed!'
Raiden Ei's expression was very cold, and killing intent spread strongly like a heavy aura enveloping the battlefield. Witnessing how Lux was attacked by the Giant King until he was nearly dying, the goddess's anger reached its peak!
Even though she knew Lux would be fine, it was unacceptable that someone she cared about was nearly killed!
"GRAAAAHH...!!"
That disturbing roar drew the attention of the thunder dragons. Each eastern dragon formed from lightning energy immediately darted with lightning speed and—
BOOOOOMMMM!!!
The Giant King roared in pain when the lightning dragon heads bit every part of its body. Upon biting, the lightning dragons transformed into streams of purple energy that spread like an electrical network, destroying the monster from within!
In pain and anger from this attack, the Giant King grabbed one of the lightning dragon heads and crushed it with tremendous power—as if just crushing an eggshell!
But at the same time, a huge amount of electro energy began to gather at one point in the sky. The Giant King looked up and found a giant slash slowly formed by Raiden Ei's hand.
It was the same technique that almost delivered a decisive blow to the Goddess of Life earlier!
"<
With a soft yet authoritative voice, that deadly sword art was released! The air seemed to split and time paused briefly.
"GRAAAAHHH!"
The Giant King didn't remain idle. With its sword made of rare and strong material, the creature cloaked it with golden-yellow [mana] then swung it upward to parry!
Bluish-purple energy and golden-yellow [mana] collided in the air and then—
KAAAAABOOOOOOOM....!!!
Both attacks collided with each other and immediately devastated the surrounding area. Trees were uprooted, the ground cracked and split, and shock waves spread in all directions! Unlike the previous battle against the Goddess of Life, this time no dimensional crack symbols appeared—showing that Raiden Ei's attack wasn't enough to defeat the Giant King.
But it didn't matter.
If one attack wasn't enough, then how about dozens?
As a thunder goddess figure, Raiden Ei's body was essentially blessed with endless energy and stamina.
Meaning... She could continue this protracted battle tirelessly!
"<
Raiden Ei raised her sword high into the sky. In an instant, countless purple lightning balls began to appear around her, spinning like living constellations. One by one, those energy balls darted toward the Giant King!
Witnessing this, the Giant King merely roared angrily and its giant body blinked—momentarily disappearing from view! The monster's speed was truly extraordinary as in an instant it was already very close to Raiden Ei!
But when the monster entered the lightning ball territory, Raiden Ei's gaze flashed coldly.
Powered by the strongly pulsating Chakra Desiderata, Raiden Ei began gathering energy for another Musou no Hitotachi!
Time and space seemed to stop, a large slash with an incredibly wide area spread, directly trying to erase the Giant King's existence in one attack!
So amazing was the attack, the electro energy contained within it disrupted the weather across Cthulhu Island! Black clouds swirled fiercely, lightning flashed, and hurricane winds blew hard.
The damage caused was unstoppable. The very vast island was accidentally cut into several parts by Raiden Ei's attack!
BLAAAAAARRRR....!!
Another shock came when the Giant King, expected to be destroyed, was still standing! Although its body was smoking and some parts of its black armor were cracked, the creature hadn't fallen!
The Giant King swung its sword brutally and at that moment, countless deadly sharp thrusts in the form of dark energy waves began bombarding Raiden Ei from all directions!
But in response, Raiden Ei only murmured softly with a cold and calm voice.
"<
A purple electro explosion was released many times over by Chakra Desiderata, like a supernova exploding in the midst of battle. One swing of the woman's slash created a series of linked lightning slashes, forming a net of death!
Even space and air seemed torn apart under this tremendous attack! Small dimensional gaps opened and closed along the path of her slash.
The clash between the sword flashes of these two grand beings shook Cthulhu Island to its foundation, even creating tsunami waves repeatedly without stopping!
"<
Not stopping there, Raiden Ei released two wide high-speed slashes! Her body movement was so fast that only a purple shadow was visible.
Her body appeared to spin like a storm and the energy circle with sharp electro flow immediately slashed the entire body of the Giant King without mercy!
