Balancing the game…?

The battlefield, previously a slope toward disaster for the caravan, had just experienced a violent realignment of forces.

(CHING! CHI-CHI-CHI-CHI! KLIING! CLANG-CLANG! ZIIIING! CLACK! KLIING!)

The whirlwind of incandescent steel, where Shija and Olivia (Vargas) faced off, continued its deadly dance, consuming the attention of both combatants.

(CLAAANG!!)

However, on the periphery, the situation had radically changed.

(RUMBLE-CRASH-SHAT!!)

The desperate fury of "Boudica," channeled through the power of the "Mountain Breaker," had shattered the elite offensive of the Princess Bandits.

"A-Aaaah...."

Karlen (Demonio) lay unconscious against a dented carriage.

"Damn monster!!"

But Elizia (Rex) was still active.

(BOOOM!!)

Elizia (Rex), although severely shaken, had quickly understood that Boudica's strength was now pure fury without strategy.

(KRA-KOOOM!!)

Therefore, being the only one capable of evading and drawing her attention, she became a vital bait, using her speed to stay just outside the range of Boudica's destructive fists.

"RRRRAAAAGGHH!!"

Who, possessed by the blind instinct of survival, was dangerously distracted, chasing her target in a vicious circle.

"RAAAAH!"

(CHING!)

"KIIYAA!"

(CLANG!)

"GRRR!"

(SKRRT!)

Because of that, the setting was in a tense and fragile equilibrium...

(BOOOOM!! CRASH!)

... or at least it would be, if not for a single, brutal detail.

"Listen!"

Amidst this violent chaos, the figure of Fortea (Gordon) became the axis of the offensive.

"The formation is useless! But this is no time to hesitate!"

Gordon, the bandit strategist and Vargas's right-hand man, would not allow the setback from the unexpected battlefield situation to cause panic.

"Elizia (Rex) is drawing the attention of the monstrous woman who shattered the mountain!"

Her face, in Princess Fortea's small but muscular body, showed tense concentration.

"So hold the line."

She had just destroyed the last mercenary resistance in her sector, opening a critical breach towards the caravan's rear.

"If the samurai breaks the duel, the rest of you must intercept!"

Fortea (Gordon)'s voice was deep and authoritative for her melodious tone, without the vulgar enthusiasm that usually accompanied her since she was possessed by Gordon's soul.

"Our objective is the carriage."

Her gaze then turned to the remaining Knight Princesses, whose martial training allowed them to react with discipline, despite the depraved minds that inhabited them.

"With two main defenses out of play, this is the moment of truth!"

Gordon knew that the physical power of the warrior facing Elizia (Rex) was devastating, but at the same time, she also understood that stripped of reason and covered in wounds, she would not be able to sustain that fury for much longer once she had lost too much blood.

(FWAP-FWAP-FWAP!!)

But the mercenaries, upon hearing Fortea's speech which revealed her leadership position and her intention to attack the nerve center, recognized the threat and, ignoring the danger, a group of remaining crossbowmen launched a coordinated attack in the middle of her speech.

"tsk...!"

Thus, a volley of crossbow bolts hurtled towards Fortea (Gordon).

(THUMM!)

However, Fortea did not hesitate and, with surprising speed for her build, unsheathed her War Mace, a brutal and heavy tool that she had carried secured to her back until now.

(SHRRRRRRK!!!)

And in an expert movement, she blocked the fired bolts by rotating the heavy maza, spinning the metal so fast that it created a blurred disk.

(KRZZZZZZZZT!)

As a result, the bolts shattered upon impact with the mace head with a chorus of metallic chirps and sparks.

(ZRRRMMMM!)

Immediately afterward, taking advantage of the same rotational momentum, and without slowing down, the knight princess Fortea (Gordon) launched the mace at high speed, which, spinning like a hypersonic projectile, cut through the air in an instant.

(WWHHOOOOOOOOOM-CRACK!!!)

