"Are we all prepared?"
A majestic voice echoed through the entire hall from behind the massive Gate.
"Yes, but the current situation is far worse than anticipated."
An old man, nearly his entire form concealed within a cloak that hid his features, stood respectfully before the Gate.
His voice, once aged yet full of vigor, now held little pride, instead tinged with caution.
After all, the situation truly was dire.
The reason the Monarchs and Rulers had gone through so many cycles was precisely because the Rulers kept losing.
Even when Monarchs occasionally fell, the final outcome was always swiftly decided in their favor once the Monarch of Destruction arrived.
This wasn't just due to the Monarch of Destruction's might, but also because the Monarchs held far too many advantages over the Rulers by directly possessing physical bodies.
But this time was different.
Not only had the Monarch of Shadows inexplicably intervened, but an unprecedented, powerful entity had also appeared.
Her full strength remained shrouded in mystery, and the number of Monarchs who had died by her hand had already reached three.
If he hadn't seized the moment when both she and the Monarch of Shadows were absent to rescue the Monarch of Fangs, they would have lost another top-tier combatant.
Behind him, the Monarch of Fangs curled his lip but made no further movement.
"Have you located that individual?"
The voice of the Monarch of Destruction held not a ripple of fluctuation.
Though one reason for their scarce manpower was his own decision to send the Monarch of Iron Body to his death, this was of no consequence in his eyes.
Nor was it to the Monarch of Transfiguration or the Monarch of Fangs, neither of whom had commented on the matter.
After all... the power of the Monarch of Destruction was on a completely different level from the other Monarchs.
If the other Monarchs were capable of killing all the world's S-Ranks, even National-Level threats, then the Monarch of Destruction alone could slay all the other Monarchs.
The Monarch of Shadows possessed strength comparable to his, yet still fell slightly short.
And in a battle between the Monarch of Shadows and the Monarch of Destruction, the other Monarchs were little more than cannon fodder.
This was the source of the Monarch of Destruction's unwavering confidence and arrogance. No matter what happened, ultimate victory would belong to the Monarchs.
"We have. The Monarch of the Beginning is imprisoned by the Rulers within the Prison of Echoes. I have already pinpointed its location and can release him at any time."
The Monarch of Transfiguration continued, "Due to the deaths of the other Monarchs, Earth now meets the conditions for our descent. We can launch a full-scale assault on the Rulers whenever we wish."
For both Rulers and Monarchs to descend to Earth, certain conditions were required.
Either by possessing and usurping a human vessel, or by waiting until Earth's mana environment was rich enough to accommodate their true forms.
For humanity to survive, the Rulers needed to fill the world with mana to stimulate its awakening in humans.
Their method was to bring the blood and magic cores of magical beasts to Earth, as these were the best conduits for mana.
As for the Monarchs, even their possessed vessels held a mana concentration far exceeding what magical beast blood could provide. The successive deaths of three Monarchs on Earth had made the planet's mana even denser.
It had also created the conditions for the Monarch of Destruction's descent.
Thinking this, the Monarch of Transfiguration couldn't help but smile, and a bloodthirsty grin touched the lips of the Monarch of Fangs as well.
I admit, your Castorice is indeed formidable. But what will you do when we bring forth the Monarch of Destruction?
"Open the Gate to the Monarch of the Beginning's location. Open it right before that unknown entity."
The Monarch of Destruction commanded.
"Huh?"
His words gave the Monarch of Transfiguration pause.
While it was true that with the Monarch of Destruction ready to descend to Earth at any moment, the Monarch of the Beginning's combat power wasn't strictly necessary... but if they were going to use him, why not break the Rulers' chains binding him? And if they weren't going to use him, why open the Gate at all?
"As you said, not only has the Monarch of Shadows appeared, but also an entity of unknown strength."
The Monarch of Destruction naturally considered his power peerless, but that didn't mean he enjoyed unnecessary hardship.
Anyone who could effortlessly slay other Monarchs had to be regarded as a powerful existence on par with the Monarch of Shadows.
In such a scenario, there was no need for him to swagger over and face them two-on-one.
Under those circumstances, with the possible interference of the Fragments of Brilliant Light, there was a real risk of failure.
Better to defeat them one by one.
He explained his plan to the two fools before him in suitably haughty terms and, receiving their nods of agreement, allowed a confident smile to grace his features.
While intel from the Monarch of Plagues suggested the current Monarch of Shadows, like the Rulers, had not taken a vessel, it was still preferable to resolve things the easy way if possible.
"Prepare for my descent. Once that unknown entity takes the bait and enters the Prison of Echoes, I shall personally judge her caliber."
The Monarch of Destruction issued his order.
Unaware that a plan for a righteous gang-up was being hatched against her, Castorice had been invited by the DFN to a conference room.
It was only her first day in Japan. She'd arrived yesterday and spent all her time with her two friends, so every face in the DFN was unfamiliar to her.
The only people she recognized were Goto Ryuji and his assistant.
"We are all aware that Miss Castorice possesses power on the level of a National-Level Hunter."
Once Castorice was seated and everyone had assembled, the DFN Chairman, seated at the head of the table, began with polite formalities before getting to the point.
"Might I ask for Miss Castorice's perspective on the Gate currently in Japan's skies?"
As the leader of Japan, who had coveted S-Rank Gates and the certification of a National-Level Hunter for years, his current mood was a mix of excitement and anxiety.
However, his anxiety wasn't over Japan's inability to handle this Gate. Rather, he worried that Castorice might want to take a share of the spoils from Japan.
As Japan's honored guest and an individual they needed to curry favor with, while Castorice technically had no right to enter this Gate, they were obligated to invite her to demonstrate their regard.
Yet, her actually entering the Gate was an outcome no one desired.
After all, although Castorice lacked the official title of National-Level, based on the accounts of Goto, Sung Jinwoo, and Cha Hae-in, her strength far surpassed their own excellent performances on Jeju Island. This inevitably led people to bestow upon her the title of 'Uncrowned King.'
If she entered alongside Goto, it wouldn't be Goto who obtained the National-Level title. Instead, it would rightfully be bestowed upon Castorice.
"This Gate is very dangerous."
Castorice stated the truth plainly. "My reason for being here is to hope you will grant me authorization to participate in its subjugation."
"Hahaha... Of course, of course. However, this is only Miss Castorice's first day. Many procedures haven't been prepared yet. Perhaps we could postpone this discussion for later?"
The Chairman's smile was somewhat stiff.
'So she won't let such a prime opportunity slip... Damn it! Why did this Gate have to appear now of all times, handing her victory on a silver platter!'
'There's absolutely no way we can let her enter!'
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.