As the overwhelming energy closed in, Joseph remained calm, recalling an overlooked contingency: the XPT reserves stored within the XPT dimension. At the last possible moment, he activated the XPT dimension and executed a daring strategy.The resulting explosion was cataclysmic, shaking the battlefield and drawing the attention of Lyra and Yoshi, who momentarily paused their battles, fearing the worst. Dust and smoke engulfed the area where Joseph had been standing.Yet, as the chaos subsided, it became clear that Joseph had outwitted the demoness. Just before the blasts struck, he had used his XPT's advanced capabilities to simultaneously activate the XPT dimension and create a duplicate of himself. The duplicate took his place, shielding him from the brunt of the attack while Joseph safely repositioned himself outside the blast zone.Despite the duplicate's best efforts, it was caught in the blast, ending it instantly. As the smoke cleared, the demoness froze in shock, her crimson e

As they rode on their chariots toward the village of Kurohama, the journey was weighed down by an unspoken silence. Joseph, typically lighthearted and talkative, was now withdrawn, his usual demeanor replaced by a somber expression. The weight of their previous encounter in the city of Iwakuni lingered heavily over him. Yoshi and Lyra exchanged glances, both recognizing the pain etched on his face. Joseph had lost something irreplaceable: his XPT—Xentrocurnia Prime Tech Orb.Unable to bear the tension, Yoshi nudged his horse closer to Joseph’s chariot, hoping to lift his friend's spirits. With a cheerful but careful tone, he broke the silence. "You’re really missing it, huh? If it weren’t for you and your tech, saving both Lyra and me would’ve been a whole different story," Yoshi said, offering a warm smile.Joseph, however, remained unmoved. His gaze shifted to Yoshi, his expression tinged with sarcasm."How about this?" Yoshi continued, undeterred. "What if I made a perfect replica

Joseph’s lips curled into a slight grin. “We’ll see about that. Maybe you don’t know who I am.”Before Nana could reply, Joseph unleashed the power of his XPT. In an instant, he immobilized everyone around him, including Yoshi and Lyra. Then, with blinding speed, he charged toward Nana. She braced herself, ready to counter, but to her shock, he vanished just before reaching her.Reappearing behind her in a flash, Joseph reached for the Treasure of Order. Just as his fingers grazed its surface, Yoshi broke free of his immobilized state and intervened, grabbing Joseph by the arm and tossing him aside with ease. Joseph flipped mid-air, landing gracefully with a spinning flourish that demonstrated his agility and precision.Before he could charge again, Lyra joined the fray, her magic erupting in a dazzling, coordinated assault that forced Joseph onto the defensive. Magical blasts rained down around him, but he dodged and countered with fluid skill, his movements almost playful as he taun

Arriving at their destination, Yoshi, Lyra, and Joseph followed a trail of blood that led them into a desolate wasteland. What awaited them there was both gruesome and awe-inspiring. Amidst the carnage lay the lifeless bodies of thousands of monsters and supernaturals, their remains scattered across the battlefield like grotesque offerings to a vengeful god. At the center of the chaos stood Akari Yoshimura, his form drenched in the blood of his fallen enemies. His blade, slick with crimson, dripped steadily onto the ground, the sound a haunting rhythm in the stillness.A dark, palpable aura emanated from him, intertwining with the stench of death that saturated the air. The last creature—a hulking beast—collapsed with a sickening thud, its severed head rolling to Akari’s feet. He stood motionless for a moment, his chest heaving, his body trembling under the weight of exhaustion and rage. His bloodshot eyes locked onto the newcomers, his expression a mixture of cold malice and faint re

Joseph fired blasts from his suit, but Wakana effortlessly redirected them or twisted them into harmless forms. Joseph began to realize just how far his foe had pushed the limits of the Treasure of Manipulation—far more than he had expected. Wakana’s power seemed endless, and even Joseph’s suit, which he had crafted for maximum durability and offense, was being transformed in ways he never anticipated. At one point, he watched in disbelief as Wakana turned his once-metal suit into plastic, rendering it less effective.But even in this new form, Joseph was still able to tap into the energy of XPT within the suit, drawing power from the transformation and shifting it back into its original state. It wasn’t ideal, but it worked.Joseph duplicated himself into countless copies, launching surprise attacks from multiple angles. Wakana, however, countered each of them with ease, bending the very fabric of reality to his will, rendering each strike useless. As the battle raged on, the XPT wit