Greenish-black blood fluid gushed from the Giant King's wounds, spreading like acid rain that corroded anything it touched. Even Raiden Ei felt disgusted by that dirty fluid.
Explosion after explosion was produced. The deadly strikes from Raiden Ei scorched the entire surrounding area! The split land, the boiling sea, and the cracked sky—a small apocalyptic scene was created on Cthulhu Island.
As if repeating the destruction in Life Forest, slowly Cthulhu Island transformed into barren land that would no longer be habitable!
But even so...
'He's not as strong as that goddess, but his armor and physical strength are very tough...'
This became a more difficult task than expected. Raiden Ei realized that she had to produce one deadly strike strong enough to penetrate the armor and disable the Giant King at once.
Of course, that wasn't impossible. It's just that the amount of electro energy needed was far more than she had anticipated.
'Leave this to me.' A cold and emotionless voice suddenly echoed in Raiden Ei's mind.
'You...' Raiden Ei narrowed her eyes, her tone in her thoughts no less cold. 'What do you mean?'
'I've received orders from him to activate this form. So let me take over this time.'
Raiden Ei frowned slightly hearing that statement, but in a critical situation like this, she reluctantly nodded in agreement. 'Don't take too long.'
'This is my body. So I'm free to do whatever I want,' said the emotionless voice in a flat tone.
Raiden Ei was slightly annoyed and wanted to argue that she was the creator of this body, but she didn't have time to debate when her consciousness was slowly returned to her subconscious.
Raiden Ei's gaze, which initially had some emotion, now changed to become almost expressionless—cold and rigid like a doll.
Raiden Ei, no, now Raiden Shogun—the puppet consciousness of Raiden Ei—now took full control of that body.
Looking at the Giant King with an empty gaze, Raiden Shogun immediately showered it with hundreds or even thousands of purple lightning strikes from Chakra Desiderata that radiated like a purple sun behind her back.
Given the monster's unreasonable durability, almost no significant damage was visible, but Raiden Shogun's initial intention wasn't to injure. This was just the beginning.
With a cold tone that could freeze blood, that emotionless being posed a question:
"Are you... one who challenges eternity?"
In response, the monster's roar immediately deafened ears, followed by a swing of the giant sword now coated with golden-yellow [mana] that was so dense and heavy!
"<
BOOOOOMMM...!!!
Time seemed to stop after that sentence was uttered. For a moment, no creature could move when a tremendous thunder burst rumbled across the sky!
JEDAAAARRR....!!
There is an opinion that the Raiden Shogun under certain conditions might be stronger than Raiden Ei herself.
This statement isn't without reason. Besides all her skills that are basically perfect replicas of Raiden Ei's, Raiden Shogun has special abilities that can only be accessed by her.
Exclusive form, 'Magatsu Mitake Narukami no Mikoto'. This is the final form of Raiden Shogun as a puppet created to punish rebels—those who dare to oppose the eternal electro power.
The goddess's appearance changed drastically. Chakra Desiderata, which was originally in the form of a circle behind her back, now metamorphosed into a pair of energy horns towering high. A pair of giant golem hands radiating electro energy appeared, becoming the support and footing of the goddess puppet.
Those giant electro hands were the result of Raiden Ei's concentrated pure energy. One of her hands was like a giant armor that directly held the Musou Isshin sword in a much larger version.
Opening her eyes that had been closed, lightning flashed endlessly across her beautiful pupils that now glowed with purple light.
BOOOOOMMM....!!
Energy that seemed endless fiercely filled the entire land surface. Wave after wave swept away everything there, creating cracks in the ground and evaporating seawater within a radius of tens of kilometers.
Cruel and merciless. That was the emotion emanating from the puppet goddess's gaze.
The powerful presence of the goddess made anyone's skin bleed due to the sharpness of the deadly aura she emitted!
Looking at the Giant King with a cold gaze, Raiden Shogun blinked once and—
SLASSSSHHHH!!!
A deadly electro-powered slash split the sky and earth in two!
Even the sea, which was originally bluish-black, now turned bright purple as Raiden Shogun's slash reached a radius of tens of kilometers! That energy wave split the horizon like a hot knife through butter.
