With the defenders' numbers suddenly reduced, the five Construct Guards seized their chance and unleashed a combined attack.
Five golden beams of energy merged into a colossal pillar of light a thousand meters across and slammed into the Temporal Barrier.
Spiderweb cracks spread across its surface in an instant.
"Hold on!" Sif unleashed the full force of her divine power and stepped forward beside Tsunade and No. 18, bracing against the impact.
Within the dimensional rift, the Celestials silently watched the battle. A cold voice spoke again:
"They have split their forces. Their weakness is clear. They must defend the manor and protect Earth's mortals. They cannot devote themselves entirely to the fight.
Keep up the pressure. Let's see whether the Temporal Arbiter will enter the battle and use his full strength."
Loren's brow furrowed.
The Celestials' scheme was vicious.
They kept the main force occupied with combat puppets while creating geological disasters to force the defenders to split up.
Protecting ordinary people was a responsibility none of them could abandon, which meant they had been drawn into the enemy's trap.
Loren knew that if they kept reacting, the Celestials would continue leading them by the nose.
He slowly raised a hand. His silvery-white Temporal Force no longer served only to maintain the defensive barrier.
Countless temporal threads pierced the void, bypassed the puppets on the front line, and reached straight toward the edge of the dimensional rift.
"If you're so determined to test my limits, then I'll give you an answer."
The threads wove together into a vast Temporal Mirror, projecting directly into the dimensional rift where the Celestials hid.
Loren's figure appeared in the mirror, his gaze calm yet commanding.
"Your use of puppets and disasters to gather information ends here."
"I have no desire to start a