937 Battle at the Selnes Country: Battle for the Tears of Divine Might I
Spatial Whisperer manipulated the fabric of space and compressed it before thrusting it toward the golden palm.
Bang!
The golden palm forcefully disintegrated the compressed space, creating immense friction in the air that sent powerful shockwaves rippling outwards.
Observing this, Spatial Whisperer narrowed his eyes, understanding the challenge ahead. He elevated his hand, causing his energy to surge through the sky.
[Sky Splitting Strike]!
Boom!
Meanwhile, Adel and Black Blader maneuvered to the opposite side of the intense confrontation, seeking a direct path to the barrier. Their advance was halted by dozens of monsters, belonging to Man-Eating Tamer's legion.
Black Blader halted mid-air, lifting his sword with a surge of energy that emitted a vibrant crimson glow. His elemental energy dispersed, converging sharply at the tip of his blade.
[Element Drive: Darkness Integration]!
"Die!" Black Blader muttered as he swung down the sword in his hand.
[Void Prying Domination]!
A massive dark energy blade surged from his sword, hurtling towards the barrier.
"He's aiming to break the barrier!" Adel's expression shifted as he sensed the immense energy emanating from the energy blade.
Swoosh!
Suddenly, the monsters redirected their attention and launched a barrage of [Bestrou].
Boom!
The ground trembled violently as the monsters' attacks clashed with the energy blade. Gradually, the energy of the blade waned, losing its initial momentum.
Adel was poised to intervene when a new figure emerged on the scene.
[Crimson Moon]!!
Souta dashed at high speed, catching the monsters off guard. Swiftly, he sliced through their bodies before colliding with the dark energy blade.
He skillfully cut the blade in half, preventing it from shattering the barrier.
Glancing at Black Blader, Souta sensed the immense power radiating from him. He knew Black Blader was potentially as strong as, if not stronger than, Nine Yin.
"This is troublesome..." Souta muttered to himself, tightening his grip on the vajra sword.
Rather than launching another attack, Black Blader fixed his gaze on Souta. "Blood Lightning Monster, do not obstruct me. I will claim the mythical-grade fruit."
"Hmph, if you can, stop talking and start fighting," Souta sneered.
Black Blader's eyes narrowed and he swiftly lunged toward Souta, leaving a trail of darkness in his wake.
Swoosh!
Souta took a deep breath, readying himself. As Black Blader closed in, Souta sidestepped and swung his sword. In a flash, Black Blader appeared before Souta, quickly blocking his strike.
Clang! Clang!
Souta and Black Blader moved at tremendous speed, exchanging hundreds of blows in an instant. Souta keenly felt the substantial disparity in their strength. He was compelled to utilize his [Element Drive] in conjunction with [Blood Armor].
Recognizing he couldn't afford to hold back against such high-
level opponents, close to the Hero-rank, Souta made sure not to underestimate them.
Swiftly, Souta dodged Black Blader's sword strike and extended his hand, casting hundreds of blood-colored webs. Several of these ensnared Adel's left foot. Before Adel could react, Souta swiftly pulled him towards himself. In the blink of an eye, he noticed a figure hurtling toward him.
Bang!
Black Blader fiercely stomped on Adel's stomach.
Ugh!
Adel groaned in pain, swiftly moving his hand to cut the webs ensnaring his foot. He then stabilized himself in mid-air.
Glancing at Souta, he remarked, "As expected, even though we're from the alliance army, you aren't going to let me take that fruit."
"Of course not. I would expect the same from you," Souta replied.
Suddenly, the three - Souta, Black Blader, and Adel - felt a surge. Raising their heads, they witnessed Spatial Whisperer heading their way.
Spatial Whisperer raised both hands, conjuring a massive ball of dark energy that swirled around him.
Swoosh!
He hurled the colossal energy ball towards the three.
Souta diverted his gaze briefly and noticed Shen Yao battling the minions of Man-Eating Tamer.
"This guy should be fighting Shen Yao!" Adel exclaimed, his aura intensifying as his elemental energy erupted like a volcano.
Pulling back his fist, Adel soared into the sky and launched a powerful punch at the energy ball. His strike was charged with immense energy, causing the entire space to distort.
