They seemed to be quickly recovering, along with the other chosen ones, looking at her with wary expressions before she shifted her attention back to the warriors.
"Can someone explain to me what is going on?" Fifi's voice was serious and curious.
The warrior beside her stepped forward and quickly recounted what had transpired in a matter of minutes.
Fifi nodded in understanding and redirected her gaze towards the towering figure of a man, whose height and muscular build dwarfed even her own imposing stature, standing beside the unfamiliar woman. After listening to the warrior's explanation, she could say she wasn't fond of them.
Both wore strange smiles as if sensing her scrutinising gaze. Their eyes briefly locked with hers before she redirected her attention to the Four-eared gods chosen on the other side. While she empathised with their plight, facing an enemy responsible for the massacre of their race, she couldn't allow them to act disorderly, especially if it meant destroying Orion's hard-built city.
Meanwhile, Leif and the others grew even angrier, seeing that Sieg and Evadne were protected. Suddenly, the various strands of Vylkr energy surrounding Leona dissipated, causing her to fall to the ground before swiftly using the tip of her Gearweaver sword to push herself back up.
"Leona!" Leif exclaimed urgently, noticing her condition.
"Don't worry, I'm okay," Leona said wearily.
With a deep frown, she shifted her attention to her Devourer's bracelet and opened a small compartment. She retrieved a small gold vial adorned with intricate designs and shook it lightly near her ears.
"TCH! My vial has emptied, Captain. It seems I will no longer be of help," she added with a click of her tongue, tossing the small gold vial to the ground.
Hearing Leona's words, a deep frown creased Leif's and Carl's expressions.
"Carl, take her out of here. I'll handle the rest," Leif said, directing her attention towards Carl.
He understood that if the gods' chosen emptied their vials mid-battle, they would be incredibly weary and find it difficult to move their bodies. Since Leona appeared to be in this condition, it was best to get her out of harm's way.
Carl nodded, swiftly deactivating his Devourer's bracelet before assisting Leona. However, she wasn't eager to leave just yet.
"Don't worry about me. I can manage on my own and ensure my own safety," Leona insisted, her voice firm.
Carl appeared uncertain about what to do next, returning his attention to Leif.
Leif released a resigned sigh and shook his head. He said, "Keep an eye on her. I'll see if I can take care of that bastard alone." His intense gaze fixed on Seig and Evadne.
Fifi sensed their disregard for her presence and reluctance to back down.
"For your own sake, it's best to return to your district and rest for a while. Otherwise, I'll have to intervene personally," Fifi warned.
She knew Orion would appreciate her effort in handling a few troublemakers in Orion's cities.
She also wanted to leave a mark in their memories, which they would always remember whenever they met. She didn't plan to cause severe injuries but merely rendered them unconscious for the healers and warriors to handle later.
Hearing Fifi's words, Leif clenched his teeth together in fury. "Boost!" he said, and instantly, the various strands of Vylkr energy enveloping his body multiplied several times over, extending into the air around him. "Boost!" he repeated, intensifying the Vylkr energy even further.
"Captain!" Carl and Leona screamed in bewilderment, their eyes wide with disbelief at Leif's drastic actions. This time, it no longer resembled an aura; instead, it appeared as a fierce, raging flame stretching and burning several meters above and around his body.
Just as Leif was about to speak again, a familiar voice rang out from behind, "LEIF! THAT'S ENOUGH!!" Isadora screamed, her eyes filled with fear and helplessness as she witnessed the countless raging strands of Vylkr energy spreading around him and stretching into the sky.
Lyndon also observed Leif with a look of horror in his eyes. After all, they all knew what he was planning to do, especially after witnessing firsthand the various gods' chosen who had died in this way during their escape from 'The Sleeping Fox' runaway City under Captain Seig and his unit.
Leif was overclocking his Devourer's bracelet.
Overclocking the Devourer's bracelet allows for a higher infusion speed of Vylkr energy into the gods' chosen body, significantly boosting their combat abilities. This surge enhances their speed, strength, durability, and senses, allowing them to easily overpower their opponents or turn the tides in their favour. However, overclocking the Devourer's bracelet is a short-term burst that can only be sustained for a limited time.
The consequence of overclocking is that the gears that regulate the flow of Vylkr energy and serve as a safety mechanism are pushed to their limits. These gears, which prevent the gods' chosen body from being overwhelmed by the influx of Vyklr energy alongside the Devourer's heart, acting as a miniature regulator, expand its Vylkr energy conduction pathways to become more efficient.
This adaptation allows for a faster and intensified transfer of Vylkr energy, attempting to keep up with the intense output.
Despite these efforts, the system becomes strained. The valves of the Devourer's bracelet remain open to expel the excess Vylkr energy, and the concentrated flow of Vylkr energy remains directed towards the gods' chosen body, effectively overworking the Devourer's bracelet beyond its standard capacity.
Usually, the Devourer's bracelet stabilises the influx of Vylkr energy and returns it to normal with only minor damages. However, it might render the gods' chosen unable to utilise Vylkr energy for a fixed amount of time until its repairs are complete, or it could result in various failures and malfunctions.
However, suppose the Devourer's bracelet fails to stabilise itself, as Leif had prevented it from doing so twice already. In that case, the consequences could be alarming, leading to prolonged damage to the Devourer's bracelet and erratic behaviour in the gods' chosen, causing them to lose control of themselves. They may suffer multiple severe internal injuries and, in the worst cases... death.
