Without another word, Germain turned the doorknob and stepped outside.
White light flashed, consuming every limit of Germain's vision.
The little house behind him, the mother and daughter—everything vanished in the glow, leaving nothing behind.
When Germain opened his eyes again, he realized he was kneeling halfway on the ground, his head bowed.
He had no idea how long he had been in that position.
Soft, murmuring whispers reached his ears, and he immediately stood up, lifting his gaze—and what he saw made his blood run cold.
It turned out that all this time, he had been kneeling on a massive arm.
Stretching above him were five enormous fingers, spread wide like a tray.
Upon this hand, a blood-red full moon hovered high in the sky.
Surrounding the moon were countless distorted, writhing faces, displaying every conceivable emotion—joy, anger, sorrow, and everything in between.
They floated like microscopic creatures, their eyes fixed on Germain, whispering among themselves.
The entire scene pressed down on him with an almost unbearable weight.
Thud—
After a heavy, muffled sound, a black dot shot out from the crimson full moon, landing on the giant hand's middle finger before tumbling down.
The black dot rolled from the palm to the wrist, and finally in front of Germain, who caught it using his demigod strength.
After a moment, the black dot twisted and expanded, its body growing larger. Tentacles slid and intertwined over it, making it look like an inverted tornado, wider at the bottom than the top.
Countless mouths split open across the tentacle-covered body, all making sounds at once, creating a strange harmony.
"You're finally awake," Deep Sea said to Germain. "I thought you'd arrive from the 'Dark World' and do nothing… only to die in your dreams."
"Although… I wasn't in any better shape myself. I almost got trapped in the 'Blood Moon Illusion.'"
Germain now recognized their identity—one of the few demigods left in this world capable of standing alongside him in battle.
"Looks like you're not in great condition either," Germain said, glancing at the Blood Moon hovering above.
All of Deep Sea's tentacles quivered, and the wide mouths stretched into grins.
"I could barely hold on until you arrived… that's already my limit. But our actions… we've thoroughly angered It."
"It has now shown its 'Full Moon Form,'" Deep Sea continued. "It seems different from before."
"Germain, tell me—you must have overcome the 'Darkness' to make it here, right?"
Germain nodded. "Of course."
Deep Sea laughed, violently shaking like a coconut tree in a storm.
"That's good… Now, only one thing remains in front of us… a simple and clear task."
They were going to kill a god.
Buzz—
Before Deep Sea could finish speaking, ripples spread across the Blood Moon, sending a terrifying mental shock to both Germain and Deep Sea.
The two demigods endured it, each letting out a low grunt, then fell silent.
Under the crimson moon, a creature the size of a medium beast leapt down. Yet the terror it radiated was unmistakable to both Germain and Deep Sea.
It had a long, tentacle-like head, beneath which was a mouth full of sharp teeth. Its limbs stretched with an eerie, streamlined elegance that was both grotesque and beautiful.
The "Blood Moon" looked like an inverted pitcher plant, with limbs resembling those of demi-humans and countless slender tentacles.
It stepped on the giant hand, looking down at the two demigods, then slowly descended.
"It's forced out its second form," "Deep Sea" reminded, "You can still fight, right?"
"No problem," Germain replied calmly.
"That's good. Remember, do your best. Don't take chances. One moment of carelessness, and it's all over."
"I understand."
Around the Blood Moon, the drifting faces roared as if boiling.
Countless chaotic voices seeped into the minds of the two demigods, impossible to shake off.
Both shuddered, then leaped apart, creating space between them, forming a triangular stance against the fearsome god.
Whip-like tentacles struck!
Boom——
An entire giant hand was split in two!
—At the same time—
In the ancient labyrinthine castle,
Everyone stared at the sky, some in terror, some in tension, some in fear.
The once-dark sky seemed like a curtain, now fully lifted, revealing twisted, swollen faces.
Countless other warped, massive forms filled the entire sky, packed so densely that every one of them looked horrifying.
The moose-centaur warriors, who worshipped the Blood Moon, all raised their heads in confusion, staring at the God they prayed to, revealing such ugly postures.
They could barely breathe.
But who here could breathe freely?
Gon, Bisky, Morel, Knov, Kurapika, Kite… each face was filled with unease. No one knew what would happen next.
And it wasn't just them who saw the scene in the sky. In fact, the entire world, no matter the corner, could witness that terrifying sky.
Chairman Netero had donned his battle suit, squinting, standing atop the coastal fortress, facing the raging wind, observing the upheaval in sky and earth.
Mizaistom, Botobai, Queen Oito, and others were carefully directing all armed personnel and civilian merchants in human settlements.
Shizuku held Sharna in her arms, gently soothing her.
She stood by the window of the room, looking out, her expression heavy with concern.
Cheadle and Leorio were in the operating room, doing everything they could to save Melody, who had crawled out from the basement and clung desperately to life.
They knew nothing of the world outside. Their sole focus was on saving Melody's life.
Cheadle was performing the surgery, while Leorio assisted.
Melody was fighting to survive.
Meanwhile, Killua, Gon, Alluka, Hanzo, and Pokkle followed Ginta, standing together atop the canopy of a towering tree.
The sky was bathed in a blood-red hue, and they frowned uneasily.
Ickshonpe and Dwun had already activated the protective barriers of Greed Island, yet Leiza still felt it wasn't enough.
He asked Ickshonpe to send warnings to all the Game Masters and players.
Rarely, Zigg pushed a wheelchair to stand outside the desolate castle of Kukuroo Mountain, remaining silent.
Silva descended from the sky riding a strange, monstrous bird, shaking his head at the members of the Zoldyck family.
Shalnark, Machi, Pakunoda, and Sheila were urgently evacuating the people of Meteor Street, guiding them into underground shelters.
Wing, Zushi, Beans… humans, Chimera Ants, and all living beings alike—everyone witnessed what was about to happen.
The enormous creatures that crowded the sky began to slowly descend.
They fell one after another like meteors.
Some crashed onto the land, some into the sea, each impact roaring like the heavens and earth themselves were breaking apart, shaking the crust of the world.
A catastrophe, long destined to occur, had begun.
*******
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