Bodam Kingdom, Imperial City.
A man gazed down at the desolate city from above. His eyes were filled with shock and fury.
The Imperial City of the Bodam Kingdom, which had stood for over a hundred years, was now nothing but rubble. Bodies were scattered everywhere, and countless structures had been destroyed.
"Father..." a voice called out.
The man turned and saw soone standing in the distance, staring at him.
"Erlius! What happened?!" he shouted.
Erlius approached his father, the forr king of the Bodam Kingdom.
"A battle took place here... and I lost," he said.
"What?!!" The forr king widened his eyes in disbelief.
"Outsiders have set their sights on our land, and before we could react, it was already too late," Erlius explained.
The forr king sensed that sothing was wrong. Narrowing his eyes, he asked, "What did you do?"
"I surrendered..." Erlius replied.
Souta had given him a chance to fight.
A fair fight without any interference.
A battle between kings.
In the end, he suffered a crushing defeat.
"You surrendered...?! You’re a disgrace!" the forr king roared.
"Father, he defeated fairly. It is sothing I accept," Erlius said calmly.
At that ti, he had been alone. His subordinates had been incapacitated because of the parasites inside their bodies. In truth, Souta had not even needed to fight personally. The Nine-Headed Hydra, Tasman, and the others had been present, yet Souta still chose to face him alone.
If Souta had not chosen to fight alone, Erlius would never have been able to accept his defeat.
"Father, there’s nothing we can do. His subordinates have already infiltrated this land, and they are currently in the process of turning the entire Tarrant Nation upside down." Erlius paused for a mont before asking, "What happened during your visit to the Waterfield Clan, Father?"
The Waterfield Clan was one of the three ruling families of the Tidal rchant Group, a force with vast influence even beyond the Depths of Banquet. No one in the entire Depths of Banquet underestimated the three ruling families of the Tidal rchant Group.
The forr king did not answer imdiately. Instead, he stared at his son for a few seconds before replying, "The Waterfield Clan agreed to help us. They will stop the Rulman Household from interfering in the war, and that is the only thing they are willing to do. However, it seems there is no need for that anymore. You’ve already surrendered."
"I’m sorry, Father. I couldn’t defeat the enemy even after he gave a fair chance," Erlius said, shaking his head in regret.
If there had been no outsiders, there was a chance that the Bodam Kingdom could have devoured the Tarrant Nation. Unfortunately, that possibility was gone forever now.
"It’s fine. You did your best," the forr king said to his son. "So I will fight as well. Don’t try to stop , as I have already made up my mind. If I can salvage our situation, then good. If not, then I will die. As for you... continue living."
...
Creasant Republic, Hydro Land City.
Souta slowly opened his eyes and gazed into the distance. Far across the vast waters, countless figures tore through the sea at terrifying speed, their auras churning the currents into violent whirlpools. With every second, the pressure in the surroundings grew heavier.
Ohm!!
A thunderous shockwave rippled through the ocean as the group abruptly halted exactly two kiloters away from him. The water between them twisted and trembled from the sheer force of their presence. They stood in perfect formation, their killing intent locked onto Souta like sharpened blades.
"So, the higher-ups of the Creasant Republic have finally shown themselves..." Souta muttered, a faint smile curling across his lips as his eyes settled on the man at the front.
Then, his gaze slowly swept across the army behind him.
"Judging by this lineup..." his smile widened, "...you didn’t co here to negotiate."
One Ninth Shackle Realm expert.
Eleven Eight Shackle Realm experts.
Thirty Seventh Shackle Realm experts.
An overwhelming force capable of crushing entire nations. The surrounding seawater groaned beneath the imnse pressure radiating from their bodies, and even the atmosphere itself seed to freeze.
Clearly, they had not co to talk.
They had co to subjugate him.
This terrifying display alone was enough to prove why the Creasant Republic stood as the strongest nation within the Depths of Banquet.
"If I’m not mistaken, there are other experts stationed elsewhere. People like you would never gather all of your high-level experts in one place." Souta let out a sigh before adding, "If you think this is enough to subjugate , then you’re gravely mistaken. You should’ve brought every force you could muster."
