๐ฝ๐๐๐! ๐ฝ๐๐๐! ๐ฝ๐๐๐!
The night sky was torn apart by two flashes of light streaking past at an ear-splitting speed.
When the two titanic forces collided, a terrifying shockwave ripped through the air, creating cracks in the air that glittered for a moment before closing again.
Collision after collision thundered without pauseโsome struck the ground and carved out gaping craters, some exploded against the walls of tall buildings and brought them down like houses of cards, and some rumbled across the sky, creating a frightening vortex of dark clouds!
At last, the figure wrapped in dark red energy like dried blood was brutally flung back by an attack of pure golden light that dazzled the eyes!
๐ฝ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐...!!
That annihilating laser was like the wrath of a godโobliterating anything that dared block its path!
Leafy trees turned to ash in an instant, huge rocks melted like candle wax, and even the surrounding air trembled frighteningly!
Amid that destruction, a black-haired young man gave off thick smoke from his entire body.
Although he was wrapped in a red veil that looked malevolent and fearsome, that protection seemed unable to fully withstand the devastating laser that had just struck him.
'Uzumaki Menma's base form is really not strong enough to face a Son of Destiny...'
The black-haired young manโLuxโlooked at his two hands, now rough and covered in painful burns.
The skin of his hands was cracked like dry earth, with fresh blood dripping slowly.
Uzumaki Menma.
One of the rare โฏโฏโฏโฏ (four-star) Templates he had obtained from the system.
Honestly, when he first got this Template, Lux had felt confused and a little baffled.
The word "Uzumaki" only reminded him of the protagonist of the Naruto anime seriesโUzumaki Naruto, the blond ninja who was always shouting about his dream of becoming Hokage.
Unfortunately, the Template he received was not that blond protagonist, but a far darker alternate versionโUzumaki Menma, a figure who appeared in one of the Naruto movies with terrifying power.
Although he hadn't gotten the original Uzumaki Naruto's Template, Lux wasn't too disappointed.
After all, he understood well that Uzumaki Menma's power was a dark reflection of Uzumaki Naruto's powerโthough not covering every aspect of it.
What fundamentally distinguished the two was their nature.
If Uzumaki Naruto was the embodiment of hope and perseveranceโฆ then Uzumaki Menma was the manifestation of despair and deep hatred.
Besides the difference in character, there was a very significant technical difference.
Unlike Uzumaki Naruto, who at first struggled to control Kyลซbi's chakra and was often overwhelmed by the power of the nine-tailed beast, Uzumaki Menma could control and utilize his Kyลซbi chakra perfectly from the very beginning.
This total mastery gave Uzumaki Menma several terrifying unique abilities.
First, he gained a passive ability from Kyลซbi called "Negative Emotions Sensing"โthe ability to sense and read the negative emotions of living beings around him.
Second, and even more frighteningโฆ he could control gravity within a certain radius using his chakra.
This ability was what kept several of the Son of Destiny Shou's deadly attacks from wounding Lux (Menma)'s body fatally.
His body was coated in Kyลซbi chakra that functioned as an invisible protective armor, creating a barrier capable of absorbing and reducing the impact of enemy attacks.
However, as could be predicted of a Son of Destiny, Shou was no easy opponent to defeat.
With the elemental power he had gained from his contract with a Transcendent being, every one of his attacks carried extraordinary destructionโexceeding the limits of the chakra defense on Lux (Menma)'s body.
But if anyone asked whether Shou could truly defeat Lux (Menma) in this condition, the answer was still a big question mark...
Lux (Menma) looked up with glowing red eyes and found Shou wrapped in shimmering golden light like a god of war descending from the heavens.
That light glittered, both beautiful and terrifyingโ
Without warning, Shou's figure flickered in a wrap of golden light and shot forward at a speed that broke the sound barrier, creating an ear-splitting sonic boom!
Using the power of gravity for defense would be too slow and ineffective against such speedโฆ
Because of that, Lux (Menma) could only quickly cross his two arms while coating them with dense Kyลซbi chakra to withstand the incoming attack!
๐๐๐๐!! ๐ฝ๐๐๐๐๐๐...!!
His whole body felt as if it had been struck by a giant meteor.
Extraordinary pain spread through his entire body, and a clot of fresh blood nearly spurted from his lips.
But he forced himself to swallow the blood back down.
The two arms he had used to protect his body looked badly swollen with torn, bleeding wounds, but suddenly the ground beneath his feet began to shake violently and then shattered into pieces!
"<<๐๐ฅ๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ: ๐๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ก>>!!"
Shou's shout echoed throughout the battlefield.
His form, once glowing gold, now changed to a yellowish-brown like fertile soil.
Without giving Lux (Menma) a chance to breathe, he immediately used the earth element to create a deadly trap locking down his opponent's movements!
Lux (Menma) narrowed his eyes sharply.
Using the Kyลซbi chakra filled with dense hatred, he forcibly and brutally smashed the earth trying to snare his feet!
But something unexpected happenedโ
A giant hand made of hard earth suddenly appeared and seized his body with a suffocating force!
It took a hard struggle and a great deal of chakra to destroy the giant hand locking his body!
๐ฝ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐...!
On the other side, Shou had anticipated that the earth element would not be strong enough to restrain a terrifying figure like Lux (Menma) for long!
Without hesitation, he immediately switched to another, more dangerous elemental formโElementalist: Wind!
His hair and eyes turned a bright green shimmering like emerald.
All the wind in the battle area began to swirl and gather around him, submitting to his will.
With full concentration, he shaped all that wind into sharp, deadly weaponsโshaped like giant spears spinning like mini tornadoes but with terrifying destructive power!
Without the slightest hesitation, he fired the entire arsenal of deadly wind at Lux (Menma) at an ear-splitting speed!
The speed of wind was not to be underestimated, especially since it was completely invisible to the naked eye.
Even a Rank S+ fighter would be overwhelmed by an onslaught of high-speed tornadoes like this!
But Lux (Menma) showed no sign of panic.
With his bare hands and fists coated in raging Kyลซbi chakra, he blocked every incoming wind attack one by one with precise and deadly movements!
๐ฝ๐๐๐! ๐ฝ๐๐๐! ๐ฝ๐๐๐!
He succeeded in intercepting all the wind attacks perfectly, but in the next second, the attack that came was no longer the wind element but something far more dangerousโthe light element in the form of a giant annihilating pillar!
Even with the extraordinary durability and vitality of a Jinchลซrikiโฆ Lux (Menma) was one hundred percent certain he would not be able to withstand such an attack with ordinary defenses.
That was why...
Chakra began to gather and concentrate in Lux (Menma)'s right hand with a frightening intensity.
Slowly, a dark purple chakra sphere took shape, gloomy and eerie, surrounded by a series of pure white chakra rings orbiting the main sphere in a hypnotic motion.
The chakra rings then began to align, forming a structure like a giant disc around the purple sphere.
The pattern that formed resembled planetary rings with a deadly beautyโlike the planet Saturn but with a far more terrifying aura!
One of Uzumaki Menma's special jutsuโ
"<<๐๐๐ฌ๐๐ง๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฎ>>"
The jutsu resembling the planet Saturn was hurled with full force at Shou's light attack!
When Shou's deadly light attack met Lux (Menma)'s Rasenringu, a thunderous explosion occurred at once!
๐๐ผ๐ฝ๐๐๐๐๐๐...!!
The shockwave from the clash of the two forces created an energy vortex that destroyed everything within a radius of hundreds of meters!
