Chapter 75 : A Battle Beyond Limits
The air trembled as the residual shockwaves from Draven and Shiki's battle tore through the frozen expanse of Antarctica. The explosion had been so massive, so cataclysmic, that the Hunter Association Presidents could no longer ignore it. Rising from their seats, they exchanged glances—this was beyond anything they had anticipated.
But just as Cecilia was about to issue an order to investigate, a deep, rumbling voice cut through the tense silence.
"Stand down," Bjorn , the Traveler, muttered, reclining lazily in his seat. His single eye gleamed with quiet authority.
A wave of unease swept through the room, but before anyone could object, Mujin raised a hand. His gaze hardened.
"If the Traveler says to stand down, we stand down," Mujin declared, his voice sharp with certainty.
Andrei scoffed, his fingers twitching as if itching to move. "And who, exactly, is fighting?" he pressed, leaning forward.
Bjorn exhaled, reclining further, making it clear he had no intention of answering, but then he spoke, ... "Shiki"
Mujin, however, already knew the answer. His mind raced, his chest tightened, but outwardly, he remained composed. The moment Bjorn mentioned 'Shiki,' there was nothing more to discuss.
The room fell into a heavy, strained silence. Reluctantly, the Presidents sat back down. The storm raging outside, however, was far from over.
Inferno of the Jormungandr Arrows
Meanwhile, the battlefield was a wasteland of devastation. The very fabric of reality trembled under the clash between Draven and Shiki. The battle had already rewritten the frozen landscapes of Antarctica, shattering glaciers, melting permafrost, and uprooting entire ice structures.
Draven's Sitra Achra Warrior stood tall behind him, its monolithic frame glowing with abyssal energy. But now, something was different.
Two warriors materialized instead of one.
Shiki's brow furrowed slightly. "He's evolved …"
Draven exhaled sharply, his crimson breath visible in the frigid air. His burning rage had reached an unstoppable boiling point. His Jormungandr influence had fully merged with his Sitra Achra.
Raising his hand, he commanded his warriors, and four arrows materialized—each one engraved with pulsating snake markings that slithered across them like living entities. The air crackled.
Draven's voice was raw with fury.
"Inferno Style: Burning Jormungandr Arrows."
The four arrows ignited, their tips blazing with emerald-green fire, fused with Jormungandr's power.
With a sharp exhale, Draven fired.
FWOOOSH! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Each arrow tore through the sky with unnatural speed, leaving behind serpentine trails of fire that burned through the frozen landscape.
Shiki's Severing Angel moved first, its massive, skeletal frame lunging forward, wielding the Gehinnom Blade.
The first arrow clashed against its blade—
CLANG! The impact shook the heavens, but the warrior successfully deflected it.
A sharp crack echoed through the battlefield. A thin fracture ran through the Gehinnom Blade.
Shiki's eyes narrowed. "…Interesting."
The second arrow struck—
CLANG! The blade shuddered again, splintering even more.
Draven smirked darkly. "Break already."
The third and fourth arrows closed in.
Shiki exhaled calmly. His fingers twitched. "Go."
His Severing Angel lifted its massive sword and unleashed a downward slash, which was named,
"Gehinnom Blade: Hell Sundering."
A crescent wave of abyssal energy burst forth, colliding with the final two arrows. The explosion was immediate, world-shaking.
KRRRRAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKOOM!!!
A blinding column of destruction erupted into the sky, consuming everything in its path. The atmosphere screamed, and the frozen lands shattered beneath their feet.
From miles away, Kenzy and Gansu collapsed to their knees, gasping for breath. The force alone had been enough to knock them back.
Draven's golden gates materialized once more, forming a defensive wall and tanking the remains of the hell sundering atttack from Shiki.
Shiki watched him carefully. There was a shift in the pattern Four spears, not six as they where prior to this moment.
A heartbeat later, one of the spears had materialized behind Shiki, striking at him mid-air.
Shiki dodged—almost.
SLASH!
A crimson line formed across his right arm.
Shiki glanced down. The cut was shallow, but it was there.
Draven's wild eyes flared with dark triumph.
"Got you."
Shiki's expression remained unreadable. But within his mind, he made an observation.
"…He's learning. Fast with his abilities "
The wound wasn't serious, but it had weakened the connection between him and his Severing Angel. The entity staggered slightly, lowering itself onto one knee, using its sword for support, just as Shiki had knelt down on one kneel as well
Mimicking the position of his Entity.
For the first time, Shiki's calmness cracked. "…I see."
Huey vs. Akebi & Boris
Meanwhile, on the other side of Antarctica, Huey grinned mockingly at the approaching Akebi, Boris, and Marcus.
"You three sure are persistent." His voice was light, teasing.
Akebi's hand tightened around the hilt of the Sword of Yama. The rage in her eyes burned like an inferno.
"You killed Bartoni." Her words were final, carrying the weight of revenge.
Huey chuckled.
"Yeah, and what are you gonna do about it?"
Boris moved first—his threads shot forward in quick succession.
Huey's body blurred.
FWIP! FWIP! FWIP!
The threads struck empty air. Huey reappeared instantly, inches away from Boris' face, grinning.
"That won't work on me, Thread-Man."
Just then—
BOOOOOM!
A massive light erupted from the battlefield between Draven and Shiki.
Huey turned slightly, eyes gleaming.
"Well, well…" His smile widened.
"The fight's reaching its climax."
And just as Boris and Akebi prepared their next move—
THRUMMMMMMMM!
Gigantic wooden trees shot from the ground, forming an impenetrable wall between them and Huey.
Marcus' eyes widened. "Damn it!"
Akebi gritted her teeth. "He's blocking us out."
Huey laughed from the other side.
"I told you—you're restricted from interfering."
The Final Strike
Back on the battlefield, Draven readied his finishing blow.
"I can shrink the gates as I please then I will go for it all"
Shiki's eyes flickered with a rare moment of surprise,Just as the golden spears moved toward Shiki's immobilized form for the final strike Draven was ready to finish everything but as the attacker moved — A skeletal hand burst out from beneath Draven,Before he could react—it clamped around his throat,Draven's Sitra Achra immediately faded.
His eyes widened in shock. "What the—?!"
Shiki smiled.
"Checkmate."
From underground, his Severing Angel had extended its arm beneath Draven, grabbing him at the last moment.
The battle wasn't over,It was about to reach its true conclusion.