ð ðð¿ðŒðŒðŒðð...!!
A bolt of lightning split the dark sky with a bluish-white glow.
Lux turned toward the airship window out of reflex, his eyes narrowing at the unusual natural phenomenon.
The storm outside was no ordinary storm. The density of [mana] in the air was creating extreme weather changes that would limit their mobility on the battlefield.
Was this a good omen or a bad one...
Lux pondered, his fingers tapping lightly on the side of his seat.
But before he could reach a conclusion, a high-ranking Hunter's voice broke the silence.
"Listen up!" the man's booming voice echoed through the cabin. "Prepare yourselves. The raid begins now!"
The rear door of the combat aircraft began to open slowly. Wind and rain surged in savagely. But it wasn't only the storm that emerged from the darknessâ
Dozens of blackish-purple tentacles suddenly lunged into the aircraft!
ðœððððððð...!!
A tremendous explosion shook the air. In an instant, the aircraft carrying the Hunters burst into a fireball that swallowed every corner of the cabin.
Flying octopuses? It sounded a little funny, but the humor evaporated the moment they saw how brutally the creatures snatched away the lives of trained Hunters, snapping them like dry twigs!
"HELP! SAVE ME!"
"NO! STAY AWAY!"
Screams sliced through the air.
The Hunters were not weakâthey were elite monster hunters who had faced all kinds of Magical Beasts. But aerial combat in the middle of a [mana] storm had erased all of their advantages.
Amid the chaos...
ðððŒðð! ðœððð!
A flash of light split the darkness.
Within seconds, the giant octopus was reduced to charred chunks of meat with a scent that stung the nose.
'Two Rank S Hunters,' Lux observed in silence.
'As for their origin... The Sun Order and the Moon Order.'
One of themâa sturdy man with a sharp gazeâshook his head with a mocking smile.
"How pathetic. The assassins of the Shadow Order can't even adapt to a sudden situation like this?"
Anger flared on the faces of several Shadow Order Hunters, but they held themselves back.
The top priority was to land safely on the mysterious island below, Cthulhu Island.
Some Hunters activated their Talents to slow their fall, while others relied on high-tech parachutes.
The strong winds scattered them across various landing points.
But Cthulhu Island was not a place that welcomed guests warmly.
An assassin who had just landed on the rocky ground was confronted by a giant hand that appeared out of nowhereâa Rank A+ Giant!
A palm as large as a house moved as fast as lightning!
ððððŒð!
The assassin's body burst like a water bubble, spraying a mist of red blood that was quickly washed away by the rain.
The other Hunters tried to respond, but their reactions were too slow.
More and more Giants appeared, surrounding them from every direction!
But amid the chaos, several figures stood out with different auras.
"<<ððð€ð® ðð¡ðð€ð®ð§ðð€ð€ðð§>>"
ðœðððððð!
A blue fire tornado swept across a wide area, burning several Giants at once.
Although it wasn't strong enough to kill them instantly, the attack dealt severe damage that made the Giants retreat with roars of pain.
"Ah... not very fun,"
A figure with burns covering part of his body.
Dabiâone of Lux's Templatesâstrolled across the battlefield as though walking through a city park.
Another pair of huge Giant hands swung toward him, but before they reached their target, a shimmering blue blade severed those hands in one smooth motion.
A figure in a blue-and-red haori landed without a sound.
Tomioka Giyū, the Water Hashira, cleaned the thick green blood from his katana with one quick swing.
"You got me dirty," Dabi narrowed his eyes at the splatter on his clothes.
"..." Giyū looked at him for a moment with his cold blue eyes. "Not my concern."
Though he was only human, the speed and technique of his Water Breathing were equal to those of a Rank A HunterâŠ
Lux analyzed in silence.
Suddenly, a huge shadow covered Lux.
A Giant as tall as a twenty-story building raised its hand, ready to crush the masked assassin into dust!
But Lux's expression remained calm behind his mask.
With a single tap of his foot on the ground, dozens of ice blades as sharp as scalpels erupted from below, piercing the giant's body!
