"Blood Lightning Monster?"
A man cloaked in dark energy looked at the paper in his hand.
"He’s been spotted in Olympus... I wonder if I can catch him."
The man laughed before vanishing from his position.
...
A woman sat on a throne, staring at the paper in her hand.
"Athen’s Champion has severed ties with the Blood Lightning Monster," she muttered. She then glanced at the people kneeling before her and said, "Assemble the army. We will find the Blood Lightning Monster."
"Yes, Your Highness!" the kneeling figures replied in unison.
The only thing that had held them and others back was the Blood Lightning Monster’s background. But now that Olympus had let him go, it no longer mattered. If they found him, they would act.
She was certain the other nations would be making their move soon.
...
On the other hand, the demon army was advancing at high speed, destroying everything in their path. Some countries chose to step aside, unwilling to confront the demons.
By now, everyone knew the demon invasion was driven by their search for something—something that had ended up in the hands of the Blood Lightning Monster.
The demon army continued its relentless march, drawing closer to the Hall Plains with every passing second.
Hovering in the air above his forces, the mander of the 53rd Demon Army, the Demon Pillar Arzona, surveyed the scene below.
"The Blood Lightning Monster really is in Olympus," Arzona muttered, raising his gaze toward the distant mountains. "I need to get there before he vanishes again. We must retrieve Princess Alicia before anyone else does."
With a thunderous boom, he shot through the sky, heading straight toward Olympus.
...
Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of people were marching in the same direction.
"The Blood Lightning Monster must surrender himself!"
Most of them were individuals who had lost their loved ones and homes to the demon invasion. Their hatred was focused squarely on the Blood Lightning Monster.
Among the crowd were others—bounty hunters and onlookers—drawn by the price on his head or the spectacle of the chase.
They were steadily approaching their destination. Ekatoe City would soon be reduced to rubble.
...
Meeting of the Dragon Council
In a distant, strange place, the Heads of the Dragon Council gathered around a grand table.
The Second Head glanced around the room before settling his gaze on the empty seat of the Seventh Head.
"It seems Seventh Head couldn’t make it," he muttered.
"You’ve heard the news, right?" said the Fifth Head. "We’ll need to evacuate too. Those people might flatten the nearby cities."
"Can someone tell me exactly what happened?" asked the First Head, Alexander. "I only know that the Seventh Head was being hunted by demons. I’ve been in a secret realm, so I haven’t received much information from the outside."
"First of all, news began to spread about the Seventh Head," the Fourth Head explained slowly. "That was just the beginning—later, more details emerged, claiming he possessed something the demons were after. And just now, Athen’s Champion officially severed ties with him."
"That means...?" Alexander narrowed his eyes.
"Exactly," said the Third Head calmly. "Those who were holding back because of Olympus will now be free to act. Likely the major nations and perhaps some elite groups from other Holy Lands will make their move."
"Demons... Everyone wants whatever it is he’s hiding," Alexander said grimly. "They want the same thing the demons are after. To them, it doesn’t matter who gets it as long as they can use it to negotiate with the demons."
Right now, only a few Holy Lands along the demon army’s path were trying to intervene. Still, they would likely remain bystanders as long as the demons didn’t damage anything tied to them.
"Everyone in Hall Plains is under pressure," said the Eighth Head. "We’re doing our best to evacuate our people, but those heading for the Seventh Head aren’t going to wait."
The Heads of the Dragon Council continued their discussion for some time. The Seventh Head remained the primary topic, which was only natural. After all, he was being hunted by the demon army.
...
Ekatoe City
Vashno, Alice, Eztein, Franklin, and Amanda floated in the sky above the city. Ekatoe was desolate now, most of its inhabitants having already evacuated. The group was being guided by soldiers from the Astros.
Still, the civilians hadn’t gotten far yet.
Ohm!!
Vashno, Alice, and the others turned their heads as they sensed several energy fluctuations.
"It seems some of the attackers have arrived..." Eztein muttered, narrowing his eyes.
"It’s just the first group. They’re not that strong, likely from the nearby regions around Hall Plains," Vashno said. He then turned to Alice and asked, "By the way, how exactly did the information get leaked?"
