Oblivion
As the Floating Angel charged towards Arte, Arte had already raised the Lightsaber in his hand.
The Lightsaber, which had just been severed by Chen Xiaolian, condensed its brilliance again. Facing the incoming Floating Angel, Arte was about to swing his sword. But at this moment, the Floating Angel's body, suspended in midair, suddenly folded its wings and its thrusters accelerated abruptly. Its body twisted at an unimaginable angle, dodging Arte, swiftly bypassing him from his left side!
This sudden change caught Arte off guard. Before he could react, the Floating Angel had already passed him like a streak of light from his left side!
Nicole's target was not Arte at all, but astonishingly... those knights kneeling behind him on the ground!
Chen Xiaolian gasped for breath, watching the movements of the Floating Angel with wide eyes. Suddenly, he roared, "Good!!"
Chen Xiaolian had already figured it out. Although Arte's angelic incarnation was powerful, the knights kneeling behind him on the ground were also crucial!
Especially since each knight was chanting some kind of hymn or spell while kneeling, emitting Holy Light that flowed into Arte's body... as if providing him with some kind of power.
The Floating Angel bypassed Arte and charged towards those knights. Chen Xiaolian immediately struggled to stand up, swiftly pulled out a dagger, and with all his strength, hurled it towards Arte's angel.
Not seeking to harm, only aiming to attract Arte's attention, buying even a fraction of time for the Floating Angel.
Chen Xiaolian succeeded!
The dagger shot out, and Arte seemed not to dare to slack off... After all, just now, Chen Xiaolian's sword had severed one of his wings. Now that Chen Xiaolian had struck again, no matter what, Arte dared not refrain from defending himself.
With a swing of his hand, silently, the dagger thrown by Chen Xiaolian was easily severed by the Lightsaber!
Meanwhile, Nicole, in her Floating Angel state, had already flown to the side of one of the knights!
The Beam Saber in her hand was raised and then brought down!
Under the saber, the knight kneeling there seemed indifferent, like a lamb waiting to be slaughtered, calmly lowering his head, allowing the saber to fall on his neck, and then cutting in!!
Blood sprayed everywhere!!
The Beam Saber bypassed the knight's armor, cutting into the gap in his neck, and a head soared into the sky!!
[System Prompt: Magic Circle Operation Time, Remaining: 1 minute 44 seconds.]
And the next second, because she killed a knight, the system countdown instantly shortened by 10 seconds!
[...Remaining: 1 minute 34 seconds.]
Nicole took a deep breath, and her personal system indicated that the remaining duration of her full combat-ready state as a Floating Angel was 21 seconds.
Seeing Arte roar angrily and give up on Chen Xiaolian, turning to pounce on her, Nicole, however, had no intention of engaging with Arte. She activated the thrusters at full speed, swiftly retreating!
At the same time, on the Floating Angel, the flat cannon muzzle emitted a glow, and the Beam Cannons fired with full force!
Several beams simultaneously hit another knight!!
Under the bombardment of the Beam Cannons, the knight's armor emitted Holy Light. Although it seemed to resist for a few moments, it eventually shattered with a loud bang. The Beam Cannons penetrated the knight's armor and his body...
Another kill!
[...Remaining: 1 minute 21 seconds!]
The remaining duration of the full combat-ready state of the Floating Angel: 21 seconds.
Seeing that she had retreated a sufficient distance, Nicole immediately shut off the maximum power of the Floating Angel, returning to normal. Her body landed on the ground.
The duration of the full combat-ready state immediately stopped at 21 seconds without further regression.
Arte saw the two dead knights and roared madly, but Nicole remained calm, always watching the angry angel coldly. She stepped back step by step, her eyes hidden behind the visor, remained icy!
Roddy was dumbfounded from afar.
This... such proficient control skills...
One successful strike, immediately pushing away to a safe distance, then shutting off the maximum power to conserve energy...
Such proficient control skills, this woman... How could she be so familiar with the Floating Angel?!!
Chen Xiaolian stuffed another healing potion-spiced snack into his mouth, then took a deep breath, forcibly supporting himself to stand up again. He once again retrieved a knife from the storage wristwatch, holding it in his hand. With a horizontal swing of the knife, he shouted, "Come on! I'm here!!"
This time, however, Arte only glanced at Chen Xiaolian, then immediately shifted his gaze away, staring firmly at Nicole.
Nicole sneered, even extending her left palm towards Arte, with the palm facing upward, then she bent her fingers a few times.
"Damn it! Damn it!!"
Arte roared loudly, his figure swelling up, and the wings of angels behind him fluttered as he immediately flew towards the Floating Angel.
