The two massive creatures collided, and the ground quaked violently. The Blue-Eyes White Dragon was slightly smaller in size, but when it struck, it did not yield in the slightest—its power was no weaker than the monster before it, and in terms of defense and durability, it far surpassed its opponent.
When the monster's attacks landed, they could at most force the dragon back a step. But if the dragon's claws struck the monster's body, they would inevitably tear deep, gaping wounds. Blood flowed in streams, but unlike that of humans, it was a pale green. Wherever it splashed onto the ground, it corroded with fierce intensity, eating away even at stone and soil.
Amid the carnage came that strange, low sound.
Ron drew back, and as if recalling something, he took a copy of the Dark Sonata from Sumas's space—the one he had obtained in Meteor City. The Dark Sonata existed in four parts: flute, piano, violin, and harp. The one in Ron's hands now was the flute section.
The moment he brought it out, the low, resonant sounds surrounding him seemed drawn to it, slowly converging toward the flute score and being absorbed into it, much like his Observer's Extreme Intent and its absorption trait. As the sounds were drawn in, the monster nearby was affected.
The Blue-Eyes White Dragon seized the opportunity to attack with full force. Its massive jaws gaped open and clamped down, tearing away great chunks of flesh. Blood sprayed like rainfall.
"That should be enough—this is nearly over," Ron said. The dragon now held a decisive advantage; unless the monster had some hidden card to play, victory was certain. The others of its kind, kept busy by the Church's forces, had no chance to come to its aid.
As time passed, the monster's disadvantage deepened until finally—
Bang!
With a deafening crash, the monster fell. The ground beneath it had caved into a shallow pit, now filled with green liquid. Half its body lay submerged in the corrosive pool.
Then, before Ron's eyes, its body began to shrink rapidly, reverting to the human form it had possessed before.
With a thought, Ron drew back the aura from the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, returning it to card form in his hand, and then storing it away.
A figure appeared beside the Witch of Sound. A doorway opened, and in the next moment, the witch vanished—only to reappear within the Library Prison.
Ron took out his phone and called Lawrence.
"Senior Lawrence."
"Ron, you're finished on your side?"
"It's done."
"Good. Then head over to Claude's location. Things there are bad—if he dies, you'll have no way to get the Dark Sonata from him."
Ending the call, Ron took a car Sumas's space on the spot.
"Get in."
The group piled into the vehicle, a touring car with just enough seats. Ponzu, who had spent the least energy in the previous battle, took the wheel. Lawrence's battle continued elsewhere, but it no longer concerned Ron.
"Ron Zoldyck…" Lawrence stood on high ground, watching the car leave, a trace of thought in his eyes. "Impressive. At his age, to have this level of strength, to take down two Spirits with such ease, to command so many complex techniques, and to have a solid team… truly formidable.
"A pity he's from an assassin family. If he had the background of the V5, his potential would be far greater. But as a Zoldyck, he is—after all—only an assassin. And what an assassin can do is extremely limited. Accept the job, kill the target. Even then, choosing the target must be done with extreme care.
"The Zoldycks may be the most feared assassin family in the world, a holy ground for killers, the dream target for challengers seeking fame. Yet for the true great powers, they are nothing more than that."
An S-Class Nen user of the United States of Sahelta had once said the Zoldyck family was, at best, their peer—no more than a fallen neighbor.
The core members of Begrossé's Church felt the same.
That was only within the human continent. If one considered the entire world, including the Dark Continent, the scale shifted.
..........
......
.
In the Library Prison, the Terror Lord noticed the newly imprisoned Witch of Sound. She did not look at him. Once locked into her cell, she fell silent, retreating into herself.
Ron rested briefly before entering the Library Prison himself.
"Are you willing to make a deal?" he asked. "Both of you can earn the chance to live, but in exchange, I need information and intelligence of sufficient value."
He stopped before the Witch of Sound. "I want to know the situation with the Spirits near Claude."
The witch looked up at him. After a moment of silence, she spoke. "To live? To remain locked in here and call that living?"
"At the very least, it's still living, isn't it? So long as you live, there is hope. Once dead, there's nothing. If I reach the Dark Continent in the future, I might release you."
Her expression shifted slightly. "You intend to go to the Dark Continent."
"I will."
"If you go there, help me with one task."
"What task?"
"I can't tell you yet. Only once you've arrived on the Dark Continent."
"If the difficulty of that task matches the value of the intelligence you give me, then fine. I'll agree. Now, tell me your information."
The Witch of Sound nodded. "I don't know the exact situation of the Spirits with Claude's city, but I can tell you how we Spirits are created—and where to begin if you want to deal with us."