"What was that?"
The mercenaries of the Corps of Thirty pointed in awe at the massive gash newly carved into the Divine Tree's roots and the bisected clouds overhead.
"A Divine Miracle!"
Awe flooded the eyes of all who witnessed the scene. Such overwhelming power could only be explained by divine intervention, for no mortal could achieve such a feat.
Moreover, since shortly before this event, subtle tremors had been intermittently shaking Sumeru City, creating a palpable sense of impending crisis.
Parchamdar Rukh Shah swallowed hard, his fists clenched tight. He had never imagined the battle within the Akademiya would escalate to such an extreme.
He had no idea how the battle was progressing, nor what fate awaited him and the Corps of Thirty...
At that moment, Enjou stared wide-eyed, his mind still reeling from Lumine's earth-shattering sword strike.
Holy crap, Princess's combat prowess rivals that of the Prince himself!
But there was something strange about this power—it seemed to bear the shadow of Abyss Power, yet wasn't entirely that.
It was as if a completely new power had been cultivated from the foundations of Abyss Power.
Scaramouche was even more dumbfounded. He had already unleashed power far exceeding his normal capabilities, yet Lumine's combat prowess was even more astonishing—her destructive force was at least ten times greater than before. This is beyond ridiculous!
Isn't anyone going to intervene? Someone's clearly cheating here! What's the point of even fighting?!
Scaramouche seethed, recalling the immense sacrifices, hardships, and sweat he had poured into achieving his current power—only to still be controlled by others. He felt so enraged he could almost vomit blood.
Comparison breeds resentment.
And it wasn't just Scaramouche—even Lumine herself stared in shock and disbelief at the sword strike she had unleashed.
Is this... truly her power?!
The only one present who hadn't lost her composure was Nahida. Her earlier actions had plunged her into grave peril.
Lumine couldn't master this power primarily because her mental strength was too weak.
Nahida had linked her consciousness with Lumine's spirit to help her harness the Archon's Power within her body. However, manipulating this force came at a cost: Nahida's own spirit was being corroded.
After all, she wasn't like Lumine, who seemed immune to the power's influence. Nahida had no such immunity.
She had anticipated this outcome and prepared to sacrifice a portion of her consciousness. Yet, the speed at which the power's corruption spread far exceeded her expectations.
Even before Lumine could fully unleash the sword strike, this malevolent energy had already surged through the connection, completely corrupting Nahida's spirit.
All she could do was watch helplessly, daring not to sever the mental link with Lumine.
If she did, there would be no one left to stop the Shouki no Kami's attack. Everyone here, and perhaps even most of Sumeru City, would be doomed!
The price was far too heavy for Nahida to bear.
Even if it meant sacrificing herself, Nahida would never sever her spiritual connection with Lumine.
Now that the immediate crisis had passed, Nahida could no longer sustain the effort. A pallid, grayish-white aura flickered around her as she collapsed to the ground, utterly drained.
"Nahida!"
"Lesser Lord Kusanali!"
Nahida's sudden collapse immediately snapped everyone back to their senses. Cyno lunged forward to check on her, but Alhaitham grabbed his arm.
"Stay back—it's dangerous!"
Only then did Cyno sense the lethal threat emanating from the pallid aura surrounding Nahida.
Seeing Nahida fall, Lumine rushed to her side. But before she could thoroughly assess her condition, slow, deliberate footsteps echoed from nearby.
"Truly astonishing power."
Dottore finally emerged, his gaze fixed on Lumine as if she were a perfect masterpiece.
Clearly, his previous disappearance had been a ploy to use Lumine to test the full capabilities of the Shouki no Kami—to gauge its combat prowess and compare it against the other side to determine which side was superior.
Now that the results were in, it was clear that the Shouki no Kami, developed and created in collaboration with the Akademiya, had lost. Yet Dottore's face showed no sign of disappointment; instead, a faint glimmer of excitement shone in his eyes.
For a scientist like Dottore, the unknown always held the greatest allure. No matter how valuable a research project might have been before its completion, the moment it came to fruition, his interest waned.
And now, a new power had erupted, effortlessly defeating the Shouki no Kami. To Dottore, Lumine, the wielder of this force, represented a subject of immense research value.
"As expected of the God of Wisdom's handiwork," he mused. "It seems I still have much to learn."
Dottore had long known that Lumine harbored a latent power even she struggled to control. He himself could replicate this feat, but the crucial issue lay in mastering the force. Without such control, any creation would merely be a bloodthirsty beast.
He believed Nahida, the God of Wisdom, understood this principle as well. Therefore, she likely possessed a method for controlling this formidable power.
As expected, Nahida had this time allowed Lumine to compensate for the flaw, but unfortunately, the method couldn't be replicated, leaving Dottore with a slight sense of regret.
However, he quickly suppressed this disappointment and turned his attention to Lumine with great interest, utterly fascinated by her newfound power.
"Dottore!" Scaramouche roared, lunging forward only to freeze mid-motion, the memory of Dottore's formidable strength instantly quelling his suicidal impulse.
Great Sage Azar, meanwhile, glared venomously at Dottore. Had the man not suddenly vanished, leaving him impossible to find, he would never have found himself in this predicament.
"Dottore, make them release me!" Azar shrieked.
Hearing Azar's desperate plea, a faint smile curved Dottore's lips as he replied: "Our partnership ended before today, Azar. If you want to be saved, you'll have to earn it yourself. Moreover, I expect satisfactory compensation for your attempt to claim the fruits of our collaboration as your own."
Seeing Dottore not only refuse to help but also seize the opportunity to exploit him, Great Sage Azar was so enraged he vomited blood, his eyes burning crimson as he glared daggers at Dottore.
