-----

As this healing light encompassed the entire world of Eden, the Hivemind felt wounded, as if this light was burning through his body. He felt pain and anger as he glanced furiously at Manationia, this healing light was like a holy water for an undead, it was burning and painful, and the more he was showered on it, the more painful it becomes. Thankfully he had the power of his shadows, which he employed into many barriers to protect himself. But would that be enough? He was feeling more and more tired by using his powers, and somehow, there was a lack of energy.

He was gaining less and less energy as time went on, and this wasn't improving, each second the divine energy he gained was lesser! And alongside that, he felt like his control over his devotees was becoming dimmer, they stopped praying to him! The Hivemind felt completely cornered now without Manationia doing a single thing!

"T-This is impossible…! My energy… Your light…! Your light is doing this?!

" He asked in disbelief, as he directed his words towards the angel-like figure of Manationia floating on the skies.

Manationia who was concentrated into the task of healing and freeing the people was suddenly awakened from her trance as the job was already done in less than a minute, and Octo looked down at the Hivemind while furrowing her eyebrows.

"The Hivemind is weakening, Manationia!

" She said.

"I think that because you healed all those being brainwashed, whoever is praying for him barely amounts to anything! Most of his power was from brainwashed people praying to him, but now that he got barely any honest believers, he's growing weaker by the second!

"

"The Dark Lord of the Depth's real name is Hivemind…?

" Wondered Manationia.

"So you're like some alien from the past? Have you been doing all of this just to revive and free yourself?

"

Manationia wanted to speak a bit with the Hivemind, which surprised him greatly, perhaps she still had many doubts about the past, or maybe she was being cautious of him because she knew he was still strong enough to kill her if she lowered her guard?! If that was the case, then the Hivemind believed he could still beat her if he tried hard enough!

"I have no name. The names they give me do not represent what I am!

" Roared the Hivemind. He suddenly gathered energy within his entire body and jumped towards Manationia in an instant, like a meteor made of darkness! The enormous quantities of divine energy he emanated were all converted into this darkness, which enhanced his power and speed, he attempted to attack Manationia head-on and kill her before she regained her composure!

FLAAAAASH!

"DIEEEE!

"

He gathered all his energy within the core of his body, his enormous crimson-red eyes and then gathered them all together into a gigantic compound eye, firing an enormous beam of dark red energy towards Manationia!

CLAAAASH!

And while Manationia was hit by this tremendous attack, the Hivemind reached her at long last and used his enormous tentacles to wrap them around her and catch her off-guard, quickly beginning to entrap her with them and coiling them around her entire body, he was beginning to slowly and tightly crush her, all while his darkness began to devour and infect her entire body!

"Hahahah! You were way too slow! You have yet to process all that power, right?!

" He asked.

"Don't worry, I will devour you and make use of that body of yours, after all, I used to be originally a parasite, a host really suits me well- Eh?

"

The Hivemind was already singing victory way too ahead of time! He was too slow to realize because he was going all out and the usage of all his abilities made him think that Manationia had not chance to win now, but he quickly realized that his darkness was not being able to swallow her, and that his shadows were unable to infect her as well, in fact, he also realized that her metallic golden hands covered in sharp claws were tightly grasping his entire body, making him almost feel as if he was asphyxiating!

And because his entire body was made of his divine soul now, he felt even more pain as his divine soul was being tightly wrapped around her claws, and slowly compressed by her! Manationia was doing this carefreely, while sharply looking at the Hivemind as if she had no interest in an intense fight to the death or something, in fact, she had already surpassed his strength the moment he lost all those prayers, which were his only saving grace now that he lacked a physical body!

"UGGRRAAAAAHH…! I-It hurts! It hurtssssss…! S-Stop…! AAAGGGHH…!

"

The claws of Manationia pressed him so hard that the Hivemind couldn't help but scream in agony, his crimson-red eyes looked in utter horror at Manationia's expressionless face, and even Octo at her side who smiled cheekily back at him! The Hivemind felt so frustratedly furious and also horrified by the realization that he had become so weak that the girl he had managed to overpower and almost kill back then was now easily handling him!

"What's wrong? You were not even that hard to catch… You came directly to me for some reason…

" Sighed Manationia.

"I guess this'll only made it easier.

"

Manationia had completely changed in personality as well, she wasn't as humble now, she was in fact arrogant, acting cockily with the Hivemind, as if he were a mere ant to crush now! And her claws continued to press against him! The pain was severe, and the Hivemind was growing weaker and more pained by the second!

In a desperate attempt at saving himself, the Hivemind tried to attack Manationia with the last energy he had within the core of his Soul, unleashing an explosion of shadows and darkness right over her face!

BOOOOMMM!!!

The darkness and shadows hit her directly! However, the black smoke dissipated quickly, and what was revealed was a Manationia that was completely fine! Not a single speck of darkness was infecting her glorious beauty!

"What a disappointment.

"

-----