Nicole instantly reactivated the Floating Angel's maximum combat state, the thrusters at full power, immediately assuming an evasive posture!
The two angels began to chase each other in the sky above the underground palace!
The two floating cannons on either side of the Floating Angel always floated beside Nicole. Nicole's figure was like a streak of light, swirling around, but Arte's speed was surprisingly not inferior, shocking in its swiftness, relentlessly chasing after Nicole.
After both of them executed various dazzling chasing maneuvers in mid-air, the two floating cannons began to fire!
The muzzles of the floating cannons kept spewing out flames, forcing Arte to slow down. His body shimmered with Holy Light, as if enveloped in a cocoon of light, rendering the shots from the floating cannons ineffective against him.
But Nicole seemed completely unconcerned, instead enticing Arte to chase her, intentionally widening the distance...
And just at this moment, Chen Xiaolian had already understood. He was now running towards the knights kneeling on the ground, holding the knife in his hand...
When he reached one of the knights, he raised his hand and brought the knife down!
Although it was just an ordinary weapon, without any special skills attached, it was still equipment taken from the arsenal of the Blade Mountain Flame Sea Guild and was comparable to a [B] class weapon.
With one stroke, Chen Xiaolian felt the blade pierce into the knight's neck...
Blood sprayed out, splattering on Chen Xiaolian...
Arte, who was chasing Nicole, suddenly let out a sorrowful roar, turning his head to look at Chen Xiaolian. His body swayed, and in an instant, he shot over, appearing in front of Chen Xiaolian!
The Lightsaber fell, cutting through Chen Xiaolian's knife in one stroke, while the blade also grazed Chen Xiaolian's chest!
Chen Xiaolian's body had already made the maximum effort to dodge backward, but the Lightsaber still tore through his chest armor and... his chest skin!
The sensation of flowing blood caused Chen Xiaolian to first feel his body tense, then relax, as a wave of pain surged up.
If it weren't for the protection of the chest armor, Chen Xiaolian would likely have been opened up with that single sword.
Even so, the [A] class chest armor obtained from Blade Mountain Flame Sea Guild was finally completely cut open!
Arte, failing to kill Chen Xiaolian with one sword, was about to step forward to strike again when Nicole had already rushed over from behind!
The Beam Saber fiercely struck the section of angel wing behind Arte!
The Beam Saber's strike made Arte roar angrily. However, the Beam Saber could not cut through the angel wing. Arte had already turned around, his Lightsaber stabbing into the Floating Angel's body!
This time, Nicole did not evade... She didn't even attempt to dodge.
Allowing the sword to pierce her chest, the Floating Angel's combat armor shone brightly!
The tip of the Lightsaber made a sizzling sound against the armor before finally breaking through!
Nicole grunted. Suddenly, two flat cannon muzzles on her body began to glow!
Main cannons! Full power fire!!
Boom!!!
With this burst of light flashing between the two figures, both were simultaneously blasted apart.
Although Arte possessed angelic power, in the face of the Floating Angel's full combat-ready state and the activation of its main cannons at such close range...
He saw the angel's body fly out, crashing into the wall, then slowly descending. Arte's body was covered in blood! Although Holy Light was frantically spreading, almost one-third of his body was charred black. The Holy Light was healing and treating his body, but Arte's figure in mid-air became unsteady.
Nicole, on the other hand, tumbled to the ground. After her body bounced a few times on the ground and rolled into a corner, she struggled to climb up.
[...Remaining: 1 minute 11 seconds!]
The remaining duration of the Floating Angel's full combat-ready state: 16 seconds.
The knight who had been pierced through the neck by Chen Xiaolian finally breathed his last!
The remaining time immediately jumped to: 1 minute 01 seconds!
Chen Xiaolian was also knocked over several meters by the shockwave of the main cannon's blast just now, but he managed to catch his breath after flipping over.
The system's countdown continued...
[...Remaining time: 1 minute 00 seconds... 0 minutes 59 seconds...]
Arte's chest heaved continuously, and among the knights kneeling on the ground, only three remained!
On Nicole's Floating Angel, a crack appeared in the armor at the rib area, emitting a sizzling fire.
She took a deep breath and glanced at the Floating Angel's status in the system.
"Combat damage, integrity 74.5%, full state sustainability time: 16 seconds."
Nicole snorted and looked at Chen Xiaolian, shouting, "I'll hold him off! You go quickly!"
With that, the Floating Angel rushed towards Arte!
This time, Nicole didn't save any time. The Floating Angel's full combat-ready state was activated at full power!
She flashed and pounced on Arte, and the two "angels" immediately entangled!
