While Lux and Itsuka Kotori were hurriedly searching for the Last Boss of this Dungeon Break, elsewhere, the force dispatched by the World Organization was also fighting.
Despite the damage to their electronic equipment, that didn't mean their strength had diminished.
On the contrary, because of it, the assembled Hunter force took the attack seriously!
Every Hunter in the battle formation advanced at full alert, their eyes bearing iron resolve and their hands gripping their weapons tightly.
Even a Rank SS+ Giant could offer no meaningful resistance under the relentless barrage of this special force.
The Giants and octopuses around them were destroyed in just a few strikes!
Blood and thick green fluid splattered into the air, creating a gruesome scene that contrasted with the gray sky.
But the situation changed drastically when Taiyo, the Guild Leader of the Sun Order, appeared with his entire army and attacked the World Organization's formation head-on!
"Guild Leader of the Sun Order! Do you know what the consequences are for attacking World Organization forces!?" shouted one of the commanders, his face a mixture of shock and anger.
Taiyo grinned widely. His eyes glinted with hatred.
"Why should I care?! Die!" he shouted furiously as he pressed his palms together.
Heat energy accumulated between his fingers, forming a miniature sun that pulsed with a dazzling yellowish light.
With a swift motion, he fired the miniature sun at a Rank SSS Hunter who was one of the force's leaders!
๐ฝ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐...!!!
The miniature sun exploded ferociously, its heat wave so extreme that the ocean evaporated instantly.
Water vapor hissed and turned into a thick white fog that blanketed the battlefield.
But as the ocean evaporated, everyone's expression turned to horror at the blackish-purple tentacles ambushing them from the depths!
Dozens, no, hundreds of tentacles emerged from the exposed seabed, moving at a terrifying speed!
๐ฝ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐...!!
Fortunately, the Hunters assembled by the World Organization were no ordinary Hunters.
Though startled, it lasted only a moment before they showed why they were called Top Hunters!
With perfect coordination, attacks of every kind were launched in rapid succession. High-caliber firearms, elemental magic, and bladed weapons coated in holy energyโall were deployed in an impressive orchestra of destruction.
Every tentacle that appeared was crushed without mercy. Combined with the attacks of every Rank SSS Hunter, the sea creatures were helpless under the overwhelming onslaught!
Then, a suffocating silence suddenly fell.
Everyone froze when they heard a terrifying roar from the distance.
A wave of [mana] as thick as a tsunami swept across the area, making everyone's eyes go wide with horror!
"WHOA!-" a Hunter shouted as he staggered backward.
"DAMN, WHAT IS THAT THING?!" shouted another, his face turning pale.
The Hunters couldn't help cursing.
Their fear grew when they saw Hunters of Rank A and below lose consciousness at once, collapsing like puppets with cut strings!
"Damn you, Taiyo! What have you done?!" barked one of the Rank SS Hunters who could still stand.
Taiyo burst into laughter, his voice echoing amid the chaos. "Hahaha!! Are you scared?! I suggest you leave this place!"
His arrogance was plain on his grinning face.
The Hunters who heard this were enraged, their fists clenching until their knuckles turned white.
But unknown to all of them, even Taiyo was sweating coldโbecause he had absolutely no idea what that creature was!
At that moment, a giant dark shadow enveloped their area.
Despite the great thunder booming in the sky, they could still see the silhouette of a fearsome creature standing menacingly in the distance.
Its body reached a height of 300 meters, clad in blackish-gold armor with terrifying ornaments, and it gripped an enormous dark golden sword capable of splitting a mountain in a single swing!
The [mana] pressure it emitted surpassed Rank SSS!
This fact alone made everyone present shudder in fear, their knees trembling uncontrollably.
But what astonished them was not only the presence of that terrifying creature, but the graceful woman who stood facing it without fear!
***
The Rank SSS Giant, or more accurately the Giant King, was not like an ordinary Giant.
If people thought the creature's movements were slow because of its large body, they were greatly mistaken.
Because even with a gigantic body, its speed was no joke at all!
Raiden Ei, who faced it, nearly died several times whenever the Giant King's sword swung, creating waves of dark energy that split the air with a horrifying sound!
But...
The title of Electro Archon was not merely a title either.
๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐ผ๐ผ๐ผ๐๐๐....!!
The grand circle of purple electricity behind Raiden Eiโ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฟ๐ฎ ๐๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฎโbegan to glow brightly, emitting a dazzling purplish light.
