Unlike Jack who charged forward with full power, Moby stood his ground. He completely encased himself with thick [Rock Armor] spell. He braced himself. Acting as a living shield against the initial charge of Berserk Bulls.
Leon and Bell stood beside him. One with his full-plate draconic armor. The other with his expanded [Buckler of Retribution]. Both were also preparing to be the 'tank' to stop the Berserk Bulls charge.
They took the impact. The ground was shaking. But they held their position. Giving the others the opportunity to attack freely.
In front, Judge Jack moved with surprising agility for his size. Somersaulting over the bulls and using his [Chains of Vengeance] to lash out. Wrapping around the neck of a bull. As he landed, he yanked the chains, forcing the Berserk Bull off balance.
The [Judgement Warhammer] then slammed down. BOOM! Cracking its skull with a sickening thud.
From behind the three 'human shields', Baroness Artheim directed her summoned lightning birds on the bulls' eyes and legs. Blinding and tripping them. Ned did the same using his steamrune rifle, whose bullets he had temporarily enchanted with [Slow Curse] spell.
From the sides, the teleporters appeared and acted as the grim reapers that culled the herd. Reina and Aella blinked through the chaos. Peppering the bulls with gunfire. Aiming for weak points in their thick hides.
Chloe and Sparkle did similar thing, with less intensity. The kirin paralyzed the bulls. Allowing Chloe to make more lethal damage with her shadow spikes.
Barnaby's music shifted. The song he played now was the 'Rockman Stronghold', another original composition inspired from their adventure. The solemn song subtly increased the resilience and recovery of his team mates.
The numerous Berserk Bulls were a test of endurance and coordinated aggression for the two teams. But ultimately, they too fell. The cooperation of the two teams were too overwhelming for them.
But, before the teams could celebrate their victory, another group of enemies appeared. And they were much stronger than the bulls. The... Crimson Mammoths.
These were truly colossal creatures. They were covered in shaggy, crimson fur. And they had huge, deadly looking tusks that faintly glowed. Their sheer size dwarfed even the Berserk Bulls. And their stomping steps shook the ground.
These weren't a lone mammoth like what Jack previously faced. This was a herd of beasts even bigger and stronger than that.
"These are tougher targets!" Jack roared his instruction. "Focus fire! Aim for legs, eyes, and mouths. And... don't get trampled."
After shouting that, he charged and engaged the largest mammoth. His rakshasa form seemed small in comparison. But he was no less powerful than the beast.
He dodged a sweeping tusk. And then he leapt onto the outer side of the mammoth's leg. Driving the [Judgement Warhammer] deep into its knee joint. The mammoth roared in pain. Trying to rotate its body to attack him.
Instead of running away, Jack jumped and clung onto its shaggy crimson fur. Using it to scale its body. Climbing on top of the beast and swinging his hammer. Aiming for its head.
While Jack was dealing with the leading mammoth, Reina and Aella used their enhanced mobility to harass the other beasts. Teleporting around the mammoths. Firing into their eyes and the softer areas like the inner part of their ears.
Their bullets tore through those weak point targets. Causing the behemoths to flinch and roar in pain.
Working on similar principles, Chloe and Sparkle cooperation proved to be extremely efficient too. Sparkle's paralysis bolts momentarily froze the targeted mammoth. Allowing Chloe to send shadow spikes at vulnerable joints.
Baroness Artheim and Leon unleashed a storm of lightning. Lightning strikes and lightning birds arced across the mammoths' backs. Seeking to overload their nervous systems and bring them down.
Moby, Bell, and Ned provided cover fire with their steamrune rifles. Focusing on the mammoths' weak points.
None of the crew was stupid enough to be the 'tank' and clash physically against those gigantic mammoths. And they didn't need to do that either. The mammoths were powerful and relatively fast. But they were still slower than the slowest among their teams... Barnaby.
In this battle, the bard acted like a musician who was moonlighting as a matador. He ran, jumped, and rolled to avoid the mammoths' attack while playing his music non-stop. Weaving a jolly tavern song that sped up the reaction speed of the team-mates and slowed down the movement of the enemies.
It was a prolonged, grinding battle. The ground were trembling with their efforts. One by one, the Crimson Mammoths toppled. Their mighty bodies crashed to earth. Sending plumes of dust and red fur into the air.
The teams finally ended the battle with another great victory. They didn't stop though. After a few minutes of rest, they moved again. Searching for the next targets.
...
As the last echoes of their final fight faded, a strange sensation rippled through the air. The reddish moon in the sky began to pulse. A soft, resonating sound started to fill the world. Growing in intensity.
Jack, now back in his human form, checked his internal clock. The time was up.
Before anyone in both teams could react, a golden light erupted around them. It swelled. Blinding them for a moment. And then, with a sharp pop, they were gone from the Battle Moon Realm. Automatically teleported back to the original world.
...
The golden light receded. Leaving behind a lingering shimmer in the air.