[Earth Crumbling Fist]!!
Boom!!
A massive explosion erupted upon Adel's collision with the energy ball. Within the explosion, a bright light streaked toward Souta and Black Blader.
Adel moved at incredible speed.
Souta and Black Blader reacted, but their responses were slow.
Bang! Bang!
Souta was sent flying and crashed onto the ground, while Black Blader managed to partially block Adel's attack.
Adel's appearance underwent a drastic change. His hair turned white, his eyes became a pure white color, and his body emitted a strange brilliance that seemed to erode the darkness within Black Blader.
[Holy Saint Glory]!!
Undeterred, Adel continued his assault. His figure vanished and reappeared, attacking Black Blader once again. Even Spatial Whisperer was sent flying by the force of the attack.
Just a moment later, Adel launched an attack at the three experts, who were unable to resist his assault. Hovering in the air, Adel gazed down at the barrier with determination.
"It's mine!" Adel declared, raising his hand triumphantly.
But his triumphant moment was abruptly interrupted.
"Don't get ahead of yourself, puny guy!" Man-Eating Tamer's voice echoed menacingly.
Adel turned swiftly, only to find himself faced with a swarm of [Bestrou] hurtling towards him. Before he could react, the creatures engulfed him, scratching at the surface of the barrier.
Boom!!
A horde of fourth-stage monsters gathered around Man-Eating Tamer as he stood tall in the air, eyeing the barrier below. His gaze then shifted to Shen Yao positioned on the other side.
Boom!! Boom!!
Rubble scattered as four figures swiftly traversed the area. Souta, Adel, Spatial Whisperer, and Black Blader arrived near Man-Eating Tamer and Shen Yao, emitting an entirely different level of energy—a signal that a serious battle was about to unfold.
Naruse observed the unfolding scenario from above, her expression holding a sense of amusement.
Floating above the barrier, all of them carefully monitored each other's movements. Cracks were already evident in the barrier, signaling its imminent collapse.
Shen Yao turned her attention to Adel and Souta, proposing, "I suggest we prioritize dealing with these foes before aiming for the mythical-grade fruit. We can discuss the fruit after we've neutralized them."
Adel contemplated her proposal briefly before consenting, "Seems reasonable to me."
"I've got no objections, considering they're our enemies," Souta added.
Black Blader's gaze narrowed at the words of his enemies. He retorted, "If you're aiming to defeat us, then come and try!"
In an instant, he darted through the air, arriving before Shen Yao and swinging his blade downward.
Swoosh!!
Shen Yao's hand, enveloped in a golden aura, rose to meet the attack. She utilized her armguard to deflect the blade's strike, forcing Black Blader backward.
She withdrew her fist, which was surrounded by an immense concentration of energy.
With a swift motion, she hurled her fist downward.
Bang!
The air cracked and disintegrated into thousands of fragments resembling glass but forming the fabric of space. The entire area collapsed, generating shockwaves that Souta, Adel, and the others swiftly evaded.
Naruse somersaulted in the air, giggling softly. Closing her fan, she released several papers into the air.
"Appear!"
Multiple creatures materialized, emerging through the fragments.
Upon witnessing this, Spatial Whisperer sprang into action. Manipulating the fragments, he crafted a peculiar space that enveloped the creatures Naruse summoned.
[Space Folding: Pocket Dimension]!!
The creatures were forcibly shifted into alternate spaces that Spatial Whisperer created, effectively trapping them.
"Oho," Naruse chuckled upon observing Spatial Whisperer fold her shikigami. She then shielded her mouth with her fan. "I suppose I can't engage you with shikigami."
"It's futile... Your storage space might contain all your shikigami, but they won't function against me. I've sealed off your space, rendering them unable to leave it for the time being," Spatial Whisperer stated in an icy tone.
Souta recognized Naruse as an exorcist who controlled shikigami resembling golems and undead. However, he knew there was another variety she could employ—using monsters as her shikigami. It was akin to taming skills, although she wasn't utilizing this type at the moment.
Abruptly, Souta moved.
Swoosh!!
Several beams swept through his previous position.
He glanced over and noticed they belonged to the Man-Eating Tamer's minions.