Pure electro energy flowed like a river into the graceful woman's body, replenishing her boundless power!
From the darkening sky, dozens of purple thunder dragon heads formed, with glowing eyes and lightning fangs.
Each one was capable of destroying a city and enough to cause instant death to a Rank S+ Hunter!
But to kill the creature before her, Raiden Ei held nothing back!
As for the great damage to the island, the woman didn't care about it at all because...
'This monster must be killed!'
Raiden Ei's expression was extremely cold, and her killing intent spread strongly like a heavy aura enveloping the battlefield.
Having watched Lux be attacked by the Giant King to the brink of death, the goddess's rage had reached its peak!
"๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐...!!"
The disturbing roar drew the attention of the thunder dragons.
Each eastern dragon formed from lightning energy immediately shot forward at lightning speed andโ
๐ฝ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐!!!
The Giant King roared in agony as the lightning dragon heads bit into every part of its body.
Upon biting, the lightning dragons turned into streams of purple energy that spread like an electrical network, destroying the monster from within!
Pained and enraged by this attack, the Giant King seized one of the thunder dragon heads and crushed it with tremendous force as if smashing an eggshell!
But at the same time, a large amount of electro energy began to gather at a single point in the sky.
The Giant King looked up and found a giant slash slowly forming by Raiden Ei's hand.
It was the same technique that had nearly dealt a decisive blow to the Goddess of Life before!
"<<๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ง๐จ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐จ๐ญ๐๐๐ก๐ข>>"
In a soft voice full of authority, the deadly swordsmanship was unleashed! The air seemed to split and time stopped for a moment.
"๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐!"
The Giant King did not sit idle. With its sword made of rare and sturdy material, the creature cloaked it in golden-yellow [mana] and swung it upward to parry!
Purplish-blue energy and golden-yellow [mana] collided in the air and thenโ
๐๐ผ๐ผ๐ผ๐ผ๐ผ๐ผ๐ฝ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐....!!!
The two attacks clashed and instantly devastated the surrounding area.
Trees were uprooted, the ground cracked and split, and a shockwave spread in every direction!
Unlike the previous battle against the Goddess of Life, this time no dimensional rift symbol appearedโshowing that Raiden Ei's attack was not yet enough to defeat the Giant King.
But it didn't matter.
If one attack wasn't enough, then how about dozens?
As a goddess of lightning, Raiden Ei's body was fundamentally blessed with endless energy and stamina.
Which meant... she could continue this protracted battle without tiring!
"<<๐๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ง ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ง๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง>>"
Raiden Ei raised her sword high toward the sky.
In an instant, countless purple lightning orbs began to appear around her, spinning like living constellations.
One by one, the energy orbs shot toward the Giant King!
Seeing this, the Giant King merely roared in anger and its gigantic body flickeredโvanishing from sight for a moment!
The creature's speed was truly extraordinary, because in an instant it was very close to Raiden Ei!
But as the monster entered the domain of the lightning orbs, Raiden Ei's gaze flashed coldly.
Powered by the strongly pulsing Chakra Desiderata, Raiden Ei began gathering energy for another Musou no Hitotachi!
Time and space seemed to stop as a great slash of extraordinary breadth spread out, directly attempting to erase the Giant King's existence in a single strike!
The attack was so astonishing that the electro energy it contained disrupted the weather across all of Cthulhu Island!
Black clouds swirled ferociously, lightning flashed everywhere, and hurricane winds blew fiercely.
The damage caused was unstoppable. The vast island was inadvertently cut into several pieces by Raiden Ei's attack!
๐ฝ๐๐ผ๐ผ๐ผ๐ผ๐ผ๐ผ๐๐๐๐....!!
Another surprise came when the Giant King, who was expected to be destroyed, was still standing!
Although its body was smoking and parts of its black armor were cracked, the creature had not fallen!
The Giant King swung its sword brutally and at that moment, countless sharp, deadly slashes in the form of dark energy waves began bombarding Raiden Ei from every direction!
But in response, Raiden Ei merely murmured softly in a cold, calm voice.
"<<๐๐๐๐ซ๐๐ญ ๐๐ซ๐ญ - ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ฌ๐๐ญ๐ฌ๐ฎ>>"
A purple electro explosion, multiplied many times over by Chakra Desiderata, erupted like a supernova in the middle of the battle.
A single swing of the woman's blade created a series of interlocking lightning slashes, forming a web of death!
