Heavy rain poured down, and Broken Wind City was in ruins at night. Fires flickered and smoldered under the relentless downpour, turning into thick, rising steam. Amidst the rubble, the cries of the wounded, the roars of soldiers, and the guttural growls of merfolk intertwined in a chaotic symphony, while the massive beast continued its rampage, tearing the city apart.
It was once the son of the city lord. But now, it was nothing more than a monster consumed by a curse and madness.
Boom!
With a swipe of its colossal claws, a half-collapsed clock tower crumbled completely, sending bricks and debris crashing down, shrouding the streets in a cloud of dust.
Leo, Luna, and Dan stood in a tense formation around the monster, exchanging glances filled with complex emotions. None of them wished to deal a fatal blow. However, the destruction had gone too far—there was no time left to hesitate.
"Hua, stop!" The city lord's voice echoed through the rain. He stood atop the ruins, rainwater streaming down his tattered cloak, his eyes brimming with anguish. "I am your father! Wake up!"
But the monster did not respond. It only roared, thrashed, and continued its rampage.
Its body had completely mutated—deep blue-black scales covered its once human form, its previously slender merfolk tail now thick and coiled like a serpent, its fin-like appendages sharp as blades, slicing through the stone streets and leaving deep gashes in their wake. Its eyes were devoid of reason—only an endless fury and unbearable torment remained.
Leo tightened his grip on his sword, looking at the city lord with a solemn expression.
"My lord, we can't delay any longer…"
The city lord's fists trembled slightly. But in the end, he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and slowly nodded.
"Hold him off for me." His voice carried a resolute sorrow. "I need time to prepare."
Leo was the first to nod. "Understood."
"Leave it to us." Luna adjusted her mechanical arm, the sound of gears clicking into place crisp and sharp against the backdrop of rain.
Dan didn't speak. He merely gave the city lord a long look before raising a hand—water from the rain coalescing into razor-sharp blades, hovering around him, ready to strike.
——
The battle erupted once more.
The monster's roar tore through the night as its massive tail swept across the battlefield, toppling structures and sending debris flying. But Leo had already leaped away, dodging the attack. His sword gleamed with a faint light as he swung it down at the beast's shoulder. Sparks flew—though the blade failed to pierce its scales, it succeeded in drawing the creature's attention.
Luna moved swiftly, maneuvering to the other side, her mechanical arm launching concentrated energy blasts at the beast's joints, forcing it into a defensive stance.
Dan's strikes were the sharpest of all—his water blades sliced through the monster's scales with precision, each strike stripping away pieces of its armor. Yet, its regenerative abilities were terrifying. Within moments, the wounds closed, as if they had never been inflicted.
Meanwhile, human soldiers and merfolk warriors had joined the fray, weapons clashing as they fought against the rampaging beast.
Time passed second by second. Ten whole minutes later, the city lord finally completed his preparations.
——
Above the battlefield, an enormous magic circle unfurled, glowing a deep crimson that bathed the ruined city in eerie light. Flames gathered in the air, their scorching heat distorting the falling rain.
The city lord's gaze was filled with sorrow and guilt as he spoke his final words, his voice heavy with grief.
"I'm sorry, my child… but I must protect my people."
As his words fell, the magic circle ignited—countless fireballs rained down like divine retribution, crashing onto the monster's body.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Explosions of flame engulfed the creature, scorching its scales and searing its flesh. Its agonized roars shook the heavens as it staggered under the onslaught, its massive form finally collapsing under the relentless blaze.
It lay amidst the ruins, blood seeping between its charred scales. Rainwater washed over its blackened wounds, yet even in this state, it did not regain its sanity. It continued to writhe and howl in agony.
The city lord collapsed to the ground, his face pale—his magic completely depleted.
——
But just when everyone thought the battle was over, something changed.
From the monster's broken body, wisps of black mist began to rise, swirling in the air before slowly coalescing into a humanoid silhouette.
A deep, mocking voice echoed through the ruins.
"Leo, it's been a long time."
Rain poured down over the shattered city. Thunder cracked through the sky. Leo froze, his gaze locking onto the swirling black mist.
That voice… who was it?
Since losing his memory, he had no recollection of this voice. Yet, an inexplicable sense of unease crept into his heart.
Dan, however, reacted instantly—his expression twisted in shock before his hands clenched into fists, his voice filled with fury.
"Orion! How are you here?! So this was all your doing?!"
The figure in the black mist chuckled softly, his tone laced with amusement.
"So you still remember me, Dan."
Dan's eyes turned ice-cold, his voice seething with hatred. "It's been decades, but your voice… I'd never forget it."
Orion laughed, seemingly satisfied with Dan's reaction.
"Then allow me to give you a special gift."
As soon as he spoke, the black mist surged—tendrils of darkness lashed out like venomous snakes, coiling around the monster's broken body.
At the same time, a terrifying energy erupted from beneath the earth—
Boom!
The ground of Broken Wind City cracked apart, and a pool of deep crimson blood burst forth, its boiling liquid surging toward the fallen creature.
The monster convulsed violently. Its wounds healed at an unnatural speed, its blood-red eyes darkening further with an even more savage madness. Its scales shifted from blue-black to a deep, ominous crimson. The air around it trembled with its overwhelming, monstrous presence.
"Hahahahaha!" Orion's laughter echoed through the stormy night. "I hope you all enjoy the show."
Leo, Luna, and Dan watched in horror as the transformation unfolded—an unshakable sense of dread settling in their hearts.
