NIKKE: The Apocalypse Arrives, But the System is 100 Years Late

"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"

A flicker of fear flashed through Indivilia's crimson eyes. She barely had time to let out an inhuman shriek before being completely swallowed by the deafening, thunderous explosions.

The first detonation roared like a furious beast, shattering the silence in an instant. Flames erupted skyward, painting half the night in a crimson glow. Before the echoes could fade, the second explosion followed—more violent, more intense. The ground quaked, and the acrid stench of gunpowder filled the air.

Wave after wave of self-destructing Raptures crashed into Indivilia's massive form, each impact triggering a chain reaction of explosions. Her enormous body reeled from the relentless blasts, struggling to maintain balance before finally collapsing with a thunderous crash.

Flames and darkness intertwined, weaving a net of fire and smoke that engulfed the surrounding ruins. The shockwaves sent debris flying, burying countless Raptures in the ensuing carnage.

Standing tall amidst the inferno, Mo Chen's dark eyes remained unwavering. There was no trace of excitement, no flicker of emotion. He simply held his blade steady, as if waiting—expecting Indivilia's next move.

"Stop pretending. I know you have a second phase."

"ROOOOAAARRR—!"

A deafening howl split the night.

A violent shockwave tore through the air like a raging hurricane, sending debris flying in all directions. The force detonated nearby self-destructing Raptures mid-air, painting the abyss with bursts of deadly fireworks.

Mo Chen's hair whipped wildly in the gusts, but he stood his ground, unmoving as a mountain. When the shockwave reached him, he simply waved his hand, effortlessly dispersing the energy into nothingness.

Then, from within the blazing inferno, a massive form reared its head.

Like a mechanical sandworm, Indivilia's body coiled backward, her gaping maw lined with jagged, uneven teeth. A blinding energy gathered within her throat, pulsing with power before it exploded forward in a searing blast.

This was her true second form.

Unlike the scorpion-like phase before, which had prioritized defense, this transformation had shed most of its armor in favor of overwhelming offensive power.

She had abandoned all caution.

This was her last stand.

Almost simultaneously, Mo Chen's feet pressed into the ground, and a sudden burst of spiritual energy propelled him forward like a bullet.

The moment he moved, he shattered the sound barrier, tearing through the air at incomprehensible speed.

He was charging directly into Indivilia's attack.

For most, this would be nothing short of suicide. Yet, just before the beam could strike him, Mo Chen did not draw his blade.

Instead, he raised his hand—and hurled something forward.

A gleaming object shot through the air, streaking like a meteor, colliding head-on with Indivilia's laser beam.

It was the Hetero-Core.

"Zzzzzzzzt!"

The ultra-high-energy laser slammed into the core, distorting as if hitting a warped mirror. The sheer force of impact refracted the beam into countless scattered rays, rendering it useless.

The Hetero-Core, a condensed mass of Punishing Virus energy, was impervious to conventional attacks.

In that instant of chaos, Mo Chen capitalized.

His blade rose high.

The chilling, razor-sharp glint reflected in Indivilia's wide, horrified eyes.

A blade meant for execution.

An overwhelming sense of danger.

An imminent death.

Despite her blind fury, a sliver of clarity returned to Indivilia's mind.

Her instincts screamed at her.

That blade—it was deadly.

For the first time in countless years, a shudder ran through her monstrous frame.

It was the primal fear of prey caught in the gaze of its predator.

The executioner's blade began to fall, as if it could sever everything in a single strike.

She could no longer hold on—retreat was her only option.

At the same time, she pushed her core to its absolute limit, forcing it into an unstable overdrive. A blinding burst of energy erupted from within her, illuminating the battlefield in a dazzling, searing light.

The next moment, countless glowing rings materialized in the air above them.

They hovered ominously, like the Sword of Damocles suspended above his head.

Then—

Total-Area Laser Barrage!

Indivilia was desperate. She had no choice but to bet everything on this final attempt to escape.

She unleashed every last ounce of energy in an all-out catastrophic detonation. The sheer power of the laser beams tore through everything in their path.

Everything disintegrated.

The very air ignited, scorching as the beams carved through space. The battlefield twisted under the unbearable heat, warping like a mirage.

Rapture corpses, twisted steel, shattered concrete—nothing could withstand it. Everything in its wake was reduced to dust.

Yet, at the heart of the storm, Mo Chen remained motionless.

His eyes, sharp as a lone eagle's, burned with an intense light.

Amidst the searing flames, his figure stood tall—unshaken, unwavering.

He lifted his blade.

At that moment, it was no longer a mere weapon, it was the blade of judgment.

An executioner's edge, capable of burning away all things.

Then—

He swung.

An unremarkable, effortless motion. Deceptively ordinary. 

So ordinary that it didn't even feel dangerous.

But in the next instant—

A few words escaped Mo Chen's lips.

"Zanka no Tachi: Red Tide!"

In the fleeting instant of a heartbeat, the darkened sky above tore open.

From the vast, endless cosmos beyond, a crimson flood came crashing down—

Like a fiery deluge spilling from the heavens, a hellish blaze that would consume everything in its wake.

It rained down like liquid mercury, flooding the battlefield.

Everything it touched was reduced to dust. Every path it passed was left in ashes.

This was the product of Mo Chen's fusion between Ryūjin Jakka and the Red Tide.

The Punishing Virus was already a form of unknown energy.

Now, with Mo Chen wielding it as fuel it merged with Ryūjin Jakka's flames, and multiplied its destructive power tenfold.

At the very center of it all—Indivilia was the first to be engulfed.

The crimson inferno poured over her body, drenching her in a sea of fire.

She convulsed violently, twisting and writhing as if struck by lightning, her monstrous form thrashing in agony.

She screamed.

Her massive body lurched, crashed, and rolled, desperately trying to shake off the flames devouring her.

But no matter how much she struggled, she could not extinguish the fire.

This was not Amaterasu's black flames… It was something far worse.

Suddenly—

A silhouette flickered into existence, appearing mid-stride within the fiery battlefield.

The figure moved with grace and speed, a blurred shadow that flashed through the inferno, closing the distance in an instant.

A blade gleamed.

A flash of crimson steel—

And the figure passed right through Indivilia's towering form.

"Splurt—!"

Indivilia's massive body—split in two.

Her upper half came crashing down.

As her vision spun, her gaze landed upon the one who had struck her down.

Standing amid the burning battlefield, clad in a tight black combat suit, wielding a crimson katana, was a breathtakingly beautiful Nikke.

A red string was tied around her head, its color as deep as blood and longing.

Rose.

Yet, she was different now.

Having been reborn within the Red Tide, her entire body had undergone a profound transformation.

Her metal frame, skeletal structure, synthetic muscles, and skin had all been strengthened beyond measure. Her power, speed, sensory response, and reflexes had all been amplified to an unprecedented degree.

Even her core had undergone a monumental leap in performance.

Now, she boasted combat potential far surpassing any ordinary Nikke.

Even though she was not originally designed as a Fairy Tale-class model, she was now a warrior on par with the strongest among them.