This scene was a direct mirror of the last time 009 and his team arrived to crusade against Byakuya.
Watching him appear, 009 already had a suspicion forming. Could this departed soul, Byakuya, possess the exact same abilities as the original?
Before 009 could finish the thought, a sharp thread shot straight toward him!
In an instant, a flash of saber light erupted before 009's eyes, slicing the thread clean in two.
The one who acted was not 009, but Arthur, his body encased in a layer of Mechanical Exoskeleton and wielding a Nano-Saber.
He stepped to 009's side, performing a swift flourish with his blade. This specific Mechanical Exoskeleton was a prototype—a new product Kitsune had engineered based on the original Chaos Armor.
At that moment, several more figures flashed into view, flanking 009.
Celestial Beast, Master of Flesh, the Priest, Naira, The Centaur, and Zhang Yuanqing.
These represented the entirety of Chaos's current frontline forces. The remaining members had either not yet appeared, like the Computer, or had already severed ties with Chaos.
As for Arthur's search for reinforcements, with the exception of 4th Step beings, almost every 3rd Step reaction had been identical: they had already made preparations to align with Kitsune.
Chino, manipulating Yang Lin's body, looked at the group before him and let out a faint chuckle. "Two or three big and small cats."
"A bunch of rabble."
"Then what if you add me?"
A piercing voice cut through the air. Yang Lin felt the ground beneath him shudder violently. Immediately after, the earth collapsed, and a colossal, centipede-like monster—The Vermin—burst forth from the depths!
Yang Lin retreated a step, watching as The Vermin charged straight at him.
However, in that split second, Reinhard moved.
His blood-red Demon Blade cleared its sheath as he flashed forward, decapitating The Vermin with a single, fluid stroke.
Puff, puff!
Green blood sprayed across the battlefield. Reinhard moved to press his advantage, but 009 suddenly intercepted him, swinging his Bone Blade in a heavy strike.
Reinhard turned his head, reversing his Demon Blade to meet the collision.
Clang!
The metal shrieked. 009's body suddenly twisted at an impossible angle, performing a maneuver beyond human capability to plant a heavy kick into Reinhard's chest.
Boom!
Terrifying power erupted. The force of the kick sent Reinhard hurtling backward.
Reinhard flipped mid-air, landing steadily on his feet before immediately clutching his chest. 009's movement had been too bizarre; it wasn't something a normal human could execute.
Before Reinhard could analyze the situation, Arthur drew his saber and charged.
Reinhard prepared to engage, but Arthur suddenly grinned. The Nano-Saber in his hand abruptly extended, thrusting directly at Reinhard.
This was?
Reinhard reacted instinctively, hastily raising his blade to parry, but he was a fraction too late.
The Nano-Saber severed the Demon Blade instantly, its momentum continuing toward Reinhard's neck.
Crack!
The Demon Blade shattered. Reinhard frantically flung out threads, using the tension to displace himself from the strike's path.
"A weapon that can freely extend and retract, combined with Absolute Severance, is truly difficult to manage."
Reinhard looked at the broken hilt in his hand. His expression beneath the mask grew solemn.
In an instant, 009, Arthur, Master of Flesh, The Centaur, and Celestial Beast closed the distance, surrounding him.
"Black King, you've had your moment of glory."
"Now, it's time to retreat."
Reinhard heard the threat, and his fingers moved subtly. Ten threads extended from his hands. "Then I'll rely a little more on my innate ability."
Go!
With a sharp command, ten invisible Puppets charged toward the group.
Arthur had no time to evade. He was struck square in the chest by one of the invisible entities, his entire body flying backward instantly.
Boom!
Arthur's back slammed into the wall, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood.
The Kitsune Battle Armor lacked an auxiliary Lightbrain. Fearing the Computer's interference, the Lightbrain had been removed, significantly reducing the armor's combat efficiency.
Despite the loss, the armor's thermal sensors were still active. Arthur saw a heat signature approaching him at a speed he couldn't hope to match.
009 and the others fared no better. They were repelled instantly, looks of pure shock flashing across their faces.
"Puppet Master?"
Was this his primary profession?