The large puppet hand holding the Great Musou Isshin was filled with such intense electro energy that the air around it vibrated and curved.
The Giant King, who couldn't follow the speed of Raiden Shogun's sword thrust, was stunned in shock. Its chest that had been slashed immediately spewed blackish blood profusely!
Streams of electro energy seeped into the Giant King's body like poison, adding burning pain to every cell of its body from within!
But instead of being afraid or giving up, the Giant King howled with increasingly burning anger!
With a desperate movement, it released part of its damaged armor and threw it into the sea, then prepared to launch a counterattack with all its strength!
"<
Without warning, three giant totems 500 meters tall appeared surrounding the Giant King, trapping it in an electro triangle formation. At the same time, one of Raiden Shogun's giant puppet hands holding a diamond-shaped electro crystal began to glow brightly.
Then—
ZINGGG...!! BAMMMM...!!
Like a purification seal, the three large totems released concentrated electro waves causing massive damage both from inside and outside the Giant King's body!
All the organs inside the Giant King's body exploded one by one when lightning strikes along with energy waves continued to hit its body gradually! The giant body shook violently, its skin cracked and peeled off, revealing black flesh underneath.
At the same time, other Giants and tentacles emerged from cracks in the ground around the battle area. They looked panicked, as if trying to escape from something far more terrifying.
And their fear wasn't without reason, because suddenly, a golden laser-like attack fiercely annihilated the Giants and tentacles in an instant!
Sensing this familiar aura, Raiden Shogun unconsciously glanced at the source of the attack.
A familiar silhouette was seen in the distance. A girl in an elegant black dress and a pair of angel-like wings, followed by a large creature resembling a giant drill. It was Takamiya Mayuri with the final form of her Angel, Lahathelev.
Just like Raiden Shogun, Takamiya Mayuri also glanced at the adult woman with a slightly surprised look. After all, the power of the goddess was so tremendous and seemed unlimited—even exceeding her own power.
Although there was curiosity and a little... 'hostility' implied between them, these two powerful beings remained focused on their respective opponents without exchanging words.
"GROAAARRR!!!"
With incredible tenacity and vitality, the Giant King managed to destroy all the giant totems that confined it while holding its head that nearly exploded due to electro pressure!
Meanwhile, not far from there, Takamiya Mayuri with her pure Spirit didn't stop destroying every Giant and tentacle that appeared around her.
The Giants could be easily destroyed by Takamiya Mayuri's power, but for the King of Cthulhu itself—the true ruler of this island—it was very difficult for Takamiya Mayuri to kill it permanently.
The fact is, besides its giant tentacles that popped up everywhere, Takamiya Mayuri hadn't seen the real body of the King of Cthulhu itself.
Of course, based on her instinct and experience, Takamiya Mayuri realized that the monster shaped like a giant octopus was hiding under this island—perhaps merged with the base of the island itself.
But to kill it meant having to destroy the entire island, something that couldn't be done by the Spirit considering Lux and the others were still there.
Therefore, Takamiya Mayuri had to think of a strategy to lure the King of Cthulhu out of its hiding place.
However, it seems her plan was no longer needed because...
JEDAAAARRR...!!!
A tremendous thunder explosion accompanied by gusts of purple electro began gathering at one point in the sky. Growing thicker over time, creating a terrifying energy vortex.
As time went on, sea, sky, and land, all experienced extreme weather changes as expanses of purple electro filled every corner of the horizon.
Within a radius of tens of kilometers, every inch of territory—both open and hidden—came within the range of the Archon's supernatural senses!
The armored puppet hand holding the Great Musou Isshin began to shake violently. The accumulation of electro energy was so massive that anyone who looked directly at it would experience permanent blindness!
Raiden Shogun, in her prime condition, looked with a cruel gaze that pierced the soul. And now, the true majesty of the thunder goddess puppet would be fully displayed...
Strands of purple lightning one by one united, forming a symphony both beautiful and terrifying. All the electric energy in the area was absorbed without remainder by the Great Musou Isshin until the sword shone with purple light that was almost white due to its intensity.
