Stark stood among the wreckage of his battle with Eternal Regret, breathing heavily, his eyes scanning the chaotic battlefield.
The message flashed before him and every other participant:
[Eternal Regret has been killed by "Chosen"]
[6 Participants Alive: Chosen, Sora, Lilith, Follower, Clever, and CEO.]
[4 Monsters Alive: Mayor, Butler Trio, Tormented One, Heartless One.]
He didn't waste a moment, and he didn't care about taking a break or anything of the sort.
There were still monsters to take down, and he wanted to do it quickly.
As he turned, he caught sight of Sora and Lilith struggling against a towering figure with black wings: the Heartless One.
They were keeping their ground, but their breaths were heavy, their movements slowing.
A bit farther, Clever faced off against the Tormented One, moving in sharp, precise strikes that seemed to almost mock the creature.
Though for some strange reason, no matter how many times Clever hit that thing, it simply wouldn't go down.
CEO, meanwhile, battled the Mayor and his three butlers, looking barely able to fend them off.
And somewhere in the shadows lurked Follower.
Stark frowned.
He could sense Follower's presence nearby, and that dark aura he carried was all too familiar.
The moment he had seen Follower, he'd sensed it.
"Godless Demon?" he had thought, a shiver running down his spine.
It was an aura he'd felt twice before, and it had always signaled danger.
But there wasn't time to worry about him now.
Sora and Lilith needed help.
Without hesitation, Stark dashed toward them, his mind quickly analyzing the situation.
He activated [Perception] as he moved, locking onto the Heartless One's stats and skills.
...
[Name: Heartless One, Moonscorch Commander, Immortal-Level]
[Level: 600]
[HP: 10,000,000]
[Skills: Halo of Despair, Spear of Divine Ruin, Blackblade Cleave, Winged Judgment, Duality Strike, Serene Malice, Harbinger's Descent, Soul Rapture, Heavenly Spearfall, Void Embrace, Golden Retribution, Sin Seeker, Angel's Lament, Dark Purification (Mythical), Eternal Suffering (Mythical), Celestial Annihilation (Godly), Eternal Suffering (Godly), Divine Scorn (Immortal)]
...
Stark's eyes narrowed.
Heartless One was far from an ordinary foe. He had to act fast.
Sora and Lilith barely held their ground, sweat lining their faces as they kept striking with everything they had.
But it was too late.
Her dark gaze met Sora's, and a tendril of energy lashed out, sapping Sora's health and adding it to Heartless One's own.
Sora's face paled, her knees buckling.
Stark threw himself in front of her and sent his [Crimson Spears] in a sweeping arc, forcing Heartless One to break her focus.
Lilith seized the opening, her [Mystic Bindings] wrapping around Heartless One, momentarily holding her in place.
"Now!" Lilith shouted, her voice strained.
Stark summoned [Spear of Judgment], a colossal weapon forming above him, radiating holy light. He hurled it down with all his might, aiming to break through Heartless One's defense.
The spear smashed into her, sending her reeling back, her wings fluttering weakly.
-2,783,911!
The damage was incredible!
But Heartless One's fury only grew.
"Enough!" she roared, her voice echoing with rage.
With a flick of her hand, she unleashed [Void Embrace], a zone of distorted energy that made their vision swim, hallucinations flickering in and out.
Stark blinked, his sight blurred, but he steeled himself, using [Focus] to stay on track, dodging her [Duality Strike] as it aimed for him.
She understood that Stark was the reason she was losing ground in this battle, and so just like all the others, she aimed for him.
Lilith, breathing hard, lifted her hand and activated [Qi Barrier], protecting herself and Sora from the swirling dark energy around them.
Then she channeled her [Healing Aura], restoring some of her strength and helping Sora recover.
The emotionless girl obviously didn't stand still either, using [Regenerative Drop].
Heartless One scowled, raising her black blade high, her voice a low growl.
"Do you really think you can win? I am beyond your reach!" She charged at them, her blade glowing with a dark light as she executed [Blackblade Cleave], sending waves of damaging energy in every direction.
Stark twisted, dodging, while Sora and Lilith managed to avoid the worst of it, though their movements were visibly slowing.
Realizing their fatigue, Stark knew he needed to do it all himself, grabbing Heartless One's spear with his six arms (4 from [Asura's Wrath]), then after punching her away.
-432,904!
"You...you DARE!" Heartless One screeched, her wings stretching to their fullest.
And so with a look of utter contempt, she activated one of her most powerful skills.
[Celestial Annihilation].
At that moment, the battlefield seemed to freeze.
Heartless One's dark and holy energies merged around her, swirling into an ominous, crackling aura.
Her spear and blade aligned as she pointed them forward, the mixed energy converging into a single, colossal beam of power.
Stark, Sora, and Lilith barely had time to react, their eyes widening as the blinding light intensified.
The air hummed with an unbearable tension, and Stark's heartbeat thundered in his ears.
The ground shook as Heartless One released the devastating blast, the beam stretching across the battlefield with unimaginable force, heading straight for them.
The sheer power and size of the attack left everyone stunned, and even the other participants and monsters knew they could be damaged if it hit them.