Hskisho didn't hesitate. He hurled the water trident toward Rio with lethal force. Though Rio managed to dodge just in time, the impact of the trident caused a massive explosion, completely obliterating the small bridge nearby.
Sensing the escalating danger, Gyau quickly moved the car further away to a safe zone.
Seizing an opening, Anne leaped from her branch and delivered a devastating flying kick to Hskisho's back, sending him skidding across the ground. However, Hskisho recovered almost instantly. He raised his hand, and the lake began to vibrate violently as multiple whirlpools started to form across the surface.
With blinding speed, Hskisho closed the gap between him and Anne, delivering a brutal kick to her midsection. The force was enough to send Anne crashing into the dark waters of the lake.
"Anne!" Marito roared, springing into action. He unleashed a barrage of Shadow Flame projectiles from mid-air. But Hskisho was too fast; he dodged the flames and condensed water into a high-pressure jet, blasting Marito back toward the wooded slope.
As Marito crashed into the trees, Kawsoki saw his chance. He hoisted his iron pillar and hurled it toward Hskisho with everything he had...Hskisho remained unfazed as the massive iron pillar hurtled toward him. He conjured a swirling Water Orb in his palm, using it to deflect the heavy projectile with a powerful counter-force.
Looking down at the lake, Hskisho signaled the vortexes he had created. Instantly, a fresh wave of demonic monsters crawled out from the depths. Rio was immediately set upon, forced to cut through the unending swarm to keep them at bay.
"Die already, you freaks!" Gyau yelled, his gun barking as he laid down cover fire.
Kawsoki tried to close in with a flying kick, but Hskisho was a step ahead. He caught Kawsoki by the ankle mid-air and hurled him unceremoniously into the lake. Seeing his friend go down, Gyau aimed his weapon at Hskisho, unaware of a monster lunging at him from behind.
In a flash, Rio appeared, his wooden sword slicing through the monster in mid-air. He looked back at Gyau with a faint smirk and echoed the very words Gyau had said earlier.
"Hey, we're not playing games here. Pay attention!"
Gyau's face flushed red as he realized he'd just been schooled with his own lecture. "Yeah, yeah! I get it!" he snapped back, refocusing on the fight.
Meanwhile, Anne burst from the water, landing gracefully on the surface. She began systematically taking down any monster that crossed her path. Marito, having recovered from the impact, stood tall on the slope. With a sudden burst of extreme speed, he leaped back into the lake, ready to rejoin the fray with a vengeance.In the midst of the chaos, the lake's surface erupted as a massive creature emerged from the depths. Its body was long and serpentine like a snake, but its head bore the fearsome features of a dragon.
"Wtf is that?! It looks terrifying!" Gyau shouted, his voice trembling with genuine fear.
Anne narrowed her eyes at the beast. "I'd say it's at least 20 feet long," she estimated. The creature unhinged its jaw and unleashed a high-pressure blast of water. But this wasn't just a spray—it was a barrage of Water Blades, sharp enough to slice through solid rock.
Before the blades could reach them, Marito stepped forward, channeling his shadow energy with precision. "Shadow Barrier!" he commanded. In an instant, a dome of pure, pitch-black shadows enveloped the group, forming an impenetrable shield.
The water blades struck the barrier, shattering into harmless mist upon impact. Anne, looking out from within the safety of the dark dome, whispered in awe, "Wow... how strange. I never knew a shadow could be this solid."Hskisho looked at the massive creature with a satisfied smirk. "Finally out, are you? My precious beast."
Gyau glanced over at Rio, frowning. "This guy clearly has some weird hobbies... keeping a thing like that as a pet."
"Probably," Rio replied briefly, his senses sharpening. "The guardian protecting Lord Shizen has come to the surface. That means the way is clear. He's alone down there now."
Hearing this, Kawsoki didn't hesitate for a second. "Then I'm going in!" he shouted, diving headfirst into the dark depths of the lake.
Meanwhile, Marito wasn't about to wait for the beast's next move. He blurred into a shadow, appearing instantly right next to the creature's massive neck. As Marito raised his hand, the air around them began to distort.
"Shadow Annihilation!"
A beam of pure, pitch-black light erupted from his palm, striking the beast with overwhelming force. The creature let out a bone-chilling roar of agony, crashing back into the lake and thrashing violently beneath the surface as the dark energy tore through its scales.