The massive bulk of the All-Devouring Narwhal cruised forward. The mere physical scale of this colossal beast gave a clear indication of its immense power. It was no wonder Neuvillette had been so deeply concerned.
But with Zoran on the scene, all problems ceased to be problems.
He glanced at the rather jubilant All-Devouring Narwhal, smiled faintly, and extended a secondary hand, pressing down slightly.
Gravity surged abruptly.
The previously carefree All-Devouring Narwhal suddenly let out an incredibly panicked, low wail. Its massive body instantly froze in midair. In the next fraction of a second, it plummeted violently.
With an earth-shattering crash, the monster was dragged straight out of the sky by sheer force, smashing hard into the ground of this domain. The floor shattered, resembling a mirror spiderwebbed with fractures.
The All-Devouring Narwhal's body began to shudder visibly. The immense power it possessed made it realize instantly that it had encountered a truly terrifying entity.
Through its massive eyes, it could see a tiny dark silhouette drifting unhurriedly toward it from the distance. The shadow exuded a subtle, crushing pressure, one that brooked absolutely no resistance.
Panic seized it in an instant.
Its gargantuan head reared high into the air, then slammed violently down. It wanted to shatter the ground and flee.
But Zoran clearly had no intention of granting it that chance.
The All-Devouring Narwhal's head was already halfway buried in the floor, its rear half twisting and writhing frantically. At this moment, it looked precisely like an ostrich trying desperately to shove its head into the dirt.
Neuvillette watched silently as Zoran's back receded toward the All-Devouring Narwhal, while simultaneously sensing the power the demon unleashed with a mere flick of his wrist. A subtle, barely perceptible trace of relief flickered through the Dragon Sovereign's heart.
The demon before him was both immensely powerful and tranquil. Compared to himself, this entity was someone who could truly alter the existing order of this world. The power to bind and crush everything with a wave of a hand, a power that transcended the original elemental laws of this world, meant that becoming his opponent guaranteed a fate with absolutely zero chance of survival.
Zoran looked at the somewhat clumsy display of the All-Devouring Narwhal in front of him, letting out a soft laugh. He made a grasping motion with his secondary hand.
Consequently, the colossal whale was passively yanked straight up from the ground, as if hoisted by a massive, invisible hand. It was frozen midair, its frantic struggles entirely futile.
"It is over," he said.
Despite being named the All-Devouring Narwhal, it had not actually grown to a level where it could truly consume a planet. Of course, even if it could, it would only have made the look of satisfaction in Zoran's eyes a bit richer.
Torrential Moon Demon Chi wrapped tightly around the All-Devouring Narwhal's body like thick chains. Its massive size began to shrink at a visible rate, and it drifted uncontrollably toward Zoran.
Neuvillette blinked. This was an outright kidnapping.
Right at that moment, a purple rift suddenly tore open within the deep blue space. A figure emerged from within, calling out with palpable urgency, "Wait! Stop!"
Neuvillette's eyes shifted, and Zoran looked toward the source of the voice.
A white-haired woman was reaching out toward the All-Devouring Narwhal in midair, seemingly attempting to halt the process. It was Skirk.
"You cannot take it away!" she shouted at Zoran.
Neuvillette took a step forward, his sharp instincts picking up on something. "This whale... has something to do with you?"
From his standpoint, whether Zoran chose to kill or kidnap the whale mattered little. As one of the prime culprits behind the Fontaine cataclysm, one that had nearly wiped out the entire nation, the All-Devouring Narwhal had undeniably committed a severe crime. But since a stranger had appeared and was trying to stop Zoran, he certainly had something to say.
"Yes, this whale... is my master's pet. Though it is a bit mischievous, its actions were entirely unconscious. Everyone, please put it down!"
Skirk's expression was grave as her gaze swept across Zoran and Neuvillette. She had come specifically for the All-Devouring Narwhal.
