"Look at yourself. You possess the world's most cutting-edge fashion sense—any outfit you design could start a trend. You have a perfect figure that makes every woman jealous—step onto any runway and you become the center of attention."
"You could have been the most dazzling, most free fashion queen in this world. But now, you're going to be a servant for some ancient fossil who's gone topless for millennia and whose aesthetic is still stuck in the tribal era? Risking your life for his outdated theory of 'destroy the world and return to nothingness'?"
"Don't you think... that's a raw deal?"
Cloud's words struck Shermie's heart like a bolt from the blue!
She had... never considered her "mission" from this angle.
That's right...
She loved beautiful things, loved fashion, loved standing in the spotlight, enjoyed being the center of attention.
But Orochi's will was "nothingness," was "destruction," was returning everything to the original, monotonous, aesthetically void chaos.
These two things were fundamentally... opposed!
She'd always believed she was fighting for a great cause.
But now that Cloud had pointed it out, she suddenly realized that she might have been... personally destroying everything she loved most?
This massive cognitive dissonance plunged her into unprecedented confusion and doubt.
Just as Shermie's worldview was about to collapse, a figure emerged slowly from the shadows—equally alluring, but carrying a familiar presence.
It was Mature.
"My Lord is absolutely right, Shermie." Mature walked to Cloud's side and naturally took his arm, smiling at the shocked Shermie. "We should all live for ourselves."
"Mature?! Why... why are you here?! You called him... 'My Lord'?!" Shermie felt like her CPU had completely fried.
How was this plot getting more and more outrageous?!
Her bestie had already been... "turned" by the enemy?!
"Because my Lord is our true origin." Mature began the next round of "re-education" on Shermie. "Only by following Lord Cloud can we obtain true freedom and rebirth."
Looking at this "husband sings, wife follows" scene before her, Shermie was thoroughly bewildered.
However, just as this "defection rally" was about to reach its successful conclusion, a man's voice—filled with fury and raw power—exploded in their ears like rolling thunder.
"Shermie! Mature! What... what are you doing?!"
A towering figure descended from the sky, landing heavily on top of the Eiffel Tower, shaking the entire summit violently!
The newcomer was none other than "Heavenly King of the Parched Earth"—Yashiro Nanakase!
He had flowing silver hair, and beneath his bronze skin were muscles brimming with explosive power. At this moment, his face was written with the fury of being cuckolded!
He'd long sensed something was off with Shermie lately. Following her here, he never expected to witness such a "worldview-shattering" scene!
His two beautiful companions had gotten together with some random guy, and they were even calling him "My Lord"?!
"Who... are you?!" Yashiro's wild eyes locked onto Cloud, and a terrifying aura capable of shaking the earth itself pressed toward Cloud!
He had clearly mistaken Cloud for some "scumbag" who specialized in deceiving naive young women.
"Oh? The main character arrives." Cloud looked at this muscular man radiating "nice guy rage" and smiled instead of panicking.
"I'm the one... who's about to become your new boss."
"You're dead!"
Yashiro roared and wasted no more words. A punch condensed with the power of "Earth," carrying enough terrifying force to flatten a small mountain, slammed toward Cloud!
Facing Yashiro's furious strike, Cloud didn't even raise an eyelid.
He simply lifted his right hand, gently.
Vast spiritual force surged forth.
Hummm—!
Yashiro's unstoppable fist froze in midair half a meter from Cloud's face, as if hit by a petrification spell, unable to advance a single inch more!
"Wh-what?!" Yashiro's eyes filled with terror.
He discovered that the space around him had become like solidified cement, locking him firmly in place!
"Your power isn't bad." Cloud looked at him and commented casually, "Unfortunately, it hasn't fully awakened yet. Right now, you're too weak."
He flicked his finger.
Pffft—!
Yashiro felt an irresistible force transmit from his fist, instantly breaking through all his defenses and slamming into his chest!
He let out a pained grunt as his entire body shot backward like a cannonball, crashing through the Eiffel Tower's summit railing and deforming it severely. A mouthful of fresh blood sprayed out, scattering across the night sky.
One move. Victory decided!
"Yashiro!" Shermie cried out instinctively at the sight.
Yashiro struggled to his feet, wiped the blood from his mouth, and looked at Cloud with eyes full of wariness and fear.
He knew he was completely outclassed by this man.
"Stay away... from them!" He gritted his teeth and threw down a harsh warning, then without hesitation transformed into a streak of light and fled without looking back.
Cloud watched the direction of Yashiro's escape but didn't pursue.
He knew that dealing with this "one-track mind" type required more than just force.
What he wanted wasn't simply to defeat them—it was to dismantle their "faith" from within.
...
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