Chapter 66
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The information available for disclosure:
"The Phantom of Onoko arises when one of the heirs of the three clans (Raimo, Silano, Raipozi) dies but refuses to abandon the person they love. At that point, the heir contracts with that person, leading to a spiritual bond between them. The heir becomes as if they have transformed into the Onoko Phantom, linked to the body of the contractor. This bond is seen as a curse, as the Onoko becomes a part of the contractor, able to be summoned at will, and serves them as a servant.
The Onoko retains the clan techniques that the heir belongs to, but in a stronger, more advanced form without restrictions. However, this contract can only be broken by death. While some believe the Onoko is merely a continuation of the original heir, it is, in fact, only an echo of them, preserving their memories and will, but being an entirely different entity.
It is said that some ancient tales hint at alternative ways to break free from the Onoko curse, though these have not been proven. While some people see the Onoko as a blessing, granting them unparalleled power, others view them as an eternal curse from which there is no escape."
—
Inside Onoko Alex's body
Inside this metallic form, Katya stood, fully immersed in the essence of Onoko, while the echo of her voice emerged in Onoko's deep tone, saying:
"Any last words, you rapist... SUERO RASHID?!"
But Suero didn't reply. He continued to stare at her with sharp eyes, while Nicola, Hyona, and Onoko Yamato stood beside him. Above them, the airships hovered, and on the ground, Leo stood next to Onoko Alex.
The atmosphere was charged, everyone on edge... the coming battle would determine the fate of many.
Suero stood in the middle of the arena, his eyes scanning the surroundings cautiously, his thoughts racing: "Where is she?!" He sensed that something was off. He continued to sweep his gaze around until his eyes met Onoko Alex's. He stared sharply at her, and in his mind, he deduced:
"She's not here... This means she used the Spiritual Fusion technique... She's inside Onoko."
Suero muttered in a steady but firm voice:
"Hyona, Nicola."
The two listened to him, their eyes speaking of seriousness. Suero continued, a flash of vengeful lightning igniting in his eyes:
"Let's fight, guys!"
In an instant, everyone moved at the speed of sound. Suero and Onoko Yamato charged toward Onoko Alex, while Nicola rushed toward Leo. As for Hyona, she remained still, observing cautiously, preparing for the right moment.
On the other side, Onoko Alex and Leo didn't stand idly by. They rushed forward with equal speed, resulting in a violent collision that shook the earth.
Onoko Yamato landed a tremendous punch toward Onoko Alex, the massive force behind her strike shattering the surrounding windows, and the sound thundered through the city. In that moment, blue sparks danced around Suero's body as he charged at Onoko Alex's chest, his hand extended, his voice low but resolute:
"SHRINE EXPLOSIONS."
Suddenly, the sparks concentrated in the palm of his hand, then exploded like a deadly storm that engulfed Onoko Alex's entire body, before erupting with a seismic force, in the blink of an eye.
Onoko Yamato moved quickly, grabbed Suero, and pulled him away from the explosion's center. The shockwave rocked the area, the ground cracked, and a terrifying red light illuminated the arena. Everyone stared in awe and fear at the scene, while Suero remained standing in Onoko Yamato's palm, watching the flames' reflection on his face with stillness.
The narrator's voice rose calmly and seriously:
"Shrine Explosions: One of the Blue Magic techniques, it is an extension of the Shrine Punch, but it works in a different way. Instead of concentrating the strike on a single point, the power is distributed throughout the entire body of the opponent, making it weaker but causing temporary paralysis, as the opponent receives blows all over their body."
As Suero stared at Onoko Alex, Onoko Yamato raised her other hand, palm directed toward her. A purple energy began to gather, the place lighting up like a massive flash. Suddenly, a purple laser beam shot out with incredible speed. The entire area glowed, but before the laser reached its target, the sparks froze mid-air, suspended in a majestic sight.
From the midst of the flames, Onoko Alex emerged, her body unharmed. She looked at Suero, then Katya's voice rang out from within her:
"You won't leave here without paying the price!"
Suero's expression remained unchanged. He stayed calm, watching her without hesitation.
In a flash, Onoko Alex lunged forward, the ground cracking beneath her feet from the sheer force of her charge. Onoko Yamato turned to Suero and asked quickly:
"Should I stop her? Should I destroy the place?!"
