The creature resembled a dragon, its entire body pitch black, with rough, uneven skin much like the hide of a crocodile.
Its pupils glowed crimson, radiating a malevolent aura.
This was a beast Zebul had never seen before.
"Raiden Shogun finally stopped… I was about to collapse from exhaustion."
"What's wrong with Raiden Shogun? Why would she suddenly do this? Why try to destroy the barrier? Isn't it protecting us?"
"No, you can't look at it that way. Sure, the barrier stopped the tsunami, but it's trapping us inside too. Even Raiden Shogun can't break it!"
"Damn, you're right! The barrier blocked the tsunami, but now we're stuck on Narukami Island!"
"I knew Raiden Shogun wouldn't act without reason. She's thinking further ahead than we are."
"Wait—look! What is that thing in the sea!?" a man shouted, pointing forward in shock.
Everyone turned their eyes toward the direction he indicated.
The colossal monster stunned not only Zebul, but also the people standing on the mountains.
Its body was so massive that even from such a great distance, they could make out its enormous outline.
"What the hell is that!? It's gigantic!"
"It's in the sea! How come we've never heard of such a thing before?"
"Let's get closer and see!"
"Are you crazy? A creature that big could swallow you whole in one bite!"
"Don't you see Raiden Shogun over there? She'll protect us!"
Clearly, the sight of this enormous, unknown monster had completely captured the people's attention.
Eager to see more, many rushed down the mountainside.
The commander of the Tenryou Commission, Kujou Tae, was about to stop them.
But Chiyo raised her hand to block him.
As Zebul's general, Chiyo understood well: the strike Zebul had just unleashed was her strongest move.
If even that couldn't break the barrier, then the tsunami wasn't coming in.
And if that monster somehow did get through, then yes, as the people said, Zebul would deal with it.
But that was only if it could break through. And clearly, if even Zebul couldn't shatter the barrier, there was no way that thing could.
For the moment, Narukami Island was in relative safety. There was no need for panic.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The massive creature slammed its head against the barrier again and again.
Zebul descended slowly from the skies, coming to a stop on the sea's surface directly before it, less than a meter separating them.
Yet that tiny distance was like the gap between two worlds.
No matter how hard the beast rammed forward, it couldn't touch Zebul at all.
And likewise, she couldn't kill it either—since she couldn't break the barrier.
"This thing carries the aura of the Abyss…"
"Is it a creature born of the Abyss?"
"Why would an Abyssal beast appear here…?"
"Could it be another nation is experimenting with the Abyss, and Sasayuri went to fight them to keep Inazuma safe?"
Zebul stared at the monster, unable to make sense of it.
Bang! Bang!
Two more monsters appeared beside the first, different in size and form, yet all ramming themselves against the barrier.
Bang, bang, bang, bang…
The endless pounding came from every direction.
Zebul looked out and saw the entire perimeter of the barrier swarming with creatures.
They varied greatly in shape and size, their numbers utterly overwhelming.
Her eyes widened in disbelief. She rose into the air again, and the sight that filled her vision made her body tremble, her pupils shrinking tight.
This was no longer an ocean.
It was a nest of monsters.
As far as the eye could see, the waters were packed with them—dense, countless, stretching to the horizon, as if they would fill the entire sea.
Even Zebul felt fear before such numbers.
It was far more terrifying than the Archon War.
The people of Narukami Island, upon seeing this scene, nearly collapsed. Their legs shook, their whole bodies trembling.
The monsters' blood-red eyes glared at them, as if ready to rip them all to shreds.
From beyond the barrier, they pressed in, relentless, hammering at it again and again.
Bang, bang, bang…
The pounding never stopped.
Crack…
Crack—!
The most dreadful sound reached Zebul's ears.
Before her very eyes, a fracture appeared across the transparent barrier.
This was the very barrier that not even Zebul's full strength had been able to scratch—yet now, it bore a crack.
Crack… crack…
More and more fissures spread outward across its surface.
A chill of fear rose within her, and she instinctively stepped back.
But when she turned her head, her gaze fell upon the people who placed their faith in her.
"I can't let them down!"
That was the only thought in her mind. The powerful urge to protect her people burned away every trace of fear.
As more cracks splintered across the barrier like a spider's web, Zebul tightened her grip on her blade, stepping to the very front, her sharp gaze fixed on the horde of beasts.
Even if it cost her life—
She would defend this land.
Staring at the shattering barrier, Zebul readied herself for a battle to the death.
She could feel it: the barrier wouldn't last another minute.
But just then, a terrifying bolt of lightning tore across the horizon.
BOOM!!!!!!!!!!!
A massive explosion erupted over the sea!
The air filled with the scattered limbs of countless monsters. Black blood rained down from the sky.
And in front of Zebul stood the back of a one-armed man.