Chapter 161- Teamwork
The centipede's cracked armor glowed brighter, its body convulsing as if something inside was clawing to break free. The sickly green veins pulsed faster, each tremor threatening to unleash a transformation none of them wanted to face.
Don dug his heels into the ground, massive arms wrapping tighter around the beast's writhing torso. "Damn it, whatever it's becoming, we can't let it happen!" His voice was a growl, half desperation, half determination.
Celestia's threads whipped out again, weaving a deadly lattice that bound the centipede's limbs to the shattered earth. She darted around like a phantom, anchoring the silver lines deep into the soil, pinning every joint she could catch. Her voice was sharp, commanding, but trembling at the edges.
"Luke! Aim for the core! That glow, it must be where its power gathers!"
Luke's mirrored hands rippled, light surging wildly as he drew in the residual attacks still bouncing within his reflection. His gaze locked on the centipede's cracked plates. He could see it, the faint outline of the throbbing core beneath the layers of chitin.
The beast screamed, a screech that split the air, its body thrashing hard enough to make Don cough blood as the pressure crushed his enlarged frame. Still, Don roared back, refusing to let go.
"You've got one shot, Luke! Make it count!"
Celestia tightened her threads until they cut through her palms, blood dripping down the shimmering wires, but she didn't let go. Her eyes blazed. "Now, Luke!"
Luke thrust both palms forward. The mirror shattered into a brilliant beam, a condensed torrent of borrowed destruction. It pierced through the broken seam of armor and slammed into the glowing core.
The centipede convulsed violently, the glow inside flickering and sputtering like a dying flame. For a moment, its body froze, pinned by Don's unyielding grip and Celestia's bleeding threads.
Then—
Cracks spiderwebbed across its body, green light spilling out in frantic bursts.
Luke's breath hitched. "No… it's resisting!"
Don's massive frame began to shrink, muscles folding in on themselves as the giant form receded. His breathing was ragged, but his eyes still burned with determination. Energy crackled faintly across his skin, gathering into a dense core at the center of his chest.
"Luke!" he barked, voice strained but steady. "Get ready. I'll unleash everything I've stored, reflect it back with everything you've got!"
Luke's mirrored aura flared, shards of light spinning like orbiting satellites around him. He gave a sharp nod. "Understood. I'll amplify it until nothing remains!"
Celestia's silver threads lashed tighter around the centipede, each line humming with phantom energy. She planted her feet, arms trembling, refusing to let the beast break free. "Do it now! I'll hold it!"
Don slammed his fists together. "[Core Reversal]!"
A blinding surge of compressed energy erupted from his chest, a torrent born from every blow he had absorbed, every ounce of punishment turned into raw destruction. The beam roared across the battlefield, colliding with Luke's mirrored construct.
Luke let out a cry, pushing his reflection to the limit. The mirror flared, fractured, and then refracted the torrent into a cascade of multiplied blasts, each one hammering into the centipede's exposed body.
BOOOOM!
The explosion engulfed the monster in a storm of searing light and green ichor. For a moment, silence reigned. Smoke and dust choked the air.
Luke raised a fist, grinning wide. "Hah! That's what I'm talking about! One less nightmare to deal with, let's go help the others!"
Don staggered, dropping to one knee as his body returned to normal. He wiped blood from his lips, a tired smile tugging at his face. "Go on… I need a breather. That skill… Core Reversal… drains everything I've got."
Before Luke could reply, Celestia's eyes narrowed. A cold shiver crawled up her spine. "Wait, don't drop your guard!"
She leapt aside just as a volley of sizzling green fluid splattered where she'd been standing. The ground hissed and melted under the corrosive rain.
From within the thinning smoke, more streams of toxic liquid began to fire out in every direction, raining across the battlefield.
Celestia's voice rang sharp through the comms. "Everyone, move! It's still alive!"
On the other side, soldiers clashed against the swarm of underlings pouring from the shadow of the colossal turtle. Every step the creature took sent deep tremors through the ground, slow though it was, its oppressive presence weighed heavily over the battlefield.
Emma's eyes gleamed with reckless determination. "I'll go first!" she shouted. Flames of pyrokinesis burst from her hands, forming fiery wings that wrapped around her body. She shot forward, incinerating every foe in her path, carving a blazing line straight toward the giant shell.
"Emma, wait!" Fey tried to stop her, but only sighed, her shoulders sagging with fatigue. "She...." Her voice carried resignation, exhaustion dragged at her limbs after the long fight.
Lea, however, only smiled brightly. "Heh, I'm not surprised." She casually rolled up her sleeves, her eyes glimmering with calm amusement.
"Well then," she said lightly, "my turn. The faster we finish this, the better."
A faint vibration rippled across her body, afterimages flickering around her like echoes. Her energy layered over itself, resonating with each heartbeat.
