Below, Cashew slowly advanced toward Omelet.
Her steps were unhurried, unbothered—as if the entire battlefield were nothing more than a small stage for her amusement.
Her wings—also her arms—spread wide, and the air above trembled faintly.
From the empty sky, countless thin silver threads began to materialize. At first they were faint, barely visible lines. But within moments, they multiplied, weaving into a dense web suspended directly above Omelet's head.
"Dancing String. Pierce!"
She lowered her hand.
Dozens of threads shot downward like a rain of blades, tearing into the earth. The ground beneath Omelet was punctured again and again, splitting into deep ravines. Dirt and shattered debris exploded outward. A terrifying pressure wave hurled him away.
Omelet rolled several times across the dust-covered ground littered with broken mushroom fragments, his back burning in pain. He forced himself to crawl, palms scraping against the dirt as he tried to avoid the invisible spears continuing to stab downward.
Each thread that struck the earth exploded with a sharp, cannon-like blast. Every impact cracked the ground open even further.
On the other side of the battlefield, Shinji had just kicked away an ant soldier who had slashed his arm. He hadn't even caught his breath when he heard the earth erupting.
He spun around.
"Omelet!"
His gaze tightened.
Gripping his sword hilt, he yanked the blade free and raised it high.
"Stay away from him!"
Without hesitation—
Shinji hurled the sword at Cashew with every ounce of strength left in his body. The blade spun violently through the air, shrieking from friction.
Cashew didn't even bother looking.
Clang!
A thin silver thread flashed.
The moment the sword reached her, it was sliced cleanly in half. Both pieces fell uselessly to the ground.
"You're the one who should stay away."
Her voice dripped with mockery.
Before Shinji could react—
Kriz appeared behind him.
Though unconscious, his body moved under Cashew's control. The stone blade in his hand slashed straight into Shinji's back.
Slash!
Blood sprayed in a long arc. Shinji collapsed to one knee in agony.
Before he could escape, another strike came—this time carving into his left shoulder. With Kriz's body already severed and incomplete, the blow lacked full strength—but it was still enough to tear flesh and draw blood.
Kriz, still unconscious, continued advancing.
Shinji dragged himself backward, desperately trying to avoid the relentless strikes.
Chaos filled the battlefield.
Lio remained bound, his body slowly being constricted as the threads tightened and cut into his skin. Lumber lay in a pool of blood. Gumber was being relentlessly assaulted by Almond's blade. And Shinji, wounded and barely standing, struggled to evade the attacks of Kriz's manipulated corpse.
Omelet sat frozen on the ground, hands braced behind him, eyes wide.
His heart pounded wildly.
"No… I'm not a coward… I'm not!"
The voice in his head lashed like a whip.
When he saw Shinji fall, Cashew resumed her leisurely steps toward him.
"Such a waste of time… hurry up and die for me, trash."
She didn't even look ahead, lowering her head slightly as she walked, wings spreading wide.
And then—
A small pebble flew straight at her.
Tap!
It struck her forehead.
She paused and lifted her head in surprise.
Ahead of her, Omelet was standing.
He stood upright, breathing hard.
The fear in his eyes was gone.
In his hand were small stones he had grabbed from the ground. He threw another. Before it could reach her, a silver thread sliced it into hundreds of fragments midair.
"You ugly owl-faced witch! I won't be afraid of you anymore!"
His voice still trembled—but he didn't step back.
Cashew chuckled softly, her eyes narrowing with delight.
"How adorable… the more you struggle, the more I enjoy it."
She raised her wings toward the sky.
Omelet looked up.
Three silver threads were already hovering above his head.
Cashew lowered her hand.
"Dancing String. Triples Death!"
Whoosh!
Three massive strands plunged down like giant blades.
Omelet threw himself to the side with everything he had. The ground where he had stood split into three deep gashes, dust erupting into the air.
Without waiting, he flapped his wings and shot upward.
He hurled stone after stone—but each one was cut apart before reaching Cashew.
Omelet gritted his teeth, preparing another throw—
Whoosh!
A string flashed like lightning.
A thin line of red appeared across his cheek.
Blood sprayed.
A lock of his golden hair was severed, spiraling gently through the air before touching the ground.
Cashew tilted her head back and smiled with cruel delight.
"Little lamb… I can kill you anytime I want."
Another string shot forward.
Omelet was forced to descend, flying low near the ground to avoid being sliced in half midair.
He skimmed across the surface, wings beating wildly. Behind him, silver threads continued to carve into the earth, each strike leaving deep claw-like trenches.
"But I'll play with you until you're exhausted enough to die on your own!"
Her laughter echoed—long, warped, and distorted.
Omelet flew past a cluster of mushrooms Almond had previously severed. Their broken remains lay scattered across the battlefield.
Suddenly—
His vision blurred.
The world tilted slightly.
A loud ringing pounded in his ears like a drum echoing inside his skull.
His body lost balance.
Gritting his teeth, he forced himself sideways with the last of his strength. Cashew's threads tore through the space he had just occupied.
Omelet crashed onto the ground, gasping for breath. His hands trembled as he pushed himself up.
He tried to stand.
His vision swayed.
"What the… those mushrooms…"
The ground seemed to ripple.
The sounds of battle faded—then surged back again.
In the distance, Cashew tilted her head, her smile widening further.
"Well now… has the little lamb broken its legs already?"