Alice shook her head. "I don’t know for sure. Souta believes there’s a high chance that the Council of High Worlds was responsible."
After all, aside from the demons, the Council of High Worlds were the only ones who had seen her. Though they were eventually killed, they likely managed to transmit a message while calling for reinforcements.
At first, no one paid much attention. But once the demons arrived, the Council of High Worlds likely exposed everything—details about the Astros Empire and the events that transpired. That was probably how the information spread.
Ohm!!
Suddenly, another wave of energy surged from a different direction.
Alice, Franklin, Eztein, and the others widened their eyes.
"This...?!"
"It’s Souta’s energy signature...!!"
Alice turned toward the source of the energy. It was distant, far beyond the horizon, but the sheer force of it still reached them.
"He’s drawing them in," Vashno said, realization dawning in his eyes. "He knows he’s the target... so he’s luring them away."
"Souta!!" Alice called out, her voice filled with concern.
Far in the distance, Souta flew at high speed, his energy radiating in all directions like a beacon.
’This is just a tiny taste of what’s ing,’ Saya’s voice echoed in his mind.
"I know," Souta muttered, nodding slightly in response.
Whoosh!!
He accelerated, tearing through the sky like a bolt of lightning.
Naturally, the experts heading toward Ekatoe City felt his presence and changed course.
"This is...?!"
"There’s no doubt about it!"
"It’s the Blood Lightning Monster!"
The group of experts instantly changed direction, launching themselves after Souta. They held nothing back, pushing their speed to the limit.
Streaks of light flashed across the sky as they chased him, drawing the attention of those on the ground who couldn’t help but look up in awe and fear.
They were fast, but not fast enough. The distance between them and Souta grew wider with every passing second.
Souta paid no mind to the ones pursuing him. He could deal with them easily. What concerned him were the higher-level beings who hadn’t revealed themselves yet.
Boom!!
A shockwave rippled through the sky as Souta burst forward.
In less than a minute, he left Mine Valley behind, heading straight for the Central Region of the Hall Plains.
Many sensed his overwhelming presence, but none could catch up.
...
Obsidian Desert
A powerful presence descended upon the entire desert. Every living being trembled, instinctively looking up at the sky.
The pressure was overwhelming, so intense that the ground began to quake without pause.
Many collapsed under the weight of it, while others erupted into panic.
"What is this pressure?!"
"I’ve never felt anything like this in my entire life!"
"It can’t be...?"
The experts scattered across the desert immediately tried to conceal their presence, overwhelmed by the colossal wave of energy sweeping through the land like a scanner.
High above, a figure streaked across the sky at terrifying speed. Space cracked and folded around him, but he pushed forward unhindered.
The figure was humanoid—adorned with a pair of black horns and massive wings sprouting from his back.
He was Arzona, mander of the 53rd Demon Army of the Heavenly Demon Palace. A Demon Pillar serving directly under the Great Demon Emperor Lucifer.
"Blood Lightning Monster... So Olympus has finally severed ties with you," Arzona muttered with a smirk. "Perfect. Now’s the time to capture you and find Princess Alicia."
For someone at God-rank, capturing a Fourth Stage monster was nothing. It would be as easy as crushing an ant. No matter how powerful that monster was, the gap between them and a God-rank being was like heaven and earth.
Boom!!
The entire Obsidian Desert quaked under the presence of the Demon Pillar’s arrival.
All across the surrounding regions, numerous high-level beings sensed his movements. They watched silently from afar, none daring to intervene. They understood his target—a mere Fourth Stage monster—wasn’t worth clashing with a Demon Pillar.
Still, they watched closely... debating whether whatever the demons sought was worth the risk.
Of course, Arzona felt their eyes on him.
He knew at least one or two of those beings would eventually try to fight him for the monster.
’I can’t let them know that Princess Alicia is the one the Great Demon Emperor is after,’ Arzona thought to himself.
The Great Demon Emperor Lucifer had made countless enemies. If those enemies discovered the truth—if they got their hands on Princess Alicia—it would ignite chaos. And if she were taken, Arzona knew Lucifer’s fury would fall on him without mercy.
Arzona shook his head, steeling his resolve, and his body vanished in a flash, racing toward the Hall Plains.
Boom!!
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