Eight beasts—a white tiger with wings, a black wolf oozing lunar aura, a crimson hawk bathed in vermillion flas, a white-armored bear crackling with lightning, a massive python covered in the hardest gemstones with the earth itself moving to protect its body, a towering elk with icy fragnts growing on its antlers and fur, a magnificent, green peafowl surrounded by a raging zephyr, and a hulking silver-furred ape that seed to distort space around it—ganged up on the two equines.
Strangely, both Zeth and Aemorus rely gazed at their opponents with utter contempt, valiantly fighting back with roaring blue flas and pure, blinding light.
Not a hint of fear showed on their equine faces.
The two had long known the Eight Spirit Kings of Gomparo, and the duchess even dreamt of this exact scenario multiple tis.
There was simply no way she would cower.
While she couldn't defeat them when she was weaker, she could already cause endless trouble for the eight, and more importantly, none of them were able to kill her.
Her master had frequently let her rampage through death zones, devouring the cores of the strongest monstrous creatures to her heart's content since then.
Now, not only did she have her beloved Aemorus by her side, but she was also far stronger than before.
What was there to fear?
The Duchess of the Dusk, Gomparo's notorious rogue, was certain she could take on the eight false kings.
No, she would slaughter them one by one and consu their spirit energies.
And so, the ten beasts clashed, their battle unfolding under the dumbstruck gazes of the cohort mbers, Dweezel, and the Hawklings.
Even the Soulless Heroes couldn't help but glance upward, their instincts unable to ignore the energy ripples from the ferocious clash between spirits.
Thunderbolts flashed, blinding lights illuminated the crystalline hall, flas roared, the earth rumbled, winds howled, and space distorted across the limited skies before the Black Dragon Gate.
The battle of spirits' aftermath extended to those fighting below, jolting them awake and plunging the battlefield into even greater chaos.
It was inevitable, however, that the Soulless Heroes cared less than those with their souls intact, allowing them to strike before the cohort was fully prepared.
"Lesurii! Luna! Watch out!" Ian exclaid as she spotted blades, arrows, and projectiles hurtling toward the two ladies.
The forr was a scout and was fast enough to use [Shadow Step] to evade the converging attacks.
The stalwart shielder, on the other hand, wasn't nearly as quick.
A falchion swung down, nearly severing her entire right arm—she barely dodged in ti but was too slow to do anything else.
Fireballs blasted her, leaving modest burns.
Elental arrows pierced her body, inflicting wounds and internal injuries.
Luna spat out blood, dropped to her knees, and slowly fell behind the advancing cohort.
She was only two ters away and was still well within reach, but the problem was that everyone had their hands full.
And the crew was steadily advancing.
They couldn't move back a single ter, as staying inside the Soulless Hero Army for too long would endanger everyone.
'Luna!!' Seira roared in anxiety and horror.
The stoic shielder was the only one who had kept her going after Shye was promoted to Valenzia City.
Without her steady support and encouragent, Seira would have never reached the Raven's Blade Main Headquarters in ti to save her mother and little brother.
She had always been the group's unwavering pillar—courageous, unyielding, and never retreating. Without hesitation, she protected everyone with her life.
Luna was never among the strongest.
However, she was certainly one of the most, if not the most valiant among them.
She was a true noble soul.
Unfortunately, it seed that she was destined to fall today.
…Until Shye made a move.
Sending two Soulless Warrior Heroes skidding backward with a forceful [Power Slash], Shye drew his twin elental staffs and summoned a glacial teor, throwing the Soulless Heroes into utter disarray.
He then leaped back, unleashing a barrage of firebombs and lethal ice shards.
His attacks wounded the enemies but failed to secure a kill.
However, it was enough to herd them exactly where he wanted.
The front of the cohort was now clear—they could rush toward Dweezel and the Hawklings, provided the heroes' formation remained disrupted for at least two seconds.
This was Shye's plan—to clear the way and save Luna in the process.
Landing beside the struggling shielder, Shye placed a hand on her shoulder, casting [High Heal] and restoring a good chunk of her health.
He then held his ground alongside Luna, fending off nearby enemies as he whispered,
"Luna, I'm throwing you into the enemy ranks. Use your wide-area taunt to draw as much aggression as possible and hold their attention for a few seconds—Ian and I will pull you back later."
Unsurprisingly, not a shadow of doubt flickered in Luna's eyes, even after hearing the risky plan.
She had once been rely a Valenzian Champion before joining Hadean Varsa—yet now, she was about to draw the attention of dozens of soul-enhanced heroes.
It seed as though Shye wasn't rescuing her but rely sending her to her death for the greater good.
"Alright, I'm ready. Throw anyti," she replied, her voice as stalwart and heroic as ever.
Appreciating her unwavering resolve, Shye imdiately grabbed her left wrist and hurled her toward the more than forty herded heroes on the left, even using two charges of [Boost] on his arm.
Luna shot forward like a death cot, her shield leading the charge.
None of the heroes could stop her montum—those in her path were either forced to step aside or sent flying.
'Now!'
Realizing she was passing straight through the center of the herded heroes, Luna roared, "Contemptuous Challenge!"
A translucent red sphere erged from her shield, expanding into a fifteen-ter-wide do.
Every one of the forty-plus herded heroes was caught within its range and was instantly affected by the skill.
In the next mont, the forty herded heroes lunged after the shielder's silvery streak, like mindless ghouls drawn to the scent of blood and flesh.
With them distracted, the path between the cohort, Dweezel, and the Hawklings lay wide open.
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