In this world shrouded by purple-black madness, time seemed to have lost its inherent scale.
It was like stagnant amber, eternally sealing the two figures facing off in the sky.
With Lilith and Luna as the center, the thousand-meter void between them had become the eye of a storm.
Lilith's Tyrant Intimidation, a fusion of multiple top predators, clashed with Luna's National Destiny and Imperial Majesty.
The collision of invisible auras did not trigger an explosion visible to the naked eye, but it created a far more terrifying [Domain].
Every flesh-and-blood creature within this area, whether crawling on the ground or roaring in a charge, froze at the same instant, as if pinned to the earth by an invisible hand weighing ten thousand tons!
Purple-black carapaces creaked under the unbearable pressure, hard bones shattered internally, and viscous, foul blood was forced out from mouths, noses, eyes, ears, and even every pore of their skin, staining the ground beneath them in a mess.
The air grew thick as mercury and light distorted; even the mad roars permeating the city seemed swallowed and weakened as they reached this place, leaving only a heart-palpitating, low-pitched hum.
This was the ruthless elimination of low-dimensional life by top predators through their mere existence.
"Roar—!"
From the courtyard below where the Dragon Country was staying, a muffled, angry roar resounded.
Immediately after, a massive figure smashed through the Purple-Gold City Wall that Luna had previously reinforced.
It was Xuanwu, having entered his combat form!
At this moment, his body had expanded further from five meters to ten, truly resembling a small, moving mountain!
His original skin was covered in a layer of heavy rock armor, engraved with layers of gilded patterns as if forged from volcanic lava.
Between the gaps in the armor, energy could be seen flowing slowly like magma, emitting a searing heat that scorched and distorted the air around him.
A few weak monsters lucky enough not to be crushed by the aura tried to approach, but before they could touch him, the heat waves radiating from his body ignited the biological fats within them, turning them into charred balls of fire that collapsed to the ground.
"Rumble!"
The ground shook violently again as a thick, massive rock pillar rose from the earth, also flowing with gilded, searing patterns, instantly lifting Xuanwu's massive body a hundred meters into the air.
He stood firmly on the flank below Luna, forming a triangular standoff with Lilith in the sky.
The rock-and-fire giant Xuanwu, Luna surrounded by purple-gold dragon shadows, and opposite them, the petite figure with fluttering dragon wings and an indifferent expression.
"Two against one?"
Lilith's crimson vertical pupils swept over the surging aura of Xuanwu, but her gaze did not linger; he wasn't worth her attention yet. She turned her eyes back to Luna, her voice remaining calm and rippleless.
"Interesting. However, it's not out of the question."
That matter-of-fact indifference stung a powerhouse's pride more than any arrogant words could.
From beneath Xuanwu's massive rock faceplate came the sound of heavy breathing, and searing steam hissed from the gaps in his armor, revealing his inner rage, yet his clenched giant fists did not move rashly.
The previous experience of being swatted away had made him deeply realize the chasm in pure power between them.
At this moment, he could only assist Luna in dealing with this little girl together.
Purple-gold light flowed around Luna, and the phantom of the divine dragon emitted a faint draconic pressure.
He paid no mind to the slight in Lilith's words; his purple eyes were deep and calm, and his voice steadily pierced through the stagnant air.
"Excellency Lilith, Tokyo has already become a Ghost Prison, with tens of millions of lives turned into these monsters. The priority should be to deal with the Ghost Prison that caused all this and eliminate future troubles, rather than us fighting internally and letting the other party profit as the fisherman."
The corner of Lilith's mouth curled into an extremely faint, almost mocking arc.
"I know what you're thinking, Luna."
Her crisp, tender, childlike voice carried a hint of coldness.
"The reason Ghost Prison dares to be so unscrupulous, turning tens of millions of people in Tokyo into sacrifices, is precisely because he is certain that before the strange artifacts appear, no country—especially you self-proclaimed responsible major powers—"
"—would dare to cast that veto vote against Tokyo, or even the entire Japan."
She tilted her head slightly, her crimson gaze seemingly able to pierce the earth to see the flesh-and-blood core underground that was frantically absorbing energy.
"He only needs to eliminate us variables one by one during this period before the strange artifacts descend, or at least trap us here to die."
"As long as one or more SSS-Rank Hunter from other countries remain within the Tokyo area, no one will dare to actually press the nuclear button."
"After all, no one wants to bear the risk of accidentally killing another nation's ultimate powerhouse and triggering a total doomsday war."
"But similarly."
Lilith's tone shifted as her gaze swept over Xuanwu again, her half-smiling expression making Xuanwu's heart tighten.
"When the bait has been scattered, the hunter should also make a move."
"I suspect that for Ghost Prison to leave Tokyo intact, or for him to personally leave safely with everything he has plundered, the condition is likely to kill every living being within the Tokyo area that does not belong to his Mad Prison."
"And the appearance and struggle for the strange artifacts is the perfect opportunity for him to lure everyone into the trap and then wipe them all out."
She paused, her voice becoming even clearer and colder.
"At that time, among us trapped here, someone must inevitably fall. Perhaps, more than one."
Lilith's words were cold and heartless, but they sliced open the bloody reality.
The breathing beneath Xuanwu's rock faceplate grew heavier, and Luna's brow furrowed imperceptibly.
Lilith's analysis struck the core.
Behind Ghost Prison's madness was precise and malicious calculation.
If they continued their standoff or even started a war, it would be the exact outcome Ghost Prison most wanted to see.
Just as Lilith said, when the strange artifacts appeared and the struggle began, the ultimate beneficiary would only be that Ghost Prison hiding behind the scenes.
If an SSS-Rank Hive Lord Hunter wanted to hide, it would be difficult to find them unless one dug three feet into the ground across all of Tokyo.
Currently, the most appropriate choice was to expel all national Factions from Tokyo.
Otherwise, no one could withstand the temptation of the strange artifacts to increase their strength and would start a slaughter.
Luna's purple eyes stared at Lilith, as if re-evaluating this top-ranked individual who had appeared out of nowhere.
Her calmness, insight, and blatant desire to control the situation far exceeded his estimations.
Judging from her actions—expelling Brahma, forcing Lilith back, and now exposing Ghost Prison's plot—her goal was definitely not as simple as just competing for strange artifacts.
She seemed to want to take sole control over the cleanup of all Tokyo, including the disposal of the prey that was Ghost Prison.
Continuing to stay here, confronting her or even starting a war, would not only give Ghost Prison an opportunity but could also drag the Dragon Country into a dangerous quagmire of a premature final battle with America; it was by no means a wise move.