Bang!
An invisible bullet shot from Asa's fingertip.
The already shattered ground was torn apart even further, carved into deep, violent trenches.
Baleam was sweating, for once.
"What the hell is this? A gun?! Damn it... it's too tight, I can't dodge!"
Cael's chains bound him tightly, locking his body in place. There was no escape.
"Shit... it's just a gun. You think I'm scared now?!"
His eyes burned with desperation.
If he couldn't dodge, then he would overpower it.
The flamethrowers on his arms were useless now, but he still had his head.
Baleam opened his mouth wide.
Crimson sparks gathered rapidly, compressing into a blinding light.
Boom!
A torrent of explosive flames erupted forward, crashing directly into Asa's attack.
The two forces collided head-on.
BOOM!!!
The resulting shockwave tore through everything.
Buildings collapsed one after another, the coastline churned violently, and seawater surged upward in chaos.
Flame, Bomb, Flamethrower against Gun.
The so-called strongest of the present against the strongest of the past.
For two seconds, the clash held.
Then it broke.
The bullet shattered Baleam's attack instantly.
If this had been Yoru instead of Asa, Baleam wouldn't have lasted even half a second.
"Pugah!"
His scream was cut short.
His blood evaporated instantly.
His body was blown apart, scattered into fragments, his organs completely destroyed.
At the same time, a massive fire serpent burst out from the remains.
The Fire Devil.
It shrieked in agony.
"Pain! Pain! This hurts so much!"
Cael casually spun the Withering Heart Piercing Attack in his hand.
"That hurts? You haven't seen anything yet."
"W-wait! He's the one who fought you, not me! I surren..."
Pfft.
The plea ended abruptly.
Cael didn't care.
The Withering Heart Piercing Attack pierced straight through the Fire Devil's body.
Its charred insides spilled out as it convulsed.
The moment it was forced out of Baleam by Asa's shot, it was already doomed.
Cael finished it in a single strike.
He clapped his hands lightly, and the technique faded away.
"As expected of something from the Falling Devil. Works on everything. No complaints."
Ever since getting that ability, Cael's thinking had become simple.
Hit first.
Measure strength later.
If they couldn't take one hit, they weren't worth his time.
"Trash," he muttered, spitting at the remains.
"A guy without Root-level fear trying to act big. What a joke."
Ding.
Host killed Fire Devil. Gained 1999 attribute points.
Dark Water effect triggered. Ability acquired: Palette.
Current abilities updated.
Cael raised an eyebrow.
"Palette... not bad."
At first glance, it looked like a support skill.
But with everything he already had, it meant new combinations, new tricks.
Useful.
Reze stood there in silence.
The gap had grown again.
Cael's strength now was on an entirely different level.
That monster from earlier had been erased in seconds.
Even Asa...
Reze exhaled slowly.
Without realizing it, she had become the weakest one here.
Asa blew lightly on her glove, smiling.
"All done. Time to clock out. I'm seriously too strong."
Reze fixed her hair, slightly annoyed.
"Don't relax yet. Let's retrieve Baleam's heart. That man was dangerous. I don't trust that he didn't leave something behind."
"Yeah, yeah."
This time, Baleam had no chance.
That shot ended everything.
Cael recovered Baleam's Devil heart along with some remaining tissue.
After that, he called Makima.
"Hey, Little Makima. It's done."
"Our location is the Chiba countryside. Fire Devil is dead. Baleam too. What's happening in the cities? Did those devils disappear?"
Makima sighed.
"No. They didn't."
"The Fire Kin behave like zombies. Even if the source is gone, the spread has already begun."
"They're rampaging across Japan. There are at least a million of them now."
Her voice remained calm.
"We'll need to mobilize the entire country. Both official hunters and civilians."
"Fortunately, they aren't that strong individually. No infection, low intelligence, no coordination."
"Five armed adults can reliably kill one."
"I see."
Cael frowned slightly.
"So no quick fix. Fine. We'll just clean them up slowly."
Then his tone softened.
"You've been dealing with this mess for days. Go home and rest."
Makima paused.
"I want to. But I'm heading to Kyoto."
"The country is in a state of emergency. The Cabinet isn't thinking straight."
"I need to correct that."
Cael smirked slightly.
"Yeah, sounds like you."
"I'll miss you."
There was a brief silence.
"...When I get back, you better make it worth it."
Cael chuckled.
"Don't worry. I always deliver."
The call ended.
Cael sighed.
"Whole country on her shoulders... that's rough."
Then he clicked his tongue.
"Guess I'll have to make sure she relaxes properly when she's back."
...
10 PM.
Kyoto.
Prime Minister's Office.
The building was brightly lit.
Makima sat alone in the Prime Minister's seat.
In front of her, hundreds of high-ranking officials sat neatly on folding stools.
Each had a small table.
On it, a notebook, a bottle of water, and a piece of bread.
Makima nodded, satisfied.
Simple.
Efficient.
Perfect.
She folded her hands and smiled faintly.
"You are the pillars of this country."
"Now that Japan is in crisis, your role is even more important."
"I will now outline the new policies for this emergency."
"Listen carefully. Take notes."
The room fell silent except for writing.
This was called a consultation.
In reality, every single person present was already under her control.
They were nothing more than obedient tools.
"First."
"To eliminate the devils quickly, we need numbers."
"We will issue bounties. All citizens are encouraged to participate."
"Each devil is worth 100,000 yen."
"Participants will still receive their regular salaries. No penalties for absence from their jobs."
Pages flipped rapidly.
"Second."
"Civil servants have been far too relaxed."
"Effective immediately, all must work no less than twelve hours per day."
"A weekly report of at least five thousand words is mandatory."
Sweat rolled down their faces.
Their pens moved nonstop.
___
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