"Had enough fun?"
Cloud's voice was calm, but to Goenitz's ears, it sounded like the verdict of the Reaper himself.
Without a moment's hesitation, Goenitz abandoned his attack on Iori Yagami. His figure flickered, reappearing a hundred meters away, facing Cloud from a distance.
"Cloud!" Goenitz's voice carried a heavy weight. "Your power..."
He could feel it—the Cloud standing before him was nothing like the man who had needed a "sneak attack" to wound him half a year ago.
The current Cloud was like a fathomless, tranquil ocean. The surface appeared calm and undisturbed, but beneath it lurked power terrifying enough to devour everything.
Absolute Domain 92%!
"92%?! Impossible!" Goenitz's mind reeled with shock.
In just half a year, how could a human reach such a terrifying level?! This had transcended the realm of "genius"—this was a miracle!
"Nothing's impossible." Cloud seemed to read his thoughts, shrugging helplessly. "What can I say? I'm talented, I'm handsome, and my luck is through the roof. Can't help it—being handsome just lets you do whatever you want."
While spouting this nonsense, he was internally screaming: Goenitz, you absolute moron! The Orochi power inside me is this abundant, purer than that weak tea you've been brewing! You're supposed to be a priest—how can you not sense any of it? You're treating me like an enemy?! How the hell did you pass your Divine Tribe's performance review?!
What Cloud didn't know was that his Orochi power had been "purified and upgraded" by the System, returning it to its most primal state with an aura so restrained it was virtually undetectable.
To Goenitz's senses, Cloud appeared to be nothing more than a pure, absurdly powerful "human"—without the slightest trace of Divine Tribe essence.
"Enough of your deceptive prattle!" Goenitz clearly wasn't buying it. "I don't care what methods you used to reach this level. But today, you and the remnants of the Three Sacred Treasure clans will all die!"
With that, he moved.
But he didn't charge directly at Cloud. Instead, he craftily flickered to appear beside the heavily wounded fighters lying on the ground!
He grabbed Terry, who was nearest, and held him as a human shield, sneering at Cloud: "Cloud, I admit you're strong. But do you dare attack me at the cost of these insects' lives?"
Cloud's brow furrowed instantly.
What the hell! This old bastard is playing the hostage card?! He cursed internally. A boss this powerful, and when he can't win, he hides behind minions? Where's your dignity?
Goenitz was clever.
He had noticed that Cloud seemed unwilling to let these fighters die, so he exploited this weakness, weaving through the crowd, making Cloud hesitate to use wide-area, high-damage ultimates like "Ya Sakazuki" or "Mu Shiki."
For a moment, despite his superior strength, Cloud found himself restricted and frustrated, fighting an infuriatingly constrained battle.
But just as this stalemate of "frustration" and "shamelessness" continued—
A gentle, serene voice filled with wisdom echoed softly in Cloud's mind.
It was Maki Kagura.
"Cloud, keep him occupied. I'll use the Yata Mirror to seal his soul within this space-time barrier created by the mirror!"
Cloud—the "Triple Crown Champion" who had just been tied down by the hostage situation—felt his eyes light up instantly!
Holy crap! Of course!
How did I forget about that?!
The Kagura family's most powerful asset isn't their tickle-worthy miko techniques—it's their ancestral artifact that can reflect anything, the Yata Mirror!
Why didn't you say so earlier, Maki-wifey!
You made me suffer through all that frustration for nothing!
Cloud raged internally, but his expression remained the picture of serene mastery—a sage with everything under control.
He turned to the "old fraud" still strutting around the arena, radiating his "shameless aura," and gave him a smile that was both kind and cruel.
"Old man, congratulations. You've successfully pissed me off."
"So, as your reward... I've decided not to kill you."
"Instead, I'm going to let you repent for your disgusting sins in endless solitude and darkness!"
With that, he hesitated no longer!
His figure flickered, teleporting toward the Divine Apostle who still didn't know how to write the word "death"!
"Hehehe... trying that again?"
"Foolish mortal. The same trick won't work twice on a—"
Goenitz watched Cloud charge at him "recklessly" again and let a contemptuous smirk spread across his face.
He moved to repeat his trick, flickering toward the hostages once more!
But this time, he miscalculated.
Because the instant he tried to activate his teleportation—
A cold, resolute female voice rang out like thunder!
"NOW!"
It was Chizuru Kagura!
She and her sister Maki formed an impossibly complex ancient seal brimming with mystical power, their movements perfectly synchronized!
An invisible but terrifyingly powerful domain—capable of completely "solidifying" space itself—erupted outward with the sisters at its center, spreading instantaneously!
Goenitz felt the space around him suddenly become viscous as a swamp!
His prized "Wind Teleportation" was forcibly interrupted by this bizarre spatial binding force!
"Wh-what?!"
Goenitz's face twisted in shock!
In the mere 0.1 seconds his concentration wavered—
Cloud's iron fist, wreathed in the destructive aura of Chaos Divine Flame, slammed squarely into his chest!
BOOM—!
With a muffled explosion, Goenitz flew backward like a ragdoll!
...
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