Beneath a sky bathed in the final light of two suns, the ruthless hunt by the Hawk of the Nebula Empire continued relentlessly. Da Vinci's group was now scattered amidst the ruins and large boulders in the narrow valley that had become a killing field. Cover was rapidly diminishing, and wounds, both minor and major, had begun to appear on almost everyone.
Eagle remained calmly perched on his advantageous cliff-top, his bow seemingly an extension of his body. His attacks, under the name "Divine Judgment Arrows," were continuous and varied. It wasn't just ordinary archery, but the ultimate art of killing, combining skill, precision, and some mysterious energy.
Da Vinci hid behind a crumbling wall that offered some cover, his eyes meticulously scanning Eagle's every move, his brain processing data at high speed. "Divine Judgment Arrows... not just a cool name. It's a well-designed 'system' of attack. He can alter the 'properties' and 'patterns' of his arrows according to the situation... That means the energy he uses must be highly flexible. And that bow... it might not be just an ordinary bow, but a 'conduit' or 'amplifier' for his energy."
"Divine Judgment Arrows – Armor-Piercing Form!" Eagle unleashed a single arrow condensed with pitch-black energy. Da Vinci observed dark energy particles rapidly swirling around the arrowhead before it was loosed, as if its piercing properties were directly 'imbued' into the projectile. It tore through the air at high speed towards the large boulder Bacchus was using as cover! A localized explosion thundered, and the boulder cracked into pieces, forcing Bacchus to narrowly leap away. Sharp stone fragments flew everywhere.
"Bacchus! Are you alright!?" Kiana shouted with concern, as she herself had to dodge. The focused destructive power is immense! It means he can 'focus' energy onto a small area with precision! Kiana thought. Her own fiery power still lacked that level of stable control.
"Divine Judgment Arrows – Shadow-Chasing Form!" The few arrows Eagle shot next had an astonishingly curved trajectory. Da Vinci stared at them. "Not just a typical archer's curve shot... there's a clear 'course correction' mid-air... as if there's a 'sensor' or some kind of 'guidance'... Or could it be... he 'binds' a part of his energy to those arrows to control them remotely?" They seemed to "turn" mid-air to track her and Ryu's movements as they tried to find new cover. Ryu barely managed to parry one arrow with his katana, but its tip still grazed his arm, drawing blood.
"Still standing!" Bacchus roared in reply, though covered in scrapes and dust. He quickly rolled behind another section of ruined wall that could offer temporary cover.
Eagle didn't let them catch their breath. "Divine Judgment Arrows – Illusionary Reflection Form!" He shifted his aim to Raven, who was continuously providing suppressing fire with her twin pistols. But Eagle's arrow didn't fly straight at her. It struck the cliff face beside her! "Precise calculation of impact and reflection angles... plus 'transferring' some energy to the reflection point to 'split' the arrow... This isn't just skill, but a complex application of energy!" Da Vinci analyzed rapidly. An echo and a flash of light occurred, and the arrow split into three, changing direction and lunging at Raven from three different angles!
"Watch out!" Ryu shouted a warning.
Raven displayed incredible skill. She spun in mid-air, narrowly dodging the first two arrows, and successfully used one pistol to shoot down the third arrow that came too close. But the impact still made her lose her balance slightly.
"No way! He can shoot reflecting arrows too?!" Taurus exclaimed in shock, as he himself had to dodge "Divine Judgment Arrows – Sealing Chains Form!" Special arrows Eagle shot embedded themselves in the ground around him, suddenly releasing glowing blue energy tendrils that tried to bind his legs. "Form-manifesting energy! He can 'transform' energy into tangible 'matter' or 'restraints'! This is definitely the power of a high-level Awakened!" Da Vinci grew more confident in his conclusion with each passing moment. Taurus had to stomp hard and use immense strength to pull himself free from the tendrils before they tightened and immobilized him.
Da Vinci, though physically weak and with his brush's power depleted, his mind was still working at full capacity. He was "memorizing" Eagle's every movement, every attack pattern. "Every time he shoots... it's not just an ordinary arrow. There's a different 'intent' and 'technique' hidden within... This is his 'art' of archery... Divine Judgment Arrows. He has a diverse 'arsenal' of attack patterns, and it seems he chooses them based on certain 'conditions'... like distance, number of targets, or even the environment..." he analyzed mentally. "He has a rhythm for changing patterns... conditions for using each type of arrow..."
