"Hiss..." Thick Abyssal power flowed over the Herald's body.
With a technique akin to the Seven Transformations of the Serpent, all that Abyssal power was converted into the Hydro elemental energy sustaining the Herald's shield.
"Raise your head," Ronava said, launching the first attack. "Meet the gaze of death."
Her tone was light, betraying neither joy nor sorrow.
In the next instant, all the eyes in the sky transformed into some kind of waves or beams, striking the Herald's body at tremendous speed.
Bang! A great cloud of steam erupted, and the surging Abyssal power slowed somewhat.
Seizing the chance, Tang Wang and Danika attacked from the left and right without a word between them. At the same time, Lumi, having gathered Geo elemental energy again, came crashing down from high above, directly in front of the Herald.
Clang! Clang! The Herald swung its twin blades, blocking the attacks from both sides. The price was a blow to the head from Lumi's heavy hammer.
The Geo elemental energy after Moonsign Ascension seemed to have finally accumulated to a certain threshold. The Moonshell Concerto triggered.
A platinum glow gently streamed from the Lunar Cage that had formed on the ground earlier. It was "Light Realm Power" that had evolved toward Geo elemental energy, generally known as "Kuuvahki."
"Whoosh..." Under the waves of light released by the Lunar Cage, cracks appeared in the Hydro Abyss Herald's shield.
As the light waves flickered, the dim golden glow around Tang Wang suddenly began to shine again. Lumi's round body swelled up as well.
Under the influence of Kuuvahki, both the hammer in Lumi's hand and Lumi's own body grew somewhat larger. While the Hydro Herald was staggered, Lumi struck it with the hammer, leaving more cracks in its shield.
"The Wheel of the Moon's power can suppress the Abyss," Tang Wang shouted urgently. "Danika! Ronava! Give Lumi an opening to attack!"
With that, he charged forward with his spear and blocked the Abyss Herald's slash for Lumi.
Meanwhile, Linaya was pouring her Elemental Power into Lumi with all her strength. The other two women, having heard Tang Wang's shout, began restraining the Abyss Herald in their own ways.
Ronava abandoned her attempts to attack. Using her control over Elemental Power, she sent crimson hands and ropes spreading out from behind her.
As they closed around the Herald, their Pyro Elemental Power and an indescribable elemental property continuously burned the Abyss on its body's surface.
It was Danika who helped the ropes and hands bind the Herald more effectively. Grabbing the other ends of the hands, she used Electro elemental energy to accelerate her body, allowing the bindings to wrap quickly around the Herald.
As for Tang Wang? Although he had only one hand left, his combat ability was still unquestionably the strongest among them.
Whenever the Hydro Abyss Herald showed signs of gathering Elemental Power or trying to attack, he immediately thrust his spear at it. Whenever he landed a hit, Lumi followed up with a hammer blow.
Soon, the fight settled into a steady rhythm. Everyone played their part, and the Abyss Herald could no longer put up any meaningful resistance.
Even when it occasionally managed to sever one of the hands Ronava had formed from Elemental Power, it was utterly unable to stop Danika and Tang Wang, much less attack Lumi, whom they were shielding with all their strength.
"The world... shall burn..." After the Moonshell Concerto triggered once more, the clear white Kuuvahki finally suppressed the dense Abyssal power completely. The Herald's shield shattered with a crash, and its body broke apart into fissures in a bizarre manner.
The moment the Herald dissipated, Linaya ran toward Tang Wang. But the excessive drain on her Elemental Power made her stumble and fall toward the ground.
"Linaya, are you all right?" Ronava, who was beside her, immediately caught her with something she had constructed from Elemental Power. Then, imitating Tang Wang, she gently cradled Linaya in her arms.
"I... I'm fine. I still have to... help Tang Wang... heal..." Her voice was weak. Clearly, the excessive drain on the Wheel of the Moon had left her somewhat weakened.
"Lili, I'm fine." Yet Tang Wang, the wounded man whose left hand had been severed, seemed exceptionally... energetic?
A dazzling golden light had coalesced into solid battle armor around him, giving him an unmistakable killing intent.
Then he reached out with his remaining right hand and gently touched Linaya's forehead.
A wondrous sight soon appeared: Tang Wang's Gang Qi dissipated at great speed. At the same time, clarity rapidly returned to Linaya's eyes.
The Elemental Power in her Wheel of the Moon filled up again, while Tang Wang suddenly began to look dazed—he had now lost a little too much blood. If not for the enhancement provided by his Gang Qi, he would have passed out long ago.
"Tang Wang! Are you all right?"
"I don't think... I look all right... do I?" After saying that, he fell straight forward. Of course, that was mainly because the battle was over and he had relaxed.
This time, Ronava caught him with her own body. Linaya then used her Elemental Power to heal Tang Wang's lost arm.
When he woke again, he was greeted by...
"Human, how do you feel now?" When Tang Wang looked up and met Ronava's eyes, his face turned red at once. Feeling the softness against his front, he hurriedly scrambled out of her embrace.
"Adventurer, the fighting spirit you showed was truly astonishing." Danika, who had been watching for quite some time, finally walked over. "Honestly, you don't look self-taught... Did the Millelith train you?"
"No, Danika, I really did train myself." He shook his head. "My name is Tang Wang, an S-rank adventurer with the Adventurers' Guild."
"Interesting. How do you know my name?"
"Because I really do have a favorable impression of Snezhnaya." His words gave Danika quite a small shock.
During her travels, she had of course seen what the Fatui had done. It was hard to imagine that someone from the other six nations could still say they "had a favorable impression of Snezhnaya" under such circumstances.
"This is Linaya, an adviser to the Adventurers' Guild in Nod-Krai."
"And this is Ronava, my traveling companion."
After introducing the other two, Tang Wang continued casually:
"Danika, if I remember correctly, you should still be in the middle of your training, shouldn't you?"
"...How do you know that?" Wariness appeared in her eyes.
"Because I really like Snezhnaya. Is that reason enough?" As he spoke, he gestured with his palm toward Linaya in the distance. "As a Snezhnayan, Miss Danika, surely you recognize her?"
Hearing Tang Wang say that, Danika took another careful look at Linaya. Seeing the lens on her and the wings at the sides of her head, she suddenly understood something.
"Miss Linaya is... a Snezhnayan fairy?"
"Mm." She smiled and nodded. "I'm an Omenbird."
"Then this little one must be a Frost Spirit?" Looking at Lumi flying around nearby, Danika suddenly understood a great deal.
"However," she said, even so, looking at Tang Wang with a slightly hostile gaze, "that doesn't seem to explain how you're so well informed."
As soon as the words left her mouth, even she felt they were somewhat inappropriate. After all, the man before her had just saved her life twice, and had brought his companions to get her out of danger at the cost of an arm.
"Oh? Are you really that curious?" To her surprise, a rather mysterious expression appeared on his face.
"To tell you the truth, I'm also personally acquainted with The Third Seat of the Fatui Harbingers."
At those words, Danika shuddered. In outsiders' eyes, The Third Seat of the Fatui, that harmless-looking young girl, was the subject of the most rumors and the most feared of them all.
Who knew what terrifying power lay hidden beneath that harmless facade of hers? In any case, her position as The Third Seat was proof enough.
Though Danika disliked the Fatui, she still showed such a figure the appropriate respect:
"Forgive my presumption, honored guest of Snezhnaya." Danika immediately gave Tang Wang a respectful bow.
"Hey, hey, hey, don't do that." Tang Wang hurriedly waved his hand in refusal. "If possible, I think we could absolutely be companions from now on."
"After all, we may have the same goal, don't you think?"