Paltio was propelled by the energy sphere launched by Rykaru, flying at great speed along the enormous neck of the beast until he reached its head, positioning himself strategically from behind.
Meanwhile, Alita continued to resist the beast's advance with all her might, working alongside Nakia to immobilize it. Ron, Rodelos, and Chiki fought tenaciously to restrain one of the creature's fists, preventing it from slamming into the ground.
Geki, with his resilient shell, blocked the attack from the beast's other hand, shielding the group from a potentially devastating tremor. Lume, on the other hand, froze the creature's wings to prevent them from unfolding and allowing it to take flight. However, the beast refused to give up its attempts to break free and continue advancing toward its goal.
On another front, Ludra and Ban were helping Ariafilis's soldiers evacuate the citizens. Suddenly, one of Lume's illusory duplicates ran past them, carrying Lukeandria and Lucca on its back.
"Where are those two going?" Ludra and Ban asked as they watched them rush by.
Lukeandria and Lucca arrived at the battlefield, where Golden quickly explained the dire situation they were in.
"I understand. I'll use my staff to see if it can harm the beast," Lucca said resolutely.
"Perhaps if you use the two swords hidden in your staff," Geki suggested from inside his shell, while enduring the impacts of the beast's fist.
"Who told you that? It's a secret," Lucca responded, surprised.
"Come on, old man! We need you to use them," Ron interrupted urgently.
"All right, I'll use them," Lucca conceded. With a skillful motion, he split his staff in half, revealing two swords: one larger and one shorter. He approached the monster and unleashed a powerful crescent-shaped attack. The blow managed to make a deep cut in the beast's skin, but lava began to pour from the wound, sealing it almost instantly.
"Careful! We'd better not do that again," Rodelos warned as everyone quickly retreated. The beast's wound regenerated just as it had when Paltio emerged from within it.
"I think it does work, but, as Paltio said, the lava repairs the monster's injuries," Alita reflected.
Quickly, Alita and Nakia cooled the affected area, so the others could continue containing the creature.
"Then we can only trust Paltio," everyone said in unison, looking upward with hope.
Atop the monster's head, which nearly touched the clouds, Paltio carefully climbed along the thick, sturdy hairs covering the back of the beast's head. Upon reaching what he believed to be the creature's brain, he decided to use Golden's power to launch an attack similar to the one he had used against the previous beasts.
With a powerful strike, he managed to make a cut in the spot he thought was correct. However, just as before, lava began to flow, quickly sealing the wound.
"Damn it!" Paltio exclaimed, frustrated. At that moment, the beast seemed to become aware of his presence. Its enormous eyes rolled upward, detecting him.
The beast let out a deafening roar that echoed across the entire battlefield. Its power was such that it shattered the magical bindings created by Nakia and Alita. With a powerful flap of its wings, it repelled Lume, sending her flying, while everyone else was thrown from their positions.
The creature began to rise into the air, preparing to unleash another devastating attack with its boiling-hot fiery breath. From above, it extended its massive forelegs, attempting to reach Paltio and knock him off its head.
The villagers, seeing the enormous beast soaring through the sky, were overcome with panic. Chaos erupted in the streets as everyone ran in different directions.
"Stay calm, citizens!" Ariafilis shouted, trying to quell the collective fear. However, her voice barely carried over the commotion. The people were too frightened to think clearly.
"Lady Ariafilis hasn't finished speaking yet!" Jock exclaimed, raising his voice, so everyone could hear him. "The prince of Avocadolia has come to help us! He will defeat the beast!"
"The prince? What's the prince doing here?" some villagers murmured, surprised. Others responded skeptically: "It's been ages since anyone from that kingdom helped us."
"It's true! I can personally vouch that he came to help us!" Dall interjected, though his nervousness was evident. Despite his shyness, he decided to support Ariafilis to ease the tension and facilitate the evacuation. "Besides, he has powerful friends who helped us escape!" the soldiers added, backing up Dall.
Gradually, calm returned. The citizens began following the soldiers' instructions, cooperating to evacuate the area in an orderly manner.
"Thank you, Dall," Jock and Ariafilis said in unison, grateful for his valuable intervention.
One of Dall's companions, with a teasing smile, remarked: "Well, Dall… Sometimes you're actually good for something." Everyone chuckled lightly, breaking the tension of the moment.
Meanwhile, Paltio fought to stay atop the creature's head. The beast's enormous legs tried to pry him from his position, but he clung on with all his strength.
"Leave my daddy alone!" Rykaru shouted from below. With the sword Mok had given him, he aimed at the creature's neck. A deep cut began to open, but it was quickly filled by lava that sealed the wound.
"There's nothing we can do!" Paltio exclaimed, frustrated. But just then, he heard a familiar voice calling out to him from his bag.
"Come on, Paltio! Use me!" said the piece called Tropalia.
Quickly, Paltio pulled the piece from his bag and touched it, placing it on his forehead. In the central circle of the piece, a bright red light began to glow intensely. Images, knowledge, and advanced strategies flooded Paltio's mind like a torrent of information, searching for any detail about the beast and how to defeat it.
"Good luck," the piece said once the process was complete.
With the newfound knowledge, Paltio understood what he needed to do. Through the mental link, he told Rykaru: "Keep doing that, but faster."
"Yes, Daddy!" the boy responded with determination, continuing his attacks with renewed energy.
"What do you have in mind, Paltio?" Golden asked, noticing the resolve in his tone.
"Well, I hope I'm right, Golden. This time, I'll use eighty percent of your power," Paltio replied firmly.
"Can you handle it?" Golden asked, concerned.
"Yes, leave it to me. That's what we've been training for," Paltio responded, a spark of hope lighting up his eyes.
"Very well, here goes," Golden said with determination. Suddenly, a breastplate and shoulder guards of an intense emerald green began to materialize on Paltio's body. Gradually, Golden's armor took shape, covering his torso and arms with an ethereal glow. A new aura of power surged through Paltio's body, filling him with energy as he felt his strength increase exponentially.
"Take this, you damned beast!" Paltio shouted in a powerful voice. A massive beam of energy erupted from his chest, channeling into his fists, which glowed with a dazzling light.
"It's now or never, Rykaru!" Paltio exclaimed through the mental link.
With incredible speed, Paltio unleashed a flurry of precise punches toward the center of the beast's head. At the same time, Rykaru, sword in hand, delivered swift and accurate cuts to the creature's neck. Both attacked in perfect synchronization, as if connected by a shared instinct.
The lava emanating from the beast's body tried to seal the wounds, but the combined assaults of Paltio and Rykaru were so rapid and relentless that it seemed impossible for the creature to regenerate in time. Paltio's blows thundered like rolling storms, while Rykaru's slashes shimmered with silvery flashes under the battle's light.
"It's over for you!" they both declared in unison, their conviction resonating through the air.