Yamero and Daru simultaneously accelerated toward Har'arm, their auras exploding around them. Without wasting a second, Har'arm also charged in their direction.
Their speed became so prodigious that even the air seemed unable to keep up with their movements. The ground cracked beneath their force, and their silhouettes vanished intermittently, leaving trails of energy behind.
They exchanged a series of blows of astonishing speed, flying over the vast, empty hall. The titanic pillars became their points of leverage, each leaping from them to accelerate even further.
Yamero appeared from the left.
Daru from the right.
They encircled Har'arm.
"Now!" Yamero shouted.
Yamero launched an energy-charged kick aimed at Har'arm's temple, while Daru delivered a heavy, energy-filled punch directly to his ribs. But Har'arm, with chilling calm, simply raised both hands.
BOOM
He blocked both attacks simultaneously.
A gigantic shockwave rippled through the air, cracking the pillars around them.
Without waiting, Har'arm leaped into the air, his body spinning fluidly. He spread his legs and struck Yamero and Daru simultaneously with his feet.
IMPACT
Both were violently knocked back.
Har'arm landed instantly, then vanished.
He reappeared in front of Daru.
Daru attempted a direct attack, but Har'arm blocked it, pivoted slightly to the side, grabbed his arm… then squeezed brutally.
CRACK
Daru's bone shattered.
Daru gritted his teeth, letting out a groan of pain.
Har'arm then hurled him violently toward Yamero. Yamero leaped forward and caught Daru mid-air, catching him by the back to stabilize his throw.
"You're still standing?" Yamero asked.
"Of course…" Daru replied through gritted teeth.
But before they could even reposition themselves—
Har'arm appeared before them.
His hand rose slowly.
A ball of dark red energy formed instantly, compressed to a terrifying degree.
"Disappear." He launched the attack.
BOOOOOOM
The explosion propelled Yamero and Daru against a gigantic pillar.
The pillar cracked under the impact, massive fragments falling around them.
A cloud of dust enveloped the area. Har'arm remained motionless, calmly observing the smoke.
"You're stronger than the previous ones…" His cold eyes gleamed slightly.
"But still not enough."
Without even turning around, Har'arm raised his head slightly, his senses scanning the vast hall. His gaze, though partially hidden by his bandages, seemed to pierce through space itself.
"You think being invisible will save you from my senses...?" His voice was calm, almost amused.
Then he continued ironically:
"You must be a summoner... You surely know the weakness of those with the same power as you." He turned his head slightly, his gaze settling on a particular pillar, as if perceiving something imperceptible. Without warning, Har'arm buckled his knees and exploded into a leap. The ground cracked under the pressure. Suspended in mid-air for a few seconds, he reached out toward the pillar.
Several fragments of red energy erupted, like sharp shards.
They crashed violently against the pillar. BOOM! The pillar was destroyed from top to bottom. The upper section collapsed heavily, raising a massive cloud of dust. Har'arm landed perfectly still, without even flinching.
Then suddenly…
His senses were heightened.
Several arrows shot out from different directions, embedding themselves in the ground all around him, completely encircling him. The last arrow flew straight toward him.
Har'arm simply raised his hand…
And caught it easily.
He studied the arrow for a few seconds, then said mockingly,
"Your archery skills aren't your strong suit… I'm afraid."
Suddenly.
A mechanism activated.
The arrows embedded in the ground glowed simultaneously. A huge magical circle formed around Har'arm.
A colossal wave of electricity surged beneath his feet.
KRAAAAAAAASH
The lightning struck Har'arm head-on, sending a massive shockwave through the air. The ground cracked, the room shook, and a thick cloud of smoke completely enveloped the area.
A few seconds later…
Suka appeared, hovering above the scene, mounted on his imposing tiger, calmly observing the smoke.
"And keeping your mouth shut isn't exactly your strong suit… I'm afraid."
Far away, amidst the debris, Yamero slowly rose to his feet. Blood still trickled slightly from his mouth, but his eyes still burned with rage.
Beside him, Daru also stood up. His broken arm was visibly regenerating. Bones were reforming, muscles were rebuilding, and the skin was slowly closing.
Once his arm was fully regenerated, Daru swept it through the air, testing its mobility.
"Perfect… good as new." The two climbed out of the rubble and looked up at Suka.
Seeing them standing, he called out,
"Guys, are you holding up?"
Yamero replied, visibly annoyed,
"If we were that weak, his first attack would have reduced us to ashes."
Suka sighed softly.
"Oh... I was just checking on you." The cloud of smoke was slowly beginning to dissipate... And an oppressive presence gradually reappeared inside.
The fight... was far from over.
When the cloud of smoke cleared, Suka was stunned.
A thick ball of bandages had formed around Har'arm, completely enveloping him to protect him from the attack.
The shreds of bandages still rippled in the air, as if they were alive.
