Volume Six: What She Lost, What I Gained - The Strongest Creature on Earth (Five)

A punch swung from his still-intact right arm, compressed with crimson lightning, produced a series of explosive sounds with just a twitch of his muscles! Before Gustav's attack had even left his body, the immense power, perfect angle, and unstoppable speed struck Gustav squarely in the face!

Hit!

The sensation of skin, the sensation of the bridge of the nose, the sensation of hitting something hard—that's right, the punch landed squarely on Gustav's nose! A burst of crimson lightning erupted instantly, engulfing Gustav's entire upper body, and the aftershock swept past him, spreading out in a fan shape with a radius of several kilometers across the sea!

Great, that's the first real hit on him, and a direct hit to the face, even though Gustav wasn't even consciously defending.

"Don't tell me..."

"... ah?"

Gustav's face, which had been intimately touched by the fist that had not yet been removed, twitched slightly, and Xiao Wu's fist was pushed away.

Gustav's hand suddenly slammed into the center of Xiao Wu's body, sending her flying. She felt a sweet taste in her throat and knelt on the ground, coughing up mouthfuls of blood.

"... Is this all you've got?"

Gustav rubbed his nose; there was a slight red mark on the bridge of his nose, but no other traces.

"Don't do this! I've only just started eating, and you're already done—?!"

Ding!!!!!

Gustav stomped his foot, unleashing a ferocious shockwave that spread outwards from him to the sea, like detonating a nuclear bomb! Boiling seawater was propelled high into the air by the shockwave and tremors, causing the sea within a ten-kilometer radius to surge upwards! Caught off guard, Xiao Wu was swept up by tens of millions of tons of seawater, flying through the air like a tattered leaf in the wind. Directly below her, a deep blue figure shot upwards! Wherever it passed, all the seawater was cleaved in two!

(No, no, no, we can't fall into a passive position; we must at least fight back!)

Xiao Wu unleashed a torrent of lightning, instantly evaporating all the seawater that had been flowing towards the sky. She twisted her body in mid-air, gathering immense lightning in her hands—

"Extreme Night Style Seventh Form - Strike at the Hour!!!"

Guided by Xiao Wu, the energy, pushed to its limit, transformed into a colossal bolt of lightning, hundreds of meters in diameter, crashing down from the sky! Resembling both a ferocious python and a slithering claw, it shook the entire heavens, its power a hundred times greater than ordinary lightning! However, Gustav didn't dodge; he simply charged forward, raising his right fist—

"--Let me show you what a 'punch' really means!"

Rumble rumble rumble rumble!!!!!!!!!

The instant his fist was thrown, a deafening roar drowned out the sound of thunder and lightning. The unstoppable torrent of lightning crumbled upon contact with the fist's force, dissipating into thousands of streaks of lightning that vanished into the air! Moreover, from an even higher vantage point, following the trajectory of Gustav's punch, one could see a gaping hole in the highest clouds—all thanks to his "more forceful" punch!

Ta-da!!! Gustav stomped through the air, each step leaving a trail of transparent vacuum in his wake, his speed far surpassing that of Xiao Wu!

(Damn it!)

The worst thing she ever wanted to see had happened—she now had no choice but to confront him head-on! Xiao Wu was not one to give up easily, but she knew very well that even if she risked everything, she was no match for Gustav!

What to do? Escape?

Now is not the time for reckless courage. To confront an enemy you cannot defeat head-on is not bravery, but foolishness—but can you escape? And where can you escape to?

Haoyue and Ye are both facing formidable enemies, and although they are struggling, the situation is currently one of balance. In this case, if either of them fails, the balance will be broken, forcing one of the remaining two to face a two-against-one situation, at which point they will be doomed!

"I have to... I have to give it my all... Even if it's just for them, I..."

It's just a desperate struggle; at worst, it will only lead to death.

If my efforts can at least buy them some time...

"Damn it! I'm going all in!!!!"

Crimson lightning surged forth from her entire body like a torrent, enveloping every inch of her skin, as if she were wearing a suit of lightning armor! A thousand feet of raging thunder gathered behind her and unleashed with a deafening roar, forming a pair of enormous Thunder Wings! She let out a long howl and stepped forward to meet Gustav head-on!

Sensing her resolve, Gustav sneered and unleashed a palm strike from afar! The incredibly violent palm wind was even more devastating than a salvo of tens of thousands of missiles, crashing against the barrier of lightning with Xiao Wu roar. But instead of retreating, she advanced, her flesh constantly being torn apart and then healing. Under her control, the Thunder Wings on one side unleashed sharp blades of lightning, slashing down at Gustav with incredible speed!

"Six Styles of Extreme Night Style, Wing Blade Slices Through the Sky!"

The clanging of the blades mingled with the roar of the thunder, enough to shatter the eardrums of anyone within a kilometer! Gustav's palm strike was split in two, and the lightning blades, undiminished in speed, hurtled straight for his head! Yet his expression remained calm; with a flick of his left hand, he dispersed the blades as easily as deflecting a flying ball!

Turn your upper body away, twist your waist, and move your legs in the process.

Focus your strength, channel it into your right fist, and prepare yourself.

--A whip kick and a powerful punch collide!

The shockwave dispersed the water vapor, and the splattered blood stained Gustav's suit red. At the moment of impact, Xiao Wu's right fist was invaded, twisted, broken, and exploded by absolute force!

It hurts. It hurts so much.

But do not be afraid.

Let this pain ignite your ferocity and transform it into power!

"HOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!!!!!"

The sight of her right arm torn apart didn't deter her; instead, she roared and slammed down her left fist! But Gustav reacted with lightning speed, merely tapping a point on her left fist to block the entire force and the energy gathered within it.

"Don't stop!!!"

Xiao Wu roared again, but this time she roared at herself. Her bloodied fist erupted with even more dazzling purple-red lightning. Her flesh kept bursting and rebuilding, pressing down on Gustav's fingertips little by little, getting closer to him!

"Stubborn to the end!"

Gustav changed his fingers into a palm, grabbed Xiao Wu's bloodied left arm, and threw her downwards! His figure, accompanied by a thunderstorm, sped away, hurtling down at more than thirty times the speed of sound! A tremendous roar echoed from the sea, two consecutive booms—she had smashed through the second and third layers of the city; the sound alone was enough to conjure up the horrific scene!

High in the air, Gustav frowned, shook his hand, and sighed.

"Tsk... If this is what Urahara Mai Ryu's so-called 'perfect warrior' is like, then I'm truly disappointed... Oh well, let's deal with the rest--"

Rumble rumble rumble rumble rumble rumble rumble rumble!!!!!!

"--oh?"

No sooner had Xiao Wu been slammed down than the echoes of her crashing through the city still reverberated between heaven and earth, than a vast expanse of lightning erupted once more from the abyss of the sea, which resembled a black hole! The entire ocean seemed to have transformed into a luminous crystal, illuminated by the dazzling lightning within!