The needle volley flew downward like it had no apparent end. Kairo could not follow after her at the expense of every other officer's life. He could only observe in worry.
"Stop her…" the mage casting the needle rain cried in shock. The assassins, one after another, rushed out, sealing her ground escape while the needle rain sealed her aerial space.
Nyx ejected two cards from her launcher and caught them in her fingers. With skillful precision, she summoned the circuitry of the void. This was the first time Kairo saw the summoning of twin cards. It was like the two cards were linked to each other, coming to life at the same time. Around her, a golden flare began leaking out like lava from a volcano.
"She is done for," the mage laughed at his victory.
Nyx, on her part, glanced upward as if she was waiting for something. As the rain was just above her head—wings flapped out! The next thing they saw was a golden light skidding past every single needle in the sky. The entire observers fell silent.
The captains locked in their fight too could not help but sneak a glance. For a brief second, she had turned into the center of the battlefield. Nyx was like a fish in water—as if the needles voluntarily evaded her. She dove in the air, circulating like an eagle locking in on its prey. When she locked onto the mage, she stretched her arms outward.
"I too can protect you... I too can help you," she called out.
As if summoned from another world, her body morphed. To be exact, she was now covered in what felt like angel armor, made entirely of golden fire. Covering just parts of her body—from her head, the chest, the knees, and the forearms—more like partial armor. She gripped the flaming sword in her hand and flapped her wings downward.
All the mage noticed was a fire-like light skidding downward like a falling star. Faster than even Danzan, the light connected with the ground, causing it to slightly curve inward. And when Nyx stepped on the ground behind the mage, his expression turned white, falling onto the cold ground with a loud thud.
"I have become so close to her I came to overlook her abilities," Kairo said, his mouth wide open at the scene.
This was the ability she had been talking about: the twin cards—Angel Ascend and Angel Descend. From what he could see, Angel Ascend didn't just grant her a pair of wings—it made her untargetable to all forms of attack coming from the sky. While Angel Descend was a pure offensive card, dealing a massive sword strike that went even faster than Danzan's ripple.
"Impressive, but war is not about individual strength... Now, Draco, burn!" Rellion ordered from above.
The razor-like teeth perfectly lined up and down flashed open, while Draco began gathering particles of fire around his mouth.
"This is bad," Kairo frowned. The last time that breath fell on them, they almost turned into particles of dust. But this time it was different. They weren't in a submarine, and now Kairo wasn't alone either.
"Keep pushing forward, Officer Kairo. I'll hold Draco back," the four-star officer next to him said.
Kairo, although worried, could see no hint of fear or whatever apprehension on his face. Clearly, he knew what he was doing.
Ejecting one of his cards from his launcher, the officer placed the card between his lips and began running forward. When Kairo saw this, he had a wild guess. "Could it be one of those rare cards that alter the body?" Kairo guessed. This was a common pattern he had noticed with all people who used that kind of card—it was some sort of ritual, he guessed.
Kairo and the others all stepped back, using their hands to protect their eyes from the cloud of debris that stormed the area. The winds created a spinning storm around the officer, mimicking a bird that was taking flight. The officer stepped onto the void—and then the sky shook.
Kairo and Nyx gasped in awe. This was the first time they saw a four-star officer in action. In the sky, a majestic figure sprang out. Made entirely of blue bubbles, it was like its entire body was composed of water.
Its wings were no less impressive than that of Draco. His eyes were like shards of blue gems, with three tails flapping backward as he flew. A water phoenix, Kairo thought.
By the time Draco's breath shook the sky, the water phoenix dove in its way, using its body as a shield from the attack. The sky trembled upon impact, sending hot bubbles of water falling like rain on the battlefield. It was like the weather had changed above them. Draco's breath was unable to go past the phoenix.
"It has healing properties. I love this ability," Kairo smiled in admiration.
The slight cut on his jaw sealed itself magically, as if it had never existed. This wasn't only for him — all the card mage officers touched by the rain were healed. This was why this type of card was so rare. Not only did they grant almost mythic-like abilities to the wielder, but most of them had special effects too. Like Draco's breath, which could create hotbeds, this phoenix could heal its allies when destroyed.