Furthermore, these were no ordinary puppets. The entities controlled by Reinhard were monsters.
009's thermal camera revealed that the creature attacking Arthur was a monster with a wolf's head and a human body. The power of that single strike was far beyond an ordinary Werewolf; it was infinitely close to a High 3rd Step.
Clearly, that was 038 Wolf King.
The remaining nine Puppets were similarly high-level monsters, all with life levels exceeding the average 3rd Step.
He had been hiding such a trump card all along.
009 forced himself up. "According to the plan, we deal with the Black King. If any other 4th Steps appear, you handle them!"
With that, 009 charged directly at Reinhard.
Reinhard showed no fear of the encirclement. He pulled his threads with precision, controlling his Puppets like a grand performance, effortlessly engaging every enemy at once.
He had relied on the Demon Blade and threads only because they were convenient; they were far from the limit of his abilities.
Facing the combined assault of 009's group, Reinhard's footsteps remained calm, showing not a single trace of panic.
Only Arthur's Nano-Saber proved truly difficult to manage. Reinhard moved with erratic grace, at times taking to the air and at others lunging close to repel Arthur with sheer force!
On one side, the battle had ground into a stalemate. On the other, The Vermin—after glancing between Yang Lin and the Departed Soul: Byakuya—charged once more toward Yang Lin!
The Departed Soul: Byakuya remained seated, though his forehead was drenched in a cold sweat.
With Yang Lin and Reinhard clashing to his left and right, he felt as though he were sitting on a bed of needles, paralyzed by the proximity of such power.
The Vermin and the others had avoided targeting him first, fearing that this Departed Soul: Byakuya might possess the same terrifying abilities as the original 031 Taiji Byakuya.
More importantly, Chino's consciousness had successfully inhabited Yang Lin's body!
Since Yang Lin's vessel was merely a 3rd Step human body, they believed ending him would not be a difficult task.
Facing The Vermin's head-on charge, Yang Lin—his eyes glowing a piercing green—glared at the beast. "Insect, combat is not your forte. Whether in spirit or matter, why do you persist in this futile struggle?"
With those words, a terrifying Mental Shockwave erupted from Yang Lin, instantly flooding The Vermin's mind!
The Vermin's colossal frame shuddered violently. A moment later, his eyes exploded, and he let out a frantic, agonizing shriek!
"Eeeaaah!"
The Vermin's centipede-like body coiled onto the ground in agony. This wisp of his consciousness had suffered an unprecedented impact; it was on the verge of total collapse!
Yang Lin walked calmly toward the fallen creature. The chasm between the 4th Step and the 5th Step had never been a mere matter of numbers.
It was a fundamental difference in both quantity and quality.
However, in that exact moment, another figure descended from the sky like a falling star, striking at Yang Lin!
Yang Lin turned to face the newcomer. He unleashed terrifying mental fluctuations, but the attacker remained completely unfazed!
"I'm afraid your Mental Strength is useless against us!"
Queen Bee landed with lethal grace. Yang Lin's 3rd Step body was far too slow to evade her reach, and she tore one of his arms clean off!
Puff, puff!
Blood sprayed as Queen Bee discarded the limb!
Queen Bee had successfully merged with Daima, an entity that granted her host total immunity to all spiritual attacks and contamination. Even Chino's 5th Step Mental Strength could not leave a scratch on her soul!
Yang Lin immediately pulled the Horse Stone and Dog Stone from his chest. His severed shoulder began to knit together, healing instantly.
"You came prepared."
Queen Bee closed the distance. "Knowing your reputation, how could I come empty-handed?"
"Chino, though you are exiled to the Dream World, you still forcibly meddle in the affairs of the living. Your reach has extended too far."
"To think you could sweep through this world with a mere wisp of consciousness... you underestimate us."
As Queen Bee spoke, her pupils divided into several segments, scanning the perimeter. Strangely, she detected no other 4th Step signatures nearby.
Logically, Hydra and Red Mist should have been here.
What was Chino planning?
Yang Lin's arm finished regenerating. He exhaled a long breath and spoke aloud: "Let everyone who wishes for my death step forward. Hiding is meaningless now."
