Chapter 196: Final Sacrifice
[Timeline: Day 3 of the Tournament – The Invasion]
[Location: The Arena Floor]
"GO!"
Zero threw Elena through the portal. She tumbled into the heat and light of the Dwarven Kingdom, her scream cut short as she crossed the event horizon.
The Dimensional Drill was destabilizing. The red wormhole was shuddering under the crushing weight of the Divine Barrier. It would soon collapse in seconds.
Zero turned to the last remaining Valkyries.
"Leona! Isabelle! Lyra, all of you! Move!"
Leona, the massive tank, planted her feet. She slammed her tower shield into the ground, refusing to budge, her void gauntlent pulsating.
"I am your Shield!" Leona shouted, her voice thick with panic.
"The Shield doesn’t leave the Master! I will stay!"
Zero didn’t argue. He didn’t have time to. The Avatar of the Rotting King, that colossal grey hand was clawing its way out of the abyss, crushing the arena stands like Styrofoam.
The ground beneath them was practically gone; they were standing on a floating chunk of rock suspended by Zero’s mana.