?

"Give it your best shot! Everyone's fate is sealed!

" Paente grinned viciously, spreading his arms wide.

Souta leaped into the sky, brandishing his sword. Crackling with lightning, the blade descended in a powerful arc.

A bolt of lightning streaked towards Paente, triggering a massive explosion enveloped in smoke.

Boom!

From within the haze emerged Paente, wearing a malevolent grin. Suddenly, his expression shifted as webs charged with lightning rained down from all directions.

Using the electrified webs to propel himself, Souta darted around Paente, landing slashes on his chest and maneuvering with agility.

Swoosh! Swoosh!

Paente struggled to keep up with Souta's lightning-fast movements, sustaining slashes to his neck, face, and body. Before he could react, the webs ensnared him, constricting his movements.

Gritting his teeth, Paente tore through the webbing, only to find Souta standing before him.

In the next instant, he was hurtled into one of the tree's branches, a gaping wound on his chest. Paente swiftly rose to his feet, his neck and other injuries healing rapidly.

"Resistance is futile! The end draws near!

" Paente chuckled, gesturing with both hands. Hundreds of branches converged simultaneously, hurtling towards Souta.

Souta refused to yield, charging forward and swiftly cleaving through the branches obstructing his path. In a blink, he stood face to face with Paente, bringing down his dual blades in a relentless strike.

Paente dodged at the last moment, narrowly evading the lethal slash, yet the sheer force behind it grazed his skin.

Souta's gaze narrowed. With each passing second, Paente grew more formidable, presenting an increasingly daunting challenge.

Swoosh!!

Souta observed as Paente lunged forward. Recoiling his blade, Souta aimed for Paente's neck, piercing it, but to no avail. Unfazed, Paente pressed on, ignoring the blade lodged in his flesh. Seizing Souta by the shoulder, Paente delivered a devastating blow to his stomach.

Bang!

Souta's form dispersed into a stream of light, hurtling to the ground from a considerable height, creating a colossal crater upon impact.

Spitting out a mouthful of blood, Souta realized the futility of targeting vital points. His only recourse lay in annihilating every particle comprising Paente's being—a formidable task indeed.

Surveying his surroundings, Souta noted the considerable distance separating him from the colossal tree, where Kessa valiantly battled to destroy it.

Paente descended slowly, his eyes ablaze with madness, numerous branches sprouting from his back. His aura remained as potent as ever.

"Hehe, this is quite exhilarating...

" Souta chuckled, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth.

...

In other regions of the country, the remaining skilled fighters valiantly shielded civilians from the relentless onslaught of humanoid figures crafted from trees.

Explosions and battle cries reverberated across the battlefield as spells were unleashed into the air, decimating the humanoid adversaries.

Among them, Vashno stood guard over the Darkna Clan alongside fellow warriors, his strength undeniable but overwhelmed by the sheer number of foes.

"She didn't even bother to explain why safeguarding the Master Clans' manors is crucial,

" Vashno grumbled inwardly as he delivered a powerful blow to another humanoid figure, the resulting shockwave engulfing nearby enemies.

Exhaling heavily, he surveyed the scene, his expression growing grim at the sight of countless black dots dotting the sky. Each dot represented a humanoid spawned from the colossal tree, their sheer quantity casting a pall of dread over the battlefield.

There must have been at least a million of these humanoids, a force beyond his capacity to vanquish alone.

"The worst battle I've faced in my life...

" Vashno muttered through clenched teeth, his gaze shifting towards the towering tree. Though obstructed by the throng of adversaries, he sensed the intense energy emanating from its vicinity. The Nine-Headed Hydra persisted in its relentless assault on the tree, while closer still, Souta engaged in combat with an unidentified foe.

Abruptly, Vashno's attention was drawn to a presence emanating from the Darkna Clan's manor.

"Is someone inside?

" Vashno's gaze narrowed, his attention drawn to the Darkna Clan's manor.

Within the confines of the manor, a figure emerged from the gate—a striking woman clad in crimson.

"Listen to me,

" she uttered, her finger trailing along the gate's edge as she surveyed her surroundings.

