Valera stood motionless; her eyes fixed on the ruined body of Ior. There was no satisfaction or triumph in her gaze, only an endless void. Even victory couldn't soothe the pain tearing at her heart. Her breath was faint, mist rising in the cold air as she slowly deactivated Atheria’s Mystique. The bright platinum armor gradually faded away, revealing her slender but battered body in her jet-black combat suit.
She turned, her eyes drifting towards where Razor lay, on the blood-soaked snow. Her steps were slow, heavier than any battle she had just fought. When she reached him, Valera knelt down, her knees sinking into the cold snow, her trembling hands gently touching the headless body of the fallen hero.
The world around her was silent; the clashing weapons, the screams of the battlefield seemed to vanish. Only a chilling stillness remained, as if the world itself had stopped to share in the loss.
Valera's eyes lingered on Razor's cold body. She didn't cry, but the pain was evident in every breath. Her hand softly brushed over the shattered armor, trying to hold on to the last warmth of the comrade who had given everything for humanity.
Behind her, the surviving warriors quietly approached. Those who had stood with Razor in fierce battles now knelt beside Valera, heads bowed in respect for the fallen commander. Their reverence and sorrow filled the air, enveloping the entire human army.
As Atheria’s Mystique completely faded, Valera felt a throbbing pain spread throughout her body. The enhanced serum had left her veins swollen and her wounds felt like thousands of knives cutting through her. Yet, the physical pain couldn't compare to the loss tormenting her mind.
Snow continued to fall, each flake gently landing on the blood-stained battlefield. The cold air enveloped the army, as if trying to drown them in despair. A few soldiers, their eyes red, stepped forward to comfort Valera, placing hands on her shoulders to share her grief. Others quietly spread out, scouting the area to ensure no further threats remained.
"Is this monster really dead?" a soldier softly asked, breaking the oppressive silence.
"Absolutely," another replied, eyes fixed on Ior's shriveled corpse.
The soldiers couldn't contain their rage. Some cursed the lifeless body; others kicked the gray head of No.4 in anger. Each act was filled with hatred, a small way to repay the pain this enemy had caused them.
Valera stood up, silently watching it all, but said nothing. In her eyes, what Ior was going through was not hatred but inevitable punishment. She knew these actions wouldn't bring Razor back, but she didn't stop them.
She turned for one last look at Ior's body. The remains of their greatest threat were now just a lifeless heap on the ground. Without a word or an emotion, Valera turned away.
"Careful, Valera!"
A shout pierced the brief stillness of the battlefield. Valera had just turned away for a moment when Ior's corpse suddenly lit up, energy spiraling back into his body. Even without a head, the corpse stood up, trembling with a terrifying strength beyond imagination.
In a movement as fast as lightning, Ior threw a punch with destructive force, the space around his fist twisting as if being crushed. The attack rushed towards Valera, carrying a lethal threat.
“Atheria’s Mystique: Heavy Sword Force King!”
In that critical moment, when death seemed imminent, a warrior appeared like a lightning bolt slicing through the dark sky. He moved at a speed beyond human perception. Encased in mechanical samurai armor, he positioned himself between Ior and Valera, swinging a massive sword that emitted gravity-controlling power.
The sword blocked Ior's punch, the impact resonating with a thunderous sound as the shockwaves burst through the air. The headless corpse's attack was cut short just before it could reach Valera. However, the pressure from the collision pushed Jiryuu back several steps, his advanced samurai armor shaking violently, emitting small sparks from its joints.
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“Mystic Accelerator No.7, Jiryuu Asakusa, at your service!”
Jiryuu introduced himself with a calm yet commanding tone, while his massive sword radiated overwhelming power. Yet he knew he was only holding on. Without Atheria’s Mystique, his body would have been crushed by Ior's ferocious punch.
Valera, surprised by Jiryuu's arrival, stepped back, eyes wide. “Jiryuu? I thought you died in the Proton Accelerator blast.”
“Someone used Chrono Shield on me. It took quite some time to break free and get back here,” Jiryuu replied, his cold eyes fixed on the headless corpse.