The streets of Broken Wind City were in ruins. Rainwater trickled down the crumbling walls, mixing with the bloodstained puddles that filled the air with a metallic scent. The deep, guttural roars of the monstrous young lord echoed through the city, sending shivers down the spine.
The energy of the blood pool had completely fused with the creature's body. Black bloodlines intertwined across its form like veins, and a layer of crimson armor sprouted from its flesh, making it look like a beast from the depths of hell. Its eyes were fully dyed in blood-red, tears slipping down like drops of blood, reflecting both agony and uncontrollable rage.
The monster threw back its head and let out a furious roar. The sheer force of the soundwave caused the surrounding buildings to tremble violently, bricks and debris collapsing from above. It felt as if the entire Broken Wind City was shuddering under its wrath. Even more terrifying was the fact that its body had started adapting to the storm—it was no longer hindered by the rain. Instead, the downpour seemed to enhance its power.
"Damn it..." Dan clenched his fists, his expression darkening as he sensed the monster's rapidly escalating energy.
Before he could finish his sentence, the monster suddenly leaped forward, moving through the rain like a fish in water. Its figure blurred as it soared, gliding and diving through the air with an agility that left everyone stunned.
The next moment, it spread its arms wide, gathering a crimson vortex in its palms. The swirling rain compressed within, condensing into a long, deep-red spear. With a low growl, the monster hurled the spear straight at the city lord!
"City Lord!" Luna gasped, raising her hands to cast a spell, but before she could finish, the spear had already pierced through the air at a terrifying speed—too fast to dodge!
At the last possible moment, a golden barrier suddenly materialized before the city lord. The spear collided with it with an ear-splitting crash before shattering under the force of the golden light, breaking into countless blood-red droplets that rained onto the ground.
Leo, Luna, and Dan turned their heads toward the source of the magic. Standing atop the ruins was a tattered-robed beggar, his aged eyes carrying an indescribable authority. He raised his hand slightly, golden energy rippling in his palm—the magic that had deflected the attack.
"It's you…" The city lord's expression shifted as he looked at the beggar, seemingly recognizing him.
The beggar gave no response. His gaze remained locked on the monster as he once again gathered magic in his hands. Radiant blades of light formed at his fingertips, and with a swift motion, he sent them shooting toward the beast like a storm of daggers.
But to everyone's shock, the moment the light blades touched the creature, they simply vanished—dissipating into nothing, as if striking empty air. Not a single scratch was left behind.
A flicker of confusion crossed the beggar's eyes. Without hesitation, he unleashed another wave of attacks—flames, lightning, wind blades—each spell hitting the monster, yet all dissolved upon impact.
"How is this possible?" The beggar frowned, his expression growing heavier. "My magic… has no effect at all?"
Dan and the others were equally stunned. They quickly launched their own attacks—Leo swung his sword, Luna cast elemental magic, and Dan manipulated seawater into razor-sharp blades. But no matter how they struck, the creature remained unscathed. On the contrary, the relentless assaults only seemed to enrage it further.
With a sudden, violent sweep of its arm, the monster released a crimson shockwave, instantly neutralizing every attack and forcing Luna and the others back.
"Damn it…" Dan gritted his teeth, his frustration boiling over. "Just what the hell has this thing become?!"
At that moment, as if by pure accident, Leo's broken sword slashed across the creature's arm—and this time, it left a deep, bleeding wound! The monster let out a pained howl, dark blood spilling from the gash, proof that it had been genuinely harmed.
"Huh?" Leo froze for a second. Then, out of nowhere, a familiar, solemn voice echoed in his mind—
"Leo, the monster has absorbed too much of our merfolk power and has undergone irreversible mutation. Ordinary magic will no longer harm it. Now, only the power of the Tide Sanctuary Tree can affect it."
"The Tidal Sacred Tree?" Leo's heart pounded. He looked down at his broken sword, finally noticing the faint silver wave patterns along the blade, glowing softly as if responding to the Tide Sanctuary Tree's presence.
Realization dawned on him. Taking a deep breath, he turned to Luna and shouted, "Luna, cast a flight spell on me! I need to get up there and take it down!"
Luna hesitated for only a moment before nodding. A blue magic circle formed beneath Leo's feet, and in the next instant, he was airborne, soaring toward the monster hovering above.
Sensing the threat, the monster lashed out, swiping its bloodstained claws at Leo. But Leo twisted midair, nimbly dodging the attack. Gripping his sword tightly, his gaze sharpened with unwavering resolve. As the power of the Tidal Sacred Tree surged through him, his broken blade traced a brilliant azure arc through the air—aimed straight at the monster's heart!
From a distance, the beggar watched the scene unfold, a flash of shock flickering in his eyes. His gaze fixed on the sword in Leo's hands, as if recognizing something familiar.
Then, with a deep sigh, he slowly reached for the edges of his tattered robe.
As the robe slipped away, a strong, battle-hardened middle-aged man was revealed beneath. Though streaked with gray, his hair and beard only added to his imposing presence. But what shocked everyone the most was the transformation taking place before their eyes—
His legs gradually turned translucent before shifting into a shimmering silver-blue fishtail. Scales rippled across his skin, and his entire aura changed in an instant.
"This…" Dan's eyes widened in pure disbelief. A distant memory resurfaced in his mind.
He stared at the man's face and, after a long moment, murmured in shock, "Grandfather…?"
The beggar said nothing, his expression solemn as he gazed at the monstrous figure before him. Then, in a voice deep and firm, he declared,
"It's time to end this."