The comments section all think I'm a really good person.

To be honest, Chiho Kobayashi wasn't sure whether the sludge in front of her was human or simply a monster.

She had previously thought that humans could never become like this: a completely gray, liquid mass, without bones, organs, or other human structures, capable of flowing directly in through a crack in a door.

After all, no matter how much ability they gain, at most they will grow some organs that are slightly different from those of humans, and their appearance will not deviate too much from that of normal people.

Later, he discovered that his partner was able to transfer his consciousness into the Shadow Beast after his abilities went out of control.

In other words, it is not impossible for them to completely break away from the human form.

What will happen to the body if the ability is developed to the next stage...?

...This is not a question I should be thinking about.

A chill ran down her spine, and Kobayashi Chiho suppressed her guess, trying to ignore it.

The more important thing now is to deal with the guy in front of us.

It's tricky.

The opponent appeared to be a non-Newtonian fluid capable of freely mimicking its shape. All of Jun Furuhashi's Shadow Beast's attacks against it were easily devoured and returned in full.

It is a true full refund.

It can transform the attacks it receives into its own power.

Intangible energy will disappear on its surface, while physical attacks will be engulfed and swallowed by its unfolded body.

Jun Furuhashi, who was already on the verge of going berserk and whose abilities were on the verge of going out of control, was killed by the other party.

The shadow beast that was barely released was devoured, twisted, and transformed into its own power.

They swarmed forward, killed the original owner, pecked out his eyes, and swallowed his entrails.

In this moment of despair, the ability successfully broke through the limitations of the human body, successfully transferring consciousness into the shadow, resulting in its current form.

However, although the opponent's abilities seem formidable, they cannot withstand all attacks.

Chiho Kobayashi was well aware that the opponent's abilities had a definite upper limit.

It has a limited capacity to convert energy, and once the attack it suffers exceeds its tolerance, it faces the risk of being torn apart.

By transferring his consciousness to the Shadow Beast, the completely transformed Jun Furuhashi far surpassed the Shadow Beast he originally controlled in every aspect—strength, speed, and endurance.

Despite losing his mind, he gained even greater abilities after abandoning his human body.

It was only because Jun Furuhashi had become like this that he was able to barely defeat the mud and bring his partner out with him, thus giving him a chance to win.

Chiho Kobayashi noticed the "upper limit".

Whether it's her or the other Special Grade, apart from exceptional individuals like Saki Kamina Koizumi, none of them have yet been able to develop their abilities to their fullest potential.

The abilities gained from the void are phased.

Currently, there are only a handful of people left who are Special Grade... and they have all fully developed the first stage of their abilities.

Aside from Saki Koizumi, who shouldn't be considered part of the normal group, people like Shiori Hachiya and Jun Furuhashi have actually already touched the threshold of the second stage.

When Shiori Hachiya was dealing with the issue of mind dissolution, she had actually taken a preliminary step into that realm, but she was subsequently pulled back by herself.

That urge to detach from the body and completely merge with the thought network is a sign of moving towards the second stage.

Putting everything else aside, Dreamweaver is indeed a workaholic among the top-tier developers, constantly using its abilities to accumulate experience and accelerating development.

Furuhashi Jun, on the other hand, was stimulated by external forces and separated from his original body, becoming what he is now.

Unfortunately, even so, Jun Furuhashi hasn't officially entered the second stage yet; he's stuck in the middle. He can't be considered successful until he regains his senses and fully masters his current body.

Therefore, dealing with the plaster in front of us is a bit tricky.

The other party seemed to have come prepared.

The slime-like clump of ash floated slowly over, entering the bombed-out house as if no one was there.

It had no mouth, yet it made sounds.

It's impossible to tell whether someone is male or female, or even their age. This strange voice contains traces of the elderly, children, and young people, as well as feelings of both men and women.

"Hello~ long time no see, you two." A strangely sarcastic voice came from the very center of its body, and its surface could be vaguely seen vibrating with the sound.

It approached the two wary figures unhurriedly, and even though it had no eyes, Chiho Kobayashi could still feel its intense contempt.

Especially when it landed on the already shadowy and pitch-black Guqiao Chun, it made a gloating sound that couldn't be clearer when it looked at the monster: "Isn't this our special-class hero, Miss Beast Tamer? After the corpse was torn to pieces, have the remaining scraps rotted like this?"

A gaze, seemingly appearing from nowhere, shifted to Kobayashi Chiho, who was still wearing her bandages.

"Future Vision isn't doing too well either. Has he been disfigured? ...Hey, it's rare for you to come and check on your down-on-his-luck friend, but the two of you don't seem very friendly."

Chiho Kobayashi didn't do much; to be honest, her head was still buzzing.

She brushed the shards of glass off her clothes and sighed softly.

"You've been going out and causing trouble quite a bit lately, haven't you?"

She was referring to the shadow beasts that had already been devoured and transformed.

I saw it all on the news today: homeless people being attacked, with bite marks on their bodies from wild animals... Others might not know, but she and Jun Furuhashi have been partners for so long, how could she not know?

