Elias was a fraction too slow. As the seventh layer of the force circle closed in, his stump accelerated and met them head-on.
BANG!
BANG!
They shattered one by one with startling ease. The tentacles screeched and attacked in unison, only to splinter and splash back as the force bent both beast and reality around it.
ROAR!
The Calamity Force Core flared like a supernova, straining against the descending force with tremendous effort.
Sasha completed her Circle with practiced precision. Her hand pierced the center and pulled crackling tendrils of lightning from it. The electricity coiled around her arm, forming a brilliant, pulsing weapon that illuminated her determined face.
The Calamity Beast trembled, sensing another mortal danger.
It suddenly liquefied its hoof and shot forward to attack her, shattering her circle before she could release her strike. The impact sent her flying backward.
Golden Boy flashed between them, his yellow-tinged fist connecting with devastating force, driving the tendril back with an explosive splash.
Sasha rose, blood trickling from her temple. She had no time to waste—Elias was descending, and once he reached them, her chance would be lost. Her body moved with dexterity, fingers weaving another complex circle in the air.
Buddhist Hand intercepted another tendril lunging for her, his golden fist creating a shockwave on impact.
Elias's descent faltered. The Calamity Force Core's power had halted him momentarily, but it couldn't hold him much longer.
CRACK!
The sound came from the core itself, followed by an explosion of raw power. Everything shifted as hundreds of tendrils whipped away from Elias directly, stretching around to encircle him from behind.
The same strategy unfolded against Buddhist Hand—some tendrils distracting him while others surged toward Sasha, forcing her to leap backward and the circle vanished.
Elias hovered just two meters above the beast, now vulnerable to the attack forming behind him. The tendrils wrapped around his position, testing the natural force field surrounding him. A single tendril began to drill inward, knowing that his death would neutralize his abilities.
Sasha's tactical retreat had the unexpected effect of pulling the tendrils back from her position. They redirected en masse toward Elias.
Buddhist Hand flashed across the battlefield, steadying Sasha as a new circle materialized before her. She pulled lightning sparks from it and released it just as the tricked tendrils returned...
She saw them rushing toward her face, but her lightning was faster, coiling around the tendrils like hungry serpents. Elias, immediately surrounded by lightning-covered tendrils, pushed himself upward with his miniature black hole away from the now lightning covered beast.
The Calamity Force Core dimmed momentarily before flaring back to life. The beast morphed into its original form: donkey hooves, two clawed arms, a head like a saucer, and a grotesque hunchback. Veins pumped murky blood through its body while multiple hearts pulsed in an unsettling rhythm.
This wasn't a mere Calamity Beast—it was a Calamity Monster.
Sasha's Piercing Ring Lightning seeped deeper into its body, burning and scorching, causing internal explosions. But the monster was adapting, generating new veins to channel the lightning, perhaps even to control it.
All this happened in a mere moment. Only Buddhist Hand, with his accelerated perception, could track the complete sequence.
"ABSOLUTE RELEASE!" Buddhist Hand struck with his golden fist, channeling all his Brand Skill pools into the skill at the recoiling, lightning-covered monster. He spun around and sprinted from the alley at normal speed, Sasha in tow.
They found Elias descending from above. He manipulated gravity to slow his fall, landing gracefully beside them. "What is that?" he exclaimed as a dome of golden energy had formed over the beast.
A fist of concentrated yellow energy condensed from above and hammered down.
BAM!
A spike of electricity shot upward and slammed into the dome. Instead of destroying it, the electricity interwoven with the yellow energy, creating a second fist—this one crackling with lightning—that struck downward.
BAM!
Elias stood frozen, witnessing the most mesmerizing combination attack he had ever seen. His eyes widened as the intensity and frequency of the punches increased, multiplying with each passing second until dozens of fists, each coated with devastating lightning, rained down at blinding speed.
ROAR!
The muffled cry of the beast reached them, but clearly, it was no longer in control. There was desperation and uncertainty in its voice.
Ten minutes later, Elias turned sharply toward his companions. Sasha stood in awe, her confidence visibly swelling with pride. Buddhist Hand remained silent and stoic, though a slight smile tugged at his lips.
"You... what is that?" Elias finally asked.
Sasha beamed. "That is the Noble Skill of the Buddha Family. The greatest and number one technique in the world for fighting Calamity Beasts with endless energy!"
"A Brand Skill," Elias said, still dazed. "So not only does the Lily Flower Family have them, even the Clover Leaf Family possesses Brand so easily." He shook his head, overwhelmed. "Don't mind me—if Lily can have them, then definitely Clover Leaf can too."
Elias walked to a flat, clear area and sat down, facing the relentless barrage 400 meters away. He wished he had popcorn.
"When will it end?" he couldn't help asking.
"When the beast is dead!" Sasha declared proudly, sitting beside him. "A popcorn would be nice right about now!"
Elias glared at her. "Are you reading my mind now? Is that part of Internal Thunderstorm?"
"Haha." She ignored his sarcasm. "It's beautiful!"
The dome had thickened considerably. The formation of each fist was now visible, but their descent remained little more than golden flashes.
The entire ruined cityscape was illuminated by the tapestry of yellow light flashes, painting an incredible sunset-like panorama. The beast's roars and the impacts of the fists created a melody that Elias would argue was the most intense drum music he'd ever heard.
Buddhist Hand moved slightly. Elias turned toward him, noticing how the boy tried to hide his exhaustion. Elias stood and approached him. "I don't have a hand we could shake, but Buddhist Hand, you are truly strong. It's been an honor fighting alongside you."
"The feeling is mutual," Buddhist Hand replied. "You two are the bravest and most reckless fighters I've encountered. But I have one piece of advice: take it easy."
"Thank you."
Buddhist Hand bowed slightly and walked toward the gates, leaving them to watch the ongoing barrage.
Elias leaned back, thinking, 'I hate to admit it, but he's stronger than me. His speed alone is more than enough to handle me. And that attack…'
"You did great, bodyguard!" Sasha praised, her smile still etched on her face. This was perhaps her greatest accomplishment yet.
When she confirmed Buddhist Hand was too far away to overhear, she whispered, "All Buddha Family members never fail to awaken their talent since the family's establishment. That's how potent their bloodline is. Not to mention, rumors say subsequent generations are more powerful than previous ones."
"Really? That's insane!"
Sasha nodded. "True. And that's not all. Their greatness runs even deeper. Every S-rank member awakens with two Brand Skills already etched, and SS-rank members have three. I don't know about SSS-rank—they're tight-lipped about those."
Elias sat back and stared at her, the implications sinking in. This family was beyond terrifying.