Chapter 62: Title: The Battle for Seoul
A heavy silence settled over the ruined cityscape as the Ss-ranked hunters and The Ten stood face to face. The air between them crackled with tension, the energy of battle thick in the atmosphere. Seoul was already in ruins, its streets littered with debris, broken glass, and the bodies of civilians crushed beneath fallen buildings.
The battle had barely begun, yet the devastation was immeasurable.
Thomas exhaled, his muscles tightening as his body began to morph. His Shen Nature Transformation activated, his features subtly shifting—his hands and feet reshaping into feline claws, his eyes sharpening into predatory slits, pupils glowing with an unnatural pupil hue.
A light growl rumbled from his throat. He had taken on the form of a great cat—built for speed, precision, and agility.
Mujin's sharp eyes flicked toward Thomas and muttered under his breath.
"Speedster Cat Mode… I see. You're going to need that speed."
Yet as Mujin spoke, a grim realization dawned upon him—he had already exhausted a significant portion of his Shen. His Tobu (Jumping) technique, while formidable, had drained him more than he had anticipated. Teleportation on his scale required an immense amount of Shen, even for an elite like him.
He clenched his jaw, his gaze drifting toward another sector of the city. His instincts screamed at him—he needed to check on Sakamoto.
But he stayed still. There were more pressing matters at hand.
Daisuke, standing at Mujin's side, caught the flicker of concern on his face. She frowned.
"You can't handle everything alone, Mujin," she said. "Trust us. We've got this with you."
Before Mujin could respond—
A deep, ear-splitting ROAR shook the city.
All eyes snapped toward the towering behemoth known as Asmodra, The Thousand-Limbed Harbinger.
Perched atop the monstrous entity, Huey grinned. His fingers pressed against the massive head of his summoned beast.
"Are you done preparing?" he called out mockingly. "Then let's begin."
Huey slammed his palm against Asmodra's skull.
KA-BOOOOOOOOOM!
The abomination opened its grotesque, mask-like mouth, expelling an enormous wave of compressed air. The attack raced forward like a hurricane, flattening buildings in its path, reducing them to dust in an instant.
The sheer force of it tore through Seoul's infrastructure, causing four simultaneous explosions as it collided with multiple buildings.
Mujin's form blurred.
Tobu.
In the blink of an eye, he vanished from the blast zone.
Thomas, now fully adapted to his Speedster Cat Mode, reacted on pure instinct. With feline grace, he twisted his body midair, using his enhanced agility to escape the collapsing structure beneath him.
Daisuke was already forming seals with her hands.
"Summoning Technique: Sky Guardian!"
A massive hawk burst forth from thin air, its massive wings flaring as it swooped down and caught Daisuke mid-fall. She leapt onto its back, soaring high above the destruction.
Frozen, in his usual cold demeanor, simply dissolved into smoke.
The entire district of Seoul shook, the echoes of destruction resounding like thunder across the city.
A New Threat Descends
From atop Asmodra, one of The Ten leapt down, landing gracefully on the rubble below.
A towering figure emerged—a man with an extra eye embedded in his palm, sealed shut.
It was Number 3, The Combust Man of The Ten
His third eye snapped open, glowing a deep crimson as he stretched his palm toward Daisuke, still soaring above the battlefield.
A piercing, whistling sound tore through the air.
A devastating blast of energy launched from his palm, its trajectory locked onto Daisuke's hawk.
SZZZZZAAAAAAM!
The blast slammed into the hawk's wing, sending feathers spiraling through the sky. The mighty bird faltered, screeching in pain as its flight became erratic.
Daisuke gritted her teeth, tightening her grip as she quickly assessed the damage.
Before she could act, Combust Man struck again.
His second palm rose, another beam shot screaming through the sky.
BOOOOM!
The hawk exploded in a fiery burst.
Daisuke barely had time to react—she twisted her body, launching herself into the air before the explosion consumed her.
She wouldn't fall so easily.
Her back sprouted bar-like wings, dark and menacing, keeping her aloft as she countered.
"Echos of Doom."
From the space around her, dark bats manifested, their bodies pulsating with unnatural energy.
The swarm descended upon Combust Man, surrounding him in a vortex of screaming soundwaves, paralyzing his movements completely.
For a moment, it seemed as though she had won, and then she flew downwards closing the distance with him as she prepares to strike,But then—a wicked smile crept onto Combust Man's face.
His third eye—this time the one on his forehead— blinked and snapped open.
A beam of pure destruction fired at point-blank range, striking Daisuke midair while she was closing in,
BOOOOOOOOOM!
Her form plummeted toward the ground, her wings shredded by the blast.
On the Ground: Thomas vs. The Giant
Meanwhile, Number 6 had landed in front of Thomas.
A colossal being, 14 feet tall, his sheer mass casting a long shadow over the battlefield.
Huey, still atop Asmodra, laughed.
"Go wild."
The giant lunged forward, his speed defying his massive size,Thomas barely had time to react before the beast smashed his fist into the ground, ripping up an enormous chunk of concrete and hurling it straight at him.
WHOOSH!
Thomas blurred—**a streak of gold and black—**dodging the projectile with ease.
But the giant anticipated it.
BOOOOM!
As soon as Thomas evaded, the giant sprinted forward, his hulking frame barreling straight at him.
With a deafening crash, the beast's shoulder slammed into Thomas, sending him rocketing into a building. The structure caved in on impact.
CRAAAASH!
Thomas leapt out of the rubble, landing gracefully. He rolled his shoulders, analyzing his opponent.
"I didn't expect a big guy like you to move that fast."
Elsewhere: Mujin & Frozen vs. Number 7 & 8
Number 7 and 8 descended from Asmodra, landing before Mujin and Frozen.
Mujin analyzed the battlefield. He had already expended a great deal of Shen, and he was beginning to feel the strain.
But there was no time for rest.
Seoul was burning.