Amphoreus, at the entrance.
The moment Phantylia Kitten emerged from Lumina's embrace and stepped onto the ground, she felt it—the power within her body had instantly surged back to its absolute peak.
At this moment, Phantylia, the Lord Ravager, had returned to the pinnacle of the Cosmos!
Phantylia Kitten's heart swelled with arrogance, yet even so, she hadn't forgotten the purpose behind her restored strength.
She glanced back at Lumina, who was still flirting with Herta, then fixed her gaze entirely on the Intellitron before her, the one named Lygus. Her feline eyes instantly filled with disdain.
But beneath the disdain lay a newfound seriousness.
Phantylia Kitten reasoned that if she performed well now—by brutally thrashing this Intellitron and proving her unwavering devotion to Lumina—perhaps Lumina wouldn't seal her powers again.
Thus, Phantylia Kitten resolved to put on a spectacular show, fighting for the "right to use" her own strength.
Perhaps even Phantylia Kitten herself hadn't realized it yet, but over time, and through Lumina's deliberate influence, she had completely transformed into a Lord Ravager who couldn't take a single step without Lumina...
Of course, even if she had realized it, she probably wouldn't have given it a second thought.
Phantylia Kitten didn't dwell on it further. She planned to swiftly deal with the Intellitron before her, then present its head to Lumina as proof of her success.
"Heh, shattering a Lord Ravager's fury? And His anger will engulf the Galaxy?" Phantylia Kitten taunted, her small feline body strutting forward with an arrogant swagger.
As she closed in on Lygus, she continued, "I wonder... which Lord Ravager are you referring to?"
"Why don't you... tell me all about it?"
"Ah..." Lygus stared down at the approaching Phantylia Kitten, sensing the aura radiating from her. He let out a gasp, his voice thick with a complex mix of emotions.
"A Lord Ravager..."
As Phantylia Kitten drew ever closer, Lygus remained frozen, uttering those three words.
It was unclear whether he was in disbelief or experiencing some other emotion...
But then again, who could have predicted this? One moment, he was warning that entering Amphoreus would break a Lord Ravager's shackles.
The very next second, another, unknown Lord Ravager appeared right before him...
Anyone else would probably have been stunned speechless on the spot, right?
Someone like Lygus—whether human or Intellitron—who wasn't completely paralyzed by fear and could still manage to utter a few words, must be incredibly rare.
"Not talking? Are you mute?" Phantylia Kitten arched an eyebrow as Lygus remained silent. Her words, laced with the fury of a Lord Ravager, pierced his ears.
"Mmm..." Lygus still didn't speak. Instead, he tore his gaze from Phantylia Kitten and fixed it on Herta.
"Madam Herta, please do not act so recklessly."
Even now, Lygus's eyes didn't fall on Lumina, who stood right beside Herta. It seemed he still hadn't detected her presence.
"Recklessly? What do you mean, recklessly?" Herta feigned complete confusion, acting as if she hadn't noticed Phantylia Kitten stalking toward Lygus. "I've already given up on entering Amphoreus. How is that reckless?"
"What? Are you saying I'm not even allowed to set foot here?"
Pfft...
Madam Herta looked so adorable playing dumb that Lumina couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing on the spot.
"What are you laughing at?!" Herta snapped, her brow furrowing in immediate annoyance as she realized Lumina was laughing at her.
"Nothing, nothing! I just thought Madam Herta was being particularly cute," Lumina said, instantly wiping the smile off her face and throwing up her hands in surrender as she sensed Herta's anger.
"Hmph." Herta just snorted coldly and said nothing more.
But the slight upward curve of her lips proved she secretly enjoyed Lumina's compliment.
Lumina caught the subtle upturn of Herta's mouth, and an almost imperceptible smile touched her own lips.
Herta's acting just like one of those... "No means yes" types, she thought. Her words say one thing, but her body is brutally honest.
"What are you smiling at now?"
Though Lumina's smile was nearly invisible, to Madam Herta—who was watching her every move—it was as plain as day.
Herta's smile vanished instantly. With a hint of malice in her voice, she questioned Lumina again.
"Look," Lumina said, turning her head toward the nearby "battlefield" where the Phantylia Kitten and Lygus had fought. She pointed. "Isn't it hilarious?"
On the battlefield, the once-arrogant Lygus lay pinned beneath the Phantylia Kitten's paw, its mechanical body sparking with electrical currents. It offered no resistance.
It seemed to understand that any struggle against a Lord Ravager at full power would be utterly futile.
To conserve what little energy it had left, Lygus had chosen to surrender.
"Heh." Seeing this, Herta immediately pulled her hand from Lumina's grasp, crossed her arms, and strode toward Lygus.
As she walked, she taunted, "Well, well, our Intellitron Bro, our Mutually Assured Destruction Bro... how did you end up in such a pathetic state?"
"Go on, now. Summon that imprisoned Lord Ravager. Let me witness just how terrifying His wrath truly is."
Herta wasn't one to mock others habitually.
But she was one to hold a grudge.
So, facing this Intellitron who had been threatening her from the very beginning, Herta naturally wasn't about to show him any kindness.
Seeing his pathetic state, she couldn't resist taunting him.
"Madam Herta, Amphoreus is not as simple as you think."
"It's not just because of the Lord Ravager. There are many other external factors at play."
Even while being pinned down by the Phantylia Kitten, Lygus remained calm and unhurried, trying to dissuade Herta from entering Amphoreus.
"Heh." Herta just chuckled at his words, then turned to Lumina. "Come on, stop hiding. Give him a taste of the 'Lumina Shock'."
"..." Lumina was somewhat speechless but obeyed Herta's command and revealed her form.
"..." When Lygus saw Lumina suddenly appear before him, his entire being... no, his entire Intellitron frame... instantly fell into an eerie silence.