Chapter 169: On Purpose.
Thunder Strike took to the sky and dove into the sea of clouds, summoning his lightning and absorbing any that responded to his call. Sensing that he had gathered the necessary charge, he completed his transformation, turning into a single bolt of lightning before diving back to the plaza down below.
A single tree stood at the center of a spreading vortex of roots and vines, formed from several trunks twisting around each other like a spiral, aiming to pierce the sky itself. Instead of reaching the heights it was aiming for, however, all it did was turn itself into a massive lightning rod.
Light flashed through the city hall plaza, and a deafening boom exploded a moment later, echoing through the entirety of Neo-Vatra. The ground shook and trembled. Cracks spread through the streets and buildings. Cars blared their alarms, and the massive screens littering the City Center froze at the same time.
An eerie calmness followed the devastating roar, and for a while, nothing moved in the district where the lightning had struck. The city hall was silent as well, and so was the plaza spreading before its gate. As the seconds began to pass, a single crackle shattered the silence.
A wisp of flame ate through a piece of charred wood, snapping it in half. Little by little, the vortex of roots and vines began disintegrating, turning into a pile of burnt wood and charcoal. The pseudo-Genome whose powers had manifested all of it seemed to have survived the lightning, though he was no longer in a state to continue resisting the inevitable.
Having confirmed that, Strike switched back to his human form and set his sights on a certain building. Arriving on its roof, he took in the surroundings and spotted a certain humanoid shadow sitting at one of the tables.
"You’re late," Erebus said. "He already left."
Strike’s expression darkened.
"How?"