Boom! Boom! Boom!
The deafening explosions battered Sombravida's ears without mercy.
Ordinarily, he could withstand a direct hit from a Hollow.
But Yammy had pushed his spiritual pressure to the brink of Adjuchas.
Even though his power had diminished slightly during the relentless pursuit, it still far surpassed Sombravida's.
One Hollow Bullet could be endured.
But now they came in bursts — two, three per second — like a relentless machine-gun barrage.
And this was after Sombravida's ambush had already grievously wounded him.
"Lord Sombravida, if we keep running like this, we'll be caught sooner or later," Nel said anxiously.
"I know."
Sombravida's voice was grim.
They had been fleeing for a long time, yet Yammy remained close behind.
If Yammy had not slowed while firing Hollow Bullets, he would have caught them already.
Sombravida and Nel were taking turns accelerating to conserve spiritual energy. If either ran alone, their reserves would have been exhausted long ago.
Sombravida's eyes narrowed.
"Find a forest. If we can't shake him off, we draw his fire onto other Hollows… and disappear."
Nel focused.
"There's a forest at two o'clock."
"Go!"
Sombravida grabbed her and veered sharply right, deflecting incoming Hollow Bullets with his claw as they flew past.
Yammy Escalates
"Trying to run?"
Yammy instantly saw through Sombravida's intention.
His body halted abruptly.
Both fists gathered before his chest.
Dark red spiritual pressure condensed rapidly.
"Hollow Bullet… Fury!"
A storm of projectiles erupted forward.
The sky itself seemed to rain destruction.
"Sombravida—!"
"Go! Now!"
Sombravida shoved Nel dozens of meters away and turned to face the incoming barrage.
Lightning-like arcs of spiritual pressure gathered around his right hand.
He already knew:
They could not escape.
If he ran alone, Nel would die in seconds.
If she died, he would be hunted down eventually.
But if he held the line…
she might live.
Sombravida's Stand
"Lightning Strike!"
A web of crackling spiritual energy burst outward, forming a lightning net that collided with the incoming storm.
A massive explosion engulfed dozens of projectiles.
But far more remained.
His full-power attack only neutralized a fraction.
The remaining Hollow Bullets struck around him—
—and then directly on him.
"LORD Sombravida!!"
Nel ran back in desperation.
Smoke cleared.
A crater scarred the ground.
Sombravida lay motionless at its center.
The Cost
When the barrage struck, Sombravida had deflected several bullets with his bone blades.
One struck him head-on.
The impact shattered his guard.
The explosions that followed tore into him mercilessly.
His bone blade shattered.
Callused flesh was stripped away.
Muscle ripped open.
A final blast severed both his hands.
Without protection, Sombravida collapsed forward, using his back as a shield.
The explosions continued.
Agony beyond endurance.
His leg twisted unnaturally.
His back was shredded.
Internal organs trembled under shock.
The hole in his chest widened violently from repeated impacts.
Blood filled his mouth.
"Damn it… failed before it even began?"
His vision dimmed.
"Am I… dying already?"
Regret flickered.
Where was Nel?
He no longer had the strength to care.
She should be able to escape…
Those attacks consumed enormous energy…
She can run…
His thoughts drifted.
"Inora… I'm sorry… this is as far as I can go…"
Darkness closed in.
A Voice in the Darkness
"Lord Sombravida… Lord Sombravida…"
A distant voice.
Nel.
Only Nel called him that.
Why didn't you run… you fool…
A warm liquid touched his skin.
Dripped.
Spread.
Heat flowed through his body.
The bleeding slowed.
Pain dulled.
His fading consciousness returned slightly.
Through half-open eyes, he saw a faint pink spiritual glow emanating from Nel.
Then—
agony surged.
Darkness claimed him completely.
Awakening
Cold wind swept across the ruined wasteland.
Cratered earth stretched in every direction.
After an unknown span of time, Sombravida opened his eyes.
"…I'm alive."
Memory returned.
"Nel healed me… saved my life…"
He slowly sat up.
His wounds had mostly healed.
His left hand was restored.
His body had recovered.
Only the bone blade on his right arm had yet to fully reform.
Sombravida stared at himself.
"How long was I unconscious…?"
His injuries had been fatal.
Nel's healing could not normally repair such devastation.
Where Is Nel?
He stood and surveyed the battlefield.
Yammy was gone.
Nel was nowhere to be seen.
Had they killed each other?
Sombravida recalled Yammy's ability:
Rage increased power.
Spiritual pressure could accumulate infinitely.
But if Yammy's power had fallen to Gillian level…
Nel might have defeated him.
If it dropped further…
she certainly could.
Sombravida searched for clues.
Then he stopped.
"What is that…?"
A massive footprint.
Enormous.
Unmistakable.
"…Gillian."
He followed the trail.
Another footprint.
Then another.
A long path stretching across the wasteland.
"The prints are fresh… less than a week."
His heart tightened.
"I was unconscious that long?"
His thoughts raced.
Before losing consciousness, Nel had radiated immense spiritual pressure.
If she had evolved—
her chances of defeating Yammy would have risen dramatically.
"Did she really… advance?"
Sombravida looked at the trail stretching forward into the distance.
"…There's only one way to know."
Without hesitation, he began following the giant footprints.
Because when he met their owner—
everything would become clear.
Even if his hopes were wrong.