As if that weren't enough, the ice began to branch inside the Giant's body, growing hundreds of new spikes that mutilated the monster from the inside out.
This astonishing display of power quickly drew the attention of the other Giants.
With angry roars, they flocked toward Lux.
Their footsteps created miniature earthquakes, making the ground shake violently.
But Lux remained calm and said only one word:
"Do it."
ðððŒðð!!
In the blink of an eye, a petite figure appeared in front of the line of Giants. The gleam of her white katana dazzled the eyes, like lightning splitting the dark of night.
Before they could fight back, the Giants were cut into pieces!
Blackish-green blood sprayed in every direction, creating a rain of red that mingled with the rainwater.
The petite white-haired girl with twin tails sheathed her katana with a graceful motion, then wrinkled her nose.
"Ugh... what a disgusting smell."
Inaba Tsukuyo. Though she was only a â¯â¯ Template⊠her sword speed surpassed that of most Rank B Hunters.
In the midst of the battle, Lux's eyes were drawn to a blonde woman floating in the air.
Artemisia Bell Ashcroftâwith clear blue eyes and advanced technological equipmentâwas blocking the relentless attacks of the Giants with a transparent green shield called Territory.
Every Giant punch that struck her Territory created visible waves of energy like ripples on water, yet the shield remained firm, not budging in the slightest.
With a single swing of her blue light sword, Artemisia cut through the air and the Giant's body before her.
The pieces of the giant's body fell to the ground with a heavy thud, creating a pool of green blood that was quickly washed away by the rain.
The green Territory around her kept Artemisia clean and dry amid the downpour and the splashes of blood.
Dabi, seeing how effective Artemisia's Territory was, wasted no time.
"Move aside for a moment."
Blue fire erupted from his hands, burning the remaining Giants.
Artemisia was slightly startled, not by the power of his flames, but by Dabi's audacity in attacking without any coordination.
"What?" Dabi shrugged when he saw the stares from Artemisia, Inaba, and Giyū. "No need to be surprised. This is perfectly normal."
[ðð¶ð»ðŽ! ð§ðµð² ðð²ð¿ðŒ ð¢ð¿ð±ð²ð¿ ðŽð¿ðŒððœ ðµð®ð ð¯ð²ðŽðð» ððŒ ð®ððð¿ð®ð°ð ð®ððð²ð»ðð¶ðŒð»! ð¢ð¯ðð®ð¶ð»ð²ð± ð±ð¬ð¬,ð¬ð¬ð¬ ðð°ðµð¶ð²ðð²ðºð²ð»ð ð£ðŒð¶ð»ðð!]
In the distance, the Hunters of the Sun Order and the Moon Order watched closely. They had heard about the "Frost Assassin" founding a new group, but they hadn't expected every member to possess power equal to that of top-tier Hunters.
The Rank S Hunters of both great Orders exchanged somewhat startled glances.
Their plan to use the Shadow Order assassins as bait might need to be reconsidered with the presence of Zero OrderâŠ
***
"Seen up close, that creature looks more terrifying than I imagined..."
Queenie let out a long sigh, her eyes never leaving the Rank SSS Giant before her.
The heavy aura radiated by the creature made the air feel like mud, and even Rank A Hunters struggled to breathe near it.
"Guild Leader, all preparations are complete," one of the Hunters reported.
"Good work."
To face the Rank SSS Giant, Queenie had brought a great forceâthe First Order, Third Order, and Fifth Order.
Their total strength: 12 Rank S Hunters, 3 Rank SS Hunters, and herself as a Rank SSS Hunter.
The restâthe Second Order and Fourth Orderâhad been ordered to handle the four Rank S+ Giants discovered in other sectors.
A mad smile began to form on Queenie's face. Her eyes glinted with terrifying enthusiasm. "All right, let's begin."
With a single tap of her foot on the ground, pitch-black shadows spread out from her body. Thenâ
ðœððŒðŒðŒðŒðŒððð....!!
The raid against the Rank SSS Giant began with an explosion of [mana] energy that split the sky!
***
In another location, the Moon Order Guild had also arrived to raid their own target.