Then, slowly, the sphere dissolved.
The bandages fell back around Har'arm's body.
He was still standing.
A single scratch on his shoulder.
Nothing more.
Yamero's eyes widened slightly, while Daru gritted his teeth.
Suka remained silent.
"Is this... some kind of shield?" he wondered.
Har'arm chuckled softly, clearly amused by their expressions.
"Heh... I see you're starting to get it." His bandages undulated slowly around him, like snakes.
"These bandages are, in a way, an extension of myself. They are enchanted with various enhancements... and with each attack they endure..." The bandages tightened slowly around his arms.
"...their resistance intensifies again and again." An oppressive pressure filled the room.
Then Har'arm sighed softly.
"Well... you're already tiring me out." His gaze turned cold.
"Why not just end this?" He raised his finger slightly.
A low rumble echoed.
A rocky structure violently detached itself from a gigantic pillar, torn away as if it weighed nothing. It began to float in the air before hurtling towards Suka.
"!" In the same movement, Har'arm swept his hand towards Yamero and Daru.
Two massive pillars cracked.
" Then—
BOOOOOOM! They violently launched themselves from the ground and hurtled toward them at full speed.
The floor shook.
The entire room vibrated with the force of the attack.
But the fight… was only intensifying.
Meanwhile, Griselda remained standing, glaring at Miya and Maki. Her wicked smile never left her face, as if the situation deeply amused her.
Griselda declared in an almost euphoric tone,
"The fact that we're facing each other again... this time both of you at the same time... gives me an inexplicable ecstasy."
She began to laugh wickedly, slowly running a hand through her hair, her eyes shining with dangerous excitement.
Miya drew her sword with a fluid motion and calmly stated,
"Let's hope you don't die of ecstasy before you've had the pleasure of experiencing my sword blows."
Maki let out a soft laugh, clearly amused by Miya's remark, then lightly patted her on the shoulder.
"I admit... that was good." Griselda clapped her hands slowly, a wide smile on her face. "Very well… at least your morale is high for this confrontation." Miya and Maki advanced together toward Griselda.
When they were just a few meters away, they lightly bumped fists.
Then—
They vanished.
Miya appeared from the left.
Maki attacked from the right.
Then they both charged simultaneously.
Maki's arms trembled, flashing with lightning. Lightning materialized around her hands, forming a sharp, electric blade that she brought down on Griselda.
For her part, Miya aimed her sword directly at Griselda's neck, seeking to neutralize her with a single, precise strike.
Yet…
Griselda remained calm.
Motionless.
Simply waiting for their attack.
At the exact moment the two strikes were about to hit their target—
A wall of shadow suddenly appeared before Maki, instantly engulfing her. She was thrown dozens of meters, rolling violently across the metal floor.
Miya saw her sword stop.
Griselda had blocked it… using only three fingers.
A metallic clang resounded.
The two women glared at each other at point-blank range.
Then, in a fluid motion, Griselda slid down, grabbed Miya's black mini-coat, and hurled her with all her might against a wall.
BOOOM! The wall cracked under the impact.
Maki remained standing, her hands crackling with lightning, electric arcs running up her arms to her shoulders. Her gaze was cold, determined. She walked slowly toward Griselda, each step leaving small sparks on the metal floor.
At the same moment, Miya rose from the rubble, lightly wiping the blood from the corner of her mouth. Her gaze instantly sharpened. She drew her sword and also advanced toward Griselda, silent but menacing.
Maki raised her hand.
A magic circle instantly erupted from Griselda's left side.
Then a second.
Then a third.
The circles glowed.
BOOM — CRACK — BOOM
Lightning bolts shot in all directions, striking Griselda unpredictably. The metal platform shattered under the impacts, sending shards of metal flying through the air. Griselda dodged with impressive speed, moving in every direction, but some attacks grazed her body, tearing her clothes and leaving burn marks on her skin.
She smiled.
"Interesting…" But the attacks intensified.
A more violent explosion tore a breach in the structure. The shockwave hurled Griselda from inside the floating island.
She landed hard on the outer platform.
A fierce wind immediately swept across the area.
Miya and Maki appeared in turn, emerging from the opening to join Griselda.
A dark aura exploded around her.
Her hands were shrouded in shadow, then sharp claws emerged, long, razor-sharp, pulsing with a malevolent energy.
Griselda vanished.
She reappeared instantly before them, charging at terrifying speed. CLANG
Miya blocked the attack with her sword. The impact made the air vibrate around them. The metal screeched under the pressure.
The two traded blows immediately.
Rapid strikes.
Precise dodges.
Slashing attacks.
Griselda struck with her claws, Miya responded with deadly precise sword strikes. Sparks and shockwaves multiplied with each exchange.
Maki spotted an opening.
She pivoted her foot slightly.
Her sole touched the ground.
An electric friction exploded.
