Epic Of Caterpillar

Chapter 2908 - 2909: Confrontation Between Friends

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”Kamei?!”

Frank dashed through the chaotic vortex of the Labyrinth of Madness, avoiding Void Beasts and the floating Dungeons nearby.

When he saw Kireina descending, he wanted to rush to her aid, but he froze upon hearing his own sisterʼs voice echoing from the far distance.

Without a second thought, he sprinted toward the sound, following it as fast as his legs could carry him.

”Brother...! Someone help me!”

”Ah!”

Frank looked upward. A Dungeon swarming with bug-like Void Beasts was the source of her voice.

”Kamei?! Why are you here?! KAMEI!”

But the voice no longer answered.

Frankʼs Aura exploded outward, enveloping him in a nebula-like shroud of pure cosmic power.

Without hesitation, he leaped high into the air and plunged into the swarm.

Hundreds of insectoid Void Beasts hissed and lunged, trying to overwhelm him with sheer numbers.

However...

”Tsk! Get out of my way!”

His Radiant Archangelʼs Lance blazed with blinding light. Channeling the power of the Archangel Souls within it, he swung the spear horizontally, its blade carving through the monsters in a wide arc.

He moved with deadly precision, thrusting, slashing, striking with every ounce of his strength—resembling a radiant star piercing through the darkness.

At last he reached the Dungeon.

As he entered, four other figures followed close behind.

”Hm?!”

Frankʼs eyes widened as he took in the vast expanse before him: a dense jungle giving way to a sprawling swamp. The sky glowed with an unnatural yellow, streaked with blue clouds. The air carried the sickly-sweet scent of sap, and pink fog drifted lazily everywhere.

Frank instantly realized what it was.

Poison!

”Shit, a Poisonous Swamp Dungeon?!”

He rushed forward without pause. The poison had no effect on him, but if his sister had somehow entered this place, she was in mortal danger.

”Frank! Whatʼs happening?”

Suddenly Michael appeared at his side, her majestic presence startling him for a moment.

”I heard Kamei—sheʼs here! I can feel her presence. I donʼt know how or why, but sheʼs here!”

”Understood. Let me help you!”

Michael expanded her consciousness and soared higher. Frank followed right behind.

Frank shared a deep connection with every member of his family, a bond forged through his Heart Essence as a Heart Cultivator.

By intensifying and spreading his awareness, he quickly located her.

”There! Ah—sheʼs dying!”

He sensed her life force fading rapidly. Like a meteor, he plummeted downward and crashed beside her, the impact sending dirt and nearby trees flying in all directions.

BOOOM!

He saw a swarm of purple, dog-like monsters tearing into her. As they were hurled away by the shockwave, he sliced them into countless pieces.

”KAMEI! HANG ON!”

Frank silently thanked his instincts for rushing toward his sister the moment he heard her voice. He had found her on the brink of death, half her face eaten away and bleeding, the rest of her body covered in deep bites, her left arm completely gone.

”Br... bwo....”

She could barely speak, vomiting blood. Frank noticed a deep gash across her abdomen—her intestines were exposed.

Those monsters had been feasting on her, keeping her alive just long enough to prolong their meal.

Though rage and horror consumed him, Frank realized that if the creatures had not kept her alive in this cruel way, she might have died much sooner.

”GIFT OF LIFE!”

Frank roared as he poured every ounce of lifeforce he could muster into her, tears streaming down his face in disbelief and terror.

Michael assisted him, amplifying his healing with her magic while erecting a protective barrier around them.

Slowly, Kameiʼs wounds closed. Her face regenerated. Even her missing arm grew back in a miraculous surge of restoration.

Frank gasped for breath, sighing in overwhelming relief.

In his desperation, he had expended a tremendous amount of lifeforce.

Kamei glowed even after she was fully healed, the aura around her gradually fading as she absorbed the powerful cosmic energy he had given her.

”Kamei...” Frank whispered. ”Are you okay? Kamei!”

”Calm down, Frank. Sheʼs fine,” Michael said gently, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. ”We made it just in time... sheʼll live. Itʼs okay.”

She patted his back as Frank continued to cry, hugging his sister tightly.

He still could not believe she was here—out of nowhere.

Just what in the world is happening right now?

He simply couldnʼt comprehend any of it.

”Why is she here? What happened?”

”I donʼt know,” Michael admitted, ”but by analyzing her... I can sense some kind of magical crest. Something branded her and pulled her here through... some kind of apparatus.”

