The battlefield was chaos. The Phoenix Cry geniuses fought with everything they had, but the Sentinels came in disciplined, relentless waves. For every enemy cut down, three more surged forward. Chains groaned under the weight of battle, slick with blood as bodies flickered and vanished into nothingness.
Hou Jian parried a strike from a Sentinel, his blade locking against a massive halberd. Gritting his teeth, he forced the weapon aside and drove his sword into the enemy's ribs. Blood sprayed over his arm—then the body flickered and disappeared.
No time to dwell.
"Regroup! Hold your ground!" Hou Jian roared, his voice barely carrying over the chaos.
"There's too many!" Xue Mor shouted back, her ice-laced wires slicing through enemies. But for every one she trapped or killed, another took its place.
Raikai bared his fangs in frustration, his chains whipping around in a deadly storm. He caught a Sentinel by the throat, snapping its neck with a vicious pull—but before he could recover, a spear grazed his side, cutting deep.
"Tch—" He stumbled, barely dodging the follow-up strike.
"Raikai!" Shinryu was beside him in an instant, golden gauntlets flashing as he intercepted a blade meant to finish his comrade. His counterpunch shattered the Sentinel's ribs, but the enemy was already vanishing before hitting the ground.
"Don't lose focus!" Shinryu snapped, silver hair drenched in sweat and blood.
"Tell that to them!" Raikai growled, jerking his chin toward the next wave of enemies rushing in.
And they were still coming.
Yan Feiyan's Blazing Fans absorbed a hail of attacks, redirecting a fiery explosion back at the enemy. Flames engulfed several Sentinels, but more surged forward. She was breathing heavily now, sweat beading on her forehead.
"We can't keep this up forever!" she shouted.
Hou Liang barely deflected a sword strike aimed at his back, staggering from the sheer force. His arms felt numb, body sluggish, vision blurring for a second.
"Damn it! Why do they just keep coming?!" he gasped, shaking his head to clear his dizziness.
"Because they don't tire like we do," Xue Mor said grimly, slicing through another enemy. "They're a war machine. We're just bodies to be cut down."
Torra Yun stood like an iron wall, absorbing blows that would have shattered bones. But even he was slowing, his breathing heavy, his movements losing their usual precision.
"Is it just me, or are they getting faster?" Torra muttered, blocking another strike with a grunt.
"It's not just you," Feng Xuan panted, keeping his spears spinning. "They're adapting. We have to move!"
Feng Xuan, guarding the backline, barely reacted in time as three Sentinels broke past the defenses. His twin spears spun, but one enemy slipped through, sword raised to strike.
"Not today!" Xue Mor turned just in time, her ice-coated daggers flashing. She intercepted the blow, but the sheer force sent her skidding back.
She tasted blood.
We're losing ground.
For the first time, cold realization settled over them.
The Sentinels weren't just strong individually—they were a machine of war, grinding them down with endless waves of assault.
And one by one, the Phoenix Cry geniuses were starting to break.
Meanwhile, on another battlefield, the Obsidian Shadow Empire geniuses had a much easier time. Their numbers doubled those of Phoenix Cry, allowing them to dominate the fight.
Hei Xu led the charge, his swordwork a relentless spearhead. His void arts thrived in chaos, each strike cutting down multiple enemies with chilling efficiency.
"Keep pushing! They're nothing but insects before the void!" Hei Xu barked, his sword carving a path through the enemy.
Muramaki Jin carved through foes in pairs, his blade drinking in their blood, amplifying his strength with every kill. His brutal assault left openings for his assassin-type allies to slip through the carnage and eliminate unsuspecting enemies with surgical precision.
"Jin, slow down! You're going too deep!" Yan Mei called out, slicing through an enemy trying to take advantage of his momentum.
Jin smirked, licking blood from his blade. "Slow down? This is where I thrive. Let's finish this!"
Yan Mei's blade struck with deadly accuracy, intercepting anyone who tried to focus on Muramaki Jin from afar. Each cut was measured, precise, and final.
The Obsidian Shadow Empire was not struggling.
They were hunting.
And as the Phoenix Cry geniuses faltered, the difference between the two forces became painfully clear.