[Third Person's PoV]
Igris was a blur as he moved across the battlefield, his cape billowing behind him as he remained in constant motion.
He swung his massive sword, slashing through the air in a flurry of diagonal arcs. In an instant, a towering demonic figure erupted into a shower of blood, its body shredded into countless pieces. But by the time the remnants hit the ground, Igris was already gone.
With a sudden shift, he gripped his sword with both hands, arcs of lightning crackling frantically along its blade. With a massive swing, an electric shockwave burst from him, splitting and scorching the battlefield. Monstrous demons and towering giants were bisected in a single stroke, their severed halves collapsing lifelessly.
The ground behind him caved in as he blitzed forward, his feet a blur as he weaved through the battlefield. He stayed low, his form nearly indistinguishable as his blade carved through the monstrous entities in rapid, blinding arcs.
Then, just as Zeta vanished into the shadows to evade an attack, Igris skidded to a stop—appearing beside Tarnak, the Monarch of the Iron Body. Without hesitation, he swung his sword diagonally across Tarnak's exposed frame. Sparks erupted like a grindstone meeting steel, and Tarnak was sent hurtling through the air from the sheer force of the strike. His body smashed through the ground, skipping across the battlefield like a meteor, carving deep trenches and obliterating ruined structures in his path. Finally, he crashed beneath a massive 50-story building, the structure collapsing in on itself and burying him under tons of rubble.
"I had it under control, Teacher," Zeta said coolly as she emerged from the shadows.
"Sure you did," Igris replied sarcastically. "Because your plan wasn't to wear him down until his defenses weakened or anything."
Zeta pouted. "It's an effective strategy."
"Sure—if we weren't dealing with a Monarch. Your plan would've taken too long, and you would've worn yourself out instead. Let me assist you." Igris leaned forward.
The mountain of rubble suddenly exploded outward. A green aura surrounded Tarnak as he rose, dusting himself off. A faint white line marred his shining body—a testament to the power of Igris's strike. He scoffed.
"As expected from one of Ashborn's most beloved soldiers."
"You honor me with your words," Igris said coldly. "May they be your last."
He charged forward.
Zeta followed beside him, running on all fours, her mana surging through her body, amplifying her strength to its peak. Her fists shimmered with metal magic divinity, ready to strike.
Tarnak scoffed, then blasted forward to meet them, his expression set with determination
.
Igris swung his sword, his purple eyes glowing beneath his helm. At the same time, Zeta spun through the air, a whirling force of destruction.
Tarnak raised both hands—blocking Igris's sword with one and catching Zeta's glowing metal fist with the other.
He gritted his teeth, astonished by the sheer pressure. Their combined assault forced his body to creak under the strain. The shockwave from their clash shattered the ground beneath them, sending waves of debris flying into the air.
'Seriously? What monstrous…' Tarnak thought with a heavy groan.
…
Meanwhile, across the battlefield…
Beru weaved through the air just above the ground, ripping off heads with his bare claws. A blur of black and purple, he was a whirlwind of destruction—wherever he passed, demonic beings erupted in fountains of blood.
"KEKEKEKEKE!!!" Beru cackled, twirling between enemies with manic glee. "I'LL GAIN THE MOST CONTRIBUTION AND PROVE TO OUR LORD THAT I'M HIS MOST USEFUL SHADOW!"
He suddenly shot upward, weaving effortlessly through the burning torrents of dragon fire. His target was an Ancient Dragon, raining devastation upon Cid's shadows.
Flapping his wings with a burst of mana, Beru's form stretched into a blur. He thrust his claws forward, tearing through the dragon's scales, and emerged from the other side—clutching a massive, still-beating heart in his talons. With a triumphant screech, he shredded it apart mid-air.
Before he could celebrate, a stray black-red magic shot struck him, knocking him off course. Growling, he snapped his head toward the source—Gamma, locked in battle with Yogumunt, the Monarch of Transfiguration.
Yogumunt unleashed a wave of pure magical energy toward Gamma.
In a flash, Beru dropped down in front of her, landing on one knee with enough force to crater the ground. But before he could rise, he was suddenly slammed face-first into the dirt by one of Gamma's gravity spells.
"Sorry!" Gamma yelped, quickly lifting the spell. "But it's not my fault, Mr. Beru!"
Beru rose slowly, his glare freezing her in place.
Shaking his head, he turned his attention back to Yogumunt. "Kekeke… If I help take down a Monarch alongside my Lord's mistress, my contribution will be at an all-time high." He shot another sharp glare at Gamma. "Don't be clumsy."
"It's not like I can just turn it on and off," she pouted.
Beru cracked his claws, his wings twitching with excitement.
"Then try not to get in my way."
…
Massive roses, each the size of two-story buildings, erupted from the blood-soaked battlefield. From the center of each blooming flower, scorching beams of light burst forth, searing the air.
Alpha stood amidst the towering flora, commanding the very ground itself. As more plants unfurled their petals, she remained in constant motion.
Crouching low, she darted forward, her slime sword gleaming in one hand. In the other, golden-white flames materialized, crackling with the fury of the sun. She ran her flaming hand along the blade, igniting it in a radiant blaze.
Spinning gracefully, she cleaved through the ranks of the Monarch's forces. Each demon she struck was bisected with perfect precision—burning fissures glowing along their bodies before they combusted into ash.
Her dragon-like eyes narrowed as she spotted a towering giant clutching two Shadow Garden members in its massive hands. With a sudden burst of power, she propelled herself forward, the ground shattering beneath her takeoff.
In a fluid motion, she lashed out, extending her flaming blade like a whip. A searing arc slashed through one of the giant's wrists, then the other. The monster bellowed in agony, staring at the smoldering stumps where its hands had been.
Alpha kicked off the air itself, using Geppo to ascend higher than the giant's head. Flipping midair, she spun like a golden firestorm, her sword humming with the faint sound of a lightsaber.
Then, with all her force, she swung downward.
A colossal slash carved through the giant's body. A moment later, the massive creature split perfectly in half, its severed form collapsing in opposite directions. Even before it hit the ground, Alpha could see the deep, flawless crevice she had created with a single strike.
She plummeted toward the battlefield, sword aimed downward. As it pierced the ground, cracks radiated outward in a massive radius, followed by a fiery eruption of her sun-infused flames.
Ash filled the air around her, the earth beneath her feet glowing a blistering red. Then, with a flash of gold and white, she vanished, sensing the presence of a Monarch nearby.
She wasn't the only one.
As she sped forward, she spotted Epsilon soaring on her axe-guitar, weaving through the sky toward a towering giant that was hurling meteoric boulders across the battlefield.
Epsilon swung her weapon in elegant arcs, slicing the incoming projectiles into neat cubes. "Feeling his energy—this isn't going to be easy. We'll have to work together to take him down."
"You're not wrong," a voice replied above them.
Startled, they glanced up to see Bellion descending to join them.
He flew alongside them, his expression grim. "It took all the Rulers—plus Ashborn himself—just to subdue Legia, the Monarch of Beginning, King of the Giants. And even then, all they could do was imprison him."
"Then I guess if we want to finish this quickly, I'd better join in too." Another voice chimed in.
Eta appeared beside Epsilon, lazily floating on her pillow. "The sooner we deal with this, the sooner I get to nap."
Bellion nodded, eyes sharp. "I fought Legia before, as part of my Lord's army. Stick to my lead."
With that, he surged forward, wings slicing through the air as they prepared to engage the towering giant.