The wet, drawn-out sound of chewing echoed endlessly through the ravine. Everyone watched powerless, as Phantylia reconstructed body from the Ambrosial Arbor's fruit was consumed piece by piece. In the end, nothing remained except a bottomless pit yawning in the ground.
"It seems it suited your taste." Celenova murmured.
One hand supporting Phantylia golden flame form while the other drawing another spear. Step by step, she retreated.
"Well then—let's hope the others can satisfy you just as well."
Destruction-tinted power unfurled behind her, tearing open a jagged rift in space. Celenova cast a final glance at the group, snorted lightly, and then slipped into the rift with Phantylia in hand.
In the same instant, X lunged forward snatching up the cavalry spear Celenova had abandoned. With all his strength, he hurled it at the retreating figure.
"Still trying to resist?"
Celenova raised her arm and flicked her own spear outward. The two weapons clashed in mid-air, sending X attack clattering aside.
Instead of anger, anticipation flashed in Celenova eyes despite losing two weapons.
"I look forward to seeing you again, nameless dual-path Emanator."
With that, Celenova vanished completely from everyone's sight, leaving behind only an unfathomable abyss in her wake.
General Jing Yuan did not pursue. If he truly forced a confrontation with not one but two Lord Ravagers, the first casualties would be Luofu people.
But the thing Celenova left behind… was no benevolent gift.
Jing Yuan expression turned solemn, he hefted the Starfall Reverie, gathering all the power at his command. He directed it toward the pit.
"Radiant spirit, heed my word!"
"Show no mercy!"
The Lightning-Lord halberd descended from the heavens, a vast blade of thunder slamming straight into the abyss.
Lightning roared and ravaged.
Yet Jing Yuan's face stiffened. Sweat began to bead at his temple.
The Lightning-Lord attack had no effect. Not even slightly.
Worse still—his connection tells that the Lightning-Lord energy was draining at a horrifying rate, the Lightning-Lord divine power vanishing as though poured into a bottomless void.
The Lightning-Lord was a boon granted by the Hunt Aeon, it's might was unparalleled. But now? Jing Yuan felt nothing.
His strength simply disappeared without resistance, without impact, without meaning.
He forcefully withdrew the Lightning-Lord. The storm of thunder blinked out. And Jing Yuan was left breathless, leaving only a lingering fear on Jing Yuan face.
What in the world is inside that pit?
As if answering Jing Yuan inner question, a hideous monstrous maw suddenly surged upward from the darkness. In it's jagged teeth, the remnants of Phantylia limbs were still wedged.
Heavy, earth-shaking footsteps followed. From the depths rose a body to match the mouth: a grotesque creature, it's crimson hide smeared with chaotic patches of color. It's huge jaws opened and shut, devouring the last shreds of what it held.
Upon seeing the true face of that maw, Daichi dwelling within X virtual space froze.
Short, twisted forelimbs flailed about like it was proudly announcing its satisfaction with its meal!
Then, it's gaze slowly drifted to Jing Yuan. One of its massive legs stepped forward.
It had chosen a new target.
—————————————————
At the Divination Commission, Fu Xuan who was overseeing the reassembled Cloud Knights suddenly felt her third eye the Omniscia flare with scorching pain. In her vision, she saw it.
The creature that devoured all.
Behind it, she sensed an even more dreadful power.
"Urgh…!"
Fu Xuan clutched her forehead, breath catching. Her Sight dimmed, radiating a heat that shattered her focus.
Her eye was telling her.
Do not look further.
She turned toward the depths of the Scalegorge Waterscape, anxiety tightening in her chest.
—————————————————
[What is that monster…?]
X shared the thought. Even with his vast interstellar experience, nothing in his universe resembled the creature before him.
[Could it be native to this world?]
"This monster is not one to be trifled with…"
X charged towards the monster, raising his fist to attack it's abdomen.
However, the instant his fist touched the monster's flesh, the monster's flesh caved in then rebounded, deflecting X fist.
The monster, having taken the hit, opened its gaping maw and lunged straight for X head!
Reacting quickly, X grabbed the monster's upper and lower jaws with both hands, trying to pry them in opposite directions to stop its attack.
However, the unparalleled force of its bite was too much for X to handle.
The gaping maw was inches from his head, if it weren't for the increased strength granted by his armor, the struggle would have been very different.
X leaned back, then raised his left foot and forcefully pushed off the monster's body. Just like his previous punch, X attack was deflected by the monster's flesh.
Using this momentum, X backflip in the air and landed beside Jing Yuan.
[Daichi, do you know this monster?]
X regaining his composure, assumed a fighting stance and asked.
"I guess I know."
Daichi exhaled sharply.
"That monster is a cosmic devourer, Woola."
Woola.
The final monster that appeared in the Ultraman Taiga TV series —the last and greatest foe. Because it's poorly written in the TV series preventing it from displaying much of it's power as the final boss, but it didn't diminish its formidable strength.
Woola swallowed Ultraman Taiga Tri-Strium Burst head-on, which did nothing but provide the creature with more sustenance. After firing the beam for a prolonged amount of time, Taiga became weak, allowing Woola to get close, grab the Taiga Tri Blade in it's jaws and yank it free from Taiga's hands.
Woola then attempted to consume Taiga, draining his energy and forcing him to retreat just to survive the onslaught.
This was no mere monster.
However, Woola origin was pitiful. Born from a planet's garbage heap, accidentally forming into a meteoric creature driven by a bottomless hunger.
Literally a black hole for a stomach.
Then, because of its insatiable black hole appetite, it could only continuously devour anything it could find. First, It devoured it's home world, then drifted through space, consuming planets in search of fullness—yearning to fill its black hole stomach.
