The coordination between the three had long transcended words.
It was a synergy branded deep within their souls, requiring only an exchange of glances.
From Lin Xiyue's parry staggering the enemy, to Su Wan's ice freezing it to restrict movement, and finally to Xia Lian's powerful armor-breaking strike.
The entire sequence flowed as seamlessly as if executed by a single entity.
In less than five seconds.
A piercing overload alarm blared from the Tyrant Model III's battered left arm armor.
Frost spread wildly along the metal seams, and the hydraulic systems whined under the strain.
Its single crimson eye flickered with furious light.
Ignoring the sturdiest target below, Lin Xiyue, the massive machine abruptly twisted its torso.
Its undamaged hydraulic claw abandoned its melee attack. The five fingers spread wide, revealing a dark cannon muzzle flipping out from the palm, aimed directly at the most agile target on the flank—Xia Lian!
Scorching energy gathered at the cannon's mouth.
Xia Lian's eyes narrowed, already preparing to dodge.
However, before the energy could erupt...
BOOM!!!
A deeper, more muffled explosion ripped through the air.
It was Lin Xiyue.
She had even predicted the machine's prediction
The instant the mech twisted its body, she shot forward like a cannonball, slamming into it with ferocious force!
The heavy Immovable Mountain shield smashed precisely into the Tyrant Model III's knee joint, which had just been frozen solid.
KRA-CRACK—!
The shriek of metal being torn apart pierced their eardrums.
The precision structure, already brittle from the extreme cold, shattered into countless fragments under the brutally savage shield bash.
The Tyrant Model III's massive metal leg buckled.
The fifteen-meter-tall steel behemoth instantly lost all balance and crashed sideways with a thunderous roar!
"So powerful, truly astonishing!"
Lin Qingyue's lazy praise rang out at just the right moment, laced with a hint of teasing and obvious satisfaction.
She finally made a significant move.
Since the battle began, she had appeared to stand still, but her pale pink eyes had already scanned and analyzed the entire battlefield countless times.
From every flicker of the mech's energy flow to every twitch of her teammates' muscles.
Everything was under her control.
Only now, under the trio's flawless coordination, had the steel beast exposed its most fatal weakness.
Lin Qingyue raised her left hand, aiming the tip of her staff, Beloved, from afar. Her target was the complex steam pipe hub on the mech's back—the nexus connecting the boiler to the torso, now exposed as the machine lay toppled.
This was the "aorta" of the entire mech.
"Not enough of a challenge!"
Lin Qingyue's voice was light and casual, tinged with the disappointment of an unmet thrill.
"I didn't even need to bring out my Mechanical Specialist persona for this."
In her fair palm, a short spear of pure Holy Light instantly materialized.
The spear emitted a high-frequency hum, the air around it warping from the terrifying heat.
Sunlight Spear!
The next instant, she swung her arm in a perfect throwing motion.
Swoosh—!
The golden spear vanished from its spot.
It didn't strike the thick bronze armor but plunged precisely into the most vulnerable point of the intricate junction where pipes and valves met.
Time seemed to freeze for a second.
Then...
BOOOOOOM—!!!!!
A chain reaction, far more terrifying than any previous explosion, erupted from within the mech!
The golden Power of Holy Light, like a spark dropped into a pan of oil, instantly ignited the entire high-pressure steam system!
Scalding steam mixed with Holy Light Energy, transforming into the most furious explosive. From within, it burst and tore the sturdy pipes apart, section by section!
Countless parts sprayed wildly in all directions, carried by streams of scorching steam!
The fifteen-meter-tall steel behemoth let out a piercing, mournful steam whistle as it crashed heavily to the ground, causing the earth to tremble violently.
It struggled to rise, but explosions continued to erupt from its back.
The hydraulic systems in its limbs had completely failed, leaving them twitching helplessly on the ground as the power core spewed desperate black smoke.
The Lv. 50 Elite Magic-Armor was crippled.
From the start of the battle to its end, barely a minute had passed.
"Done. Job's finished."
Lin Qingyue snapped her fingers, her gesture as casual as blowing out a candle.
Su Wan silently dispersed the frost from her fingertips.
Xia Lian also lowered her massive Magic Power bow, letting out a long sigh and wiping the fine beads of sweat from her brow.
Only Lin Xiyue, still buzzing with unspent energy, tapped her shield with her fist and excitedly turned to throw herself at Su Wan.
"Xiao Wan, did you see that? That last hit! I felt like I could've torn its leg right off!"
Su Wan looked at Lin Xiyue's sparkling eyes, which were practically begging for praise. On her usually icy face, the corners of her lips curved into a helpless yet indulgent smile.
She hummed softly in agreement.
"Very impressive," Lin Qingyue praised with a laugh. Her gaze swept over the spreading cracks on her sister's shield, then flickered to the pile of smoldering scrap metal.
"Good job, but your 'Mountain' is about to shatter."
-
Not far away, at the corner of another street.
Zhou Yi and his team had just completed their escort mission and were charging toward Clock Tower Square, ready for a fight.
But the moment they rounded the corner, their feet seemed nailed to the ground, unable to move another inch.
The same expression was written on every face.
Who am I?
Where am I?
What did I just see?
In their line of sight, the Steel Demon God—which just moments ago had radiated an aura of world-ending destruction, its mere presence enough to make their legs tremble—was now a massive pile of smoldering scrap metal, twitching helplessly on the ground.
And beside the pile of scrap metal, the four first-year students—the very ones they'd assumed would be locked in a desperate struggle, or even needing rescue—were casually chatting together.
"What a shame," Lin Xiyue said, tapping her shield regretfully. "My Immovable Mountain is damaged. One more Golden Parry, and it probably would've shattered."
Several clear cracks marred the shield's surface, ruining its overall aesthetic.
Su Wan extended her slender fingers. A wisp of ice-blue magic power coiled around her fingertips as she gently traced the cracks, temporarily stabilizing the structure.
"We'll head to the Forging District later," she said softly. "We came out today to get you new equipment anyway." Her tone was calm, but the concern in her eyes was unmistakable.
"Don't worry," Lin Qingyue interjected lazily. "Sis will figure out a way to get you a good one. You're always fighting above your level. Fine Grade shields are just consumables for you now. You need an Epic Grade one, at least."
Xia Lian nodded vigorously beside them, like a chick pecking at grain. She had used Karula's Greatbow several times, draining her energy, and was now taking small, panting breaths.
Watching this harmonious scene—like a group discussing dinner after a pleasant picnic—Zhou Yi felt his worldview shatter into a billion pieces.
That was a Lv. 50 Elite Magic-Armor!
Even his own squad would have had to endure a grueling battle to take it down, and they'd probably have had to reveal a few trump cards!
But these first-year students...
From start to finish, he hadn't even seen the "flashiest" one, Lin Qingyue, use her signature Transformation Magic.
They just...
unremarkably...
one-shotted it?
The Shield Warrior beside Zhou Yi stammered, "C-Captain... do we... still go in?"
Zhou Yi's mouth twitched.
Go in?
Go in for what?
To ask the girls if they needed help cleaning up the battlefield?
His Adam's apple bobbed as he struggled to swallow the shock and absurdity of it all. He forced a smile that looked uglier than a crying face.
"We... seem to be late."
Are this year's new students... all monsters?