From the start of the battle, Yasmin, who Vira was protecting since that was the job given to her, was doing only two things.
First, she was using her first technique to expand the effect of Lucy and Anna's skills. This was a technique Klaus had given her before leaving for his training.
It allowed her to multiply the effects of the skills used by those she used it on. She expanded Lucy and Anna's skills by three since she had mastered the technique to the third stage.
However, that wasn't the only thing she was doing. In addition to the boost, she was using her healing technique to heal Kilian and Kilian alone.
She was meant to help Anna in the health department, but she was healing on Kilian for this particular battle.
This was because of the combined attack Lucy, Anna, and Kilian were executing. Lucy had calculated it would take ten minutes to set up, but it took Anna 15 minutes.
But it was now done, and looking closely at all the Tier 8 and 80% of the Tier 9s left, one could tell Anna had done what she was meant to do.
Her face was pale, and Klaus, who saw that, knew something big was about to happen. This was confirmed when he met Lucy's gaze, and she smiled.
"That is the last one, big sister," Anna said, handing everything over to Lucy. Lucy looked away from Klaus and gave a command.
"Team 2 to 6, execute shadow steps!"
Danny was in the middle of attacking a Tier 8 with his axe, but the moment he heard Lucy's command, he abandoned the attack and moved back.
But she wasn't the only one.
Except for Kathy, Nia, Lulu, Nuna, Miriam, and Aoi, everyone else moved back, with only one moving forward. Kilian moved forward and stopped when he was far enough.
He raised his sword, which was immediately engulfed in dark flames.
"Twisting Vine Queen", Lucy activated her skill, causing a green beauty to appear towering behind her.
She immediately turned pale when the skill activated. However, she instantly recovered when the green beauty placed a green crown made of vines on her head.
"Absolute bind, twisting within the domain of dried woods."
She used another skill, and instantly, the marks left on the bodies of the ants by Anna activated. From the ground, vines shot out, binding the thousands of branded ants.
She waved her staff, and all the monsters were dragged to the side, immediately enclosed in a domain of dried wood.
"Make it count, Kilian." Her voice was weak, showing her exhaustion from using the skill.
Kilian nodded as his eyes began to exude black flames. His sword also radiated the same energy.
Then, up in the air, a dark, colossal sword appeared identical to the one he was wielding.
"Dark Impurity Sword." His voice was eerie as he spoke.
The sword in the air shuddered, and with one powerful swing of his blade, the dark sword in the sky shot down at incredible speed and jammed into the ground at the centre of the dried woods.
The ground exploded, and dark flames engulfed every living thing inside the domain, forcing painful screeches from the unfortunate ants bound within.
The dark flames engulf them and continue to rise as the temperature intensifies.
"Damn, Kilian, that's just too evil," Danny couldn't help but comment, watching as every last ant caught inside the domain of dried wood burned to death.
"Yasmin, heal him." Kilian stepped back with shaky steps, his eyes returning to their normal hue, and his sword ceased burning.
However, the flames that burst from the ground continued to burn hot.
"Handle the 23 Tier 9s left and some of you should go help Kathy and the rest," Lucy gave another order, and the rest of her teammates sprang back into action.
Meanwhile, a few kilometres away from the battlefield, the ant lady, who had been looking for an opening to counter the growing threats aimed at her queen, became conflicted about who to attack first.
She saw Asha using the two ant Queens and knew this was the fate that awaited her queen.
But when she saw how Kilian killed most of her ant army, she realized the need to handle him before he could do the same thing again.
However, watching the odds turn against her, she knew she would be going against odds she couldn't handle despite her being at the peak of the Ascendent stage.
Her chances were basically non-existent.
This left her standing as she watched her army get killed one by one.
In no time, all remaining Tier 9 ants were wiped out, and soon, the last of the Tier 10s were eliminated.
This caused her to frown, and then, looking closely at Asha and Kilian, she moved away and travelled deeper into the forest.
The deeper she went, the more terrifying the aura of the beings she passed by. After moving several kilometres, she approached a structure surrounded by metallic coatings.
It was the colony of the ants, where their queen resided.
Looking around, she counted 18 Tier 10 ant warriors, each at the peak just like her. From their appearance, they were also true beasts, but their appearance wasn't as cute as the one on her.
Of course, the measure of strength was also evident when they saw her; they all bowed. Without even minding them, she entered the colony through the doorway.
After entering, she quickly went deeper until she arrived inside a place filled with 7 cocoons, each exuding a powerful aura.
"My queen," she went down on one knee and bowed.
In response, a figure appeared from behind one of the cocoons.
She was a beauty by beast standards. She was pale in complexion and had two antennas on her forehead. She was clad in what appeared to be exo-living armour.
On her back were three pairs of red wings, hard enough to cut through tough items. She moved and sat down on a bone-like throne.
"Go ahead, Jinx, I am listening," the queen said in a human-female tone. If one were to hear her without seeing her, they wouldn't doubt her nature as a human.
"We have a problem, my queen," Jinx said, causing the lady to focus all her attention on her.