After Nikador rose again, the entire ruins of Castrum Kremnos began to tremble violently, as if the city itself was terrified of this anomalous existence.
What was even more heart-stopping was the "Blade of Fury" hanging in the sky above Castrum Kremnos like a sword of Damocles. Its enormous blade emitted a low hum, and its tip slowly but surely turned, precisely locking onto the distant holy city—Okhema!
Terravox's expression was graver than ever before. With a low roar, he once again charged fiercely at Nikador, attempting to suppress the reborn Titan with absolute force.
His heavy fists still carried mountain-shattering power; each blow shook Nikador's divine form violently, golden divine blood raining down like a storm upon the scorched earth.
Yet, forming a terrifying contrast with this effective offense, the healing speed of Nikador's wounds was escalating at an illogical rate!
Wounds that initially took several breaths to heal were later mending almost the instant they were inflicted.
The indistinct syllables from its mouth also gradually collapsed and solidified from initially fragmented words, finally becoming a horrifying, emotionless, mechanical repetition:
"Preservation… Preservation… Preservation… Preservation… Preservation!!!"
This voice, like a curse, echoed over the shattered battlefield.
Stelle hurled her fiery lance with all her might, the blazing projectile piercing through Nikador's chest once more, creating a massive cavity.
Yet, in the very next second, that cavity was instantly filled before their eyes by writhing flesh and golden blood, as if the wound had never existed—
"Stop! Everyone, stop!" Phainon suddenly shouted, spreading his arms to block Terravox and the others who were about to press the attack.
His face was filled with sudden realization and urgency. "We can't attack anymore! We've all been fooled! Its recovery speed is increasing in direct response to the damage we inflict!"
Phainon stared fixedly at the frenzied Titan before him, which seemed to have lost all reason, retaining only the most primal obsession. His voice held a tremor:
"It's not dueling with us at all. It's using us! Using every bit of damage, every act of destruction we deliver, like a blacksmith tempering steel, to perform a cruel quenching and forging for its distorted 'Preservation' will!"
"Seeking only Preservation, devoid of all honor and reason? How could…" Mydei gazed at the familiar yet unfamiliar divine form, his face etched with disbelief and profound anguish. "The deity who once willingly faced death alone for its people's survival, who commanded us to leave… why has it fallen to such… a wretched state?"
"Phainon," Terravox's low voice suddenly cut through Mydei's grief. His massive form shielded the front, bearing the brunt of Nikador's increasingly wild and disordered pressure. "The situation has changed. Nikador's condition far exceeds our estimates. You must immediately lead your companions back to Okhema. Report every detail of the anomalies here—especially the threat of the Blade of Fury and Nikador's abnormality—verbatim to Cerydra and Aglaea. The upheaval at Castrum Kremnos is no longer a simple subjugation. The Dawn Device faces an unprecedented threat!"
"But…!" Phainon clenched his fist, his face contorted with the shame and reluctance of leaving a battlefield.
"Go! Now!" Mydei stepped forward, his tone iron-clad, though his eyes held trust and a mission for his friend. "Deliverer, this is no time for stubbornness! Take your friends from beyond the sky and leave immediately!"
"I suspect the more people here, the more frequent the attacks, the faster that Blade of Fury draws energy and locks onto its target!"
"As for after the message is delivered… whether you wish to return here to die alongside me or remain in Okhema to aid the defense is your choice! But right now, we need someone familiar and trusted by Aglaea and the others to get this information back!"
At that moment, Terravox roared, slamming both fists into the ground. Thick, solid earth power rapidly gathered, coalescing into a layer of amber-glowing stone armor over himself and Mydei.
"Go, Phainon. I swear upon the Earth's name, I will protect your friend with all my might. The two of us will hold it off together. You must hurry!"
The words of Mydei and Terravox made Phainon understand this was not retreat, but a more critical mission.
He nodded heavily, looking at Mydei. "Wait for me! The moment the message is delivered, I'll return!"
Without further hesitation, he, Cyrene, Stelle, and Welt quickly exchanged glances. The four immediately disengaged, retreating from the battlefield towards their original path.
When Phainon's group returned to Okhema at top speed using the power of the Infinity Gate, they found the holy city had already entered a state of high alert.
Although the people within the city were still going about their business, and the air wasn't thick with tension, several demigods—Tribbie, Aglaea, Cerydra, and Hysilens—had already gathered at the Hero's Bathhouse. They seemed to have sensed the trouble long ago.
"Phainon," Aglaea spoke first, her voice still gentle, the golden threads shimmering faintly around her fingertips. "I have already learned of the drastic change at Castrum Kremnos through messages from my teacher. Please, calm yourself first. While the consequences are serious, the situation is not yet entirely beyond control."
"Indeed," Cerydra crossed her arms. Her petite frame radiated undeniable majesty and confidence as she lifted her chin spiritedly. "If necessary, I shall personally intervene. With the authority of Law, I will adjudicate the fallacy of that Blade of Fury!"
Stelle watched silently from the side, observing this imposing demigod whose height barely reached her chin. She was very curious to know where this confidence came from.
But as a polite, well-mannered child raised by the gentle and gracious Himeko, she ultimately suppressed this curiosity deep down and didn't voice the question.
"Empress," Hysilens's voice, serene as the deep sea, sounded. She gently pulled back the eager Cerydra, her movements elegant yet carrying an undeniable firmness. "You are the symbol of Law and Okhema's ultimate trump card. How can it be deployed lightly? This matter is better left for me to handle."
She turned to the group, calmly outlining her plan. "The Ocean, vast and profound, excels at erosion and attrition. Perhaps I can attempt to use the endless will of the tides to erode and wear away the distorted, solidified mad obsession within Nikador. However…" She paused briefly. "This process may require some time."
Hysilens's gaze then shifted to the waiting Tribbie. Tribbie immediately understood, nodding vigorously, speaking on behalf of all the 'Tribios's: "Rest assured, Hysilens! We are all in position and coordinated."
"If… if that Blade of Fury ultimately cannot be stopped and launches its brazen attack, we will activate the Infinity Gate and work together to divert that destructive strike elsewhere."