As he spoke, the sky suddenly began to rain blood!
Countless crimson streams converged behind Yang Lin, condensing into the form of a white-haired man!
The man wasted no words. He struck from the shadows, piercing Yang Lin's chest and tearing out his heart in a single motion!
"As you wish!"
008 True Ancestor had arrived.
The trap was complete.
Yang Lin looked down at the gaping hole in his chest, a faint, cryptic smile appearing on his lips.
He flicked his left wrist, and a compass materialized in his palm!
"Shangri-La!"
Could it be?
The Gold King's Upper-Tier Item?!
Chino had actually struck a bargain with the Gold King. When had this happened?
Before the group could react, a burst of blinding light erupted, pulling everyone present into an intense, white void!
No, not everyone.
The Departed Soul: Byakuya was left behind.
Watching the group vanish in an instant, the Departed Soul: Byakuya finally let out a long sigh of relief.
...
Elsewhere, along a certain coastal stretch.
The group reappeared abruptly, only to see Yang Lin take a deliberate step back and exit the formation!
Instantly, the sea behind him began to boil!
Colossal waves surged, rising a thousand zhang into the air. Two gargantuan monsters breached the surface!
It was Leviathan and Hydra!
Simultaneously, the blood-red mists in the sky coalesced into a massive, humanoid figure!
Red Mist was here!
Yang Lin stood firm, holding the compass in one hand and the Dog and Horse Stones in the other. The wound in his chest closed once more.
That compass was Shangri-La, a Top-Tier Item from the Gold King. Its power was large-scale teleportation that defied all established rules.
Once a destination was set, activating Shangri-La would transport the user there instantly, regardless of distance or barriers.
True Ancestor saw the reinforcement and took a step back, shouting to Queen Bee: "You deal with the Sea King. These other few are no match for me."
Back in the Reason World, True Ancestor had already mastered the counter to Red Mist's abilities.
He had developed a physique specifically resistant to the crimson mist, and as a Peak 4th Step, even with Hydra's support, they could not defeat him.
However, True Ancestor remained vulnerable to spiritual assaults. Since Queen Bee was now immune to such attacks, only she could face Chino.
Suddenly, The Vermin—who had been reduced to a pulp by the earlier spiritual strike—disappeared entirely!
Countless cracks tore through the fabric of space in every direction. Swarms of alien Zergs began to pour from the fissures!
Void Spawning?
Could The Vermin's true body be nearby?
As the thought crossed their minds, a colossal, centipede-like creature emerged from a rift!
"You hit me quite hard, Sea King."
Hm?
The voice had changed.
It was no longer a man's voice, nor the one they had heard before, but an unfamiliar, feminine tone.
Had The Vermin's true, original body finally entered the fray?
Queen Bee's eyes widened at the realization. This time, The Vermin was truly serious.
Yet, she was in no position to judge—for she, too, had entered this battle with her true body.
The stakes were higher than ever. Queen Bee and Daima had merged into a single entity; if her true body did not step into the fray, this fragment of her essence would be lost forever upon death.
Daima possessed a treacherous hidden trait: Possession.
Regardless of whether the consciousness flickered out or the physical form was destroyed, the body would default to Daima's permanent control, never to be reclaimed by its original owner.
Daima was the definition of a double-edged sword. She was no saint; she was a monster, and her lethality was self-evident.
Having committed to this fusion, Queen Bee had no choice but to commit her true body to the battlefield. For her, victory was the only option.
With these two master strategists finally forced to play their trump cards, True Ancestor had naturally come prepared.
He looked toward the heavens. "As I thought... another full moon."
He had calculated the lunar cycle long ago, choosing this specific date for the offensive with cold precision.
As True Ancestor finished speaking, the moon was suddenly devoured by a deep crimson. A fresh, Crimson Moon radiance flooded the sky, staining the entire world the color of blood.
Simultaneously, an emergency broadcast began to echo across the globe:
"The Crimson Moon has descended! Monsters are invading our realm, and our guardian deities are fighting valiantly on the front lines!"
"We must stand united! Offer your prayers to our protectors!"
...
