"What is that? Are those angels too?"
Looking at the terrifying cracks in the sky, the girls were all filled with dread.
"Exactly! According to the Bible, angels are divided into nine ranks, from the lowest to the highest. What we're seeing now are just the lowest-ranked two-winged angels. The eight about to descend are four-winged archangels, and the last one is the legendary six-winged Seraph!"
With a serious expression, Sora explained to the girls.
"I, Miya, Yume, Karasuba, and Kazehana need to conserve our strength to deal with those big guys. So, before they arrive, you all must take care of these lower-ranked angels!"
Although these two-winged angels, capable of destroying a town with a single arrow, were terrifying, Sora wasn't particularly worried about them. Even the four-winged archangels, who could obliterate an entire country with a single strike, didn't faze him much.
What truly made Sora wary was the six-winged Seraph!
Recalling the memory from the previous cycle, where the Seraph had sunk the entire Eurasian continent with a single move, Sora still felt a chill run down his spine.
As Sora explained this to the girls, the ninety-nine angels in the sky began to move, their golden arrows of light aimed at the group below.
"Fight! For our Ashikabi! For our world!"
A surge of fighting spirit erupted from the girls. They were warriors of love, fearless in the face of their be, ready to fight to the end!
"Everyone, please carry my blessings and win this battle!"
Kuno, with her long golden hair, stepped forward, her body glowing brightly. Mysterious golden runes formed and shot into the bodies of the girls.
In an instant, the girls' power surged several times over, their energy shooting straight into the heavens!
Spreading their light wings, they transformed into streams of light, shooting into the sky!
"Matsu, Kochou, connect everyone's minds!"
While picking up the little loli Kusa, Sora ordered the bespectacled Matsu and Kochou behind him.
Sora couldn't bear to let his Sekirei fight these mindless angels head-on. If even one of them were to fall, he would be heartbroken even if they won in the end. By having the two girls use their powerful psychic abilities to link everyone together, they could share information, coordinate their attacks, and rescue any companions in danger.
"Hikari, Hibiki, set up a barrier! Don't let them escape!"
"Taki, use your mist power to block their vision!"
…
Through telepathic communication, Sora continuously issued commands to direct the battle.
Hikari and Hibiki joined their hands together, and threads of lightning descended from the sky, weaving into a massive electric net that enveloped all of Soten. Only the Sekirei could freely pass through this barrier. If an angel tried to approach, they would be attacked by the electric net.
Taki summoned a sea of mist, and the sky was instantly filled with a thick, white fog. The angels, who had been preparing to attack, lost their targets.
As the controller of the mist, Taki could clearly sense everything within it. Through the psychic link, she relayed this information to the other girls.
"Big brother, Kusa wants to fight too!"
Though still a little scared, Kusa, in Sora's arms, spoke with determination as she watched everyone fighting bravely.
"Not now, Kusa. You have a more important mission. Leave the fighting to your big sisters!"
Smiling, Sora patted Kusa's head and refused.
Kusa was a trump card in his hand, and he couldn't afford to use her carelessly!
"Really? Big brother, don't worry, Kusa will do her best!"
Hearing that she had an important mission, Kusa's face lit up with joy. Though she was still young, she wanted to fight alongside everyone!
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!
Although the battle had just begun, it was already incredibly intense.
The Queen of Flames, Homura, manipulated fire to form a massive fireball dozens of meters in diameter and hurled it at an angel. With a deafening explosion, the angel was reduced to ashes in the flames.
The Queen of Ice, Akitsu, summoned thousands of ice spears that rained down from the sky, piercing through everything in their path.
The Spirit of Water, Tsukiumi, turned blue water into flexible arrows that darted around, striking enemies from all directions.
The Princess of Veils, Uzume, filled the sky with her Veils. Any enemy that touched them would be wrapped up like a cocoon, only to be pierced by her hardened spear.
The Dancing Sword Maiden, Kaho, wielded her long blade with grace, sending out waves of cold sword energy that cut down enemies.
The Bear of Destruction, Musubi, unleashed a flurry of punches, each one transforming into a ferocious black bear.
The Smiling Maid, Karasuba, controlled hundreds of spinning blades that danced around her, slicing through pairs of white wings.
The Reaper of Hell, Shiina, sent out gray crosses that devoured one holy angel after another.
And then there were the bloodthirsty Chiyo, the battle-hungry Yuna, the dark Hatae, and the coldly smiling Benitsubasa…
On this brutal battlefield, they transformed into dazzling battle maidens!
Oh, and let's not forget Yukari, the one who specialized in picking off stragglers!
Since she couldn't fly and had to stay on the ground, any unfortunate angel that fell to the earth would be greeted by a few black energy bombs from this demon queen!
BOOM!
Another deafening explosion rang out as an angel was struck by Yashima's gravity hammer, sent flying like a meteor through the electric barrier and crashing into the Shinto Teito.
Seeing the figure that had created a massive crater hundreds of meters wide in the city but was still drawing its bow, Queen Miya's expression changed slightly, and she prepared to act.
"Don't worry, leave that one to Mutsu and the others!"
Shaking his head, Sora signaled for Miya to hold back.
Nodding, Queen Miya stepped back and continued to observe the battle.
Although the angels' bows were powerful, they lacked intelligence and coordination. On the other hand, the Sekirei had the advantage of favorable conditions, terrain, and unity. Despite some disparities in strength, they held the upper hand.
Powerful Sekirei like Tsukiumi and Musubi could handle several angels at once, while weaker ones like Ikki and Natsu teamed up to take down a single angel.
Sharing information and aided by Taki's mist, the Sekirei always found the best moments to attack and dodge the light arrows. Whenever danger arose, nearby comrades would come to the rescue.
Thus, so far, more than half of the angels had been defeated, while not a single Sekirei had been lost!
Kuno continued to stand at the forefront, singing loudly, constantly sending her blessings to her fighting companions.
Little Kusa, with her golden hair, clasped her hands together, continuously praying for everyone's victory.
Sora, Miya, Yume, and Kazehana calmly observed the entire battle, ready to intervene at any moment if unavoidable danger arose.
Karasuba, who had been itching for action, kept rubbing her blade, waiting for the moment the powerful beings appeared so she could be the first to charge out!
The battle continued, with the occasional rain of arrows leaving scars on Soten.
But then—
A spear radiating immense power descended from the sky, breaking through the lightning barrier and dispersing the mist, heading straight for Soten!