Translator: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu
High schooler… Youth… Sayaka Tendo wanted to reject these ideas, but suddenly didn’t know what to say.
She decided to just leave things as they were.
Of course he could say something like that. Anyone who felt helpless could say something like that. But was that really fine?
Sayaka felt that she had no duty to save the world. But if there was anything else that she could do at all…
“…Perhaps you could interfere with the Catastrophe Goddess’s attempt to fuse a new body.” Sayaka only realized what she just said after saying it.
“Interfere with her fusion?” Something flashed in Seiji’s eyes after he heard this. “You mean that I can reenact your interference with her descent ten years ago!?”
Sayaka spent two seconds regretting how she had said this out loud before sighing. “Indeed. Ten years ago, the Catastrophe Goddess met with my interference while she was trying to absorb our souls. That was why she suffered an injury that caused her to enter hibernation. Now, after ten years, she is repeating the same attempt to absorb souls. Perhaps she’s also trying to absorb flesh and blood as you say. This will be a large fusion process. If the fusion process is interfered with yet again, she will likely suffer much greater damage than ten years ago. It will probably cause her to sink into an even longer hibernation than ten years ago.
“However, the problem is how to interfere with her fusion. Part of my memories is missing. I can’t remember the specifics of what I did… And even if I could remember, it’s probably some special method that can only be used while the Catastrophe Goddess is absorbing souls. It’s definite that it will be highly dangerous. To take a step back, even if someone can accomplish the method and survive, the end result might be like what happened to me, or even worse… In other words, this method will also likely require sacrifice.”
Seiji fell silent.
“A sacrifice might not be necessary,” White Sakura Goddess spoke up. “If Sayaka works together with me, it should be possible to protect the soul and physical body of the person who casts such a spell.”
Something flashed in Seiji’s eyes once again.
“Me cooperating with you?” Something also flashed in Sayaka’s eyes as she looked at the cherry blossom tree.
“Sayaka is a special existence to both the Catastrophe Goddess and myself,” White Sakura Goddess explained. “That’s why Sayaka will be able to protect some people from her attempt to absorb souls if she cooperates with me. However, this has its own limits. If the Catastrophe Goddess absorbs too much, this won’t work.”
“Are you certain?” Seiji asked cautiously. “As long as not too much is absorbed, as long as it’s only a little, you’ll be able to completely protect the body and soul!?”
This was incredibly important.
“I’m certain.” White Sakura Goddess sounded confident.
Nice, Seiji had obtained a nice secret ace!
“If safety can be guaranteed, all that remains is the method.” Seiji looked at Sayaka again.
Sayaka remained silent for a moment before shaking her head.
“I truly can’t remember.”
“Please try your hardest…” Seiji requested. “Right, how about trying to talk to Koutarou and the other remnant souls? Maybe this will help refresh your memory?”
Sayaka could only mentally sigh at this “youthful high school student” who wanted to personally deal with the Catastrophe Goddess and save the world.
“Alright… I’ll try.”
…
Spells were flung all around as explosions happened everywhere.
The Tendo Family’s mansion had now become a hellish battleground!
A gigantic bright red tree and gray shadowy dragon had appeared. Even just visually, they would have already given everyone a tremendous sense of pressure. Not to mention, these existences were emanating an incomparably powerful aura that mentally suppressed everyone. Any ordinary person that was present would surely have an instant breakdown! It was also difficult for the lower-level spiritual ability users to resist. If it wasn’t for the barrier around here, it was likely that the lower-level individuals would suffer breakdowns almost as fast as ordinary people would.
The gigantic tree sent bright red cherry blossom petals fluttering down from its crown. The falling petals seemed just like rain or snow. The scene was incredibly beautiful, yet this beauty contained unimaginable danger.
Those who had their bodies invaded by the red cherry blossoms wouldn’t die instantly. However, they would all sink into a death-like state of deep sleep. Perhaps they would never wake up again! Everyone was forced to maintain high-powered barriers to resist the red cherry blossoms.
Yet, the cherry blossoms’ attack power wasn’t even the scariest part. The scariest part was the tremendous area of effect!
Although the area of effect wasn’t as large as the entire city, it was more than large enough to cover most of the densely populated areas. In other words, the great majority of ordinary people in the city were also in the cherry blossoms’ area of effect. There was absolutely no time to evacuate them!
How many people would die here if they couldn’t resolve this situation in time?
