The wide hem of her sister's habit caught on a stray thread at the edge, instantly shredding into several tatters that scattered in the wind. Kaila didn't hesitate; she tapped the air with her toe, a burst of mana propelling her even higher.
The high-intensity maneuvering made her breathing short and ragged.
Sweat slid down her smooth forehead and into her eyes, bringing a slight sting.
The erosion of the Eclipse Domain was everywhere.
That viscous red light was like a heavy shackle, tightly winding around her limbs, trying to drag down every muscle contraction and every neural reflex.
Under normal circumstances, a High-tier Class-holder in this environment would have their blood vessels burst from a mana riot within three seconds.
Yet, Kaila’s expression remained unchanged.
In her golden eyes, the sky full of intersecting red and white was reflected, showing neither fear nor impatience.
She compressed her holy light to within an inch of her body, using it only to ward off the abrasions she couldn't avoid.
The Hero was carrying out the task her companion had given her.
There would be no second chance. If Sophie were killed, the accumulated Eclipse on her own body wouldn't be enough to support another round of dodging to build up her stats.
It was so difficult... simply tanking the damage wasn't hard for Kaila.
But trying to remain unscathed was far more challenging.
Any single hit, and the residual energy would tear the girl in her arms to pieces.
They would both die here.
Kaila’s left arm hooked under Sophie’s knees, while her right arm tightly encircled Sophie’s slender waist.
She protected this newly born, delicate body.
She trusts me.
Then there was nothing to worry about.
The Hero was someone worthy of such trust.
Kaila’s breathing inevitably grew heavy, but it didn't affect her judgment in the slightest.
To the upper right, seven Starlight Spears blocked the updrafts; to the lower left, a giant thread cage woven by Chengzhong Dino was rapidly rising.
Kaila abandoned any thought of moving left or right, charging straight toward the densest cluster of Star Barrage ahead. Just as she was about to be riddled with holes, the holy light around her body suddenly erupted.
“Break!”
Pure holy light forcibly slammed a hole through the barrage, just wide enough for two people to pass.
Kaila shielded Sophie as they streaked through that scorching tunnel of light. The blinding radiance turned her profile a deathly pale, and a trickle of crimson blood leaked from the corner of her mouth due to the mana overload.
She forced herself to swallow the metallic taste in her throat, continuing to search for the next foothold in this land of death.
The red light within the domain grew even more piercing. Miaoyue seemed to have lost patience with this “fly” that refused to be swatted down, and the charging frequency of her funnels accelerated once more. Down in the ruins, the movements of the girls in blue hats became even more frantic.
Just as Kaila prepared for her next limit-breaking maneuver, she felt something different.
The body in her arms, which had been limp and unresponsive, moved.
It was a subtle movement.
First, the fluffy silver head resting against her collarbone rubbed against her gently. Then, the slender arms wrapped around Kaila’s waist, which had been hanging powerlessly, seemed to regain their strength. Five fair fingers tightened bit by bit, gripping the back of Kaila’s habit.
Under the nourishment of the Eclipse Domain's relentless bombardment, those attributes that had collapsed into extreme negative values were finally being filled back up to normal levels.
Sophie’s long eyelashes fluttered slightly before she slowly opened her eyes.
Color and light flooded back into her previously pitch-black vision.
Hearing, smell, and touch all returned at once. Deafening explosions filled her ears, while her nose caught the scent of gunpowder, blood, and Kaila’s unique aroma—a mix of sweat and the faint coolness of soap.
Sophie felt the firm yet soft touch beneath her and Kaila’s arms holding her tightly.
Her vision focused.
She saw Kaila’s singed golden hair, her pale but still focused face, and the bead of sweat trembling on her chin.
“Thank you for your hard work, Miss Hero,” Sophie said happily.
Kaila had just completed a high-difficulty backstep, hovering on a massive rock slab that hadn't been hit yet.
Hearing the voice from her arms, her tense jawline finally relaxed slightly.
She looked down, her golden eyes meeting those brilliant, crimson ones.
There was no surprise, nor any excessive pleasantries.
“It's good that you're awake,” Kaila said, her voice still steady.
Having said that, she could no longer hold herself up and collapsed onto one knee.
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