Miyamoto hovered high above the island, his eyes fixed on the colossal boulder descending toward the Buddha.
Then his expression changed.
If I unleash this attack, the boy who summoned the Buddha will die along with everyone else caught in the blast.
"This damn art of mojito, sometimes it connects too accurately with the imagination of the caster."
"Damn it."
Miyamoto clenched his fist.
At the last possible moment, he halted the boulder's descent.
The enormous mass stopped in midair, its momentum abruptly restrained by his Renshi. The force of the sudden halt sent a devastating shockwave across the sea, raising towering waves that crashed against the fractured coastline.
Miyamoto exhaled in relief.
But then he noticed the Buddha moving.
The colossal spirit stretched out its remaining arms toward the suspended boulder. Its enormous stone hands seized the rock, and before Miyamoto could react, the two began to merge.
"What the...?"
"He immediately deactivates the boulder with the art of mojito."
His eyes widened as the already fusion taken place accelerated.
The Buddha's stone body absorbed the massive boulder it's already in contact with, layer after layer of rock spreading across its frame. Its shoulders broadened, its torso grew heavier, and its enormous limbs expanded until the creature towered over the shattered island.
It no longer resembled an ordinary summon.
Its body looked as though it had been carved entirely from the earth, with enormous stone beads hanging around its neck. Two of its hands remained pressed together before its chest, while the others spread above and behind its head, forming a terrifying silhouette against the sky.
Miyamoto floated before the colossal spirit, looking no larger than an insect beside its enormous frame.
"Damn it. I forgot."
He narrowed his eyes, studying the fusion.
"This thing was born from the earth. Of course it can merge with stone created through any form of energy. Spiritual energy is no different."
He let out a quiet sigh.
"I'll give you that much credit, creature. You've certainly made this more troublesome than I expected."
His expression hardened as he tightened his grip on his katana.
"But enough. I've wasted too much time playing around."
The Buddha's completed fusion sent another tremor through the sea. The island split even further, its broken sections drifting apart as enormous chunks of land collapsed into the water.
Far below, Raven struggled to maintain her balance amid the falling debris.
The island is finished. The hideout must have been evacuated already. They've probably moved to the other section, or somewhere beyond this place.
Her eyes shifted toward Miyamoto, whose silhouette was barely visible beside the towering spirit.
Reinforcements will arrive soon. He caused all this destruction. He'll pay for it.
As the Buddha's fusion reached completion, the remaining spells holding the battlefield together began to collapse. Glowing symbols shattered into fragments of light, and the strange forces that had distorted gravity finally weakened.
The battlefield returned to normal, leaving behind a devastated island and a fractured coastline.
---
Across the broken ground, Peaches turned toward Lucy.
"Stay close, Lucy. Those two aren't ordinary opponents. Don't give them an opening. The moment either of them moves, be ready to respond."
"All right."
Lucy's answer was calm.
She began walking toward their enemies, one measured step at a time, her hand resting on the hilt of her sword.
Peaches immediately reached for her arm.
"Hey, what are you doing? Don't rush in alone. We need to----"
Lucy brushed his hand aside without even looking at him.
Her steps never slowed.
Raven watched her approach, a faint smile forming beneath her cold gaze.
"Don't bother. You're no match for us, girl."
Lucy stopped a short distance away.
"You seem awfully confident in yourselves. Do you think I'm weaker than my sister?"
Her fingers tightened around her sword.
"If that's what you believe, you've made a serious mistake."
In one smooth motion, she drew her blade.
The moment the sword caught the light, Raven's smile disappeared.
Her eyes widened.
Burning Flame stared at Lucy, his expression turning grim.
"Impossible. You're the Next Emperor's sister?"
Lucy ignored their reaction.
"I have one question. The island has been split apart, and the hideout is somewhere beneath it. Is my sister still down there?"
Raven's expression hardened.
"I can't answer that."
She raised her silver blade, frost gathering along its edge.
