Countless black tendrils shot straight into the sky from the palace ruins.
Everyone still in the area was seized by the enormous tendrils and drained dry, their bodies left as husks.
With every breath, hundreds of Divine Scions were devoured.
More tendrils burst through the ground, sweeping across the earth.
Nothing could stop the black tendrils. Buildings came crashing down.
The war began.
A warrior radiating immense Soul Power charged into the sky.
"That's the Nation Protecting General!" someone cried.
People turned to look.
The warrior clasped his hands together and roared, "Die!"
Scorching heat swept across the land. Many dry objects ignited from the fire element, blazing fiercely.
He transformed into a giant of flame and hurtled toward the countless black tendrils like a falling meteor.
This was probably his Divine Skill, and its power had reached its absolute peak.
Under everyone's gaze, seven or eight black tendrils flew over and lashed at the flaming giant.
In an instant, the flames shattered, plunging from the sky toward the ground.
The scattered flames struck the earth, setting vast areas ablaze and turning them into a sea of fire.
With a single blow, the Nation Protecting General fell!
What terrifying power!
The assembled troops no longer dared to advance.
Even the strongest among them had been killed in one strike. Charging in would accomplish nothing but getting themselves killed.
Countless powerful fighters fell into despair.
The stronger they were, the more keenly they felt how terrifying their foe was.
And these were only the monster's tendrils.
What truly made their hearts quake was the monster's true form.
It had not even appeared yet!
People fled in every direction, panic-stricken.
Chaos erupted.
It was as if the end of the world had come.
Suddenly, a solemn proclamation rang out across the sky: