Chapter 956: Collapse

As the smoke dispersed, Ice Death's released energy lingered in the air. He turned his gaze, his eyes brimming with murderous intent, down at his hand, which clutched a piece of frozen flesh. Slowly, he parted his lips, his voice frigid with certainty. "As I thought... You're going to make a move."

"Hehe," Hoei chuckled ruefully, his left hand pressed against the deep wound in his stomach, blood seeping from it relentlessly.

The recent clash had taken its toll on him. He hadn't anticipated Ice Death's rapid response and subsequent attack.

Swoosh!! Swoosh!!

Thousand Earth, Poisonous Vine, and Spatial Whisperer encircled him, each emanating an aura on the brink of eruption.

"You're going to die. You should've realized this was inevitable," Ice Death declared icily.

"What can I do? I can't escape this place," Hoei remarked with a smile, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

He was confined to the Selnes Country due to the curse, unable to venture far. But breaking free was necessary if he wanted to ensure his family's safety amidst the chaos of war.

"It doesn't matter. I've achieved my objective," Hoei declared, raising his other hand to reveal the cores of the Master Clans.

"You?!" Ice Death's eyes widened in disbelief, moving to intercept Hoei's hand, but he was too late.

"Heh, the Selnes Country won't fall without a fight!" Hoei exclaimed, channeling his energy to crush the cores within his palm, closing his fists tightly.

"I may not live to see tomorrow, but my mission is complete. Erkigal, I entrust everything to you. Please safeguard the Methal Clan," Hoei silently conveyed as he braced himself to face Ice Death and the others.

Reacting swiftly, Poisonous Vine and Spatial Whisperer launched simultaneous attacks on Hoei.

Boom!!

...

In the Selnes Country...

Souta raised both of his swords, summoning a massive net of lightning in the sky.

[Archetype: Great Blood of the End]!

With a powerful swing, he unleashed an immense surge of energy, directing it toward Paente's form.

[First Form: Lifeless Tribulation of the Blood Lightning]!!

Paente's eyes widened in shock at the onslaught.

The relentless torrent of blood lightning descended, tearing through every inch of his body. The earth quaked as thunder boomed overhead.

"It's over! You haven't even fully recovered from Red Mist's attack, so don't think you can withstand this!" Souta's voice thundered as he poured more energy into his assault.

"DIE!!"

The burst of lightning intensified, radiating outwards in all directions.

On the other side of the battlefield...

Kessa unleashed a mighty ray at the tree's main body, its impact sending shockwaves rippling across the land.

The ferocious attack laid waste to everything within a five-kilometer radius. Unconcerned with collateral damage, Kessa focused solely on annihilating the colossal tree.

ROAR!!

Her scales exuded a corrosive gas, amplifying the destructive force of her assault. The shockwaves intensified, and the ray expanded, engulfing the giant tree in its searing path.

Boom!!

Explosions erupted across various regions of the Selnes Country, visible to those who had evacuated. The towering energy beam and the cascading blood-colored lightning illuminated the sky with their ominous presence.

A few moments later, the ground ceased its trembling, and the energy surge subsided. As the smoke slowly dispersed in the strong wind, Souta stood alone, his body gradually returning to its normal state. He breathed heavily, a streak of blood marking the corner of his eye.

"If it weren't for consuming the Tears of Divine Might, I wouldn't have been able to replenish my energy," he muttered to himself.

Having faced numerous powerful opponents today, starting with the members of the Wingless Crow, Souta had long been exhausted. Fortunately, the mythical-grade fruit had restored his energy and stamina.

But Paente...

Souta's gaze narrowed as he looked towards the spot where Paente had disintegrated. Then, a familiar sound echoed in his mind.

Ding!

Upon hearing the notification sound, Souta clenched his fists tightly.

He looked up, and a cracking sound reverberated through the air. Cracks began to spread across the All Filter Barrier Formation.

"It's over..."

All the survivors couldn't help but look up at the sky, witnessing the spreading cracks. Shen Yao, Adel, and the other experts watched the unfolding scene with bated breath.

Bang!!

A resounding noise echoed as the barrier collapsed. The barrier, unbreached for hundreds of years, shattered that day.

Paente, the tree's main body, and the roots were no more.

The battle within the Selnes Country had concluded.

"IT'S OVER!!"

Souta's roar echoed with tremendous force. His voice resonated throughout the entire country as he grasped his sword and raised it high into the air.

