"Crack!"
A crisp bone-cracking sound echoed from Paimon's body, causing her to gasp.
The sudden turn of events caught everyone off guard, including Torrey.
Paimon's body slowly fell, and the short blade lodged in her back was deeply embedded within her.
"Paimon?!"
Paimon, from a distance, cried out in alarm and rushed towards Paimon, but Torrey blocked her path with a casual gust of wind.
"Their grievances should be resolved between themselves, don't you think? (^_^)"
"Heh heh heh… do you really think I'd give you a chance to turn the tables?"
Suddenly, the Scaramouche, who had been kicked away by Lumine earlier, appeared behind Paimon. Seeing her writhing in pain beneath him, Scaramouche delivered a few more kicks, seemingly unsatisfied.
Paimon's face contorted in pain. She tried to force herself to transform despite the agony, but found her abilities being disrupted by an unseen energy. Gritting her teeth, she struggled to suppress any sound.
"Paimon?!"
Lumine, who had just been sent flying, arrived just in time to witness Scaramouche tormenting Paimon. She exclaimed, quickly unleashing a gust of wind to force Scaramouche back. Then, she rushed to Paimon's side, shielding her. Paimon, meanwhile, had managed to bypass the wind wall and was now behind Lumine.
"Lumine! Paimon, she…"
"Don't worry, the attack didn't hit any vital spots. Quickly, take her away from me. I'll deal with these two damn guys myself…"
"But, but how can you possibly fight all three of them by yourself?!"
Paimon looked at Lumine with concern, only to be met with a stern retort.
"If you two don't leave, I can't fight to my full potential. Paimon has temporarily lost her ability to fight. Take her and go meet with the other Paimon. Be careful of monsters along the way. Don't worry, I won't be defeated that easily."
With that, Lumine, not waiting for Paimon's reply, charged forward with the Windborne Blade in hand.
Scaramouche, who was currently locked in combat with Lumine, couldn't help but let out a light chuckle at the scene. Instead of stopping them, he spoke with a mocking tone.
"Heh heh heh… letting two people wander alone through this monster-infested forest to meet your little sister? I didn't expect even the legendary Honorary Knight to make such a rookie mistake."
"Hmph… they are not as fragile as you think!"
Lumine snorted, a sharp glint appearing in her eyes. With a flash, the blade of her Windborne Blade condensed with a vast amount of Electro energy, transforming into a massive sword as she swung it towards Scaramouche.
Scaramouche dared not be careless and quickly concentrated a large amount of energy in his arms to meet the attack. Although he managed to block the strike, he was still forced back several steps by the terrifying impact.
The moment Lumine attacked, the Ruin Sentinel beside Torrey instantly appeared by her side. It raised its colossal katana and thrust it towards Lumine's throat.
"Clang!"
With a sharp metallic sound, Lumine quickly twisted the hilt and gripped it tightly, placing her other hand on the blade to block the strike head-on.
Lumine intended to use the force of the attack to negate its momentum, but unexpectedly, the Ruin Sentinel, as if controlled, did not engage in a struggle. Instead, it retracted its katana, causing Lumine to instinctively stumble forward.
Seizing the opening, the Ruin Sentinel grabbed Lumine's slender body and, with a powerful swing of its right arm, hurled her through the air, blade and all.
Lumine's body traced an arc through the air before slamming hard onto the ground. She felt as if her entire body had fallen apart, and the intense pain made her gasp.
"Damn it, how can a Ruin Machine perform such a maneuver…"
Lumine got to her feet, her gaze fixed warily on Torrey in the distance. Although Torrey hadn't made a move, the pressure he exuded was likely greater than that of Scaramouche and the Ruin Machine combined.
Seeing Lumine's fearless expression, Torrey nodded with satisfaction. Only a dangerous prey could bring the hunter joy.
"Heh heh heh… facing all three of us and showing no fear. Truly worthy of being called the Honorary Knight. I'm growing more and more eager to see the expression on your little sister's face when she learns of your tragic demise~"
Hearing Torrey deliberately provoke her by mentioning the other Paimon, a fierce killing intent surged into Lumine's eyes.
She stomped her foot forcefully, launching herself forward like an arrow shot from a bow towards Torrey. The Windborne Blade in her hand erupted with a dazzling purple light.
In an instant, Lumine appeared beside Torrey and swung her Windborne Blade directly towards his face.
"Clang!!"
The blade, which should have landed on Torrey's face, was intercepted by the arm of the Ruin Sentinel, which had arrived just in time.
Purple light collided with metal, erupting in brilliant sparks, and stirring up a storm of dust and debris.
Torrey couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat. The attack was impossibly fast. If he hadn't been able to control his nearby Ruin Machine, he might have truly been disfigured.
"Heh heh… someone's dragon's back, indeed, is not something to be touched lightly…"
Lumine furrowed her brow and stomped on the Ruin Machine's massive arm, creating distance between herself and the trio. Her mind raced, quickly analyzing the current situation.
They didn't seem to like attacking together. She had to find a way to defeat them one by one…
Scaramouche possesses self-healing abilities, making him troublesome. However, I have no idea what Torrey's trump cards are. Although his defense seems lacking based on that last attack, he currently has a powerful Ruin Machine protecting him…
After a brief period of contemplation, Lumine ultimately decided to focus her efforts on the Ruin Machine as a breakthrough point. After all, it was the only means they had displayed so far that could effectively counter her in terms of raw power. Once it was defeated, she could then proceed to target Torrey.
In an instant, the Windborne Blade in Lumine's hand rapidly gathered terrifying elemental energy. The Electro power on the Windborne Blade intertwined with the raging winds, transforming into a lightning blade two meters long. She then swung it directly at the Ruin Sentinel.
Torrey, seeing this, remained calm and immediately instructed the Ruin Sentinel to grip its katana and meet the attack.
"Rumble!"
A deafening roar erupted from the weapons as they met. The instant their blades touched, a visible ripple spread outwards, scattering the surrounding trees and bushes. Massive cracks snaked across the ground, and the terrifying energy seemed poised to tear the sky apart, obliterating everything in its path.