The searing flames gradually died down, leaving behind a scorched and devastated landscape. The ground was littered with charred earth and smoke that curled into the air.
The heat was so intense that even the air rippled and distorted, heavy with the stench of burning.
Not far away, a massive crater had formed, resembling the impact of a meteorite. The temperature inside it was so high that even the rocks had melted, forming a smooth, glass-like surface on the top layer.
Mo Chen stood atop the scorched earth, his entire body blackened from burns.
His clothes had been scorched and singed, and the arm gripping Ryūjin Jakka was completely charred. His skin and flesh were nowhere to be seen—his arm was reduced to nothing but smoldering ash, carbonized to the bone.
This was the price of Hadō #96: Ittō Kasō.
This forbidden spell could only be activated by using a charred body as the catalyst.
He had approached Indivilia earlier solely to break through her defenses.
Crack—snap!
That was the sound of rupturing flesh.
On Mo Chen's scorched arm, the carbonized outer layer began to peel away like dried tree bark. Beneath it, a layer of fresh, tender white skin was revealed—vibrant and full of life.
That was the terrifying trait of the Blacklight Virus.
No matter how severe the injuries, as long as there were cells left, they could divide, regenerate, and reconstruct. Healing came swiftly.
For anyone else, this forbidden technique would have a steep price. But for Mo Chen, there was virtually no downside.
That was precisely why he dared to launch such a suicide attack.
In the center of the crater lay Indivilia. Her body was pitch black like charcoal, not a single intact patch of skin left. Her injuries were far worse than Mo Chen's. Her chest, in particular, had a gaping hole burned clean through, glowing faintly red, like charred coal.
Just as Mo Chen was about to approach, a sudden gust of wind surged behind him. He reflexively swung his sword—clang, clang!—blocking the attack with ease. Turning his head, he saw Nihilister standing in front of the crater.
Mo Chen frowned.
The regenerative ability of a Heretic was truly ridiculous.
No wonder, in the original material, an inhibitor was required. Without one, they were a nightmare to deal with.
But upon closer inspection, Mo Chen realized something was off about Nihilister. Her body was still torn and tattered, far from fully recovered. She trembled, her teeth clenched, seemingly locked in some kind of internal struggle.
Even the hand she had raised was shaking.
It was like watching a tug-of-war.
Mo Chen stared into her struggling pupils—and understood immediately.
She was being controlled.
And the one controlling her was clearly Indivilia.
Inside the crater, Indivilia's body was healing at a visible rate. Though heavily injured, at this speed, it wouldn't be long before she was back at full strength.
And by then, things would get very messy.
Mo Chen's expression darkened. He tightened his grip on Ryūjin Jakka.
He didn't want to kill Nihilister. He had hoped to extract information from her about the Rapture Queen. But at this point, he couldn't afford to hold back.
"Ah… AAAHHHH—!"
Just then, Nihilister suddenly screamed. Mo Chen's eyes widened in shock as she raised her hand and violently stabbed it into her own chest!
Mo Chen was stunned.
What the hell was she doing?! Self-mutilation?
Nihilister gritted her teeth, her eyes wild with madness and defiance. She let out a crazed laugh, fierce and unyielding like a true fire dragon. Her voice was squeezed out through clenched teeth.
"You think I'd be your pawn? Your puppet? Hahaha! Who the hell do you think you are?! Pathetic. You want to control me? Come back in a million years!"
She shoved her hand deeper into her chest, then twisted and pulled.
Splurt!
Blood gushed out.
Her core—her very heart—was yanked clean out!
"Heh… heh heh heh—!"
Nihilister laughed maniacally, her eyes gradually losing their light. Her still-beautiful, bloodstained face carried a trace of madness. The slight curl at the corner of her lips seemed to mock Indivilia's arrogance and delusion.
"Don't worry… I won't be going far… I'll be waiting… for you… down there…"
With that, Nihilister's trembling body finally collapsed backward, landing with a thud. Her crimson eyes stared blankly at the sky.
"Damn… I still… don't want to die…"
Mo Chen was shocked by Nihilister's pride and willpower. To avoid being controlled, she had chosen suicide!
At that moment, a powerful energy fluctuation burst from the crater. Mo Chen's face shifted, and he rushed over. Looking down, he saw Indivilia surrounded by a crimson glow, which was being absorbed into her body.
Beneath her was a pile of Rapture corpses.
She was absorbing them!
In just a short amount of time, not only had she recovered her strength and healed her injuries—she was now even more powerful than before.
Indivilia took a deep breath and floated out of the crater. The energy surrounding her curled around her body like obedient servants. At this moment, having absorbed both Nihilister and the power of the Raptures, she had become unimaginably strong—several times stronger than before.
Electric arcs crackled around her, and the overwhelming power swirling around Indivilia seemed like it was about to burst.
Mo Chen lowered the blade in his hand.
Indivilia's cold eyes were full of mockery, as if laughing at Mo Chen's foolishness and overestimation of himself.
Had he given up?
Then there was no reason for him to live.
The tailblade behind Indivilia rose high.
Die!
The tailblade turned into a blur, slicing toward Mo Chen's neck.
Yet, it suddenly froze mid-air, as if it had locked up.
Indivilia's expression stiffened as well. Then, she staggered back a few steps, clutching her stomach. Her eyes widened, and her face twisted in shock.
W-What… what's happening?!
Her stomach… unbearable pain!
It hurts—hurts hurts hurts hurts hurts—!
A tearing, agonizing pain, as if her entire body was being ripped apart!
Indivilia gritted her teeth, clutching her abdomen. Cold sweat broke out across her forehead. Suddenly, as if realizing something, she snapped her head up and stared furiously at Mo Chen.
It was him!
Right then, Mo Chen—who had seemed like he was about to give up—smiled instead. The corners of his mouth curled into an upward arc, and a cunning glint flashed in his eyes.
"Knew you'd do that."
At some point, a dense mist had risen around them, hazy and ominous.
But this blood mist wasn't merely red—it was a swirling mix of dark crimson, deep purple, and black, like a twisted canvas of blood and shadows. Its density was suffocating, as if it could swallow everything around it.
Within this mist, everything became obscured. Distant shapes vanished behind a red haze, and even nearby objects lost their clarity, shrouded beneath a thin membrane of crimson.
The ground was covered in the same thick blood hue, flowing like plasma, pulsing in sync with a heartbeat—almost as if it were alive. It throbbed, expanded, sprouted, and grew… like something was about to burst forth from within.
This was the third phase of the Punishing Virus—Red Tide.