Kessa glanced over before unleashing a mighty roar of her own.

ROAR!!!

The survivors of the battle raised their weapons and joined in the chorus of triumphant cries. Their voices reverberated across the land, marking the end of a long and arduous conflict.

Souta flew through the air towards the survivors, accompanied by Yenxa. As he arrived, he beheld thousands of people cheering and chanting his nickname.

"Blood Lightning!! Blood Lightning!"

"Blood Lightning!! Blood Lightning!"

Acknowledging their cheers with a wave of his hand, Souta made his way toward Shen Yao and the other top experts. Unlike himself, who had recovered using the mythical-grade fruit, they were visibly exhausted from the relentless fighting.

"We need to retreat," Souta informed them.

"What do you mean?" Shen Yao inquired, her eyes narrowing.

"We must escort the civilians to safety. The Selnes Country is about to become a battlefield. Let's not forget that two Seventh Shackles are currently engaged in combat outside," Souta explained, his expression grave.

"Seventh Shackles...?" Shen Yao and Adel exchanged concerned glances, recalling the formidable expert they had encountered before and the angel who had intervened in the confrontation.

"We can't go into battle like this. Our warriors are exhausted, and some of them can't even stand. We need to regroup and recover first," Souta declared firmly.

"I agree," Shen Yao concurred, understanding the gravity of the situation.

With Souta's command, the survivors swiftly began their evacuation. The Selnes Country was no longer safe with the barrier breached and Paente defeated. It was clear that leaving was the only option, especially considering the threat posed by the Seventh Shackles.

Gathering his group, comprised of warriors from Olympus, Souta surveyed the aftermath of the battle. The casualties were significant, a sobering reminder of the cost of the conflict.

"What happened to Eztein and Franklin?" Souta inquired, observing the unconscious pair.

"They collapsed after the barrier shattered," Alice reported.

Souta nodded thoughtfully, then instructed, "I'll attend to them later. For now, accompany the others and ensure their safety."

"Understood," Alice acknowledged, ready to follow his directive.

"Stay alert. There's a possibility of enemy attacks. I'll join you shortly, but there's something I must attend to first," Souta cautioned, his gaze lingering on the scene before him.

With those parting words, he pivoted and raised his hand, signaling for Kessa to accompany him. The hydra obediently morphed into a small snake, coiling around Souta's arm as he soared into the sky.

...

Souta arrived in the basement of the Flaem Clan.

Inside the room, he saw an unconscious woman with long red hair. Judging from the energy inside her body, she was the one who had spoken to him—the person who had provided him with the information on how to defeat Paente.

"This is a little bit strange..." Souta muttered as he observed the woman.

'How so? Did you see something?' Saya's voice sounded in his mind.

"Yeah, her condition is quite similar to Eztein and Franklin. There's something ominous about her that I can't quite identify. It's giving me chills," Souta explained.

'There's something like that?!' Saya sounded surprised.

"Yep, there's some kind of obstruction preventing me from seeing clearly. It's a bit hazy, but I can detect a puff of dark smoke inside her body. I don't know what it is, though," Souta said.

'Can you touch her or at least place the sword on her body? I'll try to figure it out,' Saya said.

Souta nodded as he walked forward. He placed the hilt of the vajra sword on the woman's back. As for him, he placed his palm on top of her head, directly checking her condition with his senses.

A few moments later, Souta felt a rebound as his palm was flung away by some unknown force.

"This...?" Souta was shocked as he saw his palm bleeding. Something that could make him bleed was definitely not ordinary. With his current strength, it was impossible for him to get hurt through normal means.

The moment he tried to pry what was hidden inside the woman's body, he received a backlash. It was strong, stronger than he imagined.

Souta picked up the vajra sword before he stood up. He noticed that the hazy feeling inside the woman was slowly dissipating.

"S-Souta..." Saya said.

"What is it? Did you discover something?" Souta asked.

'It's a curse. It's similar to the one that prevents people from practicing the Archetype. It's a curse from that era, the era tens of thousands of years ago,' Saya explained to him in a serious tone.

"What?! Are you sure?!" Souta was shocked.

"I'm not entirely sure, but that's the feeling I get from her," Saya said.

"Then, let's bring her and ask her some questions after she wakes up," Souta said. He moved his finger and a gravitational field formed around the woman.