Jack's feet met solid ground with a jarring thud. The cold, damp air of the Battle Moon Realm vanished. Replaced by the dry and warm atmosphere of Sweetmoon City's grand arena.
He looked around. He could see Rune moved in a fleeting emerald blur before settling on his shoulder.
His crew from both teams materialized around him. Reina was instantly at his side. Her hands were still holding both of her handguns. Aella was beside her. She didn't seem to be affected at all by the sudden shift.
Barnaby blinked into existence afterward. Strumming his lute strings instinctively. Baroness Artheim, Ned, Bell, Moby, Leon, Chloe, and Sparkle popped out one after another. Most were in their battle stances.
They stood on the main platform. Surrounded by thousands of waiting spectators. The immense magic stele at the center of the arena glowed brightly. Its display scrolled through various team names and their accumulated scores.
Jack looked at the stele and quickly saw the names of his teams in the topmost positions...
1st Place: Silent Mermaid Team... 16,187 Points
2nd Place: Ocean Wanderer Team... 15,921 Points
3rd Place: Thunder Monastery Team... 13,378 Points
...
A roar erupted from the stands. Cheers, shouts, applause. The noise was immense. Two teams, both belonging to Jack's crew, had seized the top two spots.
The rest of the crew, who hadn't entered the realm, were already rushing towards them. Argust, Don, Mirella, Serene, and Autumn met them with wide smiles and relieved nods.
"We did it, Dear!" Reina whispered with a smile. But, her eyes were twitching uncomfortably. "But the air feels wrong."
"Something is happening to the pearl." Jack replied. His gaze was locked on the great altar in the center of the stadium. The [Battle Moon Pearl] placed there was shaking wildly.
A deep, resonant hum began to vibrate through the arena. It wasn't cheers or applause. It was something else. Something primal. And it came from the pearl.
All eyes now turned to the [Battle Moon Pearl]. The ancient artifact that was used to open the gateway to the realm this morning.
The pearl began to pulse. A dark, angry red light erupted from its core. Throwing eerie shadows across the faces in the stadium. The hum intensified. Growing into a guttural throb that seemed to shake the very foundations of the city.
The red light swelled. Becoming so intense that it was painful to look at. Then, abruptly, it extinguished.
In its place, an abyssal, light-devouring blackness emanated from the pearl. Pure, absolute black. The air grew heavy. Suffocating. A chill colder than any winter wind swept through the arena. Not from temperature, but from raw, negative energy.
Then... seven distinct, crushing energies appeared. They rippled into existence from beyond the stadium walls. Manifesting as oppressive presences that intimidated most people in the Grand Arena.
The air thickened. The cheers died. A collective, terrified hush fell over the thousands of spectators.
Seven figures materialized in the sky just outside the arena. Hovering effortlessly with their own methods. Each of them was radiating power that made the stadium's air crackle.
Jack immediately realized who they were. These were the illuminated combatants. The invaders from the Celestial Alliance. He immediately made a quick, shallow appraisal with his [Eyes of Judgement].
The first was a figure cloaked in immaculate white robes. Almost blinding in its color and purity. Yet the man emanated a fake, sinister coldness. Jack's appraisal showed that this was Archpriest Whiteheart. A representative of the Purity Cult.
Next, Jack could see a shadowy individual wearing hooded cloak. His appearance was blurred. His form shifted all over like smoke. This was a representative of the Black Market Syndicate. The Ghost Assassin.
Then, a gaunt, skeletal being was next. He was wreathed in crackling green-black necrotic energy. Its eyes burned with malevolent, infernal light. The Undeath Sect's representative. Necromancer Greybone.
Anther figure Jack observed next was adorned in ostentatious gold and jewels. It was a fat woman who seemed to be practically dripping with wealth. Sitting on top of a floating, jewel-filled throne. Yet, her aura was one of avarice and ruthless ambition. Not splendor. This was the Circle of Wealth's representative. Lady Fortuna Maxime.
And then, Jack saw a mist covered entity standing on top of a floating magic staff. Shimmering with eerie, bluish light. Emitting indescribable sense of disharmony. It was the Eternal Soul Cult's global vice leader. Elder Rushbane.
The sixth person Jack saw was a hulking, scarred brute. A huge, demonic bat wings jutted from his back and flapped slowly behind him. He was radiating raw, untamed physical power, and wearing barbaric pirate regalia. It was the Glorious Pirates' leader. Admiral Drake Whaler.
Finally, a serene, almost ethereal figure appeared. A youthful looking woman with long white hair. She looked beautiful, yet her eyes held a terrifying, cold void. Eyes that were promising oblivion. It was the Night Salvation's guiding hand. Empress Winter.
The Celestial Alliance. Seven illuminated beings. Each was a big shot in their organization. They had arrived here to seize the transformed [Battle Moon Pearl].
The arena was completely silent. Save for the oppressive aura emitted from the now-pure-black pearl.