The true form of Troba was more horrifying than Maxin and Ragil could ever have imagined. "She looks horrendous," both sisters remarked in unison. The villain had transformed into a colossal beast, her eyes gleaming with a malevolent light while her monstrous body cast ominous shadows over the battlefield.
"Pay dearly, all of you!" Troba roared, opening her massive maw to devour everyone present. Her voice thundered like a dark storm, shaking the very air around them.
"Look out!" Mok shouted as he sprinted to the front lines. With practiced skill, he hurled his knives into the air, forming a shimmering silver shield that spun rapidly, deflecting some of Troba's attacks.
"Everyone, evacuate the area!" Galatea commanded, her steady voice cutting through the chaos. "Those who can fight, join me."
Without hesitation, several warriors rushed toward her, ready to confront the beast. Among them was Ron, who grabbed Alita by the arm. "We'd better go," he urged, but she shook her head vehemently. She didn't want to run; she wanted to help, even if she wasn't sure how.
Galatea's soldiers attempted to attack Troba from behind, but her immense, spike-covered tail slammed into the ground with devastating force. Each strike sent shockwaves rippling outward, knocking the warriors off their feet like dominoes.
Chaos reigned. The monstrous badger unleashed hardened strands of hair at Mok, who struggled to keep the others safe behind his makeshift shield. The razor-sharp filaments whistled through the air, embedding themselves in the earth with deadly precision before retracting and launching again.
"Paltio, it's time for you to act," Pax called from the safety of a nearby tree. His tone was urgent yet calm. "We didn't free you from that badger's control, just to stand by and watch. You must have something up your sleeve."
Golden's voice echoed in Paltio's mind, heavy with frustration. "He's right, young Paltio. It's time to strike and put an end to this thing that disrupted our connection." The green gauntlet materialized in the prince's hands, emitting a faint glow.
"At five percent… I hope it's enough," Paltio muttered under his breath as he stared at the beast before him.
Troba pressed on relentlessly, flinging her hair like living blades that pierced the ground and returned to her with supernatural speed. Her tail crushed everything in its path, sending clouds of dust and shards of earth flying into the air.
"All of you fools will pay! Pay dearly for driving me to this!" Troba bellowed, her fury resonating like an infernal echo.
From the shadows, Alita exchanged a meaningful glance with Pax. They shared knowledge the others did not.
Paltio charged toward Troba. When he was close enough, he threw a punch, but his blows were blocked by her hardened strands of hair. "This hair is so tough and resilient…" Paltio muttered, frustration creeping into his voice. "I didn't even scratch her. I need more power, Golden."
"I need you conscious, Paltio," Golden replied sternly. "If you pass out again, it'll take two days or more to recover. And time is something you don't have."
Suddenly, Mok leaped in front of Paltio, brandishing his sword to block one of Troba's attacks. "Young master, you must be more careful and focus," the butler warned, his eyes never leaving the beast.
"I'll try an attack," Mok announced. "Perhaps I can break those hardened strands to clear a path for you, young master." With a powerful shout, Mok unleashed his technique: "RED BLADE SLASH!"
The sword blazed with an intense crimson glow, and with a fluid motion, he cleanly severed one of Troba's strands. It clattered to the ground with a metallic ring, split as though it were nothing more than a simple rope.
"Wow, it actually worked!" Paltio exclaimed, clearly impressed. "You're amazing, Mok!"
"Thank you, young master," Mok replied modestly. "You're not doing too badly yourself."
"Hey, butler!" Golden called out urgently. "Keep doing that. Clear the way for the princeling."
"Of course," Mok responded without hesitation, his expression resolute.
"Paltio, get ready," Golden instructed firmly. "You might need more speed." Then, he pulled Toco-Toco from the folds of his invisible armor. The cat sprang out with agile grace, its eyes gleaming with curiosity. "What am I good for, meow?"
Golden wasted no time on explanations. "Toco-Toco, transform into your giant feline form and carry the prince to the head of that beast. Now!"
"Understood, Felica form," Toco-Toco meowed before beginning his transformation. His small body rapidly expanded, muscles and fur growing until he became an imposing creature. Now, a gigantic feline roared before them, its fangs glinting under the dim light.
"Wow, that's little Toco-Toco," Ron remarked from his position beside Alita, watching the feline in awe.
"Yes, but he doesn't look so little anymore," Alita added, visibly impressed by the transformation. She glanced at Ron with an ironic smile. "I think I'll think twice before petting him… I don't want to get eaten."
Ron swallowed hard, feigning bravery. "That would be awkward," he muttered, though his tone betrayed a hint of nervousness.
"Ready, boss. I've transformed," Toco-Toco announced in a deep voice, standing tall and prepared for action.