Arte's Lightsaber, Nicole's Beam Saber, and the floating cannons in their hands were all activated simultaneously. Amidst the clash of blades and beams, the sound of the floating cannons firing, the two angels fought fiercely!
Chen Xiaolian was nearly exhausted, but as he watched the Floating Angel charge forward, he instantly grasped her intention.
Glancing at the three knights not too far from him...
Chen Xiaolian felt that even moving his fingers was difficult...
"Goddess of Dawn... Purify!"
Chen Xiaolian forcibly propped up his body again, and this time, he summoned forth a sword...
This was already the last weapon in Chen Xiaolian's storage wristwatch!
The weapons taken from the arsenal of the Blade Mountain Flame Sea Guild had suffered too much damage in this battle. By this moment, Chen Xiaolian had no more weapons left.
With this sword in hand, its attributes burned!
All of Chen Xiaolian's attributes instantly declined! All of his attributes transformed into strength, surging into the sword in his hand!
This ordinary attribute longsword immediately trembled and emitted a mournful hum...
Finally, Chen Xiaolian knelt on one knee, facing the three knights, and unleashed his last attack!
The sword light pierced through!
...
Arte's Lightsaber pierced through Nicole's shoulder, directly slicing off one of the floating cannons on her shoulder and a piece of armor! Nicole's shoulder was instantly exposed to the bone! Blood spurted out in a large swath...
Chen Xiaolian's sword pierced through a knight's chest, directly crushing his heart!!
[...Remaining: 0 minutes 56 seconds... 0 minutes 46 seconds!!]
Arte roared loudly and forcefully pushed Nicole away, but as he turned around, Nicole's Beam Saber had already stabbed down into his back!
Arte screamed in agony as Holy Light shimmered around his body. Suddenly, the Floating Angel's combat armor erupted with a burning light, and sparks flew out!
Chen Xiaolian's sword light cut into the second knight's head!
The sword light split through the armor, directly cleaving through the knight's forehead and splitting his head in two!
[...Remaining: 0 minutes 44 seconds... 0 minutes 34 seconds!!]
Arte crazily shook off Nicole and simultaneously stabbed his Lightsaber into Nicole's back!
This sword cut through the Floating Angel. After resisting for a moment, the Floating Angel's combat armor was completely cut open! Blood sprayed from Nicole's back! One of the propulsion units on the back of the combat armor was directly severed!
With only one propulsion unit remaining, Nicole's figure swayed, but under Nicole's forceful activation, the Floating Angel swiftly turned around and maneuvered behind Arte! Nicole spread her arms and tightly embraced Arte from behind!
Arte roared fiercely, struggling hard, then simply stepped back, and the two collided with the wall of the underground palace together!
Nicole spat out blood from her mouth, but the Floating Angel still held onto Arte tightly!
[...Remaining: 0 minutes 30 seconds... 0 minutes 20 seconds!!]
Chen Xiaolian's sword finally pierced through the last knight's throat!
A fatal blow straight through the throat!!
Despite the armor's resistance, Chen Xiaolian's full-force strike was like a power drill, forcibly piercing through the bodies of the three knights, killing them instantly!
If it weren't for Nicole tightly entangling Arte, this sword would not have had such an effect!
However, this single sword strike ultimately achieved its purpose!
With all three companions dead or severely wounded, the Holy Light on Arte suddenly dimmed!
Losing the support of all the knights' faith, although the formidable power emanating from Arte's body did not weaken, visibly, his body underwent a sudden change.
His pale face quickly aged, and his flesh began to wither, as if he had aged over a decade in an instant. This aging process continued at a visible rate!
Arte let out several roars, staggering in place, while Nicole still didn't loosen her grip on him.
And at this moment, Arte made a shocking move!
He grabbed the Lightsaber with both hands, then flipped the blade and forcefully plunged it into his own chest!!
It was a move resembling suicide!
The Lightsaber pierced through Arte's chest without any resistance, penetrating his body. As the tip of the blade protruded from his back, it pierced into Nicole's body!!
With a single strike! Nicole screamed in agony, finally releasing her grip, and then Arte forcefully pulled out the Lightsaber, turning around to thrust it once again!
Nicole, in extreme pain, but as a battle genius of the Zero City Angel Corps, her formidable combat instinct still allowed her to make evasive movements!
She dodged the Lightsaber aimed at her throat but was struck on the arm as the Lightsaber tore through her armor, causing her arm to hang limp. Arte's second thrust came swiftly, piercing directly into Nicole's abdomen!
Nicole's body curled up, rolling to the side...
At this moment...
[...Remaining: 0 minutes 13 seconds.]