Buildings collapsed, the ground split and rippled, and even the surrounding air trembled frighteningly!
***
Covering his face to protect himself from the debris and dust of that tremendous explosion, Shou's expression showed a little shock he could not hide.
He had not expected the young man before him to possess such a powerful and lethal techniqueโable to rival the power of his light element.
But his astonishment did not last long, because he soon realized one important thing: victory was already within his grasp.
"Surrender right now. You are no match for me," Shou said in a piercingly cold voice.
He looked at the teenager before him, who appeared weak and gravely wounded.
The upper part of his cloak was already in tatters, its edges still burning and giving off thin smoke as if scorched by hellfire.
Although he had managed to deflect part of Shou's deadly attack, the young man still suffered serious destructive effects.
After allโฆ among all the elements Shou commanded, the light element was the deadliest and hardest to withstand.
But instead of showing any sign of surrender, the teenager burst into loud laughter upon hearing those words.
"Hahaha, just because you managed to hurt me, you think you've completely defeated me?" his voice was filled with an annoying tone of contempt.
Shou narrowed his eyes sharply. His expression turned cold and fearsome.
The golden halo above his head began to glow with a threatening intensity.
"This is the last warning I will give."
"You are strong, I admit that. But..." A sly grin formed on his face.
"I said from the startโฆ Defeating me won't be as easy as you imagine."
"Youโ"
Shou wanted to voice his anger, but suddenly the cold, piercing voice of the Nine Elemental Hydra sounded in his mind.
"[๐๐ผ๐ผ๐น๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ฏ๐ผ๐, ๐ด๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ ๐ป๐ผ๐!]"
"?!!!"
๐ฝ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐...!!
At that very moment, a kind of terrifying punch with a transparent red aura struck Shou's body with absurd force, making the young man spit fresh blood from the excruciating internal impact!
"Cough, what theโ"
Shou's expression turned to horror when he saw the teenager walking slowly toward him with a body beginning to be enveloped in a dark red aura that was growing denser and more terrifying.
"I actually didn't want to use this form so soon, but..." his voice turned deeper and more fearsome.
"โฆ Kyลซbi wants to kill you so badly that he can't hold himself back anymore. So there's nothing to be done..."
His black hair grew even blacker, like a night without stars.
The three whisker-like lines on both his cheeks grew darker and looked like living tattoos.
His glowing red eyes became more dangerous and full of malice, while his two fangs seemed to grow longer like the teeth of a savage beast.
An auraโor more precisely, chakraโof transparent dark red began to writhe and wrap around his entire body from head to toe, like a living, breathing shroud of death.
Most striking and terrifying of all, he began to form a transparent chakra tail behind his body.
At first only oneโฆ then two, then another until there were three tails swaying with a hypnotic yet frightening motion!
He lifted his head to the sky and roared like a monster from hell!
๐ฅ๐ข๐๐๐๐๐๐ฅ!!
The sound of his roar created a shockwave that shattered the glass of the surrounding buildings and made the ground shake violently!
"?!!"
An expression of profound disbelief formed on Shou's deathly pale face.
Feeling the thick killing intent and the unrestrained hatred suddenly explode from this teenager like a tsunami of negative emotion, Shou's whole body trembled uncontrollably.
He was about to launch a counterattack, butโ
The teenager's figure suddenly flickered and vanished from sight!
๐ฝ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐...!!
At that moment, Shou only felt all his bones and flesh being crushed by a terrifying punch from an unexpected direction!
"PFFFFT...!!"
Fresh blood gushed from Shou's mouth in astonishing amounts!
His body staggered as he tried to balance himself, but in the next second, a giant fist with a force like Thor's hammer struck him again from a different angle!
๐ฝ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐...!!
'W-what's happening? I can't see its movements at all!'
The speed of the monster before him had surpassed the limits of normal human eyes!
Every time he tried to correct his posture or take a fighting stance, his body would be struck by terrifying damage from a direction he could never predict!
There was absolutely no chance to retaliate or even breathe calmly!
Feeling his whole body about to shatter into pieces, Shou realized he would die within seconds!
"<<๐๐ฅ๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ: ๐๐ข๐๐ฆ๐จ๐ง๐>>!!"
๐ฝ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐...!!
And fortunately, this time he finally managed to block the deadly attack!
His whole body was wrapped in a layer of silver glittering like pure diamond.
His two hands, turned hard as adamant, directly bore the terrifying weight of the monster's blow!
At that moment, Shou's gaze met directly with the human-shaped monster staring at him with eyes full of madness and deep hatred!
Looking into that pair of eyes filled with pure malice, Shou shuddered with dread.
Without hesitation, he immediately slammed his fist with all his strength toward that terrifying face!
๐ฝ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐...!!
The Diamond element enveloping Shou's body was not an ordinary Diamond element that was merely hard and durable.
His Diamond had a unique and frightening characteristicโable to absorb every kind of physical attack and then reflect it directly back at the attacker with multiplied force.
Because of that, when Shou launched his counterpunch, the teenager also felt the force of his own attack rebound on him with terrifying intensity!
His body was hurled at ear-splitting speed, smashing through several tall buildings in succession like a projectile, burying him in a mountain of rubble of concrete and steel!
๐ฝ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐...!!
But Shou did not feel the slightest relief.
On the contrary, when he sensed the terrifying chakra pressure beginning to gather and concentrate from the direction of the rubble, his instincts as a fighter screamed danger!
Without wasting time, he immediately switched to an elemental form that did not need long to gather energyโthe element best suited for fast, brutal close-quarters combat.
And that element was none other than Elementalist: Wind!
"<<๐๐ฅ๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ: ๐๐ข๐ง๐>>!!" Shou shouted loudly.
And at the same time, a tremendous explosion came from the rubble, followed by a figure moving at high speed toward him with the movements of a starving beast!
Shou, now with emerald-green hair and eyes, immediately controlled all the wind in the battle area to form a wind shield spinning at shredding speedโany creature trying to approach him would be torn to pieces!
๐ฝ๐๐๐! ๐๐๐ผ๐๐! ๐๐๐ผ๐๐!
The strategy proved effective.
The humanoid monster was blocked from touching Shou and its body was savagely shredded by the vortex of wind as sharp as knives!
But unfortunately, before Shou could feel relieved, he saw with shock that a hand wrapped in dense red chakra was forcibly breaking through the wind barrier even though that barrier was a ferocious vortex like a killer tornado!
The hand was full of torn wounds and horrifying blood, but as if not caring about the severe damage to its own body, the owner of the hand forced its way in with a terrifying resolve!
'What kind of lunatic is this?!'
Shou broke out in a cold sweat.
He tried to increase the power of the wind element to push the monster out by force, but the more he did so, the stronger the resistance the monster gave!
Until at last, the head of the terrifying creature managed to enter Shou's wind vortex shield.
Shou's expression turned to horror when he realized that slowly the skin on the monster's face was beginning to peel away from the sharp wind.
Not only the face, the skin on both its hands also peeled like a snake shedding its skin.
Surprisingly, beneath the peeled human skin was not flesh and blood like a normal creature, but a kind of blazing red substance with black lines like a living spiderweb!
In the next secondโฆ there was not a single trace of humanity left in its appearance.
What appeared now was a humanoid monster with a menacing red-and-black body, with four chakra tails swaying behind its body like giant tentacles!
At that moment, the four-tailed monster's mouth opened wideโฆ
A purple energy sphere with terrifying chakra intensity gathered in its throat, then was fired directly at Shou's face!
๐๐ผ๐ฝ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐...!!
