The monstrous bat-like creature, its massive form writhing in agony, thrashed across the ruined ground, each movement a testament to the unbearable pain of the dragon's fiery assault.
Desperation radiated from it, a palpable wave of primal fear, but there was no escape from the joyful flames that clung to its flesh. Kaijo, his youthful exuberance undimmed by the horrors they had faced, saw his chance and charged forward, his small form a beacon of determination against the backdrop of destruction, eager to deliver a final, decisive blow.
But the beast, sensing its imminent demise, rallied the last vestiges of its formidable power.
With a guttural roar that seemed to tear the very fabric of reality, it unleashed its ultimate, terrifying ability—"Void Collapse."
The air around them warped and twisted, swirling into a dark, ominous singularity that began to pull everything in its vicinity towards its insatiable maw.
Liu's instincts, honed by years of relentless training and perilous encounters, screamed a warning. Without a split second of hesitation, he called forth his magnificent red dragon, a creature of immense power and ethereal grace.
"Huānlè de huǒyàn," he commanded, his voice resonating with authority, "Joyful flames."
The dragon responded instantly, its vast maw opening to unleash a torrent of fiery energy. The flames erupted, pure and intense, swirling and coiling like a living, joyful entity before rocketing towards the collapsing void, a crimson comet streaking through the distorted air.
The moment the dragon's joyful flames collided with the beast's destructive wave, the two opposing forces met in a cataclysmic clash.
An explosion erupted, dwarfing anything they had witnessed before—its sheer size rivaled that of an atomic bomb, sending shockwaves rippling through the surrounding area, distorting the very air for miles.
Liu, his reflexes sharper than ever, grabbed both the determined Kaijo and the weakened Mikimo, teleporting them out of the blast radius just as the explosion reached its devastating peak. In the blink of an eye, they materialized within the secure, familiar walls of WanlingXin H.Q.
On the 37th floor of the towering skyscraper, Calg, a figure radiating an air of quiet competence, was deeply engrossed in paperwork when the sudden, violent blast shook the entire building.
His head snapped up, his curiosity instantly piqued. Instinctively, he rose from his desk and headed for the door, his movements fluid and purposeful. He peered cautiously around the corner but found nothing immediately out of the ordinary within the office space. It was only when his gaze drifted downwards that he noticed something truly unusual—a bloodied and battered Mikimo, supported by the composed Liu, and a younger boy he didn't recognize standing beside them.
The trio's sudden, almost unreal appearance in this secure location was a puzzle he intended to solve.
Without a moment's hesitation, Calg leaped down the impossible distance from the 37th floor, his descent defying gravity. His feet landed on the polished floor with a soft thud, completely unfazed by the dramatic entrance.
He swiftly closed the gap between them, materializing before the trio like a character stepping out of an action-packed film. His sharp gaze shifted from one weary face to the next, scanning them intently, assessing their injuries and their demeanor.
"I see you guys made it out alive…" Calg commented, his voice steady and calm, a stark contrast to the chaos they had just escaped. His gaze finally locked onto the wide-eyed Kaijo.
"Who's the kid...?" His eyes narrowed slightly, a subtle probing in their depths.
Liu, ever the calm and collected leader, responded without missing a beat.
"Oh, this kid helped us defeat the Void Beast, MoK, and Kalkuh. His name's Kaijo. Come on, Kaijo, introduce yourself." He gestured towards the younger boy with a welcoming hand.
Kaijo, his eyes still wide with a mixture of awe and lingering fear, took a deep breath, his small chest rising and falling. A newfound confidence, earned in the crucible of battle, shone in his earnest gaze.
"Whew... My name is Kaijo Hiemura, and I'm a 30th gen Flame apprentice, trying to become a warrior," he declared proudly, a hint of youthful bravado coloring his voice.
Calg's stern expression softened almost imperceptibly.
"Hmm..." He considered Kaijo for a moment, his gaze thoughtful.
"Go heal your injuries in the F-Tank," he commanded, his tone firm and unyielding, brooking no argument.
"F-Tank?" Liu raised a questioning eyebrow, clearly confused by the unfamiliar term.
"It's a tank that can heal fatal wounds, injuries on the verge of death. So get in there, quick. Now, go!" Calg repeated firmly, his hand gesturing impatiently toward the nearby hallway.
Mikimo, still visibly weakened and swaying slightly, nodded in understanding, the exhaustion evident in his pale face.
The trio began walking slowly toward the indicated direction, the weight of their recent battle heavy in the air. They were unsure of what awaited them, but the urgency in Calg's voice was unmistakable. Calg watched them for a moment, his gaze lingering on their retreating figures, before pressing a discreet button on the wall.
Three sections of the polished floor silently slid open, revealing a hidden stairwell leading downwards into the depths of the facility.
"The tanks are below you," Calg announced, his voice booming slightly in the now-open space.
"Go inside, weakest at the top, strongest at the bottom." He gestured for them to proceed down the hidden stairs.
Kaijo, Liu, and Mikimo exchanged uncertain glances, a silent debate passing between them as they tried to assess who among them was the weakest and who the strongest. The tension in the air was thick with unspoken questions and palpable uncertainty. Calg watched them silently, his unwavering gaze adding to their apprehension.
"I'll check your ability stats," he offered, his tone matter-of-fact as he pulled a sleek, metallic thermometer-like device from his jacket and held it briefly to each of their foreheads.
The small device hummed softly as it processed their bio-signatures and power levels, the tiny screen flickering with rapid calculations. After a few moments, Calg spoke with the air of someone who possessed absolute knowledge.
"From the calculations, Mikimo is the strongest, and Kaijo is the weakest," he stated plainly, his eyes scanning each of them in turn.
All three of them stood stunned by the unexpected pronouncement. The stark reality of their individual power levels, laid bare by the unassuming device, hit them harder than any physical blow they had endured. Mikimo, usually so humble and self-effacing, didn't know whether to feel a sense of pride or a surge of anxiety at being designated the strongest. Kaijo, despite being labeled the weakest, stood tall, his youthful resolve unwavering, accepting the assessment with a quiet determination.
Without further discussion, they each descended the hidden stairwell and entered the designated tanks. One by one, they submerged themselves into the shimmering, viscous healing waters.
The cylindrical tanks closed over them with a soft, almost imperceptible hiss, and their faces became obscured by the tight-fitting masks that sealed over their mouths and noses. The water rose up, enveloping them completely, and they slowly sank into the depths, where the outside world faded away and time seemed to stand still in the soothing embrace of the healing fluid.
Calg, having ensured they were safely ensconced in the tanks, moved back towards the upper floors with a quiet efficiency. As he pressed another button on the wall, the sections of the floor slid silently back into place, sealing the hidden stairwell and the healing tanks below with a sense of finality.
Calg ascended back to his office, his footsteps echoing softly in the now-silent corridors. With a final, almost imperceptible glance at the trio from above, his expression unreadable, he resumed his interrupted work, the weight of the ongoing battle still heavy in the air.
He knew, with a grim certainty, that their fight was far from over.