The battle reached a fever pitch. With three 4th Step entities going all out, Hydra and his allies struggled to anchor themselves against the onslaught.
Under the corrupting influence of the Blood Moon, Reinhard's Wolf King puppet suddenly snapped!
The Wolf King tore through Reinhard's restraints, baring its fangs and turning violently against its own master.
The Chaos group seized the opening, immediately reversing the tide of battle with a devastating counter-offensive against Reinhard.
The situation spiraled into a unilateral slaughter. Chino's front collapsed like a landslide, forced into a desperate, frantic retreat.
"Using Shangri-La to lure us here and attempt an ambush... your plan was decent. It's a pity the pawns you chose were so pathetic!"
Queen Bee snarled, finally unleashing her full power!
She seized Yang Lin, hoisting him up before hurling him toward the clouds.
Queen Bee's silhouette flashed across the sky. She delivered a crushing kick that sent Yang Lin hurtling into the abyss of the deep sea, then dove after him like a predator into the dark water.
Yang Lin gasped for air, spitting out a frantic trail of bubbles. Queen Bee struck again, her claws shredding his physical form into two mangled halves.
Blood bloomed in the dark ocean. Queen Bee gripped Yang Lin's head and breached the surface in an explosion of spray.
"The Sea King is dead! Victory is ours!"
As Queen Bee's proclamation echoed, the entire battlefield fell into a sudden, haunting silence.
Every combatant froze, their movements halted as they collectively turned their gaze toward her.
In that hollow silence, a succession of thunderous bells suddenly tolled—a rhythmic, apocalyptic warning that resonated across the entire world.
Dong ~
Dong ~
"Bells?"
As the iron notes rang out, the Crimson Moon was instantly dispelled.
The red moonlight vanished, replaced by a thick, spectral mist that rose from the churning sea.
Boom!
A cataclysmic sound erupted from behind. Queen Bee froze, her heart skipping a beat.
In that moment, every face on the battlefield reflected the same look of pure, unadulterated shock.
Queen Bee turned her head, utterly dumbfounded...
There, emerging from the surging fog of the mist-shrouded sea, a colossal, cloud-piercing silhouette rose majestically from the depths!
That was!
"Game over?"
"Wrong. The game has only just begun."
The bright moon, caught in Earth's gravitational pull, seemed to sink into the rising tides. A thick mist blanketed the sky. An indescribable, harrowing presence—a horror that defied all observation—stepped from the realm of dreams into the stark light of reality!
Every preparation had led to this singular moment.
While The Vermin had been obsessed with bridging the two worlds, his every theory and failed attempt had been meticulously observed by Chino.
The Vermin had conceptualized two paths. The first involved establishing mental anchor points, allowing the imperceptible to take form and descend.
This method had a distinct advantage: only he would descend, leaving all other monsters trapped.
However, the execution was far too complex—at least for The Vermin.
Thus, The Vermin turned to the second path: forging mental bridges to the Manifest World to shatter the world barrier.
Though effective, this inevitably meant every 4th Step monster would be unleashed. It was a chaotic necessity, the fastest route available.
The Vermin abandoned the first method, but Chino did not.
Using The Vermin's abandoned theory, Chino successfully established anchor points within the real world.
Through the collective perception of the masses, that which did not exist began to manifest within the Manifest World.
Against all odds, he had succeeded.
The puzzle pieces finally fell into place.
The group finally grasped why the Sea King—the very entity that had unleashed countless world-ending floods—now stood as humanity's champion. The protector and the destroyer were one and the same.
The old adage "unusual events always have a reason" had never rung truer.
The Sea King had descended into reality by tethering himself to the collective consciousness of the human race. Every soul on Earth served as his anchor point.
Should those anchors be severed—should humanity cease to perceive or observe him—he would be instantly expelled back to the Dream World.
To protect himself, he had to protect his anchors.
This was the cold logic behind his role as humanity's guardian deity.
As the Sea King emerged from the surging mist, a colossal wave of Mental Power crashed down like a physical tide!
The force struck everyone present deep within their souls. They spat blood, collapsing as their bodies failed them.
Only two stood firm: Reinhard and Queen Bee.