A tremendous explosion like a mini nuclear bomb instantly devastated everything within a radius of hundreds of meters!
The wind vortex shield vanished without a trace from the terrifying blast wave!
The four-tailed humanoid monster lifted its head and roared in a voice no longer human!
๐ฅ๐ข๐๐๐๐๐๐ฅ...!!
At first it had four tails, but now the negative chakra in its body grew stronger and it began to sprout one more tail!
Madness, deep hatred, and pure malice... all plainly flowed through its every movement and gaze.
But suddenly, the ground beneath the monster shook violently and then a giant golem twenty meters tall made of earth and dense rock emerged.
The golem immediately seized the monster's body with its two huge hands, intending to destroy it without giving it a chance to escape!
Onlyโsize and physical strength were not everything in this fight.
When the giant golem tried to crush the five-tailed monster in its grip, the monster's whole body seemed to boil from within from the uncontrolled chakra, and then a tremendous internal explosion occurredโ!
๐ฝ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐...!
Shou's figure was flung far as he was forced out of the golem, which shattered to pieces!
His gaze was full of profound fear as he sensed a boundless aura hunting his life like a predator that had locked onto its prey!
With no other choice, he changed into the white lightning formโElementalist: Thunder!
Creating lightning bolts across his entire body, he immediately darted forward at a speed that broke the sound barrier!
At the same time, the monster's figure seemed to find its prey and immediately shot forward at an equally terrifying speed!
๐ฝ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐...!!
The collision of the two instantly broke the sound barrier and created a shockwave that shook the whole city, but it was Shou who was brutally knocked back!
The young man, who had only just recovered thanks to the regenerative ability of the Water element, was once again gravely wounded with a battered body!
But the humanoid monster showed not the slightest mercy.
It once again gathered a purple sphere of energy in its mouth and fired it at Shou with clear killing intent!
With difficulty and his nearly exhausted strength, Shou switched to the Diamond element to block the lethal attack!
๐ฝ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐....!!
Wave after destructive wave wiped out the entire area indiscriminately.
Skyscrapers instantly turned to ash, the ground became a boiling crater with a terrifying temperature.
Feeling his throat dry from fear, Shou could only stare wide-eyed as he saw dozens of red-and-black arms, seemingly of limitless length, moving at high speed toward him!
Some attacked from the air with movements like giant snakes, some suddenly emerged from the ground like deadly tree roots, and some came from every other direction.
But their goal was the sameโto seize and tear Shou apart until nothing remained!
His body tense with adrenaline, Shou immediately changed into the Elementalist: Flame form!
๐ฝ๐๐๐! ๐ฝ๐๐๐! ๐ฝ๐๐๐!
A blazing fire aura scattered in every direction.
Using the thrust from the fire explosions he generated from both feet, Shou's figure moved swiftly through the air as he fired melting pillars of fire at the dozens of monster hands hunting his life!
But at that moment, the terrifying creature moved at a speed that broke the sound barrier.
Leaping here and there with utterly inhuman maneuvers, it kept trying to target Shou in the air!
Realizing the critical situation, Shou immediately used Maximum Output Flameโฆ
Fire of an extremely hot and terrifying temperature instantly blazed across his whole body, causing the air around him to distort like a mirage.
When the monster leapt directly toward him with murderous intent, Shou immediately unleashed a single attack of scorching heat that burned and melted the whole area in a wide radius!
๐๐ผ๐ฝ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐...!!!
"Hah, hah, hah..."
Shou's breath came in gasps as he knelt, his body trembling violently as the area around him turned into hellโฆ
Ruins of buildings were scattered like the bones of giants, while terrifying flames licked the sky greedily, creating eerie dancing shadows among the rubble still billowing thick smokeโฆ
A brief, suffocating silence was suddenly torn by a tremendous tremor.
๐ฝ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐...!!
An explosion of aura even more terrifying than before burst from the ruins, creating a dark red energy vortex that made the air shake like heat waves from the mouth of hell.
"W-what kind of monster is this..." he whispered in a hoarse voice, eyes wide as he stared at the figure rising from the rubble like a demon reborn.
From behind the rising smoke and dust emerged a figure that froze Shou's blood.
No longer humanโeven the last trace of humanity had been eroded away.
What stood before him now was a seven-tailed monster with a posture like a savage beast.
Its two hands touched the ground, which instantly melted and burned from the heat of the chakra aura flowing from its body.
The seven tails behind it swayed, creating terrifying hot winds, each movement producing air distortions that made the surroundings look wavy like a mirage.
Most terrifying of allโฆ a white skull had formed and attached to its body and head, giving a frightening impression of death.
"...๐๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฑ?"
That voice โฆ was no longer a human voice, but an echo from the depths of hell that made Shou's spine tremble uncontrollably.
"?!!" Shou flinched, his eyes searching for the source of the voice.
The monster's mouth did not move, yet the terrifying voice clearly came from it, as if communicating directly with Shou's soul.
The monster noticed his confusion and let out a laugh that made the hair stand on endโa sound no living creature could ever produce.
"๐ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐น ๐ถ๐ ๐ฐ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐น๐... ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ป๐ผ ๐น๐ผ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ณ ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ด๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐," it said in a tone full of sadistic pleasure.
"๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐ถ๐ฒ๐๐, ๐๐๐ฟ๐บ๐ผ๐ถ๐น... ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐'๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐น๐น ๐ณ๐น๐ผ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ถ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐."
"You..."
Shou's voice trembled like a leaf in a storm, his throat dry as a desert.
"What exactly are you?"
No human could endure such an ocean of hatred and madnessโฆ
Even war veterans would lose their sanity just from feeling a small part of this terrifying aura.
The monster let out an even louder laugh, a sound that made the shards of glass around them vibrate and crumble to dust.
"๐จ๐ป๐๐ถ๐น ๐ป๐ผ๐, ๐ฎ๐ณ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ถ๐๐ป๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ๐น๐น ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฟ๐๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐'๐๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ, ๐ฑ๐ผ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐๐ธ?" Its tone was full of cruel mockery.
"๐ฌ๐ผ๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฑ ๐ฑ๐ผ๐๐ป ๐๐ผ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ผ๐. ๐ก๐ผ ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ถ๐น๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฆ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ต. ๐ฌ๐ผ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐๐น๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฎ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐... ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐... ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ธ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ป๐ด."
Each of the last words was spoken with an emphasis that felt like an iron hammer striking Shou's soul.
His gaze changedโfrom fear to burning anger, but he could only bite his lip until it bled and clench his fists so tightly that his nails pierced his palms.
Because in the deepest part of his heart, he knew the monster was right.
He really was very weak...
But even so...
With a slow, resolute motion, Shou drew a long breath to calm the storm in his chest.
His eyes, once filled with fear, now radiated a different light...
"You're right," he said in a trembling yet firm voice. "I am very weak, but..."
Suddenly, the air around Shou changed.
An extremely dark and dense [mana] began to flow out of his body like a mist of death.
His hair and red eyes slowly changed to a deep purple, like the color of the sky before a terrible storm.
"I have no intention of losing either! <<๐๐ฅ๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ... ๐๐๐๐>>!!!"
Shou's cry echoed in every direction, his voice resounding like a death shriek.
A tremendous, crushing dark aura began to swirl around his body, creating a vortex of darkness that sucked in the light around it!
๐ฝ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐...!!
The transformation began with an explosion of energy that made the ground beneath him crack and shatter into pieces!
So far, there were two elements Shou had always avoided at all costs: Time and Dark.
