"Pant… pant…"
The holy light glowed steadily, gradually healing Saint Howard's injuries. Yet, his forehead was slick with sweat as he struggled to catch his breath; the cost of such extensive healing was draining, taking a significant toll on his stamina.
"Looks like your healing ability isn't as strong as I thought…" El sneered, observing the struggle. Though impressive, Howard's regenerative powers clearly fell short of the near-immortal regeneration of the Phoenix Fruit's 'Mythical Zoan' type. While Howard's 'Angel Form' was powerful and balanced in offense, defense, and healing, it couldn't match the single-minded regenerative capacity of the Phoenix.
Still, El mused aloud, "But I'm curious if your 'angel' form can handle something like… regrowing a limb."
As he spoke, El's body surged with lightning, intensifying his power. With his flames extinguished and his strength at full capacity, he was a fearsome force, charging forward like an ancient beast on the hunt, laser-focused on his prey.
'Whoosh!'
In an instant, El moved with lightning speed, covering hundreds of meters in a flash. With the natural speed of the Lunarian race and the power of the 'Mythical Zoan Quetzalcoatl', he blurred, moving far too fast for the eye to track as he closed in on the Supreme Commander.
"So fast!"
Howard's pristine wings beat frantically as he instinctively tried to retreat, struggling to maintain distance from this Lunarian nightmare. His expression shifted from anger to shock at El's overwhelming speed.
"Heavenly Dragon Strike!"
Howard braced himself, every muscle tense. He locked onto El with advanced Observation Haki, gathering his energy. His blade, wrapped in advanced Armament Haki, slashed forward with all his might, launching a blinding dragon-shaped blast of holy light—a fierce, winged western dragon with its maw open wide.
"Cosmic Tiger!"
El, unfazed, surged forward, muscles coiling as he brought his fists together. Wrapped in lightning and swirling air currents charged with Armament and Conqueror's Haki, he unleashed a tiger-shaped shockwave that roared through the air, fearsome and unstoppable.
'Boom!'
The impact was deafening, with a burst of blinding light as the tiger's powerful form collided with the dragon. But El's attack proved superior—the roaring tiger tore through the dragon and continued its deadly path toward Howard.
"Holy Shield!"
'Boom… boom…'
Desperately, Howard conjured a radiant shield to halt the attack, but it shattered almost instantly. The powerful tiger crashed through, engulfing him. Howard was thrown back, battered and bloodied, spiraling out of control across the skies.
"Flash Strike: Dawning Peacock!"
El, relentless in his pursuit, surged forward, each movement crackling with deadly intent. His fists lit with fierce fire as he struck out repeatedly, a blinding display of flames resembling the feathers of a peacock in full bloom—all aimed at Howard, determined to end this.
"Holy Shield!"
Howard summoned another radiant barrier, strengthening it with all his Haki. Yet the brutal assault shattered it once more, sending him reeling. Burned, bruised, and bleeding, he glared at El, the weight of his own mortality dawning on him.
"Fallen Angel, El!!" Howard's voice was thick with fury and desperation, his pride battered along with his body. Now he fought for his life, his regeneration struggling to keep up with the endless barrage of attacks.
"I'll see how much longer you can last," El said in a deadly whisper, closing the distance once more. His body pulsed with lightning as he descended upon Howard, a fearsome executioner.
Howard looked up at the unyielding assault closing in. His wings struggled to keep him aloft, his strength focused on holding off the monster before him. His holy light flickered, healing him as fast as possible, but it was clear he was reaching his limit.
The ocean below boiled relentlessly, turbulent waves whipped up by powerful gusts.
...
…
A battered figure flew backward, blood spurting from his mouth.
"Huff… huff…"
But before Saint Howard could catch his breath, the terrifying figure with four wings surged forward, his aura fierce and intense, like a lightning bolt streaking through the sky. El gave him no chance to recover.
"Flash Strike: Dawning Peacock!!"
With a series of humming sounds slicing the air, the atmosphere around El warped as he released massive, blazing punches. Each strike crackled with deadly Armament and Conqueror's Haki, moving with intense electric heat in a beautiful yet deadly display.
"Holy Shield!"
In desperation, Howard conjured a radiant barrier, focusing all his Armament Haki for maximum defense. But the sounds of impact were relentless, each strike growing in intensity. The shield wavered, then quickly shattered under the onslaught.
El's fists, wrapped in blazing electricity, pounded into Howard, deepening the cracks in his armor.
"Ahh… ahh!" Howard screamed as his chest caved under the impact, blood spurting as he was thrown back like a projectile. His clothes were scorched, his body charred and smoldering in places, leaving him in a shocking state.
"Fallen Angel El!!" Flying backward, Howard's eyes locked onto El, filled with rage and desperation—and now, a growing fear. This monster genuinely wanted to kill him—the Supreme Commander of the Holy Knights—and he just might succeed.
"Huff… huff…"
But El, relentless, flapped his wings and closed the gap with terrifying speed.
"I'll see how long you can hold out!" El growled, murder flashing in his eyes as he pursued Howard, lightning dancing across his body and whipping up gusts of wind.
"Holy Shield!"
'Boom... boom…'
Another brilliant light shield formed before Howard, only to shatter again. Though holy light bathed him, healing his wounds, the panic in Howard's eyes was clear. He fought back frantically, swinging his sword in defiance.
'Clang!!! Clang!!!'
High above, the two figures clashed fiercely, locked in a brutal fight for survival.
…
Time slipped away as Saint Howard's blood spilled steadily through the air, the battle between them becoming increasingly brutal.
Like prey trapped by a relentless beast, Saint Howard couldn't shake off El's pursuit. Despite being completely overwhelmed by this Lunarian monster, he fought back with all his might, refusing to surrender. His 'Mythical Zoan Angel Form' healed him as quickly as possible, radiating a glow that attempted to counter his injuries.
"Damn it… Saint Howard!"
Back on the island of Franca, Steelbone Kong grew anxious. If the Supreme Commander of the Holy Knights were killed, it would be impossible to justify to the World Government. More concerning still, if Saint Howard were to die, Fallen Angel El's next target would be him, the Navy Admiral.
"Mamamama… maybe you should worry about yourself first!" With a menacing sneer, Linlin charged at him, raising her sword.
"Mighty Nation!"
"Get out of my way… King Kong Chariot!" Steelbone Kong gathered his enormous fist, cloaked in potent Haki, and clashed directly with Linlin's brutal shockwave.
'Boom! Boom!'
The coastline shook violently as the resounding explosion echoed and gusts of energy swept across the beach. Although he had just struck Linlin back, Steelbone Kong quickly disregarded pursuing her and shouted urgently at the distant sky, "Saint Howard, get back here!"
They needed to combine their efforts against El. A one-on-one fight was vastly different from a two-on-two.