Chapter 109: The War of the Four Strongest

Suddenly intervening, Franini left the three level-ten powerhouses completely stunned. With the exception of Rommel, whose form remained concealed, the other two rose into the air, one in front and the other behind, clamping Franini in the center.

Oda Nobunaga was occasionally accompanied by a gentle breeze that sustained him aloft, while Paul’s figure flickered restlessly in place. He relied on his spatial abilities to adjust his position just before impact, making it appear as though he hovered effortlessly in the air.

“What exactly do you intend to do, Franini?” Oda Nobunaga spoke first. He was well aware that Franini’s motives toward him were far from benevolent, given the events involving the Doom Squad.

Had it been anyone else, he would have struck without hesitation. Yet the figure before him was Franini, widely regarded as the strongest young talent in the Fantasy City. To act rashly without forethought would only lead to his own downfall.

“I have no grand designs,” Franini replied with an elegant smile. Oda Nobunaga refused to believe her, his voice cold. “Franini, do you truly think we’re children? You say this only to aid the Doom Squad, do you not?”

Franini raised her index finger to rest against her chin, feigning deep thought. “Truthfully, I would love nothing more than to end you here and now. However, someone told me they wished to handle it themselves, so…”

She turned her gaze, a small, mischievous smile curving her lips. “A brief beating will suffice.”

“A beating?” Oda Nobunaga pointed at himself in disbelief, then burst into laughter. “Franini, do you truly believe you are invincible?”

“I would not claim to be the undisputed master of the world, but I can certainly handle you.” Franini raised her hand, and the building behind her was uprooted by her will, only to be hurled aside before she could strike. With a thunderous crash, the structure shattered into rubble.

“Paul, do you intend to side with them?” Franini’s tone was icy as debris flew in all directions. Paul’s form flashed once, his slender sword trailing a fierce light. He stood upon the falling stones, his handsome face softened by the gentle smile of spring.

“I harbor no such intention,” Paul replied. “But I would still like to test my skills against you.” His confidence stemmed from his own strength. Since his promotion to level ten five years earlier, he had never suffered a defeat, not even at the hands of the S-rank Thunder Heaven.

Nevertheless, he still ranked fifth on the superhuman leaderboard, a position firmly behind Franini. “I simply wish to understand what special qualities place you fourth.”

“If that is your aim, then all three of you—” Franini hovered in the air as sand and stone swirled around her in controlled motion.

Oda Nobunaga, already impatient, slashed out with his blade mid-sentence. “Enough chatter! Face this!” What emerged was not a mere sword strike but a tempest, a storm born at the edge of his sword that rolled toward Franini.

Facing such overwhelming force, Franini showed no fear. She lightly tapped her fingertips before her, and the swirling sand and stones formed an impenetrable wall. When the hurricane struck, every grain and fragment seemed frozen in place, becoming a barrier that could cleave through anything. The wind slammed into it, shattering into countless scattered gusts.

Oda Nobunaga remained unfazed. If Franini could not withstand even this, she would not deserve the title of strongest young talent. As the wind broke apart against the stone wall, he thrust his free hand forward and roared, “Spin!”

The shattered gale suddenly obeyed, spinning at blinding speed around the impact point until, in mere seconds, it became a colossal tornado. The stone wall before Franini disintegrated instantly, the vortex’s power reducing it to dust and fragments.

Franini was forced to retreat, but Oda Nobunaga pressed the advantage. “It is not over yet,” he laughed wildly, pursuing Franini’s retreating figure. Behind him, three more massive tornadoes materialized, chasing after her.

These were no mere child’s whirlwind but terrifying in their destructive potential. The stone wall behind Franini had been pulverized into gravel, which the tornadoes seized and hurled as weapons. She turned and flew a hundred meters away. The moment she faced forward again, she sensed space twisting behind her. Without hesitation, she thrust her hand back, a barrier of will materializing ten meters away.

Paul had appeared behind her. His slender sword struck like a ghost, a hundred strikes in rapid succession—not sword qi, but rifts torn in space itself. Yet the fissures froze in mid-air, suspended like invisible blades without striking Franini. She dared not underestimate them; the only one capable of tearing space within the Fantasy City was Paul, whose attacks were the most devastating of any.

Franini swung her sleeve in a broad arc. Paul’s voice echoed from the void as he was sent flying like a sandbag. The strike was devastating; the air itself erupted with a deafening boom, destabilizing the long night sky behind her.

Paul had been hurled far by the blow, though as a level-ten powerhouse he survived. Had it been anyone else, he would have been reduced to ash.

“Who remains?” Franini turned, her long hair whipping behind her as a faint anger kindled in her beautiful eyes. Then a golden sphere of light appeared in the sky, radiant as a blazing sun, directly aimed at her.

“It is not enough,” Franini murmured before the light could reach her. She felt the searing heat yet showed no fear. Rommel’s attack was formidable, but it could not breach her mental barrier.

She clasped her hands together, fingers interlocking, then pushed slowly forward. A visible arc of light appeared before her.

Rommel’s beam struck the wall of light. Franini’s body trembled once before she absorbed the blow.

“Is this Franini’s mental barrier?” Paul steadied himself with effort. Seeing Rommel’s attack shatter against the golden radiance, he sighed helplessly. Franini’s abilities were both offensive and defensive, with almost no weaknesses. The notion that mentalists were poor fighters simply did not apply to her.

“Had Tianhe and Qieye fought monsters like this?” Paul muttered. “No wonder he lost.”

The light screen before Franini remained unyielding, absorbing every strike without trembling. Then, after a moment, several more golden suns appeared in the sky.

