In the sky.
Enel's Giant Lightning Eye suddenly froze, the light that had been filled with fury and arrogance visibly dimming at a rapid pace. The blue-white lightning receded like an ebbing tide, and as the radiance completely dissipated, Enel's figure was revealed once more.
Returned to his human form, Enel's body hung limply, his neck still gripped tightly in Ryan's hand, twisted at an unnatural angle. His eyes were vacant and wide open, devoid of any trace of life.
Ryan maintained his lifting posture as the Scales of his Hybrid Form visibly receded. His bones emitted faint cracking sounds, and his massive body gradually shrank back to normal human size as if being compressed. He shook his still-numb left hand; his knuckles retained the stinging pain from electrical burns. Although the charred Scales on his shoulder were already beginning to show a fresh pink hue, the intensity of the battle was still evident.
Looking down at Enel's limp form in his hand, a scornful smile curled at the corner of Ryan's lips.
This guy's Lightning-Lightning Fruit was truly monstrous. If he had kept using his Electric Speed Teleportation to fight a guerrilla war and avoided close combat, Ryan really wouldn't have had a chance to catch him.
After all, that Electric Speed Teleportation was ridiculously fast.
What a pity. Having played the "God" of Sky Island for too long, his mind had long been filled with arrogance and irritability. A few provoking words were enough to enrage him, making him abandon his greatest strength—speed—and foolishly transform into that Thunder God Form for a head-on clash.
A fragile mage insisting on close-quarters combat with a warrior—what else could that be but sheer stupidity!
Holding Enel's corpse, Ryan flexed his still somewhat stiff neck. Recalling the awkwardness he felt while in his Hybrid Form earlier, he raised an eyebrow slightly.
The Hybrid Form still wasn't very proficient. Moreover, compared to Kaido's monstrous beast form that stood over ten meters tall, his own just-over-six-meter figure seemed rather unimpressive, and even his explosive power felt somewhat crude.
Ryan glanced down at the corpse in his hand and suddenly remembered the trick with the Lightning-Lightning Fruit—using electric currents to stimulate the heart, functioning somewhat like a defibrillator.
The moment this thought surfaced, he couldn't help but let out a derisive laugh, his fingers unconsciously tightening around Enel's twisted neck.
What was he thinking? With the neck twisted like this, even if it could act as a defibrillator, could shattered bones really reattach themselves?
Ryan released his grip, and Enel's corpse fell to the ground like a ragged sack, landing with a dull thud. Ryan followed immediately after, his boot soles hitting the wooden planks of the dock, kicking up a small cloud of dust. The surroundings fell into a deathly silence for a moment before faint rustling sounds emerged. Heads peeked out from cracks in warehouse doors and from behind distant windowsills.
The residents of Angel Island, who had hidden in terror earlier, now mustered their courage to steal glances. When they clearly saw the familiar corpse on the ground, gasps of shock arose one after another.
"Is... isn't that God?" someone covered their mouth, their voice trembling uncontrollably.
"He... he doesn't seem to be moving?" another person stammered in response, their eyes filled with disbelief.
"Captain! You're just too awesome!" Mikita was the first to regain her composure, bustling over with undisguised admiration plastered across her face.
"You call this awesome?" A faint smile tugged at Ryan's lips, a hint of teasing in his eyes. "Wait until you see what real awesome looks like."
"Captain, you're so mean!" Mikita froze for half a second before reacting, her cheeks flushing crimson as she playfully punched Ryan's arm with a hint of coquettishness. "You always tease me!"
Ryan chuckled softly and didn't press further, brushing the dust off his clothes. The charred Scales beneath his skin receded, revealing his natural complexion. His gaze drifted past Mikita's animated figure to rest on Conis nearby.
The young girl remained frozen with her hands covering her mouth, her small wings stiff in mid-air. Enel's corpse lay not far from her feet, the face that once terrified all of Sky Island now lifeless, the twisted neck particularly jarring.
Conis's pupils were dilated, her breathing shaky, as if still reeling from the shock of "God being slain."
"Angel girl," Ryan shrugged, his voice calm as if discussing mundane matters. "See? I told you I'm strong."
Conis trembled violently, her gaze slowly shifting from the corpse to Ryan's face. Her lips quivered several times before she managed fragmented words: "God... really..."
"Taken care of," Ryan interrupted casually. "Angel Island won't have to fear Divine Punishment anymore."
His words dropped like a stone into still water. Suppressed sobs suddenly erupted among the residents. An elderly man crouched, clutching his chest as tears mingled with dust in his wrinkles. They finally dared to believe that the "God" who would casually strike them with lightning had truly vanished.
Several young Angel Tribe members supported each other, their eyes gleaming with post-crisis relief, casting mixed looks of reverence and fear toward Ryan. Watching this scene, years of accumulated terror and oppression seemed to find release as tears unexpectedly welled in Conis's eyes.
Not from fear, but from a complex mix of bewilderment, liberation, and disbelief. She hastily wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, her wings drooping weakly. "Th-thank you, Mr. Ryan..." she said with a thick nasal tone.
Zala swayed forward, the hem of her waist skirt swaying gently as she offered a neatly folded handkerchief. "Captain, wipe yourself first. You still have burn marks."
Ryan accepted the handkerchief but didn't use it on himself. Instead, he approached the still-crying Conis and, while she was stunned, gently pressed it against her tear-stained cheek.
"Why cry," he said, his movements not particularly gentle but devoid of any Strength. "You should be laughing. No need to live in fear anymore."
Conis's wings trembled violently as she instinctively tried to retreat, but Ryan's gaze held her in place. Those hands that had just twisted "God's" neck were now carefully wiping her tears. The warmth from his palms transmitted through the fabric made her forget her fear.
"But..." Conis bit her lip, her voice barely audible. "I still can't believe it..."
"What's there to doubt," Ryan withdrew his hand, tucking the tear-stained handkerchief into his pocket. Noticing the residents still watching from a distance from the corner of his eye, he tilted his chin toward Conis. "Still standing there? Aren't you going to invite us for coffee?"
"P-please, follow me!" Conis finally snapped back to reality, her cheeks flushing with a faint blush as she quickly nodded. She forced a teary smile, her steps still somewhat unsteady as she turned, yet carrying a touch more lightness than before. "I'll go prepare right away!"
The residents in the distance watched Conis's retreating figure, then glanced at the corpse on the ground. Finally, someone mustered the courage to slowly approach the center of the dock.