AI Model: gemini-2.5-flash
Chapter 528: Let Everything Return to Nothing
A bare fist shattering spatial fluctuations—this situation was actually quite outrageous.
Orochi's Dark Particles construct a highly stable, relatively-phased shockwave that continuously delivers impact. Whether the enemy is in reality or a sub-space, they will steadily take damage from the Dark Particles until the energy itself is depleted.
In the game, there were tests. Dark Particles could bypass everyone's fluctuations in a wave clash, even the Eight-Wine Cup after the Yasakani Magatama was activated. If the opponent's move had a slightly longer recovery, getting countered was an inevitable outcome.
In a dungeon, theoretically, only the caster themselves could prematurely shatter Dark Particles. The principle is somewhat similar to how a time-stopper can only be countered by another time-stopper.
So, when Cheng Tian shattered the Dark Particles with a single punch, Orochi, light-headed and uncomfortable all over from excessive blood loss, felt an ominous premonition rise within her.
A very dense Orochi Power had already surged from Cheng Tian's body.
Of course, shattering the Dark Particles was not without cost.
The fragments of the shattered Dark Particles exploded on the spot. A large portion of them, due to the close proximity, shredded the clothes on half of Cheng Tian's body. The entire arm responsible for shattering the Dark Particles became covered in blood.
This was not just a simple cut from a sharp weapon, but rather the equivalent of an ultra-small-scale area-of-effect spatial cutting.
It was based on the fundamental spatial principle of cutting objects by opening and closing spacetime gates.
But Cheng Tian, who was clearly severely injured, seemed not to feel the pain in his flesh. He licked his blood-soaked arm, his eyes glowing red.
However, Cheng Tian, who had already displayed a hint of legend-tier power, clearly didn't intend to explain anything to Orochi. Instead, he spread open his palm as if presenting a treasure.
A small handful of fresh blood gushed rapidly from Cheng Tian's palm like a spring. The moment the fresh blood emerged, Orochi smelled an incredibly familiar scent and a similarly familiar sensation.
Dry Earth, Raging Lightning, Flame of Destiny... It was Orochi's three heads, which had been killed and whose soul imprints had been sealed!
Correspondingly, the blood reserves of the three Hakkesshu in Cheng Tian's portable laboratory were also rapidly decreasing.
These blood samples pulsed in Cheng Tian's palm. As they were extracted from the laboratory reserves, they were also rapidly absorbed by Cheng Tian through skin contact.
Cheng Tian's previously blood-soaked arm also showed relatively rapid self-healing, visibly forming scabs that then peeled off on their own.
Orochi was certainly not the type to watch someone transform without interrupting. Her zero-frame spirit fire pillar also included Cheng Tian in its attack range.
However, perhaps due to the excessive loss of her power source—blood—in a short period, Orochi's fire pillar, which could originally cover more than a dozen people, had drastically reduced to single digits. Cheng Tian, who was currently absorbing more Hakkesshu blood, also seemed to be able to perceive the landing point of the converging spirit energy to some extent, making corresponding evasive movements in advance.
The dread in Orochi's heart grew stronger and stronger, as if something that originally belonged to her was about to be snatched away!
The intense unease naturally led to violent actions.
A flash of light, representing a power surge, erupted from Orochi's body.
Orochi crossed her hands above her head. The violent spatial fluctuations reached their peak at this moment, and a look of extreme pity appeared on Orochi's face, as if she was chanting, or perhaps proclaiming—
"Let everything return to nothing."
In an instant, the sky darkened, followed by a white flash of light that erupted from Orochi's center.
A seemingly invisible but truly existing spatial rhythm, like ripples, spread out at high speed and frequency, akin to an exploding supernova.
And the first to bear the brunt was Cheng Tian, who was closest to Orochi among the crowd. With his hands covering his head, Cheng Tian hunched over in a defensive posture.
This time, it wasn't just his clothes; skin, muscles, bones—Cheng Tian's arms were already extremely exposed from the high-frequency vibrations. And it wasn't just his arms; his thighs, chest, and abdomen also showed terrifying annihilation-level injuries.
"Let everything return to nothing," "Let everyone bathe in light," and "beautiful roast lamb"—these, from a line of dialogue, a description, and a misheard phrase respectively, all pointed to the same move name, almost universally used by players across the country—
"Sunlight Shower."
Of course, this was not actual sunlight, otherwise Cheng Tian would have been performing instant healing.
The essence of Sunlight Shower is a move that annihilates enemies through high-frequency spatial vibrations. It has the property that the closer the distance, the higher the damage and hit count. Similarly, the further this spatial vibration power is transmitted, the greater the reduction in its power.
No one could withstand Sunlight Shower, unless... the opponent was not human at all.
Perhaps because Orochi actively stepped into the arena, placing herself to some extent within the rules of the tournament, this Sunlight Shower, which should have annihilated the entire venue along with all spectators and fighters, was absorbed by the exceptionally sturdy rule-level barrier when it expanded to the spectator stands.
The audience was completely unharmed.
Even if Orochi descended, everyone still had to watch the match!
This is King of Fighters '97 MUGEN!
As for the contestants in the arena, things were not looking good.
In the game, because it was one-on-one, only one person was injured, but here, Sunlight Shower was a genuine, inescapable, wide-area attack, and there was nowhere to run!
Many of the fighters who participated in the siege of Orochi had blood sprayed from their mouths, which was immediately vibrated into a mist in mid-air. Their bodies also suffered annihilation injuries, either severe or even more severe.
Only a few onlookers who were far enough away managed to endure it.
Amidst the rapid alternation of light and dark, large numbers of fighters and players in the arena had fallen in droves. It wasn't that they weren't strong enough, but that the Sunlight Shower, with its near-wide-area instant kill effect, was too overpowered.
If you couldn't defend against it, it meant death or near-death; if you did defend against it, you'd definitely be missing some parts.
But when Orochi lowered her head again and looked forward, her serpentine pupils couldn't help but contract.
Because Cheng Tian, whose body was almost unrecognizable, was still standing defiantly before her. Not far behind Cheng Tian's position was student Eileen, who was spitting blood while frantically clicking on recovery potions in her item bar.
Based on the spatial fluctuation theory, with Cheng Tian's resistance as a meat shield, the damage endured directly behind him would inevitably be reduced.
And Cheng Tian, through the blood of the Hakkesshu and a massive reserve of chilled dragon blood, endured this prolonged Sunlight Shower.
When Cheng Tian opened his arms, which were almost just a skeletal frame, Orochi noticed that a pitch-black spherical object had appeared on his chest at some unknown point—
In an instant, Orochi's eyes widened even more, because she sensed what was contained within this sphere.
It contained a massive amount of human negative emotions!
At that moment, she knew what Cheng Tian was going to do—
"Stop!!!"
"Too late~"
Under Orochi's gaze, Cheng Tian's hands were already pressed onto the divine artifact, the Black Pearl, which Fina had teleported into his arms!