historical

It was hard to find an opening in Zara's rampage. It was so hard, in fact, that Tyler and the rest wholly gave up on trying to do so.

Instead, they went with the more barbaric option.

"CHARGE!"

Tyler's roar rattled Synth and Ash's brains. With heightened battlelust due to the nature of their current circumstances, they shot up into the battle with peaking fervor!

B-B-BOOOOM!

A collection of drones swam ahead of the titan warrior and cleared an opening in the ink sea. The trio shot into the gap within the single instant it remained open and scanned their surroundings.

It was like purgatory.

Zara's blackness was thick and full without the inky properties of the Nox. Her darkness didn't just stem from the Nox, but also from her own comprehension of the Law.

Therefore, in terms of strength, it far exceeded anything the three geniuses had faced until this point. If the atmosphere wasn't actively avoiding them, they would've died already.

'That's good. It isn't the worst-case scenario.'

Tyler nodded his nonexistent head when he noticed it. Their continued survival was proof that Zara hadn't completely lost her rationality, unlike what her actions portrayed.

The titan warrior's body began to shift. A giant panther-like beastman covered in hell armor appeared in its place, charging out with speed that completely contradicted its size.

Bang!

The trio stood together as one and shot through the darkness until they found their first group of targets. There were five Higher Nox standing together trying to escape Zara's confinement.

But all of a sudden, they felt the blackness loosen.

Just as their limbs became free..

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

They were struck by a slew of explosions that extended into the distance. A massive armored warrior appeared in their midst and swung its arms, utilizing the jagged claws on its fingers to shred into its enemies' flesh.

"Ahhh!"

"How dare you?!"

An array of exclamations left the group, however, they were quick to gather their sentences. Before the titan warrior could execute its follow-up attacks, they'd already converged and begun their counter.

Fine enemies surrounded the titan warrior and blocked its paths of escape. Inky black mana that became invisible due to the atmosphere swirled around their bodies and formed various attacks.

'Now.'

Synth's fingers moved deftly across a holographic keyboard. As soon as she finished typing, the gadgets decorating Tyler's armored form whirred to life.

BANG! BOOOM!

The Nox shot forward as one. Twisting serpents and terrifying tidal waves congregated onto the warrior. The attacks seemed simple, but contained an unorthodox fluctuation of Death Laws that allowed them to move differently.

Flames of Nox Mana combusted all around the titan warrior. Sparks of black lightning danced around the air and focused on striking the warrior down.

But Synth was already prepared. A shield made up of countless individual hexagons materialized around the warrior.

Crack!

Cracks immediately formed on its surface, but they were rapidly repaired by Synth's mana. Black lines began forming on the barrier's surface, indicating the amount of Nox mana seeping through the rapidly regenerating cracks.

When the black lines encompassed half of the barrier, Synth's eyes narrowed.

"Attack now!"

Ash moved as commanded. Her fist raised up and shot out like a cannon blast.

However, something was different about this attack.

The gauntlets on Ash's hands pulsated with black light. As she threw one punch forward and slammed the other fist back, the pulsating light spread with the force of her strikes.

At the same time, the black lines in the barrier faded as if they were being suctioned away.

VOOOOOM!

A ring of blackish-red mana spread from the gauntlets. A terrifying force impacted the 5 Higher Mox, pushing their bodies back,

"Ack!"

One of the Higher Nox let out a groan of pain. His body was split open by the sudden burst of mana. However, how could Nox mana hurt the Nox? He smiled cruelly as he thought about how he'd destroy that mech once he regener—

His thoughts couldn't even finish before his body was bisected.

Like a flash of light, a behemoth of speed appeared before each Higher Nox and broke them into pieces.

'We have help.' Tyler realized.

Taking on 5 Higher Nox at once was an achievement even if they were using their combined power, but it was still impossible for them to do it so rapidly.

One-shotting these terrifying beings who could become Overlords of any lower world and even some of the middle worlds they came across? That was a joke amongst jokes. Only someone like Damien could do that.

But what if they were to receive aid from someone who wasn't much weaker than that level?

If Zara broke their minds while the trio simultaneously broke their bodies, how could the Higher Nox put up a proper fight?

'Mental attacks are scary..'

With that thought as his last, Tyler shut off his awareness.

The intelligent strategy was useless at the moment.

Whether it was Ash or Zara, both were currently beings of pure force.

So, wouldn't their cooperation flow better if they were allowed to showcase this mind state?

Suddenly, Ash became the central controlling force of the titan warrior. Synth and Tyler provided support and stuck within their roles, making sure that nothing could halt Ash's charge.

And they did so perfectly.

BANG! BANG! BOOOOOOM!

Ash's mountainous figure tore through the waters and blew the ocean to bits as she recklessly eviscerated any Nox being in her path. She was more than just a bulldozer, she was a horde of them charging together like bulls.

Her fists were weapons of mass destruction alone, but her power was only enhanced by the support of her comrades. Tyler's control allowed her to freely switch between forms and Synth's support made it easy for her to keep her mind focused without distractions.

With every punch, a Higher Nox died. With every roar, their fighting spirit fell even lower.

The Higher Nox were powerful, but they weren't powerful enough to face this sudden combination of force.

With every Higher Nox that died, Zara's domain would become even more powerful. As her domain grew, her cruelty became more prominent and the level of pressure she placed on her captives became mind-numbing.

The Higher Nox couldn't even see the trio coming.

Their minds were in utter chaos. Their heads were like televisions plagued with radio static, randomly receiving memories and images that confused their egos.

A black space unlike the present universe, an area that existed "outside" of reality's bounds.

A place that the Nox called home, their Motherland.

Scenes of this place flashed through their heads and confused their memories. It was a place that most of them had never visited, but it was a place they yearned for with all their hearts.

As they basked in its existence, they found themselves freed of their mortal coil.

Their souls traveled to that blessed land for rebirth.

And their bodies became a part of Zara's power.

Rather than a terrifying illusion, Zara gave them irresistible temptation.

The Nox were beings of desire, after all.

Their weaknesses were far more varied than they'd ever dare to admit.