A wave of lightning slid beneath Griselda's feet.
Griselda lost her balance slightly.
For a fraction of a second.
But Miya had been waiting for this.
Her sword charged with intense red energy.
She vanished.
Then reappeared behind Griselda. SLASH
The blow struck Griselda on the back of her neck with incredible force.
A shockwave rippled for hundreds of meters.
Griselda was launched into the air, her body hurtling through the platform at high speed.
She was about to plummet into the void.
But suddenly—
A shadow appeared behind her.
The shadow materialized and abruptly halted her trajectory before she could tumble off the floating island.
Griselda hung suspended for a few seconds… then landed softly on the ground.
She ran a hand over the back of her neck.
Then slowly raised her head.
Her smile returned.
Wider.
More sinister.
Griselda stretched out both arms, a cold, almost nostalgic smile appearing on her face.
"Why did you have to ruin our plan for this world? Why not just give up the ghost... like your counterparts?" Maki gritted her teeth before replying, her gaze hardening.
"Your plan for this world has cost many lives... it's not an ideal utopia for this world." Griselda nodded slightly.
"It's certainly not easy on the surface... but it's essential to restoring some balance to this world." Miya, stunned by the audacity of her words, exclaimed:
"You call that balance?" Griselda stared at them for a long moment.
"Did you experience the height of the Great War?" Maki answered without hesitation.
"No... we only experienced the war you caused. Back then... we were just little girls." Griselda's expression changed. Her smile vanished.
"At the height of the Great War... the dimensional portals suddenly opened. Humans were confronted by creatures they had never known of... never even imagined existed."
Her voice deepened.
"We were slaughtered from all sides. The monsters trampled all our defensive and offensive weapons... nothing could harm them. Humans were losing hope... some were ready to give up... to accept their extinction."
Silence fell over the room.
Then she continued.
"And suddenly... a Messenger revealed himself to the world." Maki and Miya's gazes hardened.
"A mysterious being... who brought with him the knowledge of the gods, in his own words. He transmitted the art of alchemy to humanity... and offered what he called the gift of the gods." She raised her hand slightly.
" "So, several humans… chosen by the gods… received mythical powers." She gazed into the distance, as if lost in her memories.
"It was then that humans received powers capable of rivaling… even surpassing the monsters. We fought… closed every dimensional rift… and reclaimed this world." She paused.
"Then… the Messenger disappeared. And he never returned."
Her gaze darkened.
"Despite the victory… many humans couldn't control these great powers. And those who possessed them… unleashed endless wars." Maki interrupted coldly:
"You're no better than them." Griselda slowly turned her head toward her.
"Back then… I was just like you. A young girl hoping to survive one more day… and fight for this world." Her voice hardened. "When I received my powers… I tried to change the world in the best way possible. But I learned the hard way… that you can't change the world with hope."
Her smile returned, darker than before.
"You change it… by shocking it."
She extended her arms.
"This project aims to allow other humans to become superhumans… capable of defending themselves should a similar war break out."
Miya crossed her arms, chilled.
"And transforming them into monstrosities… that's a blessing in your opinion?" Griselda answered without hesitation.
"Nothing in life is perfect. Those who become superhumans can fight for themselves… and the monstrosities…" Her smile deepened.
"They are subject to our authority. Everything is under control." A heavy silence fell over the room.
A gigantic aura suddenly enveloped Griselda. The energy it emanated was so overwhelming that the sky above the floating island gradually darkened, as if the light itself were fleeing its presence. The wind rose abruptly, blowing with uncontrollable force, while waves of energy spread throughout the room, cracking the metal floor and causing the already fragile walls to vibrate.
Miya stepped back slightly, her eyes narrowed.
"This pressure... it's completely different..." Maki gritted her teeth, her own aura instinctively rising as well.
Suddenly, a shadow erupted beneath Griselda's feet.
The shadow spread rapidly, like a living black tide, rising along her body and consuming her entirely. The air became icy, oppressive, almost suffocating.
Then...
The shadow dissipated.
Griselda was transformed.
Her physique had changed drastically. She was now nearly two meters tall, her muscles dense and perfectly defined, worthy of an Olympian champion. Her skin seemed slightly marked with dark patterns, pulsing with an unsettling energy.
But the most terrifying thing…
Her hair.
Her long black hair had transformed into living snakes, undulating wildly, hissing aggressively, their eyes gleaming with an unhealthy light.
An ancient, almost mythological aura filled the room.
Griselda slowly raised her head.
"Mythical power… Medusa."
Her eyes blazed with a deep, almost demented hatred.
The floor cracked beneath her feet.
She stared at Miya and Maki, her gaze filled with terrifying determination.
"I will not let you destroy… a project I built with such passion… and conviction." The snakes on her head hissed in unison.
A wave of energy exploded around her.
The battle had just entered a new phase.