Noah and the others near Heaven and Earth had retreated as soon as June launched her attack. Yet, the explosion generated by the clash among the three pillars reached them before they could get far enough.
A spherical shockwave expanded through half of the higher plane and split the team, but the expert soon gathered again. Meanwhile, the energy released by Divine Demon, Sword Saint, and June dispersed to reveal the outcome of the offensive.
Heaven and Earth appeared in the open and showed the utter lack of injuries on their body. The crystals didn't even carry stains, let alone dents. Nothing Noah and the others had done pierced that material.
Noah glanced at his blades before inspecting the companions hidden inside his world. Cracks had opened on the Demonic Sword and Cursed Sword, affecting the sharpness of their edges. That damage didn't diminish their power, but it was a clear sign of Heaven and Earth's might.
Something similar had happened to Snore and Night. The two creatures had suffered a backlash after attacking Heaven and Earth. The sole fact that they had shown their presence on the battlefield had hurt them.
Of course, Snore and Night were sturdy enough to keep fighting. Noah's body was a mess, but his insane resilience was preserving his might. The same applied to the blades since they could rely on the dark matter.
Overall, Noah could still express his full power, and his friends weren't any different. Dealing with Heaven and Earth was hurting them, but they could fight without holding anything back. However, that didn't change the problematic nature of the situation.
Heaven and Earth's offensive was troublesome, but the experts could handle it together. As long as they were careful, the rulers wouldn't have a chance to kill them in a single blow.
The problems stood in other fields. Heaven and Earth had endured multiple attacks that carried the full power of Noah's core team without flinching. That alone proved how sturdy their body was.
Moreover, Noah and the others had never stopped suffering injuries during the offensive. Their current condition didn't affect their battle prowess, but that moment would inevitably arrive if things didn't change.
Noah relied on his violent thoughts to devise plans, but his mind couldn't reach any conclusion even after feeding on his potential. He felt confident in his destructive power, but Heaven and Earth would never let him accumulate enough of that aspect, which was the core of the issue.
Defeating Heaven and Earth with a few powerful attacks was the only possible path to victory. Noah's group wouldn't survive a prolonged battle. However, that conclusion revealed another major issue. The current team lacked the strength to hurt the rulers.
'We need more firepower,' Noah concluded while Heaven and Earth took a step forward and materialized in front of the group.
"Are you done already?" Heaven and Earth asked before pointing a hand at Wilfred.
A giant piercing slash suddenly crashed on the crystal figure, but the latter was sturdy enough to endure the blow without moving. The clash forced that immense power to expand in different directions, and the group used it to fuel their evasive maneuvers.
Heaven and Earth turned to look at the source of the attack. Shafu and the landmass had resumed their offensive, and a second slash was already on its way.
The crystal figure didn't bother to dodge the incoming slash. Heaven and Earth flew right through it, destroying the entirety of the attack in the process.
Shafu tried to swing the landmass forward again, but Heaven and Earth landed on it before that could happen. The impact even pushed that immense creature downward, and the event carried so much power that the whole black structure bent.
A painful growl came out of every corner of the landmass, and corrosive power accompanied that cry. Black smoke seeped out of the dark surface before transforming into a series of blades that flew toward the crystal figure.
Heaven and Earth had no interest in the incoming blades. They stomped their foot on the landmass, unleashing a series of circular attacks that seeped deep into the structure.
Due to the previous attack, the landmass already carried a deep, web-like hole, and the stomp enlarged it other than adding even more damage. The creature's insides churned as earthquakes spread throughout its structure and destabilized its fabric.
Giant chunks of the landmass fell from the main structure and disappeared into the void as the circular attacks continued to expand in its insides. It seemed that the attack would destroy the creature, but the latter suddenly disappeared.
Heaven and Earth looked at the empty spot under them before turning toward Shafu. The dragon had started to fly away after absorbing the landmass, but its speed was nothing special for the rulers.
"Fine," Heaven and Earth said. "We'll kill you first."
A rumbling orange torrent fell on Heaven and Earth before they could chase after Shafu. June gave birth to a new bright river, but that structure instantly shattered.
The crystal figure turned the river into dust with the single step it took to reach Shafu. Heaven and Earth performed a sharp dive, but a large amount of potential filled the dragon before it threw its influence at its opponent.
A foreign force tried to push Heaven and Earth away from their trajectory, but that effort turned out to be pointless. The crystal figure barely slowed down before reaching Shafu's left wing and turning it into dust with a single touch of its foot.
Shafu was performing an evasive maneuver, but the crystal figure's trajectory remained pointed at the center of its body. The dragon couldn't even dream of stopping it on its own, but it wasn't alone.
Silver light flashed under Heaven and Earth. Sword Saint wielded an ethereal blade with both hands as he tried to stop the crystal figure and cut its feet off.
The crystals remained intact, but Heaven and Earth had to stop their descent for a second. They only needed a gesture to get rid of Sword Saint, but Supreme Thief materialized above them before they could focus on his companion.
An azure sphere formed in front of Supreme Thief's fingertips before a piercing ray shot out of it. He relied on an empowered version of the Rulers' Resolve ability for his attack, and his decision seemed to pay off.
The ray fell on Heaven and Earth's head before transforming into a membrane that enveloped their body. The azure energy hindered their movements for one more second, allowing Divine Demon to materialize in front of them.
"Let's go with this," Divine Demon exclaimed while drawing a blood-red circle on the azure membrane.
The circle's radiance intensified until its color gained paler shades. The technique eventually reached a critical point and unleashed its power on Heaven and Earth's chest, generating a clanging noise that flew deep into the void.
Heaven and Earth tried to launch a quick shockwave to get rid of their opponents, but that attack crumbled and turned into multiple lightning bolts that flew toward June.
Part of the attack survived, but the three experts could endure it easily. Meanwhile, June and Wilfred reached the scene to add abilities to that offensive.
Only Alexander and Noah remained behind. Alexander had understood something, so he waited for Noah to give further directives.
"Pig!" Noah roared without moving his eyes away from the crystal figure. "Stop wasting time and come here!"
The Foolery and Marcella had been busy with their seemingly infinite exchange while Noah and the others fought Heaven and Earth. Marcella's energy reserves were boundless, but the pig could say the same for its hunger.
Yet, Noah's call forced the Foolery to ignore the many tasty magical plants in its view and fly toward its companions. Marcella obviously didn't like that, but the vegetation she sent after the pig couldn't contain it even after wrapping itself around its body.
"You finally acknowledge my might!" The pig squealed once it reached Noah, but he grabbed its head and threw it toward Heaven and Earth before it could spout more nonsense.
"Do you need me to handle Marcella?" Alexander asked.
"No," Noah reassured. "I have something else. That idiot is about to come out."
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