"Pa…"
A small pebble succumbed to gravity, falling from the sky and hitting the ground, producing a crisp sound.
This sound was extremely faint. After all, it was just an ordinary pebble falling on the ground, a sound usually too subtle to be heard.
However, at this moment, the faint sound echoed distinctly all around, reaching every corner of this side of the Crimson World.
It was evident that this space had reached an incredibly quiet state.
No, it wasn't just quiet; it was dead silent.
It was like the calm after a massive disaster, the tranquility following a storm. Everything in this space seemed to have completely concluded, permeated by an indescribable stillness.
Upon closer inspection, the area rendered red by the Unrestricted Spell named Fuuzetsu/Seal had become utterly chaotic.
On the riverbank, numerous pits dotted the landscape, making the ground uneven.
On the river, the entire water surface seemed as if it had been split, creating a massive trench.
Most shockingly, the Misaki Bridge, connecting the east and west sides of Misaki City, suffered the most.
This large iron bridge formed from steel and asphalt now appeared as if it had been cleanly sliced in half.
If not for Fuuzetsu/Seal still in operation, undoubtedly, this area would have experienced unimaginable catastrophes, rather than maintaining its current appearance.
At the very least, the river, divided into two halves, would have surged down towards the massive trench like a waterfall, and the Misaki Bridge, cut in two, would have caused continuous collapses, engulfing the surrounding vehicles and pedestrians.
That was the terrifying scene.
And under this scene, the only thing still in motion was the gradually shrinking pure white giant sword.
"Buzz..."
With a slight tremor, the flowing Prana began to recede like a rushing river. The massive pure white sword also slowly shrank, returning to its original form.
"Zheng..."
The dazzling light on the pure white Urm Manadyte began to converge, gradually dimming.
The ice blue gleam in Fang Li's eyes slowly faded away, allowing the deep black radiance to return.
"Hū..."
Taking a deep breath, feeling the considerable Prana consumption within his body, Fang Li couldn't help but smile.
"Finally, it didn't deplete with just one strike..."
If it were before reaching the fourth Rank, Fang Li's entire Prana would have undoubtedly been drained by this single strike. Rather, whether he could even unleash such an attack before reaching the fourth Rank was still uncertain.
Looking at the shocking scene created by the culprit in his hand, starting from himself, extending from the Mana River to the other side of Misaki Bridge, all simultaneously severed, resembling a scar on the Earth, Fang Li couldn't help but laugh wryly.
"I slightly underestimated your power, Bo Xie..."
Previously, Fang Li hadn't been able to fully control Bo Xie's power, causing this third Rank Ogre Lux to only exhibit abilities equivalent to the fourth Rank.
Now, Fang Li could be sure that he had finally unleashed the true power of this Ogre Lux.
Otherwise, solely relying on the power of the fourth Rank wouldn't have caused such a terrifying attack.
"If only I had restrained a bit..."
In response, Fang Li turned his head, glancing towards the nearby riverbank.
There, Friagne lay sprawled on the ground, reaching desperately towards the front.
In front of Friagne's outstretched hand lay a doll, childlike in appearance, neatly severed into two halves.
Friagne persistently extended his hand towards the severed doll.
"Marianne… Marianne…"
Yes.
That doll was Marianne, the very same one Friagne sought to revive using the City Devourer's secret spell, attempting to break free from the identity of a Rinne.
However, Marianne had already met an irreversible demise.
Just as Fang Li's colossal sword was about to strike Friagne, the doll abruptly appeared before Friagne, intercepting the blow.
Naturally, this strike was impossible to block.
Because Fang Li wasn't relying solely on Bo Xie; the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception were also in play.
Even with formidable defensive capabilities, a strike aimed directly at the Death Line, as Fang Li executed, was impossible to parry.
However, Marianne's sacrificial act bought Friagne a tiny window of time.
Consequently, the final blow didn't completely sever Friagne. Instead, it veered slightly, slicing off half of Friagne's body from the shoulder down.
"Thud…"
Beneath the pale flames, the severed half of Friagne's body gradually turned to ash.
The remaining part of Friagne's body, with only the head and half a torso, wriggled on the ground, inching towards the bisected Marianne.
"Marianne… My beloved Marianne…"
Finally, Friagne reached Marianne's side, cradling her with his remaining hand.
Caressing the bisected figure of both servant and lover, Friagne's pale face displayed a desperate smile. It was as if his mind had entered a trance, muttering words.
"It's okay... It's okay... I'll help you recover now... Right now…"
Uttering these words, Friagne breathed into the doll clutched against his chest.
The pale flames immediately adhered to Marianne's body, slowly igniting.
That was the Power of Existence.
Whether it was a Crimson World Denizen or a Rinne, as long as there was sufficient Power of Existence, it could be utilized to mend the body.
For a single Rinne, using the Power of Existence from a Crimson World Crimson Lord to repair them was incredibly easy. Resurrection wasn't even an issue; it only required consuming a significant amount of Power of Existence.
However, the doll, burning with a high concentration of Power of Existence, never recovered.
"Why... Why…"
Friagne's entire body trembled, and he screamed in madness.
"Why can't it be repaired?!"
The answer to this question naturally came from Fang Li.
"Because she has already been killed by me."
Fang Li, who appeared before Friagne at an unknown moment, gazed down at him with an overwhelmingly calm expression and delivered these words.
"That's irreversible, unrepairable death. Even if you turn the entire world into Power of Existence to mend her, it won't resurrect her."
"She is already dead."
Friagne's trembling body came to a halt.
"Dead...?"
The Crimson World Crimson Lord, bearing the title of 'Hunter,' fell into complete stupefaction.
...