​"Surrender now… You have nowhere to hide." Xanor's voice was a low, chilling purr, and the smirk on his face was a portrait of absolute confidence.

​"You!!" a voice from the sky challenged.

​"SHH…" Shadow simply raised her hand.

​She snapped her fingers. The sound was deceptively small—a crisp pop—yet its effect was catastrophic. The entire airborne formation—every person and every towering battleship—instantly dropped like stones.

​"What?!? I… I can't fly!! My wings seem to be frozen!!" Falkor's scream was raw, horrified panic, a sound that cut through the silence of the sudden descent.

​Leonardo hit the air with a jolt. 'This isn't her power.' he thought, his mind racing even as his body plunged.

"Something isn't right… She doesn't have the strength to ground an entire fleet. That kind of area-of-effect suppression belongs to a powerhouse." He realized the true danger of their opponent—this wasn't a skirmish; it was a confrontation with an entity far beyond their previous experience. He whipped his head toward Marie.

"Marie!! The people!"

​"Yes!!"

​Marie, her face a mask of fierce concentration, pushed her body against the wind, falling with her back facing the ground. 'No time for fear. Protect the Ogres.'

The weight of the entire city's population now rested on her shoulders, not literally, but as a silent promise. She yelled, her voice straining against the air: "Everyone! Hold on!!"

​With a desperate surge, she channeled 60% of her celestial energy. It was a monumental expenditure, a choice that would leave her critically drained, but she didn't hesitate. Below the plummeting battleships and warships, a huge, swirling gateway materialized.

​BAM!!

​The ground rushed up to meet them, and the group landed hard but intact. The battleships and warships, however, vanished into the swirling light, disappearing from the planet. The energy drain left Marie momentarily staggering.

​"Phew… You did good." Leonardo caught her arm, his relief evident.

​"Thanks," Marie gasped, recovering quickly. "At least all the Ogres in the city are safe… Losing the ships is better than watching them crush the city below." She turned, her expression hardening as she faced the hundreds of thousands of Wendigos stretching out before them.

"What about the ships?" Sasha asked, turning to face them, his face filled with confusion.

"They're safe." Marie answered calmly.

​"Now we can't fly, we're grounded. That means we fight the Wendigos on their own turf." Casey said, a flicker of cold, almost eager anticipation in her eyes. She summoned her sword, the steel glinting in the light.

​Cain turned to Marie, desperation edging his voice. "Elder Marie, can't you use that skill again? Create a gateway for us to escape."

​Marie shook her head, the exertion plain on her face. "To create a gateway big enough for all of us… That cost too much. I don't have the energy for a second one right now."

​"Ok… How much time do you need?" Zoey asked, drawing her bow. The golden weapon crackled, zapping red lightning, a sign of her intent.

Marie: "Two Hours at most."

​Patrick watched the younger generation—Zoey, Cain, Casey, Lewis, Sasha—all ready to fight. A rare smile touched his lips. "It seems the next generation doesn't scare easily," he said, a note of satisfaction replacing his usual sternness.

​"I am also impressed," Leonardo agreed, gripping his own sword. "Facing such impossible numbers, they're so calm."

​Casey spun her sword once, the steel a blur, and took a step forward:

"There is nothing to be surprised about," she said, her voice flat and almost indifferent. "I spent five years killing these things. To me, they're just disgusting ants."

​"Hey! This isn't the time to act rashly!" Lewis quickly pulled her back, though he couldn't deny the fierce determination in her stance.

​Leonardo raised his head as Shadow and Xanor descended, landing effortlessly before the Wendigos.

​"The Great Mother won't ask again… Surrender to her." Shadow's cold gaze fixed on them.

​"Tell your Great Mother we refuse," Valerie snapped, summoning her spear.

​"This will only end in a bloodbath!" Austin sighed, though his stance was defiant. "Let's make sure ours isn't much of one."

​Sasha snapped her fingers. "We aren't losing anyone!"

Mercenary chips appeared on the ground, instantly expanding. In seconds, fifty grand-class Mercenaries stood ready.

"If I had known, I would have asked Josephine for her special Mercenaries," she muttered, looking at the paltry fifty before the horde.

​"End in a bloodbath?" Shadow's sneer was sharp. She raised her hand slowly and snapped her fingers again.

​CRACKLE.

​The sound was followed by a silent, devastating wave. The fifty Mercenaries, fully summoned, instantly shattered into pieces, their forms dissolving into nothingness before they could even draw a weapon.

​'This is it. We are up against a powerful enemy, not just a threat.' Leonardo realized, his blood running cold. The enemy had just effortlessly disintegrated a powerful reinforcement with a second finger-snap.

​'Due to last night's activity with Mother… I am stronger than before,' Shadow mused internally, licking her lips with a predatory gleam. 'Even just from her fragment, I gained these powers! I wonder how powerful the sisters who are with her have become?'

​She added aloud, her voice ringing with finality: "Without your ships, soldiers, and Mercenaries, you are all powerless! Yeah…" She crossed her arms, supremely confident. "You have celestial energy, but with time, that too will be drained… Boys… Get them!"

​WHOOSH!

​The hundreds of thousands of Wendigos lunged, their eyes filled with bloodlust and killing intent.

​"Here they come!!"

​Leonardo roared, shedding his momentary terror and embracing the necessity of the fight. He charged toward the Wendigos, his sword held high, his elders, Patrick and the rest, following close behind. The weight of the moment was gone, replaced by the instinct to survive and protect.

​BAM!!

​Xanor and Shadow quickly retreated, leaping onto a nearby building. They watched as countless skills and attacks shot into the air, killing tens of Wendigos in bright, chaotic bursts.

​"Why aren't we attacking?" Xanor frowned. They were both peak-stage God rank warriors; they could end this now.

​"Calm down, Xanor," Shadow explained, her gaze fixed on the struggling figures of Leonardo and Patrick.

"These playthings aren't the Mother's target. She is waiting for God Wolf. For your question; she is just keeping these playthings as entertainment. Once she gets bored, we'll wipe them out."

​"As entertainment?" Xanor was stunned. After a few seconds, a new fear—a wiser fear—took hold. "If I may, what rank is the Great Mother on? The main mother."

​"Peak of the Tenth Order," Shadow answered, her eyes glowing with reverence. "She is the Ruler of the Underworld in the Supreme World. A true Goddess."

​The words were plain, but their meaning froze Xanor. 'Peak of the Tenth Order.'

He turned his head to the top of the Ogres' Castle, where Lilith stood, motionless, her crimson gaze fixed on the battle.

​'I should never cross her,' Xanor thought, his survival instinct overriding his pride.

​Below, the battle raged, now less a tactical fight and more a desperate, drawn-out duel against inevitable exhaustion.

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