Nine was shocked. She had been prepared to allow Eleven to deal with the qi line technique from the front and the black arrow, while she would deal with the qi line technique from the back, but the arrow suddenly vanished and appeared before Thirteen.
Thirteen, who had already been struggling against two immortal puppets, was caught completely off guard. Still, she was a veteran warrior. She put everything into shifting her body ever so slightly, avoiding a blow that was toward her heart and allowing it to slam into her left collarbone and shoulder.
An agonizing scream left her lips as she was blown backward.
In that same instant, Eleven gathered her stretch, her sleek black body flexing as she whipped her long claws forward to shatter the qi line.
"Dammit!" Nine roared, kicking Thirteen who had flown into her path away as she too shattered her own qi line technique.
Thirteen despaired. Dyon's arrow was far too weak to deal her a fatal injury, but it was still more than skin deep. Nine was too heartless.
'Goddamn Bitch!' Thirteen wanted to scream this at the top of her lungs, but how could she? Whether it was Nine or Ten, the top ten numbered warriors were in a completely different league. However, she soon calmed down when she realized that Nine had at least been kind enough to stop the two immortal puppets coming after her.
In that moment, the numbered warriors breathed a small sigh of relief. So many things had occurred in just a few seconds that they felt as though their lives were being juggled upon a thin a line. But, it seemed over now… At least, it did until they realized that Dyon had shot two arrows, not just one. And this second arrow… Its feeling of looming danger made the first seem like child's play!
Nine was torn. The arrow was heading right for Eleven who had just given her all to shatter the qi line. Yet, the arrow seemed perfectly time to arrive just as her muscles had relaxed.
But, on the other side, there was the injured Thirteen. At least for the moment, her left arm was useless because unlike Ten, Eleven and Nine, she hadn't entered her humanoid beast form before it was too late.
'Who do I save? Is this arrow truly for Eleven? Or is it for Thirteen once again?'
That split second of hesitation was enough to cut Thirteen from the list. After being kicked away by Nine, she was much further from Nine than Eleven. In fact, even the ever silent Fourteen was closer than Thirteen was now.
With no more hesitation, Nine surged toward Eleven after knocking Thirteen's two immortal puppets away. In the end, Eleven was far more valuable anyway!
'Wrong answer.' Dyon smiled. This sort of hesitation, this was exactly what he wanted! '[Spatial Jump]!'
The numbered warriors had become very used to [Retrace], however, [Spatial Jump] was far different. Simply put, [Retrace] was the far better skill. There was a reason why it could only apply to an area the sentinels had been in the last 30 seconds. This was because it was nigh untraceable. It also couldn't be locked down by qi or energies of any form. Even an expert on Ten's level didn't sense anything at all before the sentinel appeared before him.
[Spatial Jump] was different. It was the ability of one of the supreme grade arrows found in Dyon's weapon's pagoda. Unlike [Retrace] it could be detected and it could be sealed from doing completing its function. In addition, Dyon had a far greater margin for error when using it.
However… None of that mattered now because the numbered warriors here couldn't use their enigmatic qi or divine sense to lock down the area thanks to cold qi!
And the destination of the arrow swirling in flames of black and white? Not only was it not toward Eleven, it wasn't toward Thirteen either, it was toward the unassuming and silent Fourteen!
By the time Fourteen noticed the perilous situation he was in, it was already too late for him to react. Rather than Fifteen, he was the actual weakest individual here.
Dyon's black arrow had only ripped a few layers of skin from Thirteen. In fact, it hardly even harm her muscles. The reason her left arm was useless was only because the impact dislocated her shoulder and she was doing her best to pop it back in. The issue was that her earth constitution made her muscles and tendons incredible rigid and steel-like, making it difficult to shift her shoulder back and also incredibly painful to do so.
However, this arrow swirling of black and white seemed to be on a completely different level entirely.
'I may be the weakest here.' Fourteen thought calmly. 'But do not underestimate a numbered warrior!'
As if responding to Fourteen's thoughts, Dyon only smiled. 'I never did.'
The dark ocean lit up once more. Arcs of blue lightning surging forward. Fourteen didn't need to think very long to realize that this wasn't a fake strike like before… This was the real deal! Dyon had saved it just for this moment!
A bitter smile coated Fourteen's features. He lived in silence, so many it was fitting that he died in silence as well.
The arrow of black and white pierced into his back the moment the arc of blue lightning stalled his movements. If he erupted with his full strength, he was certain that he could force himself to move, but it was already too late.
The arrow didn't dig very deep. The body of a dao expert was far beyond Dyon's understanding. But, it didn't need to. Severing a part of his spine was enough for Dyon's purposes.
The blue lightning stalled his movements. The arrow blasted him forward toward his immortal puppets and impeded his movement further. And in the next instant, his c.h.e.s.t was pierced on both the left and right side by the metallic hands of two immortal puppets.
Dyon didn't even react to Fourteen's death as he ordered the immortal puppets to retreat. Not long later, a puppet came to his side, holding onto two drops of blood in a sphere of qi.
It was time for the second plan.