"Feel the grace!"
"Hear the truth!"
"Noble ascension!"
Ziyun unleashed a devastating three-part assault on the Special Task Force the moment he appeared, causing countless casualties.
Watching the scene unfold from afar, Chevreuse's face twisted with fury. She immediately wanted to rush back to help, but the Iniquitous Baptist suddenly erupted in a frenzy, unleashing the immense Elemental and Abyss Power within its body. The pressure on the team instantly intensified.
Forcing her way back now would endanger the rest of the battlefield. Worse, if they failed to contain the Iniquitous Baptist and it reached the other Special Task Forces, the situation would spiral out of control.
Apart from the Clockwork Meka and the elite soldiers she had personally selected, the others stood virtually no chance against the Iniquitous Baptist. Even the mere presence of its twisted, malevolent aura was enough to make their bodies tremble with fear, let alone engage it in combat.
Considering this, Chevreuse bit her lip until it bled, barely suppressing the urge to rush back. She even avoided looking at the battlefield, fearing that if she continued to watch, she might do something she would regret for the rest of her life.
Chevreuse channeled her rage into attacking the Iniquitous Baptist before her, but her strength was woefully inadequate. Even pushing herself beyond her limits, she could only chip away at the elemental shield protecting the creature, barely reducing its elemental reserves.
In reality, the main force consisted of Clockwork Mekas. The humans merely assisted these machines while also manually controlling their attacks. The original combat protocols had proven too rigid, a flaw that became glaringly apparent against formidable enemies.
Fontaine's preparations for this operation had been thorough. Everyone understood the potential caliber of the enemy and dared not underestimate the threat.
However, since this was a planned ambush, deploying a large force was impossible. Under normal circumstances, the likelihood of encountering Numbered Members was low; the available forces would have sufficed against lesser foes. But no one could have anticipated the Abyss Order's intervention. The sheer number of Abyss Monsters they unleashed overwhelmed the Fontaine forces, with large contingents of troops tied down by even greater numbers of Hilichurls. This unexpected development had plunged the operation into its dire state.
Chevreuse's anxiety grew with each passing moment. Almost unconsciously, she reached for the pocket at her waist, her fingers brushing against the object radiating terrifying energy within. She paused, startled.
This was the operation's final trump card: a Pneumousia Obliteration Bomb, roughly one-third the yield of a standard warhead. Its devastating power meant it could only be used as an absolute last resort.
Despite being only one-third the yield of a standard Pneumousia Obliteration Bomb, anyone who had witnessed its destructive power knew that its deployment would leave almost no survivors in the blast radius.
As for why Chevreuse carried such a dangerous weapon, that's a long story.
A military engineering madman—a close friend of hers—had shoved it into her hands before she left, urging her to find an opportunity to test the bomb's destructive potential.
When she asked about the launcher, he casually replied that it was hand-thrown, explaining that launchers were too expensive to manufacture. She immediately wanted to crack his skull open to see if it was filled with tofu dregs. You make something this dangerous without a launcher?!
So what if I raided his house a few times, confiscated a mountain of contraband, and arrested him?Is he really this vengeful?Does he want me dead?!
Yet Chevreuse ultimately took the bomb with her. After all, if they encountered an enemy they couldn't handle, it would at least give her a chance to fight back, rather than helplessly watching her subordinates die one by one.
I never thought he'd actually be right. That guy really has a cursed mouth. The next time I see him, I'll have to borrow a needle and thread from Chiori at Chioriya Boutique and sew his mouth shut. If there is a next time...
Meanwhile, Ziyun, having reaped countless lives alongside other Abyss Heralds, crossed space again to stand before Enjou.
"Well, well, if it isn't Enjou? What's gotten into you these past few days? You've really let yourself go."
Upon seeing Ziyun, Paimon immediately cowered behind Lumine. Although Enjou was considered a friend, this newcomer might not share the same sentiment.
Upon seeing Ziyun, Enjou's demeanor instantly shifted, his emotions surging.
"I knew His Highness wouldn't abandon me!"
"Hurry, Ziyun! Untie these restraints!"
"If you free me, I'll let bygones be bygones about what happened last time."
Hearing Enjou's words, Ziyun sneered contemptuously.
"What sweet dreams are you having, Enjou?"
