Once a Void Beast emerged from its berserk state, it would inevitably go through a period of weakness.
Even an upper second-tier Metal-Rending Battle Eagle would have less than a tenth of its strength left after being weakened.
But why were these two battle eagles...
"Damn it!"
Something occurred to Qiji, and he inwardly cursed.
In the footage, the Gold-Hunting War Eagle was an upper second-tier Void Beast.
The beast tide he had just faced, though enormous in number, had contained nothing stronger than a lower second-tier beast.
He hadn't seen a single middle second-tier one!
In other words, when controlling an uprising on such a massive scale, the highest tier of Void Beast Kamishiro Seiki could control was the lower second tier!
Someone else was the Echoer controlling those two Gold-Hunting War Eagles!
The moment he realized it, Qiji vanished from where he stood.
He raced toward where the members of Class Eight were now!
His entire figure was like a bolt of lightning tearing through the night!
For an instant, the Void Beasts thought Qiji was about to make another killing pass through them. Terrified out of their wits, their legs went weak.
Quite a few of them had just quietly gotten up, hoping to slip away...
Now, at the slightest movement from Qiji, they fell to their knees again in unison, like startled birds.
Even after Qiji had disappeared into the distance, they didn't dare get up.
-As though seeing off a king on his journey.
Class Eight's battlefield.
-Turning back time a little.
Just as Huomu, resolved to die, charged suicidally at the Metal-Rending Battle Eagle to buy the others a chance at survival-
Liuli stopped him.
At the same time, Liuli also pulled back Bai Lili, who was crying as she used all her strength to manipulate her Heart Essence threads, trying to do something.
At some point, the girl had quietly stepped in front of everyone.
Her misty purple hair fluttered gently, and she wore her signature, absolutely perfect honor student's smile.
"Leave this one to me."
As her words fell, butterflies fluttered around her.
Liuli knew better than anyone why these Void Beasts had gone on a rampage.
-It was the Kamishiro Family's doing.
She hadn't stepped in because she wanted to help or save anyone.
Frankly, even if everyone in Class Eight except Qiji died here, it would have nothing to do with her.
She wouldn't feel even the slightest ripple in her heart.
But wouldn't that give the Kamishiro Family exactly what they wanted?
She didn't want them to get their way.
So this was her revenge against the Kamishiro Family!
She wasn't trying to help these people.
Absolutely not.
Besides, more importantly, that meddlesome Teacher Tsukimi was gone.
Of everyone present, she had the greatest mastery of Echo.
Thus, with a little disguise, she could fool everyone.
She didn't have to worry about her true lineage being exposed.
Several dreamlike butterflies fluttered their delicate wings as they flew toward the Metal-Rending Battle Eagle.
They looked fragile and beautiful, but their flight followed a strange rhythm.
The battle eagle, which had been ferocious a moment ago, went rigid the instant an invisible wave swept over it!
Huomu froze and turned to look at Liuli in shock.
He hadn't expected this girl, who got excellent grades but didn't seem particularly known for her combat strength, to be capable of holding an upper second-tier Void Beast at bay on her own!
In any case-
"Thank goodness! We're saved!" A great weight lifted from Huomu's heart.
"Liuli, I'll leave things here to you! I'm going to help Setsuna!"
Facing the other Metal-Rending Battle Eagle alone, Setsuna was already in a sorry state, struggling to hold on.
Watching Huomu charge into the other battle without another word, Bai Lili froze on the spot.
By rights, she should have gone to help Setsuna too.
But her courage vanished as quickly as it had come. Once Liuli interrupted the reckless rush of passion that had overtaken her, fear crept back into her heart.
Especially after she'd seen with her own eyes how vicious the battle eagle was, and the horrific sight of her companions being wounded and falling one after another...
She hated herself for being so weak, so hesitant, for shrinking back in battle...
She screamed desperately in her heart, trying to order her legs to move, to charge forward and fight like Huomu.
