Cao Cao wasn't close to Transcendent level—and with Shuo's arsenal of hidden tricks, this fight was never truly in doubt. Shuo's eyes narrowed as he sized up the remaining four.
Joan of Arc? Barely Ultimate-Class. Not even worth a second glance.
Heracles, even with his Sacred Gear, was just a glorified brawler—easy pickings.
The other two Longinus wielders were trickier.
Georg's Dimension Lost could be a headache; if things went south, he could whisk the group away in a haze of mist. Fortunately, Georg himself was nothing special—Shuo made a mental note to take him out first, just in case.
Leonardo's Annihilation Maker was a walking cheat code: monsters born from pure imagination, more powerful the wilder his mind ran. But the host was a weakling—he'd never tap the gear's full potential.
"Tch. All these overpowered Sacred Gears, wasted on nobodies," Shuo muttered, shaking his head. The Heaven-Rending Claw on his right hand shimmered and vanished, replaced by a gleaming Zanpakuto.
"Guess Zangetsu won't be gathering dust in my inventory after all," he mused, almost nostalgic.
Cao Cao didn't waste the opening. "Now!" he barked.
Georg's mist billowed out, swallowing the battlefield in violet fog. Shuo's vision blurred.
Minister Treasure activated—Cao Cao's clones multiplied, true and false, surrounding Shuo from every side. Spears of True Longinus stabbed toward him from the swirling haze.
Leonardo scrambled, conjuring a stampede of monsters—some barreled straight for Shuo, others huddled protectively around the Hero Faction.
Joan and Heracles drew their weapons, bracing for impact. Georg and Leonardo were the weak links—they needed shielding.
But Shuo didn't flinch. He stood his ground, lips curling into a sly, almost mocking smile.
Cao Cao's eyes widened.
"Did he dodge? No—he didn't even move!"
The spears and monsters lunged, but their attacks passed straight through Shuo's body, as if he were smoke. Again and again, the same result—untouched, unharmed.
Shuo's smile deepened.
Flash Time. The moment the attack landed, he'd jumped forward in his own timeline—no matter what they tried, they couldn't lay a finger on him.
Then, in the blink of an eye, Shuo vanished.
No warning, no telegraphed movement. Cao Cao's gaze darted wildly, searching for any trace.
Shuo reappeared behind Georg and the others. They spun around, shocked—
How had he gotten there?
Why hadn't Dimension Lost worked?
He raised Zangetsu.
Terror rooted the group in place. Their bodies refused to respond, frozen by pure fear—as if someone had pressed "pause" on their lives.
They tried to turn, to fight back, but it was useless.
A single slash—
"Shhk—!"
Three heads flew skyward. Georg, Leonardo, Heracles. Blood sprayed in crimson arcs.
One casual swing. Three dead.
Humans who relied too much on Sacred Gears—when a real monster came for them, they had nothing.
Joan stared, paralyzed, her Holy Sword clattering to the ground.
Too strong. She couldn't even pretend to fight.
Shuo's gaze landed on her.
"Count yourself lucky you're not like them. Stay put, and you'll live."
Their eyes met. Joan's fear deepened, swallowing her whole.
"I—I understand," she stammered, voice trembling.
Shuo turned to the monsters and clones. He didn't rush; he simply walked forward, swinging Zangetsu with bored precision.
"Slice, slice, slice—!"
Mountain-sized beasts and Cao Cao's duplicates fell in halves, one after another.
Three pairs of eyes watched, stunned, as Shuo moved through the battlefield—methodical, unhurried, every swing a death sentence.
Seconds later, the field was clear—no monsters, no clones remained.
Cao Cao's face darkened.
"Shuo Nangong… I underestimated you."
Once, Shuo was just an Ultimate-Class devil. Now? His power was something else—maybe even beyond Transcendent.
Cao Cao knew he couldn't win. He could only try to survive.
His expression hardened.
He unleashed his strongest trump card—General Treasure.
Magic gathered into a blazing sphere, purple light pulsing like a newborn star.
A colossal shockwave tore across the battlefield, pulverizing mountains in its path.
A full-force strike from the True Longinus—enough to kill a Satan-Class, maybe even a Transcendent. To guarantee a hit, Cao Cao aimed straight at Joan, Kunou, and Yasaka.
Even if Joan was his ally, he didn't hesitate. If he had to rebuild the Hero Faction from scratch, so be it.
Shuo almost admired the ruthlessness.
He switched to Demon Scholar mode and waved his hand.
"Magic Cancellation."
The shockwave fizzled and vanished before reaching him.
Cao Cao's eyes bulged in terror. His strongest attack—gone, like it never existed.
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