Chapter 63 – The Tide Turns
The air in Seoul was thick with the scent of smoke and scorched earth. Buildings crumbled in the distance, and Asmodra's monstrous form loomed over the battlefield like a herald of the apocalypse. Above the ruined city, Daisuke exhaled slowly, rolling her shoulders as the remnants of pain pulsed through her body. Her wings had been obliterated by the point-blank blast she took earlier, and for a moment, she felt the weight of exhaustion creep into her bones. But her resolve remained unshaken.
She flexed her fingers, feeling the return of her wings as they slowly reformed with a rush of Shen, sprouting back in a burst of energy. Deep breath. Focus.
"I see how your ability works now," she murmured under her breath, her golden eyes narrowing at the Combust Man, who stood across from her, his stance casual, yet laced with confidence.
"You rely on explosions for everything," she continued. "That means I just have to make you set off the wrong one."
The Combust Man chuckled.
Daisuke ignored his taunts. She had already begun weaving and preparing her technique.
Curse Technique: Swamp of Blue Raged Bats
The air around her quivered, and in an instant, a swarm of tiny, glowing bats materialized, flickering into existence like embers bursting from a wildfire. Their eyes shone eerily, their bodies radiating an intense blue hue.
The Combust Man chuckled, shaking his head. "You're persistent. But really? Bats ?" He scoffed, raising a hand. The third eye on his forehead remained closed, while the ones in his palms flickered slightly, preparing for an attack
FWOOOOOSH!
They surged forward in an overwhelming tide, encircling the Combust Man within their chaotic flurry. His vision darkened, his surroundings disappearing into a pitch-black abyss of wings and fluttering shadows.
Thump-thump-thump! His heart pounded as his instincts screamed that something was wrong.
His third eye snapped open, glowing red, and in a swift reaction, he raised both his hands, the eyes on his palms blazing with energy. A searing beam of destruction erupted from all three eyes simultaneously—
ZWWWWWWWOOOOOM!
The blasts shot outward, scorching through the air like a burning lance, tearing through the darkness.
BOOOOOM!
BOOOOOM!
BOOOOOOOOOOOM!
A chain reaction erupted as the glowing bats detonated on impact. The sky shook violently, an unrelenting series of shockwaves obliterating everything in their path. The sheer intensity of the explosions lasted a full two minutes, sending pillars of blue fire and black smoke soaring into the heavens.
From the epicenter of destruction, a high-pitched shriek cut through the chaos, and in the next instant—
Silence.
As the smoke dissipated, only ashes remained. The Combust Man's body had been completely incinerated. Not even a trace of his existence was left behind.
Daisuke landed softly, her breath coming in ragged gasps. She could feel the heavy toll her technique had taken on her Shen reserves. Even though she had won, her muscles trembled from exhaustion.
She straightened herself, whispering under her breath, "I have to help the others."
The Speedster and the Giant
Thomas, meanwhile, remained in constant motion, his clawed hands twitching as he jogged in place, analyzing his towering opponent. Number 6 stood before him—a hulking, 14-foot-tall giant, his muscles rippling like steel cables, his massive fists clenched like boulders ready to crush anything in their path.
The cat-eyed hunter smirked.
"This is gonna be fun."
His feet shimmered with Shen, and in the next second—
BOOM!
He vanished.
A flash of movement. A streak of black and gold.
SHLICK!
SPLAT!
Thomas reappeared behind the giant, his right hand drenched in fresh blood, clutching a strip of raw flesh—his enemy's right eye and a chunk of his face.
"AAAAAARRRGGGHHHHH!"
A deafening roar erupted from the massive opponent as he clutched his bleeding face, stumbling backward. His Shen aura flared violently, his rage sending shockwaves across the battlefield.
But Thomas wasn't done yet.
BOOM!
He vanished again.
THOOM! THOOM! THOOM!
The giant swung his enormous fists, smashing the ground, but Thomas danced between each attack, his body a blur. He zigzagged left-right-left, slipping through gaps in the strikes like a shadow.
Then—
SHLICK!
Another streak of red.
Thomas stood beside the giant's left side, gripping something wet and dripping.
The other eye.
"GAAAAAAAHH!" The giant howled, his world now plunged into total darkness.
Thomas crouched, his golden cat-like eyes glinting. "You're not gonna hit what you can't see," he whispered.
With one final blur of motion, he tore through the giant's chest, ripping out his heart in one swift strike.
THUMP.
The giant's massive body collapsed with a thunderous crash, dust billowing around his fallen form.
Thomas flicked the blood off his claws, exhaling deeply. "Damn. That was faster than I expected."
The Dark Figure Approaches
Above it all, Huey remained seated on Asmodra's monstrous head, gazing down at the battle with amusement. His fingers trembled slightly.
"Interesting…" he muttered, staring at his own shaking hand. "Controlling Asmodra takes more Shen than I expected."
He exhaled slowly, regaining his composure. There was no room for weakness.
Suddenly—
A presence.
His smirk faded.
In the distance, a dark figure was approaching. Slowly. Methodically. Their aura was unreadable, shrouded in mystery.
Huey's lips curled into a dangerous smile.
"Well, now…" he mused, watching the unknown force draw closer.
"This should be interesting."