But then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw two more caravan hands fail to dodge in time and die horribly beneath the Metal-Rending Battle Eagle's talons, their blood and entrails splattering across the ground...
The fear that made her want to vomit nearly overwhelmed her.
If I charge in...
I'll die in an instant, just like them, won't I?
I'll definitely die, won't I?
Her breathing quickened involuntarily, and her chest heaved.
She desperately tried to steel herself.
At last, her right leg trembled, moving ever so slowly...
And took a tiny step forward.
The instant she took that step-
"Bai Lili."
Liuli's voice came from right behind her, at just the right moment.
"My Echo takes extreme concentration to barely maintain.
While I'm using it, I can't move or defend myself.
So... could I leave my safety to you?"
Hearing that, Bai Lili felt as if she'd been saved.
She'd finally gotten it!
A reason not to charge in and fight the terrifying upper second-tier Void Beast.
I'm not backing down, I'm not scared, I'm not being a coward-
It's because Liuli needs me!
That's right, I have to protect Liuli! She's the main force holding the Metal-Rending Battle Eagle back, so of course she needs someone to protect her!
An excuse was always perfect to the person who made it.
And once Bai Lili had an excuse, she could finally make peace with her inner cowardice for a moment.
"I... I understand!" Bai Lili nodded emphatically.
"Don't worry, Liuli! As long as I'm here, I won't let anything hurt you!"
On this side, Liuli successfully held the Metal-Rending Battle Eagle at bay with her Mind Echo, disguised as the Insect Lineage.
On the other side, however, Setsuna and Huomu together were still being thoroughly suppressed by the other battle eagle.
Though the two were at a disadvantage, both were incredibly tenacious.
One was extremely fast and exceptionally skilled at using the terrain to dodge attacks.
The other had the constitution of a super masochist. Like an indestructible cockroach, he was covered in wounds and bleeding nonstop, yet every time, he managed to stagger back to his feet and keep fighting.
The viewers in the bullet comments were afraid that if Huomu kept pushing himself like this, he'd lose his life:
"Huomu! No! If you keep this up, you'll disappear!"
"Prisoner Ji! Where are you?! Hurry up and save them!"
Chapter 37: Sorry, am I late?
Void Beasts in a berserk state acted entirely on their inner instincts.
At this moment, the Metal-Rending Battle Eagle was growing increasingly irritable with the two annoying "bugs" it just couldn't manage to get into its mouth.
Just as it swooped down again, forcing Huomu and Setsuna to roll out of the way in disarray-
Its movement suddenly faltered.
Its crimson eyes shifted slightly, and its nostrils twitched, as though it had caught an extremely enticing scent.
That was... the fragrant smell of urine!
The tender, fresh, fragrant musk unique to human young!
It had known from the start that there were two young ones among these two-legged beasts.
It had merely left the delicacy for its beloved eagle.
But now, its beloved eagle hadn't eaten the two little ones, and it happened to be hungry.
Very hungry.
In that case...
The male Metal-Rending Battle Eagle abruptly changed direction, its crimson eyes locking onto the source of the scent!
"Whoosh-!"
With a beat of its wings, a fierce, bloody gust sent a mule cart in its field of vision flying!
It revealed two small, skinny figures huddled tightly together underneath. They had wet themselves in terror, their faces were smeared with tears and snot, but they bit their lips hard, not daring to cry out!
What... a delicacy!
The male eagle let out an excited shriek, abandoned Huomu and Setsuna, and swooped impatiently toward the two trembling little cakes!
"?!"
When Huomu saw this, he didn't even have time to think. His gravely injured body erupted with unimaginable strength in an instant.
"Stop-!!"
He shot toward the two children like a cannonball.
Though he had started later, he reached them first and blocked their way.
But the diving battle eagle merely swept the tip of its wing.
The blow, carrying immense force, immediately sent Huomu's already gravely injured body flying backward like a torn sack spraying blood.