Oda Nobunaga, forced away from the battlefield by Rommel’s pillar of light, watched the reappearing suns with a cold laugh. “Rommel has truly committed himself. I cannot fall behind.” The moment the words left his lips, he saw Paul also appear high in the air.

“Let us attack together and shatter her shield!” Oda Nobunaga knew fairness no longer mattered. No one could defeat Franini in single combat; Tianhe had proven it with his life.

“You think Franini can hold them off?” Vladimir lowered the data recorder in his hand and smiled at Gonghou, who sat eating beside him.

“I believe the odds are favorable. Franini’s super-reaction score exceeds eight thousand three hundred. The others are Paul at five thousand seven hundred, Oda Nobunaga at four thousand three hundred, and Rommel at three thousand nine hundred. Even together, they cannot break her shield.” Gonghou discarded the empty chip bag and reached for more food.

“However, regardless of numbers, you feel your only level-nine powerhouse has been eliminated, and you still believe you have a chance?” Vladimir continued.

Gonghou gave him a blank look. “Are you an idiot? As long as someone is alive, there is still hope. Go home and drink milk.”

A piece of fried chicken suddenly appeared in his hand.

“Alive, then there is still hope?” Vladimir sneered. “Fine. I will watch and see if you still have any chances.” He turned his gaze to the illusory screen displaying the battle.

Paul stood on a distant tower, his slender sword held upright. The space behind him fractured and reformed continuously as he prepared a devastating strike.

Oda Nobunaga gripped his blade with both hands. Three enormous tornadoes circled him, readying the ultimate attack.

Rommel remained invisible, yet the dozen suns in the sky grew brighter by the second.

“Let us begin,” Franini said. She did not flee but stood calmly in the air, surrounded by streaks of rainbow light. Her mental power had grown so vast that it could alter the heavens and earth.

The three attacks struck nearly simultaneously. First, every sun in the sky erupted with golden light, enveloping Franini.

Then Paul stepped forward. His sword flashed as he roared, piercing forward. The instant the blade moved, the space behind him collapsed, fractured, and reformed. The strike carried a sword qi that tore through every surface of space it passed.

Finally, Oda Nobunaga’s three tornadoes merged into one as he swung his blade. The vortex detonated, unleashing a torrent of shattered wind that howled toward Franini, crashing under a massive wind blade.

Alone in the face of apocalyptic power, Franini stood resolute. She raised her head, her expression firm. The next moment, she lifted her hand and spoke softly, “Rainbow Petals!”

Petals of seven colors bloomed behind her, shielding her fragile form.

Unlike her previous battle with Tianhe, this time the petals did not retreat but advanced from behind to stand before the three forces.

Heaven collapsed and earth shattered. The best description of their collision could not have been truer. The shattered light, broken wind, and spreading spatial fissures raged across the small battlefield.

Will crawled up from the dust-covered ground, witnessing the apocalyptic sky. He could only sigh, “This is true super power!” before being struck by stray light and reduced to ash.

Fifth place eliminated—Heaven’s Decree Team!

The audience outside the arena erupted in frenzy. The battle had begun earlier than expected, four level-ten powerhouses clashing at once and igniting the crowd’s passion.

They had waited for the outcome—whether Franini would prevail or the three would slay her. No matter the result, this moment would be etched in memory.

The battlefield had become a miniature apocalypse. No substance could survive there; destruction was its only fate.

Franini bit her lip, facing three level-ten attacks alone. Even she felt powerless. The rainbow petals compressed relentlessly, cold sweat beading on her forehead.

“Am I going to lose here?” she thought. At least her defeat would not be shameful.

Yet something strange occurred.

The entire ground trembled violently.

“What is happening?” Franini wondered, but the next instant, something none of them expected unfolded. From the far end of the city, a hundred-meter-high column of electricity and plasma erupted, engulfing the fighters!

Franini threw up a barrier with part of her power to deflect the torrent. Paul barely escaped, nearly burned to cinders. Oda Nobunaga reacted swiftly, swinging his blade to shatter the portion of plasma threatening him, though he was still sent flying.

“What is going on?” Oda Nobunaga cursed in fury. The golden suns above had dimmed. Only then did they realize night had fallen unnoticed amid the earlier battle and Rommel’s concealment.

The instant Oda Nobunaga’s words fell, a streak of light shot from the darkness, striking the roof of a distant skyscraper. The tower was pierced, smoke billowing, and a figure flashed through the opening into the ruined building.

“Xie Liu!” Franini detected his presence first. The newcomer was indeed Xie Liu!

Xie Liu’s eyes burned like red rubies in the night, carving two crimson trails through the darkness. He burst through the smoke, his waistband snapping and flinging him forward like a bullet into the tower.

“What is he doing?” Paul landed on the far tower, puzzled.

Yet Xie Liu moved like a madman, roaring as his blade struck out and plunged into the void.

“What is he doing?” Paul was startled, but Oda Nobunaga’s voice cut in. “No—”

Xie Liu’s blade and his body flew across the tower, finally embedding in the rubble.

The void faded. Beneath Xie Liu’s sword, a figure appeared—Rommel, who had been hiding.

“You…” Rommel’s eyes widened in shock and rage. The man before him panted heavily, yet his gaze was like an ancient ferocious beast piercing the heart. “How did you find me…”

Xie Liu would not allow him to speak. His blade twisted and struck, severing Rommel in two on the spot.

A level-ten powerhouse had fallen!

Silence descended, absolute. Whether on the battlefield or in the stands, all was deathly still.

Only Xie Liu’s faint breathing remained. He rose, turned his head, and smiled with a wicked grin at Oda Nobunaga, his blood-red eyes the only mark of his identity.

“The God-Killing Team has arrived.”