”What?”

”A relic of some sort—small... like your phone.”

”My phone?!”

Frank suddenly remembered how Kamei was always glued to her phone, playing games.

Could that be connected somehow?

No way... right?

Through his Cultivation, Frank had long ago refined his own phone and internalized it as a Cosmic Treasure within his Soul.

That very phone had awakened his powers and remained directly linked to his System and how he controlled it.

Since learning how to do so, he had kept it safely stored inside his soul.

”Could something from her phone... no, thatʼs too insane... or is it?” Frank muttered, exhaling heavily. ”I should ask her... Kamei, come on. We canʼt stay here long.”

”Uuh...” Kamei groaned, as though trapped in a terrible nightmare.

”Sheʼs too exhausted, Frank,” Michael said softly. ”Just place her inside your Heavenly Domain and letʼs keep moving. We shouldnʼt linger—this is the domain of that Chaos God Kireina was fighting.”

”Ugh...” Frank clicked his tongue. ”Fine, we should—”

Before he could finish, dozens of white paper talismans suddenly flew toward him.

They wrapped around the entire barrier Michael had created and began to activate.

FLASH!

The runes within the simple angelic barrier were corrupted and overtaken in an instant.

”...?!”

”What now?!”

Frankʼs anger flared. He glared at the paper talismans, dreading who might be behind this attack.

As the talismans distorted and seized control of the barrier, Frank swung his hand.

BOOOM!

The barrier exploded outward. Frank emerged unscathed from the flames, still cradling his sister, whom he had shielded with his Aura.

”Who is it now?!”

From within the jungle, four figures stepped forward.

”What...! Why are you here?!”

They were all painfully familiar, people Frank had known, loved, and trusted.

Hinata, the kind saleswoman and master of Light Magic.

The Great Ancestor, Kaguya Amaterasu.

Matsuo, his old friend.

And Matsuoʼs father, master of Talismans and Formation Magic.

”Iʼm sorry, Frank. Orders from the Great Ancestor,” Hinata sighed, shaking her head. ”You should never have brought that chaos spawn to our clan...”

”Weʼve been ordered to capture you and punish you for the grave offense you committed against the clan,” Matsuoʼs father added heavily.

”...Frank, just give up and donʼt fight us,” Matsuo said quietly. ”Against all four of us, you donʼt stand a chance.”

”...Matsuo, what the fuck are you talking about?” Frank asked, his eyebrow twitching in disbelief.

”It is as they said, traitor,” the Great Ancestor declared. Her body was now fully recovered, her power far greater than before—she had advanced beyond Heavenly Being and become a Four World Axis Cultivator. ”Do you think we forget offenses? We will make sure you pay for your great crime.”

”Did Amaterasu order this?” Frank asked sharply.

”It is my will—and my will is that of Amaterasu,” she answered calmly, floating in midair as she channeled immense divine power through her bond with the goddess. ”Now, capture him!”

At her command, Matsuo charged forward. Magic and a sword of gleaming golden light erupted around him as he unleashed a ferocious barrage of slashes that forced Frank back step by step.

”Matsuo, why?!” Frank shouted. ”Donʼt fight me! What are you even doing?!”

”Youʼre not my friend anymore, Frank,” Matsuo replied coldly. ”Iʼm only trying to capture a criminal!”

”Criminal?!” Frank was stunned. ”I... I thought we were friends...!”

”Stop with your nonsense! Friends?! After what you did to my clan?!” Matsuo roared, channeling various relics around his body to intensify his assault. ”Donʼt make me laugh!”

”Youʼre letting them manipulate you! And look—that woman isnʼt even dead!” Frank shouted back. ”What you blame me and Kireina for isnʼt even relevant anymore, she revived!”

”What matters is the damage youʼve done to the clanʼs honor!” Matsuo screamed, clashing fiercely against Frank. ”Against everyone! I wonʼt forgive you! I CANʼT! For my clanʼs honor—I must... I must...!”

FLAAASH!

Matsuo glowed with Yin and Yang Essence. His Aura surged violently as the towering figure of a giant god manifested behind him—a titan of stone.

”Thatʼs the Chief Mountain God?!” Frank gasped.

”Ōyamatsumi-sama has chosen me as his Saint,” Matsuo roared. ”That means I now wield his true power! Does this even the field enough?!”

”Matsuo, Iʼm with my sister—stop this!” Frank shouted, gently setting her down and stepping back. But Matsuoʼs sword rushed forward relentlessly.