Time because every use would reduce his lifespan, while the Dark element... would slowly ruin his soul, gnawing at his humanity from within.
But to face a monster whose speed, strength, and durability surpassed logic, Shou was forced to bring out one of his strongest elementsโeven if it meant sacrificing part of his own soul!
A pair of swords exuding a dense aura of darkness materialized in both his hands, the blades seeming to absorb light like tiny black holes.
His purple hair grew longer and flowed backward as if blown by the night wind, while a pair of large wings like those of a fallen angel grew from his back, each feather radiating terrifying dark energy.
A blazing purple aura enveloped his entire body, giving the impression of a god of death descending into the human world.
After the transformation was complete, Shou's sharp gaze pierced straight into the eyes of the seven-tailed monster before him.
His eyes were no longer those of an ordinary humanโthey were the eyes of a predator ready to kill or be killed.
He raised his right foot to step, his muscles tensing like a spring ready to be released, and thenโ
His figure flickered, vanishing from sight.
Not just himโthe seven-tailed monster flickered at the same moment as well!
And then, the real battle began!
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐...!! ๐ฝ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐....!!!
The collision between the dense purple dark element power and the red chakra of the seven-tailed monster created a terrifying shockwave!
Every clash of their energies obliterated everything in its pathโstone turned to dust, iron melted, and the very air seemed distorted by the intensity of the colliding forces.
Shou's purple sword slashes absorbed every kind of life nearby, creating a dead zone where not even grass could ever grow again.
Meanwhile, dozens of giant chakra arms from the seven-tailed monster moved at a speed human eyes could not follow, trying to tear his opponent apart with inhuman ferocity.
Each of their clashes was like a natural disaster on a small scaleโwaves of energy scattered in every direction, tearing apart buildings, uprooting trees, and creating small craters in the already ruined ground!
๐ฝ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐....!!!
"KUH?!"
Shou's body was struck with extraordinary force, sending him flying like a rag doll.
Blood ran from the corner of his lips, and it felt as if his internal organs had shifted from that terrifying blow.
But while maneuvering in the air with his two wings of darkness, he drew both swords to obliterate all the chakra hands pursuing him with madness!
๐๐๐ผ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐...!!!
His dark slashes were like a tornado of death, destroying all the chakra hands in an instant!
Every movement of his swords left a dark trail in the air that would not vanish for some time, like a wound in the realm of reality itself.
But Shou's instincts, honed in many battles, screamedโa lethal threat was coming from behind!
He turned with reflexes embedded in his marrow, and sure enough.
At an ear-splitting speed that created a sonic boom, the seven-tailed monster shot forward in an attack with a chakra blow in the shape of a giant hand that could destroy a mountain!
Shou swung his two dark swords in a crossed formation, bracing for a blow that could end his lifeโ
๐๐ผ๐ฝ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐...!!!
The shockwave created when the two forces met produced an explosion that felt like the end of the world.
The ground within a radius of hundreds of meters cracked and split, the buildings still standing collapsed like houses of cards, and even the clouds in the sky scattered from the air pressure produced.
Both Shou and the seven-tailed monster were flung back with tremendous force, their bodies leaving trails of destruction as they were dragged across the ground and crashed into whatever blocked their path.
But the silence lasted only a second.
Before the dust settled, the two figures had already risen and roared with the same madness, then dashed at each other at a speed beyond the limit of human comprehension!
Shou, purple eyes burning with flashes of darkness, plunged one of his swords into the ground with all his strength.
At that moment, as if summoned by divine power, countless spears of darkness erupted from undergroundโeach spear as sharp as a needle yet as big as a tree trunk, all rushing at the seven-tailed monster at once like a forest of death growing in an instant!
The seven-tailed monster looked at the approaching rain of dark spears with terrifying eyes.
Using its chakra hands, which could change size at willโfrom as small as a needle to as big as a giant treeโit needed only a few waves to destroy the entire forest of dark spears into fragments of energy scattered in the air!
๐ฝ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐....!!
While flying, Shou felt the ground beneath him shake like an earthquake.
His eyes widened as he saw so many transparent red chakra handsโeach as large as a buildingโmoving toward him from every direction.
The sky was covered by the shadows of those giant hands, creating a frightening artificial eclipse!
But Shou needed only a single swing of his sword to respond to this threat.
๐ฝ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐....!!!
Though it was only one swing, that movement actually contained thousands of invisible slashes.
In a fraction of a second, all the giant chakra hands were cut into tiny fragments that vanished like smoke!
But a roar that stopped the heart suddenly split the air, turning Shou's expression to full wariness.
Both of his blades were enveloped in an even denser aura of darkness and he immediately turned, thrusting his sword forward in a movement calculated to the millimeter!
And his calculation was rightโthe seven-tailed monster had leapt at an absurd height and speed, its claws, which could split steel like paper, ready to rend Shou like a beast on the hunt!
๐ฝ๐๐๐๐๐๐...! ๐ฝ๐๐๐๐๐๐...!!! ๐ฝ๐๐๐๐๐๐...!!!
There was no avoiding it anymoreโthe two immediately exchanged attacks at a speed beyond what human eyes could follow.
An ordinary person would see only flashes of purple and red colliding like lightning, creating waves of energy capable of killing any living thing within a kilometer just from the air pressure alone!
Every clash of sword and claw created sparks of energy that burned the air.
Every movement of theirs left a trail of destructionโthe ground cracked, rocks crumbled into dust, and reality itself seemed to shake from the unnatural intensity of this fight.
๐ฝ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐....!!
Although the Dark element's power was terrifying and could absorb life itself, when it came to raw power and durability, there was no doubt that the seven-tailed monster was far superior!
Shou's body finally reached its limit.
He was slammed to the ground with a force that made his whole body feel crushed, every bone screaming in pain, every muscle torn and bruised.
Supporting his nearly shattered body with his two swords planted in the ground, Shou vomited blood already mixed with fragments of his internal organs.
His expression turned into something terrifyingโno longer a human face, but the face of someone who had lost everything and was ready to take the whole world with him into destruction.
With a cry more like a beast's roar, he created hundreds of darkness spheres around himโeach sphere the size of a human head yet containing energy that could drain the life from a Rank A creature in an instant.
Then, like a rain of death, he launched them all at once!
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐...!
The seven-tailed monster, with its terrifying instincts, immediately realized the dark spheres were no ordinary threat.
At a speed that created successive sonic booms, it used the ruins of buildings as a foothold before shooting into the air like a launched rocket!
๐ฝ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐...!!
From the air, its figure was like a meteor falling with the purpose of destruction.
It moved in zigzags with maneuvers that defied the laws of physics, dodging every dark sphere that shot out with astonishing precision.
Seeing how easily the seven-tailed monster maneuvered in the air without wings or any aidโฆ
Shou could not hold back the curses slipping from his bloody lips.
"Damn it! Even I, who have wings, can't make maneuvers like that!"
As he thought that, his eyes caught the seven-tailed monster having changed direction and now charging at him with uncontrolled madnessโlike a meteor guided by evil will!
๐ฝ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐!
The impact was like the collision of two planets!
The seven-tailed monster struck Shou at a speed that created a shockwave all the way to the sky, dragging the young man hundreds of meters with tremendous force, his body smashing through every barrier in its path like an uncontrolled cannonball!
Feeling his ribs crack and his internal organs shift from their original positions, Shou could only rely on the survival instinct embedded in his DNA.
His two crossed swords, which were blocking the monster's blow with all the strength he had left, suddenly shone with a darkness denser than the night of a moonless sky.