"But don't assume destroying this island will help you find her. The hideout isn't located within this domain. You could tear this entire place apart and still fail to reach it."
A cold smile returned to her face.
"Never underestimate the Avengers. We don't leave something this important unprotected."
Lucy remained silent for a moment.
Then she tightened her grip on her sword.
"I see. In that case, there's only one way to find out."
She vanished.
Switch Mode.
A flash of movement carried Lucy straight toward Raven, her blade cutting through the air in a deadly arc aimed at her opponent's head.
Raven barely had time to react.
She raised her sword, but before their blades could meet, a burst of heat erupted above Lucy.
Burning Flame appeared in midair, his enormous weapon blazing as he swung it toward her exposed back.
"You're not getting past us!"
Lucy sensed the attack, but she was already committed to her strike. Changing direction at that moment would leave her vulnerable to Raven.
Then Peaches moved.
"Not so fast."
He snapped his fingers.
The shadows beneath him surged upward, gathering into the shape of a towering knight clad in pitch-black armor. A long sword materialized in the knight's hand as it appeared directly between Lucy and Burning Flame.
CLANG!
The knight caught Storm Breaker with both hands, its armored feet digging into the ground as the impact forced it backward.
Burning Flame narrowed his eyes.
"Tch. A summoning trick, huh? I should've expected as much from your kind."
He twisted his weapon, forcing the knight's sword aside before retreating with Switch Mode and avoiding the counterattack that followed.
At the same moment, Raven thrust out her free hand.
Water rushed from the surrounding air, gathering before her into a thick wall of ice.
Lucy's blade struck the barrier.
CRACK!
The ice shield fractured under the force of the blow, but it held long enough to stop her attack.
Raven used the brief opening to retreat.
Both sides disengaged, using Switch Mode to reposition before reappearing beside their respective partners.
Lucy landed beside Peaches, her sword still drawn.
Raven regrouped with Burning Flame, keeping her eyes on the girl who had nearly reached her.
For several seconds, neither side attacked.
Then Lucy glanced at Peaches.
"I didn't realize you could control both sides of your Renshi so smoothly."
Peaches gave her a faint smirk.
"Don't get the wrong idea. I'm still not very good at balancing them. My dark side is stronger, so I usually rely on it more."
He glanced toward his summoned knight.
"Besides, controlling one or two summons is easy compared to what I'm about to do."
Across the battlefield, Raven leaned toward Burning Flame.
"Eren, listen carefully."
Her voice was low, but there was no mistaking the seriousness in it.
"Don't you dare die here. That's an order. Do you hear me?"
Eren (burning flames) rolled his shoulders, his gaze fixed on Peaches.
"Yeah, yeah. I heard you the first time."
He lifted Storm Breaker and rested its enormous head against his shoulder.
"But don't expect me to hold back just because you're worried about me."
Raven frowned.
"Eren..."
"Relax. I know what I'm doing."
Before she could argue, Eren's body erupted in flames.
His Renshi surged so violently that the ground beneath his feet began to melt. Fire spread across his limbs, swallowing his skin and transforming his entire body into a living inferno.
His outline became indistinct, formed from twisting flames held together by his Renshi. His eyes burned like two points of white-hot light.
Even Storm Breaker changed.
The molten weapon blazed brighter, its edges glowing with enough heat to scorch the ground beneath it.
"Phase Four of the Chronicles... Giant Flame Warrior."
Eren lowered his head, releasing a deep, rumbling laugh.
"Now we're getting somewhere."
Lucy responded immediately.
Light exploded from her body, spreading outward in brilliant waves.
Two enormous wings of light unfurled from her back, their radiant feathers scattering across the sky before dissolving into Renshi. A glowing triangle appeared on her forehead, its three points shining with concentrated Renshi.
The light gathered around her hands.
One blade formed, followed by a second. Both were forged entirely from condensed Renshi, their edges shining with a brilliance that cut through the surrounding darkness.
Lucy rose several feet above the ground, her wings beating once to stabilize her position.