”You damn son of a bitch, are you not listening to me—Ngh?!”

Before he could finish, hundreds of sunlight beams rained down, fired by the Ancestor.

At the same time, talismans appeared all around Frank, paralyzing him in place.

Meanwhile, Hinata engaged Michael, distracting her with hundreds of light clones while absorbing her radiance.

”How blind can you all be?!” Frank roared in fury. ”Donʼt you understand there are bigger problems than your stupid clan grudge?!”

With rage boiling inside him, Frank unleashed his power.

No more holding back.

No more patience.

No more mercy.

TRUUUM!

An eternal cosmic radiance erupted.

Everyone attacking him was instantly scorched by the brilliance. Their eyes burned, their bodies caught ablaze.

Chief Mountain God? Sure, he was powerful.

But that power meant nothing before the son of an Overseer—especially one as mighty as his father, an Ascended Overseer King, a being of Multiversal stature.

The deeper Frank tapped into this power, the stronger he became—exponentially.

At this moment.

These people were nothing to him.

”Kuuaaaaaagh!”

Matsuo screamed in agony as the cosmic radiance consumed him, burning him alive. The same fate struck everyone else.

Frank surged toward the Ancestor, piercing her chest with his blade and shattering her soul.

”W-Wait! What are you—AHHHHHH!”

”Killing you for good, you manipulative bitch.”

”HELP MEEEEEEE!”

Before anyone could react, the Ancestor died once more, her soul broken into countless fragments.

Frank felt the urge to destroy the pieces completely.

But with his Cosmic Authority, he gathered them, unified them, and sealed the soul away.

As for the others...

He drove dozens of weapons through their bodies, inflicting indescribable pain.

”You almost hurt my sister, after she nearly died!”

Frank roared in fury, his appearance slowly changing, his eyes turning red, his hair turning white.

His Heart of Wrath was awakening, beating faster and stronger.

Now that he had the power to resist its destructive nature, nothing held him back from harnessing its full might and growing even stronger.

”Give me one good reason why I shouldnʼt kill all of you right now!”

Frank bellowed, advancing toward Matsuo. His old friend vomited blood, blind and broken, his eyes scorched.

”G-Guuh...! F-Fra... nk…”

”…!”

Frankʼs eyes widened.

”W-Wh… What am I doing?”

His appearance snapped back to normal. He stared at his dying friend, his father, and the kind woman who had always sold him things.

”No...! No!”

He quickly withdrew every weapon and poured healing energy into them, infusing them with his life force.

They barely survived, unconscious, but alive.

Michael approached and gently hugged him as Frank clutched his head in anguish.

”I almost killed... my friend... I didnʼt want to—I...”

”Calm down, Frank.”

”But...!”

”Itʼs okay.”

”No, itʼs not okay!”

”It is. Let it all out...”

”Michael...”

Frank broke down, crying on her shoulder as she held him.

Though the original Frank had lived for hundreds of years, this young man was barely seventeen.

Michael understood that he lacked the emotional maturity the original Frank had once possessed.

”Your Heart of Wrath grants you immense power, but you must learn to control it, young man. I will seal that heart and only release it when absolutely necessary.”

She touched his chest and bound the power with her angelic chains.

”Thank you... I feel better now, I...”

He glanced at the writhing soul trapped inside his Heavenly Domain, now sealed within a cosmic bottle.

”Matsuo, wake up.”

He gently slapped Matsuoʼs face until his eyes fluttered open. Matsuo gasped for air.

”Aahhh!”

Matsuo screamed when he saw Frank and scrambled backward.

The terror in his eyes said everything...

”G-Get away from us! Y-Youʼre not my friend...! M-Monster...! Like her! Youʼre a monster!”

”...”

Frank looked down, regret etched across his face.

”Iʼm sorry, but I have to go... my sister is in danger.”

Frank placed the bottle containing the Ancestorʼs soul beside Matsuo, surprising him.

”If you come after me again trying the same thing... I... I wonʼt show mercy next time.”

Frank carefully lifted his sister and walked away with Michael.

”...”

Matsuo stared at the bottle holding the soul of the woman who had ordered this entire ordeal.

It seemed no one had truly understood just how powerful Frank had become.

But more than that... how deeply kind he still was, forgiving them despite everything.

Lost in thought, Matsuo sighed heavily as he looked at his father—still alive—and Hinata, also breathing.

”What... whatʼs wrong with me?”

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