Ch-77 < Herrscher of Stars >

The lab's alarms screamed in warning as the readings from the Mu continent skyrocketed.

Every monitor showed the same thing: a massive energy spike, unlike anything they had ever seen.

The air in the lab was thick with tension, as the grim realization set in."Sixty percent... the Mu continent is almost gone," Mei 's voice was barely above a whisper, the shock evident in her usually composed tone.

Everyone fists clenched as he stared at the screens.

"We need to stop him. Now." Mei's voice trembled with both fear and determination.

"This isn't just another Herrscher... This is a catastrophe." Dystopia said.

Quickly , you can arrive in approximately 30 minutes! Go now!" Mobius shouted her orders as every combat oriented MANTIS sortied to the place.

In Mu continent

The once-thriving land was now a scene of devastation, with deep chasms and debris strewn across the landscape.

MOTH had anticipated potential threats and had strategically placed several elite soldiers and MANTIS operatives throughout the region as a preventive measure. Today, their preparedness would be put to the ultimate test.

A squadron of MANTIS soldiers stood on the shattered remains of what used to be a bustling city square.

Their faces were hardened with determination, yet shadows of uncertainty flickered in their eyes as they gazed upon the figure hovering ominously above them.

The Herrscher of Stars floated effortlessly in the air, surrounded by a swirling aura of cosmic energy.

His once-human appearance was now distorted, eyes glowing with a celestial light that betrayed no emotion. The very air around him seemed to warp and ripple under the immense gravitational forces he commanded.

Captain Reinhardt, a seasoned MANTIS operative with countless battles under his belt, tightened his grip on his lance and barked orders to his team.

"Hold your positions! Remember your training! We take him down here and now, or countless more will suffer," Reinhardt's voice boomed, instilling a semblance of confidence among his troops.

Beside him, Lieutenant Silva adjusted her plasma rifle, her sharp eyes never leaving the Herrscher. "Captain, our scans indicate his energy levels are off the charts. We might need backup."

Reinhardt nodded grimly. "HQ has already dispatched reinforcements. We just need to hold the line until they arrive."

Without warning, the Herrscher raised his hand slowly, his fingers curling as if grasping an invisible thread. The ground beneath the soldiers began to tremble, small pebbles levitating before suddenly, with a deafening roar, the gravitational force intensified.

"Brace yourselves!" Reinhardt shouted.

But it was too late.

An invisible weight crashed down upon them, and in an instant, dozens of soldiers were crushed under the immense pressure, their forms collapsing like tin cans. The lucky ones were knocked unconscious; the others weren't so fortunate.

Silva struggled against the force, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth as she fought to stay upright. "Captain... we can't withstand this...!"

From the periphery, a golden streak zipped through the battlefield. Ato, clad in his ornate battle attire, had arrived, his face set in a rare display of seriousness. Harnessing his own formidable powers, he launched himself toward the Herrscher at blinding speed, conjuring ethereal blades that shimmered with divine light.

"Ato, wait!" Reinhardt tried to warn, but his voice was drowned out by the cacophony of destruction.

Ato closed the distance swiftly, thrusting his blades toward the Herrscher's heart. For a split second, it seemed as though his attack might land true. But the Herrscher merely glanced at him, eyes flashing with contempt.

With a slight tilt of his head, a massive gravitational field erupted around him, expanding outward in a pulse of dark energy. The force was cataclysmic. Buildings disintegrated into dust, the ground was gouged out into a massive crater, and everything within a 2-kilometer radius was obliterated in the blink of an eye.

When the dust settled, ato was nowhere to be seen.

Farther from the epicenter, survivors struggled to comprehend the scale of destruction.

MANTIS soldiers lay scattered, many lifeless, others groaning in pain with broken limbs and grievous wounds. The air was thick with smoke and the stench of charred earth.

Reinhardt coughed violently, pulling himself from under a slab of concrete. His left arm hung limp, clearly broken, but his eyes burned with unwavering resolve. He looked around, assessing the dire situation.

"We need medics here! Now!" he yelled hoarsely.

Above them, the Herrscher surveyed the devastation he had wrought with a detached indifference. As if unsatisfied with the level of destruction, he slowly raised his hand once more.

This time, the remnants of a nearby skyscraper began to shudder and lift off the ground, debris and glass cascading down as the massive structure defied gravity.

Silva's eyes widened in horror as she watched the colossal building hover ominously above them. "He's going to crush us all!"