And that's when... the whole world suddenly turned pitch black, as if all the light in the universe had been swallowed...
"<
A glimmer of purple light appeared in the absolute darkness. At that moment, the ultimate "one slash one kill" attack was released without mercy and compassion.
The entire sky rumbled terribly followed by a long energy eruption that expanded without limit! Lightning flashed from all directions, supporting the main attack launched by Raiden Shogun.
As proof of its ultimate power, that energy collision looked like the friction of yin and yang—two opposing forces that could never unite, yet forced to join in tremendous chaos!
JEDAAAAARRRR....!! BLAAAAAAARRRR....!
The final slash like the wrath of the strongest goddess from the sky struck directly. That attack literally instantly erased everything in its path.
Land, sea, sky, monsters—none of them could withstand absolute destruction. All were erased from existence.
The Giant King, even with all its power and durability, couldn't survive for a second when exposed to that ultimate attack.
Its once formidable defense was now fragile like thin glass because its [mana] was reduced to zero in an instant by Raiden Shogun's slash!
Under her ultimate attack, all types of defense became meaningless—even the strongest armor was no more than a piece of paper!
And in the distance, explosions resembling supernatural atomic bombs occurred in succession without stopping! Not ordinary explosions, but filled with deadly waves and radiation in the form of electro energy that didn't diminish in intensity despite traversing a very long distance!
Even dozens of satellites in outer space suffered severe damage when trying to detect and record this supernatural phenomenon!
Along with that tremendous explosion, a dimensional crack with the Electro Archon's characteristic symbol—three converging lightning flashes—formed in the sky!
The crack was very large and expanded covering tens of kilometers, displaying a gap to another dimension filled with eternal purple lightning. The power inside was so dense that anyone who dared to approach within a few meters would instantly die.
"Phew..."
A heavy breath accompanied Raiden Shogun's form slowly returning to normal. The electric purple light enveloping her body faded, leaving an elegant and cold figure as before.
The adult woman's body looked weakened. The recent attack—the strongest she had ever released—had drained most of her power. Although her energy and stamina were unlimited, creating an attack that even surpassed Musou no Hitotachi wasn't an easy matter.
For a moment, the Electro Archon feared even by gods themselves, became as weak as a Rank A Hunter. Cold sweat ran down her temple, her breath panting under the pressure of the energy that had just been released.
But the battle wasn't over yet.
The sea surface churned violently. Giant waves appeared from afar as the King of Cthulhu that had been hiding behind the island suddenly darted out of its hiding place in panic! Its colossal body moved with unexpected speed, leaving a tremendous whirlpool behind it.
That creature—classified as a Magical Beast Rank SSS—growled in fear witnessing the destruction brought by Raiden Shogun's slash. Its tentacles moved wildly, trying to escape from the approaching death.
Only, the giant creature didn't realize that Takamiya Mayuri had been waiting for this moment all along, hiding behind the clouds with watchful eyes following every movement.
"Let's go... <
Her voice was gentle yet contained absolute firmness. Instantly, the air around her vibrated. High-intensity reiryoku particles began to gather, dancing around the tip of Lahathelev shaped like a drill. Dazzling golden light appeared, spinning faster and faster until forming a deadly energy spiral.
WOSSHH...!!! BOOOOOOOMMMM...!!
That golden light shot darted like a comet, penetrating clouds and air at a speed uncapturable by the eye. Though not as terrifying as Raiden Shogun's slash, the attack was still deadly—a spear of light powered by golden lightning that darted straight and unstoppable.
The King of Cthulhu didn't even have time to release its final roar when its giant body was penetrated by that dazzling light. In an instant, the creature vanished along with every object behind it—forming a path of perfect destruction as far as the eye could see.
But amid that victory, Takamiya Mayuri frowned. Her sharp eyes caught an anomaly—a thin barrier that had temporarily blocked part of her attack's power...
"Something's strange," she thought curiously, trying to analyze what had just happened.
"You should kill them to leave no eyewitnesses," said Raiden Shogun without emotion. Her cold eyes looked toward a group of humans in the distance—the Hunters who had witnessed the entire event with wide eyes.
