Time shifted slightly, rewinding half a day. Besides the four Shadow Guards who had persuaded the four Heroes to ambush the Former Hero, another Shadow Guard had approached Hunter. However, this individual didn't reveal their true identity as a Shadow Guard, instead presenting themselves as a subordinate of Director Fujiwara.
Just like Kong Zhiwang from the Dragon Nation, Fujiwara was accompanied by five attendants on this trip. Hunter had recognized these individuals from their first encounter with Fujiwara in the Capital.
As the Director-General of a national organization, it was perfectly normal for Fujiwara to be surrounded by subordinates and bodyguards.
"Lady Hunter! We recently obtained precise location information for one of the Four Heavenly Kings! It's nearby!" the "bodyguard" announced without preamble.
In stark contrast to the Shield Hero's eager acceptance of such news, Hunter raised an eyebrow skeptically. "How did you discover this?" she asked, her voice tinged with suspicion.
After all, she had exhausted every possible method to uncover even a trace of the Four Heavenly Kings. Yet now, their exact location had simply fallen into her lap?
"Director Fujiwara dispatched us all to scatter and conduct a thorough, carpet-like search," the 'bodyguard' explained earnestly, his head bowed as if recounting a genuine event. "After all, the sooner we eliminate the Four Heavenly Kings, defeat the Demon Lord, and complete the Dimensional Rift's objective, the sooner those 1.5 million people can escape. The faster we act, the more lives we can save!"
The explanation sounded plausible enough. The Hunter casually asked, "So, where exactly is it?"
Immediately, the man produced a meticulously crafted map. Each corner was adorned with a pentagram motif, and its edges featured gilded stripes, suggesting it had been specially commissioned.
"This is the most exquisite map from the Capital, obtained directly from His Majesty the King himself," the man said. "Truly worthy of Lord Mad Lion! We've all heard that ever since that legendary punch, even Director Fujiwara has found it much easier to communicate with His Majesty."
He then pointed to a location on the map, which was indeed not far from the Hunter's current position.
As the Hunter studied the map, the "bodyguard" gave a slight bow and smoothly handed it over. She took the map and waved him off. "Alright, alright, your mission's done. Get lost."
"Yes..." With that, the "bodyguard's" figure gradually faded into transparency, vanishing before her eyes.
Back in the present, the Hunter had successfully reached the location marked on the map and, of course, spotted the massive Rock Turtle.
Shortly after her arrival, another of Director Fujiwara's "bodyguards" appeared at her side, trailing half a step behind and bowing obsequiously. "My lady, you've finally arrived. I was ordered to monitor this member of the Four Heavenly Kings around the clock to prevent any unforeseen incidents."
This was the scene Firefly was now witnessing.
"So, this is the one?" Staring at the distant Rock Turtle, she thought, If this thing showed up in the Sakura Nation, they'd call it a monster and send Ultraman after it. Just its sheer size makes it a real handful.
The Hunter sighed. "Ugh... Figures it's exactly the type I'm worst at dealing with."
Despite her doubts, the Hunter raised her right hand, brandishing a retro-styled revolver with a distinct Wild West cowboy aesthetic. Without even bothering to aim, she swiftly pulled the trigger twice.
Bang! Bang!
The crisp reports echoed through the air as Firefly watched from high above. Moments passed, but nothing happened.
This was hardly surprising. A standard handgun's effective range was typically around 50 meters, with modified versions potentially reaching 100 to 200 meters. But the Hunter was at least several kilometers away from the Rock Turtle. At that distance, even the most powerful sniper rifle might struggle to hit the target, and even if it did, the bullet would have lost most of its killing power after such a long flight.
"What is she doing?" Firefly wondered, her expression puzzled. She didn't believe the Hunter was simply bored and firing off shots for fun. There had to be a reason for her actions, most likely related to her unique ability.
Robin outside had only just begun gathering intelligence on the Hunter and hadn't found anything yet.
Just as Firefly was puzzling over what was happening, the Rock Turtle, which had been ambling along steadily in one direction, suddenly stopped. It abruptly closed its eyes as if struck by an invisible force and roared in pain.
"ROAR—!!!!"
The roar triggered a chorus of cries echoing from the turtle's back.
In this Otherworld, the Magic Power Tide, occurring once every hundred years, caused a surge of Demonic Beasts to flood the land. From this chaos emerged the four strongest among them, known as the Four Heavenly Kings—a fundamental lore of this world.
Given this established lore, how could there possibly be only one Four Heavenly King, only this single Rock Turtle? It seemed logical that a boss would be surrounded by minions, or at least possess the skill to summon them.
These so-called minions had all been dormant on the Rock Turtle's back, their gray, stone-like bodies completely still.
But now, every single one of them had awakened. Half of them unfurled wings and took flight simultaneously, forming a dense, swarming mass that resembled a kicked-over hornet's nest erupting with insects.
Meanwhile, the remaining demonic beasts leaped from the Rock Turtle's back, plummeting fifty meters before crashing into the ground with the thunderous impact of exploding missiles, sending clouds of dust billowing into the sky.
Unfazed, the Hunter calmly maintained her aim with her revolver, even managing a yawn.
Only when the Rock Turtle's tightly shut eyes finally reopened did Firefly, watching from above, see the gruesome damage: chunks missing from both eyeballs, the remaining surfaces bloodshot and oozing blood from the wounds.
Bang! Bang!
The Hunter fired twice more.
Firefly muttered in disbelief, "So, this Hunter managed to hit the Rock Turtle's eyes with pistol shots from kilometers away and inflict such grievous injuries?"