Valera was stunned as she noticed Ior's movements. Despite being headless, his body moved strangely. The blood from the neck cut had stopped flowing, and the wounds across his body were healing in a bizarre manner.
Jiryuu quickly pulled a serum vial from his side and handed it to Valera. “Take this. From what I can sense, you are our only hope in this battle. Get ready, things are about to get worse.”
As he spoke, the most absurd scene unfolded before them. Ior's neck, where the fresh cut remained, was now growing a new head. The process happened at a terrifying speed, as if time itself was warped and accelerated. Moreover, energy from his body began to spread more powerfully, creating waves that pushed everything around him.
Jiryuu and Valera could only stand still, feeling the air around them grow thick with malice. Ior's head had fully formed, and he began activating his ultimate skill—the power of a true No.4. The ground trembled beneath him, and the battlefield, already fierce, now turned into an arena for a nightmare about to erupt.
“Atheria’s Mystique: Iron Madman - Alsmaniac Unified Energy”
As soon as Ior began the transformation process, Valera injected the serum, reactivating her Mystic state and injecting another dose without hesitation.
Within moments, the warrior goddess in her radiant platinum armor, trimmed with fiery red, and wielding two Espada Ropera, reappeared on the battlefield, to Jiryuu's amazement.
“I know you're strong and beautiful, but this is beyond perfect. If we survive this, it would be a waste if you don't become the lady of the Asakusa family, haha!”
Even in the dire moment, Jiryuu couldn't resist a tease. Valera only smiled lightly, ignoring the jest. Her eyes were focused on Ior—their common enemy they knew must not complete his transformation.
Both charged in to end the opponent before his power peaked. “From Atheria’s Valori to the Blood Child Dimension Nexus: Scarlet Flower Strike” Valera, with her enhanced Espada, swung sharp strikes like a whirlwind of fiery rose petals, aiming straight at Ior. The Scarlet Flower Strike, capable of reversing processes, was used to turn his transformation into self-destruction.
“From Atheria’s Valori to the Gravity Dimension Nexus: Anti-Gravity Full Slash”
Behind Valera, Jiryuu unleashed the Anti-Gravity Full Slash—blows that ignored gravity and natural resistance, achieving deadly speed and precision. Each of Jiryuu's strikes seemed to tear through space, slashing at the distorted area around Ior.
However, they couldn't penetrate the protective layer. The space around Ior warped and twisted in a bizarre manner, forming a barrier that repelled all attacks. This protective field was an integral part of his transformation process.
After a minute...
The light from Ior's body faded but immediately emitted thousands of electromagnetic shockwaves, spreading across the battlefield. These energy waves not only destroyed the surroundings but also revived all the dead Alsma troops. When the transformation completed, Ior emerged as a true monster: a muscular body, over three meters tall, with gray skin, broken armor revealing glowing blue muscles of unified energy.
"You pests! You've done well to survive this long. But now... die!"
Each word from Ior's mouth carried sonic waves capable of shattering the bodies of ordinary human warriors. Vankenholf's Atheria’s Mystique already had immense power, enhancing near-impenetrable damage resistance and physical strength absurd enough to manipulate nearby matter. Now, with Ior's infinite energy, he had become overwhelmingly powerful, ready to annihilate the two warriors in his way.
At that moment, a light flashed from the sky...
Vasto Halkinger, commander of the First Legion, appeared with seven thousand elite troops, using his teleportation ability to land directly on the battlefield. Initially, his eyes gleamed with excitement, but that quickly vanished when he saw Razor's body—the uncle and hero he revered most.
Vasto's gaze turned to the giant before him, his malice radiating like a storm. “You will pay for this crime! You killed Lumiere’s father!”
The upcoming battle was no longer just a confrontation. It was the combined effort of Valera Anne Risse, Jiryuu Asakusa, and Vasto Halkinger against the most formidable foe they had ever faced—General Ior of Alsma. The battlefield was stained with the aura of death, where three elite warriors would carve their names into the history of this unyielding conflict.