In the uninhabited mountain forest, three Beast Vassals emerged like prehistoric behemoths, roaring at the sky as if declaring this land their own territory.
Amid their roars, countless Horned Serpents were obliterated into dust under the attacks of the three Beast Vassals.
This was undoubtedly a rare spectacle in this world.
For the three Beast Vassals that appeared here were all terrifying existences, capable of effortlessly destroying an entire city like natural disasters.
Among these three Beast Vassals, the one with the most overwhelming presence, the most abundant magical energy, and undoubtedly the most fearsome was the lightning-wreathed lion.
The thunderous roar of the colossal lion unleashed endless bolts of lightning, sweeping across the surroundings and reducing all monsters touched by the electricity to nothingness.
For a moment, the earth trembled, and dust filled the air.
Centered around the massive lightning lion, the entire area was shattered by the deafening thunder, with trees collapsing in rows as if countless bolts of lightning had struck the land simultaneously—an utterly terrifying sight.
Such divine wrath of nature far surpassed that of the giant serpent and the giant wolf, drawing their gazes toward the lightning lion, their eyes filled with towering bloodlust and fighting spirit.
Clearly, sensing the threat of the lightning lion, these two Beast Vassals were both shocked and enraged, ready to charge into battle at any moment.
Naturally, their masters felt the same.
---
At the location of the giant serpent, in an area filled with steam and the smell of scorched earth as if a volcano had erupted, a beautiful man in pure white formal attire raised his head, his crimson eyes flashing with joy.
"Lord Vatler!"
"Lord Vatler!"
Two voices rang out beside the beautiful man.
They belonged to two pure-blooded nobles from the Ardeal Principality—Tobias Jagan and Kira Lebedev Voltisloa.
The two looked toward the direction of the lightning lion with astonishment, as if they had already guessed something, and turned their eyes to the beautiful man.
The beautiful man was none other than Vatler.
At this moment, Vatler stood atop the corpse of a Horned Serpent, his face filled with a smile.
"It seems we're not the only ones drawn here by the legacy of the Holy Annihilation."
Vatler's crimson eyes brimmed with delight.
Clearly, this battle-hungry vampire was already growing excited.
"That wolf-like Beast Vassal… if I'm not mistaken, it belongs to the one from the Dynasty of Destruction, no?"
Kira mused thoughtfully.
"Indeed," Vatler replied cheerfully. "That prince is an old friend of mine. It seems his condition has improved considerably since we last met."
"And what about that lightning-wreathed lion?" Tobias couldn't help but ask. "Could it be…?"
It seemed Tobias had already guessed the origin of that Beast Vassal—and the identity of its master.
If Tobias had figured it out, Vatler naturally had as well.
"I've long known that if the shrine maiden of the Akatsuki family and No.12 both got caught up in this disturbance, that one would inevitably appear as well. Though there were rumors of his disappearance for a time, recent news suggests he has returned. Now, it seems the rumors were true."
Mentioning this individual, Vatler's smile deepened.
In contrast, Tobias's expression darkened with displeasure.
Unlike Vatler, who held great admiration for the other, Tobias bore no goodwill toward him—especially since he had suffered a crushing defeat at his hands in the past.
"So, what should we do now…?"
Kira, however, remained indifferent and sought Vatler's opinion.
Vatler didn't hesitate.
"Since that one has arrived, it would be disrespectful not to greet him," Vatler grinned. "Let us go and pay our respects to our beloved and revered Divine Child."
With that, Vatler withdrew his Beast Vassal, his body dissolving into mist and vanishing.
Tobias and Kira likewise transformed into mist and disappeared.
---
At the same time, on a desolate mountain path where the road had yet to be paved, a young boy of about twelve or thirteen stood quietly.
The boy had jet-black hair, brown skin, and golden eyes. Though young, he exuded a peculiar air of dignity that clashed with his childish features, making him seem like a fierce young lion.
Behind him stood a massive golden jackal woven from dense magical energy.
All around the boy lay the mutilated remains of countless Horned Serpents.
The boy didn't even glance at the carcasses, his gaze fixed firmly on the direction of the lightning-wreathed lion and the colossal sea serpent.
"That serpentine Beast Vassal… it seems the detestable Snake Charmer has come as well."
This was no surprise.
Given the atmosphere of war here, it was only natural that the Snake Charmer would appear. Even he himself had come for this very reason—why should he be surprised?
But…
"That lightning-wreathed lion… the Fourth Primogenitor's Beast Vassal…!?"
The boy couldn't help but recall past encounters, a trace of hatred flashing in his eyes.
In the past, he had nearly been killed by the Fourth Primogenitor's Beast Vassal, so its appearance brought him no joy.
However, the boy also knew that unlike the vile individual who had once manipulated the Fourth Primogenitor's Beast Vassal to defeat him, the Beast Vassals of the Fourth Primogenitor had now almost entirely fallen into the hands of a mere human.
This was a hot topic of recent rumors.
It was said that the Fourth Primogenitor had not only been sealed by a single human but had also had its Beast Vassals stolen. At some point, it had acknowledged this human and allowed itself to be wielded by him.
The Third Primogenitor had been defeated by this human and forced to flee in disgrace.
Now, with the appearance of the Fourth Primogenitor's Beast Vassal, only one thing was certain.
And that was…
"So the legendary Divine Child has also been drawn by the scent of conflict?"
The boy's lips curled into a ferocious grin.
"Very well. Let me see for myself what he's truly capable of."
With those words, the boy released a surge of sinister energy, forming bat-like wings of magic on his back. He leaped into the air and soared toward the lightning lion.
---
"Crackle… crackle crackle…!"
The sound of crackling lightning echoed faintly through the air.
"Roar!"
The lightning-wreathed lion let out a mighty roar before its figure slowly faded from sight.
All that remained was a devastated wasteland, scorched and smoking in places—a horrifying sight.
Two figures stood at the center of this wasteland, one calm and the other utterly dumbfounded.
"Alright, that's taken care of."
Rozen retracted his magical energy, looking satisfied.
"...Senpai."
Yukina's eyebrow twitched as she slowly turned to Rozen, her eyes burning with anger.
"What's wrong?"
Rozen looked at her curiously.
What's wrong?
Wasn't it obvious?
"That was way too much!"
Yukina couldn't help but shout.