"Plato...!" Faeloria growled in a mix of surprise and anger. 'He's already fallen into the enemy's hands!'
Thinking about everyone's natural resistance to mental attacks and the added protection from the anti-brainwashing mask, Faeloria was the only one in their group who could fight an Aracelli Race member head-on. However, Plato was second in ranking, as he specialized in defenses.
'And making him fall in seconds means...!'
The realization came instantly, followed by her immediate command. "Everyone! Retreat! Protect the civilians and retreat to Gravene Tower!"
In their current situation, Faeloria couldn't afford to protect everyone while fighting. As such, the best choice was to let everyone but the combatants evacuate the battlefield.
"GO!"
"...!"
The rest looked slightly reluctant at first, but after hearing her desperate voice at the end, they had no choice but to follow her orders. "Chief, be careful!" Kelek and Ellen exclaimed before quickly escaping with everyone else.
"You think I'd let you!"
The man of the Aracelli Race raised his voice, commanding everyone nearby who was under his control to block them. However...
*BAM!*
"I'm your opponent, bastard!"
Faeloria's attack was still too much for Plato to handle. His defense broke, allowing an attack to reach the man's face. Like a bullet, he flew straight toward the wall, crashing against it, and creating a large dust cloud.
"... Bitch," but of course, he wouldn't fall so easily. "If you're rushing to your death, then let me do the honors! DIE!"
In a flash, not only Plato but a few more familiar faces appeared. Some of them were from the Black Numbers like him, while there were a few from the Hit Squad too. Faeloria frowned hard. The situation was more urgent than she had imagined!
She quickly activated her defensive bracelet, covering herself with a barrier that protected her from all directions.
*CRACK!*
But as expected, they were too powerful for a mere artifact to stop. The defensive barrier was destroyed within seconds, exposing Faeloria to their attacks!
"Keh!" He laughed, completely looking down on her. "You can't even look straight at me, and you'll defeat me? Stop talking nonsense!"
*Snap!*
"And you don't have the right to fight me, bitch."
Along with his snap, more and more people appeared. Of the two dozen mixed members of Black Numbers and Hit Squad, half managed to survive. Despite losing some of their limbs, they moved desperately, trying to do their best to attack her.
Furthermore, backup arrived from all over. Hundreds of civilians, carrying knives, bars, and other makeshift weapons, appeared from alleys and roads, surrounding her.
"... You disgusting fucker!" Faeloria cursed, seeing what the Aracelli man was planning.
He planned to waste Faeloria's energy fighting and killing those she should be protecting, thinning not only her battle potential but also her mental strength!
"This... is too much!"
Even Faeloria couldn't force herself to drag civilians to their deaths.
Members of the Black Numbers or the Hit Squad were still fine since they swore to lay down their lives to protect the residents of Orinfeld City. However, what good would it do if she killed the ones she should be protecting?
"Ahahah! That's it, that's the expression I wanted to see!" The man cackled excitedly. "Anger! Hatred! Despair! That fits you a lot better, you fucking bitch!!!"
The man was not worried, as if he was sure of his victory. However, little did he know that what he did just made his life shorter—Faeloria was pushed to the edge and now had no other option.
With a small voice, which magically echoed all over the place, she chanted.
"Yggdrasil, grant me your strength; let your roots bind my foes and your lifeblood fill my veins."
"...!"
The man of the Aracelli Race felt the rapid change in the atmosphere and, at the same time, received a premonition of his brutal death!
"Let your servant preach to the world of your magnificence! World Tree's Fury!"
At that instant, an entire section of Orinfeld City was covered by a forest of gigantic roots. Whatever was happening inside, nobody but those concerned could ever know.