Lea's ability was known as Echo Drive, a technique that multiplied her physical prowess in stages.
"[Echo Drive : Level Two]."
In an instant, her speed doubled. She leapt into the enemy ranks, her body pulsing with amplified force. Every strike she delivered shattered foes as if they were fragile dolls.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
Enemies flew in every direction, ripped apart by the resonant shockwaves of her fists. Yet even amidst the brutal barrage, Lea let out a graceful sigh, her voice gentle and almost playful, as though she were speaking at a tea party.
"Oh dear… I really do dislike violence."
And still, a feminine smile curved her lips as her enemies crumbled all around her.
Emma had already closed the distance to the giant turtle when she narrowed her eyes, lips curling in excitement.
"Let's see how strong my new power really is," she murmured.
Flames whirled wildly around her, spiraling inward as she condensed them into a single, blazing point. The air rippled from the sheer heat. The turtle, sensing danger through primal instinct, immediately conjured a massive barrier of liquid-like energy, shimmering like water under moonlight.
Emma only smirked. "Too late."
She thrust her hands forward, shouting the name of her skill, "[Ultimate Skill : Solar Burst]."
The compressed flames erupted into a beam, a searing lance of heat like a sun-born laser that cut through everything in its path. The battlefield trembled as scorched earth split open, waves of fire sweeping mercilessly forward.
But when the light faded, the turtle's colossal frame still stood firm. Its icy aura clashed against the inferno, neutralizing much of the heat. The laser had left only a deep scorch mark across its shell, barely a wound.
Emma's confident grin faltered.
The turtle threw back its head and roared, the sound reverberating like thunder. Then, with shocking speed for a creature of its size, it lunged forward, tearing up the ground beneath its feet as it charged straight at her.
Emma's breath caught. "H-Hey… no way. That thing can run that fast?"
Panic flared in her chest as she spun on her heel, already trying to flee while the beast bore down on her with unstoppable force.
Emma darted away in a frantic sprint, the ground shaking with every thunderous step of the massive turtle behind her.
From atop a mound of fallen monsters, Lea tilted her head, watching the scene unfold with a playful smile. "Looks like Emma's playing tag now. That actually looks fun."
Emma shot her an exasperated glare as she ran. "Don't just stand there, help me!"
Lea shrugged, her tone teasing. "That's what you get for attacking recklessly."
Before Emma could retort, Fey had already stepped forward, her eyes narrowing with focus. Raising her arms, liquid surged forth, forming a translucent barrier that rose like a wall between Emma and the charging turtle. The beast slammed into it with a muffled boom, and for a moment, it seemed to be trapped inside the shimmering liquid, thrashing as if swimming against an unseen tide.
Then Fey clenched her fist, and the barrier shifted. The liquid darkened to a vivid crimson, its waves spreading and curling around the turtle like burning chains. The creature bellowed in pain as the red tide gnawed at its body.
But the victory was short-lived. With a deafening roar, the turtle's sheer strength shattered the crimson barrier, liquid exploding outward like rain.
Fey stumbled back, her eyes wide. "Impossible… my liquid was broken just like that?"
With a faint smile, Emma said, "There's always a first time for everything."
And Emma's flames flared back to life as she steadied her breath, heat rising from her palms. Lea hopped down from her perch, brushing dust off her skirt as though the battlefield were nothing more than a stage. "Alright, alright… I'll lend a hand."
The turtle roared again, its icy aura spreading, frost creeping across the ground toward them. Fey narrowed her eyes, lifting her hands once more. The liquid under her command swirled, this time forming into countless thin streams that coiled around the beast's legs. "I'll hold it still. Do it now!"
Emma grinned, sparks snapping between her fingers. "Got it."
But before she could release her flames, Lea darted forward, her figure suddenly multiplying into two, then three, then five versions of herself, each a perfect copy moving in unison. With doubled strength, she lunged, her fists slamming into the turtle's shell, cracks echoing like thunder. "I hate violence," she said in her feminine lilt, even as her blows struck with terrifying force.
The monster staggered, bellowing in fury. Fey tightened her grip, the crimson liquid wrapping tighter, searing into its joints. "Emma, now!" she cried.
Emma clenched her fists together, her fire condensing into a blazing sphere, brighter and hotter than before. "This time, you won't shrug it off!" She thrust her arms forward, and a concentrated beam of searing fire lanced out, striking directly into the crack Lea had opened.
The turtle howled, its massive body rearing back, steam rising where flame and liquid ate through its icy defense. For the first time, the beast's movements faltered.
Lea smirked, brushing her bangs from her face. "See? Much better when you don't rush in alone."
Emma, panting, shot her a tired grin. "Fine, fine… I'll admit it. This isn't so bad."