Thus brutally smashing the heads of the two nearest crossbowmen in an instant...

(CHAF!!!)

... Before striking the earth beyond them with a force that kicked up a cloud of dust and pebbles.

"...."

Following that, a moment later, Fortea (Gordon) extended her hand and, using the energy she controlled in the princess's body, caught the mace, which returned to her hand as if attached by an invisible thread.

"I see..."

It was after that that Fortea (Gordon) looked at the main carriage, noting that, despite the massacre, the mercenaries had concentrated a stronger resistance around that particular vehicle.

"That must be the jackpot."

Therefore, recognizing that this was the area they were protecting with the greatest intensity, Fortea (Gordon) wasted no more time and lunged with her mace toward the carriage, leaving the remaining mercenaries petrified by the display of force.

"Get out of my way!"

So, with the path cleared and the mace recovered, Fortea (Gordon) advanced without hesitation toward the main carriage, moving with a mixture of physical power and strategic calculation, using the inertia of her body and weapon to her advantage.

(CLANG! CRUNCH!)

Accelerating, she crushed with her mace the skull or armor of every mercenary who, in their desperation, stood in her path.

(CRONCH!)

(SPLATCH!)

(ZRRRMM-WHIZZ!)

Every blow was fatal and brutal, designed to clear the route in the shortest time possible.

(TSSS... TSSS...)

But it was at that moment of maximum concentration during the assault that an unexpected event occurred.

"?!"

In that instant, the instincts of Princess Fortea's trained body violently activated, warning of imminent danger.

"Gnh!!"

It was not a visible threat, but a sudden and chilling sensation emerging right beneath her feet, which is why, with no time to rationalize the warning, Gordon, controlling Fortea's body, let instinct guide her, leaping backward with a fast and uncalculated movement that pulled her away from the point of impact.

(KA-THUMP!)

And immediately, moments after abandoning the spot, a beautiful and menacing floral cocoon surged from the cracked earth.

The cocoon was a sudden manifestation of plant life, strangely out of place in the middle of a battlefield.

Its shape was that of a perfectly symmetrical bud, with thick petals overlapping in an exquisite spiral, seeming to belong to a rare species of night lotus or deep-water lily, with petals of creamy, immaculate white, possessing a soft, velvety texture that only the flesh of a healthy, living flower could possess.

However, the edges of each petal were outlined with a thin stripe of deep purple, almost black, hinting at elegance and danger in equal measure.

"What the hell is this...?"

The flower was so turgid and dense that it did not seem fragile; on the contrary, it seemed to have the resilience of tanned leather. The stem supporting it was surprisingly thick and robust, an intense green, emerging from a mass of dark vines and tendrils covered in small, sharp thorns that had forced their way through the compacted earth with visible strength.

"SNF!"

Then, the air around her immediately filled with an intense, sweet, and intoxicating, almost narcotic perfume, which contrasted with the smell of iron and sweat from the battle.

"What the hell is happening...?"

The Midnight Lily Cocoon rose like a wall of silk and thorns, completely blocking Fortea's direct route to the carriage.

(Shhhhhk... skrrrk...)

And as if directly answering her question, the beautiful floral cocoon began to move.

(SWIIISH!)

Thus, the cocoon slowly opened, its creamy and purple petals separating solemnly.

(FWOOSH!)

At the same time, the stem supporting it began to extend, growing at an unnatural speed. Rising rapidly, it surpassed the height of the carriages and nearby trees, reaching toward the sky like an obsidian mast.

(FUAAAAAAASSSHHH!!)

Then, once it reached the summit, the flower's petals opened completely in a burst, releasing an intense, multicolor brilliance.

"!!"

In that manner, the silent burst was followed by a torrential rain of spores, tiny particles that glowed in multiple colors: electric blues, pale golds, and jade greens, which covered the sky, falling like a hypnotic mist over the road and the surrounding battle.