Kiana also tried to understand the enemy's power. "The power of an Awakened, then... such diverse and precise energy control... it's far beyond my own still-unstable fiery power... But if we can grasp his 'pattern' or 'weakness'..."
Kiana tried to command and coordinate the team amidst the storm of arrows. "Watch that direction! He's going to shoot a reflection again!" or "Bacchus! Taurus! Destroy those energy tendrils before they bind someone else!" But defending was difficult. Everyone was getting tired and confused by the varied and unpredictable attacks of this master archer.
It seemed Eagle began to notice that Da Vinci's team was starting to "read" his game, or perhaps he was simply getting "bored" with the fun. He paused his shooting for a moment. The brutal aura around him intensified. The atmosphere grew so oppressive everyone almost stopped breathing.
"You... are starting to understand my 'language,' aren't you?" Eagle's voice drifted down from the clifftop, cold but with a hint of satisfaction. "But the real lesson... has only just begun!"
Then he drew his bow skyward! The familiar posture made Ryu, Kiana, and Da Vinci's eyes widen in terror! "Massive energy gathering... a wide-area attack pattern!" Da Vinci quickly calculated.
"Damn it! That big move again!" Ryu shouted.
"Divine Judgment Arrows: Arrow Rain Form!"
This time, Eagle didn't shout the technique's name, but the grand and powerful preparation was clearer than any words. Hundreds, even thousands, of brilliantly glowing golden arrows were unleashed into the sky before curving down like a rain of death, covering the entire area where Da Vinci's team was hiding! The whistling sound of countless arrows merged into a nerve-shattering scream. Golden light illuminated the entire valley, as bright as day!
"Take cover, quickly!" Kiana screamed.
But most of the cover had already been destroyed by previous attacks! This open area had truly become a hell on earth!
Bacchus and Taurus roared, using their massive bodies as "final shields" for the weakest, Da Vinci, and Kiana, who was trying to gather her fire power again. Countless golden arrows slammed into their bodies! Even Taurus's rock-hard skin and Bacchus's earth-enhanced durability couldn't completely withstand the destructive power of this arrow rain! Fresh red blood began to seep from numerous wounds!
Kiana screamed in pain and fury. She decided to "unleash" her fire power at a level more intense than ever before! Blood-red flames erupted violently from her body! Trying to create a "fire curtain" for protection. But with her imperfect control, some of the energy backfired, harming herself! The brand on her neck flared and glowed an ominous dark red!
Ryu used his "Gale Slash" sword technique with all his might, trying to deflect as many arrows as possible, but their sheer number was overwhelming. Several arrows grazed and embedded themselves in his arms and legs!
Raven barely managed to roll under some remaining rubble, but she was still hit by shrapnel and the concussive force, winding her!
Amidst the chaos, Da Vinci, whose mind remained clear despite his extreme physical exhaustion, was frantically calculating and observing. "A gap! There's a small gap! In the trajectory of some arrows... there's an uneven 'dispersion'... possibly because 'controlling' such a large amount of energy simultaneously creates a slight 'flaw' in targeting! There! Behind that large boulder to the left! It's the safest blind spot in the trajectory right now!" he shouted with all his remaining strength.
And then the golden arrow storm passed...
Leaving behind a terrifying silence, swirling dust, and even more pulverized ruins. The surrounding area was pockmarked with craters from the arrow explosions. The smell of burning and blood filled the air.
Da Vinci's team was scattered. Bacchus and Taurus slumped to the ground, grievous wounds all over their bodies, blood flowing ceaselessly, but they still tried to stand up to protect their comrades. Ryu was also heavily injured, using his sword to keep himself from falling. Kiana coughed up blood, the brand on her neck seemed to have calmed down, but it left even clearer and more painful marks. Raven slowly emerged from her cover, also looking worse for wear.
Hope began to dwindle with every passing moment...
