Isekai: The Eight Soul Fragments

Without magic, Gayle knew that they would be in trouble fighting against the Hero of Aquila with his card active. In addition, she knew that there would be reinforcements arriving soon, so she started formulating a plan around the reinforcements. "For now we play defensively, we have to react to his abilities with the Hero card active." Gayle was able to remain composed on the situation, at the very least helping alleviate Pauleen and Juniper's concerns as they are now unable to make use of their abilities and weapons.

The hero rushed forward as his sword slowly transformed into a giant crystal as multiple kinds of weapons line up behind him. Gayle now understood the base limits of the hero, as the country of Aquila is the country of prodigies, she realized that the limits of the hero has to be high when it comes to combat capabilities of all weapons including unarmed, and in terms of magic, is the same high level capabilities that she's theorized over him. However, she was still confident on winning. "Pauleen, make a hole right in front of the door, make sure the enemies have to do a tough jump." Pauleen understood the assignment and brought out an arrow with a full on dynamite attached to it. Draxus had it prepared as he knew the MDB would make it difficult for her. She lit the dynamite and aimed the arrow towards the hero first. The hero started flying towards them carrying a battle axe and a tomahawk. Just as before the dynamite explodes, Pauleen changed the angle and fired it. The arrow landed right in front of the door before exploding, creating a hole as the door was opened with a group of guards behind. As some guards fell down, Pauleen returned to targeting the hero as he was fighting directly Juniper. "Hold out for fifty seconds." Gayle gave them instructions as she went towards the hole that Lilianna and Julianna used to escape, planning to ambush the guards that noticed the hole on the side and went there.

Juniper used her rapier to slide through most of the hero's attacks, making a counterattack effectively. However, she was only able to create grazes and scratches with how the hero is able to continually parry most of her attacks effectively with a heavy weapon such as a battle axe. "I'm glad I had Draxus make this weapon, anything else would easily break here." She had her thoughts thanking Draxus for such a durable weapon. She continued attempting to overwhelm the hero but couldn't because he was completely faster. However, she had Pauleen covering for her as she continues to reposition while firing arrows that the hero could not just easily dodge or ignore as he noticed that the arrows were completely metallic and realized that Pauleen's bow propels arrows at an insane speed.

Pauleen and Juniper continued fighting the hero as they were still on a stalemate despite the MDB being active and the hero having his card active. Pauleen was avoiding the magic attacks the hero unleashes very well, while Juniper was barely able to get good cover from Pauleen from unavoidable attacks that changed into a more defensive action by the hero. Juniper finally managed to slip a direct attack but the hero used his battle axe to shift it away from him. At that point Juniper used the deflection to propel and twist her body as she pulled out her dagger and stabbed a part of it into the Hero's chest. She wasn't able to go deeper as the dagger was being stopped by the tomahawk. But Juniper pulled her rapier and slipped it below her left arm, striking the hero's abdomen this time. "Ghh!!" The hero grit his teeth in agony but smiled as he now has Juniper's weapons stuck. Juniper realized it and looked towards Pauleen if she could cover for the counterattack. Pauleen managed to force the hero to block with his weapon, and kicked Juniper away. He then unleashed a barrage of magic towards Juniper as the hero rushed towards Pauleen.

Juniper had little time to react to the barrage of elemental magic, she managed to pierce and destroy few pieces of magic but was struck by a blast of ice, fire, and electric. "Khh!" She was paralyzed slightly from the attack which made her unable to move for a moment. With Pauleen being rushed by the Hero, she fired a few arrows to try and slow down the hero. The hero easily deflected the arrows since she was the only focus, he then swung down the battle axe as Pauleen brought out a sword as it was also prepared by Draxus in case she could transform her weapon into a different form and blocked the battle axe. She then redirected it to the side which made the hero smash the battle axe to the floor, causing a small tremor within the room. She distanced herself and used the sword as an arrow. After firing it, the hero deflected it just as easily as the other arrows she fired, but that was more than enough as it slowed down the hero.

Gayle rushed in and passed through behind the hero, attacking his back in the process. "Tsk!" He tried to swing for Gayle instead, but Gayle just continued running forward, avoiding the attack completely before turning and going behind him. She was going for purely hit and run tactics as Juniper finally moved and rushed towards the hero and attacked. She took his attention completely while Pauleen repositioned herself and started firing arrows this time. With no longer any reinforcements coming, the hero was fighting a losing battle. However, he knew that the girls also had limits when it comes to endurance. The hero thought that he could simply just wait it out and fight defensively until the girls were exhausted.

They continued to fight for a while, Juniper started to slow down from the long fight. Gayle's movements have become a bit more sloppy overtime, as she was doing hit and run tactics the most. Pauleen was not as exhausted as the two, but was still somewhat showing signs of it. "Gayle, Pauleen, cover for me real quick!" Juniper retreated for a few moments, bringing out a vial from her belt. She opened the vial and immediately drank the contents of it. It was a bottle of [Precise Focus], allowing her to restore her stamina instantly. She returned to take over the frontal fight against the hero as Gayle this time retreated to drink the same potion. Seeing their coordination, the hero grit his teeth in frustration and disbelief. His possible winning conditions are running out. "I'm going to lose! To these women?!" He continued gritting his teeth as he felt something get removed completely. The girls noticed it as well as Gayle smiled as she felt that she could now cast magic. "[Equalizer]!" Gayle hit the floor with the bottom part of her scythe. Giving mana that she had absorbed from the guards that she ambushed outside to Pauleen and Juniper. With the MDB now gone, the hero was finally out of options and resorted to complete desperation. "[Spirit Cannon]!" Pauleen charged her bow completely as she loaded a magic arrow into it. Juniper manifested her fallen angel wings once more as she shot magic draining feathers which hit the hero on his limbs from behind, numbing the senses as Pauleen shot him down. A single stretch of panic came from his desperation, and the girls instantly took that opportunity as the arrow created a giant hole on his stomach.

"Is it over?" Juniper thought of it for a moment, as they finally emerged victorious on a battle. However, as the smoke dissipated, the Hero was still standing as the hole was starting to close off. He had blood everywhere, but seeing as he was regenerating, Gayle simply knocked him down with a kick and brandished her scythe up high. "Don't worry, your best friend, the [Hero of Control] will join you soon." Gayle gave him her final words as she struck the hero in the eye, cutting off the top part of his head, guaranteeing his death. She didn't even gave him the chance to speak his final words, showing how much she hated when she lost against them.

Seeing what Gayle had done, Pauleen and Juniper remained silent as they approached her. "I know both of you will have difficulties killing people... So it's good if you could just leave the bloodshed to me instead..." Gayle spoke to her two friends with an assuring gaze. But just as the two were about to talk, the three of them felt an intense surge of energy come out from one of the sections in the castle. They instantly had a dreadful feeling as they went towards one of the windows and saw a giant pillar of light rise into the sky as the clouds were gathering, dimming out the sunlight. Pauleen and Juniper knew what was about to happen, as the location was where Draxus was brought to by Iapetus. "We have to go! Draxus may be losing control!" "Another soul...!" Just as Gayle heard their words, she remembered things that she had talked about with Draxus half a decade ago. "Energy... And Atmosphere... That's the soul of Liam Belial! Let's move!" Gayle rushed through the hole where Draxus was sent.