๐๐๐ผ๐๐๐๐๐๐....!!! ๐ฝ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐...!!!
Then, as if summoned by the god of death himself, the darkness light roared out from both swords, instantly annihilating anything in its path within hundreds of meters!
"Hah... hah..."
The pair of dark wings that had wrapped around his body as a shield slowly opened, revealing Shou's battered but still living figure.
Using the dark element that had absorbed various life energies from the surrounding area, his body began to recover at an impressive paceโwounds closed, cracked bones knit back together, and energy began to flow again in his veins.
But... though his body recovered...
๐ฝ๐๐๐๐๐๐!!
Hate-filled red chakra once again pierced the sky, creating a pillar of energy visible from dozens of kilometers away.
Seeing this scene, Shou finally had to admit in his heart how terrifying and absurd the being he faced was.
Receiving successive attacks of the Dark element, which could absorb life itself, the seven-tailed monster was not only not weakenedโit had become far stronger than before, as if every attack merely made it fiercer!
"[๐ฃ๐ฎ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ฐ. ๐๐ผ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ ๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐น๐ถ๐ธ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐... ๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐๐น๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ๐ณ๐๐น. ๐ช๐ฒ๐น๐น, ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ]"
The Nine Elemental Hydra's cold, arrogant mocking voice sounded in his ears like salt on an open wound.
"SHUT UP!"
Shou shouted with anger that had reached its peak, his purple eyes burning with flashes of darkness.
The Nine Elemental Hydra, in her enchanting female form, merely laughed in a contemptuous tone, but quietly her gaze shifted to the seven-tailed monster, a living manifestation of pure hatred and madness that even made a Transcendent being like her feel... intrigued.
The seven-tailed monster was now forming an enormous purple energy sphere in its mouthโalready the size of a car and still growing.
Though it looked like an ordinary energy ball, Shou, with his honed combat instincts, knew the energy contained within was enough to flatten an entire city in an instant, perhaps even more!
With resolve firmly made, he rose to his feet though his whole body still screamed in pain.
He merged his two swords into one giant sword, and all the Dark element still remaining in his body began to gather on the blade, creating an aura that made the surrounding air cold as ice and dark as eternal darkness.
The seven-tailed monster was ready to fire the city-destroying energy sphere in its mouth, its white eyes shining with anticipation of witnessing total destruction.
But Shou was also ready with his final attack!
The two of them, in a moment that would decide the fate of the entire city and all who lived in it, released attacks capable of causing a catastrophic disaster!
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐....!!!
A dark sword slash that absorbed all life energy and an energy sphere resembling a weapon of mass destruction shot at the speed of light toward each other.
The air between the two attacks began to distort, reality itself seeming to tremble as two opposing forces were about to meet.
And when the two finally met at the midpointโ
๐๐ผ๐ฝ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐....!!!
The explosion that occurred surpassed all imagination of destruction.
Like a nuclear bomb detonated on the surface of the earth, an eye-blinding light radiated in every direction, followed by a heat wave and an energy radiation that wiped two kilometers within its reach from the face of the earth.
Buildings did not merely collapseโthey vaporized without a trace. Asphalt roads did not merely crackโthey turned to plasma. People who were still alive, even those kilometers away, died instantly from the terrifying radiation of the blast!
In the blink of an eye, most of the city that had been bustling with life was destroyed and leveled to the ground, turned into a giant crater still glowing with the remnants of energy from this unnatural battle!
๐๐๐ผ๐ผ๐ผ๐ผ๐ผ๐๐๐....!!
From the center of the destruction, the seven-tailed monster's roar could still be heard.
The humanoid-like creature gave off thick smoke from its red body, its red-black skin looking slightly burned and cracked.
Even a monster with absurd durability was not completely immune to the impact of the tremendous explosion that occurred right before it.
Slowly, the seven-tailed monster now faintly grew one more tail behind it.
With its increasingly savage appearance and eyes glowing like two red stars in the darkness, it seemed to be searching for Shou's whereabouts among the ruins and the flames still burning...
It was then thatโ
๐๐๐ผ๐ฝ...!!
Without any warning, without sound, without even any air movement that could be detected, a giant sword of darknessโas big as a giant treeโmanaged to pierce the monster's body right in the abdomen with perfect precision!
๐ฝ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐...!
The seven-tailed monster roared in a voice that made the remaining glass in the area vibrate and shatter.
Its roar was no longer the sound of a living creatureโit was the scream of hell itself as the dark sword began to absorb the vitality and life energy flowing through its body!
But the monster with vitality beyond logic did not give up so easily.
Its resistance was fierce and tremendous, every movement of its body creating destructive waves of energy!
๐ฝ๐๐๐! ๐ฝ๐๐๐! ๐ฝ๐๐๐!
Purple energy spheres full of terrifying power were fired one after another from its mouth, each shot obliterating an area the size of a football field around it in a last attempt to free itself!
But the owner of that swordโShou, who had appeared from nowhereโcould only muster all his remaining strength to thrust his sword deeper with firm resolve!
This was his one and only chance, one that might never come again!
Moments before that last attack, by using the highly risky Time elementโwhich could reduce his lifespan by yearsโhe had managed to manipulate time to approach the eight-tailed monster undetected.
Then, using all the Dark element still remaining in his body, he created the purest and deadliest dark sword he had ever made to deliver a single attack that would decide everything!
But even after being pierced by the strongest dark sword ever, this eight-tailed monster still showed absurd vitality!
Damn it, even a Rank S+ Magical Beast would have died many times over from a thrust like this!
With a decision born of desperation, Shou created chains of darkness that emerged from the ground and air, then controlled them to bind the entire body of the eight-tailed monsterโbinding every limb, every tail, even its neckโto lock down all its movement and make sure the monster could not free itself!
Of course, with durability and vitality beyond reason, the seven-tailed monster still put up terrifying resistance.
Every pull on the chains of darkness was answered with an energy explosion trying to break the bonds, forcing Shou to use all the remaining Dark element to strengthen the chains and hold the sword piercing the monster's body!
๐ฝ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐....!!!
The tremors from the monster's resistance created successive earthquakes that cracked and split the ground within a kilometer radius.
But slowly, like a fire running out of oxygen, the eight-tailed monster's movements began to weaken...
Its breath, once like a gust of hot wind, began to slow and shallow.
Its white eyes, once blazing like stars, began to dim. Even the aura of hatred and madness that had enveloped its body began to thinโฆ
A few minutes that felt like eternity later, the seven-tailed monster finally grew still... its body still trembled occasionally, but its resistance was nearly gone.
"[๐๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด... ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐๐๐ฏ๐ฑ๐๐ฒ ๐ถ๐]"
The Nine Elemental Hydra commented in her usual indifferent tone, butโฆ there was something in her voiceโฆ a kind of displeasure hard to explain, as if she was not entirely glad about Shou's victory.
Shou, too exhausted and pained to notice the subtle nuances in his contracted being's voice, simply focused on gripping his right arm, which felt as if it were burning from the inside.
With a breath full of suffering and pain, he stared sharply at the seven-tailed monster now lying weakly before him.
"You can no longer fight," Shou's voice sounded cold and piercing, every word filled with undeniable authority.
"Now answer my question... where is Mayuri?"
A suffocating silence enveloped the ruined battlefield.
The seven-tailed monster was silent, its heavy breathing creating a thin mist in the cold air.
But then, something horrifying happenedโthe monster's face slowly formed a grin that was utterly inhuman.
