Behind the Holy Fox Sovereign, the space itself began to twist and tear open. One after another, terrifying spatial rifts cracked into existence, and from within them emerged towering, awe-inspiring figures, each radiating an overwhelming, suffocating power.
Every single one of them was unmistakably a 16-Tier powerhouse—no illusions, no tricks. Real, raw, terrifying strength.
And there were more than ten of them.
The moment they appeared, everyone's expression darkened.
"Again? Goddamn it!" Ethan cursed under his breath.
But then he shook his head, eyes gleaming with a sharp light. "Still… this is our shot. Kill them. Get stronger. No holding back."
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"I'll go first, my lord!"
Ataneya was the first to move.
With a flash of her figure, she launched herself straight at the incoming wave of 16-Tier enemies—more than ten of them, and she didn't hesitate for a second.
The others didn't need any more prompting. Seeing her charge in, they all sprang into action, bodies flickering as they surged forward to join the fight.
But this time, it was obvious—they were stronger. Way stronger than before.
Andona had already evolved to the peak of 16-Tier S-Class. Ataneya, Elira, Cicero, Namyanna—they'd all broken through to 16-Tier as well.
And not just barely. They were among the elite of that tier.
Which meant that even though their enemies were also 16-Tier S-Class, this wasn't a hopeless fight anymore.
Suddenly, a monstrous pressure exploded through the battlefield. A new figure emerged from the void—another puppet-like being, eerily similar to the Puppet Sovereign Kane they'd fought before.
Without warning, it lunged straight at them.
Elira didn't hesitate. She shot forward to intercept it.
But the moment they clashed, something was off.
She was losing ground.
"Shit… it's a peak 16-Tier S-Class?" Elira's face tightened, her expression grim.
She wasn't weak—far from it—but she was still just a step below that peak level. And in a fight , even a single step could mean the difference between victory and defeat.
Still, she wasn't backing down.
There wasn't a trace of fear in Elira's eyes. Her body surged with violent, chaotic energy as she unleashed a devastating blow straight at the puppet's chest.
They'd fought these things before. They knew the weak spot—the energy core in the chest.
But this time, her punch didn't land the way it should have.
It didn't even budge the thing.
Instead, her fist got stuck—caught in some strange, invisible force.
"What the hell? Devouring energy? Damn it!" Elira's expression darkened as she realized what was happening. The puppet's chest was pulling at her, draining her power with a relentless, parasitic force.
But then—her eyes flashed.
She'd figured something out.
In the next instant, she did something insane.
She stopped resisting.
She let the puppet absorb her.
The moment she did, the puppet's expression twisted in panic.
"What are you doing?!"
It tried to cut off the devouring force, but it was too late.
In that split-second opening, a surge of power—dark, primal, like the wrath of an Umbral Archdemon—erupted from Elira's body.
It punched straight through the puppet's chest, right into its core.
The thing screamed in agony.
It was strong, no doubt about that—but its weakness was just too obvious. And Elira had exploited it perfectly. In one brutal move, she'd nearly torn it apart.
She pressed the attack, relentless and merciless, hammering it with blow after blow, draining its dark magic with every strike.
Within moments, her own power surged—rising, climbing, until she broke through.
She hit the peak of 16-Tier S-Class.
Explosions of raw energy burst from her body, wave after wave of violent power flooding the battlefield.
The air itself trembled.
The space around her warped.
The brutal clash came to a sudden halt—just for a moment.
Everyone's eyes turned skyward.
There, suspended in the air, was a radiant, shimmering phantom of a Demon Moth. Light pulsed from its wings in dazzling bursts, casting eerie glows across the battlefield.
The Holy Fox Sovereign slowly opened his eyes again.
They gleamed with a wild, hungry excitement.
He was staring straight at Elira—like a predator sizing up its prey.
But he didn't say a word.
Just gave her a single, lingering look… then closed his eyes once more.
Watching this unfold, Ethan finally let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding.
He'd been ready to jump in and help Elira himself—but she'd handled it. Not only had she taken down that puppet, she'd broken through to the peak of 16-Tier S-Class.
That changed everything.
Their side had just gotten a whole lot stronger.
But before he could even savor the moment—
A sudden, chilling presence locked onto him.
Danger. Immediate and lethal.
"Who's there?!" Ethan barked, his voice sharp.
A sultry, mocking voice answered, smooth as silk and laced with venom. "We meet again, Lord of Emerald Castle."
From the shadows stepped the woman he'd fought before—one of the three 16-Tier elites who had confronted him earlier. And now, she was back.
"You," Ethan growled.
"I underestimated you," she said with a smirk. "Didn't think you'd be able to push the great Lord Holy Fox this far. But it ends here. Once you're dead, your people will crumble. No hope. No future."
She tilted her head, eyes gleaming with cruel delight.
"You face your doom, Ethan. And it has a name—Lilith."
With that, she vanished in a blur of motion, launching herself straight at him.
She hit like a storm. Her aura exploded outward, wild and overwhelming. Her long hair whipped behind her like a banner of chaos, and her entire body radiated a terrifying, unhinged power.
She wasn't just strong—she was a monster.
And she was already at 16-Tier S-Class.
Ethan didn't have time to hesitate.
With a sharp breath, he surged forward to meet her.
His power flared, lightning crackling around him as he hurled a condensed energy sphere straight at her.
But Lilith barely blinked.
She swatted the orb aside like it was nothing, then lunged in, claws extended, aiming straight for his skull.
Ethan's eyes narrowed. He twisted his wrist and met her strike with a thunderous punch.
The moment their fists collided, the shockwave was deafening. Space itself cracked and splintered around them.
Ethan gritted his teeth, lightning surging wildly across his body. He gathered it all in an instant, then launched himself forward again.
This time, he drove his fist straight into her chest.
But instead of the impact he expected, his knuckles slammed into something hard—armored.
She had a layer of protective plating over her heart, glinting like obsidian.
That punch was just a feint.
The moment it landed, his body flickered—vanished—and reappeared behind her.
Another punch, this one aimed at her exposed back.
That's when he realized—
She wasn't just wearing dragon armor.