The warriors aiding Vashno remained locked in combat, oblivious to the woman's presence until her voice pierced through the chaos. Though curious, their focus remained on the relentless onslaught of humanoid adversaries. Only Vashno, having momentarily cleared his immediate vicinity of foes, had the luxury to spare a moment's attention.

"Were you the one who roused me from my slumber?

" The woman's voice echoed amidst the swarm of humanoids encircling the manor.

"Ah, speechless, are you? How lamentable,

" she remarked, her eyes aglow with a faint crimson hue. With a sweeping motion of her hand, a burst of light erupted, vanquishing every humanoid in her vicinity, leaving the area eerily devoid of foes.

Vashno's eyes widened in astonishment, struggling to comprehend the swift turn of events. The woman's actions transpired too swiftly for him to follow.

Unperturbed, the woman continued her stride, paying no heed to the warriors engaged in combat with the remaining humanoids.

"It appears everyone left me here. Perhaps I should pay a visit to the one who disturbs my slumber,

" she mused aloud, her gaze drifting towards the distant figures locked in combat.

Turning her attention aside, she beheld the colossal spectacle of the Nine-Headed Hydra locked in battle with the towering tree. Despite its immense size, the hydra seemed dwarfed by the colossal proportions of the tree, spanning dozens of kilometers.

Selnes Country boasted a landmass exceeding three thousand square kilometers, yet the tree's branches enveloped every inch of it, surpassing even some of the legendary World Trees in magnitude.

"They should never have tampered with the barrier's regulations. All they've done is exacerbate the situation by granting these entities flight. If Ice Death hadn't intervened, these creatures would remain grounded,

" she remarked with a note of disdain.

Boom!!

Souta plummeted to the ground once more, coughing as he struggled to rise. Paente soared towards him, crashing into his previous location with earth-shaking force.

Surveying the sharp branch protruding from his abdomen, Souta tore it out without hesitation, the wound swiftly healing.

Paente dispelled the smoke with a wave of his hand, fixing Souta with a fierce gaze as he roared,

"Why won't you die?! Accept your fate! Embrace the impending annihilation of worlds and dimensions!

"

"Can't finish me off? You'll have to try harder,

" Souta retorted with a laugh, undeterred by his numerous injuries. Both he and Paente possessed remarkable regenerative abilities, rendering them evenly matched in endurance.

Suddenly, Souta and Paente ceased their battle, both turning their heads in unison as they sensed the arrival of a formidable presence. While they might have ignored a lesser expert, this newcomer exuded strength that demanded attention.

Stepping forward, a woman caught their gaze, her eyes locking onto Paente with unwavering focus—Red Mist.

"You... You're still lingering here,

" Souta remarked, his eyes narrowing with suspicion.

Recalling their departure from the barrier with Hoei, Souta realized he hadn't sensed Red Mist's presence then. What role would Hoei play after infiltrating the ranks of the Deadly Sins?

With a faint smile, Red Mist raised her hand, directing her attention towards Paente.

"Are you the one who disturbed my sleep?

" she inquired calmly. Her gaze then shifted upwards as she added,

"You're the mastermind behind that colossal tree. It seems the tree's roots have ensnared the barrier, a development perhaps even Ice Death failed to anticipate. Can you create an opening to allow me to depart this place?

"

"Leave? No one escapes from here! All shall perish! Every last one of you!

" Paente bellowed, his hand lashing out towards Red Mist like a whip, slicing through the land with devastating force.

Bang!!

The ground quaked beneath the impact.

Paente recoiled as flames engulfed his form, emitting a pained cry.

Argh!!

Turning, he beheld Red Mist standing behind him, her lips pursed in determination as she extended her hand wreathed in flames.

"Negotiation have failed. Now, it's time to incinerate the blighted foliage,

" she declared solemnly.

With her proclamation, a torrent of flames erupted from her being, a tempest of inferno cascading outward in all directions. The temperature soared as the scorching heatwave radiated across the battlefield.

Boom!

Observing the spectacle, Souta couldn't help but recall memories from the game. Red Mist remained as formidable as ever.

Red Mist, the Flame Spirit Judicator, the Witch Embers of Terror. Her power was unmistakable, her presence a force to be reckoned with.