Chapter 176 The Lilivil Witches At The Ready

*Behind the witches forest*

The three remaining warriors, Ava, Selfy, and Terafona, took up their positions at the edge of the forest, waiting in anticipation for Warthniq's attack.

Terafona perched herself on a high tree branch, scanning the surrounding area with her sharp gaze.

Ava, with her arms crossed and her white tiger companion by her side, stood poised and ready for battle.

Selfy, on the other hand, sat on the grassy ground, calmly sipping tea while her small rocky minions loyally guarded her.

Despite the imminent danger, the three warriors remained steadfast and focused, waiting for the enemy to make their move.

"Where are they?" Ava uttered, pacing back and forth anxiously, her gaze fixated on the horizon as she waited for Warthniq's attack.

"Relax, Ava," Selfy said, taking a sip of her tea. "Why are you so tense?"

Ava stopped pacing and turned to face her. "The Successor is out there fighting, and we're just sitting here..."

"You doubt the Successor's decision to place us here?" Selfy asked teasingly.

"No, it's not that," Ava replied, looking guilty. "I just feel like I should be out there with him."

Selfy raised an eyebrow. "So you think the Successor is incapable of coming up with a good strategy then?"

Ava shook her head hastily. "No, of course not. I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that. Please don't tell him about this".

Selfy chuckled. "You have my word, I won't tell him a word of what you said".

"Selfy, do you never get tired of teasing her?" Terafona chimed in, sitting graciously on the tree branch with her umbrella over her head.

"Of course not… she just makes it too easy." Selfy smiled before taking another sip of her tea.

Knowing that she was tricked, Ava sighed before focusing back to what she was doing, but then, she felt something coming.

Ava's eyes widened as she saw Himiko suddenly appear out of nowhere. She reacted instinctively, unsheathing her sword and holding it up to the stranger's neck. The sharp edge of the blade glinted in the dim light, dangerously close to Himiko's skin.

The two women stood there, their faces just inches apart, locked in a tense standoff. Ava's muscles were tensed, ready to strike at any moment, while Himiko remained eerily calm, almost unaffected by the sword pressed against her throat.

The air was thick with anticipation as they both assessed each other, trying to read each other's intentions

"You should watch where you aim that thing." Himiko uttered with her eyes still locked to Ava's.

Behind Himiko were sixteen individuals, including Garfield, her priest and Eril her guardian angel.

Ava glared back, "Bold of you to appear beside the witch of destruction like that." She said, moving her sword a bit closer to Himiko's neck.

"Ava? Do you know who that is?" Selfy suddenly asked.

"No, am I supposed to care?" Ava answered back.

"That's the back up the Successor told us we'll be getting.. the elemental hero Himiko." Selfy informed with her hands covering her mouth as she tried to hold in her laughter.

With a composed expression, Ava lowered her sword and stepped back, acknowledging Himiko's presence. Selfy let out a small chuckle, finding Ava's initial reaction amusing.

"Forgive my friend," Selfy said, still holding back her laughter, "She's always on edge when it comes to unexpected visitors".

Himiko brushed herself off and nodded, "I understand. I apologize for startling you".

Ava took a deep breath before she spoke, "No need to apologize. We're just a bit on edge, considering the circumstances".

Himiko nodded again before turning her attention to the battlefield in front of them, "By the way, Warthniq will be here soon, I spotted them camping at the rocky path after I had finished speaking with the General leading Riojas?".

"Uhn?" Slefy muttered.

"Shinra is the one leading the army, and knowing him, I doubt he would want to fight now." Himiko spoke out, her eyes focused on the sky.

The witches looked up too and notcied that the sun was starting to set, "You believe he won't use the darkness as a means to attack?" Ava asked.

"Shinra and I have fought many wars together, he won't attack until the sun rises," Himiko proclaimed, "That said, it's safe to set our defenses, just in case".

"True." Selfy took her last sip of the tea before standing to her feet, "Can't have a battle without an army".

Selfy took a deep breath and approached the front line. She knelt down and whispered to the ground, "Wake up, boys." Her voice was barely above a whisper, but it was enough to stir the earth beneath her.

Slowly, the ground began to tremble, and then huge, lumbering figures began to emerge. The earth shook with the force of their ascent, and Ava watched in awe as the massive golems took their place on the front line.

The golems were immense, towering over even the tallest trees of the forest. Their rocky bodies were covered in moss and lichen, and their eyes glowed with a fierce, inner light. They were powerful, ancient creatures, born from the very earth itself, and they were there to protect the forest and its inhabitants.

With Selfy at their side, Himko knew they had a chance at victory, and she tightened her grip, ready to face whatever came their way.

"Incredible." Himiko uttered in awe, as she watched the golem walk around like soldiers guarding a prison cell.

"There goes my resting time." Terafona sighed, before snapping her fingers.

The ground began to rumble as skeletons started crawling out of the ground with blows, swords and spears in their hands, as they surveyed the land beside the golems.

Ava smiled before looking at her tiger, "Come on, it's time." She spoke to it.

The tiger suddenly gave out a roar and multiple portals began to materialize, one after the other.

Out of each portal emerged more tigers, each one majestic and powerful. The ground trembled beneath their paws as they stood beside the group, ready for battle.

The air was charged with an electric energy, and the tigers' eyes gleamed with a fierce determination to protect their allies at all costs.