The sound of a tremendous explosion was heard from afar, a sign that Queenie's raid had begun.
Kira, the Guild Leader of the Moon Order, took it as the signal to begin their own assault.
"Get ready," his voice was calm yet full of authority. "Our target is the King of Cthulhu, classified as a Rank SSS Magical Beast. Not the slightest negligence."
Unlike the Shadow Order, which had five Rank SS Hunters, the Moon Order had only two.
Because of this, Kira brought nearly all of his guild's main strengthâ20 Rank S Hunters, 2 Rank SS Hunters, 100 Rank A Hunters, and 20 Rank A+ Hunters, plus himself as a Rank SSS Hunter.
Gripping a cross spear, Kira gave the order in a calm but firm voice. "Begin the raid."
The Moon Order Hunters dashed forward at extraordinary speed. Kira led at the front, closing his eyes to sense the presence of the King of Cthulhu.
'Strange,' he thought.
According to the intelligence, the King of Cthulhu had an enormous body and an easily detectable auraâŠ
But instead of sensing the heavy aura he had expected⊠Kira found no trace of the Rank SSS Magical Beast's presence at all.
Was the information wrong? Or perhaps the King of Cthulhu wasn't here?
Part of him hoped so, since he didn't want his Guild to suffer heavy losses.
Suddenly, Kira sensed something that made the hairs on his neck stand on end.
"Everyone stop!" he ordered sharply.
"Guild Leader? What's wroâ"
"Silence."
The Vice Guild Leader of the Moon Order flinched at Kira's deadly serious expression.
Cold sweat began to trickle down Kira's temples.
His hand gripping the cross spear was growing damp with nervousness.
But his voice remained calm as he said, "King of Cthulhu, come out. I know you're there."
The Hunters were startled and immediately took up defensive positions.
Although they sensed nothing, they trusted their Guild Leader's instincts.
Then they saw it.
A tentacled creature walking on two hands.
Its body was purple and red, with tentacles writhing in a revolting manner.
"That's the King of Cthulhu?" one of the Hunters whispered in confusion.
According to the intelligence, the King of Cthulhu should have been enormous, no smaller than a Rank SSS Giant.
But the creature before them⊠apart from its disgusting tentacles, had a human-sized body.
The creature tilted its head, as if only just noticing the Hunters' presence. Then a strange voice came from it:
"[âð²ðªðð«]?"
That single word was heard clearly in their ears, but for some reason, their heads immediately began to ring deeply, as if something were trying to destroy their minds from within!
Kira's expression changed drastically.
"Damn it! Everyone! Retreat immeâ"
ððŒðŒðŒðŒðŒðœððððððððð....!!
***
"Their fight has already begun, huh? I just hope they all die. That way, all the profits from this raid will be mine."
Taiyo, Guild Leader of the Sun Order and a Rank SSS Hunter, sipped chilled juice as he lounged comfortably beneath a luxurious field tent.
Beside him, the Vice Guild Leader looked uneasy.
Noticing his subordinate's hesitation, Taiyo asked sharply, "What? Just say whatever you want to say."
"Well, Guild Leader... is it really all right to let this happen? Our cooperation with the Shadow Order and the Moon Order has lasted quite a long time."
"So what? That's none of my concern, or..." Taiyo's gaze turned dangerous. "Are you trying to say my decision is wrong?"
Feeling the killing aura that suddenly filled the tent, the Vice Leader stammered, "N-no! It's my fault, Guild Leader."
"..." Taiyo snorted coldly. "You don't know how valuable a Legendary Item is. If you saw one with your own eyes, you'd understand why I'm doing this."
The Vice Leader of the Sun Order fell silent.
Whatever Taiyo said, he would accept it as long as his life was spared.
And right at that momentâ
ððŒðŒðŒðŒðŒðœððððððððð....!!
A tremendous explosion shook the whole of Cthulhu Island! Taiyo and the Sun Order Hunters jolted in shock.
They turned around and witnessed a pillar of blackish-red [mana] energy piercing the sky! A heavy pressure descended over the entire island, making their breath catch in their throats.
ðððð¿!
