Zara's form expanded until a massive wolf with a body spanning countless thousands of kilometers appeared in the sky. Its beautiful fallen angel-like wings flapped, causing immense gusts of air that shook the world itself.
Back in her original form, Zara moved like a beast.
She jumped into the crowd of Lesser Nox immediately. The impact of her paws touching the ground alone was enough to kill thousands of them.
AWOOOOOOO!
She raised her head into the air and let out a fierce howl. As the sound waves spread and burst the eardrums of anyone too close, a massive curtain of blackness draped from Zara's wings and fell to the ground.
CRASH!
The curtain exploded into the ground and rose into a tidal wave that eclipsed the sky.
Every Lesser Nox that was caught in it instantly died and became a part of the curtain. Their essence and blood were devoured by Zara, empowering her and easing the headache she'd been feeling for a very long time.
Blood.
Cries.
Loneliness.
She could almost feel that strange man's feelings and experiences. She could almost feel the complete set of memories she was in the process of gaining.
But just a few Lesser Nox wasn't enough.
ROAR!
Zara roared with vigor and stamped her legs against the ground. Spiked shadows rose from the ground and impaled anyone they came across. The sky turned black and a rain of shadow arrows fell into the army as well, showering them with attacks from above and below.
Countless Nox died. Tens of thousands turned into hundreds of thousands in mere seconds. By the time the Higher Nox comprehended what was happening, Zara had already taken out a major portion of their army.
Over a million Lesser Nox died just like that.
After all, while Zara's ability to utilize techniques faded in her beast form, her power and natural instinct for movement was heightened immensely.
Without even needing techniques, she could use her affinities as efficiently as possible.
It was for this same reason why she didn't use ice in her attack. Currently, what she needed wasn't just to kill the Nox, but to absorb them as well.
Her barrage ended within 10 seconds.
By its end, over two million Lesser Nox had died.
The army that once extended into the horizon was essentially halved.
Zara's form changed back into a human immediately after she finished her barrage. At the moment, the entire horde of Higher Nox was shooting towards her position.
'As expected.'
Zara's body turned into an amalgamation of shadow. She didn't have an ounce of hesitation as she met the crowd head-on.
Immediately, she submerged herself within and took the role of an assassin. She was silent, she was hidden, and she was deadly. While she didn't strike often, the strikes she did take severely injured those she targeted.
"Coward!"
"Catch her!"
"I'll punish you like a bitch tonight!"
Crack!
The Higher Nox who spoke last found his spine immediately shattered by a passing shadow.
The Higher Nox were incredibly vexed by her behavior. With a crowd so big, fighting one person had both advantages and disadvantages.
Especially when the single person in question was skilled in concealment, it would be an uphill battle for both sides.
Zara was able to cause immense confusion within the crowd and make them unable to aim their attacks properly. She was able to draw the entire horde of a thousand Higher Nox's attention onto her, making them completely ignore the rest of the Stargazer Squad.
And though those three geniuses were relatively new to battle like this, they'd worked with Zara and Damien enough to understand their personalities and intents,
Damien was wild and domineering. When he was in command, they'd likely use sheer power as a basis for their strategies.
And while Zara was someone who behaviorally mirrored Damien in some cases, her approach to battle was often different.
She was someone who waited for the perfect opportunity and utilized it to strike a single, extremely fatal blow to her enemy.
With her acting as a beautiful diversion in this case…
…the fatal blow would obviously be left to them.
Tyler looked back at Ash and Synth. Seeing their smiling faces, he grinned.
If they'd won this level of trust from their seniors, they were clearly doing something right.
The group took their positions in a triangular formation. However, unlike their usual strategy, Ash stood in the back, Tyler stood in the middle, and Synth took the lead.
A floating mechanical ball appeared in the air, hovering next to Synth's head.
"Illusion Force Field: Activate."
The ball whirred to life, and with a few flashes of blue, it covered the group in a small dome-shaped barrier.
While it only looked like such on the inside, their presence had actually completely vanished from the battlefield. The outside of the barrier was a real-time reflection of the surroundings that even fluctuated realistically when waves of aura passed over it.
"It's not as good as the Vice Captain's concealment, but it'll be enough in a situation where the enemy is preoccupied," Synth said, flashing a peace sign.
"Mm, it's more than enough," Tyler responded. "Then, let's go!"
The three began to run and approach the battlefield. They looked up into the air from below, watching how the battle panned out.
"The Vice Captain…is truly terrifying," Tyler muttered.
He feared Damien, sure, but after interacting with him, Tyler realized that Damien was extremely accommodating towards humans. The act he showed against his enemies wasn't anywhere near how he treated his allies.
But Zara was different. Zara's ruthlessness was cold and sinister. Whenever he saw how mechanically she was able to move her body and kill, he was almost reminded of the Nox's belligerence.
'Haha, what am I thinking?'
Tyler shook off the thought and returned his attention to the battlefield. Zara's strategy was still successful at the moment as the Higher Nox scurried around in the air to catch her, but it wouldn't last forever.
'Eventually they'll get tired of this cat and mouse and decide to approach her assault with a more practical counter.'
Zara's main weapon in the current instance was confusion. The second she lost it, the efficiency she possessed would vanish.
'So we have to move before that happens.'
Tyler's eyes narrowed. At most, they could trail Zara and finish the Nox she fatally wounded, but what else could they do?
'We're…too weak.' Tyler sighed inwardly.
'Even if we split up and take the Nox individua—'
'Am I stupid?'
Tyler nearly smacked himself across his face to sober up.
Right, they couldn't do anything individually. Even if they used their impeccable teamwork, they wouldn't be of much help.
However, what if their power itself was combined?
'The indestructible body of a Berserker and the variety of elemental powers and physical boosts of a Contractor supported by the flexibility and adaptability of a Mechanist…just what kind of monster would that be?'
Tyler's mind whirred to life. Infinite possibilities swan through his head. Like fish within a river of temptation, each and every one provoked his interest.
However, he could only choose one.
The perfect strategy, the strategy that'd allow them to get out of this scenario without getting too deeply injured…
'…doesn't exist.'
If they were going to do this, they were going to sacrifice more than they'd ever expected.
Their mana was already running low. With Damien occupied by the butler, they didn't have any way to rapidly replenish themselves.
This would be a last-ditch attack. Perhaps they could barely defend themselves after taking a few pills afterwards, but that would be the extent of their continued contribution.
'However, the alternative is death.'
Before the battle started, support was estimated to arrive in an hour at the earliest.
At this point, it had only been 30 minutes.
Tyler's eyes burned with determination, and…
He made his decision.
