A sharp cracking sound echoed through the air.
As the dazzling light engulfed the entire mirror space, everyone was swallowed by the overwhelming energy.
A violent storm swept across everything in its path. The mirror space, reinforced by Goddess Artemis, was now filled with the sound of cracks forming.
It was like glass being struck with tremendous force.
Fractures spread throughout the space like a web of spider veins.
It was hard to imagine what would have happened if this level of destructive energy had been unleashed in City Q.
Not only would City Q be completely obliterated, but even the surrounding cities would face catastrophic destruction.
The storm raged on for nearly 20 minutes before gradually subsiding.
At that moment, the entire mirror space was reduced to ruins.
None of the buildings were left intact.
At the epicenter of the explosion, where the energies collided, a bottomless crater had formed. From above, it looked like the eye of some colossal creature.
The devastation was unimaginable.
"What an incredible explosion!"
"Yami's power is comparable to that of a god's. It's truly astounding!"
Goddess Hephaestus waved her hand, and the protective red barrier around them dissipated. All three goddesses wore expressions of awe.
It had taken considerable effort to shield themselves from that terrifying energy surge.
It was hard to believe that such an attack had been unleashed by a human.
"But now's not the time to be impressed!"
"That explosion was so powerful that the safety measures I placed on this independent space nearly failed. Will Yami and that child really be alright?"
Despite her worry, Goddess Artemis maintained her calm demeanor.
She was known for her composure.
The only time she had felt true panic was when her body had been swallowed by Antaris in the ruins of the Great Tree Sea.
But she had learned from that experience, and it wouldn't happen again.
"Yes, where are Yami and the girl?"
Goddess Hestia looked around nervously.
However, aside from the endless ruins and plumes of smoke, there was no sign of life.
Only Goddess Hephaestus seemed unbothered, her expression calm.
"Relax, both of you. Yami will be fine."
"The space hasn't collapsed, has it? As its master, his life isn't in any real danger."
"If that were the case, the space would have started to destabilize by now, and we'd be ejected."
Goddess Hephaestus's reasoning was sound, leaving no room for doubt.
"Looks like you know me well~"
A familiar voice rang out.
Moments later, an invisible portal opened, and Yami emerged before the three goddesses, holding the unconscious Tatsumaki.
The once-confident "little girl" was now completely out cold.
"I'm back, Hephaestus, Hestia, Artemis."
Yami descended gracefully, landing in front of the goddesses.
He was unscathed, but his magic power flared around him, more active than usual, likely from not having used it in a while.
The violent interplay of lightning and the sun's intense heat created an unsettling aura around him.
Goddess Hephaestus noticed this and instinctively furrowed her brow.
"Yami, can't you control your power?"
"Of course I can! Why do you ask?"
Yami gave her a puzzled look. To prove his point, he concentrated and immediately reined in his magic power. The fluctuations around him vanished.
Satisfied, Hephaestus relaxed.
"Good. I was worried for a second."
"Don't worry, Hephaestus. I've got it under control. It's just been a while since I released this much power—it feels pretty good."
"But I guess I did get a little carried away~"
Yami scratched his head, glancing around.
The simulated city had been completely obliterated, leaving almost no stable ground.
It had been a wise decision to shift the battle to the mirror space.
If they had fought in the real world, even without the final blow, the normal collisions alone would have leveled City Q.
"What about the girl? Is she hurt?"
Due to their long history of sealing their divine powers, the gods had developed a habit of not using them unless absolutely necessary.
Even now, despite no longer being restricted, Hephaestus, Artemis, and Hestia refrained from using their powers freely, preferring the intrigue of the unknown.
"Her body took quite a bit of damage. Several bones are broken, and her internal organs have suffered varying degrees of injury. The worst part is her overexertion of psychic power."
"That's why she passed out. But it's not too serious—she'll recover with rest."
Yami had already checked on Tatsumaki after rescuing her.
Given the advanced power systems in their world, human bodies weren't as fragile as they once were, especially for someone like Tatsumaki, with her incredible psychic abilities.
Yami didn't fully understand telekinesis, but even if it had healing applications, it wouldn't surprise him.
After all, every power had two sides.
"So, what are you planning to do with her now?"
"What else? Like I said before, I just wanted to challenge her. Now that I've won, there's no conflict between us, so there's no rush."
"Even though she has a temper, I respect what she's done."
"I'll return her to the Hero Association later."
Yami had already made up his mind on what to do next.