All eyes turned to the now-open final gate. Zenless, his eyes gleaming with ambition, immediately moved. "Chairo! Gure! With me! We must acquire that person!"
The two Hydra members nodded obediently and followed Zenless towards the gate. Leon and Kazan, realizing their malicious intent, tried to intercept, but...
"Our battle isn't over yet!" roared the transformed Dairoki, blocking Kazan's path with his three gaping maws.
"Dammit!" Kazan cursed in annoyance, forced to face Dairoki again.
Meanwhile, Leon was blocked by the other two Hydra members with indigo and white hair. "We won't let you pass," said the white-haired one.
Seeing the critical situation, Sylvaris, who was near the gate, saw Zenless and his two Hydra companions approaching and immediately acted. "Don't come any closer!" he shouted, releasing a volley of arrows towards Zenless and the two Hydra.
Zenless, seeing the attack, didn't flinch. "Gure, handle that!"
"Expected as much," muttered Gure, the metallic gray-haired Hydra. Swiftly, he raised his iron shield. "The Walking Fortress!"
His shield glowed, creating a protective energy field that caused all of Sylvaris's arrows to bounce off helplessly. They continued forward unimpeded.
"Chairo, your turn!" Gure commanded.
Chairo, the dark brown-haired Hydra, immediately clenched his fists. "Geologic Machine Gun!"
Fist-sized stones rained down on Sylvaris at high speed. Sylvaris tried to dodge, but several rocks struck his body, knocking him down.
Nix, seeing the situation growing increasingly dire, prepared to launch an attack. But suddenly...
SWOOSH!
A spatial rift appeared unexpectedly near him. From within emerged a figure with a sword wreathed in lightning and wind, followed by Fenrith.
"Zephyr!" Nix greeted with relief.
Zephyr nodded, his eyes immediately assessing the situation. "I sensed a massive energy from here. What's happening?"
Nix quickly explained, "I need to focus on destroying the chains binding the figure inside the gate. Can you handle those three?"
"Of course," Zephyr replied curtly, gripping his sword. "Fenrith, please guard Nix."
The large wolf growled in agreement, then stood protectively by Nix's side.
Leon and Kazan, sensing Zephyr's familiar aura, exchanged glances and smiled with relief. Help had arrived at the perfect time.
"Alright, let's begin," Zephyr said calmly before darting towards Zenless, Gure, and Chairo.
Zephyr opened the attack immediately. "Dance of a Thousand Gales". Dozens of sharp wind blades assaulted the trio.
Gure quickly stepped forward. "The Walking Fortress!" His shield glowed again, easily blocking all the wind attacks.
Chairo wasn't idle either. "Swallowing Sand Vortex!" Quicksand appeared beneath Zephyr's feet, trying to swallow him.
But Zephyr was too fast. "Rider of the Storm!" He glided on a disc of wind, avoiding the sand trap while counterattacking.
"Razor Gale".
CLANG! His pressure-wind-wreathed sword struck Gure's shield, pushing him back several steps.
"Guardian's Intercept!" Gure leaped to protect Zenless, who was preparing to do something.
Zenless himself was gathering energy in his hands. "Gilded Meteor!" A golden meteor formed above Zephyr.
Zephyr sighed. "Stormwall!" He planted his sword, creating a static electric field that slowed the meteor just enough for him to evade.
"Adamantite Crusher Fist!" Gure tried to seize the opportunity, his energy-charged fist slamming directly towards Zephyr.
But Zephyr was ready. "Thunderclap Counter!" A shockwave of lightning and wind exploded from his sword, pushing Gure back.
Chairo, not to be outdone. "Siege Stone Palisade!" A row of sharp stone pillars erupted from the ground, surrounding Zephyr.
"Zephyr's Cross!" Zephyr moved like lightning, leaving an electric trail before reappearing and delivering an X-shaped cross slash that shattered all the stone pillars.
The battle raged intensely. Zephyr, with his agility and speed, fought against the trio who protected each other with a combination of Gure's defense and Chairo's earth attacks.
Zenless, seeing that Gure and Chairo were struggling considerably, decided to step in personally. "Enough! I'll handle this myself!" Golden energy gathered in his hands, ready for a more lethal attack.
=== CHAPTER 42 END ===