That smile was so frightening it made the hair of anyone who saw it stand on end.
"๐ฌ๐ผ๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฎ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ผ๐น..." the monster's voice echoed with a painful tone of contempt.
"Youโ"
Anger exploded in Shou's chest.
He was about to issue an even crueler threat, but suddenly his danger instincts, honed through many battles, screamed loudly in his mind.
A lethal threatโsomething capable of ending his life in an instantโwas approaching from behind!
The young man's eyes widened, his pupils contracting in shock.
The Nine Elemental Hydra, who had seemed calm all this time, now also frowned.
There, standing magnificent and terrifying, was a giant lizard-like monster whose body was wrapped in eternal flames.
Every breath it took gave off a blaze that could melt steel in seconds.
Its eyes, like molten lava, looked at them with the gaze of a predator that had found its prey.
Salamanderโone of the Rank S+ Magical Beasts!
This was the creature that had been the destination of Shou's journey to this small city. He had come to form a contract with this Magical Beast, but the timing could not have been worse!
The Nine Elemental Hydra sensed the drastic change in the battle's atmosphere.
"[๐ฉ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ฑ... ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐น๐ ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ถ๐๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐]"
"Damn it, is this the time for a casual chat?!" Shou shouted with explosive frustration. Cold sweat poured down his temples.
The atmosphere around them changed drastically.
The air began to vibrate with a frightening intensity, creating visual distortions like a mirage.
Shou's expression changed completely when he sensed a hot, dense concentration of [Mana] rapidly gathering in Salamander's wide-open mouth!
Without wasting a second, Shou immediately transformed!
"<<๐๐ฅ๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ: ๐๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ก>>!"
๐ฝ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐....!!!
A blast of fire breath with a temperature reaching thousands of degrees Celsius shot out directly like an annihilating laser, burning and destroying everything in its path!
The ground turned to lava, rocks melted like wax, and the air itself burned!
The Nine Elemental Hydra watched this whole fight with a strange expressionโno longer as indifferent as usual.
Something had changed in her eyes.
She glanced at Shou, who had barely managed to dodge and was now beginning to launch counterattacks on the raging Salamander.
Then, her gaze slowly shifted to the seven-tailed monster, which was still groaning in pain.
Because of the dark sword lodged deep in its body, the monster could not move and could only take the torment of the Salamander's flame breath, which kept sweeping the area.
With steps that made almost no sound, the Nine Elemental Hydra slowly approached the seven-tailed monster.
Her gaze, usually cold and arrogant, now turned into something very differentโgentle, attentive, even... affectionate?
"[๐ ๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐ต๐ฒ๐น๐ฝ you]" she whispered in a voice almost like a soft song.
The Transcendent being raised her graceful hand.
With such easeโjust a light snap of her fingersโshe managed to shatter the dark sword that had been lodged so deep in the seven-tailed monster's body.
The seven-tailed monster immediately began an astonishing regeneration process.
The wounds on its body closed at an absurd speed, torn flesh fused back together, and its terrifying aura began to rise again.
Yet it looked at the Nine Elemental Hydra with narrowed eyes.
The Nine Elemental Hydra did not seem to care about that gaze.
With flowing, water-like movements, she reached out her hand and began to caress the monster's face with surprising tenderness.
This sight was extremely hard to believeโa woman of nearly divine beauty, graceful and arrogant, now giving a loving caress to a red humanoid monster that was the embodiment of pure hatred and madness.
"[๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐น๐ฑ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ณ๐๐น ๐ถ๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐น๐ฑ ๐ต๐ฒ๐น๐ฝ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ธ ๐ต๐๐บ๐ฎ๐ป]" the Nine Elemental Hydra's voice sounded gentle, but there was a surprising depth of emotion in it.
"[๐๐ป ๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ, ๐ ๐ฎ๐บ ๐๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฏ๐ ๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ต๐ถ๐บ. ๐๐ณ ๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฒ๐, ๐ ๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ผ. ๐๐ป ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ...]"
She paused for a moment, as if weighing the words she was about to say.
Then, in a voice almost like a whisper, she continued:
"[...๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ป ๐บ๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ต๐ถ๐บ ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ๐, ๐ ๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ '๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐.']"
Those words sounded utterly absurd to anyone who heard them.
Even the most arrogant creature would think the Nine Elemental Hydra had lost her sanity.
She was a Transcendent being whose pride exceeded the highest mountain; how could she be willing to belong to a creature who wasn't even Rank SSS?
But this was the most sincere feeling the Nine Elemental Hydra had ever felt in all her existence.
For thousands of years, the only reason she had been born into this world was to seek the one who embodied hatred equal to her own.
At first she had thought that person was Shou, because his hatred of the world was greater than any human she had ever met. But...
She had never imagined she would be brought together with someone whose hatred had reached a level equal to that of a Transcendent.
When she first met him, the Nine Elemental Hydra experienced an emotional explosion she had never felt beforeโsomething she did not even understand...
Poor Shou... he did not know that in a few moments he would lose his contracted being for the second time in his life...
A long silence enveloped them.
The seven-tailed monster looked deep into the Nine Elemental Hydra's eyes as if trying to read every emotion hidden behind that beautiful gaze.
Thenโ
๐ฅ๐ข๐๐๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ...!!!
A roar so terrifying burst from the seven-tailed monster's throat, creating a hot and fierce wave of wind that swept the entire area.
That sound was not an ordinary roarโit was the embodiment of pure hatred that had crystallized into physical force.
The Nine Elemental Hydra's beautiful diamond-like hair fluttered dramatically in that terrifying gust of wind.
But the woman merely smiled broadlyโthe happiest smile she had ever shown in thousands of years of existence.
Then, in the blink of an eyeโ
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐...!!
The seven-tailed monster's figure vanished from its place, moving at a speed that truly broke the sound barrier.
All that remained were traces of a shockwave and ground cracked by the explosion of its speed.
***
๐ฝ๐๐๐! ๐ฝ๐๐๐! ๐ฝ๐๐๐!
Hellfire pounded the air with unstoppable fury.
Deadly heat waves swept the entire battlefield, turning rock to lava and air to blazing poison.
In the midst of that terrifying vortex of destruction, Shou's figure in Elementalist Earth form was flung like a shabby doll played with by a giant!
๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐!
His body slammed into the rubble of a building with a pitiful sound.
Dust and debris flew, creating a stifling gray cloud.
"COUGH! HUEK!"
Fresh blood gushed from his lips like a fountain of death.
The thick red fluid flowed heavily, soaking the already cracked ground.
The sturdy earthen protection like armor on his body was now shattered to pieces, leaving horrifying bloody wounds across his entire body.
With ragged breath and fading vision, Shou stared at the terrifying figure before him.
The giant Salamander stood fearsomely magnificentโnearly fifty meters tall, its skin shimmering like glowing metal, and from its wide-open mouth, blue-green flame flowed like a river of hell.
Those large reptilian eyes radiated pure hatred that made Shou's soul shudder with fear.
'Damn it! If only I were in prime condition, I'd have finished this bastard monster long ago!'
Anger and frustration burned in his chest hotter than the Salamander's fire.
Shou clenched his fists until his nails pierced the skin of his palms, drawing fresh blood.
As the owner of part of the Nine Elemental Hydra's power, he should have been able to defeat this creature with ease.
But fate decreed otherwiseโthe prolonged battle against the seven-tailed monster, plus the use of the Dark and Time elements that had drained his vital energy completely, had made him no more than a dying ordinary human.
