The Author's POV

Booom—!

Large portions of the hall collapsed inwardly, crashing against the ground beneath them as the sound of a significant explosion reverberated through the air.

Boom—! Boom—!

The hall continued to shake, and dust continued to fly into the air, creating a veil that obscured what was taking place behind it.

In the midst of the veil, bright white lights flashed while muffled explosions accompanied them.

Each impact was felt throughout the entire headquarters, as buildings collapsed and the dome protecting the facility continuously flickered. Cracks soon started to form, and alarms started to ring.

This didn't last for long, however.

Silence soon returned to the headquarters in the aftermath of the short conflict.

A great number of figures were seen lying on the ground as they took their final breaths, and those that were still alive did not even dare to move an inch.

They were helpless in the face of the overwhelming power that radiated from the hall, and they dared not even consider the events that had transpired there. Whatever had taken place was beyond their comprehension.

Within the destroyed hall.

"Uakh…h-how is this possible?"

Hemlock had a difficult time catching his breath. He looked up at two crimson red eyes that shone menacingly against the dark backdrop of the hall as a hand clenched tightly around his throat.

"How are… you this s-strong?"

It made no sense. It was impossible!

'This can't be real. How is this possible!?'

He, who had just broken through rank was supposed to be the strongest human in existence.

Apart from Octavious, there shouldn't be anyone else that could pose a threat against him, so…

How?

How was this possible?

"I-t makes no sense!"

"Of course, it doesn't."

The mute sound of Kevin's voice gradually made its way to him. Shivers ran down Hemlock's spine as he noticed his calm gaze pause on him.

He continued.

"The sacrifice and pain I underwent to get to where I am isn't something that the likes of you can ever hope to understand."

His power wasn't something he had acquired over the course of a couple of decades.

Far from it.

It was a skill he had acquired through a million distinct regressions. Throughout the centuries, he died over and over again. Endlessly.

To the point where death was merely a number to him.

All of it was for this one moment.

"Be glad you got to live as long as you did. If not because I allowed it, you wouldn't have lived as long as you did."

Had he not recovered his memories and power this late, he would have long since killed him. What he was doing now was something he should've done a while back but didn't.

...It was the last thing that he needed to do.

"Ukh!"

his grip on his neck, staring deeply into Hemlock's eyes, which shook with

to be able to

are you

trying

reason why Kevin would attempt to conceal their strength and only

would such action bring

worry about such

his neck. Once

time, maybe you would've been able to accomplish what you set

Crack—!

as the

my interests, and for that, you

like that, the leader of the Monolith, and an

Thump—!

threw his body to the side, and as he did so, his limp trembled, and he quickly

"Pffff."

as his face began to turn pale, and he fell to the ground

Bu..thump! Bu..thump! Bu..thump!

thumping against the back of his throat. He felt a sense of

"Ugh…a

pain that he was experiencing. Every single second seemed like an eternity to him, and the pain in his chest increased with every breath he

though he was being

he rolled around

"Pffff."

It took everything that he had in him to

himself to pass

Not yet.

have much

***

Human Domain.

all along the derelict streets and buildings that were

Clank—! Clank—!

alliance and the members of the Monolith. There was blood everywhere on the ground, and significant casualties

faintly hear

up above

Boom—!

already, you old

high-pitched voice echoed through the air. It belonged to a girl with orange hair who was covered in orange armor. The armor complimented her body perfectly and covered all areas of her body. Not leaving a single

woman who was standing in the opposite direction from her, and as she did so, a soft hue floated out

"Y-ou…"

angry look. Her white hair was all over her face, and her clothes

did you

wasn't supposed to

for someone of Monica's stature to show up? She wasn't supposed to be here! She was supposed to be guarding Ashton

It didn't make sense!

they take

'Did…did he betray us?'

of what happened a little while back

an abrupt realization about something. It was the only explanation she could come up with at the moment, and her

"Don't tell me…"

Beeep—! Beeep—! Beeep—!

woman's expression morphed dramatically as an alarming beeping sound suddenly reverberated throughout

it! Damn

time to finish what she was saying

Booooooom—!

was accompanied by a deafening boom that seemed

explosion was so strong that it lifted the ground from underneath it, resulting in a mushroom cloud of ash, rubble, and smoke filling the sky, which in

in its path and destroying it. A desolate landscape was left behind after the explosion as a result of the shockwave that traveled for

an eerie silence, followed by what was comparable to the cracking sound of a