Barnacle moved.
No hesitation.
No warning.
FWOOSH!
Its body cut through the air, closing the distance in an instant. One moment it stood beside Zachary—
The next—
It was in front of the hunter.
The blade stopped.
Inches from his neck.
The hunter froze.
His throat tightened as he swallowed, pupils shrinking in pure shock.
The wind from Barnacle's speed rushed past them, whipping his clothes and hair violently.
Barnacle's red ribbon snapped in the air.
So did the hunter's breath.
For a second—
No one moved.
'Disappear… Barnacle.'
Zachary didn't say it out loud.
He didn't need to.
Barnacle lowered its sword.
A black circle formed beneath its feet, dark tendrils rising and wrapping around its body. They twisted, pulled—
And dragged it down.
Gone.
Like it was never there.
The hunter blinked.
Now—
Only Zachary stood in front of him.
Silence hung between them for a brief second before the hunter rushed forward.
"It's not safe here," he said quickly, grabbing Zachary's attention.
His voice was tense, urgent. "Get out of here—this is a battlefield. You'll get caught in the crossfire."
He looked around nervously.
"Or worse…"
Then—
BOOM!
CRROOW!
The sounds overlapped violently.
The ground shook.
Nearby buildings—what little remained intact—collapsed under the pressure of something descending from above.
Everyone looked up.
And froze.
A shadow stretched across the battlefield.
Massive.
Unnatural.
It landed.
The air itself seemed to buckle under its weight.
The monster resembled a griffin—
But far larger than anything they had ever seen.
Easily twenty times larger.
Its wingspan stretched across the entire battlefield, casting everything below into darkness.
"What is that!?"
"Is that the boss!?"
"Oh my god…"
Voices overlapped, filled with disbelief and fear.
The griffin slowly raised its wings.
Flap.
Flap.
Each movement sent waves of wind crashing outward, strong enough to push hunters back and scatter debris like paper.
The sheer force behind its wings felt unnatural—like it didn't belong in this world.
Its body began to lift.
Slowly.
Heavily.
The wind intensified with each flap, spiraling outward in violent currents. Dust, rubble, and loose objects were pulled into the air, circling around it like the beginnings of a storm.
At this rate—
It didn't need to attack.
It could level the entire battlefield with the force of its massive wings.
Zachary stared at the griffin, the realization hitting him all at once.
This—
This was the cause.
"…This might be the one that caused the break,"
He muttered under his breath, his eyes narrowing as the massive creature hovered above the battlefield, its wings tearing through the air with overwhelming force.
"Barnacle… Chimera."
The ground beneath him darkened.
Black circles formed instantly, spreading outward like ink.
Barnacle rose first, silent as ever, its sword already in hand.
The Chimera followed, its massive, twisted body emerging from the shadows, its heads shifting as they locked onto the griffin in the sky.
"Activate…"
The word barely left his lips.
Power surged.
-[Stats]-
-[Strength: 8239.5 points]-
-[Agility: 7672.5 points]-
-[Recovery: 5252.4 points]-
-[Durability: 5117.4 points]-
-[Mana: 5378.6 points]-
-[Casting speed: 5432.4 points]-
The air around him distorted slightly as his presence changed completely.
Then—
He moved.
Zachary dashed forward at full speed, the ground cracking faintly beneath each step as he cut through the battlefield.
Wind and dust slammed against him from the griffin's wingbeats, debris flying in every direction.
Without slowing down—
He reached into his pocket.
Pulled out a handkerchief.
In one smooth motion, he brought it up and tied it over his nose and mouth mid-run, his hands moving quickly and efficiently as he secured it in place.
The cloth tightened against his face, blocking out the dust and partially hiding his identity, the fabric fluttering slightly from the sheer speed he was moving at.
"…Perfect," he muttered, his voice slightly muffled now.
"A disguise… and it blocks the dust."
He didn't break stride.
Barnacle and the Chimera followed closely behind, their movements just as fast, keeping pace as the three of them tore through the battlefield like shadows.
Hunters nearby barely caught a glimpse of them—
Just a blur.
Zachary's eyes stayed locked on the griffin above.