Takamiya Mayuri was silent for a moment, looking into Raiden Shogun's eyes as cold as eternal ice. "Not everything has to be resolved with killing," she said calmly yet firmly.
Raiden Shogun only replied with a cold gaze before turning to leave, her purple kimono fluttering in the sea breeze heavy with the scent of salt and death.
Takamiya Mayuri sighed slowly, then flapped her wings gracefully. Her body, enveloped in soft light, began moving toward a group of Hunter forces still transfixed in the distance...
***
"Are you all alright?"
That gentle voice broke the tension among the Hunters who were still trembling witnessing the destruction before them.
"Y-yes..." answered one of them stammering, still trying to stand straight on the ship that was rocking due to shock waves.
Hunter Rank SSS, Kilin, stared at the remnants of the explosion still emitting reddish-purple vapor. His usually upright body was now slightly bent, bearing the mental burden of what he had just witnessed. Beside him, five other SSS Rank Hunters were also silent with complex expressions—a mixture of awe, fear, and disbelief.
Even for them—the world's elite—it was very difficult to imagine how to create destruction of this magnitude.
Taiyo, a Hunter who had recently joined the World Organization, could only gape with his mouth half-open. His memory floated to his first meeting with Takamiya Mayuri—how he had underestimated the girl back then. Now, he wanted to slap himself for his stupidity.
"That was close..." muttered Laura Silver, a SS Rank Hunter with long silver hair that now looked disheveled. She still remembered the terrifying moment when Takamiya Mayuri's attack nearly annihilated them all. Only thanks to the combined power of all the high-ranking Hunters did they manage to block part of that attack—albeit with almost impossible effort.
In the sky, the Electro dimensional symbol with three lightning flashes still glowed, reminding everyone of the terrifying power they had just witnessed. Power capable of annihilating creatures above Rank SSS in a single move...
"Get ready," Laura Silver suddenly said, her body tensing as she detected an approaching presence.
All Hunters immediately assumed alert positions. Some gripped their weapons tightly, while others prepared defensive spells.
And amid that tension, a figure as beautiful as a fairy appeared, floating slowly with grace. Her beauty almost made them forget the danger, but the presence of the giant drill-like winged creature behind her—Lahathelev—quickly restored their awareness.
Takamiya Mayuri landed gently before them, not making even the slightest sound. The sea breeze caressed her long hair, creating a contrasting scene between elegance and the terrifying power she possessed.
"You all...?" she asked with a gentle tone full of wonder. Her pink eyes radiated curiosity about the presence of a group of humans in a dangerous place like this.
Laura Silver, appointed as the group's spokesperson, stepped forward with a calm attitude despite her rapidly beating heart.
"We are the Special Forces under the auspices of the World Organization," she answered with a controlled voice. "We were sent to investigate the energy anomaly detected on this island." She glanced briefly at Taiyo with a cold gaze, making the young man turn away with a sense of guilt.
"Ah... I see," Takamiya Mayuri nodded slowly. Her expression turned serious. "You all must leave this place immediately. The danger level far exceeds your imagination."
Those words, though spoken in a gentle tone, were like a whip wounding the pride of some Hunters. They frowned, feeling offended. On one hand, they understood that Takamiya Mayuri was concerned for their safety, but on the other hand, her words seemed to say that they were too weak to help.
"We know you strong," said one of the SSS Rank Hunters with a voice trembling with emotion. His tall upright body slightly bent when directly facing the Spirit before him. "But... we're not that weak."
Takamiya Mayuri looked at them in a suffocating silence. Her usually calm eyes now narrowed, studying the determination emanating from the Hunters.
"I understand your feelings," she finally said. "As part of the Top Hunters, pride is one important thing, but..." She paused briefly, her eyes flashing sharply. "Suicide is not a pride."
Those words hit them like cold waves, making the atmosphere tense. A suffocating silence enveloped the group before one of the S Rank Hunters lost patience.