Taiyo's heart seemed to stop beating. An aura of death he had never felt before suddenly flooded the area.
ðŸððŒðŸð!
The sound of cracking filled the air. The magical barrier enclosing Cthulhu Islandâwhich was supposed to hide the island from the outside worldâbegan to collapse!
A wave of terrifying [mana] spread to every corner of the world, felt by numerous parties in an instant!
"DAMN IT!"
The crystal glass in Taiyo's hand shattered into pieces.
"Guild Leader! There's a major problem!" a Rank S Hunter rushed over to Taiyo in a panic.
"I KNOW THAT, YOU BASTARD!" Taiyo roared in fury.
His eyes glinted with hatred. "Prepare all the troops! We WILL FIGHT! Whether it's a Magical Beast or Hunters from this island... KILL THEM ALL!"
"Y-YES, GUILD LEADER!"
The Hunter hurried off to gather the troops. Meanwhile, though Taiyo seemed furious, his hands were trembling. The aura of death he had felt before... was not something he had ever faced.
'And this feeling... is it coming from the Guild Leader of the Moon Order? What in the world is happening over there?'
***
"Woah!"
"What theâ"
At Queenie's location, the entire force felt the [mana] explosion shake the island's foundations.
Merely from feeling the shockwave, most of the Rank S Hunters were blown away like dry leaves in a storm!
But it wasn't only the human forces that were affected. The Giants, including the Rank SSS Giant, were also thrown backward by the invisible force!
Queenie's eyes shone with a mixture of madness.
Her body shuddered uncontrollably as her instincts screamed that deadly danger was approaching!
'Oh... to make a Rank SSS Hunter sense a threat, I wonder what's happening over there...'
The Rank SSS Giant they were targeting also fell silent, as if sensing the presence of something more superior.
Then, a violent earthquake shook the ground, followed by the emergence of countless giant blackish-purple tentacles!
"Insane!"
"What are these tentacles?!"
"DAMN IT!"
The tentacles moved at an absurd speed, sweeping across a wide area and seizing anything that moved, not just the Hunters, but the Giants as well!
The Giants fought back with all their strength, but their resistance was futile. Before long, even the Rank SSS Giant was caught in the coils of those deadly tentacles!
And it was at that moment that Queenie witnessed a sight that changed everything.
"Ah..." Queenie's eyes widened. Time seemed to slow down.
Her expression was a mixture of awe and terror. Her body trembled violently. "...We won't be able to complete this raid."
The Giants and Hunters caught by the tentacles underwent a horrifying transformation.
Their bodies slowly turned pitch black, as if swallowed by darkness from within. Then, all of their eyes glowed blood red.
"ððððŒðŒðŒðŒðŒððð....!!!"
ðœðŒðŒðŒðŒðŒðŒðððð....!!
The transformed Rank SSS Giant swung its colossal sword, sheathed in blackish-purple energy.
That single swing wiped out most of Cthulhu Island in an instant!
***
"W-what's happening?!"
"A-an earthquake? No, it's a [mana] explosion!"
The group's steps halted abruptly.
Slowly, Lux turned to look at the source of the chaos. A powerful gust of [mana] hit his body like a stormâ
ðððð!
"?!!"
For the first time, Lux's calm expression behind his mask changed.
A deadly aura was approaching them!
EspeciallyâŠ
A huge shadow covered the rain above their heads.
When they looked up, a pair of glowing red eyes stared down with a hungry gaze...
It was one of the Rank S+ Giants they had seen before. Noâits aura was different now.
"Rank SS+..." Lux whispered.
"ðð¥ððððððð...!!"
The roar of the Giant, which had risen in rank, created a shockwave that split the air!
ðœðŒðŒðŒðŒðŒðŒðððð!!
No one had time to react.
An attack from a Rank SS+ creature was no joke; a single blow killed dozens of Hunters instantly!
"Kuh!"
Inaba Tsukuyo, the weakest among Lux's Templates, would have died if not for the swift intervention of Artemisia and Giyū!
Artemisia created a Territory with extraordinary reflexes to protect everyone, but even that powerful shield shattered to pieces when it hit the shockwave!
