NOVPUBLuca's few words once again brought a look of suspicion to Nova's face.
She glanced at him, as if about to ask something, but before she could speak, a piercing, mournful wail suddenly echoed from the direction of the mushroom cloud.
The entire battlefield was suddenly shrouded in a dark, oppressive cloud.
An endless surge of curse energy rapidly spread out in all directions, engulfing everything in its path.
The survivors closest to the mushroom cloud were instantly transformed into monsters by the overwhelming curse.
Upon witnessing this, Luca's expression grew serious, his face darkening with concern.
Nova, standing beside him, was in shock, unable to comprehend what she was witnessing.
"This is impossible! No monster should be able to withstand the attack from a dimensional annihilation bomb!" she exclaimed, her voice cracking slightly.
"There's nothing impossible about it," Luca replied calmly, his tone steady as ever. He then grabbed his Starseeker and Obsidian, charging toward the mushroom cloud without hesitation.
He had made up his mind—while Zenobia was still reeling from the effects of the attack, he would strike immediately.
Though Luca had no clear idea of Zenobia's current state, the curse energy that had spread just moments before made it clear that if Zenobia regained control and steadied herself, winning this battle would be nearly impossible.
Luca's swift movement snapped the others, still stunned by the scene unfolding before them, out of their daze.
Nova, gritting her teeth, pulled out another red pill from her pocket.
Without hesitation, she swallowed it and immediately prepared to use the dimensional annihilation bomb again.
The rocket's speed couldn't match Luca's, though. By the time Luca reached the edge of the mushroom cloud, the rocket was only halfway to its destination.
"You damn insects! I will make you all pay the price!"
Zenobia's maddened voice echoed from the center of the mushroom cloud once more.
Another barrage of black beams shot toward Luca, each one filled with unimaginable curse energy.
Facing Zenobia's onslaught, Luca could only use the Starseeker to deflect the black beams, barely holding his ground.
He wasn't yet planning to unleash the power of Obsidian, though. In his mind, he had reserved Obsidian's strength for the decisive strike against Zenobia.
Using his agility and swift reflexes, Luca dodged all of the black beams with precision.
Now, he was extremely close to Zenobia, and he could finally see her true form.
Zenobia still maintained her monstrous serpent shape, but now, she appeared even more vicious and terrifying than before.
The serpent's head was now covered with numerous twisted, squirming tentacles, each one hiding horrifying wounds beneath them.
It was clear that the damage Zenobia had sustained came from Nova's dimensional annihilation bomb.
Luca quickly assessed the situation before charging towards the largest wound on the serpent's head, holding Obsidian firmly in his hand.
In the dimly lit environment, suddenly, a massive amber-colored eye appeared out of nowhere.
It was Zenobia's eye.
The massive serpent's gaze locked onto Luca with terrifying intensity.
"Do you think you can defeat me with such a cowardly sneak attack?" Zenobia's crazed voice echoed through the air. "Do you think you pathetic insects can succeed with such foolish tactics?"
"You are so stupid and arrogant!" she continued, her voice dripping with contempt. "Now, I'll show you the true power of a god!"
No sooner had Zenobia finished speaking than a bolt of golden lightning struck down from the sky, hitting Luca directly.
At the last possible moment, Luca used Obsidian to barely shield himself from the lightning's attack.
Although Obsidian absorbed most of the electrical energy, Luca was still heavily injured by the strike.
The plan he had originally devised was no longer viable—he needed a new strategy.
After a brief moment of consideration, Luca decided to throw the Starseeker to draw Zenobia's attention while he sought another opportunity to attack.
In that instant, he hurled the Starseeker through the air.
Normally, Starseeker's power was enough to attract any monster's attention. After all, the energy within it was something that every monster would crave.
Zenobia, though far stronger than most monsters, was still, at her core, just another monster.
However, Luca's plan failed to work as expected.
Zenobia didn't seem to be drawn to the Starseeker at all.
One bolt of golden lightning after another rained down from the sky, each one targeting Luca.
Surrounded by the constant barrage of lightning, Luca appeared to be struggling to maintain control, his movements frantic.
Just as he was certain that he wouldn't be able to dodge the next lightning strike, a massive explosion echoed from nearby.
Nova's dimensional annihilation bomb had finally reached its target.
The explosion caused by the dimensional annihilation bomb gave Luca the opening he needed to escape.
He quickly leaped out of the mushroom cloud's radius, narrowly avoiding the blast.
"The situation has changed. We need to get inside the barrier of the Imperial Capital core zone, now!" Luca quickly relayed his plan to the others.
Without hesitation, Drumph immediately led the Northern Territory Morning Star members in a fast retreat.
Nova nodded in agreement, then also began heading toward the barrier.
Everyone moved quickly, their actions precise and coordinated.
