Puffer Whale Arc I

When the group was about to enter the cave, a reporter with sparkling eyes blocked their path.

"Oh my God! Two of the heavenly kings! This is such a big scoop!" Tina said while filming the group.

"Can you please, stop?" Coco as a gentleman asked her to stop politely while Toriko blocked the camera.

"There's a reason why he doesn't want to be on camera or any spotlight." Toriko said and Tina looked at the others who are staring at her.

"O-Okay, b-but can I join you? I-I just want to film the phantasmal ingredient... I promise I won't capture any of you... only the ingredient." Tina said dejected. Toriko and Coco looked at Noctis and his group but they just shrugged their shoulders and passed the decision to the two of them.

"Alright. As long as its only the ingredient." Toriko said and Tina regained the hope in her eyes.

"But we're not responsible for your safety out there." Coco said and she nodded.

"T-that guy... is he carrying a wooden sword?" Tina asked Komatsu as they entered the cave. Coco's ears perked up after hearing her question.

"Yep. Its a wooden sword." Noctis nodded as he held his wooden sword in reverse grip and passed it to Tina who examined the wooden sword. She then started weighing it, she felt that it was really light and was doubting how he could use it. Seeing her doubt, Toriko chuckled and didn't say anything. Komatsu on the other hand had a wry smile on his face.

"Is this gonna work? It doesn't look sharp and looks like it would be broken if it hit something hard..." Tina said which made Noctis' group chuckle.

"Young Lady... Tina, is it? My sword will only break if I want it to. I could slice anything if I want it to. But if I don't have any intention of killing, my sword is just a blunt weapon." Noctis said vaguely as it brought confusion to Tina but to Coco he understood his words. If he wants his sword to kill, his sword will slice anything on his path.

"We're here, the entrance to the nest of Devil Serpent." Coco said as he looked at the hole and in his eyes the E.M. waves are ominous looking. He untied the rope hanging like a sling bag on his body and tied it to a tree.

Even he as a human who has more than 500 antibodies of different poisons, is wary about the inhabitants of the cave as they were poisonous and dangerous even to him but what he saw dumbfounded everyone.

"I'm going to secure the drop point. I'm going in~~! Woooooooo!" Before they managed to process what just happened, Noctis had already jumped down while enjoying the air pressure while free falling. Somnus, Hera, Helen, and Irene facepalmed while Regis laughed out loud saying 'That's my son, as reckless as always!'

"*Sigh* Don't worry about my husband, he can handle himself." Irene said and Coco nodded. Toriko on the other hand felt like jumping too because it looked like fun but decided not to because even he felt the danger looming down the cave.

Noctis who jumped down saw an army of insects. Before he jumped down he decided to let him loose. After he landed on the scorpions back and squashed it, he looked around and a hollow mask appeared and a crazy laughter resounded that even those at the top managed to hear.

"His scent changed." Toriko said which made the group curious.

Hollow Noctis looked at the bugs surrounding him who are wary of him. He smiled as he cracked his fist and a sword appeared in his hand.

"Playing chess with that damned old man made me sluggish. Maybe I could use this opportunity to stretch out." Hollow Noctis said as he rushed towards the army of insects.

A huge centipede tried to bite him and a stinger appeared below the ground at the same time trying to kill him but Hollow Noctis efficiently dodged the huge centipede and used the back side of his sword to swat the stinger away. A huge bee attacked and aimed its stinger to the unsuspecting Noctis. Surprised by the sneak attack, he used his hand to hold on to the stinger and threw it to the ground and stomped on it, effectively killing it. He then turned around and dodged the centipede's acid spit and kicked the approaching stinger.

"Hah, that's a good warm up. Care for round 2?" Hollow Noctis said with a mocking expression on his face. The centipede screeched and the bug army went forward and attacked Hollow Noctis.

"Abyss Flames." Holow Noctis said and black flames erupted in his off-hand. He then punched the ground hitting the burrowed scorpion and the black flames started spreading. The insects caught by the black flames started crying in agony and rolled on the ground.

Noctis who is watching hollow Noctis' performance narrowed his eyes as he saw that the flames looked like Amaterasu, a technique from Sharingan.

"There's a reason why he only let you know of such skills now is if you did conjure those flames before you upgraded your body, the flames would eat you causing you to die. If you die of course we would die with you as well." Juhabach said causing Noctis to raise his evaluation of the hollow version of himself.

Seeing the dwindling number of the insect army, the centipede rushed to attack Hollow Noctis. It was confident in its carapace that he will manage to block his sword. Contrary to his expectation, when the sword stabbed to its body, it pierced through it easily causing it to screech in pain. Its red eyes stared at Hollow Noctis in hatred but before it could attack, cold feeling started wrapping its body.

"Eternal Ice." Hollow Noctis said as the centipede turned into a white ice sculpture. The moment he removed the sword, the sculpture collapsed as it fell to the ground and cracked.

"That was a good workout. Tell me if there's an event like this again. Old Man! Let's go for another round of chess! I swear I'm beating you this round!" Hollow Noctis said as they swapped positions.

The sword Hollow Noctis is holding disappeared and Noctis took the wooden sword in his storage.

After Hollow Noctis massacred the insects, Noctis sat down as he waited for everyone to come down.

The first one to arrive is Coco with Komatsu on his back followed by Toriko with Tina on his back as well.

"So hot! Its like I'm being cooked alive." Komatsu said and Toriko looked at the sitting Noctis.

'I know that he's very strong but never to this extent.' Toriko thought and Coco had the same idea. Soon everyone managed to drop down safely.

"Let me lead the way. My enhanced vision allows me to see better in the dark." Coco said as they nodded as he lead the way deeper into the cavern.