"What the hell is that?"

"Look up! Fog?"

"What are those sparks?"

And thanks to the initial confusion...

"Argh, my eyes...!"

"I... I feel heavy..."

"I can't... stand up..."

... They were unable to react to the immediate, silent, and devastating effect on most of those present.

"The ground...? Why... so soft...?"

"How... how sweet..."

"Zzzzz..."

The remaining mercenaries, already exhausted and nervous, fell like puppets whose strings were cut. Their bodies collapsed without a sound, their faces reflecting a sudden peace.

"Retreat! Don't breathe that thing!"

Next to them, the nearby Princess Bandits and Fortea's subordinates also fell, not by force, but by inhaling the lethal, narcotic pollen.

"Argh... What was I... Zzzz...."

Even Karlen (Demonio), who lay unconscious on the verge of waking up, was bathed in the spores, ensuring that her state of forced narcolepsy was total.

(CLANG-CLANG!!)

In the end, the battlefield was left submerged in an unnatural silence, broken only by the constant clash of the main swords.

"Wake up! Damn it...!"

Only five figures, or pairs of figures, remained standing, having evaded the Lily Harvest for different reasons.

(TANG-CHING-KSHH-CLANG-TANG!)

First were Shija and Olivia (Vargas), who continued their duel in the center of the whirlwind. Thanks to the extreme speed of their combat, the wind gusts generated by the constant clash of their swords and their ultra-fast movements acted as a vortex, pushing the spores away from their epicenter, keeping their bubble of fury clear.

(KRAKOOOM!, SHLAK!, KA-BAM!)

Followed by Boudica and Elizia (Rex), who remained locked in a frantic chase, which had taken them to the opposite end of the caravan, outside the direct reach and concentration of the spore cloud.

"Now what is happening?!"

Although Elizia (Rex) realized what was occurring, she had no choice but to continue her flight, keeping Boudica away from the area of effect.

"Damn it!!"

Lastly, Fortea (Gordon) remained standing. She did not understand the source of the danger, but Princess Fortea's survival instinct—the instinct that made her jump—warned her of the threat, which is why Fortea (Gordon) instinctively covered her mouth and nose, backing up even further, evading the spores and maintaining a safe distance from the cocoon.

(PLOOF!!)

Then, from the center of the flower, between its purple and creamy petals, an unexpected figure emerged...

"Hello everyone!!"

... that of a small fairy.

"I want to play!"

She was tiny, barely the size of a human palm, with vibrant emerald green hair that cascaded around her face. Her wings, delicate and membranous like those of a dragonfly, fluttered rapidly, keeping her suspended in the air. Her eyes were large and curious, and a mischievous smile played on her lips.

"What the hell...?"

The small fairy, completely oblivious to the chaos and massacre below, waved cheerfully.

Her voice was sweet and musical, like the tinkling of wind chimes, but a shiver ran down Fortea (Gordon)'s spine.

"Let's play!!"

There was no innocence in that voice, only a playful intention that foreshadowed danger.

"?!"

Without losing an instant, the fairy extended her small hands. As if she had absolute control over the air, she gathered all the colored spores that still floated in the battlefield atmosphere.

"This is no good...!"

The multicolored particles converged in the center of her hands, condensing into a shining sphere.

(FWOOSH!)

And then, before Fortea (Gordon) was able to intervene, with a playful puff, the fairy dispersed the sphere of spores.

(SHHHIIIING-SNAP!! CHOMP!! GRRRRR!!)

But this time, the spores did not fall to induce sleep, for, upon touching the air, they immediately transformed into a whirlwind of all kinds of carnivorous plants.

"What the hell?!"

Hundreds of small, intense green and blood-red Venus flytraps appeared, shooting out with alarming speed. Alongside them, pitcher plants that tipped out a sticky liquid and spiked vines that writhed like snakes, all with toothed jaws and famished eyes, descended toward her.