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‘Apsara’ Tanabata, ranked 7th among the Seven Beasts of Calamity, positioned herself as the first line of defense against Nidhogg.

With pure white wings that belied her swan incarnation, her appearance was angelic. She landed gracefully in front of the advancing Nidhogg, her wings vanishing as she confidently faced the enemy with a fearless, captivating smile.

In comparison to Nidhogg, whose diameter was several hundred meters, she seemed like a fragile blade of grass vulnerable to the wind. However, even her current form was three times the size of a normal human.

Flanking her were two Kirins, serving as her guards. These Kirins were a unique dual entity; ‘Ki’ represented the male, while ‘Rin’ symbolized the female. They were collectively known as ‘Guon’, ranking fifth among the Seven Beasts of Calamity. Their names were homophones, but distinct; the male was nicknamed ‘Five Fates’ and the female ‘Divine Cloud’.

“Tanabata, this looks like a good spot. I’ll shield you completely, so ensure the Princess’ orders are fulfilled.” (Five Fates)

“If you suffer any injuries, I’ll be there to heal you. May fortune favor you in battle.” (Divine Cloud)

Tanabata smiled reassuringly at her comrades’ words and stepped forward with a leisurely gait, closing the distance between her and Nidhogg. Her light steps suggested a transition into ecstatic self-forgetfulness.

Dressed minimally in a short waistcloth, Tanabata displayed her ample chest without reserve. Adorned with intricate goldwork, including forehead and hair ornaments, earrings, necklaces, chest ornaments, rings, and bracelets, her every movement produced a cool, melodious jingle.

Soon, she synchronized her body with the rhythm, dancing in place. Every movement, from her limb tips to her gaze and hair ends, was smooth and powerful, her body undulating gently.

Her celestial dance captivated the souls of onlookers, transcending mere description.

Nearby, sentries from the Holy Kingdom and Empire, deployed as lookouts, found themselves mesmerized by the spectacle, forgetting their duty. Even Nidhogg, presumably of limited intellect, halted, captivated by her movements.

Soon, the surroundings began to blur, resembling a mirage. This mysterious phenomenon, dubbed ‘Maya Zone’, masked the senses of everyone present, making it difficult to discern reality from illusion.

“«Maya Zone» is indeed remarkable. Even those of us who prepared for it, closing our eyes, struggle to differentiate reality from fiction,” Goun (Five Fates) remarked, his voice filled with admiration as he gazed at the dreamlike scene.

“However, this won’t completely entrap the giant. It might be entranced, but if the rest of its body remains unaffected, it will eventually brute-force its way through. We must remain alert,” Goun (Divine Cloud) warned sternly.

“Hmph. That’s why the Demon Generals and Round Table members are deployed, isn’t it? If they can’t handle this, we might as well retreat in disgrace,” Goun (Five Fates) retorted mockingly.

◆◇◆◇

“Haa. There’s nothing interesting about dealing with a brainless, yet gigantic, giant… but I admit its size does make up for its lack of abilities.”

Gamon, one of the Thirteen Demon Generals, snorted disdainfully as he observed Nidhogg’s squirming form. Gamon himself was a 50-meter giant deity, with a surprisingly handsome face for his size, a thick chest, well-toned abdominal muscles, legs as sturdy as rocks, a snake-like tail, and mighty arms with 98 additional arms of varying thickness and length — a true embodiment of a storm monstrosity, Typhoon.

“Alright. Tanabata has started, and the Princess is watching. Can’t afford to embarrass myself now.”

Murmuring to himself, Gamon slowly spread all his arms and unleashed a deafening roar. Fang-lined mouths appeared on his palms, and the arms, resembling countless snakes, began absorbing air from their surroundings. The resulting suction distorted Nidhogg’s gigantic body as it pulled in sand, dust, and pulverized rocks.

After drawing in enough air, Gamon released it in a thunderous, wind-like torrent, shaking his arms and spinning around his tail as a pivot point for a final, devastating blow.

Within seconds, a massive sandstorm, with Gamon at its center, engulfed Nidhogg’s body.

Nidhogg writhed in an attempt to escape, but Gamon’s relentless spinning transformed the storm into a towering tornado that reached towards the sky.

“Here I come.”

Launching himself into the tornado, Gamon soared to its peak with tremendous rotational energy. From above, he delivered a spiraling, ultra-fast kick. His descent, like a 50-meter bullet, broke the sound barrier and gouged a significant portion of Nidhogg’s body.

Despite Nidhogg’s ability to absorb energy, it writhed and roared in pain from the sheer physical assault.

“Hmm, I missed some parts. Was hoping to end it in one go.”

Gamon grunted as he emerged from the crater he created upon landing.

“Heavens to Betsy, Gamon! What an incredible display! But wasn’t your role just to halt its advance?”

«Hanuman» Byakuya, another of the Thirteen Demon Generals, exclaimed in admiration as he descended from the sky. His role was to support Gamon with a «Storm Barrier», but he couldn’t resist joining in after seeing Gamon’s solo action.

“Sure, we were supposed to use the «Storm Barrier» to stop it, but nobody said we couldn’t kill it, right? Just blindly following orders doesn’t make you a loyal retainer. And frankly, merely stopping it was too dull.”

Gamon’s explanation elicited laughter from Byakuya.

“I knew you had it in you! Let’s not hold back then; going for the kill is definitely more exciting! Alright, let’s do this!”

Energized, Byakuya leaped into the storm, his body propelled upwards at an incredible speed. His six arms each conjured a different weapon: a Vajra, a trident, a Vajra bell, a Vajra sword, a Chakra, and a Karma Vajra.

“Idiot. Just make sure you keep up the «Storm Barrier»,” Gamon shouted after Byakuya, as he himself created another tornado.

“Wooohoooo!” Byakuya’s jubilant cry echoed as he slashed through Nidhogg.

Finally, Nidhogg let out an angry roar and opened magical eyes all over its body. However—

“Hahahahaha! You’re too slow to catch me!”

Byakuya’s movements were too rapid for the naked eye, his instantaneous jumps, stops, and reversals rendering him virtually uncatchable.

Gamon, not to be outdone, executed another high-speed kick. But as the scene seemed to replay itself, Nidhogg started firing purple beams in every direction.

“Ugh, it’s hot… and this numbness…”

Gamon felt a numbing sensation spreading from his limbs as he was struck by several beams. His kick, aimed at ‘Arumamis’ on Nidhogg’s back, missed its mark, merely scraping the surface.

Gamon crash-landed with a resounding thud, and more beams pursued him relentlessly.

“Gah, I got too close…”

Paralyzed, Gamon grunted and gritted his teeth as the beams steadily sapped his HP. He glanced at Byakuya, who was frantically dodging the indiscriminate barrage.

Is this the end for me?

Just as despair crept in, a wall of mirrors materialized in front of Gamon, reflecting the incoming beams. Nidhogg, hit by its own attacks, groaned in pain.

Gamon then noticed sparkling mirrors, like snowflakes, surrounding Nidhogg, reflecting most of the beams.

“Hazumi’s «Mirror Ward», huh… Saved by him, it seems.”

Relieved, Gamon sighed, his voice tinged with gratitude and a touch of self-mockery.