Neuvillette fell silent for a moment. Resting both hands upon his cane, he spoke slowly, "Since this monster has an owner, do you, who failed to properly restrain it, offer no apology whatsoever?"
One had to remember that this whale had nearly brought about the total annihilation of Fontaine. And as the Chief Justice of Fontaine, Neuvillette naturally held the authority to demand accountability. His character was inherently impartial and just.
"My apologies," Skirk said, rubbing her temples. "I will take it back and ensure it never appears again."
With that, she reached straight toward the bound All-Devouring Narwhal in the sky.
In the next second, she froze. The All-Devouring Narwhal remained locked in the air, completely motionless.
Skirk's gaze turned intensely serious as she locked eyes with Zoran, pronouncing each word deliberately, "My friend..."
Zoran smiled faintly, offering no reply, and merely glanced at Neuvillette.
The Hydro Dragon Sovereign understood completely, nodding as he spoke once more, "It has always been the law that criminals must face judgment. Apologies, but this monster cannot be returned to you." He pointed at the All-Devouring Narwhal, emphasizing, "The Primordial Sea that rose because of it has already engulfed and dissolved many citizens of Fontaine!"
As they spoke, Zoran unhurriedly compressed the All-Devouring Narwhal into a pale purple orb, slipping it into his sleeve as if no one else were even present.
"Judgment?" Skirk remarked, as though she had just heard something absurd. She pointed directly at Zoran. "Does Fontaine's Court of Justice reside within this fellow's sleeve?" Her face turned cold.
Neuvillette's expression remained unchanged, answering flatly, "At the very least, a killer should not be permitted to walk free."
For a moment, Skirk felt a surge of bewilderment. She had not expected these two to be so utterly impossible to reason with. She was just about to speak when Zoran cut her off.
Zoran casually patted his sleeve and smiled. "Do not utter such foolish words as 'it didn't mean to' in my presence."
Skirk stopped short, her eyes turning freezing cold.
"It is my master's pet, and my mission is to come and retrieve it. Perhaps you do not know who I am, but you should have heard of his title, The One Who Pursues the Essence..."
"The Foul," she declared, emphasizing every syllable.
Silence hung heavily in the air. Seconds ticked away into minutes. Skirk did not receive the anticipated reaction.
Zoran turned his back with complete indifference, walking back toward the rift opened by his Repulsion Slash.
The Foul?
How strong could a guy be if he kept a literal dish of food as a pet? Even if the Heavenly Principles herself showed up today, she wouldn't be able to stop him.
In an instant, Skirk grew desperate.
"Stay!" She was no weakling. With a sharp cry, a weapon materialized in her hand, and she lunged violently toward Zoran.
"Noisy!"
Without even turning around, Zoran simply raised a hand over his shoulder.
A pressure capable of annihilating all things instantly collapsed upon the space. The sky and the ground began to splinter inch by inch like a breaking mirror, the fractures ripping past both sides of Skirk before converging at a single point behind her.
A deafening, echoing crack resounded.
The space shattered entirely. When eyes opened again, they were back in the outside world.
The surging Primordial Sea had receded, leaving the ground damp. The survivors clung to one another in confusion. In the distance, two blue-and-white silhouettes could be faintly seen, leaning into each other for support. The god of this nation was indeed still weeping, but it was no longer because of the prophecy. And her tears were no longer bitter and salty.
"So strong..." Skirk knelt on one knee, murmuring in absolute disbelief.
She had been completely stripped of her combat capability in a single instant. The entity before her was far stronger than even her master!
Zoran's silhouette slowly faded into the distance, leaving only his voice drifting through the air.
"I leave the rest to you, Neuvillette."
He had already settled everything, and all his objectives in this world had been successfully achieved. There was no longer any reason to remain. The main culprit had been apprehended by him, and as for Skirk, she could be handled by the just Chief Justice of Fontaine.
Judgment, after all, was what this nation did best.
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