Those few animals were never released, presumably because this despicable fellow misused them, and they may have even killed people.

Even though their eyes are covered, they can still see, and even see through the surface to the truth.

"Hehehe... Of course! You have to try out a new toy. It works great! Please thank your partner for me."

Hui Nijian laughed, his tone suddenly turning dangerous, "...Of course, after I've gone to hell."

Its body suddenly writhed and expanded, the mud ball that was originally only about the height of a person now rapidly expanding to touch the ceiling. Something inside was struggling violently, as if it would burst out of the ground at any moment.

Chiho Kobayashi remained unmoved.

She had already seen it; in just three minutes, the opponent was reduced to a small, disheveled mass as they fled in disarray.

"...I say, what's going on here?" Right behind the three people who were facing off, the homeowner, carrying an eco-friendly bag, stood outside the entrance hall, which should have had a door but was now empty.

Hibiki Tachibana's gaze fell on the house, which looked like it had been through a typhoon, and then slowly swept over the two hapless people, finally settling on the lump of plaster.

If you listen carefully, you can faintly hear the sound of the string of reason snapping.

75. Solution

Oh wow, this is going to be interesting.

[Xiangye is furious: This is a house I just rented!]

[Their expressions are truly priceless...]

The comments section was filled with gloating voices, just like Hui Ni's. Everyone was excitedly discussing how Hui Ni would die.

【This time, Grey Camel has really messed up】

[How so? Isn't his ability supposed to be an eye for an eye? And he's almost at the second tier now, so he shouldn't be so easy to deal with, right?]

Even Chun was bitten to death; it doesn't seem like it can be dealt with so easily.

Don't have so little faith in Hibiki! www

Even in her normal state, while suffering from fusion syndrome, she is capable of reaching true Tier 2.

【…? That's so exaggerated?】

[Actually, Hibiki is one of the most destructive members of the Silver Garden. The last time I saw her in the manga, she shattered an entire mountain after only slightly charging up her power...]

["Slightly" gathering strength...?]

[Hibiki is truly powerful. Unlike Banana's strength, which requires coordination with the rules of the domain, her power is simply unreasonable.]

Incredibly strong

Therefore, if Xiangye simply keeps beating Huituo until he exceeds Huituo's tolerance level, he can easily take him down.

[When you see a bad slime that reflects damage, grab it and beat it up relentlessly!]

【I see……】

I bet five punches, and five thousand cat biscuits, that Gray Camel definitely won't last until the sixth punch.

[#(Funny) I think it'll be at most three punches]

[Place your bet now! Place your bet now! # (doge)]

Now, Tachibana Hibiki, who was described as "incredibly strong," looked at her messy home and her two pets... no, her two roommates, who were clearly in a sorry state, covered in shards of glass, and had been bullied by the other party. She felt her fists harden.

With her last shred of sanity, she managed to gently place the two large boxes of discounted eggs she was carrying onto the floor outside the door, hoping that a few of them might survive.

After all, she wasn't going to hold back anymore.

Then, gritting his teeth, he uttered the chant:

"Balwisyallnescellgungnirtron——!"

An intense burst of heat erupted instantly.

The girl with short, golden-brown hair felt an overwhelming surge of pain within her body as she was consumed by rage.

It almost burned the blood dry, almost tore the body apart.

My chest... feels frighteningly hot.

Her reason was quickly being eroded by the pain. Hibiki Tachibana endured the pain with a look of forbearance on her face. The heat emanating from her body caused charred burn marks to quickly spread around her.

Her clothes were replaced by Gungnir's attire as the chants began, but even faster than Symphogear's protective gear covered her body were the golden crystals that grew from the cross-shaped scar on her chest.

"You bastard—" Accompanied by a surge of power, Tachibana Hibiki's face was rapidly covered by the ever-spreading golden crystals. Her roar, a release of both pain and a powerful boost to her punch, was almost instantaneous as she charged towards Gray Camel. "Don't destroy other people's homes like that—!"

Her attire was a step behind her punch, and it wasn't until the straight punch landed right in the center of the gray camel's body that the Symphogear glove finally managed to cover Tachibana Hibiki's fist.

However, the force capable of shattering mountains was transmitted through this slender arm. The terrifying force, accompanied by scorching heat, almost instantly shattered the Gray Camel's energy conversion limit!

Hibiki Tachibana's fist sank into the mortar.

It's like hitting a doll; when your fist sinks into cotton, there's a soft, yielding feeling of not being able to exert any force. Or it's like trying to pierce a piece of paper hanging in the air with a blunt object; if the force and speed aren't enough, you won't achieve the desired effect.

However, in the latter half of the punch, Hibiki Tachibana used a simple and brutal force exceeding her limits to strike the physical object before her opponent could react.

Then, unleash all the anger you've been venting today!

Gray Camel's consciousness went blank for a moment. Although there were no vital organs, he still felt a terrifying threat of death.