148 [148] Bankai - Daiguren Hyōrinmaru!
"Bankai, Daiguren Hyōrinmaru!"
Rumble~
In an instant, an extremely cold aura instantly enveloped the entire 58th floor.
The originally scorching floor's temperature suddenly dropped, and even faintly, a layer of ice crystals began to appear on the edges of the rock walls.
As the instigator, August, underwent a tremendous transformation. Both his hands and legs turned into icy dragon claws, and a pair of icy wings spread behind him.
Above the wings floated three scarlet lotuses, totaling twelve lotus petals.
This was August's incomplete Hyorinmaru's Bankai. These three lotuses served as evidence of its incompleteness, signifying a countdown to the full maturity of the Bankai. Once the time was up, the Bankai would be released, returning August to his normal state.
This was August's first attempt at Hyorinmaru's Bankai, and it felt great, a sensation entirely different from Demonization.
This unexpected scene shocked Finn and the others behind, especially Riveria.
As a mage, she keenly sensed the subtle changes in the surroundings. When August transformed into this posture, the temperature around him rapidly decreased.
Not only that, all the magical elements on the entire floor converged towards August.
Even she, at this moment, would face a significant reduction in the power of her magic if she attempted to cast spells. After all, when mages use magic, in addition to the consumption of their own magical power, they also attract the free magical elements in the atmosphere to enhance the power of their spells.
Swoosh~
At this moment, a breeze came out of nowhere, causing everyone to feel a bit cold.
"Hmm? What is this? Snowflakes?"
Lefiya suddenly felt a chill on her forehead. Looking up, she saw blood-red flowers falling around her.
"Hey, is this a joke?"
Finn also found it hard to believe. Was this the true extent of August's power? Just the leakage of cold air changed the entire floor?
*ROOOOAR*
However, the changes here did not stop the distant dragon-type monsters
Red dragons, valgang dragons, wyverns, and some other sub-dragon species all launched attacks towards August. Dragon breath and flames erupted instantly.
"Full Counter!"
August wouldn't miss such a good opportunity. He lifted Hyorinmaru and, with a swift motion, activated Full Counter.
In an instant, all dragon breaths and flames were reversed. During the full counter, these energies fused together and, conquered twice over, transformed into an incredibly terrifying surge of scorching dragon breath.
Rumble~
The deafening roar echoed, leaving Finn and others behind utterly dumbfounded. This was indeed incredible. In the supposed 'hell' of the Dragon's Vase, with so many dragon-type monsters, August managed to wipe them all out in one move?
*ROOOOOAR*
Suddenly, the ground violently shook. Accompanied by a dragon's roar, an immensely large Red Dragon King emerged from the ground.
The Red Dragon King was not the floor boss but an enhanced version of the Red Dragon.
*ROOOOOOAR*
Upon appearing, flames spewed towards August, forming a corridor of intense heat.
"Hyorinmaru!"
Ice spread across Hyorinmaru's blade, directly defending against the flames and shattering them. August's icy wings unfolded, and he leaped into the air, yet even then, he was only level with the Red Dragon King's head, emphasizing the colossal size of this creature.
"Ice Prison!"
August's cold voice resounded. In the next moment, magical power rapidly condensed beside the Red Dragon King, transforming into frigid air, and ultimately shaping six massive ice pillars.
All ice pillars started rotating swiftly, and an intense cold spread. In an instant, a colossal super-sized ice column enveloped the Red Dragon King.
Crash~
The ice column shattered, and the Red Dragon King turned into ice shards, falling to the ground.
With this, the entire 58th floor was cleared.
August descended, returning to his normal state after releasing his Bankai.
Undeniably, the power of Hyorinmaru was formidable, truly living up to its reputation as the strongest ice and snow Zanpakuto.
"August, what you've done..."
Finn walked over, looking at the Dragon's Vase that had drastically cooled down, unsure of what to say. They had expected a fierce battle, but August had resolved everything directly.
"Hey, Finn, everything's settled."
"You..."
Was this a good thing?
Certainly, it was. After all, their goal was the deeper 59th floor, the last documented floor. Saving energy before a major battle was undoubtedly a good thing.
But, clearing all the monsters alone would make them appear incompetent. Looking at the empty 58th floor, everyone fell into silence. Especially Bete, though they were comrades, he felt frustrated. He had planned to show off his strength before August, but unexpectedly, everything was already finished before he even began.
"Wow! This is good materials. This is the Red Dragon's skin, Valgang Dragon's teeth, Wyvern's claws. August, come over here quickly and collect these, they're all mine."
"Alright."
Summoned by his girlfriend, August naturally ran over.
This left Finn even more at a loss for words. Drops and loot were not even an issue with August around.
"Raul, go help them clean up the battlefield quickly. We'll rest for a bit and then move on to the next floor."
"Yes."
With a massive supporter backpack, Raul ran over. He was Finn's number one subordinate.
Others found a place to sit and rest, drink some water, and recover. Charging from the 51st floor to the 58th floor had taken a toll.
On the other side, August, Tsubaki, and Raul were busy collecting the spoils.
Looking at the numerous rare drops of dragon materials, Tsubaki almost laughed crazily. For a blacksmith, this was heaven. For a moment, everyone fell into the same silent phase. Suddenly, at this moment, the entire floor experienced violent shaking.
Everyone was on high alert. After all, this was the deepest floor of the dungeon, and no one knew what might happen here.
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