Chapter 1072: Destruction of the Ekatoe City: Leorin

Hono enclosed herself and Arie within a barrier of flames. She couldn't let this woman escape. Bang!

A barrage of fire arrows erupted from Hono, streaking toward Arie with relentless force.

Hono felt confident in her chances of victory. She was at her peak, while Arie was both weakened and unsteady-clearly not in the right state of mind.

It was only a matter of time before she brought this woman down.

Boom! Boom!

Arie managed to block some of the fire arrows, but others found their mark. One pierced her shoulder, another struck her leg, forcing her back against the wall of flames.

"Ugh!"

Blood spurted from Arie's mouth as burn marks seared her skin. The oppressive heat around her continued to rise, and she realized with horror that her blood was slowly evaporating. "Damn!"

Arie cursed angrily, waving her hands as she unleashed dozens of rays of light.

Swoosh!

Hono darted side to side, nimbly avoiding the incoming beams. A magic circle flared to life beneath her feet, and moments later, several towering pillars of flame erupted from the ground.

[Ember of Night Sky]!!!

Arie's instincts screamed danger. She summoned a shield to defend herself, but the flames were too powerful-her shield shattered within seconds.

"Damn it!" she spat, her frustration mounting.

When she looked up, Hono was already closing in, now just a few meters away.

Hono's gaze was cold and unyielding. "You can't defeat me. In your current state, you're nothing."

"Bullshit!" Arie roared defiantly, but her voice was drowned out as an overwhelming surge of flames erupted around Hono, their heat and intensity seeming endless.

Boom!

The temperature skyrocketed as the entire area trembled violently.

[Element Drive: Fire Integration]!!

Hono extended her hand toward Arie. Paralyzed and powerless, Arie could do nothing but watch as Hono's hand drew closer to her face.

If only she weren't in this weakened state. Arie was certain that, at her peak, she could defeat Hono-even now, she could see through the limits of Hono's abilities. Even if Hono still held back some of her strength, Arie was confident she could handle it. But confidence alone couldn't overcome her current frailty.

Bang!!

Hono's fiery grip seized Arie's face, and with a brutal motion, she smashed her into the wall of flames. The searing heat radiating from Hono's hand was unbearable, sending waves of excruciating pain through Arie's body.

"You're strong-stronger than me!" Hono admitted, her voice sharp and unwavering. "I didn't think I'd be able to kill someone at your level!"

But she continued, her tone colder now. "Of course, the experts who invaded Ekatoe City were on an entirely different level. They were powerful, but they weren't prepared for what awaited them in this place."

The [Five Element Barrier Formation] suppressed their strength to a significant degree, limiting them to only sixty percent of their full power. Earlier, when Torkez had been ordering his subordinates to supply mana stones to the formation, the suppression was even stronger-reducing their strength to less than fifty percent.

Yet, even at less than half their full power, the damage they caused was devastating.

This alone spoke volumes about the strength of the experts who had invaded Ekatoe City.

Their confidence in handling this mission stemmed from this power. From their perspective, the only real threat to their plans was the Nine-Headed Hydra.

"You trash!!"

Arie roared, her voice brimming with defiance as light gathered in her hand. She swung it swiftly, aiming directly for Hono's neck.

In a flash, Hono reacted, using her other hand to block the attack.

Boom!!

The collision generated a powerful shockwave that rippled through the area.

Hono's eyes widened in surprise. Despite her injuries, Arie still possessed immense strength.

If Arie were at her peak, Hono was certain she wouldn't stand a chance.

"It's not enough," Hono said firmly, her voice laced with determination.

As she spoke, her cape, dress, and boots began to emit a faint glow, signaling the activation of their equipment skills.

Hono's energy surged sharply, her entire presence radiating power. Her attire, crafted from high-grade equipment, amplified her elemental energy and boosted her strength to its peak.

She wasn't holding back anymore.

[Flame Majestic Destroyer]!!!

Hono deflected Arie's attack with ease and drew her hand back. The flames around her stirred violently, swirling toward her palm as she condensed them into a blazing sphere of

destruction.

With a swift, decisive motion, she thrust the concentrated flame forward.

Arie's eyes widened in alarm as she sensed the overwhelming danger, but it was too late. The flames reached her before she could react.

Boom!!

The fiery explosion erupted, engulfing Arie entirely. The flames spread out in a devastating wave, melting half of the southern area. The ground and rubble dissolved into molten slag, and the intense heat warped the very air, sending powerful heat waves in all directions.

Hono stood her ground, breathing heavily as she surveyed the aftermath. Her gaze locked on the figure ahead-Arie, lying motionless in a pool of bubbling lava.

Arie's energy fluctuations were fading, dissipating into the searing air.

Ohm!!

Hono exhaled deeply, her body relaxing as she deactivated her Element Drive and the other skills she had been using.