The man standing at the front was over three ters tall, his massive body clad in pitch-black armor covered in draconic patterns. In his hand was a black trident shaped like the claw of an ancient sea dragon. rely standing there, he radiated an overwhelming pressure that distorted the surrounding seawater.
He was the Supre Commander of the Creasant Republic Army, Urhan Hydroper.
A genuine Ninth Shackle Realm expert.
One of the strongest beings in the entire Depths of Banquet.
Urhan stared at Souta with cold, unwavering eyes before speaking in a deep voice that rumbled through the sea.
"Monster... leave now, and we will let this matter end here."
As Urhan looked at Souta, he could clearly sense that the fluctuation of energy coming from him was only at the initial stage. Yet Black Water Lord had already reported everything to him.
This monster had defeated him alongside multiple Seventh Shackle Realm experts.
A monster at the initial stage possessing power capable of rivaling advanced fifth-stage monsters.
That alone was enough to make even Urhan personally take action.
"Leave?" Souta let out a low laugh. "Normally, I wouldn’t do sothing like this, you know? But the situation has forced my hand. Whether you like it or not, I will conquer this land."
The Depths of Banquet would beco his stepping stone toward the other territories. He would devour them one after another, strengthen his military forces, and eventually gain enough power to rival the Large Countries perhaps even the Great Countries themselves.
"It’s unfortunate, but the Creasant Republic happens to be standing in my way." Souta slowly raised his head, his golden eyes gleaming ominously. "You really should’ve brought your entire army here."
The mont those words left his mouth, a horrifying surge of energy exploded from his body.
Boom!!
The surrounding ocean violently erupted as shockwaves tore through the seawater. The pressure alone distorted the currents and sent massive cracks spreading across the seabed below.
Ten black spheres materialized behind Souta like miniature dark suns, radiating terrifying energy fluctuations. At the sa ti, eight enormous spider-like limbs burst from his back, tearing through the water with sharp screeching sounds. His body rapidly transford in re seconds, becoming more monstrous and oppressive.
Against this lineup, Souta did not hesitate to enter his released form from the very beginning.
The overwhelming pressure crashed into the surrounding experts like a tidal wave. Several Seventh Shackle Realm experts instinctively tensed, while the seawater around them churned violently under the sheer density of Souta’s aura.
Urhan narrowed his eyes as he stared at Souta’s transford figure.
"Released form..." he muttered grimly.
Urhan knew there was no chance this monster would leave willingly. The mont Souta entered his released form, the aning was clear.
A great battle was about to begin.
Behind Urhan, Black Water Lord trembled upon seeing Souta’s transford figure once again.
"This form again...!!"
mories of their previous clash resurfaced in his mind. The monstrous strength. The overwhelming speed. The savage pressure that felt capable of crushing him alive.
He knew it clearly.
If he had faced Souta alone, he would’ve died beneath those claws.
"Scatter and prepare your combat arts and spells! Don’t hold back!" Urhan roared.
The experts imdiately dispersed in every direction, tearing through the water as countless streams of energy gathered around their bodies. The surrounding ocean began to glow from the concentration of power.
anwhile, Souta slowly bent his knees, his burning crimt eyes fixed on the group ahead. The seawater around him twisted violently from the sheer pressure leaking out of his body.
Then...
Swoosh!!
His figure vanished.
A streak of darkness and light shot across the ocean like a teor, ripping apart the currents in its path.
Urhan’s eyes widened.
’So fast!!’
Without hesitation, he swung the black draconic trident in his hand with explosive force.
Boom!!
The instant their weapons collided, a deafening shockwave exploded outward. The ocean around them convulsed violently as walls of water were blown apart. Several nearby experts were forced backward by the impact alone.
Urhan’s heart sank.
The power behind Souta’s strike was far greater than he had anticipated. The force traveled through his trident and into his arms, making his muscles tremble slightly.
Urhan imdiately raised his leg and unleashed a powerful kick toward Souta’s abdon.
Bang!!
Souta blocked it with one arm, barely moving an inch.
At the sa mont, Urhan twisted his trident with deadly precision and thrust it toward Souta’s face with terrifying force, the tip tearing through the seawater like a black dragon lunging for its prey.
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