'Damn bitch! Where is that bastard woman?! Is she willing to let me die?!'
An even fiercer rage seized his heart.
The Nine Elemental Hydraโthe arrogant woman who should have been his allyโhad not shown her face at all.
If only she had been willing to step in from the start, Shou would not have fallen into this state!
He would not be tasting the bitterness of defeat on the brink of death!
His strength was truly exhausted.
Even to activate the Water element, which could restore his wounds, he needed time he did not have. The Salamander would not give him that chance.
'Is... this the end of my life?'
For the first time in his life, Shou felt the cold grip of death.
Fear began to creep over his soul, making his chest tight and his hands tremble.
He tried to rise with difficulty, but his body could no longer obey him.
His muscles screamed in pain, his bones were cracked, and his eyes began to blur.
The giant Salamander slowly stepped toward him.
Each step made the earth shake and crack. The ground beneath its feet melted into glowing lava.
Its mouth opened wide, revealing rows of teeth like swords gleaming in the light of its inner fire.
From its throat, a low rumble roseโlike a death song ready to swallow its victim.
Shou closed his eyes, preparing to accept the bitter endโ
๐ฝ๐๐๐! ๐ฝ๐๐๐! ๐ฝ๐๐๐!
A succession of explosions broke the deathly silence!
"?!!"
Shou's eyes flew wide, shock replacing his despair.
From an unexpected direction, dozens of red light spheres of various sizes shot at terrifying speed toward the Salamander.
They moved like meteors falling from the sky, leaving glowing light trails in the air.
One by one they struck the giant's body mercilessly!
๐ฝ๐๐๐! ๐ฝ๐๐๐! ๐ฝ๐๐๐!
Every explosion created a tremendous shockwave.
The ground cracked and flew, the air trembled violently, and the sound was a deafening rumble.
The mighty Salamander staggered, its huge body shaken by explosion after explosion without end.
"๐๐๐ผ๐ผ๐ผ๐ผ๐ผ๐ผ๐ผ๐ผ๐!"
A roar of pain and rage thundered from the monster's mouth.
Whether it was a sign of suffering or overflowing anger, it was clear the Salamander was displeased with this sudden attack!
Its huge body began to radiate extraordinary heat.
The air around it rippled like water and the temperature rose drastically until Shou felt his skin would burn alive.
The Salamander tried to turn the tables by exploding all its heat energy at once!
'Insane! I'm going to be roasted to death!'
Shou felt dread imagining his body turned to charcoal.
He was one hundred percent sure he would not survive this tremendous heat blast!
Butโ
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐!
A purple energy sphere as big as a house shot through the air, piercing the heat wave like a knife cutting through butter!
๐๐ผ๐ผ๐ผ๐ผ๐ผ๐ผ๐ฝ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐...!!
The explosion that followed surpassed all imagination!
Like a nuclear bomb detonating on the earth's surface, a dazzling white light swallowed everything.
The shockwave that formed leveled everything within a radius of tens of meters.
Even the Salamander, a Rank S+ Magical Beastโa monster equal to a natural disasterโwas flung far with a wounded body!
As that dazzling light slowly faded, an inhuman laugh echoed through the air.
"๐๐ฎ๐ต๐ฎ๐ต๐ฎ... ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ฐ..."
That voice sounded so cold and full of contempt that it made Shou's hair stand on end.
With eyes still watering from the glare, he looked toward the source of the voice and could hardly believe what he saw.
There stood a figure he knew wellโthe seven-tailed monster he had just fought so desperately!
"Y-you! How can you be here?!"
Shou's voice trembled between anger and fear. His throat was dry, making his voice hoarse and cracking.
"[๐'๐บ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ผ ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ถ๐. ๐ช๐ต๐? ๐ก๐ผ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐๐ณ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ฑ?]"
The arrogant, indifferent voice of the Nine Elemental Hydra suddenly appeared out of the void.
The beautiful woman with the terrifying aura floated in the air, looking at Shou with a deeply hurtful, contemptuous smirk.
Her beautiful hair fluttered in the wind, and her heterochromatic eyesโone gold, one blueโradiated pure disdain.
Hearing that confession, Shou's blood boiled at once.
His long-suppressed anger exploded like a volcano.
"I FOUGHT TO THE DEATH AGAINST THAT MONSTER, AND YOU HELPED IT INSTEAD?!" he screamed in a cracked voice, using the last of his strength.
What was even more humiliating, he was now under the protection of the seven-tailed monster he had just fought! His pride as a fighter was shattered to pieces.
But the Nine Elemental Hydra only laughed cynically, her voice echoing like a death knell.
"[๐ช๐ต๐ ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐น๐ฑ ๐ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐๐ฟ๐๐ด๐ด๐น๐ฒ? ๐๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐...]" She looked disdainfully at Shou, lying weakly. "[๐ฌ๐ผ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ป๐น๐ ๐น๐๐ฐ๐ธ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐๐๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ ๐ถ๐. ๐ง๐ต๐ฎ๐'๐ ๐ฎ๐น๐น.]"
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN?!"
Shou's anger peaked, but his words were cut off as the sound of a tremendous explosion and a deadly heat wave came from the Salamander, which had begun to rise again!
The Nine Elemental Hydra also narrowed her eyes, observing the situation with an interested gaze.
At that moment, the seven-tailed monster began to move forward. Its deep and terrifying voice echoed in the air.
"๐๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐๐น๐, ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ต๐ผ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐น๐ฑ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ธ๐ถ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐น๐ฎ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ." The seven-tailed monster laughed in a voice that made the soul shudder. "๐ช๐ผ๐๐น๐ฑ๐ป'๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ป๐ถ๐ฐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ณ๐๐ป๐ป๐? ๐๐ถ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฏ๐ ๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐? ๐๐๐..."
It paused for a moment, its red eyes glinting with pure cruelty.
"๐ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐บ๐ ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ. ๐ง๐ผ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฒ ๐น๐ถ๐ธ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐น๐ฑ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด. ๐ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฐ๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐๐ณ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ด๐ต ๐๐๐ฟ๐๐ด๐ด๐น๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ป๐๐ถ๐น ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ต. ๐๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐บ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ, ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ธ, ๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐น๐น ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐๐ฟ๐๐ด๐ด๐น๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐น๐น ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป."
"BASTARD!"
Shou was truly furious at those cruel words, but his ruined body could do nothing.
He could only stare with watering eyes, full of hatred and despair.
The Nine Elemental Hydra observed all this with an interested expression, as if watching an entertaining show.
"๐ ๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐ต๐ฒ๐น๐ฝ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ ๐น๐ถ๐๐๐น๐ฒ," he said, "๐ฏ๐๐ ๐ ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ป'๐ ๐ธ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐น๐๐ฐ๐ธ ๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ ๐น๐ผ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ๐ฟ."
Those ambiguous words left a riddle in Shou's mind, but in the next second his expression changed completely to extreme shock.
The terrifying seven-tailed monster's figure suddenly vanished, replaced by the figure of a fifteen-year-old teenager.
His jet-black hair shimmered in the firelight, and most striking was a pair of eyes with glowing red pupils bearing a vertical black line in the middle.
On both cheeks were three whisker-like lines that gave a strange yet frightening impression.
This sudden transformation was confusing, but Shou soon understood the reason.
From various directions, nine lights moved at lightning speed toward the young man.
They were the creatures he had summoned earlierโfive beasts and four humanoids, each with a terrifyingly powerful aura.
One by one they entered the young man's body forcefully, as if struck by an invisible force compelling them to merge!
