Siegfried tilted his head up, staring at the colossal object that blotted out the sky. His let out a breathless exclamation,
"So this is Lucheni? It's even bigger than Welt's Arahato!"
Lucheni slowly lowered its head. Its crimson gaze swept over the crowd with disdain, and the next second, it slowly raised a gigantic fist like a mountain.
"Not good! It's attacking, scatter!"
Before Fu Shi's words had even finished, she was already stepping on a streaking flying sword and charging straight up.
Adam grabbed Lyle and leapt sharply to the side. The others also scattered to evade, narrowly avoiding the terrifying pressure as the massive fist slammed down.
Seeing the fist halt on the platform, Siegfried sprang into the air. His greatsword ignited with blazing flames as he slashed toward Lucheni's hand.
"Take this!"
At the instant flames collided with the giant fist, a blinding light nearly swallowed their vision. Yet the blade only left a shallow white mark on the hardened surface before being violently repelled.
"What the hell is this thing made of? Its hardness is insane!" Siegfried stumbled as he landed, his arm numb, shock filling his heart.
Lyle crouched behind a massive crystal, staring at the unmoving platform beneath his feet, equally stunned, "As expected of the sky people. This platform took a punch from that big guy and didn't even budge. The quality is seriously top-tier!"
Bronya rapidly analyzed the battlefield and issued calm orders, "Although it's huge, its movements are sluggish. Attacking the joints might be our breakthrough!"
"Understood."
Fu Hua nodded. Wings spread behind her, her form turning into an afterimage as she darted along Lucheni's arm, repeatedly striking at the gaps in its joints to disrupt its movements.
Bronya also launched an assault alongside Heavy Armor Bunny 0019. Laser beams poured down like a torrential rain, explosions echoing one after another in the vast space as smoke billowed everywhere.
Clinging to the edge of the crystal, Lyle shouted at the top of his lungs, "Captain, you've got this! Take down this big guy!"
Adam patted his shoulder, presenting a handsome silhouette as he turned his head slightly and said, "I'll go support the captain. You stay here, don't move."
"Alright! I'll help too!" Lyle took a deep breath and tightened his grip on the sniper rifle. Even though he knew he'd probably deal no real damage, he still grit his teeth, aimed at several spots on Lucheni that might be weak points, and pulled the trigger.
Time slowly passed...
Lucheni seemed to be growing irritated by these nimble ants. It suddenly let out an enraged roar, and crimson patterns instantly lit up across the dark armor on its arms.
It brought both hands together before its chest, rapidly condensing a constantly expanding energy sphere. Each pulse leaked an aura that made hearts tremble.
"Not good! It's about to unleash a large-scale attack! Everyone gather up! Focus defense!"
Bronya's pupils shrank as she immediately deployed her maximum-scale energy shield. A pale-blue barrier rapidly expanded in front of everyone.
Yet under the pressure of the energy sphere, even the shield appeared distorted, as if it could shatter at any moment.
Lucheni paid it no mind, its gaze locked firmly onto the group.
Meanwhile, Fu Shi, who had been drawn into Lucheni's body, found herself within a maze-like space, searching for the "fragment" of the Sky people from her memories, that is, Lucheni's true body.
"Where is it?"
Frowning, Fu Shi swung her sword to cleave through yet another wall blocking her path, but she still couldn't find that "fragment."
Just then, the voice of Void Archives suddenly rang in her ear, "Listen to me. Turn left up ahead, smash that wall, and you'll see it. But I don't believe you can destroy that thing."
Fu Shi abruptly halted midair, her flying sword hovering in place.
"That's just what you think. I'll destroy it and show you."
Following Void Archives' guidance, Fu Shi finally spotted it in a corner not far away, a "fragment" covered in red crystals, eerily resembling a heart.
"Found it!" A sharp glint flashed in Fu Shi's eyes as she raised her hand and condensed a long sword. "Watch me punch a hole through this piece of trash!"
Void Archives' voice drifted over, casual as ever, "By all means. I still stand by my previous opinion."
The long sword shot out like an arrow loosed from a bow, fiercely stabbing toward Lucheni's "true body."
At the moment of contact, there was no thunderous shattering as expected. Instead, it was like an ordinary person crashing into Fu Hua's chest, an ear-piercing metallic clash erupted, sparks scattering like shattered jade.