With a single flap of its winged body, using its sharp claws, it swooped downward and clapped into Draco's face. A soft cry echoed in the area, causing Draco to rock back and forth in anger. It swung its tails forward — the tails moved in arcs, slicing the numerous houses it saw in its way, crushing them with ease.
But the phoenix was not only powerful, it was very agile. Unlike Draco's sluggish movement, it shot upward in a beautiful arc, evading the massive strike.
"Perfect opportunity for us to get out of this place. Nyx, let's go — we can trust them," Kairo said.
Nyx nodded, and the duo continued pushing forward.
With no choice but to leave Draco and the phoenix in their clash, Rellion and his group all began skydiving downward toward Kairo and the others.
The Collector appeared on the left of Kairo, armored by a series of ghosts that floated around him. Each time the laser of Fabian arrived, the ghosts would blink outward and connect with the laser, causing both to vanish in an explosion. The Collector flickered his hands with a smile at Kairo.
"Ghost Bombs."
The army of ghosts was sent flying toward him like a volley of arrows.
They move too fast for me to use another card, Kairo thought, using his arms to hide behind the Protector.
The ghosts landed on him like bullets, each explosion causing his body to rock backward. By the time Kairo regained his vision, he tilted his head upward, only to see Rellion finally arrive from the sky.
Using a flaming sword and a flaming dagger, he swung the sword downward in a bright arc. The flames burned increasingly brightly, shielding Kairo's entire field of vision.
A frown on his face, Kairo launched his palm forward, catching the flaming sword midway. This was the complementary card of the officer who had died in the submarine while shielding them.
"You will regret this," Kairo vowed.
The flames were strangled into the Protector's hands, curving to the side like living snakes trying to bite him.
"This card doesn't belong to you. Hand them back," Kairo called out, a wave of fury rising in his heart.
The free arm of the Protector blitzed outward, aiming for Rellion in the void.
Rellion had his wide smile on his face. The moment he had been waiting for was finally here. Here he could finally clash with Kairo.
"The dead can't use card magic. I will crush you with your own friend's cards," he smirked.
In the void, the familiar circle of the Four Corner Divination could be seen.
Kairo didn't understand how, but his body was pushed to the side as if the earth was rotating underneath him. The arrows and his position aligned, causing his fist to miss with grotesque vulgarity — as if Kairo didn't know how to aim.
"He has learned how to use it. This will be troublesome," Kairo thought inwardly.
The Four Corner Divination didn't teleport Rellion like most movement-related cards, but instead allowed him to move his opponent in the direction of the four corners of the symbol.
The last time, he had been unable to correctly use this ability — but Kairo rapidly found out that his friend had not been sleeping all this time.
The flaming dagger in Rellion's hands grew into a massive fire sword, while the sword retracted to a miniature dagger. Rellion prepared his next wave of assault when a white scarf snapped in the void, catching his arm midway. Like a living being, it coiled around Rellion's body, and with a violent pull, he was yanked in the opposite direction.
"They are trying to isolate you, Kairo!" Nyx shouted. She raised her little fist, armed for a final blow at Rellion's face.
Rellion frowned, his body skidding midair while being dragged by Sifa. Four symbols behind him shifted again, causing Nyx to move out of the way. Things moved so fast that Kairo had no time to react.
Now firmly rooted on the ground, Rellion used Sifa against its master and yanked it toward him. Her balance taken away by the Four Corner Divination, Nyx had no hard ground on which to stand. When the flaming sword slammed onto her body, engulfed in what felt like a furnace, she was sent crashing into another part of the battlefield far away from Kairo and the others.
"Rellion, Luve, the Collector… they are gathering around to seal any form of reinforcement," Kairo noticed. He swept his gaze all around him.
The captains were now locked in a faraway fight with the others, while the four-star officer was handling Draco above.
Amidst the falling water particles, Kairo blinked—the water sliding down his jaw. The fight above them had altered the weather, causing water from the phoenix to fall continuously like a blue rain. Kairo found himself isolated. Even with Nyx's warning, he had no way to retreat at the moment.
Blocking his path forward was Rellion, using his flaming sword and dagger, coupled with the Four Corner Divination just behind him. On Kairo's left was Luve, riding a massive white wolf with a strange arbalest in hand. And on his right was the Collector and his army of bomb ghosts