"Watch out!" Neal could only scream as he saw what Queen Selene was about to do, attempting to alert his team members. But it was too late.
The wind picked up as the light radiated brilliantly around Queen Selene's palms. In an instant, before the Gem Shroud member could react or evade the incoming attack, a crystal sentient serpent, approximately 10 meters tall, shot out from the light.
It pierced through the gut of the Gem Shroud member, completely shattering him and tearing him apart, dividing his body into two.
Seeing that one more of her attackers had fallen, Queen Selene shifted her focus to the remaining seven, who had retreated to a safe distance. With a tone of weary certainty, she addressed them, "Since you're here to kill the royal family, I assume you've brought something or someone capable of such an act." She shook her head as if foreseeing the outcome.
With a wave of her hand, she commanded the serpent to protect the royal carriage before she immediately withdrew her attention, focusing on her attackers, and swiftly reactivating the technique.
Atficer's Masterpiece!
Similar to the first time, several crystal shards of various sizes gathered beneath her feet, seemingly drawing energy from the light emanating from her hand. The winds beneath her picked up speed until a 15-meter-long crystal serpent formed under her feet, and only then did the wind subside.
'FUCK!' Orion cursed internally as he observed the scene unfolding. It appeared that the Queen's reputation as the strongest Prismerian in the kingdom was well-deserved. He pondered whether this was her limit or if she had more power in reserve, considering it seemed like she hadn't gone all out yet.
Nevertheless, he chose to continue observing, realizing that they might not require his help to handle the situation.
Meanwhile, realizing the intensity of the situation, Neal couldn't help but grit his teeth.
'A Crystal King is truly something else,' he praised the Queen mentally before shifting his attention to the remaining seven members of the Gem Shroud Legion.
"COVER ME!! NO MATTER HOW STRONG SHE IS, SHE DEFINITELY CAN'T TAKE ALL SEVEN OF US IF WE ATTACK AT ONCE!!" he screamed, then reached into his pocket to retrieve a beautiful 15-inch green fabric strap resembling a choker with a brilliant ruby-like pendant at its centre, which contrasted strikingly with the bright green fabric.
Holding the choker tightly in his hands, Neal muttered to himself, "If we can manage to fasten the 'Amberian Soulbind Collar' around any part of her body, we might be able to restrain her strength to that of an ordinary Prismerion and finish her." The 'Amberian Soulbind Collar' was an ancient artefact, said to have existed since before they were trapped within this mountain.
The clan leader had pinned his hopes on it to win this battle. And even if they had never considered challenging the Queen, who was at the Crystal King Rank, they couldn't possibly decline a mission handed down by the Clan Head.
Also, he hadn't forgotten the Clan Leader's promise to promote them to the second division if they succeeded.
As such, no matter what….
Gemheart Surge!
Gleaming Heart Scale!
Neal channelled all his magical energy into activating an advanced Gemheart Clan specialty.
"Earthshatter Pulse!!"
Neal slammed his left foot into the ground, sending visible shockwaves rippling through the earth. The barrier trembled, and the ground within it collapsed, forming a deep pit beneath his foot.
The shockwaves spread out like spiderwebs, extending towards the location of the royal carriage.
Seeing this, Queen Selene's eyes narrowed as she attempted to control the crystal serpent to move the royal carriage.
However, before she could do so, another wave of shockwaves slammed into her, momentarily destabilizing her control. "Gemheart Clan," Queen Selene muttered in anger as she immediately recognized this technique.
Looking downward, she spotted three more cloaked figures, with four of them approaching her beast from below and the other four soaring into the sky, rapidly closing in on her position.
Wave's Barriage!!
Without hesitation, she activated the Crystalforge Clan's intermediate specialty. The air tore apart with a sharp sound as various-sized crystal spikes and swords shot forward, instantly striking down one of the cloaked figures and sending them plummeting towards the ground.
Her attention immediately shifted to the next figure. However, realizing they were closing in fast, Queen Selene swiftly clasped her hands together at the front, using her bluish scale armour to intercept the oncoming collision. The dagger shattered, resulting in an impact that produced a resounding "Bang!" that nearly jolted her from the serpent's head.
Wave's Barriage!!
Her next opponent was pinned on the serpent's head, their brilliant crimson blood soon pooling beneath her feet.
However, before she could react once more, an enormous force collided with the side of her waist. Even though her armour managed to withstand it, the tremendous impact still sent her sprawling backwards, forcing her to forcefully divert her attention as she struggled to stabilize herself atop the serpent.
'BANG!' Another collision was aimed at the side of her face, momentarily disorienting her and sending her plummeting towards the ground. One of them immediately wrapped something around her neck.
Gritting her teeth in anger, Queen Selene screamed furiously, 'DIE!' as she activated 'Wave's Barrier,' sending it hurtling toward the attacker in front of her.
"AHHHH!!!" Neal managed to dodge the attack, but it came at the cost of his arm. He couldn't feel a part of his body anymore, and as they both landed with a heavy 'Bang!' on the ground, he could only grit his teeth and smile through the pain.
Queen Selene quickly came to her senses, feeling something tightening around her neck.
As she stood up and stabilized her body, she reached for the unseen object. The more she pulled on it, the tighter it constricted, causing her to yank on it in frustration. She soon realized her efforts were futile and redirected her focus to the cloaked figure who had sacrificed his arm to dodge her attack.