But just as everyone thought Eagle would descend to finish them off, Da Vinci, whose mind had been constantly analyzing the enemy's every move despite his exhaustion, noticed something crucial! After unleashing the massive energy of the "Arrow Rain," the brutal aura around Eagle suddenly dimmed slightly for a moment. He stood still for a heartbeat, his breathing visibly heavier and faster, however slightly. And most importantly... his mechanical eyes, which had been constantly shining brightly, now "reset" or "refocused," as if the system was processing heavily. And his hand was quickly adjusting some mechanism on his beloved bow... It was only a split second, but for a genius like Da Vinci, it was enough for him to conclude! "Now!" Da Vinci exclaimed softly, but his eyes were filled with a spark of hope once more. "An attack of that intensity must always have a 'rest period' or 're-preparation phase'! He needs time to 'gather' or 'transform' energy again before he can use complex patterns! He's in a 'cooldown' or 'energy calibration' phase for the next form! We don't have much time! But it's enough to do something!"
He looked at a large ruin not far from where Eagle stood. It was an old tower remnant that looked ready to collapse at any moment. "Kiana! Ryu! Raven! Attack the base of that ruined tower! Simultaneously! Use all your remaining strength and aim for its weakest structural point! Bacchus! Taurus! If you can still move! Brace for impact! And help create additional vibrations if you can!"
Da Vinci's plan was extremely risky, but in this situation, they had nothing left to lose!
Kiana gathered her last bit of fire power. Ryu and Raven readied their weapons. All three aimed at the base of the old ruined tower as Da Vinci instructed!
"Fire!"
Kiana's flames! Raven's bullets! And Ryu's wind-blade slash! All struck the base of the ancient ruined tower simultaneously!
A loud explosion thundered! The already crumbling base of the tower couldn't withstand the combined assault from three directions! It began to shake violently!
Eagle, who was adjusting his bow on the nearby clifftop, realized the danger instantly! He tried to jump away!
But it was too late! The massive ruined tower began to tilt and collapse rapidly! An immense amount of stone and dust rained down!
"Run!" Kiana shouted to everyone in the team. They quickly ran for cover from the falling debris!
A deafening roar echoed throughout the valley! Thick dust clouds obscured everything!
When the dust began to settle... Da Vinci's team slowly emerged from their cover. They looked at where the ruined tower had once stood. Now it was just a large pile of rubble...
And Eagle... had disappeared!
"Did he... did he escape?" Ryu asked uncertainly.
"Or... is he buried under there?" Bacchus added.
Hope began to form in everyone's hearts again... Could this really be the end of the Hawk?
But then... amidst the silence...
A voice sounded from the other side of the collapsed rubble... a voice colder and filled with more fury than ever heard before...
"You... filthy rats... HOW DARE YOU!!!"
As the voice ended! The large pile of rubble that was once the ruined tower exploded violently from within! Stone fragments scattered in all directions!
And Eagle's figure reappeared! He looked slightly disheveled, parts of his cloak torn, blood seeping from several wounds. But his mechanical eyes blazed with an unprecedented fire of fury! A pitch-black energy aura, more condensed and turbulent than before, radiated violently from his body, distorting the surrounding atmosphere! The ground beneath his feet trembled slightly!
"You forced me to get 'serious,' didn't you!" Eagle roared. "The power I sealed... the fury I suppressed... now it will all be unleashed!" "Since you wanted to see the true power of the Divine Judgment Arrows so badly... I will oblige!!!"
He didn't draw his bow skyward like the "Arrow Rain Form." Instead, he raised his bow to chest level, gathering all his energy into a "single arrow" that appeared on the bowstring! The arrow wasn't made of any material but was a "condensed energy mass" of swirling, violently vibrating blackish-red light that shone so brightly it was blinding! It radiated destructive energy many times more powerful than any form he had used before! So powerful that the rocks around him began to crumble into dust! And the air suddenly grew scorching hot!
Da Vinci's eyes widened in utter shock. "No way! Condensing energy at this level... it's... it's 'overloading' all available energy at once! Its destructive power could erase everything in this vicinity!"
"Time for... JUDGMENT!!!" Eagle screamed, before releasing the devastating energy arrow towards Da Vinci's group, who now had no way to run, no way to defend, and no strength left to fight!
A brilliant flash of light! A deafening explosion, louder than any before! Everything was swallowed by that immense wave of energy!
[End of Chapter 34]