[It hurts… it hurts so much—!!!]
The boss's consciousness roared. He felt as if his body was being torn into billions of burning fragments, then forcibly mashed back together by some brutal force.
Every inch of his flesh cried out under unbearable strain. Rampant energy rampaged wildly inside him, seeking any outlet for release.
Pain drowned out reason, leaving only the most primitive instinct—to destroy.
To inflict this pain outward, to annihilate everything around him.
In reality, his colossal, mountain-like form lumbered through the Rhine Lab complex, its lower half connected to molten lava, continuously spreading outward.
Four arms, as thick as skyscrapers, swung unconsciously; the wind pressure alone was enough to shred the remaining structures.
BOOM—!!!
A giant palm slammed down. An experimental building below shattered instantly like a child's toy blocks.
Structural steel beams melted the moment they touched the palm; concrete turned into crimson lava splattering everywhere; exploding flames and thick smoke shot into the sky.
"Help! What is this monster?!"
"Security?! Where's the Defense Division?! Stop it!"
"No! I won't! I won't fight this thing!! Retreat! Retreat!!!"
Below, tiny figures fled, screamed.
Desperate shouts, agonized wails, hysterical sobs… countless sounds pierced the boss's pain-filled mind, driving his already agitated and chaotic nerves further toward madness.
"ROAR—!!!" (SHUT UP!!!)
A terrifying soundwave mixed with exploding flames shattered all the glass in nearby buildings.
Following instinct, he swung his molten rock arm toward the direction with the densest, loudest noise.
He wanted to crush these annoying "noise sources.
Yet, just as the colossal arm was about to descend, turning yet another area into scorched earth—
Whoosh—!
A familiar white crystalline shard shot toward his blazing face like a meteor against the tide, precise and merciless.
The moment it approached, it was engulfed by the surrounding lava domain, failing to cause any real damage.
But the memory of this attack nearly ending his life violently jolted the boss's chaotic consciousness.
Hum—!
He whipped around toward the source of the attack, his flowing magma-like eyes widening abruptly.
Below, a tiny white figure stood tall and unwavering.
Dense calcified crystals enveloped her body like the armor of a knight.
It was her! That person! The woman who had almost killed him!
The memory of his body being pierced mixed with the current agony and brutality, erupting like a volcano in his turbulent mind.
Rooooaaar—!!!
He ignored the chaotic sounds of fleeing figures, focusing all his attention on Saria.
All four arms rose high, clenched into fists, and in the next moment, the four massive fists descended like falling meteors, slamming down simultaneously toward the area where Saria stood!
Saria's perspective—
After delivering Silence to safety, the moment Saria turned to face this lava behemoth, her heart clenched.
She knew the gap in power between herself and this monster was immense, especially after its size and energy had surged explosively.
But when she saw that colossal arm swinging toward the densely populated area, she instinctively acted…
Now, the four lava fists, like meteors, crashed down.
Saria chose not to meet them head-on—that would be as futile as a mantis trying to stop a chariot.
Instead, she channeled all her Arts into herself and the ground beneath her feet.
Bang!
A slanted wall of calcified crystals instantly formed behind her, while a powerful force erupted beneath her feet—
Her goal wasn't to block the attack but to use the impact to propel herself backward at the fastest possible speed.
Boom—!!!
The colossal fists struck the ground, as if four heavy bombs had detonated simultaneously.
A terrifying shockwave spread outward in a ring, and the partially collapsed buildings nearby were lifted by an invisible force, only to be torn apart mid-air by the ensuing chaos.
Even with her preemptive evasion, Saria was violently swept by the aftershock, crashing heavily against a relatively intact reinforced wall before she could stop herself.
Cough…
She emerged from her nearly shattered calcified fortress, a metallic taste rising in her throat as she suppressed the churning blood in her veins.
Looking ahead, the area within hundreds of meters of the titan's impact had turned into a burning lava hellscape.
Her heart sank. She couldn't let this monster wreak havoc any longer…
At this rate, not just Rhine Lab, but even the moving city blocks beyond would be utterly destroyed.
She raised her head once more, gazing at the terrifying figure standing amidst the sea of flames—
Over thirty meters tall, it seemed to connect heaven and earth. Molten lava flowed over its body like blood, radiating an aura of despair-inducing energy and scorching heat.
