These poisonous blobs resembled the toxic-type giant, just scaled down many times over.
Except for the pair of small purple wings on their backs.
It was these wings, formed from toxic liquid, that allowed them to fly through the air.
In the blink of an eye, the poisonous blobs charged at Lucario like fearless suicide bombers.
Gigantamaxed Lucario was enormous—an easy target that didn't even need aiming.
The toxic-type giant was certain of its victory.
Little did it know, the power of Aura was far more formidable than it imagined.
Even ordinary Aura could sense surroundings using the En technique.
Let alone the power of Aura.
The moment Lucario unleashed his Aura, it was as if the entire battlefield had been blanketed in a unique En.
Not only could he observe every move of his opponent, but he could also probe their thoughts and predict their actions.
All the petty tricks of the Toxic Giant were laid bare before Lucario's eyes.
With a focused gaze, Lucario tightened his grip on the bone club in his hand, his figure vanishing like a ghost in an instant.
In that split second, countless streams of venom erupted like purple fireworks blooming in the air.
Yet, all that venom struck nothing but the afterimage Lucario left behind.
The Normal-type move: Extreme Speed!
Lucario's vanished figure reappeared—this time behind the streams of venom.
He had not only evaded the imminent explosion of the Explosive Giant but also dodged the venomous assault.
Planting his feet firmly, Lucario swung his bone club with a force akin to a master swordsman, cleaving through the air with a blade-like arc!
The entire swarm of flying venom was swept aside by the bone club, meeting not the slightest resistance—effortless.
A sizzling corrosion sound came from the bone club, but fresh Aura immediately replenished it.
The moment the venom was struck, it exploded instantly, raining down on the ground like a toxic downpour.
Where the purple venom landed, it corroded deep pits into the earth, wisps of white smoke rising from the scars.
Lucario's hand trembled slightly, shaking off most of the venom clinging to his bone club.
Witnessing this, the onlookers couldn't help but gulp, awed by Lucario's blinding speed.
At the same time, they shuddered at the sheer lethality of the venom.
An ordinary person touched by even a drop would dissolve into a puddle of blood in moments.
Even as Nen Users who could shield themselves with Aura, none dared claim they could withstand it.
No one was reckless enough to gamble with their life.
While most were gripped by fear and a few remained calm, one person stood out with an entirely different expression.
"Hmm... does that look... delicious?"
Lilith, clad in pink, raised a finger to her lips, her tone brimming with curiosity—even longing—toward the venom.
The fierce battle ahead made their surroundings seem all the more subdued, amplifying Lilith's voice.
In an instant, all eyes turned to her, their gazes a mix of exasperation and resignation.
Covering her mouth lightly, Lilith waved sheepishly and murmured, "But it really does look tasty..."
The ever-unserious Ging stroked his chin in mock contemplation.
"Hmm... maybe it does taste good?"
"After all, no one's tried it before. Who knows what it's like?"
Ging squinted at the glistening purple venom, his mind quickly drawing a comparison.
Scratching his head, he chuckled. "Hahaha, who knows? Might taste like grapes!"
With Ging's absurd remark, a collective sweatdrop formed on everyone's forehead.
Even if the venom were grape-flavored, who in their right mind would actually eat it?
Except Lilith.
What most would flee from in terror, she saw as genuine "gourmet cuisine."
The only problem was she probably wasn't strong enough to consume it yet.
At this thought, a flicker of disappointment crossed Lilith's eyes—disappointment at being unable to savor such a "delicacy" immediately.
And disappointment at her own lack of strength.
If only she were stronger, her resistance higher, perhaps she could stomach that venom.With her current abilities, forcing it down would only harm herself, no different from suicide.
"Roar!"
On the other side, facing the two arms recoiling towards it, the Explosive Flame Giant opened its mouth for the first time and let out a roar!
But paired with its continuous retreat and slightly panicked expression, the cry wasn't the least bit intimidating.
Instead, it was filled with alarm and confusion.
Hearing the sound, the Toxic Giant's eyes flickered slightly, and eventually, the countless dispersed poisonous liquids returned to its body.
As its form wriggled repeatedly, the Toxic Giant reverted to its original appearance.
But it was noticeably smaller in size.
