After the commander issued the retreat order, the Alliance soldiers swiftly withdrew, leaving the plaza before the temple deserted—save for Xiao Feng, Hera, and Zeus.
Suddenly, a radiant white light erupted from Zeus's hands, bathing the flaming esper's battered form.
Startled, Xiao Feng watched as the fire wielder clawed himself from a pool of blood, wounds still raw yet life unmistakably restored.
The fire esper was the first to rise; almost simultaneously, the gale esper also staggered upright from the crimson mire.
The two exchanged astonished glances before locking their fierce gazes on Xiao Feng.
Still reeling in disbelief, Xiao Feng saw the metal esper behind him also struggle to his feet.
Zeus chuckled grimly at the trio of Level Nine espers and declared, "Fight with abandon. As long as I live, I can resurrect you."
His words rekindled their fighting spirit. Encircling Xiao Feng, the three unleashed a torrent of powers, clashing fiercely.
Helpless to retaliate, Xiao Feng manipulated the swirling metal shards around him in defense. Yet, fortified by experience, the trio now held the advantage, forcing him into a purely defensive stance.
Elsewhere, Pandora and Hera battled to a stalemate—both equally matched in strength, speed, and skill. Their blades clashed relentlessly, sparks flying amidst the clangor of steel.
From afar, K, Rush, and Earth Dog watched in stunned silence, utterly unprepared for how Zeus's three beams of white light had dramatically overturned the battle's seemingly inevitable conclusion.
K whispered to Rush, "If we don't intervene now, Xiao Feng and Pandora won't last much longer."
Rush frowned. "Agreed. Let's take out Zeus. He hasn't moved yet—I suspect he's not a combat-type esper."
Earth Dog, anxious, said, "I'm out—I'm out of ammo."
K nodded. "Stay here. The two of us will handle it."
Earth Dog gave a wary nod. "Be careful. Also, haven't seen Apollo in a while—he might be lurking nearby."
K responded gravely, "Apollo's dangerous. We might not even stand a chance against him."
With determination, Rush charged first, followed swiftly by K. Under the cloak of night and dim lights, their silhouettes closed in rapidly on Zeus.
Frowning, Zeus spotted the two charging at him and muttered, "Damn it—I overlooked them." Familiar with K's prowess, he felt a twinge of fear. Frantically, he grabbed his comm, "Apollo, where are you? Hurry!"
"No use returning," came the reply.
"What do you mean? Deserting now?" Zeus nearly shouted.
"It's not desertion—I was just purified by the Messenger."
"The Messenger?"
"Yes. The Messenger's no longer on our side. I don't know what deals Xiao Feng and that old man made."
"Damn…" Zeus saw K and Rush closing in fast and sprinted toward a nearby vehicle. Without his esper guards, he was vulnerable.
With Apollo's powers neutralized by the Messenger's purification, their temple's fate was nearly sealed—Hera the sole remaining stronghold. The others had fallen: Hades torn apart, Ares and Poseidon captured, Apollo stripped of power, Zeus fleeing, and Athena hidden deep in the Alps.
Watching Zeus pursued by two espers, Hera's concern surged. As Zeus's beloved and the one most aware of his true strength, she knew the pair, though Level Eight espers, were more than capable of slaying him.
Fearful for his safety, Hera deflected Pandora's advance and charged toward K and Rush, with Pandora close behind.
Zeus dove into his sports car, attempting to start the engine, but the vehicle trembled violently before flipping over.
K, wielding his metal control, had upended the sleek car, trapping Zeus beneath it. Turning, K and Rush faced the approaching Hera, with Pandora relentlessly close behind.
Exchanging a glance, K and Rush simultaneously lifted a nearby car door, hurling it at Hera.
The heavy door struck her with no chance to evade, halting her momentum. Seizing the moment, Pandora slashed fiercely at Hera's back.
A sharp cut—blood spattered through the air.
Zeus's voice echoed from beneath the wreckage: "No... don't kill Hera. Take me instead..."
But Pandora remained unmoved, her blades striking again and again, felling Hera to the ground.
K and Rush wasted no time, manipulating the surrounding debris to cocoon Hera tightly in a metallic shroud.
Zeus, his expression fierce, crawled from beneath the car wielding an automatic pistol, firing rapidly at K and Rush.
K spun swiftly, summoning a powerful surge of energy to seize the stream of bullets mid-air. Behind him, Pandora leapt onto K's shoulder, propelling herself toward the shooting Zeus.
Two streaks of icy silver flashed; Zeus's body stiffened suddenly as blood sprayed from his neck with a guttural hiss.
In that instant, sharp-minded Rush seized some of Zeus's spilled blood with his psychic power, dropping a bullet casing into the crimson droplets.
K opened his mouth to question, but Rush smiled, "For our own survival, later on."
Zeus's body sagged backward, blood spurting not only from his neck but chest and abdomen as well.
After glancing once at the fallen Zeus, Pandora pivoted and rushed back toward the battlefield where Xiao Feng fought.
Together, Xiao Feng and Pandora swiftly dispatched the resurrected espers once more.
Breathless, Xiao Feng stood amidst the ruin, discarding a spent cannon barrel.
The stars shimmered beautifully overhead as a gleaming aircraft descended nearby. Pandora turned to the group. "It's time to go…"
Without hesitation, Xiao Feng and the others boarded the craft. The plane ascended rapidly toward the east, vanishing in a blink amidst the night's vast expanse.