Souta and Fendal clashed several times in midair. Souta gained an advantage and was overwhelming his opponent with his strength.
At this moment, Fendal was heavily injured. He could only defend himself, as he had already lost the opportunity to counterattack. It was already too late for him.
The only thing he could do was to defend himself and wait for his comrades to defeat their opponents.
That is, if his comrades could defeat top experts like Genzu and Bezvin.
At this point, Souta was already certain that he could kill Fendal, so he took his time to sense something in the Selnes Country.
"What's happening with the barrier?"
Naruse had mentioned that there was something wrong with the All Filter Barrier Formation.
Didn't the barrier disappear?
His senses were hindered by the energy of thousands of monsters rushing into the country. However, he managed to roughly guess what was happening.
The barrier hadn't completely disappeared; it was still there but no longer exerting any force to prevent the experts from entering inside. There was no suppression at all.
However, it was still flickering, indicating that the All Filter Barrier Formation would soon be fully activated once again.
'So that's what's happening...' Souta thought to himself.
Souta slammed his sword at Fendal. Although Fendal managed to block it, the force behind the strike still pushed him several meters away.
Then, Souta pointed his finger and cast [Black Hole].
Ohm!
A black hole materialized beside Fendal, and he attempted to retreat.
Souta changed his armor into [Blood Armor: Jade Spider]. In an instant, countless strands of blood-red webs spread out, blocking Fendal's path.
"Damn!" Fendal cursed.
A powerful black hole was pulling him, and now, there were these webs as well. The black hole posed a greater threat than the webs; it could easily shred a Four Shackles expert apart.
So Fendal swung his halberd to fend off the incoming webs.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
At the same time, the four spider limbs on Souta's back pointed at Fendal. He unleashed several [Bestrou]s, creating a massive beam in the sky.
Boom!!
Souta stepped forward, moving through the shadows. He didn't even give Fendal time to recover before appearing beside him.
Fendal gritted his teeth, his figure covered in blood, and his breathing heavy. He was nearing his limit.
Souta muttered as he swung his sword.
"You're finished."
A brilliant red light flashed within the sword, heading for Fendal's face.
...
Souta wasn't the only one who sensed that the barrier was about to close. Most of the top experts in the field understood it, leading to a fierce confrontation. The Army of Gluttony surged forward while the Alliance Army attempted to hold them back while retreating.
Schine and Naruse had already returned to the country, rushing back when they saw hundreds of monsters from the river entering the borders.
Kasci also returned to the country, engaging in combat with several Six Circle Officers while his fellow angels dealt with his opponents, allowing him to return to the country.
A number of S-ranks and SS-ranks had also managed to make it back to the country.
Shen Yao narrowed her eyes. She swiftly ended the lives of the two Four Shackles experts who were blocking her path. Then, she turned her head left and right before spotting Li Guan clashing with a powerful expert.
Swoosh!
She flew at high speed to assist him in defeating this expert. Time was running out, and they needed to act quickly.
On the other side...
Genzu and Bezvin were left alone to deal with the four experts of the Wingless Crow. The experts from the Large Countries had abandoned them to handle the Five Circle and Six Circle Officers of the Deadly Sins.
They found themselves in a standoff, fighting for the opportunity to return to the country.
The barrier was about to close any second now.
They had to get back.
Genzu took a deep breath and muttered, "I'm going to end this battle."
A vast amount of energy exploded from his body, causing the entire area to shake. He swiftly appeared in front of the four experts and swung his axe at one of them.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Bezvin narrowed his eyes. He silently concealed himself within the shadows, disappearing from his previous position.
He vanished from the perception of the other experts, carefully hiding within the shadows. Bezvin focused his attention on the battle between Genzu and the four experts, patiently waiting for an opportunity to strike and eliminate one of them.
His concentration was intense. He even noticed that the four experts were intentionally creating an opening for him to attack, but he resisted the temptation. He knew it was a trap.
Seconds passed, and still, he didn't reveal himself.
