Chapter 185: Concealed Fury of Ice

A storm of purple and yellow winds continued its rampage, obscuring Shingin's figure as tremors shook the earth. The rumbling foretold an even greater catastrophe on the horizon.

Watcher 20 stood at the epicenter of the violent maelstrom, the ground beneath him cracked and chaotic, like torn paper scattered in a storm. The land itself seemed to wail in despair, and the air carried a foreboding tension. Unease stirred deep within him, a primal instinct warning him that events had spiraled far beyond his control.

Yahageshii knelt amidst the turmoil, his face streaked with tears, lost in anguish. His empty gaze was tinged with despair, his trembling voice barely audible:

"Why… Why, Lazy Worm… Why could you think like an adult? Why did you work so hard… while I…"

The words choked in his throat, each syllable dredged up from a pit of guilt and self-loathing. His body trembled as he slumped forward, his willpower crumbling beneath the weight of his despair. Questions of why he had failed, why he had not grown strong enough, consumed him.

Watcher 20 regarded Yahageshii coldly, aware that the situation could no longer afford delays. He resolved to eliminate Yahageshii immediately and escape the escalating chaos. Spring Harutemi's interference and the whirlwind's eruption had destabilized everything.

Harutemi's sharp gaze locked onto Watcher 20 as she struggled to wield her elemental control over stone to fend off his attacks. Yet, the whirlwind's chaotic power overwhelmed her efforts, rendering her defenses futile. Her garments flared wildly in the violent wind, highlighting her petite frame, but her focus remained steadfast. Despite her determination, the rocks she manipulated were no match for the destructive force encircling them, let alone enough to shield Yahageshii.

Watcher 20's attention shifted abruptly to Shingin, whose hollow eyes seemed devoid of emotion, as if he could no longer comprehend the world unraveling before him. His mental collapse echoed like a breaking wave, erasing any remnants of hope.

Suddenly, a thunderous voice reverberated through the heavens:

"The eighth iteration is severed! That girl can't hold on either. This time, no one will save you!"

Just as Watcher 20 raised his hand to deliver the final blow to Yahageshii, an overwhelming force tore through the air. It felt as if the sky itself had been split apart. Watcher 20 winced as a searing pain shot through his arm, the sensation akin to having his bones shattered. His arm recoiled, flung violently back, forcing him to stagger several steps before regaining his balance.

"Hah—!" Watcher 20 hissed in pain, startled by the unexpected assault. He steadied himself, his eyes scanning the surroundings for the source of the attack.

To his shock, Yahageshii, who moments ago had seemed utterly defeated, rose shakily to his feet. An eerie, unyielding determination burned in his icy gaze, and a forbidden strength radiated from his trembling frame. The aura he emitted was frigid and resolute, like thunder encased in frost, pulsating with a will to survive.

"Yahageshii?!" Watcher 20's eyes widened in disbelief. He had never anticipated this frail figure would stand again.

Preparing to strike Yahageshii once more, Watcher 20 froze as an overwhelming pressure enveloped him. The boy's presence was no longer weak and pitiable. His very aura shifted, exuding an unnatural, bone-chilling energy. The oppressive atmosphere seemed to strip the warmth from the air, leaving a biting cold in its wake.

Yahageshii's murmurs were barely audible:

"Lazy Worm… you worked so hard… If I don't try… you'll laugh at me…"

His voice, though soft, carried a gravity that shook the surrounding space. As his energy condensed, the air temperature spiked dramatically. The ground beneath him trembled, and even Watcher 20's dark energy faltered against the growing intensity.

"No flames…" Watcher 20 whispered in shock, his voice betraying a rare note of fear.

Indeed, Yahageshii's power was not fire, though the heat it radiated seared through the air like an invisible inferno. There were no flames or smoke, only an intense, transparent wave of heat that distorted reality itself.

He vanished from his spot, reappearing instantaneously before Watcher 20. The latter, taken aback, summoned his dark abilities for defense, but Yahageshii's left fist already bore down upon him. The punch collided with Watcher 20's protective barrier, and though there was no visible fire, the air around them seemed to ignite. The defensive veil buckled as if consumed by this invisible force, its edges unraveling into nothingness.

For the first time, Watcher 20 felt genuine fear as he stared at Yahageshii's expression—a face frozen in ruthless determination, devoid of hesitation or doubt.

"This… is different," Watcher 20 muttered to himself, his confidence shaken. The Yahageshii before him was no longer the feeble boy he once dismissed. The cold, unrelenting fury radiating from him was the mark of a man reborn in the crucible of despair.