A massive shockwave spread out from where Mazinger Z stood. A beam of light descending from the heavens connected earth and sky, making it seem as though that pillar of light had struck the ground and caused the tremendous devastation. The already ruined land around the pillar's center cracked and burst apart, chunks of earth springing up as if drawn by some force and struggling to break free of gravity's hold.
Countless rocks, sand, and dust were affected by the strange force left by the impact, slowly beginning to float. At the core of that pillar of light, the blazing crimson lotus that had been shrouded within seemed to receive fresh fuel, erupting with even more dazzling flames. The fire soared skyward and swallowed the descending pillar of light, ultimately becoming a sword that pierced the blood-dark sky and brought a fleeting moment of true brightness.
Yet strangely, the light brought by the explosion of that blazing crimson lotus illuminated the world for only an instant before everything returned to how it had been. Not only that, the world became even more scarlet and filled with searing heat, as though both sky and earth were burning beneath an invisible flame.
The explosion of the blazing crimson lotus also revealed Mazinger Z once more. But the Mazinger Z that appeared was no longer its original form. The wings behind it had vanished without a trace, leaving only a massive ring floating behind it. Mazinger Z's body had also changed completely. It was considerably smaller, yet more seamless and unified—though also more twisted.
From head to toe, Mazinger Z had become something entirely different. Its visage was even more savage, fierce, and evil, radiating an aura more terrifying than Hades. Its red eyes brimmed with an endless desire for destruction.
The current