Even space and air seemed to be torn apart under this devastating attack! Small dimensional cracks opened and closed along the path of her slashes.
The clash of sword flashes between the two mighty beings shook Cthulhu Island to its foundations, even creating tsunami waves again and again without pause!
"<<๐๐๐ฆ๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ก๐๐๐ฅ>>"
Not stopping there, Raiden Ei released two wide, high-speed slashes!
Her body moved so fast that only a purple shadow could be seen!
Her body seemed to spin like a storm, and a ring of energy with sharp electro currents swept over the Giant King's entire body without mercy!
Blackish-green blood sprayed from the Giant King's wounds, spreading like acid rain that corroded everything it touched.
Even Raiden Ei felt disgusted by the filthy fluid.
Explosion after explosion was produced. Raiden Ei's deadly strikes scorched the entire surrounding area!
Split earth, boiling sea, and cracked skyโa scene of a small apocalypse was created on Cthulhu Island.
As if repeating the destruction of the Life Forest, Cthulhu Island was gradually turning into barren land that would never be habitable again!
But even so...
'It's not as strong as that goddess, but its armor and physical strength are formidable...'
This was becoming a heavier task than expected.
Raiden Ei realized she had to produce a single decisive blow lethal enough to pierce the armor and cripple the Giant King at once.
Of course, it wasn't impossible. It was just that the amount of electro energy required was far greater than she had estimated.
'Leave this to me.'
A cold, emotionless voice suddenly sounded in Raiden Ei's mind.
'You...' Raiden Ei narrowed her eyes, her tone in her thoughts no less cold. 'What do you mean?'
'I have received an order from him to activate this form. So let me take over this time.'
Raiden Ei pouted slightly at the statement, but in a critical situation like this, she had no choice but to nod in agreement. 'Don't take too long.'
'This is my body. So I am free to do whatever I want,' said the emotionless voice in a flat tone.
Raiden Ei was slightly irritated and wanted to object that she was the one who had created this body, but she had no time to argue as her consciousness was slowly returned to the subconscious.
Raiden Ei's gaze, which had held a little emotion at first, now turned almost expressionless, cold and stiff like a doll's.
Raiden Eiโno, now Raiden Shogun, the puppet consciousness of Raiden Eiโtook over the body completely.
Staring 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, which radiated like a purple sun behind her back.
Considering the monster's absurd durability, almost no significant damage could be seen, but Raiden Shogun's original intent was not to wound. This was merely the beginning.
In a cold tone capable of freezing blood, the emotionless being posed a questionโฆ
"๐๐ฟ๐ฒ... ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ผ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ป๐ถ๐๐?"
In answer, the monster's roar was instantly deafening, followed by a swing of its giant sword, now coated in golden-yellow [mana] so dense and heavy!
"<<๐๐๐ ๐๐ญ๐ฌ๐ฎ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐๐ค๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ฎ๐ค๐๐ฆ๐ข ๐ง๐จ ๐๐ข๐ค๐จ๐ญ๐จ>>"
๐ฝ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐...!!!
Time seemed to stop after that sentence was uttered.
For a moment, not a single creature could move as a tremendous burst of thunder boomed across the entire sky!
๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐ผ๐ผ๐ผ๐ผ๐๐๐....!!
On the Genshin Impact forums, there was an opinion that Raiden Shogun under certain conditions might be stronger than Raiden Ei herself.
This claim was not without reason.
Besides all of her skills being essentially perfect replicas of Raiden Ei's... Raiden Shogun also had a special form accessible only to herโฆ
The exclusive form, '๐ ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฎ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ ๐ก๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ธ๐ฎ๐บ๐ถ ๐ป๐ผ ๐ ๐ถ๐ธ๐ผ๐๐ผ'.
It was the final form of Raiden Shogun as a puppet created to punish rebels, those who dared defy the eternal rule of electro.
The goddess's appearance changed drastically.
The Chakra Desiderata, originally a circle behind her back, now metamorphosed into a pair of towering energy horns.
A pair of giant golem hands radiating electro energy appeared, becoming the support and footing of the puppet goddess.
Those giant electro hands were the result of Raiden Ei's pure energy, condensed.
One of the hands was like giant armor directly gripping the sword Musou Isshin in a much larger version.
Opening her eyes, which had been closed for a moment, ceaseless flashes of lightning crossed her beautiful pupils, which now glowed with a purple light.