"His Highness ordered you to defeat the Traveler and redeem your honor. Instead, you outright betrayed the Abyss Order."
Hearing Ziyun's accusation, Enjou grew agitated.
"How can you call this betrayal?"
"Serving the Princess is still serving the Abyss Order, isn't it?"
"Besides, this was clearly the Prince's intention!"
"The Prince had no such intention," Ziyun retorted sharply. "Enjou, you've let your arrogance cloud your judgment. You dare presume to interpret the Prince's will so presumptuously?"
Ziyun issued a stern warning to Enjou before turning to the others.
"This time, the Prince didn't send us to rescue you. He merely ordered us to blow up this section of the route."
Just then, Navia rushed onto the battlefield. The sight of the carnage before her made her pupils constrict sharply.
Chevreuse had contacted her via mobile phone the moment the Iniquitous Baptist appeared. But even at top speed, Navia had arrived too late.
In an instant, Navia's fury ignited. Her Pyro Vision flared crimson, and the temperature around her soared, forcing Melus and Silver to retreat to a safe distance.
Navia's aura transformed abruptly, erupting like a volcanic eruption. Her massive golden axe crackled with searing flames as she gripped it tightly with both hands. With a mighty thrust of her legs, she launched herself into the air, swinging the blazing axe down upon an Abyss Herald.
With a single swing of her axe, Navia cleaved the Abyss Herald in two, along with a section of the ground beneath it.
The sheer power of this blow stunned everyone present. Both the Special Task Force and the Abyss Monsters froze momentarily.
Navia raised her giant axe with one hand and pointed it forward.
"Open fire!"
Countless burning boulders rained down from the sky, each one aimed at clusters of Abyss Monsters. Simultaneously, reinforcements finally arrived from the direction Navia had come from, raising their weapons and firing without hesitation.
"Kill!"
"Wipe out these damned Abyss Monsters! Avenge our fallen comrades!"
The Special Task Force surged back into action, their eyes bloodshot as they unleashed two hundred percent of their combat power against the Abyss Monsters around them.
Just moments ago, a momentary lapse in vigilance had cost them at least half their comrades forever. Had Navia not arrived in time, few survivors would have remained.
Though their weapons had been upgraded, their bodies remained frail. Once an Abyss Monster closed in, they had virtually no chance of defending themselves.
With the arrival of reinforcements, the Abyss Monsters were once again suppressed.
Previously, the Abyss Heralds had only launched sneak attacks through spatial portals. Now, exposed in the open, they couldn't gain any advantage against Fontaine's newest weapons.
Just then, Navia spotted Ziyun, who had appeared before Lumine and the other two, seemingly preparing to rescue them. She immediately hefted her giant, flame-wreathed axe and charged.
Seeing this, Ziyun frowned.
"Looks like there's no time for small talk. Good thing the setup is complete. Retreat."
With that, Ziyun unhesitatingly vanished through a spatial portal. Navia's axe swung through empty air. She managed to retract her attack just in time, but her momentum was unstoppable. Her feet slammed onto the Aquabus, nearly capsizing the entire vessel.
Navia shot a cold glare at Lumine's group, her eyes fixed on Enjou with a fury so intense it threatened to incinerate him on the spot.
Enjou's scalp tingled under that murderous gaze.
Damn you, Ziyun! Running off so fast and leaving me to take the fall?!
Wait a minute... If we manage to escape, it's one thing. But if we don't, won't a huge chunk of the casualties here be blamed on me?
Ziyun, I'll kill your mother!
Enjou completely lost his composure.
Tears of frustration welled in his eyes. He desperately wanted to shout at Navia, "This has nothing to do with me! Go after that Electro Abyss Herald!" But Navia gave him no chance to speak.
Navia managed to restrain her impulse. She turned away and unleashed her fury on the other Abyss Monsters instead. With each swing of her great axe, Hilichurls were chopped into mincemeat, Abyss Mages were pulverized into dust, and Minotaurs were turned into... well, let's just say they wouldn't be fighting anymore.
"Traveler, what did that Abyss Herald mean when he said the 'setup is complete'?" Paimon asked Lumine, a sense of unease creeping into her voice, though she couldn't pinpoint its source.