"Don't underestimate us!" he shouted, his voice trembling with anger. "Just because you have that terrifying creature," he pointed toward Lahathelev floating silently, "you think you can say whatever you want?!"
The other Hunters were silent, not daring to intervene but in their hearts agreeing with the statement. Their pride as elite Hunters had been at stake.
Hunter Rank SSS, Kilin, who had been silent all this time, finally exhaled heavily. As a leader, he had to maintain balance between the honor and safety of his team.
"We apologize, Miss Spirit," he said in a diplomatic tone. "We understand that you are concerned about our safety because there are dangerous creatures that we should be wary of, but..." He swallowed, cold sweat running down his temple as he continued. "...isn't it you whom we should be wary of?"
Kilin's statement made the atmosphere even heavier. The Hunters were startled, some feeling afraid of the consequences of their leader's brave words. After all, provoking hostility with a being whose power far exceeded Rank SSS wasn't a wise action.
But behind that fear, there was a belief that they—a group of Top Hunters—couldn't possibly experience total defeat.
Both sides stared at each other in suffocating silence. The sea wind blew hard, breaking the tension that seemed cuttable with a knife.
Suddenly, Takamiya Mayuri's expression changed. Her pink pupils contracted drastically, and flashes of panic were clearly visible on her usually calm face.
"No... This is dangerous!" Her voice turned sharp and urgent.
WOSSHH...!!
Without further warning, Takamiya Mayuri's wings flapped strongly, followed by Lahathelev moving with incredible speed. In an instant, both had become small dots in the distance, leaving the Hunters in confusion.
"Hah... You really did something crazy, Kilin," said one of the SSS Rank Hunters while exhaling in relief, patting his colleague's shoulder.
Kilin didn't answer, just clenched his still trembling fist. Though relieved, other worries began to emerge in his mind. What had caused a Spirit as powerful as Takamiya Mayuri to show such panic?
As they were still wondering...
BOOOOOOMMMM....!!
"WH—"
A tremendous shock hit their sea vehicle, forcing the Hunters to hold tight to avoid being thrown into the sea. Large waves appeared from afar, followed by aftershocks that shook the entire area.
But what was more terrifying was the incredibly dense wave of [mana] that followed—so thick it made breath catch in the throat!
Rank S Hunters and below immediately fell to their knees, their bodies trembling violently under the choking energy pressure. Only SS and SSS Rank Hunters were still able to endure, though with pale faces and panting breaths.
The sky that was originally bright blue now turned dark, adorned by a blackish-purple cloud vortex spinning at terrifying speed. In the middle of that vortex, a giant eye seemed to open, looking at the world with eternal hatred.
"W-what is that..." whispered one of the Hunters, his voice barely audible amid the howling wind.
***
"Heh... So this is a Magical Beast Rank Unknown?"
Lux looked at the devastated surroundings. Countless death lines merged and moved wildly, creating a panorama of destruction beyond imagination. He tried to get up, only to realize with bitterness that both his legs had vanished somewhere.
Losing body parts wasn't surprising to him anymore. He had been through too many battles to be shocked by pain. But this time, there was something different—something that made him truly feel real fear.
Drip...
The sound of blood drops broke the silence. Lux smiled bitterly, the light in his right eye slowly dimming.
"For a moment, I hoped..." he whispered weakly, looking at the horrifying figure before him.
That creature was beyond any category he had ever encountered. As proof of how terrible this opponent was, all of Lux's character templates had vanished—erased by power that transcended the laws of that world itself.
Before him stood a figure resembling a human, with pale skin and a tall slender body. But black tentacles writhed from its back, moving wildly as if seeking prey to tear apart. The creature's eyes—if they could be called eyes—were black holes that absorbed light, radiating nothing but absolute emptiness.
That was it... True Cthulhu.
With closed eyes, Lux exhaled his last breath before whispering to himself.
"...Alright, I'll rest for a while."
The air around him vibrated. Particles of light began to gather, dancing around his severely injured body.
[Ding! Install Character Template ✯✯✯✯✯ : Kiana Kaslana - Herrscher of the Void!]
[Ding! Starting to match...]
... And what happened after that, he didn't remember anymore.