The camera suddenly snapped toward the black-robed swordsman.
He held a silver-glinting ritual sword, pointing it down at the people beneath his feet, overwhelming pressure radiating from him.
His bearing was majestic. Unmatched!
But, in that instant!
A hand burst through his chest from behind! It tore straight through his entire torso!
Bang!
A ruthless method!
A clean hit!
The black-robed man's body twisted, his entire form seeming to freeze in place as he let out a stunned, muffled gasp.
The abrupt turn of events shocked everyone! The audience was completely dumbfounded!
What the hell?! That black-robed swordsman who had just seemed invincible, was actually ambushed.
And in such an extremely vicious and cruel way, straight through the chest?!
Who was it?! Was there another expert lurking?!
On screen, the black-robed man spread his arms wide, his body trembling uncontrollably along with the hand embedded in his chest.
But what sprayed out of the wound wasn't blood at all! Instead, it was countless unknown objects, like shattered fragments!
They exploded in midair, resembling broken glass. The black-robed man's pain visibly intensified.
At that moment, the hand inside his chest clenched tightly, and then squeezed hard!
Boom boom boom!
Violent explosions rang out!
Within the smoke and dust, the black-robed swordsman actually forced himself free from the opponent's grasp, riding the blast wave into the air before crashing down awkwardly to the ground.
A hollow cavity had formed in his chest.
Around it, shattered "mirror shards" slowly writhed, creeping toward the void, while golden flames continued to burn at the wound.
He still wasn't dead!
Such an obviously fatal injury, and yet this black-robed swordsman looked like he had only suffered a serious wound!
"Hehehehe..."
A jarred voice slowly echoed out, carrying a hint of satisfaction, a hint of madness, and a hint of regret.
"Can't be killed in a single blow..."
"You are indeed no ordinary human."
Following the sound, the camera shifted.
The audience, who had just been shocked by the black-robed swordsman's terrifying physique, was plunged into an even greater shock!
Standing at the center of the frame, was none other than that Anaxagoras who had already lost all signs of life!
His left hand was still half-raised in the air, fingers clenched as if gripping something, and on his face was a faintly crazed smile.
...
: Holy shit holy shit holy shit!!!
: Anaxagoras isn't dead?!!
: Was he playing dead and waiting to ambush the black-robed swordsman?!
: And the voice, why was there a female tone too? It sounded like Calypso?!
: They're all acting gods! Damn it, you can't guess anything at all!
: What is going on, what is actually happening?!
: My brain's about to melt!
: Why are there so many twists!!
...
At this moment, the audience was completely speechless.
First came the terror of the black-robed swordsman's invincibility.
Then Anaxagoras's sudden strike.
The plot had completely spiraled beyond anything they could predict!
And yet, precisely because of that, it became even more thrilling!
Everyone's anticipation was pushed to its absolute peak!
"Teacher, you, you're actually fine, this is wonderful!"
Castorice cried out joyfully, but as soon as the words left her mouth, her gaze sharpened.
"No, you're not Teacher Anaxagoras? You're… you're... who are you?!"
Anaxagoras's state was clearly wrong.
In Castorice's eyes, she could see two different colors.
"Hehe, what a clever little girl."
Anaxagoras let out a slightly feminine laugh, and that signature fake smile instantly reminded everyone of someone.
Calypso!
"You, you're Calypso?!"
Stelle recognized the voice and stared at Anaxagoras in shock.
When Castorice heard that name, and recalled her earlier encounters with Calypso,
She immediately pieced together the truth.
"No, Stelle. She is… the Reason Titan. She is Cerces."
Castorice said bitterly, "I should have realized it earlier. Being able to come and go freely in the Grove of Epiphany, who else but a Titan could do that?"
"The Reason Titan?!" Stelle was even more shocked.
The audience, too, gaped in disbelief.
No one had expected that, that mysterious woman from earlier was actually a Titan!
Thinking back on all the earlier signs, The deserted Grove of Epiphany, Calypso's sudden and cryptic appearances and guidance, then the encounter with the black-robed swordsman.
One link after another. It made the audience feel their scalps go numb.
It wasn't that the Grove of Epiphany was weak, rather, the real scheme and the true battlefield had been hidden in the darkest place from the very beginning.
In the next instant, the screen displayed a series of memories.
Revealing to the audience the plans of Calypso and Anaxagoras.
When the Grove of Epiphany encountered the Black Tide, everything had originally unfolded smoothly according to plan.
However, at the most critical moment, the black-robed swordsman suddenly barged in.
His overwhelming power, so unmatched that even a Titan could not oppose him!
He even forced Cerces to split her body and flee!
Hiding the Coreflame!
That was why, when first meeting Castorice and the others, Cerces had tested their caliber.
In truth, under the guise of trials, she was helping the now powerless Cerces retrieve the hidden fragments of the Coreflame.
If not for Cerces' intervention, Anaxagoras would have long since died completely.
At the same time, Cerces used this opportunity to hide her own extremely weakened soul inside Anaxagoras's body.
This was everything that had happened in the Grove of Epiphany.
All these memories were presented through the images in a very short span of time.
After watching them, the audience fell into a long silence, filled with shock.
....
: Calypso… is actually the Titan of Reason.
: Holy shit… is this what the big shots' schemes look like…?
: For a moment, I don't know whether to praise Cerces, or to be shocked by the terror of the Black-robed Swordsman.
: Forcing a Titan to shatter itself alive, this woman is even crazier than the rumors we've been watching!
: But Cerces still used Anaxa and successfully launched a sneak attack on the Black-robed Swordsman!
: Holy shit…
: I feel like if I went in there, I wouldn't survive two seconds.