๐ฝ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐....!!
Seemingly endless energy ferociously filled the entire surface of the land.
Wave after wave swept over everything, creating cracks in the ground and vaporizing seawater within a radius of tens of kilometers.
Cruel and merciless.
That was the emotion radiating from the puppet goddess's gaze.
The goddess's tremendous presence made the skin of anyone who felt it bleed, so sharp was the deadly aura she emitted!
Staring at the Giant King with a cold gaze, Raiden Shogun blinked once andโ
๐๐๐ผ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐!!!
A deadly electro-powered slash split sky and earth in two!
Even the sea, originally blackish-blue, turned bright purple as Raiden Shogun's slash reached a radius of tens of kilometers!
The energy wave split the horizon like a hot knife through butter!
The giant puppet hand gripping the Great Musou Isshin was filled with electro energy so intense that the air around it vibrated and warped!
The Giant King, utterly unable to keep up with the speed of Raiden Shogun's sword stroke, stood stunned in shock.
Its slashed chest immediately gushed blackish blood in torrents!
Streams of electro energy seeped into the Giant King's body like poison, adding a burning pain to every cell from within!
But instead of fear or surrender, the Giant King howled with ever-burning rage!
In a desperate motion, it shed part of its damaged armor and hurled it into the sea, then prepared to launch a counterattack with all its strength!
"<<๐๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฃ๐ซ๐'๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฌ>>"
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.
Thenโ
๐๐๐๐๐๐...!! ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐๐๐...!!
Like a purifying seal, the three great totems released concentrated electro waves that caused massive damage both inside and outside the Giant King's body!
All of the Giant King's internal organs exploded one by one as lightning strikes and energy waves kept pounding its body gradually!
The giant body shook violently, its skin cracking and peeling, revealing black flesh beneath!
At the same time, other Giants and tentacles emerged from the cracks in the ground around the battlefield.
They looked panicked, as if trying to flee from something far more terrifying.
And their fear was not without reason, because suddenly, an attack resembling a golden laser ferociously wiped out the Giants and tentacles in an instant!
Sensing this familiar aura, Raiden Shogun unconsciously glanced toward the source of the attack.
A familiar silhouette was visible in the distance.
A girl in an elegant black dress with a pair of angel-like wings, followed by a huge creature resembling a giant drill.
It was Takamiya Mayuri in the final form of her Angel, Lahathelev.
Just like Raiden Shogun, Takamiya Mayuri also glanced at the grown woman with a slightly surprised look.
After all, the goddess's power was so immense and seemingly limitlessโeven exceeding her own.
Though there was curiosity and a hint of... 'hostility' implied between them, the two powerful beings remained focused on their respective opponents without exchanging a word.
"๐๐ฅ๐ข๐๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ!!!"
With unbelievable tenacity and vitality, the Giant King managed to obliterate all the giant totems confining it while clutching its head, which was nearly bursting from the electro pressure.
Meanwhile, not far from there, Takamiya Mayuri did not stop destroying every Giant and tentacle that appeared around her.
The Giants could be destroyed easily by Takamiya Mayuri's power, but as for the King of Cthulhu itselfโthe true ruler of this islandโit was very difficult for Takamiya Mayuri to kill it permanently.
Besides its giant tentacles popping up everywhere, Takamiya Mayuri had not yet seen the true body of the King of Cthulhu itself.
Of course, based on her intuition, Takamiya Mayuri realized that the giant octopus-shaped monster was hiding beneath this island, perhaps fused with the island's foundation itself.
But killing it would mean destroying the entire island, something the Spirit could not do considering Lux and the others were still there.
Because of this, Takamiya Mayuri had to think of a strategy to lure the King of Cthulhu out of hiding.
But it seemed her plan was no longer needed because...
๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐ผ๐ผ๐ผ๐ผ๐๐๐...!!!
A tremendous thunderous explosion accompanied by a purple electro gust began to gather at a single point in the sky.
Growing denser and denser, it created a terrifying vortex of energy.
As time passed, sea, sky, and land alike underwent extreme weather changes as a stretch of purple electro filled every corner of the horizon.
Within a radius of tens of kilometers, every inch of territoryโopen or hiddenโfell within the reach of the Archon's supernatural senses!
The armored puppet hand holding the Great Musou Isshin began to tremble violently.
The pile of electro energy was so massive that anyone who looked directly at it would go permanently blind!
