Who the hell was this guy?
Did this happen in the original timeline of the Moonlight Family's expedition?
I had no answers.
This was uncharted territory.
No more thinking.
Phantom Steps.
In an instant, I flashed past Danzo—
And appeared right in front of the giant.
A black slash carrying the weight of darkness swung straight for his throat.
how ironic—my sword didn't even reach him. It stopped the moment it touched the dense gravitational field surrounding him.
"Do you want to dance?"
His fist flared with violent energy right before my eyes, a strike that could tear me apart in an instant.
But just as he moved, Ghost emerged from my shadow, launching a swift dagger strike toward the giant's vital points.
Perfect timing—yet the giant paid him no mind, his focus locked solely on me.
Ghost's daggers, like my sword, failed to pierce the gravitational field.
Fortunately, Danzo struck the giant's fist at the last second, diverting its trajectory and making it easier for me to evade.
"Impressive teamwork… but now, die."
He was about to attack again—until his feet abruptly sank into the floor of the carriage, as if swallowed by an unseen force.
"What the—?"
For the first time, the steel-masked giant hesitated as his surroundings flipped upside down, the very ground twisting and warping, transforming into the gaping maw of some monstrous beast.
This was the perfect opening for an attack—one I wasn't foolish enough to miss.
"Everyone, get back!"
A black flame ignited atop my sword, the ground beneath me fracturing violently.
"Ten Thousand Steps of Shadow: infinite Darkness."
I slashed with everything I had, aiming straight for his skull.
The sheer force of my attack obliterated the carriage walls and ceiling.
The aura of darkness surged, powerful enough to crush steel itself—
But from the depths of the abyss, the giant's body emerged, unscathed.
"That was weak."
He barely acknowledged my attack before preparing to retaliate.
But before he could, two massive arms materialized out of nowhere, locking onto him with crushing force.
"I can't hold him for long! Attack now!"
Selena's voice rang out as she strained to keep him restrained.
Danzo was the first to move.
Three additional arms sprouted from his sides, unleashing a relentless barrage of rapid punches.
Yet, strangely, none of his strikes landed.
Each blow was absorbed by the gravitational barrier.
"Well, now… this is getting interesting."
With a simple motion, he unleashed another gravity wave, repelling us all once more.
This time, his focus shifted to Selena.
"To prepare this many spells in such a short time… did you anticipate all of this and set up the battlefield beforehand?"
Our opponent was annoyingly talkative.
But Selena was just as sharp.
"Set up the battlefield? Are you stupid?"
A glowing circle appeared beneath her feet as a vortex spiraled around her right arm.
"There's no such thing as 'preparing the battlefield'… as a mage, this is simply how I fight. The entire world is my battlefield."
She stood firm, a confident smile on her face, undeterred by the giant's piercing gaze.
"Such dedication and passion… Then allow me to test your magic."
"Why don't you test this instead?"
He was caught off guard by my sudden charge.
"You again? Didn't you learn your lesson?"
True… my attacks weren't penetrating his defenses.
So why not change my approach?
The moment he expected a frontal assault, I vanished.
Reappearing behind him, I attempted to stab him in the back—only for his armor to deflect my blade.
But I didn't stop.
I darted around him at blinding speed, searching for an opening.
After all, my greatest asset wasn't my strength—it was my speed.
The giant was caught in a whirlwind of black streaks as I attacked from every possible angle.
Yet, no matter how many times I struck, my sword failed to leave a scratch.
"Pointless."
He extended his hand, unleashing a strange suction force that pulled me toward him despite my speed.
In an instant, his massive hand wrapped around my throat.
Pain seared through me as I realized—the gap between us was far greater than I thought.
"It seems you'll be the first to go… Frey Starlight."
His grip tightened, threatening to crush my neck.
But fortunately, I wasn't alone.
Ghost reacted swiftly.
Dozens of black tendrils erupted from my shadow, wrapping around me and yanking me into the darkness.
I sank into a pitch-black abyss before Ghost's hand reached out, pulling me back onto solid ground—far from the giant's grasp.
"Son of Mist, huh?"
The bastard was analyzing us, amused.
But I wasn't in the mood to listen.
My reckless attack had given me something valuable.
I had gauged the distance between us.
And the result…
It was worse than I had imagined.
Even if I summoned Balerion, I still wouldn't be able to beat him.
This monster was at least S rank.
He had been toying with us from the start.
The longer this battle continued, the more apparent it became—we never stood a chance.
And he knew it too.
"Show me more… First-year students."
He raised both hands, activating the same suction force as before.
But this time, his targets were the girls in the back—
Seris and Selena.
Both of them were pulled toward him at alarming speed.
Seris conjured a massive spear in an attempt to stop him, but it shattered before even reaching him.
Selena, however, reacted differently—she vanished, leaving behind only a suitcase with a red circle drawn on it.
Losing one of them didn't faze him.
He had already caught Seris.
She tried to freeze him with an overwhelming surge of ice aura, but his gravity was far stronger. Her attempt failed instantly.
"Pointless… You'll be the first to go, Princess of Moonlight."
At his words, Seris' eyes widened—as if something had just clicked.
But before she could act, a powerful wave of aura struck her, knocking her unconscious.
We all moved to rescue her—
But not a single attack got through.
Not only did he withstand every blow, he simply tossed Seris behind him and advanced toward us.
Whenever Danzo attacked, he'd just fling him away—then beckon him forward again, as if playing with a child.
Selena kept unleashing spells, and though she was the only one who had somewhat affected him, we weren't able to capitalize on her efforts.
Even Ghost, despite his relentless shadow attacks, failed to land a decisive strike.
As for me… I stood at the back, watching everything unfold with Hawk Eyes.
I absorbed as much information as possible, trying to piece together the situation.
But this wasn't a battle.
This bastard had been toying with us from the start.
If he had wanted us dead, we'd be corpses by now.
And yet…
There were still too many unanswered questions.
And I intended to answer them.
Gripping my sword tightly, I whispered under my breath.
"Ascension."