Meisei Sorin didn’t dare to think about the potential numbers.
The situation was absolutely terrible. The only part worth celebrating was that it could have been even worse. There was still time to resolve the situation without too much damage. It could be done as long as the gigantic dragon, or the Catastrophe Goddess, could be dealt with!
The Catastrophe Goddess. Her danger level was assessed as the strongest possible, even higher than that of Soul Society’s “Demon King”classification. Sougo Tendo had transformed into… or summoned such a monster.
No matter how she had arrived, dealing with this highest-level vicious monstrosity would be quite difficult.
Luckily, Meisei had already been prepared for the likely scenario of their sudden attack’s failure. He had prepared emergency backup plans. He had already activated an emergency backup plan, and reinforcements were swiftly arriving.
Without a doubt, the Catastrophe Goddess’s appearance here was an absolute disaster. However, it was also an opportunity. If the Tendo Family and Catastrophe Goddess were all dealt with here, perhaps all danger to the city would instantly be resolved.
Due to lacking relevant information about the Catastrophe Goddess, Meisei was unable to determine if the gigantic dragon here was the true body of the Catastrophe Goddess who ruled over the Realm of Cherry Blossoms. And even if this dragon was her true body, it was possible that she could still revive herself and cause problems later even if this dragon form was defeated. Right now, it was impossible to know what would happen upon defeating her. However, one thing was quite certain.
The entire city would be finished if this dragon wasn’t killed right here and now!
As the overall commander for Soul Society’s attack force, Meisei continued to command the battle from Soul Society’s temporary command center. He was prepared to personally go out and fight the Catastrophe Goddess if necessary.
The combat situation was quite difficult. Soul Society members were being injured or killed at every minute. This was because every single attack from the gigantic dragon was equivalent to a cluster bomb attack! It was almost impossible to completely dodge or block the dragon’s attacks.
No matter how this battle ended, it was certain that the entire area around the Tendo Family mansion would be ruined.
As for whether the Tendo Family would work on restoration afterwards, that would be their problem. Also, before that, the Tendo Family still had to deal with Soul Society making them take responsibility for their scheme… Even if the Tendo Family was one of the seven major families, the spiritual society would never let them off easy for what they’d done this time.
At this moment, Meisei Sorin and all the other powerful spiritual ability users at Soul Society’s temporary command center felt something that caused all of their expressions to change.
The next instant, there was a tremendous roar that shook the heavens as a snow-white light covered the temporary command center. Next, an even more tremendous explosion was heard as a blinding mushroom cloud rose up into the air…
“Our command center and everyone within was evaporated!!!” someone shouted in Soul Society’s communication channel.
“Don’t panic! As planned, the backup command center will take command! Continue fighting!!!” someone else roared in the communication channel.
Individual humans seemed as tiny as ants in front of the shadowy gray dragon sitting on top of the gigantic tree.
However, humans were capable of teaming up with each other against the Catastrophe Goddess who was far stronger than any individual human. Humans were capable of using carefully thought out plans and courageous teamwork to fight!
“It’s our turn,” Yui Haruta spoke in a heavy tone as she received her strongest weapon from Soul Society’s logistical support.
She activated her weapon. In the darkness, a pair of inhuman eyes started glowing blue. Mystical runes shone within the eyes. Right after that, golden-red runes started flashing and illuminated a gigantic figure far surpassing that of any human. Finally, multiple high-level spiritual magic cores activated with loud vibrations, accompanied by metallic creaking. The gigantic figure revealed itself to be a type of giant mecha.
“Come, Radiance Star!”
Yui forcefully pulled on a lever as her spiritual mecha “Radiance Star” spat blinding golden-red flames from its back. This mecha, which had a shield in one hand and a spiritual particle cannon in the other, swiftly flew out of hiding and rushed into the sky, directly charging towards the shadowy gray dragon!
“Grawwwwwrrrrrlllll~~~~~~~!” The dragon shot countless beams of light at the mecha!
Yui used her mecha’s heavy shield to open up a barrier that blocked the beams of light while also counterattacking with the particle cannon!
Two other mechas had also flown up simultaneously with her. The three mechas simultaneously attacked the dragon from three separate directions. These attacks caused obvious damage to the dragon. Everyone’s blood boiled as they watched this scene!
A dragon roared while giant mechas flew around it in the sky. The battle between a Goddess and humans began in the air filled by cherry blossoms as if a myth was being enacted in front of everyone.
