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A blinding light engulfed Illuminus and the surrounding sea. When it finally subsided— There stood the faceless giant, now clad in a full suit of golden armor, bestowed by Tiffany.
"This…!? It's not the halberd like before, but…!"
"It's a Hyrule Menace's weaponization?!"
"Indeed, though it’s a different type…"
While it might have been possible to face Maxwell and the faceless giant on their own, the addition of Tiffany dramatically amplified their power. The faceless giant wielding Charlotte in her weaponized form had previously fought Inglis without losing.
Though the outcome of that battle remained uncertain, it was clear that the giant wouldn't have been easily defeated. Now, however, they faced that same power without the aid of Inglis.
"A foe that even Glis couldn’t defeat, and it’s just us…!"
As Rafinha and the others readied themselves for battle, the golden-armored giant ignored them and launched a massive punch aimed at the central research facility.
The fist seemed to swing through empty air—
—but the gale force unleashed by its motion struck the crumbling research facility like a hurricane, obliterating its fragile remains.
The attack caused the building to groan even louder, threatening to collapse entirely. Inside, many Highlanders still remained, but now they hurriedly ran outside in a panic.
"It's going to collapse! Hurry!"
Seeing this, Maxwell, embedded in the giant's throat, burst into laughter.
"Hahahaha! They're coming out, they're coming out, they're all coming out! Look, such delicious prey! Feast, my giant!"
"No! I told you, I won't let you!"
The arrow of light shot forth once again, responding to Rafinha's strong will. It glowed with a bluish-white spiritual brilliance.
The giant intercepted it, catching the arrow with its golden gauntleted hand.
The giant, clad in Tiffany's armor, was clearly an entirely different entity from before.
The giant then clasped the light arrow in both hands and crushed it. The bluish-white brilliance of the arrow scattered like mist and disappeared.
"Unfortunately for you, that was too weak! This is the ultimate, complete form! Born for the nation of Venefique and destined to die for the nation of Venefique, a warrior of justice!"
Laughing with immense glee, Maxwell's voice rang out. His typically calm demeanor was gone, revealing this as his true nature.
"What justice!? How can you call this… how can you call this justice!?"
Rafinha focused her will once more, drawing her bow tightly. She didn't know if she could shoot the same arrow again, but surely her trusty Artifact would respond to her determination—
However, her Flowing Radiance suddenly cracked all over and began to crumble apart.
"Eh!? My Flowing Radiance?!"
"Like when Inglis used my sword…!?"
Previously, when Inglis had used Leone's black greatsword Artifact, the weapon had been destroyed afterward, necessitating a new one crafted by Special Envoy Theodore.
Leone's current Artifact was its second iteration.
Inglis had also mentioned before that she didn’t typically use magic artifacts because ‘They break when I use them.’
If Inglis' power was now residing within Rafinha, then Rafinha using an Artifact could lead to the same result—its destruction.
"This is bad timing…!"
"N-no way! Without the Flowing Radiance, I can't… I can't protect everyone anymore!?"
Leone slapped Rafinha on the back.
Following Leone's pointed finger, they saw a smoky, evaporating mist rising from around Maxwell, who was embedded in the giant's body.
"That wasn’t there before. It must be an effect of the Hyrule Menace weaponization."
A Hyrule Menace in weapon form absorbs the user's life force and disperses it. After a prolonged or intense battle—such as one fierce enough to subdue a Prisma—the wielder’s life would eventually be depleted.
That was the nature of such a weapon.
"Then, that power isn't infinite…!"
"Exactly! Which means we don't necessarily have to defeat it ourselves."
"If we can just buy enough time, it’ll self-destruct on its own, and we can protect Mais and everyone else!"
"Right, let’s do what we can!"
As Rafinha and the others nodded in agreement, Maxwell sneered at them mockingly.
"Hahahahaha! Useless, useless, USELESSSSS! Your futile struggles are MEANINGLESSS!!!!"
"Say what you want, but we can see the smoke rising from your body! Who’s the one bluffing now? We know what happens when a Hyrule Menace is utilized—it doesn’t come without a price!"
"I’ll give you that! The price for wielding the Hyrule Menace is being paid by the giant’s body! A beautiful act of patriotism, indeed…! But even that won’t last forever!"
"Which is why you’re so desperate to defeat us quickly, isn’t it!? We know that too!"
"We won’t go down… that easily!"
"Everyone! Please distance yourselves from the giant and run away! Its activity has a time limit! If we can hold out until then—!"
Liselotte called out to the Highlanders.
"That’s where your thinking is naive! Even if the giant and I reach our limit, look over thereee!"
With Maxwell's cry, the giant pointed behind Rafinha and the others, toward the opposite shoreline. What should have been the dark sea at night was now illuminated by a beautiful, radiant rainbow glow.
And there, in the shimmering waters, was the silhouette of an enormous fish, so large it might rival or even surpass the faceless giant, its iridescent dorsal fin protruding from the sea.
"N-no way!? Is that—"
“A Prisma?! The Sea Devil is—?!”
In the town of Shealot on the western coast of Charalia, where Liselotte was from, there were ancient tales of a Sea Devil appearing in the Shaker Open Seas beyond the sheltered inland waters, sinking passing ships.
According to records preserved by the House of Althea, the so-called Sea Devil was described as a massive fish covered in shimmering rainbow scales. Given their current location along the travel route from Charalia, this area was likely somewhere in the Shaker Open Seas.
And the sight before them now perfectly matched the descriptions recorded in the House of Althea’s archives.
"Y-, young miss… where should we run to…? Hahaha…"
The question came from a trembling Highlander man, but Liselotte had no immediate answer.