The missing parts were the toxic fluids scattered by the Aura Sphere and Extreme Speed.
This was clearly a retreating action.
The Toxic Giant could no longer see any hope of victory and thus decided to withdraw, descending to seek assistance below.
Though they couldn't win, it firmly believed those deep within could eliminate these intruders.
As for these two fellow creatures...
Suddenly, the Toxic-type Giant turned around and dashed toward the cave's depths at a speed unbefitting its massive frame.
While running, it kept glancing sideways with its peripheral vision.
Hearing the Explosive-type Giant's roar, the ordinary Silver Giant hesitated briefly before dispersing its charged beam and rushing to its aid.
Yet the Explosive-type Giant showed no joy at seeing its ally approach.
Because it knew only the Toxic-type Giant could save it now.
That earlier roar had been a desperate cry for help!
A communication unique to Stone Giants.
No one else noticed anything amiss, except for Akira and his companions, who simultaneously furrowed their brows.
"Noticed it?" Ging remarked casually.
Beyond's rugged face showed surprise, the scarred skin twitching slightly:
"Hmm... didn't expect this."
"To possess such level of intelligence? They even have their own language system, communicating through vocalizations."
"Sounded like a plea for help?"
Beyond focused his gaze, pausing before voicing his conjecture.
Within moments, the group had largely deciphered the three Giants' psychological states.
The red one was probably terrified of the returning arms—unable to dodge, it could only beg its companions.
The silver one hesitated briefly before charging to assist.
But the purple one didn't help; instead, it withdrew all attacks, fleeing deeper underground.
"Generally correct. The red one was indeed pleading for help, and it seems the Toxic-type Giant possesses higher intelligence."
"Not only understands strategy but also knows when to cut losses."
Akira glanced at the Toxic-type Giant sprinting wildly away as he spoke slowly.
The scene resembled teammates betraying each other in games.
Meanwhile, despite the Explosive-type Giant's unwillingness to face it, the two arms controlled by Aura Power came flying straight at it.
Like two massive missiles, their flashing red lights resembled Ultraman's color timer.
But this didn't signal Ultraman's time running out—rather, it signaled the Giant's own.
It couldn't understand why it couldn't dodge no matter what, but it knew one thing...
"BOOM!"
The arms struck the Explosive-type Giant with perfect accuracy, erupting in a deafening explosion!
Instantly, a volcanic eruption-like spectacle unfolded before everyone's eyes.
A scene of raging flames and billowing smoke, as if an unprecedented superweapon had detonated.
A pillar of fire shot skyward, filling the spacious tunnel with dazzling pyrotechnics, transforming it into a sea of flames.
Then incomparable shockwaves came crashing outward in relentless waves.
The ordinary Silver Giant, caught in the blast as a companion, lasted mere moments before its hardened body shattered apart.
Exploding in unison!
The two Giants' silver husks flew in all directions amid the smoke, like meteorites scattering.
"BANG! BANG! BANG..."
Massive rocks mercilessly slammed against the barrier before being repelled.
Lucario stood proudly before the group like a guardian deity, allowing no debris to pass.
Even the post-explosion smoke was kept at bay.
In its Gigantamax form, its Protect ability covered an exceptionally wide area, shielding vast spaces.
Muheer was unusually dazed as he gazed at the astonishing scene before him.
"A volcanic eruption probably looks something like this," he murmured.
The already vast passageway was now engulfed in raging flames that spread relentlessly across the ground, impossible to extinguish.
The air was thick with dust and smoke, a chaotic mix of shattered rocks and explosive residue, reducing visibility to a hazy gray.
Occasionally, a few glimmers of light flickered briefly before vanishing—likely fragments of the Silver Giant's remains.
The immense energy released in that instant had generated an overwhelming heat.
The most striking evidence was the countless chunks of Black Tremor Rock melting away, their solid forms liquefying despite their dark hue.
The already expansive space had widened further, as if a molten bomb had detonated here.
Meanwhile, the acrid stench of scorched earth began to permeate the area, only to be contained by an unseen barrier of Aura.
The commotion here was earth-shattering, yet under Marshadow's covert control, not a single sound escaped.
...
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
To an uninformed observer, the noise might have sounded like a collapsing building or even a landslide.