Suero responded seriously, his voice devoid of any hesitation:
"No. Our goal was only to declare war, wasn't it?"
Onoko Yamato halted her attack for a moment as Onoko Alex rapidly closed in, her massive fist crashing down toward Suero. But he leapt high at the last second, vanishing from her path. At the same time, Onoko Yamato disappeared as if she had never been there, leaving Onoko Alex striking only air.
Suero landed on Onoko Alex's enormous arm and began running along it. She turned toward him, trying to catch up. She raised her other fist to crush him, but he jumped again, soaring through the air, then twisted midair to fall directly onto her head—his fist glowing with red sparks, his eyes narrowing in focus.
He roared in fury:
"SHRINE PUNCH!"
His punch struck the top of Onoko Alex's head with tremendous force. The explosion echoed loudly, and a violent windstorm swept through the area. Her metallic skin began to crack before it completely gave way under the pressure of his blow.
A piercing scream tore through the air as Suero's hand broke through Onoko Alex's body. He grabbed something inside—Katya's hair. With a savage motion, he yanked her out, hurling her far away. Her body slammed violently into a building, shattering its walls.
Before Katya could even process what had happened, Onoko Yamato dashed toward her and landed a massive kick with her giant foot. Katya's body burst through the wall, flying out the other side and crashing into another house. She collapsed to the ground, motionless—blood covered her face, and her arm was severed.
Leo gasped and screamed:
"Lady Katya!"
But Nicola was already behind him, his fist flickering with transparent sparks. He shouted as he launched his strike:
"SAITROMA PUNCH!"
Suddenly, Leo felt something invisible slam into his body. The immense force hurled him backward, crashing him into a house wall and creating a massive crater as dust and debris exploded outward.
Nicola rose slowly, his eyes glowing with determination, approaching Leo cautiously—while the narrator's voice rose once more:
"The Saitroma Technique: grants the user the ability of remote impact. Once the user punches the air, the blow travels through space and reaches the target with the same power as a direct strike—as if the target had been physically hit."
—
Above the Phantom of Onoko Alex
The Onoko's body began to crumble piece by piece. Suero stared at it with calm yet intense eyes, thinking to himself:
"It's disappearing... or rather, returning to the girl's body. But she won't be able to use it for a while. I've succeeded in taking her out!"
He stepped back slightly, his gaze falling upon Onoko Yamato, still standing in the same spot where she had kicked Katya. His eyes, blazing with resolve, reflected the lights of destruction spreading across Marun City, where the entire stage had turned into rubble and dust. The battlefield was now nothing but scattered ashes dancing in the air.
---
Near the battlefield – Inside a house – Within a tunnel
Maria was staying inside that tunnel, trying to make sense of what was happening above. In her mind, she wondered:
"There must be a fierce battle raging above me! Otherwise, these violent tremors wouldn'tbe shaking the tunnel like this!"
Suddenly, the upper hatch of the tunnel opened. She quickly lifted her head to see the silhouette of a soldier standing there. Her eyes widened for a moment as the soldier shouted in surprise:
"Captain Maria?! Are you alright?!"
Maria responded firmly from the bottom of the tunnel:
"Quick! Help me up!"
The soldier threw a rope down into the tunnel. Maria grabbed it tightly and began to climb swiftly until she reached the top, where the soldier extended his hand and pulled her out. Maria stood there, panting lightly, brushing the dust and dirt from her clothes before asking curiously:
"How did you know I was here?"
The soldier looked at her and replied:
"Leo had his doubts. When Elder Arkadius began his speech, he told me to follow that soldier. His instincts were right—he set a trap for you!"
Maria paused for a moment, then a sly smile formed on her lips. With a touch of childish wonder, she said:
"Strange! This is the first time I've seen that gloomy guy actually use his brain!"
The soldier looked confused and asked:
"Excuse me?"
Maria patted his shoulder with a sarcastic chuckle and said:
"Don't worry about it!"
Then she turned and walked toward the tunnel's exit, leaving the puzzled soldier staring after her.
---
Outside – On top of a rooftop
Marshal Chris was watching the battlefield intently, declaring in a low but resolute voice:
"Lady Katya is finished."
Terror spread across the faces of the surrounding soldiers. One of them muttered with a trembling voice:
"We're done for... How can we face that demon Suero Rashid?!"
But Chris kept his eyes on the battlefield, analyzing the situation before giving a calm yet firm order:
"Find Captain Raizo and Captain Maria!"
One of the soldiers nodded and began to run toward the building's exit, but he barely took a few steps before a green-sparking arrow pierced through his chest in a flash, tearing him apart instantly. His eyes widened in shock before his body collapsed like a broken puppet, leaving behind a pool of blood beneath him.
Everyone froze in horror. Marshal Chris quickly turned his head, raising his gaze along with the other soldiers, searching for the source of the attack. And there, on a rooftop across from them, stood a man with black hair, wearing a green cloak fluttering in the wind. His sharp features were devoid of any expression...
It was Moryo Raiso.
Behind him stood Mr. Oda, staring at them with a cold silence. One of the soldiers trembled before Marshal Chris shouted, directing his question toward the man in the green cloak:
"Who are you, you damned bastard?!"
But Moryo showed no reaction, remaining silent until Mr. Oda stepped forward and raised his right hand calmly. He then muttered in a quiet but power-charged voice:
"Barrier Technique!"
In an instant, a transparent shield formed around everyone, trapping Marshal Chris and his troops inside an invisible dome. One of the soldiers slammed his fist angrily against the barrier and screamed in frustration:
"Let us out, you damned cowards!"
Meanwhile, Oda stepped back as Moryo finally looked at him and spoke in a cold tone:
"This technique... it's the same one you used to save us from the annihilation, isn't it?"
Oda nodded in confirmation:
"Yes. My technique can generate a barrier strong enough to withstand a force of up to 1,000 tons!"
Moryo's face showed no change, but he muttered softly:
"Interesting..."
---
On Top of a rooftop
Maria opened the door of the house, and as her arm transformed into pink wings, she soared into the sky and landed on a rooftop. Her gaze turned toward the battlefield.
Destruction engulfed the area... She saw the Phantom of Onoko Alex and Onoko Yamato, while Leo lay on the ground and Nicola was approaching him. Maria's eyes widened in shock, and she murmured:
"What happened here?!"
But before she could process the scene, a massive explosion echoed in the distance, flames rising into the sky and shaking the very earth beneath. The eerie red light reflected over the city of Marun, prompting Maria to mutter in astonishment:
"WHAT... WHAT ON EARTH IS HAPPENING HERE?!"
---
At the Site of the Explosion
The glow of the explosion gradually faded, revealing a man walking through the flames as if mockingly dancing. A constant smirk played on his face, and his white hair swayed with the wind. He muttered sarcastically:
"Oh my… I didn't expect the 'Spacetime Hollow' to be this powerful! When I used it in the Containment Realm, I never felt its overwhelming force like I do now… in the real world!"
He continued walking with a mocking tone—before suddenly vanishing… leaving only a trail of swirling dust behind.
He was the sorcerer, Sbyam Brius.
---
On the Battlefield
Hyona was observing the battle when a voice called out next to her:
"Oi!"
She turned sharply, only to see a man standing beside her, smiling as he looked out over the battlefield. He whispered with a mocking tone:
"My students are truly frightening."
Hyona's eyes widened in shock, and she murmured:
"SBYAM BRIUS…!!"
---
On Top of Another rooftop
Maria watched the scene closely, then whispered to herself:
"I think that man is the cause of the explosion… but just how much power does he possess?!"
As she scanned the battlefield, she suddenly froze… her expression shifted into utter shock, and her eyes filled with disbelief as she saw Suero place his palm on the body of the Phantom of Onoko Yamato… and in an instant, Yamato vanished from existence, as if she had never been there at all!
Maria murmured in disbelief:
"Mr. Brown…?! What is he doing here?! And how does he have a Phantom of Onoko?!"
Suddenly, her eyes widened even more, and her mouth opened in silent astonishment before she whispered, stunned:
"Wait a second…! Could it be… Mr. Brown is… SUERO RASHID?!"
She kept staring at him in disbelief, unable to process what she was seeing, her face fully overwhelmed with shock.
End of Chapter.