Souta gestured, manipulating gravity at his command. For some reason, the Tears of Divine Might reminded him of Gilaine. She had mentioned tending to it, perhaps creating a connection between them.
Shen Yao, Black Blader, and Adel fixated their gazes on Souta. The fruit was just within his reach. They realized they couldn't prevent Souta from claiming it. Even if they managed to defeat the twin spirits, it would be too late.
"Kill!" Man-Eating Tamer's enraged cry reverberated. His eyes were brimming with fury.
Boom!
A powerful aura erupted, enveloping everyone. A colossal figure tore through space, hurtling toward Souta.
Souta was on the verge of grasping the fruit when chaos ensued. The Tears of Divine Might spun through the air.
'Be careful, Souta!' Saya's voice resonated in his mind.
Looking downward, Souta spotted the enormous figure. He narrowed his eyes and muttered, "As expected, he already brought this one along. No, he had all his minions here ever since he set foot in the Selnes Country."
The colossal figure was a black centipede, measuring approximately thirty kilometers in length. Its aura surpassed that of a typical fourth-stage monster; it was the Earth Drill Centipede, the mightiest minion of Man-Eating Tamer, now at the fifth stage.
Swoosh!
As the centipede sped past Souta, its overpowering aura seemed to exert a suppressing force against him, akin to a higher species subduing a lower one. It felt as though an immense weight was pressing down on him, hindering his movement.
Souta swiftly reached out, grasping one of the centipede's legs.
"Fortunately, I anticipated this outcome."
Narrowing his eyes, Souta glanced upward, observing the centipede's trajectory towards the Tears of Divine Might.
This entire sequence of events had played out as he foresaw. Upon recognizing the familiar faces of the Deadly Sins experts, he had predicted the inevitable confrontation and its potential outcome.
Although Souta hadn't sensed this particular centipede previously, he was well aware of the high probability that Man-Eating Tamer had already tamed a fifth-stage monster by now. Moreover, the tumultuous battles that had transpired had overshadowed the centipede, concealing its presence in the darkness.
"A fifth-stage monster...? This is troublesome," observed Naruse, watching from the sidelines as she narrowed her eyes. She noted Man-Eating Tamer still had hundreds of fourth-stage monsters around him.
This highlighted the true power of a tamer, derived not from their physical abilities or combat skills but from the creatures they had tamed.
"Did he really bring a fifth-stage monster here?" Adel muttered, visibly shocked. The sight of a fifth-stage monster in this place was beyond belief for him.
"Technically, we're still inside the All-Filter Barrier Formation, so that monster isn't operating at full strength. Nevertheless, being a fifth stage, defeating it will be an arduous task," Shen Yao remarked in a subdued tone.
The consensus among them was that it would be nearly impossible to stop a fifth-stage monster in a brief moment, leaving most convinced that Man-Eating Tamer would successfully acquire the mythical-grade fruit. They hadn't anticipated that Man-Eating Tamer would conceal a fifth-stage monster in Selnes Country immediately upon his arrival.
Souta pushed himself to take action. Standing atop the centipede's back, he cracked his neck with determination.
"It's just a fifth stage... I've taken down beings like this in the past," Souta said with a smirk. His aura surged, pushing back against the centipede's presence in the area.
Boom!
Souta sprinted across the centipede's back, causing all the blood in the vicinity to levitate. The blood underwent a transformation, crackling with blood-colored lightning around his body.
Activating the [Emperor's Blessing] card and harnessing the blood lightning, Souta stated, "It might not be enough to defeat this monster, but it's sufficient to endure its pressure."
Jumping into the air, he swung his weapon towards the centipede's head.
Boom!
Mighty shockwaves reverberated as the blood-colored lightning expanded like a net throughout the area.
"So that's why he's known as the Blood Lightning Monster," Adel remarked in awe.
"His aura has amplified again," Shen Yao observed, narrowing her eyes.
Souta's current energy surpassed them all, unmistakably superior. There was no questioning it.
Undoubtedly, Souta had utilized nearly all his equipment skills along with the [Emperor's Blessing] card. They stood no chance against him in terms of equipment.
Rapidly dashing across the centipede's body, slashing his sword in all directions, the blood lightning crackled with each swing.
'I can barely scratch its carapace,' Souta thought to himself.
