As the monster was sliced in two by Shinji's Susanoo, a colossal volume of black liquid erupted from the severed ends.
Chiii chiii chiii...
Accompanied by dense white mist, the sound of violent corrosion echoed across the surroundings!
Inside the Susanoo, Shinji's pupils constricted instantly. He hurriedly urged the golden deity to pull back and retreat. After backing away several kilometers, Shinji scanned his Susanoo.
The once-brilliant golden Susanoo had dimmed, now resembling rusted bronze or iron, covered in mottled scars. The black liquid that had splashed onto the armor was continuously eating away at the structure; several sections had even been completely burned through.
As for the long blade held in the Susanoo's hand, it had been corroded down to nothing but the hilt.
"Tch!"
Shinji spat lightly.
This was precisely why he had used the less agile Susanoo to fight the monster; without knowing its traits, he truly didn't dare to engage it in direct physical combat.
Shinji then turned his gaze toward the monster in the distance. Although it had been cut in half, it did not seem to have suffered a fatal blow. Its two sections entangled with each other, and very quickly, they fused back into one.
Shinji frowned slightly.
Whether in speed or strength, this monster could stand toe-to-toe with his Susanoo, and its vitality was terrifying. Excluding that last bisection, Shinji's blade had struck it dozens of times previously, yet the creature acted as if nothing had happened, recovering fully with a mere shake of its body.
Furthermore, the monster's body emitted intense radiation. Once close, Shinji could clearly feel his chakra being disintegrated by it. This was why his Susanoo had become rusty and mottled in such a short time.
As for that black liquid, even his Susanoo couldn't withstand it. If an ordinary person were touched by it, they would likely die instantly!
Shoo...
Suddenly, a searing laser beam shot out from the temporary war fortress, slamming into the newly recovered monster!
"Roar!"
Hit by the laser, the monster stumbled and let out a furious roar.
Immediately, the temporary war fortress unleashed a massive barrage. Kinetic weapons and laser armaments were vented as if they cost nothing, crashing down upon the monster in a form of total fire coverage.
Undoubtedly, the Lampbearers inside the fortress wanted to do their part.
Shinji merely raised an eyebrow and did not stop them. Since no one knew the monster's weakness yet, letting others try might yield unexpected results.
...
Inside the temporary war fortress.
Alice said, "The opponent is very likely the Propagation Hegemon. We cannot let Akame fight this war alone!"
As she spoke, she looked at Shinji in the sky. Seeing the once-golden Susanoo looking mottled and withered, she felt that Shinji might be reaching his limit.
Arcane paused: "You want to use that?"
"Mm!" Alice nodded.
Hengo laughed loudly: "Don't worry, the warhead command unlock only needs ten more seconds. We can officially launch immediately!"
"Good, keep up the barrage!" Alice stared at the countdown: "Nuclear weapon launch countdown, 3... 2... 1... Launch!"
With Alice's warning, Hengo pushed the fortress's shield energy output to the maximum.
Clearly, the previous lasers and fire coverage were all just a smokescreen to cover for this final nuclear strike! This was the final and most powerful trump card held by the Lampbearers!
Soon, a massive rocket shot out from the fortress, soared into the sky, traced an arc, and fell precisely onto the monster still being buried under the barrage.
Rumble...
First, a flash of intense light flared, followed by a terrifying roar as a shockwave vented outward in all directions!
Looking at the mushroom cloud rising into the sky, Shinji thought: "Nuclear weapons?"
Setting aside radiation and physical impact, the peak temperature at the core of a nuclear explosion can reach hundreds of millions of degrees. It was indeed a solid choice for dealing with the monster!
The shockwave continued to expand. The mages on the battlefield who had mutated into monsters were all wiped out by the nuclear impact. In this sea of shockwaves and heat, only the Knowledge Tower (protected by the magic ring) and the temporary war fortress (shielded at full power) barely survived.
...
Atop the Knowledge Tower.
Mage Roy stared at the mushroom cloud piercing the heavens, falling into a daze: "What kind of people are these travelers Raphael knows?"
The domineering Shinji and this shocking nuclear blast were refreshing his understanding of Lampbearers over and over again. If he had previously held the pride of a high-level mage, he now felt only awe toward them!
Inside the fortress, the Lampbearers stared tensely at the monitors.
The old warrior said: "Hit by an attack like that, no matter how strong that monster is, it shouldn't be able to survive, right?"
Alice didn't answer, her eyes glued to the data.
Di-di-di...
Suddenly, a piercing alarm blared inside the fortress.
Hengo looked at the monitoring data, his face darkening instantly: "Dammit, there's still a life reaction at the blast core. The monster isn't dead!"
As if to verify his judgment, a shadow lunged out from the chaos beneath the mushroom cloud, instantly pouncing toward the fortress.
"Oh no!"
"It's coming for us!"
"Everyone, look out!"
The Lampbearers screamed.
Boom!
The fortress, which had just barely withstood the remote impact of the nuclear blast, was as fragile as toy blocks under the monster's direct collision, shattered into pieces instantly.
The few Lampbearers who managed to escape activated their flight devices, preparing to soar high. However, after crushing the fortress, the monster flipped its body and swept its tail toward them.
Just as Alice and the others thought they were doomed, a massive suction force appeared behind them, lifting them through the air and pulling them high into the sky, narrowly avoiding the monster's tail sweep!
Still shaken, the Lampbearers looked toward Shinji. They knew he had just saved them.
Shinji merely waved his hand and said indifferently: "Stand down!"