That bastard Dottore! When I get the chance, I'll settle the score with him once and for all!
Completely indifferent to Great Sage Azar's reaction, Dottore turned his gaze back to Lumine and slowly spoke.
"If you don't want anything to happen to this little white spirit, come with me obediently, Traveler from beyond this world."
With that, Dottore gestured to Dr. Edward.
Dr. Edward nodded, then flicked Paimon's forehead forcefully. The spirit immediately let out a piercing scream.
"Traveler, save me! If you don't save me now, they'll beat me to death!"
The onlookers exchanged uneasy glances at Paimon's pig-like wails. Lumine desperately wished she didn't know this person—it was utterly mortifying!
Embarrassing as it was, she couldn't abandon a companion. Lumine and Paimon had long been inseparable partners; she couldn't simply discard someone she cared about.
Moreover, something else troubled Lumine: Dottore seemed to know something. He had specifically called her "Traveler from beyond this world."
"Are you curious about your origins?" Dottore asked, as if seeing through Lumine's thoughts.
"I can tell you the secrets I know, as long as you cooperate with my research. Moreover, your power currently requires immense mental fortitude to fully control, and I happen to possess the means to enhance your mental strength."
"Is the 'means' you speak of the one you obtained by sacrificing tens of thousands of lives in the Restricted Zone?" Nahida regained consciousness at that moment, though her body felt profoundly drained. But none of that mattered. What mattered was that, in the instant before she lost consciousness, Nahida had finally pieced together all the critical truths.
"That was Azar's own choice. In reality, there were gentler methods available, ones that wouldn't have required any sacrifices." Dottore watched Nahida struggle to her feet, his smile unwavering. Great Sage Azar, however, found himself once again the target of multiple murderous gazes.
"Hmph, Dottore! Don't think you can shift all the blame onto me. You were just as involved in this!"
Great Sage Azar spoke up, his voice laced with resentment. You think you can make me take the blame alone? Over my dead body!
"Well, Traveler, have you made up your mind?" Dottore said, completely ignoring Azar and turning back to Lumine.
"You should know, with my power, I could simply take you by force. The only reason I'm offering you this deal is out of respect for you."
"You won't take anyone, Dottore," Nahida said, shaking her head slowly as she met his gaze. "You're just a pitiful fool who's stumbled into someone else's trap without even realizing it."
"Hm?" Dottore's expression shifted slightly, surprise flickering across his face.
"A trap?"
"Does the Dendro Archon mean you've set a trap for me?"
"Not I," Nahida corrected. "The one who orchestrated all this was that man, the one named Edward."
"Heh heh heh...?" Dottore chuckled lightly. "I never imagined the Dendro Archon had a talent for telling jokes. Though this one falls a bit flat."
"Dr. Edward is indeed exceptionally skilled, but he's utterly loyal to me. He would never betray me."
Dottore paused, then continued.
"Moreover, I've already scoured his memories. There's nothing unusual there."
"If the Dendro Archon thinks she can provoke my suspicion with such crude tactics, she underestimates me, Dottore, far too much."
"My loyalty to my subordinates is unwavering."
"Is that so?" Nahida replied. "Since you've already examined Dr. Edward's memories, did you find the part where I attempted to infiltrate his Mental World?"
Dottore's smile froze instantly. A moment later, his expression grew increasingly calm, even cold.
"Are you telling the truth?"
"I have no reason to deceive you about this matter."
Dottore took a deep breath and slowly nodded.
In that instant, he struck Dr. Edward's chest with a palm strike. The doctor was sent flying backward, his body exploding into a cloud of blood mist mid-air.
Witnessing this, Lumine felt an overwhelming surge of rage, the hidden power deep within her threatening to spiral out of control once more.
Yet, just as the blood mist began to dissipate, Dr. Edward reappeared before them, a faint smile gracing his lips.
Seeing this, Dottore's eyes turned glacial.
"Excellent. No one has ever made me this angry. You're the first."
Dottore never imagined he could be outsmarted like this!
Without hesitation, he immediately attacked Dr. Edward again, this time with all his might.
"Your opponent isn't me, Dottore," Dr. Edward said calmly.
"It's him."
Dr. Edward snapped his fingers, and a colossal fist came crashing down toward Dottore's position.
Boom!
Dottore narrowly dodged the attack at the last moment, but though the strike missed its target, the hem of his robe lost its color and disintegrated into dust mid-air.
Dottore turned to face the figure who had attacked, and his mind reeled.
Like Dottore, everyone present froze in stunned disbelief when they saw who had launched the attack: the Shouki no Kami!
It was one thing for the newborn god to be simultaneously controlled by Great Sage Azar, Alhaitham, and Dottore. But now, even Dr. Edward could command it! The Shouki no Kami's prestige, once towering, had plummeted to rock bottom since its initial appearance.
Yet, more pressing than this question was the mystery of why the Shouki no Kami obeyed Dr. Edward's commands.
After missing its initial strike, Shouki no Kami pursued Dottore relentlessly. Wary of the unknown power at play, Dottore avoided direct confrontation.
As he dodged, Dottore's mind raced, reevaluating details he had previously overlooked.
Unlike Great Sage Azar, who had been able to approach Shouki no Kami directly, Dr. Edward had never had such an opportunity. How, then, had he managed to control the colossal being?
Moreover, Shouki no Kami possessed a power identical to Lumine's—a fact unknown even to Dottore, one of its creators.
How did he manage all this right under my nose? Wait... could this have been planned from the start?
A cascade of thoughts flooded Dottore's mind:
Fontainians... contagious disease... terrifying methods and intellect...
It seemed the enemy's true identity was about to be revealed.