"I told you before you wouldn't win in your current state," she muttered, her gaze fixed on Arie's motionless form.

In the southern area of Ekatoe City, the battle had concluded. Arie, the leader of Fiery Dawn,

had fallen.

Naturally, the high-level experts scattered around the city felt it-the sudden disappearance

of Arie's energy fluctuations.

First Walfen, and now Arie had been defeated.

High above the city, near the barrier formation's central breach, Ferdin froze. His senses honed in on the absence of Arie's energy. His eyes widened in disbelief as he turned toward

the southern part of the city.

"Arie is... gone?!" he muttered, the weight of the realization sinking in.

But before he could process further, a surge of intense heat shot toward him. Reacting on instinct, Ferdin twisted his body just in time to dodge as a flash of flame streaked past him. "I already told you today is the day you all fall," Erkigal said, a faint smile curving her lips. Ferdin remained silent. He didn't need to argue-the situation spoke for itself. Two of their members had already been defeated, and it was clear their enemies were fully committed to bringing them down.

His gaze settled on Erkigal. She wasn't someone to take lightly. From the intensity of her energy fluctuations, it was evident that she was probably the strongest combatant in the city, second only to the Hydra. The fact that she dared to face him alone only reinforced her confidence in her strength.

"What are you worrying about?" Erkigal asked sharply, her body surging forward in a blur of

motion.

Ferdin grinned, energy swirling in his hands. "Nothing!"

Boom!!

The two collided with explosive force, the clash sending shockwaves rippling through the air.

...

Meanwhile, in the eastern area of the city...

A tall, imposing old man floated in the air, his presence dominating the battlefield with powerful energy fluctuations. This was Leorin, the leader of Deso-a notorious criminal

organization.

"This old man is strong," Eilish muttered in a heavy tone, her voice laced with exhaustion.

Amanda nodded in agreement, her body battered and bruised. Both of them bore the marks of a grueling fight, struggling to hold their ground against the monstrous strength of Leorin. Amanda glanced to the side, a hint of relief in her eyes. "Luckily, we're not alone anymore." Reinforcements had arrived, though not without cost. The effort to slow down Leorin had claimed the lives of dozens of witches. Among the new arrivals were the Fourth and Sixth Heads, their presence rekindling hope.

Alice approached, her gaze assessing their condition. "Can you still fight?" she asked.

Eilish gave a firm nod. "Yeah."

Amanda, however, shook her head. "I don't think I can fight anymore."

Alice placed a reassuring hand on Amanda's shoulder. "I understand. You've done enough.

Rest for now."

It was a reasonable request. Amanda wasn't as strong as the others; her mana reserves were nearly depleted, and her parasite had reached its limit. The fact that she had lasted this long against someone as formidable as Leorin was a testament to her resilience.

Leorin turned his head as he sensed something. After a moment, he looked back at the Fourth Head, Sixth Head, Alice, and the others.

'Even Arie has fallen... I need to be more cautious. If Walfen's defeat was due to carelessness,

then Arie shouldn't have...' he thought inwardly.

The Fourth Head glanced at the Sixth Head and nodded.

"Let's go."

The Fourth Head dashed forward, his mana erupting.

Their target was the old man, Leorin.

Swoosh!!

The Fourth Head and Sixth Head flanked him, launching their attacks. Leorin raised his hand,

swiftly catching the Fourth Head's strike, and created a barrier to block the Sixth Head's

energy ray.

"If you think I'll still underestimate you, you're wrong! Walfen and Arie have fallen, and this

proves you can take us down!" Leorin said in a low tone.

He tightly gripped the Fourth Head's wrist and threw him at the Sixth Head. Sixth Head

caught the Fourth Head, but Leorin had already pounced on the two of them.

With a wave of his hands, a bolt of bluish lightning shot down from above.

Bang!!

Fourth Head and Sixth Head were slammed into the ground, creating a massive crater.

At the same time, Alice and Eilish made their move. Eilish raised her staff and conjured a spell that enhanced Alice's speed and strength.

With others taking the lead, Eilish could focus on her ranged fighting style. Her mana surged sharply as she cast another buff spell toward the Fourth and Sixth Heads.

Alice opened her palm, feeling her strength increase from Eilish's spell. A golden spear

materialized in her hand, and her aura surged like a tidal wave.

[Rhongomiant]!!

With a powerful thrust of her spear, a massive golden ray erupted. The brilliant light it

emitted illuminated the entire eastern area.

Leorin gazed at the golden ray, narrowing his eyes. He tightened both of his fists before

throwing his hand forward.

[Legend Lion Fist]!!

A majestic lion made of lightning erupted, colliding with the golden ray.

Boom!!

The collision of the two attacks created intense friction in the air, sending violent energy

sparks scattering across the area.

Alice gritted her teeth, putting more force into her attack.

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