"Good, Paltio, climb on," Golden ordered. The massive feline crouched low, allowing the young prince to scramble onto his back. With a resonant roar, Toco-Toco prepared to scale the monstrous badger.
Meanwhile, the rest of the group divided strategically. Mok and Pax focused on countering the sword-like strands Troba launched relentlessly, while Galatea led a team tasked with immobilizing the beast's tail.
"We have a plan," Galatea said, briefly approaching Paltio. "We know we can't do much against those razor-sharp strands like Mok does, so we'll focus on the tail. We'll try to destroy it or at least restrain it."
"Well, finally everyone's thinking of something useful," Pax quipped from his position, deflecting another strand with his shield. "I think Alita inspired them," he added with a sarcastic grin as he dodged a nearby attack.
Galatea and her warriors from the Strong Realm began tying sturdy ropes around Troba's tail, driving stakes deep into the ground to pin it down. It was a Herculean task; every movement of the beast threatened to shatter their efforts.
"We've got it!" Galatea shouted, though her voice betrayed a note of concern. "But I don't know for how long, Paltio. Hurry!"
"It's time to move, Toco-Toco," Paltio said, leaning forward on the feline's back. "Though you should have a more intimidating name now that you're a giant cat."
"The name stays," Toco-Toco growled with determination.
"Alright, but don't get mad," Paltio replied with nervous laughter. "Let's charge!"
Golden didn't need to give further orders. With a powerful leap, Toco-Toco sprinted toward Troba's colossal body, scaling it with feline agility while dodging the sword-like strands unnoticed by the raging beast.
"Be careful, you fool!" Pax shouted from below, raising her shield just in time to block a severed strand that nearly struck her. "Sorry," Mok responded quickly, continuing his relentless work of cutting the razor-sharp filaments. "We need to find a way to stop this."
From a distance, Alita observed everything, her mind racing. "I have to do something," she muttered to herself, watching as everyone fought desperately against the monstrous Troba. "I can't just stand here and do nothing…"
Meanwhile, Galatea continued to lead her team with unwavering resolve. "Pull harder!" she commanded the warriors, who strained against the ropes with every ounce of their strength. "We are the Strong! Use your mighty power to hold her down!"
With a superhuman—or rather, "super avocado"—effort, they managed to temporarily immobilize Troba's tail. But the beast wasn't about to give up so easily. Enraged, she launched even more strands at them, trying to break free.
"Mok, watch out!" someone cried as one of the strands curved suddenly, slipping past the butler's reach. Though Mok acted swiftly, slicing through most of them, one slipped by unnoticed, grazing dangerously close to the warriors.
Alita tried using her water ring, aiming a powerful jet at Troba's hardened hide. The stream struck the beast's skin, but the attack barely left a scratch. Troba didn't even seem to notice.
"I think we should get out of here," Ron suggested, his voice firm yet laced with urgency, concern for Alita evident in his tone.
But she refused to budge. Something inside her had shifted; perhaps the time spent among the "Strong" women had awakened a sense of courage and purpose she never knew she possessed.
"I can do this… I can be useful," Alita muttered under her breath, gripping the ring tightly as she continued launching jets of water at Troba. Yet, it soon became clear that her efforts were futile. The magic of the ring depleted, leaving her defenseless before the towering creature.
Ron and Alita began to argue. "We need to leave the battlefield! This is too dangerous!" he insisted.
Meanwhile, one of the sword-strands Mok hadn't managed to cut came alive, sliding stealthily through the air, glinting ominously under the dim light like a sharpened blade. Ron caught sight of it from the corner of his eye and, without a second thought, stepped in front of Alita just as the deadly filament hurtled toward them.
The impact was devastating. The sword-strand pierced Ron's back with a dull, metallic thud, echoing across the battlefield like a macabre reverberation. Ron fell to his knees, his trembling body fighting to stay conscious.
"No! Ron, no!" Alita screamed, her voice breaking into a heart-wrenching cry. Tears streamed down her face as she was pushed to the ground by Ron's lifeless body, unable to comprehend what she had just witnessed. Her heart raced, a chaotic mixture of panic, guilt, and despair overwhelming her senses.
Alita's scream pierced through the battlefield, freezing everyone in their tracks. The warriors, Galatea, Mok, and even Paltio atop Toco-Toco turned simultaneously toward the scene. The chaos momentarily halted as they watched in horror while Alita cried out for Ron, who now lay motionless atop her, pinning her to the ground.
"Why did you do it?" Alita sobbed, her voice barely audible amidst her anguished cries. "Ron, please… hold on…"
The tension in the air was suffocating. A shared sense of helplessness gripped them all as tragedy unfolded before their eyes. Even Troba seemed to pause her assault for a fleeting moment, as though the sheer weight of the moment had reached even her monstrous consciousness.