In this intense battle, much had already transpired. Genzu had clashed with the four experts thousands of times, and wounds had accumulated on their bodies.
Bezvin shifted his gaze, observing the other ongoing battles. He could see that some were holding back, waiting to engage opponents entering the country.
'Then, let me handle this...'
He thought to himself. Bezvin's figure flashed, and darkness enveloped the area in an instant.
[Element Drive: Dark Force]!!
His daggers gleamed in the darkness as they closed in on the four experts.
The sudden burst of energy surprised Genzu. He had expected Bezvin to conceal his energy, but instead, Bezvin had gone all out. The other four experts had the same reaction as Genzu.
They attempted to retreat, but Genzu didn't allow them to do so easily. He swung the giant axe in his hand, hurling a massive energy blade.
[Earth Divine Cleave]!!
The expressions of the four experts darkened.
Meanwhile, Bezvin had already positioned himself beside them. They attempted to intercept the energy blade first, but it detonated before even coming into contact with them.
The sheer force of the explosion sent a shockwave radiating within a five-kilometer diameter.
Boom!!
Despite the damage it inflicted on his body, Bezvin remained focused on the four experts. He swiftly lunged at them, driving his dagger toward the closest person.
Bang!
One of his daggers came dangerously close to the neck of his target but was halted, while the other successfully pierced the chest of his target. Bezvin's face remained cold as he applied more force, attempting to finish off his target, but he failed, leading to a significant error.
However, Bezvin didn't need to worry.
He abruptly retreated, and another energy blade was unleashed.
Genzu slashed once again, unleashing a massive surge of energy that tore through the defenses of his target.
Bang!!
Bezvin kicked through the air and followed up by slashing at the target's neck this time.
All of this transpired in less than a second, leaving the other three experts with no time to react.
One of them fell.
Bezvin and Genzu remained silent as they propelled themselves through the air, closing in on the remaining three experts.
Meanwhile, Hono Flaem, who was in retreat, caught sight of their battle. Seventeen Four Shackles enemies were chasing her. She observed Bezvin and decided to head in his direction.
Whoosh!!
Genzu, Bezvin, and the three experts sensed a sudden increase in temperature and intense energy fluctuations. They turned their heads and spotted Hono flying toward them.
Bezvin quickly grasped the situation and, without uttering a word, vanished into the darkness once more.
The three experts noticed the change, but Genzu continued his attack. Simultaneously, Hono unleashed a massive burst of flames toward the battle.
Boom!!
She arrived on the battlefield and joined Genzu in attacking the three experts. As for the seventeen Four Shackles experts, they remained unaware of Bezvin's presence. Even the three experts, who were stronger than any of the Four Shackles, could hardly sense Bezvin, so how could they?
Whoosh!
Bezvin moved swiftly, effortlessly slashing the necks of six of them before they could react. Six Four Shackles experts were killed in a matter of seconds. This unexpected turn of events stunned them; they hadn't anticipated a top expert hiding nearby.
After eliminating six of them, Bezvin retreated.
Ohm!
Various individuals felt the immense energy surge, akin to a raging tide.
In the next moment, a dark beam descended upon the position of the eleven remaining experts. The beam continued to advance until it collided with the ground, resulting in a massive explosion.
Boom!!
Bezvin ceased his [Element Drive], choosing not to waste any more energy. There would be battles inside the country, so he needed to conserve his strength.
As the beam gradually dissipated, it revealed the location of the remaining experts. His regular strength was sufficient to deal with these individuals. He concealed himself in the darkness once more, eliminating them one by one.
Souta remained in the air, holding Fendal's head with one hand. He was clad in white armor, and the four spider limbs on his back emitted smoke.
He turned his head slightly to observe the ongoing battles.
'We are nearing the end of this battle. Meanwhile, others are still fighting... I've killed one, and Bezvin has taken down one. Shen Yao is on the verge of eliminating one more. That leaves just three experts from the Wingless Crow.'
