As the team observed the group of evil gods, something was watching them — something truly bizarre, completely different from the gods they had seen.
Clinging to the treetops was a being three meters tall, with a strikingly emaciated body, thin arms and legs, completely red skin, and deep black eyes that stared piercingly.
This was an almost Level 2 evil god. Its enormous claws lightly struck the treetops, and its neck rotated 360 degrees as it gazed at the humans.
Its mouth almost began to drool with hunger. It had essentially drawn everyone here, keeping the hostages alive, surrounded by a guard of inferior evil gods.
The weight of humanity itself seemed to rest in its hands. As grotesque as its appearance was, its mind was the sharpest and most twisted of all.
Here, it had a feast more than complete: countless humans and evil gods. Its mouth even dripped with anticipation.
The hunting team advanced against the evil gods, but then, a colossal explosion erupted:
Boom!
Something fell from the trees, blocking their path. The initial thought of everyone was simple: trap?
All prepared, watching the enormous smoke rise and slowly begin to dissipate.
Despair. Horror. Fear.
That was what awaited them. In the shadow of the smoke, something emerged: enormous, red, revolting, forbidden.
Its three-meter silhouette, mortally thin body, red so intense it seemed to glow, and massive black eyes that devoured everything in their gaze.
Its claws scraped the ground. Its smile was completely deranged, as if drooling from hunger.
"— God…"
"— God Malligno…"
"— God Maallignoo Rubrooo!"
A voice whispered in shock. This evil god was well-known to all; even Dante had heard of it. Years ago, it had killed an almost Level 2 elder from the village.
A wave of despair resonated in everyone's hearts as the beast advanced, its steps blindingly fast.
It slid, and its claws cut through the air and flesh.
"When I saw the evil god in front of me, I felt a despair crushing my soul. It was as if it wanted to consume me alive. It laughed, sickeningly, and then disappeared…"
Splash.
Blood rose in Dante's vision — his left arm had been ripped from his body. But he was not the only one.
Crowler, Arthur… and Gabriel's head… all horrors unfolded around him.
Ahhhhh! Screams echoed across the battlefield. The team panicked, fleeing in all directions.
The screams alerted the evil gods guarding the hostages, but upon seeing Rubra, they tried to escape too.
Useless.
Their heads were already rolling; the meal had no thoughts of fleeing. They only had to wait their turn to be devoured.
The hostages wept, knowing that what had arrived was no ordinary evil god.
Among evil gods, there exists something called Carne Vita: a process triggered by devouring humans. At first, they take on deformed human-like shapes.
Then, they assume semi-perfect human forms. And in the end, they shatter their human bodies and become grotesque abominations.
This evil god, Rubra, had broken the human form. Its grotesque shape was a living signature of its sins against humanity.
Despair enveloped everyone, yet inaction meant death. Crowler activated his flaming sword, and the blade roared with fierce heat.
Baam! Rubra's enormous hand struck the bodies of those in front, hurling them away like toys.
Dante's body flew into the forest, crashing to the ground like a bomb, sending a massive plume of smoke into the air.
The ground collapsed under the impact, and Dante fell into a cave below. Blood poured rapidly from his arm.
His mind shut down, but the fight above continued. Crowler used his flaming sword to staunch the bleeding.
The evil god looked at Crowler with curiosity. Its claws tried to pierce him, but a shield appeared, protecting Crowler.
This enraged Rubra. On the next attack, the shield shattered like glass, and its smile widened into pure sadistic delight.
It was playing with its prey, savoring every moment of the terror it unleashed.