"Retreat! Retreat immediately!" shouted one of the Rank S Hunters of the Shadow Order.
But before they could move, the huge foot of the Rank SS+ Giant stomped down on the unfortunate Hunter, turning him into a puddle of blood instantly!
"<<ðððððððððð ðððð>>!!"
As if he had anticipated this situation, Dabi unleashed the most powerful blue fire attack he had! A concentrated blast of scorching flame shot out like a giant blue laser!
The fire even vaporized the raindrops in its path!
ðœððððððððð...!!
The Rank SS+ Giant was hit squarelyâyet to everyone's shock, Dabi's devastating attack left only a small burn mark on its skin!
"Fuh... so strong."
Dabi furrowed his brow, feeling his body grow hotter from the overuse of his Quirk.
Seeing an opportunity, two Rank S Hunters from the Sun Order fired heat energy blasts while the Hunters of the Moon Order summoned binding magic chains.
But all those attacks were like mosquito bites to the monster that had just awakened!
The Rank SS+ Giant roared in fury and swung a colossal magic staff.
A magic circle over a hundred meters in diameter appeared above their heads. In an instant, everyone's body felt as though a mountain were pressing down on them!
"Whaâ"
The gravitational pressure reached an absurd level. Several Hunters with weaker defenses instantly exploded into clouds of blood!
Even two Rank S Hunters from the Moon Order suffered instant death!
ðœðŒðð!
Suddenly, from the ruins of the earth, a three-headed ice dragon emerged with a thunderous roar! The creature immediately pounced on the Rank SS+ Giant!
The Giant's body shook violently from the impact and lost its balance.
The ice dragon kept up a barrage of attacks, biting and tearing at the Giant's body with diamond-sharp ice teeth.
The Rank SS+ Giant did not sit idle.
Its terrifying punch struck the side of the ice dragon, creating cracks across the creature's entire body!
The two colossal beings grappled in a titanic battle!
Not far away, Lux knelt on one knee, breathing heavily.
Artemisia immediately approached him with an anxious face.
"Young Master!"
"I'm fine," Lux tried to stand. "More importantly, we have to hurry andâ"
His words were cut off as his heart pounded.
Not only Lux, everyone present turned their gaze to the sky with expressions of horror.
Dozens upon dozens of giant magic circles appeared in the sky!
'This is... very badâŠ'
"ðð¥ððððððð!!"
At the Giant's roar, all the magic circles lit up simultaneously.
Various destructive elementsâfire, ice, lightning, wind, sandâerupted from the circles, bombarding an area a kilometer wide with extraordinary force!
ððŒðŒðŒðŒðŒðŒðœððððððððð...!!
The three-headed ice dragon created by Lux was destroyed instantly, becoming crystal fragments that quickly vanished in the storm of elements!
The Rank SS+ Giant was unharmed thanks to the protective shield it had created. It roared in triumph, shaking the air with its deafening voice.
"ððŒðŒðŒððððâ"
"<<ðð®ð¬ðšð® ð§ðš ðð¢ððšðððð¡ð¢>>"
A cold woman's voice cut through the Giant's roar.
Before the monster could react, a tremendous thunderclap boomed along with a purple flash that shot forward at a speed invisible to the eye!
ð ðð¿ðŒðŒðŒð!!! ðððŒððð!
A slash of electro energy pierced through the Rank SS+ Giant's body from front to back!
The seemingly invincible monster was split into two perfect halves, before its body exploded into particles of light!
The creature that had been like the worst natural disaster was killed in a single strike!
The force of the slash was so immense that it created a small dimensional rift, revealing a purple symbol of three curved tomoeâthe symbol of the Electro Archon's majesty!
"Good work... Raiden."
Lux stood with his body covered in wounds, brushing the dust from his clothes.
Around him, ice fragments and the remnants of Artemisia's Territory glittered in the lightning's glow.
Before that combined magic attack could annihilate them, Lux and Artemisia had exerted all their strength to defend.
Lux had even used the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception to nullify every kind of damage directed at himâan ability that applied only to himself.
But⊠the other Templates weren't as lucky.