But in reality, it was the frantic footsteps of a bizarre purple giant charging forward.
Its core was composed of hard, silver-white stone, making its body incredibly heavy, while its exterior was coated in a viscous layer of purple venom.
Damn it! What kind of creature is this? Why is it so powerful?
The Toxic-type Giant didn't dare delay, sprinting desperately deeper into the cavern.
The hierarchy of their species was straightforward—the stronger, higher-ranking members resided in the depths, while the weaker, lower-ranking ones stayed near the surface.
The most formidable among them, the Golden Giants, dwelled in the innermost reaches. This was because, generally, the deeper the ore, the higher its quality and rarity.
Moreover, the lesser giants stationed above served as a first line of defense against intruders.
It wasn't feasible for the leaders to handle every minor threat.
Due to the harsh living conditions, few creatures inhabited the rocky terrain, and many of those had already been hunted down by the giants.
Thus, intruders rarely made it this far into the cave—this was the first time it had encountered one.
Who would have thought its first encounter would be with an enemy far surpassing its own strength?
To save its life, it had no choice but to seek help from the higher-ranking giants.
Suddenly, the Toxic-type Giant halted mid-stride, a thought flashing through its mind—why was it so quiet?
It refused to believe those two "weaklings" could have escaped the assault.
There was no way it should be this silent.
Especially that "red" weakling—its body contained an enormous amount of energy, capable of causing a massive explosion upon death.
The aftermath should have been deafening!
In its original plan, if things went south, it could have exploited the explosive nature of the Flame-type Giant—using it as a walking bomb to obliterate obstacles and enemies through self-destruction.
It knew full well how devastating such an explosion would be.
There was no way it could be this quiet!
Though the Stone Giants communicated via sound waves, they could still sense vibrations and disturbances.
Even the shockwaves from an explosion would be audible to them. Had those two come up with a countermeasure?
After a moment of hesitation, the Toxic-type Giant decided to keep running. Survival was paramount!
But before it could take more than a few steps, it stumbled to a stop again, nearly losing its balance.
Following the line of sight, a figure appeared out of thin air at the end of the passage.
It was an ethereal, misty haze of purplish-black, giving the impression of something intangible and unreal.
In the pitch-black cave, such a purplish-black entity should have been inconspicuous, easily overlooked.
Yet, in the eyes of the Toxic-type Giant, that mist stood out glaringly, as if illuminated by a spotlight.
Because an aura of utter despair was spreading from ahead!
The source… was precisely that purplish-black mist!
Suddenly, the "mist" began to move, shifting shapes like a mass of clay, twisting freely.
Then, a pair of crimson eyes and a wide, grinning mouth materialized out of nowhere.
Following that, wisps of dark Aura rose, forming a pair of black eyes above Gengar's head!
The Normal-type move, Mean Look!
The Toxic-type Giant shuddered, countless alarms blaring in its mind, urging it to flee.
Yet, for some reason, its feet seemed rooted to the ground—no matter how hard it tried, it couldn't move.
Clearly, this ghostly thing was the cause!
Never before had the Toxic-type Giant felt such urgency.
This was the first time in its existence that it had sensed the threat of death!
It would die!
At this moment, its consciousness seemed to short-circuit, repeating this single thought over and over.
In the darkness, an unknown transformation was underway.
At this critical juncture between life and death, the Toxic-type Giant pushed past its limits—the poison coating its body began shifting from purple to black.
An even more terrifying venom!
At the same time, the aura it emitted grew deeper, more profound.
But all of this was futile. In Gengar's eyes, these last-minute breakthroughs were utterly insignificant.
Yet Gengar could wait.
Wait until its transformation was complete!
Like livestock raised for slaughter—fattened before being taken out of the pen.
A few breaths later, the Toxic-type Giant's aura stabilized. Though it hadn't broken through to S+ rank, it was now just a hair's breadth away.
Simultaneously, the silver body beneath the black poison began to change, gradually turning golden.
If it had no chance of evolving into a Golden Giant before, this life-and-death trial had now granted it that opportunity.
But what awaited it was a fate already sealed!
"Ee?"
Poipole hovered beside Gengar, eyeing the black poison with intense craving, unconsciously licking its lips.
It was ready to feast!
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