Lumine rolled her eyes, giving Paimon a look that screamed, Figure it out yourself. She then rolled across the deck to the sturdier front of the Aquabus, grabbed a few items with her teeth, and used them to barricade the opening. Only then did she seem slightly relieved.
Paimon seemed to realize something. She zipped over and desperately tried to burrow into Lumine's chest. Lumine's eyes widened in horrified protest. With her hands and feet occupied, she could only writhe on the deck, trying to fend off Paimon's beastly assault.
Just then, Enjou snapped back to his senses. He immediately rolled over to huddle with Lumine, inadvertently shrinking her rolling space. Lumine could only stare in wide-eyed horror as Paimon wriggled most of her body right in front of her.
Stop, you fiend! Not there!
Meanwhile, the Abyss Heralds and Abyss Mages received their orders simultaneously and began to retreat.
The Hilichurls stayed behind to delay the others, but without the Abyss Mages and Abyss Heralds to coordinate their attacks, their numbers dwindled with astonishing speed. They couldn't even effectively slow down their pursuers.
"Damn Abyss Monsters! You think you can just run away?!"
Many Special Task Force members pursued them without hesitation. Navia was about to join the chase when a strange feeling stopped her. The Abyss Order rarely retreated; they usually fought to the bitter end. Why would they pull back now?
After all, Abyss Monsters were impossible to eradicate completely. Even if they were wiped out, they would simply respawn after a short time.
This time, not only had the Abyss Heralds withdrawn, but even the Abyss Mages had retreated.
The Abyss Order must have another objective!
Just as this thought struck Navia, a terrifying sense of danger surged from beneath her feet. Her expression changed drastically as her Vision erupted in a dazzling, alternating flash of red and yellow light.
"Everyone, get to me immediately!"
Though they didn't understand why, seeing Navia's panicked state, everyone rushed toward her.
Meanwhile, Chevreuse and her squad had fought the Iniquitous Baptist to a standstill. Then, abruptly, the Baptist tore open a spatial portal and prepared to flee.
"He's trying to escape!"
Hearing the angry and desperate roar of a subordinate beside her, Chevreuse snapped to her senses and, without hesitation, hurled something at the Iniquitous Baptist.
The object followed the Iniquitous Baptist through the Abyss Channel and vanished.
-
Dozens of Abyss Channels opened around Aether. He watched silently as the Abyss Mages and Abyss Heralds, nearly all of them heavily wounded, emerged from the portals.
He had witnessed the battle. It wasn't that the Abyss Order had grown weak; it was that Fontaine had resorted to unfair, almost cheat-like tactics. Otherwise, deploying nearly fifty times the enemy's numbers shouldn't have resulted in such a difficult fight.
Has Fontaine's technology truly become this powerful?
Aether's eyes glinted as he pondered, his thoughts racing.
Just then, Ziyun stepped out of an Abyss Channel and immediately dropped to one knee before Aether.
"Please punish me, Your Highness. I have failed in my duties."
"Rise. This is not your fault. Fontaine's current combat strength is indeed something to be wary of."
Aether recalled the bright yellow figure darting across the battlefield, a veritable god of war. That person could wield two Elemental Powers simultaneously—a feat he couldn't begin to comprehend.
"And you've already completed the task I assigned you."
Just as Aether finished speaking, another spatial portal opened beside him. The Iniquitous Baptist emerged from the Abyss Channel, its terrifying aura impossible to fully contain. All Abyss Mages who sensed this presence trembled uncontrollably, and even the Abyss Heralds' bodies visibly stiffened.
Aether gazed at the Iniquitous Baptist, his expression complex.
If Ziyun hadn't requested permission to deploy an Iniquitous Baptist as a precaution, this operation would likely have ended in failure—a humiliating outcome for the Abyss Order.
Thud!
The dull sound of a heavy object hitting the ground reached Aether's ears. He snapped back to reality and saw something resembling a giant capsule tumble out of the Abyss Channel behind the Iniquitous Baptist, landing on the grass. His eyelid began to twitch uncontrollably as he shot backward!
BOOM—
The next second, two nearly simultaneous explosions erupted. The mountaintop where Aether stood and a roughly three-kilometer stretch of the waterway near Mont Automnequi were engulfed in blinding white light...