Dabi's hands were shattered, and Artemisia's CR-Unit had suffered severe damage from overheating. Inaba Tsukuyo and Tomioka Giyū were also wounded, though not as badly as Dabi and Artemisia.
[ðð¶ð»ðŽ! ðŠð²ðð²ð¿ð² ð±ð®ðºð®ðŽð² ð±ð²ðð²ð°ðð²ð± ðŒð» ð§ð²ðºðœð¹ð®ðð²ð!]
[ðð®ðºð®ðŽð² ððŒ ð§ð²ðºðœð¹ð®ðð²ãðð®ð¯ð¶/ð§ðŒð±ðŒð¿ðŒðžð¶ ð§ðŒððð® â â¯â¯â¯ã: ð³ð¬% â ðŠð²ðð²ð¿ð² ðð»ð·ðð¿ð. ððŒð¿ð°ð¶ð¯ð¹ð ð¿ð®ð»ðžð²ð± ððŒ ð±ð²ð®ð°ðð¶ðð®ðð² ððµð¶ð ð§ð²ðºðœð¹ð®ðð²]
[ðð®ðºð®ðŽð² ððŒãðð¿ðð²ðºð¶ðð¶ð® ðð²ð¹ð¹ ðððµð°ð¿ðŒð³ð â¯â¯â¯ã: ðŽð¬% â ððŒðð ðŒð³ ð°ðŒðºð¯ð®ð ð°ð®ðœð®ð¯ð¶ð¹ð¶ðð. ð¥ð®ð»ðžð²ð± ð³ðŒð¿ ð¶ðºðºð²ð±ð¶ð®ðð² ð±ð²ð®ð°ðð¶ðð®ðð¶ðŒð» ðŒð³ ððµð¶ð ð§ð²ðºðœð¹ð®ðð²]
'Deactivate both Templatesâno. Except for Raiden Ei/Shogun, deactivate all Templates.'
The four Templates turned into cards that returned to Lux's hand.
[ð§ð¶ðºð² ððŒ ð¿ð²ðððŒð¿ð² ð§ð²ðºðœð¹ð®ðð²ãðð®ð¯ð¶/ð§ðŒð±ðŒð¿ðŒðžð¶ ð§ðŒððð® â â¯â¯â¯ã: 'ð¬ð ð ðŒð»ððµ, ðð¬ ðð®ðð, ð ððŒðð¿, ð±ð¬ ð ð¶ð»ððð²ð'. ððŒð»ðððºð² ðð¬,ð¬ð¬ð¬,ð¬ð¬ð¬ ðð°ðµð¶ð²ðð²ðºð²ð»ð ð£ðŒð¶ð»ðð ð³ðŒð¿ ð¶ð»ððð®ð»ð ð¿ð²ðððŒð¿ð®ðð¶ðŒð»]
[ð§ð¶ðºð² ððŒ ð¿ð²ðððŒð¿ð² ð§ð²ðºðœð¹ð®ðð²ãðð¿ðð²ðºð¶ðð¶ð® ðð²ð¹ð¹ ðððµð°ð¿ðŒð³ð â â¯â¯â¯ã: 'ð¬ð® ð ðŒð»ððµð, ð®ð¬ ðð®ðð, ð® ððŒðð¿ð, ð¬ð ð ð¶ð»ððð²ð'. ððŒð»ðððºð² ð¯ð¬,ð¬ð¬ð¬,ð¬ð¬ð¬ ðð°ðµð¶ð²ðð²ðºð²ð»ð ð£ðŒð¶ð»ðð ð³ðŒð¿ ð¶ð»ððð®ð»ð ð¿ð²ðððŒð¿ð®ðð¶ðŒð»]
'I was carelessâŠ'
Sighing heavily, Lux cursed his own negligence.
A raid that should have been routine had turned into a disaster. His two mainstay Templatesâif Raiden Ei and Takamiya Mayuri weren't countedâwere now inaccessible.
Even so...
With cautious steps, Lux approached the lifeless giant corpse.
As the holder of special information, he knew for certain that this creature should have been only a Rank S+ Giant. But the reality before him was different.