He was formidable, but a fifth-stage monster was in a different league. Fortunately, the centipede couldn't unleash its full potential due to the All-Filter Barrier Formation's influence. The stronger the creature, the more suppression it experienced.
Souta leaped into the air and promptly cast the [Black Hole] spell.
Ohm!
A black hole emerged in space, aiming to tear into the centipede's body. Yet, the centipede pressed on toward the fruit, seemingly unaffected by the power of the black hole.
Souta confronted the centipede, questioning, "Why are you allowing that man to control you?"
In response, the centipede screeched and lunged toward him.
Gritting his teeth, Souta swung his sword downward, colliding with the centipede's head and creating ripples in the air. Suddenly, he sensed an immense concentration of energy.
A powerful dark green beam erupted, enveloping a vast portion of the sky.
Boom!
Thrown upward, Souta's body suffered extensive damage. The force of the blast was lethal, but fortunately, he was in a state stronger than his usual power, sustained by the [Emperor's Blessing] card.
"Once more," he grunted through clenched teeth. Blood lightning crackled around his sword as he ran his finger along its surface.
[Archetype: Great Blood of the End]!
Thunderclouds amassed all around. Droplets of blood arced across the sky, merging with the forces of dark and light before transforming into blood-colored lightning.
His webs coalesced into a blade, then he infused it with blood imbued with both dark and light elements, grasping it firmly with his left hand. As he held both the vajra sword and the newly formed blade of web and blood, an ominous radiance emanated from them.
Souta drew in a deep breath.
"I can't even converse with you... What a tragic creature. Your mind has long been shattered."
As the centipede approached, he unleashed his most powerful attack.
[First Form: Lifeless Tribulation of the Blood Lightning]!!
The centipede retaliated instantly, unleashing a torrent of [Bestrou] from its mouth.
A collision between a flash of red light and dark green erupted in the air. Ripples expanded, followed by the sudden appearance of a potent suction force. In the next moment, a shockwave surged in all directions, painting the sky with a vivid display of red and green brilliance.
Boom!!
Shen Yao, Adel, and Naruse swiftly erected a protective barrier, gazing with apprehension at the explosive spectacle.
"That bastard is this powerful!!" Man-Eating Tamer couldn't believe his eyes.
...
In another dimension...
Ice Death, Poisonous Vine, and Hoei turned their heads. The dimension trembled, crackling with powerful energy seeping from various fissures.
"What in the...?" Hoei sensed an imminent collapse within their entire dimension.
"Who could be causing this level of destruction?" Poisonous Vine felt a growing sense of danger.
Ice Death remained silent for a moment, observing the energy seeping through the cracks. "It's Man-Eating Tamer. He's finally unleashed his ultimate minion, a fifth-stage monster. Most of the dimensions here are on the verge of collapse. We must locate the space where Selnes Country was positioned."
Then, Ice Death gazed down at the Flaem Clan household, murmuring, "Bezvin Darkna is deceased, so our task here is finished. Our priority now is finding the core of the Botano Clan."
Hoei's gaze lingered on Bezvin's body. He had been powerless to intervene when Ice Death killed his fellow Clan Leader. Though he attempted to confront Bezvin, Ice Death's interference prevented any action. Had Ice Death not intervened, Hoei would have left Bezvin alive.
...
In the dimensions where the household of Botano Clan was situated...
The centipede bellowed into the sky, a massive gash evident on its head. Though not fatal, the wound significantly impacted the creature. Souta had managed to inflict a severe cut on the carapace of a fifth-stage monster.
Blood sprayed in all directions as the enraged centipede roared furiously.
Swoosh!
Emerging from the dissipating smoke, Souta was drenched in blood. The black armor surrounding him was in tatters, and there wasn't a trace of the natural energy field around his body. His aura had weakened considerably, only comparable to an initial rank fourth stage.
Facing a fifth-stage monster's attack, Souta realized that his defenses and resistance were shattered by a single [Bestrou].
"Hah, I wouldn't have survived if not for the [Emperor's Blessing]..." Souta chuckled weakly, observing as the thunderclouds sparked with lightning, gradually healing some of his grave wounds.
"You're still smiling?!" Man-Eating Tamer's words faltered as he noticed something in Souta's hand.
Souta's smile broadened as he raised his hand, declaring, "In this competition, I'm the victor."
The Tears of Divine Might was finally within his grasp.