She glanced down at Peaches.
"Be careful. If things get dangerous, retreat. Don't risk your life just to prove a point."
Peaches stared at her for a moment before clicking his tongue.
"Who do you think you're talking to, Lucy? Some little boy?"
The shadows around him began to writhe.
One black-armored knight emerged beside the first. Then another appeared behind them, their swords drawn as all three took position around Peaches.
His Renshi surged through the battlefield. Dark energy spread from his left side while brilliant light gathered around his right.
The two forces collided around his body, resisting one another before gradually settling into a fierce, unstable balance.
His left arm became coated in dark Renshi, while his right shone with blinding light. The opposing Renshi extended across his shoulders and chest, forming a pattern that pulsed with every beat of his heart.
Peaches clenched both fists.
He looked directly at Lucy.
A grin spread across his face.
"This is a competition between you and me. Let's see who's actually stronger."
Lucy stared at him in disbelief.
"You're seriously thinking about that right now?"
"Of course. When else am I supposed to find out?"
She shook her head.
"You're unbelievable."
Despite her words, a faint smile touched her lips before she turned back toward Raven.
Her crystalline wings spread wide, each feather sharpening into a blade of ice. Frozen Renshi wrapped around her hands and feet, forming hooked talons capable of tearing through stone.
Her eyes glowed like twin sapphires, and the temperature around her plummeted.
"Phase Four of the Chronicles... Frozen Owl."
The sea surrounding the broken island began freezing from the edges inward. Thick sheets of ice spread across the water, while the ground beneath Raven cracked under the sudden expansion of frost.
She rose into the air, her wings beating once as a storm of ice crystals gathered around her.
With a sharp movement of her arm, she sent the crystals flying toward Lucy.
Lucy beat her wings and shot upward, narrowly avoiding the first volley. The crystals followed her, changing direction as Raven controlled their movements.
Lucy twisted through the air, deflecting the nearest projectiles with her twin blades. Each collision sent sparks of light and shards of ice scattering across the sky.
Below them, the frost continued spreading toward Peaches.
He planted his feet and released a burst of Renshi.
BOOM!
The pressure shattered the ice creeping across the ground, sending fragments flying away from him. His three shadow knights advanced together, their swords raised as they prepared to intercept Burning Flame.
Eren grinned.
"Three shadow knights? That's cute."
He swung Storm Breaker.
A wave of fire swept across the battlefield, forcing the knights to spread apart. One blocked the attack with its sword, while the other two moved around the flames, attempting to close in from opposite sides.
Eren turned his weapon and struck the ground.
The resulting explosion scattered all three knights, sending their armored bodies tumbling across the broken terrain.
Peaches' expression tightened.
"They're tougher than they look."
He raised his right hand, and a flash of light surged toward Eren. At the same time, darkness gathered around his left arm, extending into a long blade that he gripped firmly.
Eren blocked the light attack with Storm Breaker, but Peaches was already moving through the smoke.
He appeared at Eren's side and swung his dark blade toward the giant's torso.
Eren twisted to meet him.
Their weapons collided, releasing a violent shockwave that tore through the surrounding ground.
Neither gave way.
Across the battlefield, Lucy and Raven clashed again with their swords.
Lucy's twin blades struck from alternating angles, forcing Raven to defend herself while keeping her wings moving to maintain distance. Raven answered with sharp bursts of freezing Renshi, attempting to slow Lucy's movements and restrict her flight.
Lucy narrowly avoided a talon strike that swept past her face.
Raven immediately followed with a wing attack, sending a row of razor-sharp feathers toward Lucy's back.
Lucy folded one wing and dropped sharply, allowing the feathers to pass overhead. She spun beneath Raven and crossed her blades, striking upward.
Raven blocked with both talons.
The impact sent them flying apart.
The two girls hovered above the fractured island, staring at each other through the swirling mist.
Below them, Peaches and Eren continued trading blows, their opposing energies illuminating the battlefield with flashes of light, darkness, and fire.