The accompaniment swelled!
The drums kicked in!
The transition was smooth and seamless, perfectly matching the unfolding scene and casting an aura of sacred, fated destiny over everything.
Stelle reached her hand toward the spear's grip.
Hum!
In that split second, a flash of a massive hammer falling flickered across the screen. Stelle gasped for breath, her expression one of utter shock, as if she had just been seared by an intense heat.
An instant later, she charged forward without a moment's hesitation.
She gripped the handle!
Flames danced around her like a localized cyclone. Beneath the point of the lance, layers of ice crystals surged upward, threatening to bury the wielder entirely.
"Hyaaaaaaaaah!!!!!"
The ice shattered like a broken mirror. A colossal pillar of fire erupted toward the heavens!
Suddenly, a figure as vast as a celestial body appeared briefly in the frame. In its left hand, it gripped a heavy hammer that resembled a literal volcano.
The Aeon of Preservation!
The Amber Lord!
The moment that silhouette appeared, the name surfaced in the minds of everyone watching. There were more than a few high-level executives from the IPC among the viewers in the livestream. Seeing this scene left them with deeply complicated feelings.
They had spent their entire lives worshipping the Amber Lord, building the greatest economic entity in the universe in its name. Yet, despite such peerless achievements, they could hardly attract the Amber Lord's gaze.
And yet, here was this Trailblazer.
Last time, during the battle against the Doomsday Beast, she had drawn a glance from Nanook, the Aeon of Destruction. And now, the same framing, the same miracleonly this time, the Aeon was Qlipoth!
In fact, just a moment ago, Qlipoth had struck its hammer down at the exact moment Stelle touched the lance.
It had signaled the start of a new Amber Era!
It felt as though she had been divinely ordained!
Stelle descended from the sky, wielding the ignited lance. White steam billowed out from her sides. Far from attacking her, the Engine of Creation actively extended its massive palm to catch her, acting as if it were terrified she might take even the slightest bit of fall damage.
If it had been a fierce guardian before, it now behaved like a submissive, timid helper. It was a complete world of difference from when it was under Cocolia's command, launching indiscriminate attacks.
Noit was a complete machine of difference!
Under the shocked and joyful gazes of her companions, Stelle seemed to sense the change within herself. A knowing smile played on her lips before her expression turned grim and determined.
She raised her right hand. The tip of the lance pointed straight at Cocolia in the sky!
The frame froze. The final battle had begun!
"Waaaaah..."
Guinaifen actually broke into tears at that exact moment. She wiped her eyes while trying to continue the fight, her vision so blurred she could barely see the screen. She couldn't even explain why she was crying. Perhaps it was shock, or perhaps it was being moved. This explosion of power following the arrival of hope had erupted like a volcano, overwhelming every other emotion.
In this state, the drumbeats of the background music became faster, denser, and more tension-filled.
"This... This is impossible..."
Cocolia's cold voice betrayed a hint of panic.
"The will of Preservation has made its choice..."
Cocolia continued to protest. "You know nothing of the plight of this world... nothing of the end that awaits it!"
Her voice grew louder, laced with madness. "A brand-new future!"
A ring of frost began to charge, locking onto March 7th in the party.
[A teammate has been targeted. Please have Stelle use her Skill.]
[The new Skill can Taunt enemies, drawing Cocolia's attacks.]
By now, Stelle's weapon had transformed from a baseball bat into a lance wreathed in raging flames. Guinaifen saw the game's prompt, but she was too caught up in the moment to care about the tutorial.
With red eyes, she lamented, "I don't even want to fight! I just... ahhh, this music is too invincible!"
The viewers finally found a moment to catch their breath and flood the chat with their reactions.
"What is this music? My ears are about to explode!"
"The drumbeats are literally hitting my heart!"
"This is just a turn-based game! How does it feel more hype than any action game I've ever played?"
"The floor tiles of my office suddenly feel like the snowfields of Everwinter Hill. The pen and paper in my hand feel like a shield and a Flaming Lance!"
"Holy crap, we are taking off!"
"This is too damn satisfying!"
"All for the Amber Lord!"
Suddenly, the Flaming Lance in Stelle's hand let out a crisp clink, as if something had been activated in an instant.
In the sky, the face of the Engine of Creation flashed with a red light. As if receiving a direct command, it raised a massive iron fist. It wasn't aimed at the protagonist this timeit was aimed at Cocolia!
[The Engine of Creation is activated. Use it to destroy the Lance of Eternal Winter.]
Boom!
The iron fist fell from the heavens, smashing countless shards of ice into the air. The massive Fire damage shattered Cocolia's creations in a single blow!
"How..." Guinaifen murmured to herself, almost forgetting she was streaming. "How can we suddenly control the Engine of Creation?!"
"And it feels even more powerful than when Cocolia was using it!"
"Once the battle song starts, the entire universe is our strength!"
The protagonist had been on the Path of Destruction before, and in practice, she had felt a bit fragile. But now that she had gained the Path of Preservation, using her Skill meant that those previously painful frost attacks couldn't even scratch the characters!
They didn't even need March 7th's shields anymore! When the Flaming Lance was held up like a barrier, it felt as though it could withstand anything.
"This sense of security is incredible!"
"Next up..."
"Let's try the Preservation Ultimate!"
The energy bar was full. With a mix of excitement and anticipation, Guinaifen clicked the icon of the red-hot Flaming Lance.
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