Orion shook his head and reassured her, saying, "Don't worry, I'll come after you once I'm done. Just do me a favour and run when you have the chance." He understood Princess Crystalia's concerns because he himself wasn't entirely confident about his plan.
Nevertheless, he had concluded that obtaining that sword was crucial to completing the trial, so he decided to give it a try.
However, if he failed, he wanted them to reach safety first, as he knew he could escape later.
"Alright, I'll do as you say. But if you waste time and don't come back, then I will kill you myself," Princess Crystalia said with a worried expression, her gaze turning fierce as she looked at Orion.
Orion nodded with a wry smile on his lips and replied, "Don't worry, I don't plan on dying."
Princess Crystalia nodded in agreement, and they both turned to watch as the group collected several droplets of divine blood and passed them down one after another.
Meanwhile, Orion kept a close eye on the battle between the white-clothed winged woman and White Flame.
As the great sword was being forged using her blood, the winged woman calmly poured her last remaining power into it and then chose to use her soul to complete the process.
In a matter of minutes, after this unique procedure, the entire sword started radiating an intense crimson light, only to suddenly fade away. One couldn't help but notice not only the blood-red jewel on its hilt but also the improved refinement of the four-meter-long great sword.
Seeing that her last chance to win this battle had arrived, she reached out and seized the floating sword. She then stabbed it into the ground and used it as a prop to rise, her wings unfurling.
She began, "Oh, god that wonneth on earth..."
"...DIEE!!"
In the blink of an eye, even faster than anyone could track her movement, she materialized in front of White Flame, her sword cleaving downward. However, White Flame didn't flinch and instantly summoned a small mountain in front of him, stopping the sword's descent.
Before anyone could react, half of the mountain detached itself and violently crashed down on the winged woman, sending her plummeting to the ground once more.
"BAAMMM!!"
"BOOOMM!!"
The already collapsed high ground shook violently before crumbling once more, causing those outside of it to feel as though an earthquake was shaking the earth beneath their feet.
Then, it abruptly disappeared.
From the exchange that had just occurred, Orion could tell that White Flame had the upper hand in this battle. Furthermore, since White Flame had only recently become a man-made god, it seemed he was testing and comparing his strength against a true god to see how well he fared.
This was evident from the way he remained in his position, patiently waiting for the winged woman to recover and launch another attack.
Nevertheless, considering that the eighty-one participants had successfully collected several droplets of divine blood, securing them within compartments of their armour, Orion turned to Princess Crystalia and said, "Run as fast as you can to the gate with the others and don't stop until you've passed through. I'll catch up with all of you after I'm finished." He locked his gaze intently with hers.
Princess Crystalia nodded in understanding and swiftly responded, "Alright, I'll go." Orion had already informed her of this previously, so she didn't hesitate.
With two compartments in her armour containing portions of divine blood for both her and Orion, she turned her head toward the remaining eighty-one participants.
"ALRIGHT, EVERYONE, PROTECT THE DIVINE BLOOD YOU HAVE AND RUN TOWARDS THE GATE AS FAST AS YOU CAN. DO NOT STOP UNTIL YOU HAVE CROSSED IT!! GO!!"
Her resounding voice filled the air, spurring them into action. Without wasting a second, they all nodded and turned to run, evading and bypassing any opponents they encountered, keeping their focus on reaching the gate.
Just as Princess Crystalia was about to rush forward, she quickly turned back and sealed her lips with Orion's.
Flintor, who had been patiently waiting for the Princess so that he could follow behind, was stunned by her unexpected actions.
Orion, however, allowed the kiss to linger, letting their lips meld until it was abruptly broken off.
"I'll be waiting for you, so you better not die," she said, her eyes welling up with tears before she turned and ran toward the other side before Orion could see her crying.
Orion smiled and shook his head, having already noticed her teary eyes.
However, as the winged woman was about to free herself from beneath the huge rock on top of her, Orion decided to wait for a minute to allow Princess Crystalia and the rest of the participants to escape.
He waited just in time for the winged woman to completely shatter through the massive rock, showcasing her exceptional strength despite her otherwise weakened form.
Holding the four-meter crimson great sword with one hand, she stretched her other hand and summoned dozens of thick, blazing spears of light. With a sudden thrust, she launched them toward White Flame.
She intended to create another barrage, buying herself time to recover. However, something caught her attention from the side.
The winged woman swung her blade, thinking it was a surprise attack from the mysterious god.
Her eyes involuntarily widened as she stopped her attack, realizing it was one of her own children.
Stretching her gaze, the winged woman saw that her children from afar were still driven mad, mercilessly killing each other. She withdrew her focus and fixed it on the figure before her. "Child, art thou not compelled to kill thine own sibling?" she asked, puzzled by how he had broken free from the godly trance, her brows furrowing in confusion.
Orion, seeing that the winged woman was much taller than he had expected, probably about seven or eight feet tall, quickly composed himself and shook his head. "Unlike them, I don't feel anything. Please, goddess, I am confused about what is going on. I don't know what else I am supposed to do," Orion replied.