Reinhardt's mind raced. With most of their forces decimated and no signs of reinforcements yet, hope was dwindling fast.

Just then, a distant but familiar hum filled the air, growing louder by the second. The clouds parted as a fleet of aircrafts approached at incredible speed, led by Kevin

Kevin's silver hair billowed behind him as he flew, his ice-blue eyes locked onto the Herrscher ahead.

Behind him were other elite MANTIS warriors, each harnessing their unique abilities to propel themselves through the sky.

On the comms, a voice crackled through. It was Elysia, her tone urgent yet reassuring. "Hold on, everyone. We're almost there."

Kevin glanced back briefly, assessing the distance between him and his comrades. Determination etched across his face, he spoke into the communicator, "I'm going ahead. There's no time to waste."

Without waiting for a response, using dragonification wings come from Kevin's back. With a powerful thrust, his speed multiplied exponentially, leaving behind a trail of frost as he surged forward, cutting through the sky like a meteor.

"Kevin, wait!" Elysia's voice echoed, concern evident. But he was already too far ahead.

Back on the ground, Reinhardt watched in awe as Kevin's figure grew larger, approaching the battlefield with unmatched speed. He turned to Silva, a glimmer of hope returning to his eyes. "Looks like our protectors has arrived."

Silva managed a weak smile despite the pain. "Let's just hope he can handle that monster."

The Herrscher of Stars sensed the incoming threat, turning his gaze upward just as Kevin closed in. The skyscraper he had been manipulating hung suspended in the air, momentarily forgotten.

Kevin's voice was cold and steady as he addressed the Herrscher. "You've caused enough destruction."

The Herrscher's mouth motionless.

"Destroy him". A voice flowed in his mind.

Without wasting another second, Kevin summoned a massive spear of ice, its surface glinting dangerously in the dim light. With a swift motion, he hurled it directly at the Herrscher's chest.

The Herrscher raised a hand, and the space before him warped, causing the spear to veer off course and shatter against an invisible barrier.

Kevin narrowed his eyes, undeterred. He darted around, attacking from multiple angles, conjuring blades and shards of ice that he launched in rapid succession. Each attack was met with the same spatial distortion, deflected effortlessly by the Herrscher's power is so great that it even causes time dilation.

Suddenly, the Herrscher thrust both hands outward, and a pulse of gravitational energy surged toward Kevin.

Reacting swiftly, Kevin crossed his arms, forming a shield of thick ice just in time with the property of deaccelerating and time dilation.

The force slammed into him, sending shockwaves hurtling through the area, but his barrier held.

Kevin deacceleration with time dilation even stop the effect of intense gravity.

From below, reinforcements began to arrive. Elysia along with other Elite MANTIS.

Alongside her were other MANTIS elites: kosma wielding his chains, and kalpas eyes gleaming with a dangerous fire.

Elysia gave Kevin a brief nod, her voice soft but resolute. "Let's take him down together.

Kalpas remained silent, his focus entirely on the adversary before them.

" slaughter.. everyone ." The Herrscher said.

The herrscher made a barrier construct of black matter around Kevin.

The sheer presence of black construct is making ripples and cracking in space.

"Kevin". Everyone shouted.

Elysia was the first to move, darting forward with incredible grace as she unleashed a volley of energy arrows.

The Herrscher waved his hand, creating a gravitational well that swallowed the projectiles into oblivion.

Simultaneously, Kosma chains shot forward, aiming to bind the Herrscher's limbs. They wrapped around him successfully, glowing with a binding force. For a moment, it seemed they had gained the upper hand.

Kalpas with fiery aura on his body marched at herrscher.

He lunged forward, aiming for the Herrscher's heart.

But just as his fist was about to connect, the Herrscher's eyes flashed.

The space around him distorted violently, and an explosive burst of energy erupted outward, shattering kalpas chains and sending all attackers reeling back leaving only Kevin and elysia.

Kalpas was thrown back several meters, barely managing to stabilize herself mid-air. he wiped a trickle of blood from her lip, her eyes now blazing with a mixture of irritation and anger. "Ill kill you."

The Herrscher merely looked at him and said " death ".

As he spoke, the ground below began to shake once more. Rubble and debris lifted into the air, orbiting around the Herrscher like satellites. With a swift motion, he directed the swirling mass toward the MANTIS operatives, each piece accelerating like a missile.

Elysia created a barrier of luminous energy, deflecting several of the incoming projectiles, but the sheer volume was overwhelming.