Raiden Shogun, in her prime condition, stared with a cruel gaze that pierced the soul.
And now, the true majesty of the puppet goddess of lightning would be shown in full...
Strands of purple lightning merged one by one, forming a symphony both beautiful and frightening.
All the electric energy in the area was absorbed without remainder by the Great Musou Isshin until the sword glowed with a purple light so intense it was almost white.
And it was then... that the entire world suddenly went pitch dark, as if all the light in the universe had been swallowed...
"<<๐๐ก๐ ๐ ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฅ... ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ>>"
A glimmer of purple light appeared in the absolute darkness.
At that very moment, the ultimate "one slash one kill" attack was unleashed without mercy or compassion.
The entire sky rumbled terrifyingly, followed by a burst of energy stretching endlessly!
Lightning flashed from every direction, supporting the main attack launched by Raiden Shogun!
As proof of her ultimate power, the clash of energy looked like the friction of yin and yang, two opposing forces that could never merge, yet were forced to combine in tremendous chaos!
๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐ผ๐ผ๐ผ๐ผ๐ผ๐๐๐๐....!! ๐ฝ๐๐ผ๐ผ๐ผ๐ผ๐ผ๐ผ๐ผ๐ผ๐๐๐๐....!
The final slash, like the wrath of the strongest goddess from the heavens, struck squarely.
That attack literally erased everything in its path instantly!
Land, sea, sky, monstersโnone could withstand the absolute destruction.
Everything was erased from existence.
The Giant King, even with all of its power and durability, could not survive a single second when exposed to that ultimate attack!
Its formerly sturdy defense became as fragile as thin glass because its [mana] was reduced to zero in an instant by Raiden Shogun's slash!
Under her ultimate attack, every kind of defense became meaninglessโeven the strongest armor was no more than a scrap of paper!
And in the distance, explosions resembling supernatural atomic bombs occurred in succession without stopping!
Not ordinary explosions, but ones filled with deadly waves and radiation in the form of electro energy whose intensity did not diminish even after traveling a great distance!
Even dozens of satellites in outer space suffered severe damage while trying to detect and record this supernatural phenomenon!
Along with the tremendous explosion, a dimensional rift bearing the Electro Archon's distinctive symbolโthree fused lightning flashesโformed in the sky!
The rift was enormous and spread over tens of kilometers, revealing a gap into another dimension filled with eternal purple lightning.
The power within was so dense that anyone who dared approach within a few meters died instantly.
"Fuh..."
A heavy exhale accompanied Raiden Shogun's form slowly returning to normal.
The purple electric light enveloping her body faded, leaving behind a graceful, cold figure as before.
The grown woman's body looked weakened.
The attack just nowโthe strongest she had ever unleashedโhad drained most of her strength.
Though her energy and stamina were limitless, creating an attack that surpassed even Musou no Hitotachi was no easy matter.
For a moment, the Electro Archon feared even by gods became as weak as a Rank A Hunter.
Cold sweat ran down her temples, her breath ragged from bearing the pressure of the energy she had just released.
But the battle was not over.
The sea surface churned violently.
Giant waves emerged from the distance as the King of Cthulhu, which had been hiding behind the island all this time, suddenly shot out from its hiding place in a panic!
Its colossal body moved at unexpected speed, leaving a tremendous whirlpool behind it.
The creatureโclassified as a Rank SSS Magical Beastโgrowled in fear at the destruction brought by Raiden Shogun's slash.
Its tentacles moved wildly, trying to escape the death approaching it.
Only, the giant creature did not realize that Takamiya Mayuri had been waiting for this moment all along, hiding behind the clouds with watchful eyes following its every movement.
"Come... <<๐๐๐ก๐๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฅ๐๐ฏ>>"
Her voice was gentle yet held firmness.
Instantly, the air around her trembled. High-intensity particles of reiryoku began to gather, dancing around the drill-shaped tip of Lahathelev.
A dazzling golden light appeared, spinning faster and faster until it formed a deadly spiral of energy.
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐...!!! ๐ฝ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐...!!
The golden light shot out like a comet, piercing the clouds and air at a speed the eye could not catch.
Though not as terrifying as Raiden Shogun's slash, the attack was still deadly, a spear of light powered by golden lightning that flew straight and unstoppable.
The King of Cthulhu did not even have time to let out its final roar as its colossal body was pierced by the blinding light.
