The Lion King stood in the center of the ruined plaza. He breathed very fast. His broad chest heaved up and down. He dropped his giant spiked club onto the ground. The sharp metal spikes dug deeply into the broken cobblestones. He did not need a weapon for this next attack.
He raised both of his massive hands high into the air. He closed his eyes. He channeled an immense amount of raw, earth-based mana.
The ambient energy in the plaza shifted violently. A dark brown aura flared around the warlord's large body. The aura was incredibly thick. It felt suffocating. The sheer amount of magical power made the air actually vibrate.
Sayma watched the magical readings on her blue crystal. The numbers spiked entirely off the charts. Her eyes widened behind her thick glasses.
"Princess Iris!" Sayma warned urgently. She pointed at the holographic map. "He is channeling an unbelievable amount of earth mana. It is a massive area-of-effect spell. We need to brace ourselves immediately!"
Zinia stepped forward. She planted her boots firmly on the ground. She pressed her strong hands against her rock wall. She wanted to reinforce the defense. "I will hold the line. Let him try."
The Lion King opened his eyes. They glowed with a terrifying brown light. He slammed both of his hands directly into the dirt.
"Earthquake Protocol!" the Lion King roared loudly.
The magic surged deep into the ground. The entire plaza instantly buckled. It was not a normal tremor. The earth violently rejected its shape.
Massive, jagged spikes of solid rock erupted from the cobblestones. The spikes shot up into the air like giant stone spears. They appeared absolutely everywhere. They ripped through the ruined carts. They shattered the remains of the streetlamps. The ground split completely open. Deep, dark trenches formed randomly across the battlefield. The dirt shifted and rolled like ocean waves.
The Lion King created a completely hazardous environmental obstacle course. He totally restricted the 13th Unit's movement.
Zinia's defensive wall groaned loudly. The massive earth spikes crashed into her barrier. The stone cracked. Zinia gritted her teeth. She poured all her mana into the wall. She stopped the spikes from hitting her friends. But she could not stop the ground beneath them from shifting entirely.
"The ground is moving!" Naomi yelled. She stumbled backward. She tried to keep her balance on the shaking dirt. "I cannot find a solid footing at all!"
Laxmi fell onto her knees. She dropped her flames. She grabbed the dirt to stop herself from sliding into a newly formed trench. "This is completely insane! The whole city block is falling apart!"
Luna let out a loud yawn, but she held onto Ira's arm tightly. "This is very bumpy. It feels like a terrible carriage ride."
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Ira stood perfectly still. She adjusted her balance with flawless robotic precision. She stared at the shifting terrain. "Statistically speaking, this battlefield is now highly unsuitable for close-quarters combat. Our mobility has decreased by eighty percent."
Ken Eliot sat behind his broken wall. The piece of rubble he sat on tilted sideways. He slid off the rock entirely. He landed on his bottom in the dirt. He dropped his strawberry candy. The candy rolled away and fell into a deep crack in the ground.
Ken stared at the empty spot where his candy used to be. He slouched his shoulders. He looked incredibly annoyed.
"This is an absolute tragedy," Ken complained loudly. He dusted off his navy blue suit pants. "He just ruined a perfectly good piece of candy. Do you have any idea how hard it is to find strawberry flavor? This guy has zero respect for snacks."
Naomi looked at Ken. She was trying to balance on a moving rock. She let out a short, genuine laugh. Even in the middle of a massive earthquake, Ken only cared about his candy. His relaxed attitude was incredibly comforting to her.
"I will buy you a whole bag of candy later, Ken!" Naomi promised warmly. She smiled at him. "Just hold onto something! Do not fall in a hole!"
"I am holding onto the dirt," Ken mumbled lazily. He patted the ground. "The dirt is very unreliable today."
The earthquake finally stopped. The Lion King stood up. He breathed heavily, but he looked very proud of his work.
The plaza was completely transformed. It looked like a jagged, dangerous wasteland. Tall rock spikes blocked every path. Deep trenches created deadly traps. The 13th Unit was separated by the shifting earth. They could not move freely.
The Lion King picked up his giant spiked club. He pointed it directly at Princess Iris.
"You cannot run anymore!" the Lion King laughed cruelly. "Your fast little vanguard is trapped in the rocks! You cannot dodge my attacks! I control this entire area now!"
He gestured to his remaining soldiers. "Advance slowly. Corner them against the spikes. End this."
The enemy vanguard moved forward very cautiously. They navigated the jagged rocks. They closed in on the trapped girls. They raised their swords and staffs. They looked very confident. They thought the 13th Unit was completely helpless.
Princess Iris stood on a raised platform of dirt. She looked around at the hazardous terrain. She saw her team struggling to find a safe path. She saw the enemy closing in.
She did not panic. She did not show any fear. She gripped her silver rapier. Her violet eyes analyzed the situation perfectly. She trusted her team. She knew they could adapt to any challenge.
"Listen to me, 13th Unit!" Princess Iris commanded clearly. Her voice echoed over the jagged rocks. "He thinks he restricted our movement. He thinks these obstacles are a disadvantage. We will prove him wrong. We will use his own terrain entirely against him."
Sayma pushed her glasses up. She looked at the rock spikes. Her brilliant mind instantly formulated a new strategy. She smiled a polite, confident smile.
"The Princess is absolutely correct," Sayma stated calmly. She closed her notebook. "The Lion King created temporary vulnerabilities in his own magical defenses. These rock spikes block our path, but they also block his soldiers' line of sight. They cannot attack us all at once. We can isolate them easily."
"I like the sound of that," Naomi grinned. Her green eyes sparked with fierce determination. She spun her twin daggers. "We shift our combat stance. We stop running around. We fight them in the narrow gaps."
Zinia cracked her knuckles. She looked at the tall rock spikes. "I can manipulate these spikes. He brought the earth to the surface. I can use it."
Laxmi punched her open palm. Bright orange flames popped around her fingers. "I can bounce my fireballs off these rocks. It will create a massive, fiery maze for them."
Ken sat in the dirt. He brushed some dust off his untucked white shirt. He slouched his shoulders. He looked at the girls. They were completely motivated. They were totally ready to fight.
"You guys are doing way too much planning again," Ken mumbled lazily. He let out a loud yawn. "Just push them into the big holes. Gravity does all the hard work. It is the laziest, most efficient strategy."
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