The city had already been reduced to broken concrete and burning steel when the next shockwave split the sky.
Bang!!! Boom!!!
A lone figure tore through the air—not by choice, but by force. She spiraled helplessly before slamming into the roof of an abandoned car. Metal crumpled like paper beneath her impact, glass exploding outward in a glittering spray.
The vehicle flattened under her weight, alarm systems long dead, leaving only the shriek of twisting steel to mark her landing.
For several seconds, she did not move.
Elira lay amid the wreckage, one arm dangling over the side of the ruined car, strands of black hair falling across her face.
Above her, the sky remained painfully serene—blue and vast, dotted with drifting clouds. One cloud in particular caught her attention. It resembled a rabbit.
Her breathing slowed.
Why am I doing this again? she wondered silently, staring at the soft, harmless shape.
The image of a small girl clutching a worn bunny doll surfaced in her mind. The child's laughter. The warmth of tiny fingers tugging at her sleeve.
"Right," Elira muttered under her breath, pushing herself upright despite the protest of her aching muscles. "I have to protect her and—"
RAHHHH!!!
The roar of the Abyssal shattered her thoughts. The monstrous sound rolled through the ruined streets like thunder, filled with hunger and fury.
The giant spider—its body an armored mass of black chitin and writhing legs—skittered across the shattered pavement, crushing debris beneath its weight.
Elira exhaled sharply and rose to her feet. Her left eye ignited with a brilliant emerald glow.
"Hunter's Eyes — Pinpoint."
The world shifted. Time did not slow, not truly—but perception sharpened to an impossible degree. Every twitch of the Abyssal's legs, every tremor of cracked asphalt beneath it, every particle of dust floating in the air became visible to her heightened sight.
She leapt from the wrecked car just as the spider descended upon her.
The Abyssal's massive legs slammed downward in rapid succession, each strike capable of reducing reinforced concrete to rubble. The barrage came relentlessly, aiming to crush her into nothing more than red paste.
But through the power of Hunter's Eyes, Elira saw each movement as if it were unfolding in slow motion.
Left leg—downward sweep.
Right—piercing thrust.
Rear limb—crushing arc.
She weaved between them, her movements sharp and economical, boots barely touching the ground as the earth fractured beneath each near-miss. In the chaos of strikes, she spotted it—a flaw. A brief imbalance in the creature's rhythm. A slight overextension.
Her lips curved. She lashed her arm forward. Bandages shot from beneath her sleeves, spiraling outward like white serpents. Reinforced with Aether, they hardened and sharpened, transforming into blade-lined ribbons.
"Strike."
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The blade bandages slammed into the Abyssal's torso with tremendous force.
But instead of piercing through—
They bounced.
The creature's iron-clad black hide absorbed the impact, leaving only shallow scratches.
Elira clicked her tongue and backflipped away as another leg smashed into the ground where she had stood.
"Crap. At this rate, I'm going to run out of Aether"
Her reserves were already dangerously low. She could feel it—the subtle thinning of energy in her veins. Each technique drained her further.
'I can't die yet,she still needs me , they still need me'
Just as the weight of inevitability began pressing down on her—
BOOM!!!!
A pillar of light erupted in the distance.
It pierced the sky in a blinding column of radiant purple, illuminating the ruined city in surreal hues. The air itself vibrated under the sheer density of Aether being released.
Elira's glowing eye widened.
"What a tremendous amount of Aether… And it's coming from the direction I sent that idiot" she uttered in amazement.
Her gaze sharpened.
Could it be…?
The Abyssal also noticed. Its many eyes swiveled toward the pillar instantly. A low, instinctive hiss rumbled from its abdomen. Whatever was within that light—it recognized it as a threat.
Without hesitation, the giant spider pivoted and dashed toward the source.
"Hey! I'm your opponent!" Elira shouted, launching after it despite her exhaustion.
But the Abyssal was faster than before.
Within seconds, it reached the epicenter of the radiance.
Lesser Abyssal spiders skittered in its wake—smaller, but no less vicious.
The giant spider raised its front limbs, emitting a wave of oppressive aura. The lesser Abyssals responded immediately, swarming toward the pillar.
Simultaneously, the giant creature reared back and fired massive spheres of black venom—each orb thrice the potency of the corrosive green spray it had used earlier.
