In Asahi's heart, a fire was fiercely burning.
It appeared, perhaps the moment he unconsciously arrived in this world, perhaps when he witnessed the true face of this place. But it didn't matter; Asahi only knew that he was enraged. Like a volcano about to erupt, Asahi genuinely couldn't recall the last time he had been this furious.
This wasn't merely the oppression of the Cursed Children; that was only the surface. The world itself, within the heart of every person, seemed to have been torn apart and haphazardly reassembled—ruined and rotten to the core.
Whether they were good people or bad.
More sadly, deep down, everyone seemed to have accepted this state of affairs. Even the victims, the Cursed Children, clung to the very title that crushed them, merely to survive precariously in this world. No matter who, even a young man like Rentaro, harbored a simmering rage that wished the whole world would just die.
Could such a world still have a chance at salvation?
In the end, no one could say. But Asahi knew that if he himself satisfied that instinctive fury, then the world truly would be beyond hope.
He would not give up.
And he had finally waited for this day: the first step in dismantling this world.
The Dragon Form spread its wings, splitting the sky in two. An earth-shattering aura emanated from him, shaking the entire sky above the Silver King's Area. It was not merely spiritual; it was infused with pure energy. The vibration radiating from him was, in fact, formed by the super-compressed, high-concentration energy disturbing the surrounding environment.
Asahi soared high above the Monolith, looking straight toward the Gastrea Zodiac - Leon in the distance. The data on this creature was imprinted in his memory: a Gastrea with thick skin and flesh, and high regenerative capabilities. Both aspects placed it among the highest tier of all the Gastrea Zodiac. However, Leon did not possess many complex transformation abilities, nor did it have the terrifying, supreme capability that earned others a second title, like the Great Plague King - Libra. Hence, its threat level was not the highest.
Of course, this "not high threat level" was only in comparison to other Rank Five Gastrea. Any Rank Five Gastrea, even the weakest, was an unstoppable, world-ending calamity for human Areas.
But that was all it was.
No strategy was required, nor any consideration needed.
He went.
A silver streak cut across the sky, shooting straight toward Leon at supersonic speed. It was so fast that the attacking military, the reconnaissance radar, and the surveillance cameras could only capture a blurred afterimage. While all the soldiers on the battlefield were still stunned, they saw a section of Leon's body shatter. It took a moment longer for the sound of the impact and the Gastrea's dreadful roar to finally reach them.
"Its outer shell... it's broken!"
"What the hell was that?!"
The self-defense force soldiers widened their eyes. Some used binoculars and saw a luminous, humanoid silhouette in the air near the spot where Leon's outer carapace had been shattered. This man swore he had never seen such a thing, nor witnessed such an event.
Leon's tough armor could withstand a direct nuclear strike without issue. To destroy it, one would need to use extremely high-purity Varanium to form a bullet, then fire it at ultra-high speed for even a chance of success.
But that person clearly hadn't used Varanium. Could it be that the attack just now was many times more terrifying than a nuclear warhead?
"Retreat!"
The commander, receiving the emergency report, quickly ordered the subordinate self-defense units to withdraw. They didn't want to be swept up and die meaninglessly in the residual blast.
If Asahi heard the thoughts of these people, he would surely shake his head, because it was unnecessary.
In his current state, it was quite difficult to carry such a massive block of energy into every strike. But he could condense it, focusing the attack on a single point.
It was like using a bucket to throw water versus putting water through a high-powered nozzle. It ensured that every bit of force was contained, wasting nothing and causing no collateral damage to the surroundings.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Every agonizing roar from Leon was another time his fist descended. It struggled, trying to resist, thrusting its massive, mountain-like body to ram, crush, and press Asahi, just as it did to all its previous prey. But it couldn't even catch the movement of his figure, let alone touch him?
Every Gastrea Zodiac is a chaotic combination of countless gene types, yet they lean toward a certain dominant type. Leon's super-hard shell probably originated mainly from tortoises, mixed with various crustacean and hard-scaled animal genes. This granted Leon unparalleled defense and immense strength, but its flaws were a lack of varied abilities and unremarkable speed.
And Asahi's Dragon Form was the embodiment of the hexagon. Every attribute—speed, defense, durability, and strength—reached an extremely high level.
The progression of the battle between the two sides was not hard to predict.
Leon's only painful resistance was thanks to the super-regeneration ability provided by the Gastrea Virus.
But because Asahi wasn't using his Silver Fire, only high-compression energy, his suppression was limited; he couldn't truly annihilate Leon.
Yet, getting warmed up to this extent was enough.
The offensive ceased, giving Leon a chance to catch its breath. Although what attracted it was a mesmerizing lure to the extreme, avoiding harm was a creature's instinct.
That's right, as a Gastrea that had surpassed the evolutionary spectrum of its species, it had begun to develop intelligence. Therefore, it wanted to flee at this moment.
This scene was observed by many, who were so terrified their jaws nearly dropped. Those who understood the root of the story were silent, for they knew the attraction the Seven Stars Legacy held for a Gastrea Zodiac. But in this situation, the Silver King could still scare it off?
However, the final surprise was yet to come.
The aura around Asahi continued to rage.
In Leon's perception, the tiny, ant-like figure before its eyes seemed to harbor world-destroying energy.
Just like the last time in the Ministry of Defense meeting room, Asahi was in this state. A power resembling a natural catastrophe, so overwhelming that it stifled all basic will to survive.
Asahi could confidently state that few entities in this world could resist him, and saying none would not be an exaggeration.
"This is the end."
He rushed downward, and all observers witnessed a spectacle that shattered their perception.
The entirety of Gastrea Leon... was lifted into the air. Its immensely massive form, rivaling a Monolith, was hoisted off the ground by a silver light.
To describe it, it was like a needle lifting a human.
And as it went higher and higher, the silver light emanating from Asahi grew brighter, and Leon's struggles were futile.
Now, not just Tokyo, not just Japan, but nearly a quarter of the world's surface witnessed a silver streak flying upward, like a reverse shooting star.
Finally, Asahi carried Leon, piercing the atmosphere and reaching outer space. There was even a nearby satellite in the vicinity.
Asahi merely glanced at it and paid it no mind, but he did it intentionally so this moment would be recorded.
And then, he pushed with his hand. He pushed Leon's ravaged body out into the universe. With its highest-level regenerative capabilities, the harsh conditions of space could not kill Leon. But it would drift in it for eternity.