The Grand Princess instinctively tightened her grip on the sword in her hand.
But she saw that after the tentacles pressed down, the glow did not extinguish.
Princess Rupert's eyes widened in an instant.
The intertwined azure and blue light, as if imbued with life—a scene like specks of brilliance rising slowly, ascending layer by layer from the dense thorn bushes—they were following an unimaginable trajectory, twisting and flying out through the gaps within the tentacles.
She involuntarily tilted her head back, watching the tentacles sweep past her, but beneath her, the Earth Shaker always found that thread of opportunity at an incredible angle.
The next moment, the world flipped upside down, and she completely lost direction as the Earth Shaker seized her, preventing this Princess from falling.
But the question is, how did he find direction?
Meanwhile, Fang Hong stood on his Dragon Knight's hand, one hand touching the Silver Flame Knight's raised finger, a faint silver light flashing in his eyes.
Tata turned her head, quietly watching her knight—this scene, for her, was reminiscent. That open space amongst the thorns, with the Clockwork Fairy dancing in the midst, just like yesterday.
A thousand meters away.
Ye Hua drew the last arrow, gently stabbing it into the ground.
The cold wind rolled past him and his Dragon Knight, fluttering the long cloak behind him. He lifted his head once more, his gaze seeming to penetrate miles of snow and wind, seeing what happened next.
A hint of faint surprise appeared in his eyes.
"Dance of the Fairy."
"So it was you—"
...
The vision ahead suddenly darkened.
Tentacles covered the sky, pressing down heavily, but in Princess Rupert's vision, a green and a blue glow had already moved past on either side. Fang Hong raised his left hand, shaping it as if holding a knife.
Two Dragon Knights advanced.
In the dazzling brilliance, they collided with Dika's tentacles, the momentary flash reminding one of meteors in the long night.
The Axinman Witch and Taan were completely shattered in the final impact, the scattered shards and the glowing elements falling below, resembling a shower of twinkling stars.
Yet amidst Affia's enraged scream, the massive tentacles spread upwards—
The three Dragon Knights finally broke through the encirclement.
Dika's Dragon Head then hung down from midair, surrounded by black mist, beneath its glowing golden-red eyes, its wide-open maw revealing rows of gleaming white fangs.
But Judge Taan stood ahead, wielding a sword, slashing across.
After a flash of light, the Earth Shaker and Silver Flame Knight rose beyond the howling Dragon Head. Princess Rupert looked down, observing the slowly disintegrating Dragon Knight, feeling a moment of tranquility.
She turned her head back again.
The Silver Flame Knight gently withdrew its palm, while Fang Hong held the Dragon Knight's chest, looking upward, reflecting the fierce and terrifying ram head and lion head in his dark eyes.
"Miss Tata."
He spoke softly.
"Present."
"Orphen, Twin Stars."
The lion's head roared, striking the Silver Flame Knight.
The Dragon Knight split in two in midair, but amidst the scattering debris, its lower half swiftly formed a nimble Female Knight, leaping up and seizing the flying lion's mane, holding a long spear, landing atop its head.
Next to it, the Fairy Miss floated in midair.
She looked down.
Upon the wreckage of the Dragon Knight falling into the clouds, the incomplete arms still protecting her knight, Fang Hong lay flat on the Dragon Knight's chest, with his head raised, just calmly observing all of this.
Then, he issued that command.
The Female Knight grasped the spear with both hands, thrusting it down.
A wail.
The injured double-headed Dika finally couldn't resist standing upright, tumbling backward.
Yet the sweeping ram's head was still a threat to the Grand Princess in midair; she could feel the Earth Shaker beneath her losing control.
But the target was already within reach.
She could even see the angry expression on the girl's face.
The Princess bit her braid, wrapping the strip around the sword once more, gripping it gently with both hands, crouching down, preparing to leap.
At that moment, the ram's head swept across, its sharp horn shattering the Earth Shaker, but Princess Rupert had already leapt, grasping the ram's head's long beard tightly.
Immense strength swung her in one direction, and the tension she felt at that moment seemed to surpass her whole life. Yet in the knife-like sweeping cold wind, the Princess squinted her eyes, finally discerning the direction.
It was her closest moment to that girl.
In midair, she let go without hesitation.
Then raised the longsword—
Though sight was lost, the girl still seemed to sense, turning to face the incoming strike of Istania's Princess.
At that moment, Rupert believed she could see a hint of panic on the opposing girl's face.
But there was none—
The girl simply smiled softly, tenderly, "Are you going to kill me, my daughter, Rupert."
Suddenly, the Princess's eyes widened, brown pupils reflecting shadows of something shattering within her heart.
Tears surged forth instantly, yet she clenched her teeth, her gripping sword slashing downward. However, the sword struck a phantom, slicing through, while the girl remained indifferent.
"But alas," Affia's smile blossomed like a flower, "you can't."
She extended a hand, piercing Princess Rupert's body.
Rupert screamed, her hands weakly falling, the strips unraveling, causing the sword to spin down from midair.
The girl watched the shimmering silver light vanish in the wind and snow, then lifted her head, softly speaking those last words:
"My daughter."
...