"What's this…? I… can't… move…"
Yaki struggled in silence, his body locked mid-air, unable to twitch even a finger.
Lucy's eyes glowed faintly as she stepped toward him, drawing back her fist.
She swung—
But before her punch could land, Ikanami switched in front of her, his twin hammers crossed defensively.
The impact shattered both hammers instantly, fragments scattering like sparks.
The explosion of force sent both of them flying in opposite directions.
"You see what I'm talking about here?" Lucy's voice thundered across the air, eyes flashing with dominance.
"You guys stand no chance against a witch. Toys have no place in the world of the living.
And what was that again, Susa?
Something about me only being able to defeat you?"
She switched behind Susa, who stood frozen, legs trembling.
"Pathetic."
Lucy's fingertip brushed the back of Susa's neck.
BOOM!
Her raw force energy sent Susa flying, crashing toward the same spot Ikanami and Yaki had been hurled to.
Lucy crossed her arms, her gaze steady.
"Come on, give it up. I know those chains of yours are just below me—don't think you've got them hidden.
The real question here is…"
She smirked.
"…what am I going to do with you toys?"
She switched again—
appearing right in their midst as the three of them staggered back to their feet.
In one motion, Lucy drove her fist forward, releasing a blast of pure force energy, her Renshi deactivated to keep them alive.
The trio roared, clashing with her blow—
they could finally fight in defense, weapons clashing, sparks flying.
They swung, lunged, struck with desperation,
but Lucy's movements were faster—cleaner—merciless.
"Come on, you fools! Show me all you've got!" she taunted, hammering them with a flurry of strikes.
Then—
A massive Renshical circle lit up in the sky before her.
The trio immediately switched away.
From within the circle, a gigantic palm emerged—
a towering hand, as big as a mansion,
a colossal sword clutched in its grip.
It lunged toward Lucy at terrifying speed.
Lucy planted her feet, bracing herself,
and caught the sword with her bare hands, holding it still.
CRRRK—
The earth beneath her began to crumble, fissures racing outward in every direction.
"Double Hammer Technique: Duo Smash!"
Ikanami roared, his voice echoing.
He locked his hammers together by the edges, spun, and hurled them into a Renshical circle midair.
They vanished—
—then reappeared from a massive circle behind Yaki's, who was still controlling the sword-hand mid air.
From his circle, a second colossal hand emerged, a giant hammer resting in another palm.
The hammer slammed down upon the sword-hand, increasing its force exponentially.
Susa followed suit—
her four massive Renshical chains burst from the ground, coiling upward like serpents, binding both giant hands down toward the earth, pinning Lucy within their crushing weight.
The ground couldn't endure it.
The kingdom trembled.
Cracks spidered through every direction—
Some buildings collapsed, towers shattered,
the entire city buckling under the destructive force.
Still—
Lucy held firm, arms trembling, her aura blazing.
"NOW!" Yaki shouted.
The three switched at once, appearing in front of Lucy—
weapons raised to deliver the finishing blow.
Lucy turned slowly, eyes glowing like suns.
Her wings folded inward—
and three dark Renshical hands erupted from her back, grabbing their necks mid-attack.
WHOOOSH—!
Before they could react, she swung them like rag dolls,
smashing them again and again,
each impact exploding like thunderclaps.
BOOM!
BAAAM!
KRASH!
"At this rate… we're going to die!" Ikanami shouted, blood on his lips.
"Use it—NOW!"
Ikanami roared, Lucy continuing the barrage, her eyes wild.
Yaki struggled, reaching into his pocket—
his fingers closed around a black crystal.
He raised it high—
but another violent swing made it slip from his grip.
CRACK—!
"DAMN IT!" Yaki cried—
—just as Lucy smashed Susa into the ground—
right on top of the crystal.
The moment her body struck—
FLASH!
The clouds above tore apart, scattering like ashes—
and the universe itself became visible overhead.
Stars flickered, space distorted—
and from the ruptured sky,
a colossal hand, bigger than the entire kingdom, emerged from beyond the universe.
---
Meanwhile…
A distance away, atop a crumbling cliff,
Watanabe and Suzuki watched in silence.
"Hey, Watanabe," Suzuki muttered, eyes wide,
"Don't you think we should take care of this one?
That thing—if it lands, the entire place will turn into nothingness!"
Watanabe crossed his arms.
"Don't underestimate the woman.
She could've finished them all long ago,
but she's too full of herself—playing with her prey this might come back to bite her."
He narrowed his eyes.
"Let's wait a little longer."
---
Lucy looked up—
and felt it.
A power beyond reason—descending.
Her expression hardened.
"…Okay, buddies," she muttered darkly.
"Now you've really done it."
She released the trio with a powerful smash to the ground, letting their bodies fall,
then raised both hands to the sky.
Light and Dark Renshi surged from her palms,
spiraling together—
SHHHH!
The aura split the air,
and the three techniques binding her shattered to dust.
She clenched her fists, eyes locked on the descending hand.
Yaki's voice rang out, frantic—
"There's no way you can defend against that, Lucy! You're done for good!
Let's get the hell out of here!"
In a blur, the three began switching continuously, vanishing into the distance until they were gone.
The giant hand hurtled downward, faster and faster,I can't let that attack destroy this place,they are still down there,Lucy said with a angry tone—
THOOOOOM—!
The impact tore through the world—
The entire ground collapsed,
the underground house exposed,
every building in the kingdom shattered to dust.
Lucy stood at the epicenter,
her feet braced against the cracking earth,
holding off the colossal hand with both arms, her roar echoing through the sky.
Her voice thundered like a storm as she pushed back with everything she had—
The giant hand cracked, pieces shattering away.
She poured her Renshi into each fissure,
forcing them wider, wider—
until the fractures spread like lightning across its surface.
For minutes, she roared,
her body trembling, Renshi flooding the air—
Then, amid the chaos—
Her eyes widened.
Below her—
the shattered remains of the underground house.
But she couldn't sense them—
not Alfie, not anyone.
Their Renshi auras… were gone.
"NOOOOOOO!" Lucy screamed, her fury shaking the earth.
She channeled tons of her Renshi into the massive hand above,
forcing the light deeper into its cracks,
ready to tear it apart in one final surge.