True Ancestor and The Vermin were brought to their knees, leaving Queen Bee alone in the presence of the god.
A deathly silence gripped the air, broken only by the churning sea and the rhythmic, echoing footsteps of the rising waves.
True Ancestor's eyes were a frantic crimson. He knelt, clutching his chest as he stared at Chino in the distance. His vision began to blur.
How was this possible?
How could the Sea King's 5th Step body descend into the physical realm?
They had believed that by killing the wisp of the Sea King's consciousness, victory would be theirs.
On paper, the plan was sound.
But for all their calculations, they had failed to realize that Chino's objective from the very start was total descent!
Their cognitive bias had blinded them. They believed the 5th Step was a prisoner of the Dream World, and that its barriers were impenetrable.
Even The Vermin had not anticipated that Chino would master the very method he himself had found impossible.
"How pathetic," Chino said, his voice echoing as he walked toward Queen Bee.
Queen Bee gritted her teeth, summoning every ounce of her strength for a final, desperate escape, but she was instantly slammed into the earth by Chino's massive claw!
"You merged with Daima, thinking immunity to spiritual attacks would grant you victory?"
Even without his 5th Step Mental Strength, Chino possessed a 5th Step physical form. With a single hand, he could crush Queen Bee's Mid 4th Step body like glass.
Queen Bee spat blood, the situation spiraling beyond her control.
There was no choice left but to use that...
Queen Bee's divided pupils snapped into focus. Her chest split open, revealing a hollow cavity containing a single vial.
The potion bore a marked cross—a universal warning of a forbidden substance—and five words: Seed of Shub-Niggurath.
Without a word, Queen Bee drained the vial.
Her body underwent a violent, instantaneous evolution, but before anyone could witness the change, she vanished!
She had leveled up.
Having ascended to the 5th Step, she was forcibly pulled into the Dream World.
This was exactly what she had expected. She had held this forbidden potion as a final insurance policy, knowing that reaching the 5th Step meant exile from the living world.
Chino watched her disappear, making no move to stop her. He turned his gaze toward 008 True Ancestor. "One down. What about you?"
True Ancestor gritted his teeth. He stopped suppressing his own evolution, allowing himself to cross the threshold into the 5th Step and ascend to the Dream World.
Though a Peak 4th Step, he had always held back his strength to avoid this very fate. Even Chino had sensed it.
"And then there was one," Chino noted, turning toward The Vermin, who lay sprawled in the dirt.
"Tell me, do you have a potion as well?"
The Vermin's pupils trembled in terror. He had no potion. He had no escape.
True Ancestor and Queen Bee had built themselves a backdoor, but he was trapped.
As he considered a desperate attempt to fission and flee, a strange bottle materialized in Chino's enormous palm. "Do you recognize this?"
The Vermin stared.
"Overseas, there stands a temple known as the Old Ones Temple. Every Old One monster has a statue there."
"And before each statue lies an artifact capable of sealing that specific Old One."
"This is yours: the Violet Swarm Hive."
"And I assure you, it is not the only artifact I possess."
Chino's palm shifted, revealing two more items: the Golden Trident and a burning torch.
"The Golden Trident can bind any oceanic Old One."
"The Olympus Torch dispels the Red Mist and seals the Red Mist entity."
Realization struck The Vermin like a thunderbolt. He threw himself forward, slamming his head against the ground in total submission. "I... I pledge my eternal allegiance to Lord Sea King. I will go through fire and water at your command..."
Chino allowed the artifacts to vanish back into his palm.
"From this moment, the old era is dead."
"Many can claim to be kings, but on this vast earth, who dares to claim the title of Emperor?"
The Vermin bowed even lower. "We are unworthy. The title belongs to you... and you alone."
In the shadow of this divine exchange, 009 and the others felt utterly insignificant.
009 began to haul himself up from the dirt, but the Priest and the others grabbed him, pulling him back. "Boss, stay down! Calm down!"
"We can't win this!"
"Please, be rational!"
"Let go!" 009 roared, shoving them aside.
He walked alone toward Chino.
At that moment, the hearts of everyone in Chaos sank. Their leader truly feared neither heaven nor hell.
"This is it... we're dead."