In an instant, the creature vanished along with every object behind itโforming a perfect path of destruction as far as the eye could see.
But amid this victory, Takamiya Mayuri furrowed her brow.
Her eyes caught an anomalyโa thin barrier that had blocked part of her attack's power...
"You should kill them so as not to leave any witnesses," Raiden Shogun said without emotion.
Her cold eyes looked toward the group of humans in the distance, the Hunters who had witnessed the entire event with wide eyes.
Takamiya Mayuri fell silent for a moment, gazing into Raiden Shogun's eyes, cold as eternal ice.
"Not everything has to be solved with killingโฆ"
Raiden Shogun replied only with a cold stare before turning away, her purple kimono fluttering in the sea wind thick with the scent of salt and death.
Takamiya Mayuri sighed slowly, then flapped her wings gracefully.
Her body, wrapped in a soft glow, began moving toward the group of Hunter troops still frozen in the distance...
***
"Are you all all right?"
The gentle voice broke the tension among the Hunters, who were still trembling from witnessing the devastation before them.
"Y-yes..." one of them answered haltingly, still trying to stand upright on the ship rocked by the shockwaves.
The Rank SSS Hunter, Kilin, stared at the remains of the explosion, which still billowed purple-red steam.
His usually upright body was now slightly hunched, bearing the mental burden of what he had just witnessed.
Beside him, the five other Rank SS Hunters were also silent, with complicated expressionsโa mixture of awe, fear, and disbelief.
Even for themโthe world's eliteโit was very hard to imagine how to create destruction on this scale.
Taiyo, the Hunter who had recently joined the World Organization, could only gape with his mouth half open.
His memory drifted to his first meeting with Takamiya Mayuriโhow much he had underestimated that girl. Now, he wanted to slap himself for his foolishness.
"That was close..." muttered Laura Silver,
A Rank SS Hunter with long silver hair that now looked disheveled. She still remembered the terrifying moment when Takamiya Mayuri's attack had nearly wiped them all out.
Only thanks to the combined power of all the top-tier Hunters had they managed to block part of the attack.
In the sky, the Electro dimensional symbol with three lightning flashes still glowed, reminding everyone of the terrifying power they had just witnessed.
A power capable of annihilating a being above Rank SSS in a single move...
"Get ready," Laura Silver said suddenly, her body tensing as she detected an approaching presence.
All the Hunters immediately took defensive positions.
Some gripped their weapons tightly, while others prepared defensive spells.
And amid that tension, a figure as beautiful as a nymph appeared, floating down slowly and gracefully.
Her beauty almost made them forget the danger, but the presence of the giant winged drill-like creature behind herโLahathelevโquickly brought them back to their senses.
Takamiya Mayuri landed gently before them without making the slightest sound.
The sea wind caressed her long hair, creating a scene that contrasted elegance with the terrifying power she possessed.
"You are...?" she asked in a gentle tone laden with surprise.
Her pink eyes radiated curiosity at the presence of a group of humans in such a dangerous place.
Laura Silver, appointed as the group's spokesperson, stepped forward calmly though her heart pounded.
"We are the Special Forces under the World Organization," she answered in a controlled voice. "We were dispatched to investigate the energy anomaly detected on this island."
She glanced briefly at Taiyo with a cold look, making him turn his face away in guilt.
"Ah... I see," Takamiya Mayuri nodded slowly.
"You should all leave this place at once. The danger level far exceeds your imagination."
Those words, though spoken gently, were like a whip lashing the pride of some of the Hunters.
They frowned, feeling offended. On one hand, they understood that Takamiya Mayuri was concerned for their safety, but on the other, her words seemed to say they were too weak to help.
"We know we're not as strong as you," said one of the Rank SS Hunters in a voice trembling with suppressed emotion.
His tall, sturdy body hunched slightly as he met the Spirit's gaze directly. "But... we're not that weak."
Takamiya Mayuri looked at them in oppressive silence.
Her usually calm eyes now narrowed.
"I understand how you feel," she finally said. "As part of the Top Hunters, pride is an important thing, but..." She paused for a moment, her eyes glinting sharply. "Suicide is not something to be proud of."
Those words struck them like a cold wave, making the atmosphere tense.
A suffocating silence enveloped the group before one of the Rank SS Hunters lost his patience.
"Don't look down on us!" he shouted, his voice trembling with anger.
"Just because you have that terrifying creature," He pointed at Lahathelev, floating silently, "you think you can say whatever you like?!"
