At the moment of realization, Huai Shi heard the sound of his eyes splitting apart. Blood overflowed from his pupils and spread, as though the entire world had been shrouded in a scarlet net.
No—or perhaps the world before him truly had been dyed red.
By furious fire and blood.
The Nautilus roared.
Endless calamitous darkness was reborn through the wreckage of steel, reigniting its flames and unleashing thunderous fury upon the heaven and earth of the abyss.
—Hatred!
Along with that heaven-shaking roar, hatred spread from the surging darkness. In an instant, it became violent waves, brutally flattening the desolate forest that stood in its path.
Wherever it passed, all life and even stubborn stone were reduced to dust. Only furrows like grotesque claws remained upon the earth, while scarlet soil churned and buried the corpses.
Then, at either side of the warship, enormous jaws opened. Darkness condensed into steel, and savage killing intent became flame.
Like burning stars rising from hell, they filled the sky in an instant, illuminating every pale face. Blood and Fire burst forth, evaporating every shadow in their path.
Astaroth's robe of white bones was torn apart, and flames spread across it.
The Remnant of the World shrieked in fury. The colossal tree giant cast down its shadow, while countless strange withered branches stabbed toward the Nautilus.
Yet the Nautilus did not evade. It allowed the ruler to pierce it, tear it apart, and leave it riddled with holes.
But within that split darkness, a terrible radiance suddenly flared before the Nautilus's prow.
Crystalline Brilliant Light erupted from the darkness, a rampaging torrent.
The dreadful heat seeping from the cracks in its hull alone incinerated every withered branch that dared touch its body.
And wherever that trail of light passed, matter, Source Matter, miracles,