Its mere presence brought the oppressive force of a natural disaster.
A deep sense of powerlessness gripped Saria. Her calcification could block ordinary artillery, heal her comrades, and weaken enemies.
But against an entity of this scale—one that relied on pure, overwhelming power and energy—all her skills and experience felt utterly inadequate.
What could she do…to stop this monster?
The moment this thought arose, the image of Silence's trusting eyes and her own solemn promise flashed in her mind—
[I promise…]
Saria's gaze hardened once more, white crystals gathering on her body again, shimmering with unwavering resolve.
No matter the method, no matter the cost, she had to stall it! Buy time for evacuation and reinforcements!
Just as she steeled herself to launch another attack, the situation at the center of the battlefield shifted subtly.
The lava behemoth paused for a moment after its violent outburst.
Its burning head turned slightly, surveying the hellish devastation it had wrought—
Collapsed buildings, flowing lava, and the faint outlines of small, lifeless figures amidst the ruins…
The next moment, something happened that stunned Saria.
The massive titan seemed to flinch, curling its body slightly in a move that felt…timid and lost, utterly at odds with its terrifying appearance.
That movement…that feeling…was so familiar!
Saria's breath hitched. Her mind instantly flashed to Ifrit's face—
Whenever the child regained consciousness after the Sarkaz essence within her ran amok, she'd always wear an expression of fear, regret, and confusion…
An absurd thought formed in Saria's mind.
She watched the lava titan's every move intently, quickly connecting the earlier encounter with Ifrit's condition. Her speculation grew clearer by the second.
"Out of control…"
Saria murmured, recalling that when she first encountered this Sarkaz, though its form was horrifying, aside from self-defense and breaking out, it hadn't shown any desire to attack or destroy outright.
This was different from the Sarkaz essence within Ifrit, but the current rampage eerily mirrored Ifrit's loss of control.
"So…is it like Ifrit, having fallen into an out-of-control state for some reason? Or is this a shared trait among Sarkaz?"
The thought eased Saria's tense nerves slightly.
If it was merely an out-of-control state and not driven purely by a will to destroy, there might still be a chance—at least a possibility for communication and control.
Feeling slightly more assured, Saria decided to change tactics.
She no longer rushed to launch attacks that might further enrage the titan. Instead, she restrained her hostility and the fluctuations of her Arts, maintaining a relatively safe distance.
She needed to confirm whether there truly were periodic or triggered moments of lucidity and what the root cause of the rampage was.
"…Grr… Hissss…"
The massive lava titan let out a suppressed growl. Compared to its earlier mindless frenzy, its mind was now slightly clearer.
In this brief moment, the frantic calls of his brothers flooded his chaotic consciousness through their mental link.
[Fourth: Boss! Boss, are you okay?!]
[Second: Boss! Can you hear us? What's your situation over there?!]
[Third: Boss, are you all right? I'm sorry! I shouldn't have pushed so hard…]
[I'm…not dead yet…]
The boss responded through the link, struggling to stay lucid.
[There's too much energy… It's bursting at the seams… It's a bit better now… Once this energy slowly dissipates… I should be able to transform back…]
[That's great! Boss, hang in there!] The second brother's voice immediately came through, but then shifted to a serious warning.
[Boss, be careful! You're still in Rhine Lab's territory! You need to get out of there, fast!]
Rhine Lab…
As the second brother's reminder echoed in his mind, the boss's consciousness slowly surveyed the surroundings.
"…"
All he saw were ruins…
Did I cause this?
A mix of shock, confusion, and guilt surged within him.
Though he couldn't recall the specifics, the traces of destruction spoke volumes.
Just as he reeled from the devastation—
Whoosh— Whoosh— Whoosh—
Several missiles, trailing flames, flew toward the massive lava titan—
The warheads collided with its thick lava armor but didn't explode as expected. Instead, they vanished instantly, as if erased.
In the next moment, the pain that had just slightly eased due to the natural dissipation of energy surged back with renewed intensity.
Rooooaaar—!!!
Far from causing harm, the missiles were like pouring boiling oil onto a dying fire.
The sliver of clarity he'd regained vanished, and the suppressed urge to destroy seized control once more.
A deafening roar, filled with renewed agony and savagery, shook the heavens.
Saria, who had been poised to seize the opportunity to attempt communication, felt her pupils constrict sharply.
"No!!!"