"Boom!"
The Flamefist Dragon Lance, blazing with the energy it had absorbed from the solar bombardment, swept through Murphy's hands with the force of "Bankai: Zanka no Tachi," cleaving through the obstruction of the platform in the middle of the Castia Great Tree's canopy.
The sturdy thousand-year-old wooden barrier caught fire and burned away with ease. Then the power armor kicked it as it crumbled into ash, tearing apart the entire massive branch.
Murphy stepped forward and saw Liwen supporting Peachy as she tried to get up.
After her brief outburst, Golden Peach had fallen unconscious. Liwen was covered in wounds, too. All around them lay nine druids of the Heart of the Woods, either mortally wounded or already dead. This ridiculous achievement alone was enough for a not-particularly-bright girl like Peachy to brag about for the rest of her life.
The good news was that both girls were safe, which came as a relief to Murphy.
He was about to speak when the enormous tree platform behind him was blasted apart amid the solar bombardment. High-temperature embers swirled around the Marshal's power armor over the burning ground, leaving Liwen staring in shock.
Wait!
Hadn't you said you were coming to save the Castia Great Tree and its druids? Was this how you planned to save them? By burning everything to ash?
Hey!
Which of you was the ruthless cultist, again?
"Look at that weak expression, Liwen. How can someone as weak as you shoulder the mission of spreading the majesty of the Celestial Venerable Yunlan? It's just a little solar bombardment. Haven't you seen anything like it before?"
Holding the golden Flamefist, Murphy walked forward and remarked,
"I don't even need to use mind-reading to know you're thinking something awful. But I have my own plans for the future