When the ruins of high-rises collapsed amid flames, lava spewed from fissures splitting the earth. In the spreading storm, the devastated city let out a mournful cry.
The war had come to an end.
Only fifteen minutes had passed since the attack began.
On a temporary rendezvous platform in the depths beyond the Land of Nothingness, Huai Shi finally waited for the Vice Principal's return.
His expression remained calm as ever as he methodically took stock of his work and verified the results of the battle.
Aside from the empty sleeve where his right arm had been and the gaping wound through his chest, he seemed almost unchanged.
The horrific impact, enough to shatter a soul dozens of times over, had been sealed within the penetrating wound. Frozen time indefinitely delayed the moment destruction would arrive.
All his timeline avatars had been wiped out.
Yet his pupils blazed with a light that made Huai Shi vaguely uneasy. Source Matter spread and circulated out of control, forming a faintly discernible zone of temporal disorder around him.
"Just a minor injury. No need to worry."
Noticing Huai Shi's gaze, Isaac nodded calmly and looked at the silent Underworld Giant behind him. "This time, we had your intelligence and Osiris's support to thank."
He said, "Well done."
For the Vice Principal, who had been cold and indifferent for ten thousand years, speaking such straightforward praise to Huai Shi was practically the highest commendation this scholar had restrained himself from giving his entire life.
"Oh, congratulations."
Krishna, who had returned at some point, glanced at Isaac with an enigmatic smile. "You found something?"
"A little. I can't rule out the possibility that it's a hallucination caused by a concussion."
As Isaac shook his head, thick nosebleed seeped from his nostrils. When he lowered his