BOOOM!

A huge explosion occurred, kicking up a shockwave that spread out, whacking Lyra and the others back with a force that rattled their bones.

The dust settled after a few seconds, and Lyra's heart skipped a beat as her eyes scanned frantically. She couldn't see the two anymore.

'Di… di… did they die? Shit!' she thought in panic as her grip on her sword loosened for a moment. Fear threatened to choke her, but then she saw it.

A small wall of earth had risen, blocking some of the limbs. Shards of ice had frozen another set mid-thrust, and the remaining limbs were blown apart as if bombs had been planted inside them, detonating in unison.

The beast stood tall and strangely unharmed, but its entire frame quivered with irritation. It was fine, disturbingly so, but evidently annoyed.

Tom and Blake? They were alive. They staggered forward with Vynn beside them. The three of them looked battered, their clothes torn and skin marred with wounds. Vynn had bloody slashes on his arms and body, but none of them were dead. Relief crashed over Lyra's chest like a wave.

"Th… that was a close shave. Kuk!" Vynn coughed out, blood spilling from his mouth. His nose dripped crimson, and his body swayed as if each breath drained what little strength he had left.

"Damn it! You pushed yourself past your limits just to save us." Tom's voice cracked with anger and worry as he watched Vynn force out a weak smile, his eyelids fluttering.

In a heartbeat, Vynn's body gave out. He collapsed, planting his face into the dirt, unconscious.

"What was that explosion earlier though?" Blake muttered, scanning the battlefield. His eyes caught movement above, and there she was—Aria, perched like a hawk on a tree branch, her bow drawn tight and an arrow still gleaming.

Not far from her, the hat man and the earth swordsman had already retreated after casting their Veils. They landed a metre away, their bodies tense but alert, clearly unwilling to be caught in the crossfire again.

"I'll take him inside," the hat man said, stepping toward Vynn's body. His voice was steady, but his eyes flickered nervously.

He reached down, only for Tom's hand to clamp his wrist with bruising force.

"If you do anything funny to him, I will make sure you won't live to boast about it. Trust me, even your leader won't be able to do anything." Tom snarled, his face close enough that his glare felt like a blade.

The hat man shuddered under the threat but managed to compose himself with a slow exhale. "Don't worry, he's in safe hands."

Tom held his glare a moment longer, then released him. The hat man carefully lifted Vynn and carried him back toward the ruined shack, disappearing into the shadows of what remained.

"Are you guys okay?" Lyra asked as she strode over, her katana still crackling faintly with lightning. Her voice carried a hint of concern even though her gaze remained locked on the beast, which, strangely enough, hadn't moved an inch.

"Yes. Just didn't know the beast had extra limbs to spare," Tom sighed, pushing himself off the ground. His knees buckled for a moment before he steadied himself, staggering upright.

'I've been fighting for close to an hour now,' he thought inwardly, his chest heaving. 'From the duel with Blake to this monster, and now I'm running dangerously low on essence. How much longer can I even keep up like this?'

"I didn't know I was foolish too, along with you," Lyra muttered, dragging her hand down her face in frustration. "Obviously it would have extra limbs since it's an A ranked beast. What I'm still unsure of is whether this is its Veil or not."

"So right now, we're dealing with a beast that can sprout up ten limbs as if they're nothing but branches, aside from its normal two, huh?" Blake said grimly.

His eyes dropped to the longsword in his hand, shimmering faintly before it began to vanish, fading back into Lyra's Arsenal. He let out a long sigh. "This is just getting harder by the moment."

"Guys." A voice called out, and they all turned around to see Zen walking forward cautiously with his eyes still locked on the beast.

"What are you doing out here, Zen?" Tom asked worriedly, his brows creased with concern.

"I have a plan. And I feel like we can all make things work if we coordinate our attacks together." Zen muttered, his tone calm but carrying a weight that drew their attention.

"Isn't that what we have been doing so far?" Lyra asked with a raised eyebrow, glaring at the lad as if he was wasting their time.

"No! You have all been fighting separately. One person would attack, then the second person would come in seconds after. It shouldn't be like that." Zen explained firmly, his voice rising just a bit as he gestured toward the beast.

"You need to overwhelm the damned beast together. The closest to what I'm talking about was when Sir Tom and Blake attacked in sync. That's the key. You all need to be in complete rhythm."

He took a step back, scanning the battlefield with a sharp eye. When he noticed some uprooted trees scattered across the ground, a small smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

"What are you planning?" Jace asked, immediately catching the look on Zen's face.

"Warmongress, how many spears can you summon?" Zen asked as he walked toward the two uprooted trees and crouched down, placing his hands over the bark.

Right on cue, the beast's severed limbs began to regenerate, new vines writhing and sprouting in the air.

Turns out, that was what it had been waiting for all along.

"As many as I want, but with a limit. A strain on my essence." Lyra replied through clenched teeth.

"Perfect. Summon them all and make them have an effect… a stun effect. Also, pass me a powerful sword from your arsenal. I'll need that too." Zen said, his hands hovering steadily above the trees. His eyes burned with determination.

"I hope we aren't doing the wrong thing by letting you take the lead." Lyra sighed, but she didn't hesitate. A katana shimmered into view and she tossed it toward Zen. The blade slid across the ground until it stopped just inches from him.

Without missing a beat, she stretched out her hand and began summoning spears. In an instant, fifty crackling weapons of lightning appeared in the air, hovering like a deadly storm.

But Lyra wasn't done. She gritted her teeth, pushing herself harder, beads of sweat cascading down her face. With each strained breath, more spears appeared until her body trembled under the pressure.

The beast wasn't idle. More limbs sprouted from its body, writhing and twisting until fifteen long vines hovered in the air like whips of judgment. It finally looked like the beast was about to unleash its true strength.

Within seconds, a hundred spears, each brimming with crackling lightning, floated around Lyra. Her chest heaved with exhaustion, but her willpower refused to let her crumble.

"What should I do, Zen?" Jace called out. Though he looked tired, his grip on his weapon was still firm.

"Make it rain." Zen replied sharply, then glanced at every single person, even Aria who perched atop a treetop. "The rest of you, attack when you see an opening. Don't hesitate. One chance is all we'll get."

"Ready when you are." Aria said as she pulled out four arrows in quick succession—two black, two red—and nocked them on her bowstring. Her sharp gaze was locked onto the beast.

SCREEECH!

The beast let out an ear-piercing cry, its viny limbs snapping forward with astonishing speed, writhing through the air like serpentine whips. Each movement carried enough power to crush bones and flatten trees.

Everyone stood their ground, holding their breath, waiting for Zen's signal.

"Miss Lyra, on my mark!" Zen roared as his hands suddenly pressed firmly against the massive trees beside him.

[Skill: Soft Touch Activated!]

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