All eyes turned to Samuel. He stood there, arms crossed, eyebrows furrowed, staring at the plan with an impassive expression, as if weighing every detail in his mind. Then, slowly, he gave a thumbs up.
"This plan works for me", he said simply, his voice calm but full of resolve.
A stunned silence followed. No one really expected it. Yet a simple "okay" from Samuel was like a signature carved in stone. Without wasting a second, the four executing the plan sprang into action.
Relia and Dante were already climbing onto the flat, wide part of Canon's massive axe. Canon himself growled, firmly planting his feet on the Furelynx's saddle, then focused his energy. He activated "Armed Arms". His arms changed appearance instantly: they turned reddish, hard, as if forged from blackened metal, massive muscles trembling under this colossal power. His teeth clenched.
"Ready ? ... Too bad if you die", he said.
Then he lifted the axe with incredible strength. The ground vibrated beneath his feet. The Furelynx, which had been bounding at full speed for minutes, faltered briefly under the weight pressing down on its back, but quickly resumed its wild flight.
Dante and Relia were violently launched into the air. The wind roared around them, whistling in their ears, whipping their faces. They rose higher and higher, cutting through layers of cold air, the violet night stretching beneath them. Soon, they reached the height of the Solpérine's belly, that monstrous, translucent, bluish mass.
"NOW !" Relia shouted with all the strength fear and adrenaline gave her.
Tensed, Dante brandished his katana before him, blade pointing down. His hands trembled slightly, his heart pounding wildly. He closed his eyes for a moment, seeking calm amid the chaos. He clenched his teeth. He had to focus, at that precise moment, despite the dizzying height, despite the wind threatening to unbalance him, despite the feeling the void was opening beneath his feet.
A drop of sweat ran down his forehead as slowly, at the tip of his blade, an ice projectile began to form. It had never been this cold or blue before.
At the same time, on the back of the Furelynx, Helydia activated her "Steel Thread" skill. A thin, shining, almost invisible thread formed. One end wrapped around Dante's ice projectile, the other firmly attached to Relia's torso.
Relia gritted her teeth. Her armor would take the brunt, and her passive skill "Hardened Skin" would do the rest.
Dante aimed just above the monster's blue belly.
"Your move", he yelled, voice tight with emotion.
Then, with a sharp flick, he released the projectile. The ice sphere shot forward at an incredible speed, dragging Relia behind it like a cannonball tied to a steel cable.
Relia felt her armor strain; sinister creaks echoed. The steel thread pierced through the metal, nearly slicing her skin. A sharp pain shot through her. Without her passive skill, she would have been cut clean in two.
Her eyes shone with determination.
She gripped her sword tightly, held out in front.
They hurtled straight at their target, straight at the Solpérine. There, through the bluish membrane, one could make out a strange shape: a huge, repulsive fetus, almost human in its stillness.
Relia held her weapon in front of her and activated "Sword of Light." A blade of pure light, twice the size of her actual sword, burst into a radiant halo around her weapon. The very air seemed to vibrate.
The tip of the light blade pierced the bluish surface of the Solpérine's belly. At the same moment, she activated her skill White Explosion. A blinding burst of light erupted around her.
This explosion caused very little damage, as its main purpose was to disorient the opponent. Still, she activated it — she wanted to give everything.
The tip of her sword sank deep into the monster's flesh, piercing through the form of the fetus.