The look in Ekear's eyes was only growing colder and colder. However, he could only stand there, watching the situation get more and more out of hand.
The only slight silver lining by this fifth wave, ironically enough, was that half of the Sanctums had already been wiped out. However, that would only put them in the top 21 after all was said and done.
To make matters worse... there was a slowly growing elephant in the room.
The assumptions that Ekear had made before all of this started were that they would be able to place well while remaining relatively drama-free.
But how could that be possible now?
Any good placement now would require offending so many powerful Sanctums that even if by some miracle Nosphaleen could make it, they would be screwed.
If the 073 Sanctum was personally targeted by the other Sanctums, they wouldn't be able to maintain their average of around 70.
Ekear's distaste for the Emperor Scorpion Lineage was only burning more and more, to the point even the ashes that remained sparked like embers.
It wasn't enough that they had taken everything from his master, but even now they were taking more.
If not for Elbrum... would Sylas have been driven into this corner?
Nosphaleen's trident moved through the air as though commanding the currents, space bending and gravity roaring. She could practically see the tides of reality, her irises reflecting beautiful colors as the blossoms fell faster and faster.
Fifth Prince Buri's face hardened when he sensed a wave of heat. He didn't need to look to know that Fifth Prince Sona had appeared. Even if he hadn't felt the heat, that rambunctious laughter would have been more than enough.
"XINEE BOY! You seem to be struggling with the beauty-do you need me to teach you how to tame a wild mare?!"
As though agreeing, the golden-scaled steed beneath his feet roared, a beam of flames shredding the path forward apart. However, Fifth Prince Sona's expression flickered when the beam crossed into Nosphaleen's field of falling blossoms.
It felt like some of its character was stripped away, the destruction was a little less, and even his own mare seemed confused.
The slight moment of distraction on Fifth Prince Buri's part earned him a trident across the face. His Whale Warlord Armor cracked, and his body was slammed into the ground.
He struck out a palm as he fell, waves of concentrated space extending his power.
[Veil of Effervesce].
BOOM.
It felt like he struck his own head. Xinee's head was crushed beneath the weight of his own palm.
His eyes widened. Just what sort of technique was this? He had never seen a defensive Skill so powerful in his life -and defense was his greatest pride. ππ³π¦ππ€ππ£π―β΄π·π¦π.πππ
Blood spurted out of his orifices, and he thought he felt his life flash before his eyes when Nosphaleen's expression suddenly changed.
Her wings flapped a single time, and she streaked across the air in a blinding line of silver faster than even Fifth Prince Sona's mare's beam of fire.
She roared out in fury and slammed down with her trident, folds of space bending and breaking beneath the curve of its polearm, landing right atop the head of one of Fifth Prince Buri's sedan drivers.
Why in the hell was she here?
Both Fifth Princes recognized the firecracker riding the lion immediately. She was a complete anomaly, part of a Race of beings so rare in the universe it was a wonder she would appear in the subordinate force of the Emperor Sanctum at all.
The Analei.
They were known for one specific ability-one ability so shocking it was no wonder the universe didn't allow many of them to appear.
That ability?
To reverse to a previous state of life.
Leia was no F-tier. Once upon a life, she had been an A-tier.
Why she would appear here of all places, maybe only a select few knew.
Why she would be following the orders of Robareda was maybe an even more baffling question.
In the distance, Starell-who still hadn't joined the battle-had a flickering change in her eyes.
Leia closed in the distance with a lovely smile on her face, her lion coming to a sudden stop before Nosphaleen's heaving chest.
"Hello, hello. Mind if I borrow your body for a second? I'm sure you'll be reincarnated into a better life."

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