"There is no way in hell this is your true strength," Five said, the aura around his body continuing to grow. "Those who have my eyes on them could never be weak, could never accept defeat like you did, and that means you are a mistake."

The air around Five began to hum with intensity, the vibrations rippling outward as the ground quaked beneath him. The red aura enveloping his body deepened, shifting into a dark, ominous crimson that pulsed with raw power.

"And I don't make mistakes," Five declared, his voice steady and resolute.

In an instant, his aura surged upward, shooting into the sky like a pillar of crimson light, tearing through the oppressive black clouds above.

The sheer force of it sent waves of wind crashing outward, whipping up a storm of dust and debris that swirled violently around him.

Max, standing in the sky, tightened his grip on his sword as it began to tremble in his hand, the resonance of Five's power reaching even him. Though the pressure pressing against his body was subtle, its presence was undeniable.

Max's eyes widened as he stared at the crimson pillar piercing the heavens. 'Could this be…?' The thought raced through his mind, his focus entirely on the aura that radiated a sharpness so lethal, it felt as though his body might be sliced apart just by gazing at it.

The sheer force of the aura seemed to carve through the very air, its oppressive presence like a blade poised at his throat.

Five's wild laughter echoed like a thunderclap. "Hahaha! Shocked, aren't you?" he roared, his voice brimming with pride and power. "This is the final form of Sword Aura—the legendary 'Level 3 Sword Aura'! Witness it, burn this moment into your eyes, into your very soul!"

He pointed his blade toward Max, the crimson glow intensifying. "The next time we meet, I expect to see 'this' power within you. Do not disappoint me!"

With those words, Five vanished, reappearing in an instant above Max. His sword descended like a falling meteor, radiating crimson power that tore through the air with a deafening roar.

Max barely had time to react. Instinctively, he activated Omni Guard, enveloping himself in a shimmering green protective sphere just as Five's blade crashed down.

The collision was catastrophic. Sparks flew, and a shockwave rippled outward, shaking the ground and splitting the clouds above. The green sphere shuddered violently, cracks beginning to spiderweb across its surface under the sheer force of the strike.

Inside the shield, Max gritted his teeth, his muscles straining as he channeled every ounce of energy to reinforce the barrier. "It won't break!" he growled, staring up at Five with determination blazing in his eyes.

Bang!

In the end, the sphere was overwhelmed by the force of the strike and hurtled toward the ground.

Crash!

The green sphere tore through the earth like a meteor, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. It didn't stop there; the momentum carried it deeper, burrowing through layers of rock and soil until it burst into an underground cavern.

The sphere emerged briefly into the cavern's open space, tumbling through the air before finally crashing onto the cavern floor with a deafening impact. The ground quaked, and a cloud of dust and debris filled the chamber as cracks radiated outward from the point of impact.

---

Minutes before Five went wild, an epic showdown was happening in the underground cavern.

A red figure with flaming wings behind his back flew toward a humanoid monster with six arms and a tiger head.

Arriving before it, he cross-slashed with his two flaming swords in hand, pushing the humanoid monster several steps back.

"Nash, now!" Anton shouted after his attack.

Just at that moment, a figure blurred behind the humanoid monster, his fist covered with the red head of a lion.

"Lion's Fury!" Nash slammed his fist at the humanoid monster just as it managed to stop backing up from Anton's attack.

Cracks appeared behind its back where Nash's fist hit, sending it flying toward a silver-haired figure standing with a cold expression on his face.

He brought his hand forward and muttered lightly. "Hundred Killing Blade."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than ten swords materialized before him, each one blazing with a silver aura.

"Die!" Allen said coldly, sending all ten of his attacks toward the incoming humanoid monster flying toward him.

Bang!

The ten swords collided instantly, sending the humanoid monster flying back toward the cavern wall.

Boom!

The humanoid monster crashed into the wall, pinned by the ten swords, unable to move.

"No, my toy!" the green-haired young man shouted, seeing that the humanoid monster was pinned against the wall, appearing dead.

He turned toward Allen, Nash, and Anton, shouting, "You killed my toy. I will kill you too!"

However, before he could do anything else, the young woman with green hair who was fighting the general turned to him. "Don't, Little Billy, they're not worth taking out your precious collections on."

Billy gritted his teeth upon hearing his big sister and cried, "But they killed my toy!"

The young woman turned to him and said warmly, "After this mission of ours, I'll get you a new one."

Billy's eyes widened as he asked in excitement, "Really?"

The young woman smiled. "I promise you."

Billy nodded, smiling as if the regret of losing his toy was gone in an instant.

"You should pay attention when fighting against me," the General shouted and punched into the ground.

Brown flames erupted from his fists and spread toward the young woman. She was fully covered in thick vines protecting her entire body. A stack of dozens of vines could be seen ensnaring the young woman in their embrace, protecting her.

But as the brown flames spread through the ground toward her vines, they began to burn slowly until all the vines were completely reduced to ashes, leaving the young woman completely defenseless.

Seeing that scene, Anton and Nash dashed toward her and the young man while Allen sent ten flying swords toward them, in case Anton and Nash failed.

But then, something unexpected occurred.

The entire cavern seemed to freeze in an instant as a wave of pressure swept through, emanating from somewhere far within the city. It wasn't subtle—it was suffocating, commanding attention from everyone present.

The oppressive aura made even the air feel heavier, forcing those in the cavern to instinctively halt their movements and turn toward the source of the overwhelming force.

"This... This is the pressure of a Level 3 Sword Aura!" Anton exclaimed, his voice filled with disbelief and awe.

"There's no doubt about it," Nash added, his expression grim as he clenched his fists tightly. "This is indeed a Level 3 Sword Aura!"

"I thought everyone at that level was inside the dome," Allen muttered, his expression darkening with dread.

The weight of the situation pressed heavily on him. They were already struggling to hold their ground against their current enemy. If reinforcements of such an overwhelming caliber joined the fray, the balance would tip irreversibly against them.

"That would make them... undefeatable," Allen admitted, his voice low but trembling with frustration.

The others exchanged grim looks, the tension in the cavern thickening with each passing second as the pressure from the distant aura grew sharper, like a storm on the verge of breaking.

But just as quickly as it had appeared, the pressure suddenly dissipated, leaving everyone in the cavern bewildered.

Before anyone could voice their thoughts, a green sphere burst through the cavern's roof with a deafening crash.

The sphere hurtled toward the ground like a meteor, slamming into the earth with a thunderous impact that sent shockwaves rippling through the cavern.

Everyone froze, their expressions shifting from confusion to shock as they turned their eyes toward the source of the commotion.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay