Under the cover of night, a beam of silvery-white light shot straight into the sky.
It was the energy ripple from the Netherworld Key, accidentally triggered during the frantic struggle.
Logan and his men had already clashed with Master Wyatt and Phoebe. There was truly no room for negotiation between the two factions. Logan had to claim the Netherworld Key to resurrect Hades, while Master Wyatt absolutely refused to surrender it.
Yet, one hundred thousand years ago, they had been friends. But now, they stood in direct opposition, blades drawn.
Zoran's gaze cut through the darkness, locking onto the battle raging in the streets below. Compared to the fierce combat involving Phoebe and Master Wyatt, the real noise was actually coming from Kino.
Thales was doing slightly better; he possessed a certain groundedness that matched his hefty build, which naturally surfaced in the face of danger. Kino, on the other hand, was entirely loud and frantic.
These two future Ultra Beast Warriors were currently nothing more than clueless, ordinary humans, their powers and memories yet to be awakened. They were essentially being chased all over the place by Logan's low-ranking foot soldiers.
Fortunately, Logan's troops fought with a shred of honor, keeping their primary focus on Phoebe, who held the Netherworld Key.
She had already entered her Armored State, clad in a sleek suit of pink armor that granted her extraordinary agility. As she darted back and forth through the dark streets, it was clear that her years training under Master Wyatt had given her exceptional martial arts prowess.
Seven or eight grunts pursued Phoebe, attempting to box her in. With the main forces locked in a stalemate on the other side, the outcome of the entire battle rested on this skirmish.
Unfortunately for them, Phoebe was no pushover.
"Hand over the Netherworld Key!" one grunt barked at Phoebe.
The perimeter was secure; she couldn't escape even if she grew wings. Phoebe scanned her surroundings. She was completely surrounded. Worse, she was saddled with those two idiots, Kino and Thales. Neither of them could even activate their Armor yet.
"In your dreams!" she shouted defiantly, her eyes snapping toward the distance. "Phoenix Flash Rider!"
A low, throaty engine roar echoed as a matching pink motorcycle tore down the street, hurtling toward them.
A Flash Rider was one of the vital auxiliary assets commanded by an Ultra Beast Warrior. Serving as both a transport and combat support vehicle, it also possessed a specialized transformation mechanism.
The Phoenix Flash Rider arrived in an instant, brutally ramming past a blocking grunt and kicking up a cloud of dust before screeching to a halt right in front of Phoebe. This time, she didn't use it to flee. Instead, she threw her hand up, and the Phoenix Flash Rider began to transform right before everyone's eyes.
Within seconds, the motorcycle shifted into a cross-like wing structure, docking seamlessly onto Phoebe's armor and providing her with a continuous surge of power. A confident smile played on her lips as the propulsion from the Phoenix Flash Rider launched her straight into the air.
Suspended in the night sky, Phoebe began to spin rapidly.
A violent gale erupted, generating a massive gravitational pull that dragged the surrounding grunts up toward her. Phoebe's form flickered against the darkness as an immense amount of Hetero-Energy enveloped her, coalescing into a raging tornado.
"Illusion Sky Technique!" she chanted, her voice ringing out across heaven and earth.
This was an Ultra Beast Warrior's signature technique, an innate manifestation of the Hetero-Energy dwelling deep within them, executed like pure instinct now that she was in her Armored State.
The foot soldiers surrounding her were completely outmatched, instantly caught in the vortex of Hetero-Energy and sucked directly into the eye of the storm. Against a true Ultra Beast Warrior, these grunts didn't stand a chance. Once the Illusion Sky Technique was unleashed, nothing could stand in its way. Mastering such a definitive technique was one of the core benchmarks of an Ultra Beast Warrior's true combat capability.
Swept up by the Illusion Sky Technique, or what some might call "Phoebe's Dragon-Slaying Dance," the soldiers let out a chorus of wretched wails in midair.
At the center of the vortex, Phoebe held her posture, perfectly still. As the explosive Hetero-Energy radiating from her body finally dissipated, the grunts plummeted to the ground like falling stones.
"Hmph. Did you really think trash like you could take the Netherworld Key from me?" she scoffed, casting a disdainful look downward.
"Wow! You are absolutely incredible!" Thales cheered, his eyes practically turning into stars.
Kino was entirely starstruck, staring blankly. Having spent the first decade and a half of their lives knowing nothing of the Ultra Beast Force, witnessing such a devastating technique firsthand left them both burning with intense envy. To them, this was no different from watching a legendary Armored Hero transform right before their eyes to beat down a mutant monster.
With a faint, graceful sound, Phoebe landed on one foot and reached out into the open air. The case containing the Netherworld Key fell perfectly into her palm, every movement sharp, elegant, and effortless.
"Master Wyatt is fighting that guy right now. We need to go help him... Hey, where do you two think you're going?" Phoebe paused, glaring at Kino and Thales, who were already on their tiptoes trying to sneak away from the scene.
"Look, beautiful," Kino said, throwing his hands up. "You saw it yourself. We are absolutely no match for these freaks."
"Yeah, exactly!" Thales pointed across the street, where thunderous tremors were rattling the air as rows of buildings collapsed like dominoes. "This is way beyond human limits. Going over there wouldn't be 'helping,' it'd be a suicide mission!"
"Fine," Phoebe said, shaking her head. She couldn't exactly argue with their logic. "Then we take the Netherworld Key and get out of here!"
"Hmph! Thinking of running?!"
Just as the words left Phoebe's mouth, a sharp shout echoed from above, and two figures plummeted from the sky, landing heavily right in front of them. The newcomers practically radiated malice, engulfed in an imposing, oppressive pressure.
"It looks like the Netherworld Key is in her hands. Silver Lion, let's go!" One of them barked before lunging fiercely at Phoebe.
It was Golden Lion and Silver Lion. The duo had originally rushed over out of sheer concern that Logan might be overwhelmed by the colossal Hetero-Energy signature, prepared to lay down their lives to assist him. Instead, they had crossed paths perfectly with Phoebe as she prepared to escape with the Netherworld Key.
Without another word, the two figures pounced from the left and right, pinching Phoebe in a pincer attack.
"Hey! Two grown men ganging up on a defenseless girl? Where's your sense of honor?!" Kino bellowed, taking a bold step forward to shield Phoebe.
Golden Lion and Silver Lion momentarily paused, exchanging a look of utter bewilderment. A split second later, a brutal flying kick was launched straight at Kino.
"Ah!"
Whether out of sheer luck or a subconscious awakening of his past life's muscle memory, Kino actually managed to react. Silver Lion's boot barely grazed him, but the sheer force behind the blow still sent Kino flying through the air.
Silver Lion scoffed, raising an eyebrow in disdain. "Foolish! Do you think this is some children's playground game? A lion uses its full strength even when hunting a rabbit. When you fight for a cause you cannot afford to lose, there is no such thing as an unfair advantage."
Golden Lion channeled his energy once more, his eyes locking onto Phoebe. He directed Silver Lion, "Dispose of these two annoying pests first. Leave her to me."
Silver Lion nodded and turned back to face his targets.
In an instant, his jaw dropped. The space before him was entirely empty; Kino, who had just been sprawled on the ground, was gone. Whirling around, he spotted a remarkably portly figure sprinting into the distance, carrying Kino over his shoulder as he leaped into the safety of the night.
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