The monster released another piercing screech, and the debris suspended above it—thousands of jagged fragments—hurtled toward Allen like a barrage of falling stars.
Seeing no way to dodge them all, Allen leapt onto one of the larger chunks of rubble, using it as a stepping stone. He bounded from piece to piece, pushing his body to its limit. Smaller shards grazed his face as he moved, carving shallow cuts across his cheeks and drawing thin lines of blood.
When he reached the final fragment and pushed off, he locked eyes with the Strix Temporalis. In the short time he had spent evading the debris, the creature had risen to its feet, wings fully unfurled and trembling with distorted temporal energy.
"Damn it."
Allen swung his hammer downward with all the force his battered arms could muster. But he was too late— the monster beat its wings with titanic force. A violent gust struck Allen mid-air and flung him aside like a rag doll.
His body crashed into the ground. The sound of bones shattering echoed through the ruins, accompanied by the burst of blood forced from his lungs.
"This is going to be troublesome… I have always despised those who manipulate gravity."
Shinobi appeared at Allen's side and helped him to his feet. Titan watched the creature warily, jaw clenched.
"Go."
Titan turned toward Allen, who stood unsteadily on his own, refusing further support. Allen spoke again, voice firm despite the blood on his lips.
"Even if you tried to assist me, none of you would be able to injure it. Besides… there is something I wish to test."
Shinobi and Titan exchanged a look. Both had caught the deliberate emphasis in his final words. Shinobi nodded once, fired his grappling hook, and propelled himself onto the nearest rooftop. Titan, however, lingered a moment longer.
"Smash its head into the ground… and do not you dare die, Knight."
Blood trickled from the corners of Allen's mouth, yet he managed a faint smile. He had not expected Titan of all people to call him that. From his tone, Allen could tell the general had forced himself to speak those words.
"Worry not. That bird has an appointment with fate, General."
Titan fought back a grin as he sprinted away.
"Yes… an appointment indeed."
Allen's hammer reverted to its form as a wooden staff, and in his left hand, the yellow topaz appeared—only to dissolve into the air as he walked toward the monster one steady step at a time.
---
Most of the surrounding buildings had been torn apart by the monstrous winds, save for one—kept intact not by strength, but by sheer manpower. Members of Crimson Shadow's personal "villain guild" defended it, ensuring they could gather information without drawing the Heroic Federation's attention toward Allen.
"Team, eyes open. My brother and Titan are retreating. Initiate emergency protocol A-2!"
At his command, laptops snapped shut and the defensive units wiped their traces before withdrawing to a safer vantage point.
Protocol A-2 was a warning code. Whenever Crimson Shadow invoked it, it meant Allen was about to unleash the same force he had used against Seira—the former "Gigax Leo."
Once they regrouped in a structure four kilometers away, the intel division resumed blocking the Federation's satellites.
"Sir! Two individuals approaching the opposite rooftop!"
Crimson Shadow looked up and saw Shinobi and Titan at the distance, both nodding in acknowledgment before turning back toward the towering silhouette of the Strix Temporalis, still massive even from afar.
"Someone tell those two to avert their gaze from this direction. I am not certain we can jam that cursed satellite both here and around Allen's battlefield."
Shinobi checked his phone, tucked it away, and rested his hands on his hips. The gesture alone told Crimson Shadow everything. Growing up together had taught him how to read every nuance of his brother's body language—and this one clearly mocked the speed at which his guild's hacking unit had improved.
---
The watcher, the man observing Allen allowed a faint smile to cross his lips—one that slowly faded into an icy expression.
"His emotions remain at Level Zero. He cannot even command the basic four."
Even as Allen coughed blood, the man yawned and turned away.
"The apprentice knight remains an apprentice. When I learned what happened with Seira, I assumed he would have reached Level One by now. Disappointing."
He began to walk—but then a brilliant green flare lit the horizon.
The man stopped. Turned. And for a moment, disbelief froze his face. Then madness returned to his smile.
"Yes. That is the apprentice I remember! Show me your mastery over the wind!"
---
Allen approached, his white suit soaked in blood. In his right hand he carried his staff; in his left, a green gemstone glowing softly each time the wind brushed against it.
"Style Change."
He crushed the emerald between his fingers. A storm of green particles erupted around him. The monster tried to dispel the swirling dust, but the particles converged into a towering jade tornado, swallowing Allen from sight.
A blinding green radiance pulsed within the storm. Then Allen cleaved the tornado apart with a single swing of his staff.
The cyclone shattered into thousands of shimmering green motes drifting through the sky. And at the center, suspended in midair, was Allen—levitating, bathed in emerald light.
His suit had become a serene, pale green. With a graceful bow toward the monster, he tightened his grip on his staff.
"Truth Knight Style."
The creature shrieked. Its eyes glowed, attempting to crush Allen with concentrated gravity now that he floated defenseless in the air.
Allen only smiled.
"True Air Weapon."
His staff shone with a pure green beam before a small cyclone coiled around it. The wood shrank, folded, shifted—until Allen held a sleek green crossbow.
He drew back the bowstring. A razor-sharp jade arrow formed.
The world stilled.
"Lesser Star Gale Shot."
He pulled the trigger.
The arrow erupted into wind, becoming a spiraling tempest that engulfed both Allen and the monster. The emerald tornado tore apart asphalt, buildings, and steel frames. The world roared—then calmed.
When the storm finally subsided, Allen stood amidst the ruin, exhausted, a cigarette between his fingers and the crossbow resting against his shoulder.
What remained of the Strix Temporalis was scattered across the battlefield—organs, feathers, and bones strewn in every direction. Its severed head served as Allen's improvised seat.