"Vantora City, cleared."
Firewing stood atop a massive tiger wreathed in roaring flames, countless fire-type summons prowling beneath him. The ground was littered with the corpses of mutant beasts.
"Ningcheng, cleared."
Nathaniel Gray toyed with a strangely shaped fruit in his hand, speaking in a calm, detached tone.
"Beijiang, cleared."
William Mecham adjusted his glasses and resumed his research. Behind him lay heaps of dead mutant beasts, and if one looked closely, faint silver traces could be seen upon their hides.
…
The battles had ended.
With the appearance of Huaxia's true prodigies—those who had already shone during the first great awakening—now transformed again through the second tide of spiritual energy, the rampaging beasts had been crushed like brittle twigs.
The sheer power they displayed filled countless hearts with awe and fear.
Yes, all were ability users now. But compared to these chosen talents, their abilities seemed like candle flames against the sun.
Of course, Huaxia had too many cities, and too few true prodigies capable of dominating a battlefield. In most places, once the citizens had been evacuated, the task of purging fell to modern weaponry.
In many cities, one could see heavily armed soldiers, columns of armored tanks, and the relentless thunder of artillery.
For now, this was still humanity's era. The cities were still human cities.
No matter how vast or terrifying the beast tides, they could not overturn mankind. It was only a matter of time before they were exterminated.
…
Far away in the remote mountains, a massive crimson tiger stood upon a cliff, its gaze fixed on the distant glow of human civilization.
Its eyes burned with majesty, but also a hint of conflict.
Once, it had been human. A man.
Until a car accident had hurled his soul into the body of a wild tiger.
He had thought he would live out his days as a beast. But then came the revival of spiritual energy. Fortune had smiled on him, granting him a formidable ability—Sacred Flame.
It was said to be the power of the phoenix itself. Not only did it burn with searing heat, but it allowed him to preserve his consciousness through a cycle of rebirth.
But unlike what he had imagined, this "phoenix rebirth" did not repair injuries and restore his body. Instead, it preserved his mind and transplanted it into the body of another tiger, like a forced reincarnation.
It wasn't what he expected—but it meant he would not die.
As for the tiger whose body he had claimed? That wasn't his concern.
Yet the Sacred Flame was too mighty for his vessel. Unable to withstand its full power, his body had sealed most of it away, releasing it only gradually to temper his strength. Upon his brow now burned a lotus-shaped brand of flame.
He had lived peacefully in a nature reserve—until he encountered a man and a woman. At first, he had meant to flee. But the instant he saw the man, bloodlust and rage boiled up, and he had nearly tried to devour him.
His vision went black. When it cleared again, he was in a new body.
And the second tide of spiritual energy had already arrived.
There was no doubt—he had died. Somehow.
He didn't know how, but the truth was plain.
He sighed inwardly. Luck had favored him, but he knew he wasn't alone. If he could awaken Sacred Flame, others could awaken powers even greater.
For now, he would have to keep his head down.
Once a man, he knew the terrifying force of human technology. His new power was strong, but against humanity's weapons? Still far too weak.
As for returning to the cities—he had no such desire.
Humans were humans. Beasts were beasts. The two could never truly coexist.
Even if someone could understand him, even if they believed his claim to have once been human, what then?
He would be locked up. Watched.
The first time he acted out of line, he would be warned—or worse.
No. His future was not in the cities. It was here, in the mountains.
The mountains were where he belonged.
And he was not alone. Across Huaxia, countless figures lurked at the edges of civilization, gazes sharp and unyielding. Every one of them radiated terrifying power, and in their eyes gleamed unmistakable intelligence.
They had already set their sights on human cities.
One day, they would strike. But not yet.
…
Nor was this limited to Huaxia. All over the world, nations fought their own beast tides. They had fewer prodigies than Huaxia, but they had some. With overwhelming firepower added to the balance, the tides were beaten back—though not without cost.
But everyone knew.
This was only the beginning.
The next assault would be fiercer.
And then, suppressing them would not be so easy.
The age of spiritual energy had truly begun.
Whether one wished it or not, whether one accepted it or not, the world had changed irreversibly.
The safe, ordinary days of the past were gone.
They would all have to face the new age.
…
Ordinary Group Owner: "Man, things are getting boring lately. @Golden Flash, is Naruto still not out yet?"
Golden Flash: "…"
Golden Flash: "A few more months."
Ordinary Group Owner: "Sigh~~~"
Ordinary Group Owner: "Fine then, when the time comes, we're all coming to your world as guests."
Ordinary Group Owner: "That whole Nine-Tails incident? You can just leave it to us."
Richest Man: "Us? Does that include you?"
He frowned. As far as he remembered, the group owner had only eaten a Devil Fruit a few months ago.
Even if it was the mythical Angel Fruit, how strong could he possibly be after such a short time?
Against the Nine-Tails—or Uchiha Obito? What good would it do?
Ordinary Group Owner: "It's all about the same."
Ordinary Group Owner: "I may not be much in a fight, but I can still heal Uzumaki Kushina with the Light of Divinity."
Come Be My Son: "Gurararara! Then this old man will take care of the Nine-Tails."
Most Evil Spirit: "I'll handle Uchiha Obito."
With Kurumi Tokisaki's Clockwork Emperor, Obito's Kamui wouldn't work as easily as he thought. Even if he tried to phase through attacks, rewinding his time could still unravel him.
Well… maybe not.
Kamui's true body existed in another dimension. Even if Kurumi struck his visible form, it might mean nothing.
A troublesome ability indeed.
But despite the thought, her gentle smile didn't fade.
…
(End of Chapter)