chapter 69

Minutes bled into chaos as Agane faced the siren's forces alone. Slardars charged relentlessly, only to be hurled back by her fists and kicks, their bodies scattering like leaves in a storm. The colossal shadow beast, Darkness, swung its massive fist, but Agane's lightning-fast flight evaded every blow. She knew her strength surpassed theirs, but her energy had limits. Facing so many foes at once, she needed a strategy before exhaustion claimed her.

"There are too many to fight together," she thought. "I have no choice but to use *that* technique."

Soaring into the sky, Agane unleashed a blazing aura, a blue dragon of energy materializing around her. The air darkened, filled with the eerie howl of wind as her overwhelming presence heralded an impending tempest. Even the siren, Katshira, sensed the danger, her unease growing at Agane's surging power.

Raising her right hand, Agane summoned a massive magic circle, fifty meters wide, hovering above the battlefield. The soldiers and enemies alike froze, awestruck by its scale. "A 4th-grade wind magic?" Katshira muttered. "This is bad."

"Feel the wrath of the Wind Dragon!" Agane roared. "Cyclone Thousand Strike!"

Countless wind strikes erupted from the circle, pulverizing the ground below. Even Darkness staggered under the onslaught. Agane noticed some strikes piercing the beast's body rather than being absorbed, revealing a flaw. "Its ability to redirect attacks to another dimension isn't perfect," she whispered. "It must have a time limit, like any ability."

The attack culminated in a deafening explosion, shrouding the battlefield in thick smoke. Agane descended, gasping from the effort, her energy severely depleted. "I can't drag this fight out any longer, or my soldiers are doomed," she thought, scanning the haze.

A strange sound in the wind caught her attention. "What's that presence?" Before she could react, a blade stabbed through her dragon-scale armor, forcing her to leap back. "Impossible," she gasped, staring at the gash. Her armor, forged from dragon hide stronger than steel, had been pierced.

The lizard-like assassin, General Hagu, stood before her, clutching a golden dagger. "Impressive dodge, General," he sneered. "You're quite the marvel."

"That weapon—a Class A Crimson Item, right?" Agane said, eyes narrowing.

Hagu confirmed it was the Overlord Cris, a treasure of Halooween capable of bypassing any defensive barrier or energy. "Your precious dragon armor is just cloth to me," he taunted. Entrusted with the blade for his invisibility and assassin skills, he vanished from sight, leaving no trace of his presence.

Agane knew a strike to her heart could be fatal. Wasting no time, she flapped her wings, soaring high to avoid Hagu's attacks, as he couldn't fly. But a numbing sensation crept through her body. "I forgot to mention," Hagu's voice echoed, "my blade is laced with paralyzing venom."

"Damn it!" Agane cursed, disbelief turning to fury as her movements slowed. She fought the venom's spread with her energy, shouting, "You think poison can stop a dragon?" Her aura flared, shaking the air.

A rustle in the wind alerted her, and Hagu reappeared behind her, dagger aimed. She blocked with her armored forearm, startling him. "Don't underestimate me, fool!" Opening her mouth, she unleashed a wind strike, blasting him into the rocks. Without pause, she followed with another devastating strike, the explosion shattering the ground.

As Agane hovered, catching her breath, Juggernaut seized the moment, charging unseen. "Yahh!" His fist connected, sending her crashing into the earth. She sprang up, wings propelling her away, but Juggernaut pursued, undeterred, sprinting toward her with a raised fist.

"Wind Strike!" Agane shouted, launching a blast. It had no effect, absorbed by his armor. She fired more, but Juggernaut barreled forward, unstoppable. "His armor negates every attack," she realized, heart pounding.

Unfazed, she met his charge head-on, their fists colliding in a cataclysmic impact that shattered the ground. They traded blows, each strike sending shockwaves through the battlefield, reducing the terrain to rubble.

From above, Katshira watched silently atop her stingray, impressed. "She's holding her own against Juggernaut, even with poison in her system. Remarkable."

The ground crumbled, forcing Agane to leap back. Unnoticed, she stepped into a strange shadow. "What? No!" Black tendrils erupted from it, coiling around her legs, anchoring her in place. Juggernaut's fist loomed as she struggled. "I can't block in time," she thought, raising her arms to brace for the blow.