This desire remained unfulfilled until it met Ultraman Taiga.
And at the moment of fulfillment, it chose to end it's painful life.
Daichi had no idea how an Woola appeared here. Whether it was a Stellaron variant or dropped in by some cosmic force like himself and X.
But none of that mattered now.
Right now, Luofu did not have "White Hole Missile" that could temporarily neutralize the black hole within Woola stomach.
After hearing Woola story from Daichi, X eyes softened with sympathy.
[A life ruled entirely by an uncontrollable hunger… what a tragic monster...]
Woola couldn't suppress it's impulse and lunged again, jaws wide to bite X again.
X moved instantly, The emerald green light on X body flared up again. His dragon-shaped roots surged forth, trying to bind Woola's limbs.
But Woola simply twisted it's head and devoured the roots without hesitation.
*Chomp, chomp, chomp*
The ear-piercing chewing sound rang out again, and Jing Yuan watched this scene with a serious expression.
As Woola bit off several roots and continued running towards him and X, Jing Yuan once again unleashed his Starfall Reverie, and the Lightning-Lord behind him unleashed thousands of bolts of lightning, striking directly at Woola.
Woola just opened its maw—
And ate the lightningattacks.
Jing Yuan's pupils contracted. Seeing the situation was similar to before, Jing Yuan understood why his Lightning-Lord attack hadn't worked before.
"Even the Lightning-Lord attacks are edible… just what is this creature?"
Jing Yuan couldn't help but exclaim, simultaneously halting the Lightning-Lord attack.
Deprived of it's food source, Woola turned toward the Lightning-Lord again. The "food" in it's eyes was the avatar currently hovering behind Jing Yuan—the Lightning-Lord!
The Lightning-Lord series of attacks had just given it a taste of fleeting pleasure.
That tingling, numb sensation allowed its stomach to numb while it ate, temporarily alleviating it's terrible hunger.
It absolutely had to eat this!
Woola suddenly opened it's massive jaws, it's hind legs pushing off powerfully, its entire body lunging towards the Lightning-Lord like an arrow.
"Is it's targeting the Lightning-Lord?"
Jing Yuan's expression hardened. Since this guy dared to target a Lightning-Lord, then he'd show him the power of Lightning-Lord—no, the power of the Hunt Emanator!
Since even the Divine Lord's power of lightning was being devoured, Jing Yuan simply ordered the Divine Lord to stop using his power and instead decide the battle with pure swordplay!
The Lightning-Lord blade descended in pure physical form instead of lightning. But against Woola's hide, it barely scratched. Jing Yuan was forced to withdraw it again, lest it be swallowed whole.
[Daichi, what should we do?!]
Woola massive mouth relentlessly devoured everything. Roots, soil, ancient seawater, even lightning. Nothing slowed it down.
"I don't know!" Daichi cried.
"To stop Woola, we need methods we don't have—unless someone here can do the impossible and fill a black hole!"
The method used to defeat Woola in Taiga's TV series is simply impossible with their current resources. And if Woola appetite isn't satisfied, it will endlessly devour everything, until it's full or has consumed the universe.
Clearly, the second option was unfeasible from the start.
Not to mention abandoning this troublesome Woola in the universe to fend for itself.
Woola very existence is a threat to life in the universe.
"Feeding a black hole… that idea was absurd from the moment it was proposed."
Daichi brain began to think rapidly, while X rushed forward to stop Woola from moving towards the edge of the Scalegorge Waterscape.
Such trouble is best left in the Scalegorge Waterscape; if it goes out, who knows how much trouble it will cause!
*Thump!*
X collided with Woola body, and the two began to wrestle simultaneously.
Woola's colossal strength surged again as it tore across the ground. Driven by it's desires and the desire to fill it's belly, Woola power was unleashed, and its massive body forcing X back step by step.
[It's strength has increased again!]
"Something's definitely not right..."
X having been pushed away, watched Woola charge towards Jing Yuan.
Desperate, X unleashed the dragon-shaped roots—towering vines and roots shaped into a mighty construct.
Even if it meant distracting Woola, that would be fine.
After all, it's current targets were Jing Yuan and the Lightning-Lord. Although Jing Yuan had controlled the Lightning-Lord to defend against several attacks from Woola mouth, X and the Daichi had noticed that Woola power was slowly increasing over time.
If this continued, Jing Yuan and the Lightning-Lord would likely be unable to play a role in this battle!
Reluctantly, X manipulated the dragon-shaped roots, and the giant dragon began to move again, it's massive tail whipped toward Woola.
However, Woola next action surprised X and Daichi.
Just as it's tail was about to strike, Woola opened it's mouth and bit down on the dragon-shaped roots!
Then, Woola eyes flashed red and a powerful suction force erupted from its mouth, devouring the wooden dragon formed from the Ambrosial Arbor roots.
Devouring the entire dragon from tail to head.
[Damn it!]
X clenched his fists and dashed forward, slicing off the dragon's tail with the gauntlet-swords strike to save what he could. Woola was flung away momentarily. X followed with a barrage of light slash at the flung Woola.
The light projectiles sparked against Woola. Until Woola inhaled sharply, swallowing the light projectiles fired by X and every loose object in the battlefield. Stones, roots, bits of ancient machinery—all were dragged into its maw.
It seemed there was nothing that could stop this monster that had begun to devour everything.
Until—
*Dong*
A low, heavy hammer-like sound echoed inside X mind.
X froze instantly.
The sound seemed to be conveying something to X.
Something raw.
Something furious.
As if something deep within him, provoked by the very thing he hated most!
The next instant—
X armor shattered off him in a burst of light.
And from that radiance—
A new dawn began to form.