Changes Sweeping Across the Battlefield

"Bang—!"

As the muffled, booming sound echoed through the sky, causing a shockwave to spread outwards, the enormous, hill-like Demon Beast finally plummeted from the heavens.

"Call out----!"

Amidst the sharp, gusty wind, the White Whale didn't even have time to let out a wail before its massive body transformed into an unprecedented cannonball, scraping against the air and stirring up the atmosphere. Before everyone's eyes, it flew backwards from mid-air at an astonishing speed.

Finally, it landed heavily on a desolate wasteland.

"Boom—!"

The ground trembled.

Amidst a powerful tremor capable of triggering a flash flood, the White Whale crashed heavily onto the earth, shattering the bedrock and crushing the soil. In the horrific collapse, its body was gradually buried by the rubble.

Only then did Fang Li's figure slowly descend from mid-air, his entire body shimmering with starlight, before hovering in mid-air and coming to a stop.

Watching helplessly as the White Whale was kicked down from mid-air by Fang Li, the annihilation-type mist that had been killed hadn't even had time to completely dissipate, leaving wisps of mist above. Everyone present was completely stunned.

"Liar..."

Felix, who was treating the wounded in the rear, made this sound.

"He..."

Crusch couldn't help but find it hard to believe.

"... So that's how it is. Is this your true strength?"

Even Wilhelm stared silently at Fang Li, who was suspended in mid-air, his grip on the sword tightening slightly.

In the end, no one in the entire room could utter a sound, and a silent atmosphere filled the air.

Of course, this scene didn't last long.

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

The next second, everyone erupted in a tsunami of cheers, dedicated to the Royal Guard Knight was suspended in mid-air.

With his own strength, he single-handedly faced one of the Great Beast Trio, the White Whale, which had plagued the world for four hundred years and whose expeditionary forces had been almost completely wiped out, and kicked it off its altar.

This action was truly inspiring.

"Emilia!"

"Um!"

In the distance, Rem and Emilia, who were also witnessing this scene, were extremely surprised and couldn't help but smile at each other.

Excitement surged within them.

Emilia then said to Rem, "I'm much better now, Rem, let's go help."

Rem naturally had no objection and immediately nodded.

However, just as Emilia was about to step forward, Rem's smile suddenly froze, and her pupils slowly dilated.

Her cute nose twitched slightly.

At that moment, Rem smelled it.

I smelled a stench that had seeped deep into my heart, a stench I could never forget.

Realizing the source of the scent, Rem shouted at Emilia was about to approach.

"Emilia! Watch out!"

Unfortunately, it was too late to speak up at that point.

An invisible black hand silently approached Emilia from behind.

"————!?"

Fang Li, who was hovering in mid-air and staring Fang Li the location of the White Whale that was completely buried by rubble and swallowed by the collapsed earth, suddenly noticed something amiss.

Although they were quite far apart, Fang Li, who was sensitive to the scent of death, still sensed that something was wrong.

Even though it was extremely slight, the surrounding air did change.

(This feeling...!)

Fang Li had experienced this feeling before.

Just as Subaru Natsuki was killed by Elsa, Fang Li was dragged into his Return by Death.

At that time, Fang Li was observing Subaru Natsuki's death when he was interrupted by an unexpected incident.

"----die."

At that moment, something appeared behind Fang Li, wrapped its arms around Fang Li's body, and whispered in Fang Li's ear.

At this moment, the changes in the air were the same as the sense of horror that Fang Li had felt back then.

However, it's nowhere near as good as it was back then.

However, even though it's nowhere near as good as that time, Fang Li still remembered that feeling because of the deep impression it left on him.

Now, Fang Li discovered that the same feeling was present on this battlefield.

Unfortunately, Fang Li's calm mind allowed Fang Li to understand what had happened almost instantly.

Almost simultaneously, the accident occurred.

"Aaaaaaaahh...

A demonic roar suddenly echoed from a corner of the battlefield, startling everyone.

"Bang—!"

Immediately afterwards, an explosion occurred in the direction from which the sound came.

Fang Li turned his head forcefully and looked in that direction.

There, Rem was radiating madness, a single snow-white horn sprouting from his forehead, and in his hand he was wielding a weapon resembling a Meteor Hammer, with an iron ball covered in spikes connected by an iron chain. He was swinging it around in a frenzied manner.

Around him, people appeared one by one, seemingly out of nowhere.

They were dressed in black, with hoods on their heads, like ominous figures, completely shrouded in cloaks, and dressed like fanatics.

This group of people surrounded the demonized Rem. Some held short swords that looked like crosses, while others raised their hands, with fireballs gathering in front of their palms, and launched an attack on Rem.

Fang Li had seen that outfit, that atmosphere, that feeling before.

It is within Rem's soul, within her past memories.

"Witch Cult ————!!!"

Rem's furious roar revealed to everyone who those ominous figures around her were.

"Witch Cult?!"

Crusch, Felix, and Wilhelm were all greatly surprised.

The Witch Cult actually managed to break in while the White Whale was being hunted?

"Whoosh—!"

In mid-air, Fang Li's figure suddenly transformed into an arrow released from a bow, hurtling towards Rem's location at an astonishing speed.

However, just as if seizing this opportunity, another entity dominating the battlefield also began to go berserk.

"Bang—!"

Amidst the loud bang, rubble and debris were torn apart as if by an explosion from the massive, collapsed crater.

"Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!"

The White Whale broke free, letting out a furious roar. As it soared into the air, twisting its body, its bloodshot eyes fixed on Fang Li, it charged at him like a madman.

A strong wind howled around the charging White Whale.

"You're asking for it!"

As the White Whale charged forward with immense force, an unprecedented fierceness flashed in Fang Li's pair of Ice-Blue Demon Eyes.