However, they had barely covered half the distance when a massive surge of golden lightning suddenly appeared in the sky.
The golden bolts, carrying with them an overwhelming curse energy, struck the barrier protecting the Imperial Capital's core zone directly.
The power of the barrier began to weaken rapidly.
Simultaneously, the protective range of the barrier began to shrink at an alarming rate.
"You actually still plan to escape?"
Zenobia's voice echoed from the direction of the mushroom cloud.
Luca and Nova immediately realized that escape was no longer an option.
Zenobia wouldn't allow them to flee. The immense power she wielded had completely sealed off the battlefield.
At this moment, everyone felt a growing sense of hopelessness.
The serpent that now appeared within their line of sight was far more terrifying than it had been before.
It was clear to everyone that Zenobia's strength had increased dramatically.
Originally, the serpent had only one head, but now, it sported three.
Not only that, but this three-headed demon serpent was surrounded by swirling purple smoke.
Within the purple mist, there were shifting, shadowy figures. These shadows were monsters, born from the mist itself.
The colossal three-headed demon serpent slowly advanced toward Luca and his allies.
The serpent's six eyes glinted with a sadistic and mocking expression as they locked onto their prey.
At this moment, Zenobia was tormenting Luca and his comrades on a psychological level, just as a snake would toy with its prey before delivering the final strike.
She had no intention of killing them quickly. Instead, she meant to use their suffering to release the pent-up fury inside her.
The slow approach of the three-headed demon serpent placed an immense amount of pressure on everyone.
Even Nova, usually composed, could no longer remain calm.
Among them all, only Luca remained cool-headed, continuing to analyze the situation in his mind.
He realized that Zenobia's actions, though horrific, had unwittingly given him a chance to turn things around.
Though Starseeker had been discarded and the power within Obsidian was not enough to defeat Zenobia in her current form, Luca wasn't ready to give up hope.
He began to consider whether it was possible to channel the combined power of his allies into himself, using their strength as a potential way to overcome the overwhelming odds.
Just then, a soft voice echoed in his mind—Sophia's gentle voice.
"I can help you."
"Your condition isn't good right now. Let me take over the fight."
Luca didn't intend to accept Sophia's offer.
To him, Sophia's consciousness had only just begun to recover, and she wasn't fully stable yet. He couldn't risk relying on her now.
If Luca allowed Sophia to assist him, there was a very real possibility that her consciousness could be wiped out during the battle.
He would rather take on the risk himself than let Sophia bear the burden.
"Luca, I know you're trying to protect me," Sophia's voice spoke softly, but with an unwavering determination, "But right now, the only way we can defeat Zenobia is if I help you."
This time, Luca didn't immediately argue. Instead, he asked quietly, "How exactly do you plan to help me?"
"We've defeated Sinful Divine Rank monsters before, and I've had close contact with them," Sophia continued, her tone calm as she explained the plan. "So, in a way, I share a kind of mystical connection with Zenobia."
She paused before continuing, her words calculated and deliberate.
"I'm in a very weakened state, but if I can synchronize my weakened state with Zenobia, you'll be able to defeat her easily."
Sophia had proposed a highly dangerous plan. 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓅𝓊𝓫.𝒸ℴ𝓶
Once their states were synchronized, Zenobia could lock onto Sophia, which meant that she would be able to target her directly.
Luca immediately objected again.
"This plan is too dangerous! You absolutely cannot let Zenobia lock onto you! She despises you, and if she manages to lock onto you, she will kill you without hesitation."
"I'm willing to take the risk," Sophia's voice was soft, but her tone was resolute. "Haven't you been taking risks all along? If Zenobia kills you, what chance would I have of surviving?"
Sophia's rhetorical question left Luca speechless.
If he were to die in this battle, it would be impossible for Sophia to be resurrected.
After a few seconds of silence, Luca finally decided to refine the plan.
"We need to make additional preparations before you synchronize your state with Zenobia's," Luca said, his voice firm and decisive.
"Of course, I wouldn't be foolish enough to synchronize with Zenobia without proper preparations," Sophia replied, her voice light, almost teasing, as if trying to break the tension.
Sophia could clearly sense the immense pressure Luca was under, so she hoped to ease his burden with her words, offering some comfort in the midst of the overwhelming situation.
Luca, however, was already formulating a plan in his mind.
He knew that he had to provide Sophia with additional protection, because only by doing so could he ensure her safety once their states were synchronized. Without that, the risks would be far too great.
As he ran through the plan's details, making sure every possible variable was covered, the massive three-headed demon serpent had already closed the distance and stood directly before him and Nova.
The serpent's six eyes glared at them with pure malice, its gaze filled with cruelty.
"I'll give you a chance," Zenobia's voice echoed, dark and twisted. "You can decide who dies first."
