The air thundered with the sound of Lilia and Noin’s clashing blades, a stark contrast to the others who stood frozen in a tense, silent standoff.
Zex’s forces were comprised of hand-picked elites, including Count-class demons—a rank so rare they were few and far between even within the vast reaches of the Demon Realm.
Gauging their strength from the caliber of their magic and their combat stances, Shia understood the gravity of the situation, though she maintained a stoic facade.
Lilia was holding her own against Noin just as expected—perhaps even better than expected. Razulia, Acht, and Eva were capable enough to handle anyone below the Peerage-class, so they could be counted on as reliable allies.
That left Shia to deal with five Count-class, fifteen Viscount-class, and forty Baron-class demons. Only then would her blade reach Zex, the one maintaining the barrier.
In terms of raw power, there wasn't the slightest chance Shia would lose. However, she was acutely aware of the ticking clock. They were running out of time.
Zex knew full well he couldn't defeat her; he was exposing himself purely to buy time. His presence here was proof that the window before Fia’s departure was nearly closed.
A day and a half had passed since Kaito first heard Fia’s story. By now, she had likely finished most of her preparations.
Yet, charging in recklessly would play right into Zex’s hands. If he dedicated himself entirely to evasion and defense, staying just out of reach, they would never make it in time.
As Zex had observed, Shia took immense pride in her merciful fighting style. She sought to defeat her opponents without taking lives or causing permanent injury, and she had no intention of compromising that conviction. To betray her principles would be the same as admitting defeat.
Thus, Shia remained still, searching for a way to clear these obstacles in the shortest time possible without discarding her pride. Such a path was not easily found. Every passing second favored her enemies. Glaring at Zex and his subordinates, she held onto the slim hope that an opening would present itself.
Shia wasn't the only one feeling the weight of the stalemate. Zex and the Peerage-class demons couldn't afford a single careless move either. In truth, they couldn’t move.
If they lowered their guard for even a second, they would be pulverized. If they blinked, their consciousness would be reaped. Shia’s strength was that absolute.
Since their goal was merely to stall, they had no reason to initiate an attack. Nevertheless, the sheer strain of facing an overwhelmingly powerful entity was mercilessly shredding their nerves.
For Zex’s group, there were two conditions for failure: the first was Zex being defeated before time ran out. The second was inflicting even a single scratch on Kaito.
Zex had realized the truth. Certain members of the Six Kings weren't staying out of this because of some unspoken agreement. They were refraining out of respect for Kaito’s resolve to handle the situation without their help.
The moment Kaito bled, they would lose.
The tiny ice crystals floating almost invisibly in the air, and the presence concealed directly behind Kaito... those two would undoubtedly strike the instant the boy was harmed.
Once that happened, any concept of a power balance would evaporate. The Phantasm King, in particular, would be utterly ruthless.
Pinned between a top-tier goddess and the watchful eyes of two Six Kings, the pressure bearing down on Zex was suffocating.
The tension was at a breaking point. A single catalyst would be enough to shatter the stalemate and send the battle spiraling in either direction.
That catalyst finally emerged from the echoing thunder of the other duel.
"Ugh... gah!"
"Lilia-san!?"
Kaito’s voice was laced with worry as Lilia was knocked backward by yet another counterattack.
When comparing Lilia’s overall prowess to Noin’s, the First Hero held a slight edge. It was inevitable that as the duel dragged on, the tide would turn in Noin’s favor.
Lilia hadn't taken any major hits yet, but her labored breathing suggested heavy exhaustion. In contrast, Noin’s breathing remained perfectly steady.
"...It’s frustrating, but it seems I'm still no match for the First Hero-sama as I am now."
"...Are you admitting defeat?" Noin asked, her voice tinged with skepticism.
Lilia gave a slow, faint shake of her head.
"...No. It's just that, if possible, I didn't want to use this. This isn't my own power, and it isn't something one should wield lightly..."
"What are you...?"
"But it appears I won't be able to overcome you unless I do."
"No! Noin-dono, look out!!"
Zex, the first to grasp the weight of Lilia’s words, cried out in a sudden panic.
But Lilia was faster.
"...O Blessing of Time. Grant me the Miracle of a Moment!"
"What—!?"
"Noin-dono!?"
In a heartbeat, a streak of light flashed across the field, and Noin was sent flying.
Lilia had delivered the blow, but Noin hadn't even seen it. No, she had caught a mere glimpse at the final fraction of a second, but she hadn't been able to react.
Lilia had closed the distance and swung her blade at twice her previous speed—no, even faster.
The Main Blessing of a Supreme God allowed its recipient to act as a proxy for that deity... but that wasn't its only gift.
It also granted the authority to learn a portion of the Supreme God’s power.
By receiving Chronoa’s blessing, Lilia had been granted the right to learn the magic used to accelerate one's own time.
Naturally, permission didn't guarantee mastery. Even a fragment of a Supreme God’s authority was a magic that should have been impossible for a normal human to learn.
Yet, through sheer, unadulterated talent, Lilia had succeeded in mastering the spell Chronoa had taught her, if only for a brief duration.
Even with Lilia’s vast reserves, she could only maintain triple-speed for a matter of seconds. It drained almost every drop of her mana.
It was her ultimate trump card, and a double-edged sword that left her vulnerable.
But the impact was undeniable. The Viscount and Baron-class demons, stunned by the sheer display of Time Magic, let their focus drift from Shia for a single, fleeting moment.
"...You slipped for an instant. Point deduction."
"Crap—!"
Shia didn't miss the opening. In the blink of an eye, she reaped the consciousness of over a dozen demons and tore through the air toward Zex.
The standoff was over. Though the formidable Count-class demons remained, she wouldn't let this chance go to waste.
Swinging her great scythe like a black whirlwind, the No. 5 of the God Realm finally bared her fangs.
Still, victory wasn't assured. As she mowed down the lower-ranking demons, Shia cast a quick glance back at the duel between Lilia and Noin.
"...Even so, it doesn't look like that’s enough to finish her."
Lilia appeared to be dominating Noin with her accelerated strikes, but Shia saw the truth.
Amidst that blinding flurry of steel, Noin was managing to evade fatal damage by hair's breadths, her instincts and experience keeping her alive.
"...If only she had one more move. No... there's no sense in wishing for the impossible."
Muttering to herself in a voice lost to the wind, Shia turned her full attention back to the enemies before her.