: No wonder Calypso knew so many ancient secrets, so she really was a true Titan!
: So all that hiding was just to let Stelle and the others draw attention, making it easier for them to ambush him!
: That's way too precise!
...
"What a pity…" Cerces, looked at the Black-robed Swordsman.
This guy's vitality was so tenacious it barely resembled that of a living being.
The massive hollow in his body had already been fully restored under the burning golden blood, and those shattered mirror fragments had all been retracted back into him.
Cerces' instincts told her, those mirror fragments definitely hid an enormous secret.
But at this moment… Although the sneak attack had succeeded, it hadn't truly killed him.
Not to mention uncovering those secrets, whether they could even survive under the Black-robed Swordsman's blade was still uncertain.
"Forget that for now!"
"Cerces… please, come back to us quickly!"
Castorice called out.
"Mm…" Cerces controlled Anaxa's body, leaping deftly from the flank, trying to pass by the Black-robed Swordsman.
Suddenly! The Black-robed Swordsman, who had been kneeling on one knee, snapped his head up. That great sword had somehow already appeared in his hands!
His towering body lunged toward Cerces, his cloak billowing open behind him like the wings of some ravenous beast!
"He recovered that fast?!" Cerces clearly hadn't expected his vitality to be this terrifying.
She had intended to use this chance to regroup with Castorice. She had just leapt out from the flank.
She had already been extremely cautious and on guard. Yet she still underestimated the Black-robed Swordsman's horror.
Not only was his strength monstrous, his vitality was just as inhuman!
In that moment of crisis! Cerces could only use the last of her remaining power to deploy a green barrier in front of her.
At the same time, she forced Anaxa to draw his weapon and block in front of his chest!
Bang! A crisp shattering sound rang out!
The barrier shattered like paper, cleaved apart effortlessly by the Black-robed Swordsman!
But the greatsword's momentum was slowed just enough for Cerces to barely block it, avoiding being split in half!
Even so, just the residual force made Cerces let out a muffled groan.
Anaxa's body plummeted through the air like a bird with broken wings.
But thankfully, she fell toward Castorice's position.
Stelle didn't wait for a word and rushed forward, catching the falling Cerces.
After landing, Cerces staggered. She nearly lost the strength even to keep Anaxa standing.
"Th-this is bad…" She forced those words out through clenched teeth, her voice unsteady.
If Stelle hadn't been supporting her, she wouldn't have been able to stand at all.
Meanwhile, the Black-robed Swordsman also landed.
Three steps became two. Like a tiger released from its cage, he charged straight toward them.
The distance of over ten meters vanished in the blink of an eye under his feet!
Now, they were truly out of options!
They had already fought with everything they had once, who could have imagined that the Black-robed Swordsman could still be this full of vigor?!
Just as Stelle and Castorice stepped forward, preparing for a desperate last stand, Trianne, who had been hiding in the back all this time, finally couldn't hold back anymore.
She stretched out her small hands, aiming them at the charging Black-robed Swordsman.
Her childish voice carried an overwhelming authority!
"Century Gate!"
"Open!"
A brilliant golden light exploded behind the Black-robed Swordsman!
Within that radiance, a triangular curtain of light appeared, releasing a violent pulling force.
The Black-robed Swordsman was instantly dragged into midair!
If he couldn't be defeated head-on, then the only choice was to open a gate and send him away, buying them a slim chance to survive!
The move worked! The Black-robed Swordsman struggled wildly in midair, trying to lunge at them.
But the powerful pull from behind made escape impossible!
The spectators watched nervously. They thought they might finally be rid of this undefeatable nightmare.
However, the Black-robed Swordsman thrashed in the air, as if swimming against a current.
And yet, there was still some distance before he'd be dragged fully into the gate!
Meanwhile, Trianne's face was already contorted in pain. She clenched her teeth, letting out whimpering sounds like a wounded little animal.
Her hands pushed forward again with all her strength.
Anyone could see it, Trianne was already at her limit.
She was forcing herself to hold on. Watching that small face on the screen, teeth clenched in stubborn endurance, countless hearts felt tightly squeezed.
"Lady Trianne!" Castorice's mind was in chaos.
Aglaea had made it clear, Trianne must not open another gate.
But… In such utter desperation, there was nothing they could do.
They could only watch as Lady Trianne saved them once again.
Castorice bit her lip hard and spread her hands as well.
One purple flower after another bloomed.
Behind the struggling Black-robed Swordsman, thick purple-black liquid formed into hands, wrapping around him and desperately dragging him toward the gate.
At the very least, she could help Lady Trianne!
With the combined effort of the two, the Black-robed Swordsman finally let out an unwilling roar and was dragged into the gate!
The light gate closed! The intense music abruptly vanished.
On the field, only the survivors remained. The camera swept across them one by one.
Stelle stood at the front.
Cerces swayed, barely upright.
Castorice was exhausted, supporting herself with both hands on the ground.
Finally, the frame changed, as if looking from Trianne's eyes.
Her heavy eyes blinked and closed.
Thud!
Her small body collapsed onto the ground.
The crisis was over.
But it ended like this. The audience was left speechless in shock.
This was the first time they had ever witnessed such a scene of despair.
That's right, even though the Black-robed Swordsman had been temporarily teleported away,
That lingering dread and terror still hung heavily over them.
Since entering Amphoreus, this was also the first time they had seen Stelle, Castorice, Trianne, and even a Titan, driven to this state by a single person.
Stelle was helpless.
Castorice was exhausted.
The Titan had been beaten half to death.
And Trianne collapsed unconscious.
This was no longer merely facing despair. This was facing death itself.