The blade ground to a halt against the surface of the "true body," forcibly blocked, emitting a deep hum.
"This damn thing is actually this hard?"
Fu Shi clenched her teeth, veins bulging at her temples. Her arms tensed, muscles straining until her sleeves nearly tore.
Then, under her brute force, the long sword trembled violently with a shrill ringing, forcibly carving a winding crack into the hard surface of the "true body."
Void Archives' voice carried a rare hint of surprise,
"Oh? That's unexpected. Tearing open a crack through sheer brute force alone, just as I'd expect from you."
"Hmph! Cut the crap! And this piece of junk, shatter already!!!"
Fu Shi roared. Her aura surged wildly as the long sword abruptly expanded several times over, transforming into a heaven-piercing colossal blade that punched through the crystal surface and plunged deep into Lucheni's "true body."
Fu Shi grinned, drawing the sword back and gathering strength once more, her eyes sharp as blades, "I said I could do it, and I will! Ha!"
At the instant the sword pierced through the "true body," a crisp, thunderous crack rang out from the "crown" atop Lucheni's head. With a sharp crack, it shattered.
Lucheni let out a piercing howl. Its motion of condensing the energy sphere abruptly stalled, the damage to its internal "true body" clearly throwing it into chaos.
"Captain! That big guy seems to have stopped!" Lyle shouted in delight.
Bronya's voice was urgent yet steady, "I can see it!"
Fu Hua suddenly focused on Lucheni's head, "I see Fu Shi! She's there, wait, she's about to release Edge of Taixuan!"
Fu Shi looked down at the "true body" below, identical to the one in the other dimension. Her energy surged sharply as her ultimate gathered power, "Edge of Taixuan, Eminence!"
As her words fell, a giant sword far surpassing the previous one manifested from the void. Suspended above Lucheni's head, it seemed to carry world-destroying might as it came crashing down upon the "true body"!
Lucheni let out a wail that shook the entire Arcane Castle. Its massive body began to crumble inch by inch, the red patterns on its surface rapidly dimming and dissipating.
Deprived of support from its "true body," the colossal form toppled backward like a puppet with cut strings, crashing heavily onto the platform and kicking up clouds of dust that blotted out the sky.
Fu Shi leapt out from the wreckage. Though her steps were slightly unsteady, her back remained straight, a defiant smile curling her lips, "The posture of a victor, no matter how many times I see it, it never gets old~ Hahahaha! Come on, let me hear your cheers!"
As they looked at the fallen giant, the tension finally drained from everyone's bodies, smiles of survival slowly blooming on their faces.
Lyle, seemingly mastering it by instinct, raised his arms and shouted, "Woohoo! Long live Senior Fu Shi!"
His cheer was like a stone tossed into a calm lake, instantly igniting excitement across the field.
Adam rarely let go of his stern expression. A faint smile tugged at his lips as he raised a hand and patted the back of Lyle's head, "Shouting that loud, aren't you afraid that the sky people won't hear you?"
Carol complained from the side, "Senior, now's not the time to say unlucky things!"
"Exactly! Even if enemies really show up, we're not afraid! With Senior Fu Shi here, we wouldn't be scared even if ten more big guys came!" Lyle retorted, sticking out his neck.
Siegfried walked forward, the flames on his greatsword gradually extinguishing. Looking at Fu Shi's upright figure, he laughed heartily, "Good kid, oh no, good girl! You're amazing. Taking down this big guy all by yourself, this was a total free win for us!"
Bronya also stowed Heavy Armor Bunny's weapons, a relieved smile appearing on her face, "According to the data, Lucheni's energy reaction has completely vanished. This time, we truly have you to thank, Fu Shi."
Fu Hua descended slowly, the Vermilion Bird's Wings dissolving into motes of light. Looking at the lingering sharpness in Fu Shi's eyes, she nodded with clear approval, "Fu Shi, you did very well."
Praised by everyone, Fu Shi's metaphorical tail nearly wagged up to the sky. She puffed out her chest on purpose, putting on a nonchalant air, "Hmph, this was nothing. With me taking the field, of course it was easy."
Even so, the reddened tips of her ears betrayed her pride.