Nicole lay on the ground, as the thrusters of her floating angel unleashed one final burst of maximum power, forcibly propelling her body several meters away, increasing the distance between her and Arte.
Finally...
"The complete status duration of the Floating Angel has expired, entering sleep mode."
The floating angel on Nicole's body dissolved into light, leaving behind only Nicole covered in wounds.
Lying there, Roddy crawled desperately toward Nicole and without hesitation, stuffed a dose of healing potion into her mouth.
"Swallow it!!"
Arte gasped for breath, his face aged as if he were a sixty-year-old man. In the heat of battle, his helmet had long since fallen off, revealing a head of snow-white hair.
It lacked any luster, resembling withered grass.
"You all! Die!!"
Arte charged toward Chen Xiaolian first!!
Chen Xiaolian was already powerless to move. After using the hidden skill of the Goddess of Dawn's refinement stored in his chest, all his attribute values had been burned out. At this moment, merely staying conscious was already pushing his limits. Where would he find the strength to dodge?
Although stumbling, Arte still rushed towards him. Chen Xiaolian glanced at the system countdown.
[...Remaining: 0 minutes 08 seconds.]
Arte reached Chen Xiaolian's front, and the Lightsaber struck down...
[...Remaining: 0 minutes 07 seconds.]
Chen Xiaolian sighed, barely lifted his finger, and summoned Garfield back.
The Lightsaber knocked Garfield away, and at the same time, Arte grabbed one of the Garfield plushies and threw it aside.
[...Remaining: 0 minutes 05 seconds.]
The two Garfield plushies fell to the ground, barely breathing, returning to the system.
Arte raised his sword again and thrust it into Chen Xiaolian's body!
[...Remaining: 0 minutes 04 seconds.]
Chen Xiaolian felt the Lightsaber pierce through his chest, even feeling the pain of the light severing his ribs.
(Maybe... it's time to die... But... if I die, the time will end too... Everyone... will be safe, right?)
Chen Xiaolian closed his eyes.
However... the expected final moment did not arrive.
At that moment, Chen Xiaolian suddenly opened his eyes and witnessed a scene that made him feel as if he were falling into an abyss!!
Qiao Qiao!!
Qiao Qiao, for some reason, had crawled to Chen Xiaolian's side. She knelt there, her hands firmly gripping...
Arte's Lightsaber!!
Her hands were already charred black. The power of the Viscount of Darkness quickly dissipated under the radiance of the angel's light!
But she bit her lip tightly, blood staining her lips, as she fiercely grasped the blade of the Lightsaber! She prevented the blade from continuing to pierce into Chen Xiaolian's body!
Holy Light!
Holy Light!
As if finding an outlet for release, the Holy Light seemed highly sensitive to the dark aura emanating from Qiao Qiao. The Lightsaber suddenly erupted with dazzling radiance, a surge of Holy Light pouring into Qiao Qiao's body along the blade!
Boom!!!
In the midst of the immense light, a force swept Chen Xiaolian, Qiao Qiao, and Arte away simultaneously, each rolling several meters away.
Chen Xiaolian lay on his back on the ground, forcibly turning his head to look at Qiao Qiao...
In the lingering glow of the light, he could only vaguely see Qiao Qiao's body amidst the intense brightness.
Her body was enveloped by a mass of Holy Light.
The Holy Light gradually disintegrated her body, consuming it bit by bit...
Dispersing it bit by bit.
Her body became increasingly transparent!
At this moment, Chen Xiaolian desperately shouted, but his throat could not produce a sound, his mouth gaping silently, attempting to cry out but remaining mute.
His fingers clenched tightly onto the ground as he struggled to move towards Qiao Qiao.
Qiao Qiao propped up her body and looked at Chen Xiaolian.
Her body began to disappear in the Holy Light... Threads of black mist lingered... She was being consumed by...
The burning light!
"Actually... when I knew about my skill attributes, I understood one thing."
In the midst of the Holy Light, Qiao Qiao's body grew fainter, but she smiled softly at Chen Xiaolian.
There was blood on her delicate face.
"...I knew... I probably wouldn't be able to accompany you until the very end... to the very last moment."
"Xiaolian... take care of yourself, okay? You must...
stay alive...
just like you said on the rooftop that day...
You must...
stay alive."
With that poignant smile, she disappeared into the Holy Light.
Completely.
Vanished.
No more.
...
[...Remaining: 0 minutes 0 seconds.
Mission accomplished.]
Chen Xiaolian felt like he couldn't see anything else, just the place where Qiao Qiao disappeared.
And then... everything disappeared.
He closed his eyes.