"This is...!?"
When the heavy, ominous footsteps echoed around them, everyone present had a sudden shift in expression.
Especially Magnus—his face changed dramatically, as if he already knew who those footsteps belonged to.
"W-What?"
"What's going on?"
"What's that sound?"
Even Irori, Yaya, and Komurasaki instinctively felt a wave of unease and moved closer to Rozen.
Raishin had unknowingly raised the Kanze Masamune in his hand, eyes wary and focused in the direction of the sound.
As for Rozen, his gaze had already locked onto that place.
Because from there, a terrifying aura of magical energy was resonating.
It was the presence Rozen had sensed when arriving at the Sanctuary of the Fool, aside from Raishin and Magnus.
Now, that presence had revealed itself.
The next second, everyone saw clearly: from the depths of the sanctuary, a shadow emerged from the darkness.
It was an unbelievably massive figure.
The figure stood over a hundred meters tall—its size dwarfed buildings, resembling a giant. Its entire body was covered in countless eyeballs, and its surface was fluid-like, reminiscent of flowing magma.
Its appearance was almost identical to the monsters wandering outside—an authentic "monster".
However, this monster was far larger than the ones outside. The aura it exuded was overwhelmingly fierce—on a completely different level.
"—!"
Overwhelmed by this vicious pressure, everyone's expression changed drastically.
Especially the girls of Setsugetsuka—upon seeing the creature's full form, their faces went completely pale.
"Wh-What is that!?"
Even Raishin was stunned, horrified.
Magnus stared hard at the creature and muttered:
"So It broke the seal... Androgyne...!"
Apparently, the monster heard those words.
"■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■————!!!"
In the next moment, a horrifying roar erupted.
It sounded both like the cry of a newborn taking its first breath and the howl of a primordial beast breaking free of its chains.
The roar, carried by mana, swept through the space like a storm.
That alone blew away the ground around the monster. The soundwaves became shockwaves, and the shockwaves became tornadoes, tearing through everything in all directions.
Anything caught in the storm was instantly blown away.
The roof was blown off.
The walls were torn apart.
Even the surrounding rubble was swept away, creating a vacuum-like zone around the monster.
Naturally, no one on-site could escape this terrible event.
Raishin was blown back, crashing into broken wall fragments and vomiting blood. Magnus and the girls around him were also swept away, thrown out of the collapsing sanctuary. Even the Setsugetsuka sisters couldn't escape—dragged into the air, their screams buried by the roaring wind.
The sanctuary was practically destroyed—over half of it shattered as if bombed, reduced to ruins in the underground space.
The monster hadn't even attacked. It had merely roared, and this was the result.
Before such power, everything was fragile.
In the face of such a phenomenon, even large groups of humans were insignificant.
In this hidden underground cavern, an even more hidden terrifying giant of a monster roared unrestrainedly.
Until—
"Shut up."
That cold voice pierced through the raging storm and reached the monster's ears.
"—"
The monster's roar stopped instantly.
As if its throat were suddenly gripped tight, not even the tiniest sound escaped it.
The storm sweeping across the space faltered at that abrupt silence—and quickly diminished.
"Cough... cough...!"
The people present barely managed to raise their heads, coughing as they looked forward.
Then—they saw him.
Floating in midair before the terrifying monster was a young man, small in comparison, yet radiating an aura the monster could not hope to match.
The black coat on Rozen's back fluttered wildly, drenched in the storm born from the monster's roar.
Yet Rozen stood firm—unmoving, as solid as a mountain—completely unaffected.
The monster noticed him too. It lowered its head, every eye on its body turning to stare at him.
That alone brought unimaginable pressure.
But Rozen bore it effortlessly.
Because...
"If you're just an unfinished prototype, don't dare posture before me."
Rozen lifted his head and gazed at the monster.
In that moment, everyone saw it.
Behind Rozen, for just the briefest instant, were countless figures—beasts so massive and divine that they rivaled, if not surpassed, the monster before them.
There was a diamond-bodied ram.
There was a minotaur titan.
There was a twin-headed dragon.
And more—Natra Cinereus, Regulus Aurum, Kiffa Ater, Shaula Viola, Alnasl Minium, Sadalmelik Albus, Alrescha Glacies, Minelauva Iris, and the majestic Divine Dragon—a myriad of Beast Vassals surrounded him.
Even three vague silhouettes of young girls flickered among them.
This sight made everyone's eyes widen—and made the monster's eyes bulge.
Then they realized—the monster had faltered.
Yes.
The monster was afraid.
"Go back."
Rozen spoke calmly.
The monster tried to roar in protest—but the effect of Rozen's word-command still bound it. No matter how much magic it churned, it couldn't resist the command, and the sound it made seemed more like a pitiful whimper.
Realizing this, the monster grew even angrier—but it was helpless.
Eventually, it stomped the ground in frustration, unleashing shockwaves like geysers that shook the entire underground space.
Then, it turned around—slowly retreating into the darkness it had emerged from.
"Thud—Thud—Thud—Thud—"
With heavy steps, the monster disappeared.
Silence returned instantly.
Everyone could only stare—overwhelmed—at the scene, and then at the calm-faced Rozen, unable to speak a word.