Deep within the mysterious cave, Senju Yukika sensed a shift in the outside world.
Though he was in the deepest part of the mountain cavern, his spiritual pressure could reach far and wide—nearly enveloping the entire Giant Peak Mountain Range!
High above the sky, a massive flying vessel was rapidly descending. Yukika's sharp perception immediately caught its movement. When he caught sight of the vessel's design through his spiritual senses, he instantly recognized its royal origins. Only the current royal family of the Rakshasa Kingdom could afford such a lavish and majestic airship.
There were three people on board. One of them was a handsome young man whose face betrayed both embarrassment and regret. From his outfit and demeanor, Senju Yukika deduced that this must be a prince of the Rakshasa Kingdom.
However, the prince's situation was far from ideal.
How easy was it for an airship to fall from the sky? A dense swarm of insectoid monsters—mutant locusts—had followed it down, relentlessly attacking. These monsters had one goal: to break through the ship's protective barrier and devour the humans inside without mercy.
Watching the frenzied locust creatures close in, the Third Prince finally cracked under the pressure and shouted in panic, "Crash the airship into the ground—now!"
In his mind, if the locusts were forced to land, their movements would be slowed, giving them a chance to escape this desperate situation.
His two guards, positioned to his left and right, instantly channeled their chakra. These elite, advanced-rank warriors infused their energy into the airship, significantly increasing its descent speed.
With their combined power, the airship barely broke through the swarm and plunged rapidly toward the ground. The royal engineers had designed this vessel with incredible precision—once it cleared the aerial barrier, its descent accelerated dramatically, plummeting hundreds of meters in seconds.
Above them, a massive black canopy of locusts darkened the sky, casting the world in oppressive shadow.
Faced with this terrifying sight, the Third Prince and his two guards turned pale with horror. They silently vowed that if they ever encountered this monstrous swarm again, they would turn back immediately and never allow themselves to be caught.
Though fast, the airship reached the ground quickly, and the Third Prince immediately issued a new order: initiate ground-skimming mode.
This was one of the vessel's specialized modifications. It could travel close to the ground at near-airborne speed, a testament to the Rakshasa royal family's incredible wealth and deep technological reserves.
But the Third Prince had underestimated the sheer chaos engulfing the Giant Peak Mountains. No sooner had the airship skimmed ahead than the ground in front of them cracked open with rows upon rows of holes.
From every crevice, beams of grayish light shot out—each containing a locust monster the size of a human fist!
Despite the mountain range already swarming with millions of these monsters, the onslaught had not stopped. More and more emerged from beneath the earth, creating a scene of total despair.
"Third Prince! What do we do?" one guard asked, clearly at a loss. Their expressions reflected sheer helplessness. The locust swarm had reformed instantly above and below them. The sky-darkening canopy began to descend slowly, like an executioner's blade.
If the locusts closed in from both directions, it wouldn't matter how powerful they were—anyone caught in that attack would be overwhelmed, devoured beneath this living ocean of terror.
Time was running out. They had to act—now—or there would be no more options.
"What do you mean, what do we do?! You two fools, start thinking of a way out!" the Third Prince exploded in a rare fit of anger, snapping at his guards.
These two chakra masters had long served in the palace as elite guards. Yet now, under such intense pressure, they too faltered before the wrath of their prince—destined one day to be king. Despite their standing, neither dared to talk back.
After a brief pause, the guard on the left suddenly said, "Your Highness, there's only one option—destroy the airship and use the blast to escape!"
"What? Destroy the airship?! Leften, are you out of your mind?" the prince snapped.
This vessel was a priceless treasure within the royal fleet. He had only managed to borrow it from King Rakshasa after considerable effort, and it was expected to be returned intact. Normally, the king would never lend his personal ship to any of the princes. That he did so this time was a rare and clear sign of favor.
So when his chief guard suggested destroying it, the Third Prince immediately rejected the idea.
But then the guard on the right insisted, "Your Highness, there's no other way. If we detonate the airship, the explosion's shockwave will create a temporary safe zone. That will be our only chance to break out!"
"Yes, Prince. If we hesitate now, we'll be dead in minutes!" the left guard added, his tone desperate.
The Third Prince fell silent.
He knew just how valuable the airship was. If he destroyed it, he would definitely face his father's punishment. But if he didn't…
He would die here.
Which mattered more—wealth or life?
Even if the Emperor punished him later, it would still mean he was alive.
Finally, the Third Prince gritted his teeth and gave the order: "Blow it up!"
"Yes, Your Highness!"
Both guards instantly surged with violent chakra energy. Their power intensified like blades and pierced directly into the ship's structure.
But the airship was built from reinforced materials. Even with their immense strength, it took several heavy blows to finally breach its internal core.
Then, with a deafening BOOM, the airship exploded. The roar of the blast echoed across the entire Giant Peak Mountain Range.
Flames shot skyward. The resulting shockwave incinerated hundreds of nearby locust monsters, turning them into blackened ash.
Using that brief moment of chaos, the Third Prince, protected by his two elite chakra guards, bolted toward safety, running with everything they had.