His gaze hardened as he examined the creature whose power had surpassed normal classification.
"Jumping straight to Rank SS+," he whispered, his throat feeling dry.
This⊠was not an anomaly to be taken lightly.
If not for Raiden Eiâthe Electro Shogunâbeing there, Lux was certain his body would now be drenched in blood.
Even with the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, the ability that gave him the vision to see the points of death of all existence, the fight had still brought him close to losing his life.
Speaking of which...
"The lines of death are unstable."
Lux's eyes glowed with a dark blue light, a mixture of the shimmer of galaxies and the darkness of a black hole swallowing light.
His Mystic Eyes were active, searching for the patterns of death that usually looked like a delicate web on the surface of reality.
But this time was different. The lines of death, which normally looked like elegant engravings, now looked like tangled threads caught in a storm. Messy. Chaotic. Raging.
There were only two plausible possibilities.
"An entity with power capable of disrupting fate itself," Lux muttered, "or..."
His eyes narrowed sharply, "...the presence of a Son of Destiny."
If the second option was true, the situation could still be controlled. But if it was the first⊠Something powerful enough to corrupt the order of death itself...
"I have to find outâ"
ðœðððððððððð...!!
The ground shook violently, making Lux stagger.
One quake was followed by another, like the heartbeat of a giant awakening from its slumber.
His eyes narrowed toward the horizon, and thereârising from the depths of the dark seaâa blood-red glimmer soared high.
'That is...'
Before his brain could process the sight, his fighting instincts screamed loudly.
A deadly aura surged from behind!
ð ðð¿ðŒðŒðŒð!! ðððŒðð!!
A giant arrowâmore accurately, a hurled spearâshot toward Lux at a speed that split the air.
But Raiden Ei, with vigilance honed over centuries, acted in an instant.
Musou Isshinâthe sword capable of splitting an islandâwas drawn with elegance.
A flash of electric purple exploded, roaring as it split the sky. The attack that could have leveled buildings just moments ago now vanished into drifting ash!
Lux turned around to face the attacker.
Another Rank SS+ Giant?
A giant standing 60 meters tall held a colossal bow in its hands.
Its eyes glinted wildly, full of bloodlust.
Lux raised an eyebrow. The situation was growing more complicated, but at least this creature wasn't a magic user like the previous one.
One Rank SS+ could still be handled.
But his breath caught at the sight that followed.
Behind the giant archer, hundreds of other Giants advanced like a tidal wave ready to crush everything in its path.
From the sea, giant octopus monsters equivalent to several Rank S emerged at the surface, their tentacles writhing wildly in search of prey.
They were surrounded.
Lux and Raiden Ei now stood in the midst of a sea of bloodthirsty monsters.
As the final ring of the encirclement, even the sky itself seemed to darken.
Realizing their strength wasn't enough, Lux concentrated, preparing to summon Takamiya Mayuri as reinforcement.
But before he could, an oppressive dark aura suddenly filled the atmosphere!
ðœððððð...!!
The ground shook violently, and even the other Giants were seen retreating in fear.
"No... that's?" Lux froze, his eyes widening slightly.
Even Raiden Eiâwho had faced all manner of opponentsâchanged her expression to one of the highest alert.
Before them, a monster 300 meters tall loomed.
Its body was muscular, its skin as black as obsidian, covered in ancient carvings that glowed red.
In its hand was clasped a colossal sword adorned with dark and golden ornaments, radiating an aura of death.
Its grin exposed rows of teeth as sharp as daggers.
Its red eyes were fixed directly on Lux and on the dimensional rift created by Raiden Ei's earlier attack.
'A Rank SSS Giant?'
This creature should have been facing Queenie and the main team at another location...
But a different reality was displayed before him.
Besides that, the power of this Giantâ
Lux's thoughts were cut off when the colossal creature swung its sword.
A flash of blackish-red energy shot out, splitting the air, destroying every barrier like paper, and racing straight toward them!
ðððŒðŒðŒðŒðŒððððððð...!!!
Lux's world was instantly filled with blinding light and unimaginable pain.