The small army advanced. Then—
Something moved within the light. Eight enormous tails burst outward.
White fur shimmered with faint red linings, the tips dyed in vivid crimson. The tails lashed through the swarm with devastating force, smashing lesser Abyssals into paste and sending shockwaves through nearby buildings.
Structures that had survived the initial destruction crumbled under the impact.
One remaining tail intercepted the black venom spheres mid-flight. The explosions were violent— But the tail held firm.
The pillar of light dissolved.
In its place stood a colossal fox. White as snow, marked with elegant crimson patterns flowing like sacred ink across its body. Nine immense tails swayed behind it. Golden eyes burned with intelligence and restrained ferocity.
It stood equal in size to the Abyssal spider.
Black claws extended from massive paws. Razor-sharp fangs glinted as a low growl rumbled from its chest.
The ground trembled beneath its stance.
Within the fox's mind, a familiar voice echoed. "I honestly didn't think your beast form would be this powerful."
It was Yurei.
She stood balanced upon the fox's forehead, spear in hand. Her once-tattered uniform had fully regenerated, and Aether flowed around her like a mantle of light. Her pale skin still bore faint signs of strain, but her resolve was unshaken.
Hiro had transformed. Though the primal force within him had been sealed behind that mysterious crimson-locked door, its power now flowed under his control.
He could still feel it, the wild hunger, the destructive instinct. But this time, it obeyed.
With a thunderous step, the fox dashed forward.
The ground shattered beneath each bound as Hiro closed the distance in seconds. Rising onto his hind legs, he seized two of the Abyssal's limbs and threw it.
The giant spider flew through the air like discarded trash, crashing into a half-collapsed building. Concrete imploded under the impact.
Yet it recovered quickly. Its abdomen swelled, and it unleashed a barrage of venom sprays toward Hiro.
"Longinus Spear Art: Tempest Thrust!" Yurei's voice rang clear.
She lunged forward from her position, thrusting her spear. A spiraling whirlwind erupted from its tip, forming a roaring vortex that shredded the incoming venom midair. Toxic droplets evaporated into harmless mist.
The Abyssal shrieked and charged again, its legs glowing silver. A deadly barrage followed. This time, Hiro met it head-on.
Crimson aura flared around his claws. Each strike of the spider's limbs collided against his own with explosive force.
What had once seemed overwhelming now felt manageable. He parried,countered and adapted. Metallic screeches filled the air as claw met chitin in rapid succession.
"Longinus — Tempest Thrust!"
Yurei struck again, her spear extending unnaturally as golden light concentrated at its tip. The blow connected, forcing the Abyssal backward several steps.
That opening was all Hiro needed.
All nine tails lashed forward in unison.
The impact was catastrophic.
The Abyssal was sent hurtling across the battlefield, demolishing buildings as it skidded through them. Dust clouds swallowed the horizon.
"Hiro!" Yurei called out within his mind. "We need to end this now. The Houke Barrier won't hold much longer."
Hiro felt it too—the faint vibration in the air, the strain on the city's defensive barrier.
Yurei steadied her stance.
"This Abyssal's hide is too tough. I'll pierce through its defenses—but I need your assistance."
"Hai."
The word reverberated like a growl. Something stirred in Hiro's memory, a forgotten instinct. He focused then Aether e gathered in his throat, coiling like liquid flame.
Heat intensified. Crimson fire began forming within his maw. Across the battlefield, the Abyssal sensed the surge of energy. Its abdomen expanded grotesquely, glowing a sickly green as it prepared its ultimate venom discharge.
The air grew heavy.
"Now!!!" Yurei shouted.
"Longinus — Piercing the Heavens!"
Her spear erupted with radiant golden brilliance, expanding as if it were an extension of the sky itself. At the same moment, Hiro released everything.
A torrent of blazing crimson flames exploded from his jaws, spiraling around Yurei's thrust like a divine serpent. The Abyssal unleashed its largest venom blast.
The attacks collided. For a fraction of a second, the world held its breath.
Then—
The combined might of spear and flame tore straight through the venom, devouring it utterly.
The golden spear pierced the Abyssal's armored torso.
Crimson fire engulfed its body and then—
BOOOOOMMMMMM!!!!!!
The explosion swallowed the battlefield in blinding light.