Chapter 416

If Timaria had not paused time but instead used time to enhance herself, there might still have been a glimmer of hope—but… from the moment she entered the time gap, her defeat was already sealed.

Without time, space cannot hinder!

Space instantly expanded, and under the shockwave of spatial force, Timaria's figure fluttered like a kite with its string cut, tracing an arc through the air.

With Timaria wounded, the frozen time resumed its flow, and the piercing clamor returned once more.

Yet the sniping within time ended, but the attacks in reality had not ceased.

The magic of Precht, Jellal, and Val had once again gathered.

Hovering in midair, Precht, Val, and the others relentlessly bombarded the location of Xuanwozhang Sect.

So fast that no reaction was possible at all.

Luo Tianzheng could block it, but could not sustain output.

As the attacks were about to strike Xuanwozhang Sect, Lei Gu moved!

Boom—

Spatial force spread outward like a wind barrier, effortlessly repelling all attacks.

His immense strength was laid bare!

"What!"

"Huh, when did this guy appear?!"

"Can he teleport?"

The sudden appearance of the figure left everyone frozen in place.

They had no idea how Lei Gu had appeared there, nor could they shake off their shock at his overwhelming power.

Merely from his ability to effortlessly block the three attackers, it was clear he was another powerhouse equal to Xuanwozhang Sect.

"This guy actually caught up."

Others might not know, but as Timaria's companion, how could Val not know?

Gazing at Lei Gu's figure, Val's eyes darkened with a chilling intensity.

His prior encounter had made him acutely aware of how powerful this man was; with his involvement, their chances of securing the fragment would shrink drastically.

"No, we must find a way to escape."

………

…

On the other side,

With Lei Gu's appearance, the pressure on Xuanwozhang Sect suddenly lessened.

Meanwhile, the battle between Auguster, Tōshirō, and Gin had reached its climax.

"Ice Wall Array!"

Spiritual energy surged, and a terrifying spiritual pressure erupted from the Zanpakutō!

Under Tōshirō's spiritual pressure, moisture in the air instantly condensed around Auguster, forming multiple ice walls that sealed off his movement.

Seizing this opportunity, Gin moved as well!

"Bones of beasts scattered like stars, spires, crimson crystals, iron wheels—motion is wind, stillness is void, the clash of spears fills the hollow city!"

"Hado #63: Raihōhō!"

Terrifying spiritual pressure gathered at Gin's fingernails, blazing with brilliant lightning, then shot forth.

Boom—

"Pain Spiral!"

Facing the combined assault of Tōshirō and Gin, Auguster swiftly activated his magic.

From his center, a terrifying magical tornado erupted and expanded outward, resisting the combined attacks of Tōshirō and Gin.

At the moment of impact, energy poured out uncontrollably, shaking the entire battlefield!

Unlike his earlier battle against Lei Gu, where Lei Gu—with the Lion Heart's power—was no weaker than Auguster, defeating him was utterly impossible.

Auguster, fully aware of this, had not used his full strength.

Now, facing Tōshirō and Gin, Auguster finally revealed his true power—the strength befitting the foremost Shield of the Albireus Empire.

He held his own against Tōshirō and Gin without yielding, even gradually gaining the upper hand.

Boom—

Powers clashed, violent energy erupted; riding the shockwave, both sides separated once more.

Yet Auguster had no intention of letting Tōshirō and Gin escape. Shedding his momentum, he paused briefly, then stomped his feet and shot forward again toward them.

Though he hadn't deliberately observed, Auguster sensed trouble on Timaria's side—he must resolve these two quickly and go to their aid.

Thinking this, he unleashed all his magic without reserve.

Infinite, profound magic surged wildly from Auguster's body!

And with the emergence of this magic, the entire earth trembled.