Fifty kilometres off the coast of Heigui Enclave.

“Rarara! How long will we have to wait?!” An angered voice beckoned out at the tree-like man, who was casually staring up at the rising morning sun. The Treant turned his attention to the noise and saw that familiar red mane that he so disliked.

“Rarara! We’ve been waiting for more than twelve hours already! If we wait even longer, reinforcements will arrive from the Alliance! Rarara, I say we attack now! Who cares if there’s back-up or not?!” Akai continued to protest.

“That’s… why… you… can’t gain… Kuro’s… trust...” The Gargantuan Treant frowned at his partner’s actions. “Listen… When I’m… gone… Try to think… before… acting...”

“Rarara, what do you mean think? Thinking is for weaklings! Everything can be solved through sheer might alone, so why think! You are the one that’s senile, old fossil! Rarara, I can’t wait until you leave our organisation! Then, I’ll show you what it really means to be a Noble Beast serving the Allfather!”

“You… Nevermind...” Midori wanted to raise a retort, but his higher instincts prevented him from continuing even further. The Gargantuan Treant had been babysitting the Lion Chimaera for over a hundred years now. If he hadn’t changed in the century that they were together, nothing else could change Akai’s mindset.

“Rarara, if you don’t believe me, you’ll see! Though I don’t know if your new home will be too far away to see anything!” Akai continued to tease his partner, not knowing where the off-switch of his mouth was. “Rarara, I don’t even know why you’re leaving the Allfather when he’d promised us eternity. I don’t know if you’re stupid or just plain ignorant!”

“You’ll… never... understand...” Midori sighed. “The Allfather… has fulfilled… his promise to… me… I don’t… need anymore...”

“Rarara, just a senile beast not knowing the greatest of what’s put in front of him!” The Lion Chimaera shrugged. “Rarara! I’ll be laughing at you in the Immortal Realm while you grovel away in the dirt of the mortal realm! RARARA!!!”

“Yes… you do… that...” Midori sighed, not willing to convince his partner otherwise. All these years, he’d been serving the Allfather faithfully in hopes of achieving his dream. Now that the Allfather had delivered on his promise, Midori’s contract with their enigmatic leader had been completed. This mission would be the Gargantuan Treant’s final one, respecting the long-term relationship that Midori had with the Black Masks. However, after this mission, the Gargantuan Treant would essentially be retired, only surfacing to defend the Allfather’s base if need be.

“Rarara, listen here! Let me tell you why eternity is better than-...”

“Wait...”

Before the Lion Chimaera could go on his impassionate rant, Midori raised his wooden arm, blocking his partner from breathing even a single word. The Gargantuan Treant placed his left hand onto the floating platform he’d created and pulled out a petite Cikai Mirror like a magician would with a bunny in a hat.

Crrrkkkkktttt… Crrrkkkkktttt… Crrrkkkkktttt...

Static overruled the simple reflection of the Treant, and it didn’t take long for an image to appear. A black obsidian Xuanwu statue turned upside down on its lofty throne. There were no humans around it, and neither was there any signs of movement. There wasn’t even a written indication or order for the Black Masks to move. However, when Midori saw that image, a smile rose up his nonchalant face.

“That’s… the… signal...”

“RARARA! Finally!” The Lion Chimaera cheered. His emerald snake tail swung happily with the wind and dozens of shadows surfaced from the bottom of the ocean. With the signal already given, Akai and Midori were able to do whatever they pleased. The Lion Chimaera leapt over the seas, stabilising his four paws above the water like a water strider. An intense red aura leaked out from his pores, greatly intensifying the heat of the subzero waters. Hot mist filled the air of the ocean as the Lion Chimaera forced the Fire-Elements to dance to his tone.

Midori, on the other hand, had a much different plan. Now that the need to remain covert had become obsolete, the Gargantuan Treant was free to assume its true form. Channelling his mana, Midori allowed himself to grow exponentially tall, and his petite size had risen to that of a small mountain. The platform of roots grew drastically more massive as well. Trees and vines dominated the region beneath the Gargantuan Treant’s feet, and the colossal giant was free to do whichever stretches he pleased.

However, that’s not all from the Black Masks. Metallic submarines, each as long as a significant blue whale, brought heaps of new ballistics to the battle to come. On their side, numerous oceanic Umbras protected the submersible ships with their potent water-elemental powers and massive bodies. And most importantly…

Sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssstttttttttttttttttttttttttt!!!

A silver pillar arose from the pits of the ocean, and its tip was targetted right at the Heigui Enclave. Not a single soul on the isles noticed the drastic change in the waters surrounding them, not even the sensitive Xuanwus that had been beached for a good few hours now. Akai leapt above the immense cannon, sending vast amounts of his near bottomless mana into the monstrosity. A dazzling light, much like that of a sunray that escaped from the canopies, pierced the eyes of those who stood at the Heigui Enclave, blinding them temporarily.

To those who were unaware of the attack, it was as if a star had been teleported at the horizon. However, that star wasn’t as friendly as those that sparkled in the night sky. If Shin were present, he would most definitely drop his jaw in shock. Though, not because he had never seen that light before… but precisely cause he’d seen it once. It was… The very same attack that brought down the Guardian Rock at Aldrich’s Keep many years back.

Aldrich’s Keep was once renowned for its invincible defences, a monolith of the Himmel Empire that could never be overthrown. Yet, that same light had been used to send that myth crumbling into oblivion. And on this day…

History was going to repeat itself.

“RARARA!!! Ready?!”

“Wait… for… it...”

Midori held his hand up, halting the Lion Chimaera’s ultimate attack. The Heigui Enclave was still protected by a substantial astral turtle shell. The Gargantuan Treant was no dummy. How could the Heigui Clan last for so many generations without losing their most valuable island once? It was precisely because of the legendary Sleeping Xuanwu Formation that protected the Heigui Enclave. Even Akai’s enhanced solar beam that could bring down the mythical Guardian Rock paled in comparison to the defensive attributes of the Sleeping Xuanwu Formation.

So… Why not attack the enclave when it was gone?

Zsssssssssssssssssssssssstttttttttttttttttttttttttttt!!!

As if hearing Midori’s thoughts, the hefty barrier melted away from the top, much like an ice-cream cone on a hot summer’s day. First, the tip of the turtle shell was exposed, bringing in hordes of foreign spiritual energies… power that the Heigui Enclave had never experienced in its existence.

In a mere ten seconds, over a fifth of the barrier had melted away from the foreign influence. And the pace was only accelerating. Holes appeared all over the astral turtle shell, and the exposed parts increased even more, until eventually… The legendary formation had entirely melted away.

And that’s when… Midori said the words that would put the nail in the coffin.

“Akai… FIRE!!!”