Felina, Chiyo, and Reiju had just finished helping Fiona take down their previous opponent. Before they could even catch their breath, they rushed at full speed toward the battlefield where Dothai and Simon were still fighting.
The two of them were locked in a fierce clash against an elite squad of eight: six CP0 operatives led by two members of the Holy Knights. Their enemy's strength was overwhelming. If not for Kree, who was hidden high in the clouds and taking every chance to disrupt the battle from above, Dothai and Simon would have already been overwhelmed.
From the sky, countless needle-like projectiles rained down like a storm. Every one of those needles was made of shimmering, transparent bubbles.
They came in waves, fast and suffocating. While each bubble needle had limited piercing power, they possessed a volatile explosive property that made them extremely troublesome. If they failed to pierce a target, they simply burst harmlessly. But if even one needle slipped through and entered a body, it delivered a burst powerful enough to inflict real internal damage.
Because of the barrage, the Holy Knights and CP0 members were forced to halt their offensive and raise their defenses, unable to keep up their pressure on Simon and Dothai.
Seeing their moment, Simon steadied his breath, tightened his grip on his trident, and swung with all his might. A torrent of water surged forth like a dragon leaping from the sea, slamming into one of the CP0 members and sending him flying.
Dothai was already waiting. He flashed forward at ghostlike speed, raising a fist stained black with Armament. His punch struck the airborne CP0 agent with brutal force.
A crisp crack echoed. Bones shattered. The operative flew like a rag doll before crashing into the ground and carving out a massive crater.
Simon and Dothai stood panting heavily. Their teamwork had allowed them to eliminate one of the enemy's strongest fighters, but the cost was steep. Their stamina was already more than half gone.
Yet the situation remained dire.
"You filthy ants. How dare you resist the justice of the World Government!" one of the Holy Knights roared, his face twisted with fury as he watched his subordinate fall.
"We have to drag out that rat hiding in the sky. If we don't, our formation will keep getting disrupted!" the other Holy Knight snarled.
"Xixius! After all this time, you still can't locate him?" the first Knight barked at a trembling CP0 agent behind him.
The small, jittery agent known as Xixius flinched. Facing a Holy Knight meant facing a living tyrant, and fear consumed him.
"P-Peltico-sama… forgive me," he stammered. "I found traces of him, but he keeps changing position. He's too fast. I can't catch him."
Peltico's expression darkened. "Useless trash. You and Natalo will search together. Bring me that rat's head. Fail again, and you know the consequences."
"Yes, Peltico-sama!" Both CP0 agents snapped forward and shot into the sky using Moon Step.
But the moment they rose into the air, a violent gust blasted them off balance. The sudden storm twisted their bodies midair.
And then, like a flash of pink lightning, Reiju dropped down from one of Felina's crafted clouds.
She crossed her arms, then swept them outward.
A storm of glimmering, venom-laced arrows rained upon the two airborne CP0 agents. Already struggling to stay stable, they scrambled to defend themselves. Most of the arrows were blocked, but several scraped their skin.
The cuts were shallow. The poison was not.
Their faces darkened within seconds as the venom surged through their bloodstream. Natalo clutched his wound, choking out, "Th-the arrows… are poisoned…" before his eyes rolled back and he plummeted lifeless to the ground.
Xixius didn't even manage a final word.
The sudden deaths of the two CP0 agents made Peltico and his remaining four subordinates blanch in shock. Had the other battlefields already been won? Had the enemy's reinforcements arrived first?
But for Simon, Dothai, and Kree, the sight of Reiju and the others was pure relief. With backup here, their chances had risen dramatically.
Felina, Chiyo, and Reiju charged into the battlefield as blades flashed, voices roared, and the air trembled with power. Their coordination was flawless, overwhelming the remaining Holy Knight squad. The tide turned quickly.
Before long, the five remaining enemies were cut down one by one.
Only Peltico remained.
Simon lunged forward, trident first, like a sea dragon erupting from beneath the waves. The Holy Knight caught the blade, but Simon activated the explosive energy within the weapon.
A thunderous blast erupted.
Peltico's chest burst open. Blood rained across the battlefield. His eyes widened in disbelief and fury as he collapsed in a spreading pool of crimson.
"Simon, Dothai! We have to go help Big Pan and my sister. Their situation is extremely dangerous!" Felina shouted, her voice trembling with exhaustion.
Simon and Dothai exchanged a look and nodded. Even injured and drained, their resilient bodies allowed them to keep fighting.
They raced toward Big Pan's battlefield.
The scene they arrived at was devastating.
Big Pan and Fiona were barely managing to survive against the berserk Holy Knight, Gringus. The two were covered in wounds, bleeding heavily, held together only by sheer will and Fiona's sword technique.
Big Pan tried to block another crushing blow, but Gringus's fist hammered into his chest. Blood shot from Big Pan's mouth as he was hurled backward like a broken kite.
"This old monster is unreal…" Big Pan muttered weakly, using his staff to hold himself up.
Fiona floated three blades beside her, all that remained of her six. The other three had been shattered in the earlier clash. Losing them felt like losing pieces of herself.
Gringus adjusted his stance and targeted Fiona. Her long-range techniques had been a constant thorn in his side.
Fiona unleashed her thread ability, creating giant woven hands to stop him, but Gringus burned through them with a beam of scorching fire breath.
In an instant he was upon her, swinging his massive blade downward. Fiona barely managed to block with her treasured Ice-Drinker sword, sparks exploding from the impact.
But Gringus's strength overwhelmed her. His blade carved into her shoulder.
"Aaah!" Fiona staggered back in agony.
He raised his blade again for the killing blow.
Simon arrived just in time, blocking the strike with his trident. Dothai's punch crashed into Gringus's head, sending the berserk knight flying.
Fiona collapsed, her strength finally failing her.
Felina and Chiyo caught her. "Sister, are you alright?" they cried.
"It's… just a scratch…" Fiona whispered weakly, coughing blood yet forcing a faint smile.
Reiju rushed forward with medical serum, helping her stabilize. Even so, Fiona slipped into unconsciousness.