At once, the young man's aura changed drastically.
The air around him grew darker, denser, and filled with a hatred that could almost be touched.
The pressure he radiated made it hard for Shou to breathe.
Smiling with a very cruel expressionโa grin that froze the bloodโthe teenager spoke in a cold voice full of superiority.
"I'll show you the fundamental difference between you, who only half-borrow the power of your contracted being, and me, who uses the true power of my 'being.'"
As those words were spoken, a terrifying phenomenon occurred.
Pebbles around them began to rise and float in the air for no apparent reason.
The earth trembled with unnatural force.
An atmosphere full of destruction and hatred filled the air, making every living thing nearby feel a real threat of death.
Even the Salamanderโa mighty Rank S+ monsterโsensed a danger threatening its life! Its instincts screamed that this was not an opponent to be underestimated.
The giant lizard monster immediately spewed its hottest flame breathโa wave of blue-green fire that could melt metal in an instantโbut it was one step too late!
The young man spoke in a cynical, cruel tone, his voice echoing as if from the depths of hell.
"Come out, Kyลซbi."
As those words were spokenโ
๐ฝ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐....!!
The Salamander's fire attack obliterated the entire area within a radius of hundreds of meters, turning everything into a sea of fire and lava.
But whether it was Shou, the Nine Elemental Hydra, the Salamander, or even people far in the distance, all of them felt a very terrifying spiritual pressureโpressure filled with pure hatred!
๐๐๐ผ๐ผ๐ผ๐ผ๐ผ๐ผ๐ผ๐ผ๐ผ๐...!!
A soul-wrenching roar pierced every corner of the world!
The sound was so terrifying that birds in the sky fell dead, wild animals ran in panic, and even humans miles away felt an inexplicable fear!
"W-what is that..."
Shou's eyes widened, his body trembling violently.
The Nine Elemental Hydra had the opposite reactionโher eyes sparkled with fascination and admiration at the sight of this spectacular emergence.
What emerged from behind the smoke and flames was truly a terrifying figureโa giant fox monster twice the size of the Salamander.
If the Salamander stood fifty meters tall, then this monster stood a hundred meters, dominating the land's surface with its terrifying presence.
Its fur was a dark orange like hellfire, shimmering with an unnatural light.
Nine tails behind it swung wildly with a hypnotic yet frightening motion, creating a vortex of wind with devastating power capable of toppling tall buildings.
Most terrifying of all was a pair of evil red eyes.
Those pupils with a vertical black line in the middle truly reflected boundless hatredโhatred thousands of years old that had never faded.
Looking into those eyes was the same as looking into a bottomless pit of hell.
This creature could technically be classified as a Rank SS Magical Beast, but the amount of hatred and the nearly limitless spiritual energy it radiated surpassed the average Rank SS monster.
This was no ordinary monsterโthis was a being born from pure hatred and crystallized rage.
The aura it radiated... was strikingly similar to the appearance of the final boss of a Dungeon Break!
"This is the difference between us, do you understand now?"
The young man stood atop the fox monster's head, looking down with a painful grin.
Shou only stared with empty eyes, his mouth open but no words coming out.
His brain could not process the reality before him.
He gritted his teeth so hard a grinding sound could be heard, but in the end chose silence.
Only his nails had pierced deep into his palms, drawing blood that dripped to the ground.
The young man laughed mockingly, his voice echoing in the hot air.
"Hahaha! That expression... so satisfying!"
Then he looked at the Salamander, which was now frozen in fear as it felt the hate-filled aura of the Kyลซbi fox monster.
The Salamander's huge body trembled, and for the first time in its life, the Rank S+ monster felt a fear that made it want to leave the fight.
And that was indeed what it didโthe Salamander did something very unexpected, namely it fled!
The proud Magical Beast knew full well that the nine-tailed fox monster before it was far stronger and more dangerous.
Its survival instinct screamed to leave this place at once!
"Heh, it knows when to retreat. It's not stupid." The young man nodded with satisfaction.
"It's just that... leaving without so much as a by-your-leave, isn't that a bit rude?"
That sentence raised questions in the minds of those who witnessed it, but the young man only grinned with a very cruel expression.
He raised his right hand, and at that moment something formed that froze everyone's blood.
A black sphere the size of a baseball with white energy rings revolving around it.
The same technique used against Shou earlier, but something was differentโthe aura it radiated was far more terrifying and the energy it contained felt as though it could annihilate a dozen mountains!
The young man looked at Shou with the cruelest grin ever, his eyes glinting with pure cruelty.
"This is my farewell to you. Remember well the name of the one who will soon kill you..." He paused for dramatic effect. "Uzumaki Menma."
Then, with a movement that was very casual yet full of terrifying powerโ
"<<๐๐๐ข ๐๐๐ฌ๐๐ง๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฎ>>"
He released the ringed black sphere toward the fleeing Salamander.
The projectile descended at a seemingly normal speed, even looking slow, making Shou doubt whether the attack was truly dangerous.
But that doubt vanished the moment the black sphere touched its target.
What happened next wasโ
Total annihilation.
A white light brighter than a thousand suns exploded and soared high into the sky, creating a column of energy visible from tens of kilometers away!
๐๐ผ๐ผ๐ผ๐ผ๐ผ๐ผ๐ผ๐ผ๐ฝ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐...!!!
An explosion truly resembling a real nuclear bomb erupted with unimaginable force.
The shockwave that formed wiped out everything within a radius of several kilometersโnothing remained, nothing could survive.
Living creatures still breathing, sturdy buildings that had stood for years, roads made of the strongest materials, vehicles, trees, even large rocksโall were swallowed by the terrifying light like a divine punishment descending straight from heaven to destroy all sins.
Sounds of resistance and defensive efforts from various parties could be heard for a moment, but an attack empowered by Kyลซbi's strength was deadly and impossible to resist.
No one could survive this total destruction.
In one dark night and with one terrifying attack, a city that had stood for hundreds of years became total ruins in a matter of seconds.
A city built with such effort vanished in an instant, leaving only a gaping giant crater and the stinging smell of death.
And Shou, who had escaped the blast area by using the last of his strength to transform into Elementalist Thunder, could only watch all this destruction with disbelieving eyes and a soul shattered to pieces.
His body trembled violentlyโwhether from fear, anger, or trauma at witnessing the mass destruction that had just occurred.
His watering eyes stared blankly at the giant crater that had once been a city.
Remembering the name of the young man who knew information about the whereabouts of the girl he had long been searching for, he could only mutter in a trembling voice while gritting his teeth until his gums bled.
"Uzumaki Menma... I swear... I will definitely defeat you someday..."
But as the image of the nine-tailed fox monster with its boundless hate-filled aura surfaced again in his mind, his entire body trembled uncontrollably.
An uncontrollable fear crept over every inch of his body.
With dragging steps and a body about to collapse, he slowly left the place that had become the silent witness of this mass destruction.
Blood still dripped from various wounds on his body, leaving a red trail on the cracked ground.
In the distance, atop the ruins of the devastated city, Lux (Menma)'s figure still stood calmly atop Kyลซbi's head.
The night wind stirred his hair and a cruel grin was still etched on his face, which looked so young yet held a very deep darkness.
"Tonight's show was quite entertaining," he murmured in a casual tone, as if what had just happened were merely an ordinary game.
Those red eyes with vertical-lined pupils looked toward Shou, slowly disappearing into the dark of night, and his grin widened.
"I wonder how he'll develop by our next meeting... but that might be his last chance at life."
His voice echoed in the cold night air...
***