The monster crushed several sections of the wall with thunderous might, then flapped its wings and took flight, standing once again atop the ruins.
With an almost provocative stance, it squinted at the magic crystal cannons still trying to lock onto it. Finally, it targeted the nearest one and leaped toward it once more.
Just as it was about to smash its sixth artillery position after effortlessly tearing through five others, Ronald, who had finally shaken off the beetle's harassment, flew up in Iron Man No. 23 after noticing the trouble above.
The two collided in mid-air with a soul-shaking impact, like a meteor strike, erupting in a deafening boom.
The monster was clearly caught off guard by this sudden impact. Its head was held firmly by No. 23 as they plummeted from the sky like a falling star, crashing heavily into the already ravaged wall and instantly creating another shocking crater.
Compared to the massive metal giant, the monster’s size seemed much smaller. No. 23 pinned the monster's head with one hand while the other hand rapidly transformed, a row of razor-sharp metal spikes extending from the center of its fist as it swung toward the monster's body.
Accompanied by heart-stopping flashes of cold light, the iron fist of No. 23 hammered the monster's torso without mercy. Every heavy blow was followed by a dull thud that made the sturdy wall tremble.
However, to Ronald's shock, despite the fierce offensive he launched while piloting No. 23, the monster didn't seem to have sustained any lethal damage.
On the contrary, its scythe-claw arm slashed at the giant’s metal exterior like a torrential rain, each stroke kicking up a series of dazzling sparks.
Although the monster's attacks only left shallow scratches on No. 23's sturdy shell, the high frequency of the strikes eventually began to show a significant effect.
Soon, the armor on the giant's arm finally buckled under the continuous cutting, and a shocking gash was forced open.
Inside the cockpit, Ronald’s brow furrowed, a look of gravity flashing in his eyes. He knew he couldn't handle the creature beneath him alone, so he quickly shouted to Blake in the distance.
“Blake, I’ll hold it down! Get the artillery to fire at it now!”
With that, he maneuvered the giant to stand up while gripping the monster’s head. The spear-like armaments behind the giant also rose into the air, weaving a blue-white light net that finally condensed into a sturdy polygonal shield, tightly imprisoning the struggling monster and No. 23's hands.
Seeing Blake direct the artillerymen to fire again, Ronald immediately maneuvered the aerial shield to open one side so the shells could successfully hit the target.
But just as the shells were about to strike, the woman in the black gown, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly appeared on the outstretched arm of No. 23.
“Heh, it seems these bodies cobbled together from lower creatures truly cannot achieve greatness, no matter the numbers.”
The woman’s voice was cold and tinged with disdain. “A lack of intelligence; possessing immense power yet unable to use it effectively. By comparison, humans truly are the most perfect material.”
As she finished speaking, the massive wings behind her gave a gentle flap. As if by magic, the dozen or so whistling shells were deflected one by one, veering off their original trajectories and disappearing into the distant horizon.
Ronald was horrified by the sight, but he quickly calmed down and reacted.
The chest of No. 23 suddenly split open, revealing a pitch-black cannon barrel pointed directly at the woman in the black gown, as if ready to spit out destructive power at any moment.
Just as the blue-white light in No. 23's chest was reaching its peak, preparing to release an attack that could shake the battlefield, the woman in the black gown merely turned her head to glance at the muzzle. She gave it a wicked smile, making no move to dodge.
While Ronald was confused, a sudden streak of cyan light cut through the air like a bolt of lightning, accurately striking the joint of No. 23.
Although the giant was made entirely of high-strength metal, its joints remained a weak point. The monster from before lacked intelligence, so its attacks had landed on the armor to little effect, but this sharp cyan light accurately hit its weakness.
With a crisp snapping sound, both of No. 23's arms broke in mid-air, crashing to the ground like tree trunks snapped by immense force and kicking up a cloud of dust.
The attack that had been charging up also lost its balance due to this sudden turn of events. Its muzzle tilted toward the sky, and it could only helplessly fire a stray beam of energy into the air.
The blue-white laser hit the mountain behind them, blasting a crater over a hundred meters wide into the slope.
In their astonishment, everyone followed the direction the cyan light had come from. They saw that Azura had somehow stood up again, and the Azure Moon Ribbon in his hand was slowly being retracted, a faint cold light still lingering upon it.
It turned out that after Midir and the other were knocked away, he had taken the opportunity to recover his strength and found the perfect moment to deal a lethal blow to No. 23.
As the dust gradually settled, the woman in the black gown stepped out of the chaos caused by the metal giant’s hands hitting the ground like a ghost. Her steps were light and mysterious, each one seeming to tread upon the hearts of the onlookers.
At the same time, the deformed monstrosity broke free from the constraints of the blue-white light screen, letting out low growls as it followed closely behind her.
Next, Azura also floated over with eerie speed, surrounded by cyan light, and landed between the woman in the black gown and the monster. The convergence of the three brought an unprecedented sense of pressure to everyone on the wall.
Blake and the artillerymen looked at each other, their hearts filled with unease. He knew the enemy's strength was one thing, but right now, the Void Demon had not only controlled Azura, but her own appearance was that of the world-renowned Master Erica.
This psychological pressure was undoubtedly a massive blow to the soldiers who were unaware of the truth.
...
Meanwhile, still amidst the ruins, Midir was looking anxiously at Aila in his arms. He had no time to worry about his own injuries, his hands constantly condensing light element in an attempt to plug the blood gushing from Aila’s chest like a spring.
But the blood poured through his fingers as if it cost nothing. The wound pierced by the Void Demon was still emitting a faint black aura, and Aila’s breath was becoming weaker and weaker.
“Damn it! Why?! Stop bleeding already!”
Midir’s voice was filled with helplessness and rage. He slammed a fist into the ground, his immense strength causing a shocking crack to open in the sturdy floor.
He coughed up a mouthful of blood, but it couldn't hide the despair and pain in his heart. He could only watch as Aila’s life faded away bit by bit in his arms.
Just as Midir was about to be consumed by despair, a miraculous green halo quietly bloomed on the side of Aila’s neck, like a new sprout in spring, bringing life and hope.
In his haste, he unbuttoned Aila’s collar and pulled an exquisite necklace from her fair neck. The source of that green light was a lush, emerald pendant hanging from the chain.
This pendant seemed to possess a magical power, slowly releasing a healing glow that tenderly enveloped them both.
Midir carefully cradled the emerald pendant as if it were the most precious treasure in the world. Suddenly, a boundless surge of life force erupted from the pendant, quickly permeating his body through his palms.
His bones, which had been broken during the battle, were actually reconnecting at a visible speed under the nourishment of the life force. His internal organs, damaged by the impact, were also restored under the soothing power. In just a few breaths, most of the pain and fatigue in his body vanished.
Realizing the miraculous power of the pendant, a flash of determination crossed Midir’s eyes. He quickly and gently tore open the clothes at Aila’s chest, ignoring the alluring sight revealed before him, and pressed the pendant directly onto the shocking wound on her chest.
The moment the pendant touched the wound, an even stronger ripple of life force emanated. The wound on Aila’s chest seemed to be drawn by an invisible force, and the flow of blood came to an abrupt halt.
The hole pierced by the longsword rapidly squirmed under the nourishment of this power, growing new flesh and filling the trauma one by one.
Even more amazing was that even the stubborn black aura, which he couldn't suppress with light element, vanished as quickly as morning mist under the impact of the life force.
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