The Core of the Great Desolate Forest.
The air was thick with tension and the stench of impending violence.
Fujiwara Gen (The Little Saint) watched the scene unfold with a critical eye. Even for him, an Ancient Remnant at the Unity Stage was a troublesome opponent. It would require activating the Saint King's Bone to suppress quickly.
But Ryuzaki Haruto was a full major realm lower than the beast.
"Let's see if the Divine Son lives up to his reputation," Fujiwara Gen murmured, his golden arm pulsing faintly.
Across the chasm, Prince Seiryu clenched his fists, hiding in the shadows. His heart was a mix of hope and dread. 'Can he survive this? If he gets injured... that would be my chance.'
The Three-Punch Annihilation
Ryuzaki Haruto stood before the charging Demon Ape. The beast was a mountain of black muscle, its single horn glowing with abyssal light.
Haruto's expression was tranquil, bordering on bored.
"Noisy animal," Haruto whispered.
He waved his hand.
HUMMM.
The golden Sacred Body blood in his veins roared like a tsunami. Behind him, the void distorted, and thousands of golden weapons—swords, spears, halberds, axes—manifested from pure Mana.
[The Soldier's Art]!
"Go."
With a flick of his finger, the golden torrent of weapons rained down on the Ape.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Sparks flew. The Ape roared, its black fur hardening into a metallic armor. The weapons shattered against its hide, leaving only shallow cuts.
"Oh? It has high defense," Haruto raised an eyebrow. "As expected of an Ancient Remnant."
The Ape, enraged by the stinging attacks, gathered energy in its single horn. A beam of pitch-black disintegration energy shot out, tearing through the air straight at Haruto's head.
"Die!" the Ape roared in a guttural, broken tongue.
Haruto didn't dodge.
He stomped his foot.
[Divine Elephant Suppressing Prison Force]!
A dark, towering phantom appeared behind him—the God of the Netherworld. It held a spear in one hand and a shield in the other.
BOOM!
The black beam struck the Netherworld Shield. Ripples spread across the barrier, but it didn't crack.
"What?!" The Ape's red eyes widened in shock. A mere human at the Divine Bridge Stage blocked its ultimate attack?
WHOOSH.
Haruto vanished.
[Demon Wings] unfurled from his back. He reappeared instantly in front of the Ape's face, floating in the air.
He raised his right hand. A golden seal, ancient and heavy, materialized in his palm.
[Grand Seal of the Human King]!
"Kneel."
Haruto slammed the seal down onto the Ape's head.
CRACK!
The sound of skull fracturing echoed through the forest. The thirty-foot monster was smashed face-first into the ground, creating a massive crater.
"ROAR!" The Ape tried to struggle up.
Haruto didn't give it a chance. He descended like a meteor, his fist glowing with the light of a thousand suns.
Punch One.
BANG!
The Ape's protective black armor shattered into dust. Its ribs collapsed.
Punch Two.
BOOM!
The Ape's chest cavity caved in. Its heart exploded.
Punch Three.
SPLAT.
The Ancient Remnant—a beast that could terrorize a city—was reduced to a paste of meat and bone.
Haruto landed softly next to the corpse. He flicked his wrist, shaking a speck of dust off his sleeve.
Silence.
Absolute, terrifying silence descended on the forest.
The spectators were frozen.
Fujiwara Gen's pupils constricted to pinpoints. 'Three punches? Pure physical strength? No martial arts, no artifacts... just brute force?'
Prince Seiryu felt his legs turn to jelly. The despair he had felt earlier returned, heavier than before. 'I... I thought I had caught up to him. But the gap... it's still an ocean.'
Hidden in the shadows, Princess Kaguya covered her mouth, her eyes wide with shock. 'The rumors were true. He is a monster in human skin.'
The Gathering of the Beasts
Just as the dust settled, the sky darkened again.
From the east, a massive Blue-Scaled Dragon descended. Ryuu Bichi leaped off, landing gracefully on a rock.
From the west, a golden light blinded the eyes. A Nine-Headed Golden Lion strode through the air, its nine heads roaring in unison.
From the north, a dark cloud blotted out the sun. A Swallow-Sky Sparrow screeched, its massive wings casting a shadow of death.
The Primeval Races had arrived.
Ryuu Bichi looked at the corpse of the Demon Ape, then at Haruto. Her slit pupils narrowed.
"You are Ryuzaki Haruto?" she asked, her voice cool and arrogant.
Haruto looked at her lazily. "And you are?"
"I am Ryuu Bichi. Descendant of the Azure Dragon Emperor."
Haruto tilted his head. "Ryuu Bichi? 'Bichi' means... well, never mind. It's a very descriptive name."
(Note: In modern slang, "Bichi" sounds like "Bitch").
Bichi frowned, not understanding the insult but sensing the mockery.
"Human," the Nine-Headed Lion boomed, its voice vibrating in everyone's chest. "You are strong. Very strong."
It looked at Haruto with haughty, golden eyes.
"I am the Young King of the Nine-Headed Lion Clan. My ancestor was the Nine-Spirit Primordial Saint. You are qualified to be my follower. Submit to me, and I will grant you glory."
The human cultivators gasped. The Lion wanted the Divine Son of the Ryuzaki Clan as a follower? It was insanity.
"Follower?" The Swallow-Sky Sparrow cackled, its voice like scraping metal. "Waste of meat! Humans are food!"
It stared at Haruto, drool dripping from its beak.
"His blood... it smells delicious. Sacred Body blood is a supreme tonic. If I eat him, I might evolve!"
The atmosphere was explosive. Two Ancient Royal Families and a Dragon Maiden, all targeting Haruto.
Haruto looked at the Lion, then at the Sparrow. He sighed deeply, looking genuinely confused.
He turned to Ryuzaki Kenji.
"Kenji."
"Yes, Divine Son?"
"Tell me," Haruto pointed at the beasts. "Are all these Primeval Races so brainless? Or is it just inbreeding?"