A missing piece was all it took for the chessboard to be disrupted. Let alone Khaos Brigade hadn't only lost a piece, but Ray gained another... a very powerful one. While Jeanne, Heracles and Georg counted their last seconds.
Cao Cao groaned, seeing how Yasaka's attack was about to be released and all he had done was slice in half one of her tails, nothing more.
"I haven't given up yet!" Vali flew after having repaired his armour for the fifth time, even against the advice of his companion.
[We have to leave, Vali. We can't defeat her as we are!]
"Shut up, Albion... I won't fall like this!"
The reckless boy had never experienced defeat, especially one as crushing as this. While Cao Cao had managed to slice one of Yasaka's tails thanks to the Loginus Spear; he, the vanishing dragon, hadn't done so much as scratch her fur.
The latter watched on the sidelines how the end of the battle seemed imminent. The moment he saw the shocked Jeanne, pierced by 'Perseus' sword... the moment he saw Georg's head rolling while Disruption licked her bloodied blade... the moment he witnessed Heracles' head burning in golden flames.
At that moment he knew they had been defeated catastrophically.
'Not like this...'
He took something out of his pocket, it was a pitch-black snake... without even thinking twice he put that snake in his mouth and ate it.
*RUMBLE!!*
"I'm taking you with me, Yasaka Okami!" he billowed in sheer wrath as a proud energy of infinity marred his muscles, emitting a powerful purple aura that made the spear of Longinus grow in size and brilliance. The prospect of defeat and possible extermination wasn't one he wasn't used to.
With Georg dead, there was little to no chance of fleeing this place.
Yasaka regarded Cao Cao's last efforts and all she could see in her mind was that day of her wedding when that very spear was going through her mate's heart. With the man she hated to death for a few decades in such a pitiful state, giving his last drowning kicks. It was as if wrath had taken her over and whatever 'human' thoughts she had seemed to be thrown into the background.
Only a resentful Ten Suns Tailed-Fox remained.
Much to everyone's surprise, instead of immediately releasing that attack, her jaw expanded hideously and she ate that ball of energy. The moment she did that, it was as if a dam broke and the amount of energy she was releasing tripled!
The blizzard came to a sudden stop as if the very nature couldn't keep up with Yasaka, the Limbo Domain began to crack as well and Hasshaku-sama -who had Kuroka trapped in her grasp- gulped a mouthful as the silhouette of that fox became a symbol of prominence.
*RUMBLE!!*
!!!
Even Ray who was in the process of Predating Heracles, had to stop when he felt as if a mountain was weighing on his shoulders. Suddenly, the thought of being 'fire-proof' didn't feel so effective!
[Is that woman crazy!? Ray, there is no way our fire and sun resistance will protect you against that attack!] Elysir yelled in exasperation.
High in Takamagahara the goddess who was caressing the kitsune's fur suddenly felt a drop of sweat roll down her forehead.
'M-My barrier may not be strong enough!'
...
As if understanding the situation; two of the slimes made their own moves... one rushed towards Ray, enveloping him while the other rushed at Hasshaku-sama.
"Master, I'll protect you!"
[Nonsense, even she won't be able to protect you, Run out of there, Ray!]
The boy bit his lips in the current predicament and sighed, 'I'm not going anywhere and leaving Yasaka... what's the worst that can happen? some pain?'
He knew he had enough Chaos Points to revive but he wasn't looking forward to the pain.
...
For his part, Arthur had been facing another Disruption who faltered amidst the chaos in the arena, giving him a breathing spot. He didn't want to be here... a few months ago they had joined this team in Khaos Brigade and he never thought they'd be placed in a life-or-death situation so quickly.
He had believed in Vali's strength, but the boy looked as helpless as anyone else in this predicament. There was, however, someone he believed in blindly.
"Is it ready yet!?"
"Brother, it's ready!"
Le Fay Pendragon cast a gigantic spell with her staff, her grimoire floating in front, the very moment she cast her spell was the very moment that Yasaka released her attack, straight at Cao Cao!
*BOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM!!!!!*
A powerful beam of blue fire shot from her mouth, Cao Cao had been ready to receive that strike with his spear... but he didn't get the chance. The beam went through his body and all his eyes saw was a bright blue light that blinded him before his body decomposed into nothingness.
The master strategist was gone just like that, without leaving a corpse.
Sadly for everyone else present, the beam didn't stop there. Thankfully for all of them, Le Fay finished her spell and a gargantuan portal opened in the trajectory of Yasaka's bomb. The beam shot through for several seconds in which the world was blinded by an intense blue light until Yasaka's mouth closed, releasing smoke.
"..."
Silence reigned until Arthur yelled once again.
"Le Fay, hurry up and close the portal!"
"Eh?" The girl had her entire magical reserves depleted, she wasn't even paying much attention.
*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM!!!*
The explosion took place in the dimensional gap, literally a completely different dimension with greater spatial laws... but even then, it was felt as if it had happened in their faces. The first shockwave put everyone on the ground, including the very ten suns-tailed fox that threw it.
*CRACK!*
*CRACK!*
*BOOOOMMM!!*
The Limbo Domain shattered, Amaterasu's barrier cracked before shattering like a piece of glass before a sledgehammer strike, the blizzard dispersed like a dream and what was left was a clear night sky.
All of that, for an explosion that took place in a different dimension.
Deep into that same dimension, a certain gigantic red apocalypse dragon looked in a certain direction with a keen eye and a feeling that he hadn't felt for as long as the universe itself existed: Fear.
A being capable of standing next to the Apocalypse Dragon and the Ouroboros Dragon had been born in this world.
If either of those godly beings knew that the cause of everything was but a casual massage...