The other Hunters fell silent, not daring to intervene, yet in their hearts agreeing with the statement. Their pride as elite Hunters was at stake.
The Rank SSS Hunter, Kilin, who had been silent all this time, finally let out a heavy sigh.
As the leader, he had to maintain a balance between honor and his team's safety.
"We apologize, Miss Spirit," he said in a diplomatic tone.
"We understand that you are worried for our safety because there are dangerous creatures we must be wary of, but... Shouldn't the one we should be wary of be you?"
Kilin's statement made the atmosphere even heavier.
The Hunters gasped, some fearing the consequences of their leader's bold words.
After all, provoking hostility with a being whose power was far above Rank SSS was not a wise move.
But behind that fear lay a conviction that theyโa gathering of Top Huntersโcould not possibly suffer a total defeat.
The two sides stared at each other in oppressive silence. The sea wind blew hard, breaking the tension that seemed thick enough to cut with a knife.
Suddenly, Takamiya Mayuri's expression changed.
The pupils of her pink eyes shrank drastically and a flash of panic was clearly visible on her usually calm face.
"No... This is dangerous!" Her voice turned sharp and urgent.
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐...!!
Without further warning, Takamiya Mayuri's wings flapped hard, followed by Lahathelev moving at incredible speed.
In an instant, the two had become small dots in the distance, leaving the Hunters in confusion.
"Haah... You really did something crazy, Kilin," said one of the Rank SS Hunters with a sigh of relief, patting his colleague's shoulder.
Kilin did not answer, only clenching his still-trembling fist.
Though relieved, another worry began to emerge in his mind.
What could have caused a Spirit as powerful as Takamiya Mayuri to show such panic?
While they were still wondering...
๐ฝ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐....!!
"WHAโ"
A tremendous shock struck their sea vessels, forcing the Hunters to hold on tight so as not to be thrown into the sea.
A great wave rose from the distance, followed by aftershocks that shook the entire area.
But more terrifying was the extraordinarily dense wave of [mana] that followedโso thick it made their breath catch in their throats!
Hunters of Rank S and below immediately fell to their knees, their bodies trembling violently under the suffocating energy pressure.
Only the Rank SS Hunters could still endure, though with pale faces and ragged breathing.
The sky, once bright blue, turned dark, adorned with a swirl of blackish-purple clouds spinning at a terrifying speed.
In the center of the vortex, a giant eye seemed to open, gazing at the world with eternal hatred.
"W-what is that..." whispered one of the Hunters, his voice barely audible amid the roar of the strong wind.
***
"Heh... So this is a Rank Unknown Magical Beast?"
Lux stared at the devastated scenery around him.
Countless lines of death converged and moved wildly, creating a panorama of destruction beyond the limits of imagination.
He tried to rise, only to realize bitterly that both of his legs had vanished somewhere.
Losing limbs was no longer surprising to him. He had been through too many battles to be startled by pain.
But this time, something was differentโsomething that made him truly feel real fear.
๐๐ข๐ฌ...
The sound of dripping blood broke the silence.
The light in Lux's right eye began to dim slowly.
"For a moment, I hoped..." he whispered weakly, staring at the terrifying figure before him.
The creature was beyond any category he had ever encountered.
As proof of how terrifying this opponent was, all of Lux's character templates had vanished, erased by a power that surpassed the laws of the world itself.
Before him stood a humanoid figure with pale skin and a tall, slender body.
But black tentacles writhed from its back, moving wildly as if searching for prey to tear apart.
The creature's eyesโif they could be called eyesโwere black holes that absorbed light, radiating nothing but absolute emptiness.
That was it... ๐ง๐ฟ๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐ต๐๐น๐ต๐.
With his eyes closed, Lux took his final breath before whispering to himself.
"...Come, I'll rest for a while."
The air around him trembled.
Particles of light began to gather, dancing around his gravely wounded body.
[๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด! ๐๐ป๐๐๐ฎ๐น๐น ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ง๐ฒ๐บ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ใ๐๐ถ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฎ ๐๐ฎ๐๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฎ - ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐๐ฐ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฉ๐ผ๐ถ๐ฑ : โฏโฏโฏโฏโฏใ]
[๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด! ๐ฆ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ถ๐ป๐๐๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป...]
A faint smile appeared on Lux's face before his consciousness vanished into a sea of dazzling white light.
And what happened after that, he no longer remembered.