The True Enemy

But this isn't normal...

Maria looked up and calmly gazed at the Great Beast.

Maria knew all too well the power these beasts possessed.

Words cannot describe its endlessness.

Let alone supporting a forest.

If it were like that, with its full power unleashed, it wouldn't be impossible for the whole world to be covered in green.

But now, it's barely enough to support a single forest.

Maria also revealed a gentleness she didn't show when facing other Great Beast.

She walked forward step by step, reached out her hand, and quietly stroked the head of the Great Beast.

What lies in this sky?

Maria asked the question calmly.

It was indeed too late for Maria to discover all these problems.

She overlooked many things.

In fact, Maria had sensed something was wrong when she discovered she could only see one moon.

But then, Rottish's appearance made Maria realize that something was wrong.

Not all Great Beast roam the ground; some are born in the sky.

They thought that once Rottish was dealt with, the matter would be resolved.

But not long ago, the things revealed by those beings in the deep sea known as the Seaborn made people think deeply.

The moon... continues...

Is there still a problem with the moon?

But where does the problem lie?

Maria didn't know.

But she knew that since this place could be a semi-permanent natural zone, it was highly unlikely that Catastrophes would occur here.

At this time, Catastrophes occurred.

If Maria hadn't been so incredibly unlucky.

Then all I can say is...

There are things He doesn't want Maria to meet with the giant tree that the Seaborn uphold.

This is an extremely frightening conjecture.

If this idea is correct, then it means that there exists in this world a being powerful enough to control Catastrophes!

This is unlike any other Great Beast.

In all books, the descriptions of the horrors of Great Beast are merely as depictions of Catastrophes... to indicate that these Great Beast possess destructive power akin to Catastrophes.

But Maria had never seen any book that said the Catastrophes were caused by Great Beast...

If all of this is true.

Does that mean that all the Catastrophes in this world are caused by that unknown entity?

And looking at the scale of this Catastrophes...

Maria looked up at the enormous, swirling clouds...

She really couldn't imagine how big the monster that could have caused all this must have been.

"..."

The elderly Three-Headed Hound did not answer. It simply looked at Maria and, with all its might, nudged Maria with its long-dormant body, as if urging her to leave.

But Maria simply stood quietly in place, silently watching it.

This Three-Headed Hound wants to protect Maria.

But clearly, Maria was not someone who would back down so easily.

Seeing that the other person had no intention of explaining the situation, she began to change the subject.

"You're protecting this place... why?"

"..."

"I don't think you can understand feelings like liking, loving, or protecting... but you are indeed protecting this place... protecting this land." Maria stroked the Great Beast's nose, looking into its hazy and confused eyes, and said softly, "Me too."

"..."

This time, the Three-Headed Hound finally responded.

It looked at Maria, and its massive body slowly rose.

The vines that were wrapped around its body snapped.

Clouds of dust rose from the ground.

It was at this moment that Maria noticed that the two heads beside it were no longer breathing.

They died long ago, leaving only this last one struggling to stay afloat.

Its enormous body truly revealed the aura of Great Beast, and terrifying power surged wildly!

The blast wave lifted the hem of Maria's dress.

But it couldn't budge her straight, pine-like body.

The aged Great Beast looked down at Maria, its blood-red eyes carrying a silent oppressive force.

At this moment, it no longer aged, but truly resembled the legendary monster capable of destroying the world, looking down upon Maria.

Its parted lips revealed its sharp teeth.

It seemed to be a test, a test of whether Maria's words were merely arrogance.

Maria also made her own response to the Great Beast.

Her eyes turned blood red, and her body became ethereal.

Delicate white flowers bloomed all around her feet, stirring up waves unseen by anyone.

Almost instantly, her aura materialized and collided with the Three-Headed Hound.

The Three-Headed Hound was momentarily stunned by what it saw.

But it made a decision even faster.

"Waaah--"

With a low growl, it slowly stood up.

Maria was also looking at him.

Its fur began to change rapidly.

The skin, which had been stiff, now felt as soft as a blanket.

It wriggled, gazing at the sky.

Then...

"Awoo--!"

A mournful wolf howl, carrying all its might, propelled it instantly towards the sky!

But this time, it could no longer be hidden.

As Maria watched, the second moon, hidden in the moonlit sky, slowly rose and revealed itself before Maria.

That is...

One eye!

It has always hung in the sky, watching over everything on this land!

It kept its eyes on Maria!

However, every time Maria turned her head, it would close its eyes to avoid Maria's gaze.

But this time...

Under the relentless pressure from the Three-Headed Hound, it had no choice but to reveal itself.

Maria watched it silently.

Without saying a word...

Chapter 254 The Real Enemy

Above the sky, dark red air currents began to churn rapidly.

A crack appeared on the distant moon.

But if you zoom out, you'll find that it's just its eye...

At this moment, the eye that had been forcibly exposed revealed an unprecedented level of anger.

Clearly, it didn't want to make eye contact with Maria at this moment.

This was forced upon them by Three-Headed Hound.

Maria, meanwhile, silently stared at the terrifying monster that was many times larger than herself.

Its size was so large that even Maria found it hard to believe.

It's important to understand that the weapon she cultivated in Yharnam, the Yharnam's Moon, was only about the size of one of the opponent's eyes...

The difference between the two is beyond description; it can no longer be described as an insurmountable gap.

The two sides are on completely different levels in size... This level of difference makes it difficult for them to be enemies.

While size doesn't tell the whole story for Great Beast, true strength is revealed in battle.

However, volume is also a criterion for judging ability.

Clearly, facing a monster of such form, it would be almost impossible for Maria to fight at all.

After all, someone can take a knife to the ground and claim they attacked a planet.

But who can say they can kill a planet?

But Maria wasn't one to back down so easily.

Even though the gap between the two sides was already so vast, she simply stood there, watching the Catastrophes that had been unleashed ahead of schedule, her eyes slowly turning blood red.

In the distant lake.

The water finally stopped churning.

But instead, countless terrifying monsters burst forth from it!

They surged onto the ground and took over the forest.

Its terrifying appearance seemed to have been captured from a human nightmare.

But at this point they did nothing more.

They stood still, gazing up at the sky.

Watching that blood-red cloud churn and swirl.

Everything... is ready!

The battle is about to begin!

"Sulfone--!"

The first wave that hit was a powerful blast of air!

At the center of the swirling clouds in the sky, a fiery red light flickered, and a terrifying, invisible wind fell to the ground with almost the most dreadful pressure, then frantically swept up everything around it!

Soil was swept up from the upper floors, trees were instantly cleaved, and a powerful shockwave ignited the air, surging towards Maria like a ferocious beast!