The impact sent debris flying, but Agane stood firm, blocking Juggernaut's punch. A faint sound in the wind alerted her to another threat. Hagu materialized behind her, dagger aimed at her throat. Her energy shield was useless against the Overlord Cris, and the blade began to slice her skin. Time seemed to freeze as she realized, "I can't dodge this."

Her queen's image flashed in her mind, the one she swore to protect. "My queen," she whispered.

Suddenly, everything stopped. The blade halted, the Slardars froze like statues, and even Juggernaut stood motionless. A colossal golden magic circle, over a hundred meters wide, blazed across the ground. A suffocating presence flooded the battlefield, chilling even the siren.

"Impossible! Why can't I move?" Hagu growled.

"Who's this overwhelming presence?" Katshira whispered. "Stronger than mine?"

In a flash, Agane vanished from the trap, reappearing in the sky. Stunned, she nearly fell but flapped her wings, landing safely. "That power…" She turned, searching, then smiled, tears welling. "My queen."

Sei stood expressionless, surveying the battlefield. Even Katshira trembled at her aura. Juggernaut struggled against the spell binding him. "Your Majesty, beware! She's Columbus, this land's ruler!" he shouted. "An Eskapa Espada—the Time Keeper!"

The enemies knew Sei's arrival was no trivial matter, her spell immobilizing hundreds across a vast area. Sei's gaze fell on her fallen and wounded soldiers, some still fighting despite their injuries. "My queen," they gasped, dragging themselves to kneel, tears streaming as they chanted her name.

Sei's eyes closed, her heart heavy with grief. She called out, her voice echoing like thunder. "My loyal warriors, servants of the divine creator, place your faith in the heavens!" Her soldiers closed their eyes, praying. A golden aura enveloped them from the magic circle, healing their wounds, restoring severed limbs and broken bones.

"A 5th-grade time magic?" Katshira gasped, awestruck. "Impossible—such energy!" She'd never seen healing magic restore lost limbs, a near-miraculous feat.

The soldiers, once near death, rose with renewed determination. "I never imagined such power," Hagu muttered. "An Espada's ability is no joke—a miracle before our eyes."

Agane flew to Sei's side, her soldiers rallying behind. "My queen, I'm overjoyed you're here, but why are you alone? Where's Galica's army?"

Sei raised a hand, silencing her, and approached a fallen soldier, lifeless from the battle. Her Time Body Restoration could mend any physical damage but couldn't revive the dead. Kneeling, she touched his head. "Forgive your queen for arriving too late. Thank you for your sacrifice. Rest now with our divine creator."

Standing, Sei faced her enemies, scanning for the source of the dark presence. Agane warned, "Your Majesty, that siren is their leader, Halooween's daughter. She wields 4th-grade water magic. Her generals are formidable, each with unique, powerful abilities."

Sei placed a hand on Agane's head, gazing silently. "You've done well, Agane. Now, leave this place."

Agane recoiled. "No, Your Majesty! I won't let you fight alone!" She described Juggernaut's strength, the mage's shadow-dimension traps, and the Overlord Cris's ability to pierce any defense. "They wield high-level magic. Facing them alone is impossible!"

Sei pressed a finger to Agane's lips, her tone stern. "Do you think your queen is weak?"

"No, Your Majesty, I know your power, but—"

Sei cut her off, voice cold. "I'm angry." Agane froze, never having heard such fury from her queen. "They defile my land, slaughter my people, and threaten my nation. I despise this hatred within me, but I must end this tragedy for those who died for us."

Agane knelt, pleading to join the fight, vowing to aid her. Sei shook her head, explaining that while she could restore Agane's body, her energy was too depleted. "The siren wields a staff with dark spirit energy ten times stronger than yours—the Oblivion Staff, an ancient Genion weapon that grows stronger by absorbing the spirits of the fallen."

Agane gasped. "That powerful? What is it?"

Sei warned that each death fueled the staff's magic, endangering her soldiers further. "If she gathers more souls, her power will overwhelm us, and I may not protect you all."

Still, Agane refused to leave. "You need help, Your Majesty. I can still fight—I won't be a burden!"

Sei smiled softly. "Don't worry, Agane. I won't fight alone."

A shadow loomed over them, followed by a massive crash kicking up thick smoke. A thirty-foot serpent emerged, Zhui atop it, sword in hand. "She's my ally in this battle," Sei declared.

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