Loh' Polieus and Asoto' Tinneus

After failing to cut Guttenson in half, the red-jeweled Rakh-ahtan warrior launched a relentless assault. It unleashed a barrage of blazing infernos at Guttenson'.

The weight of Guttenson's metal arm caused his movements to become erratic, and he easily evaded death with each close encounter. However, unable to find an opening, Guttenson' hastily retreated. He regrouped with the remaining Great Irons. They had sustained minimal injuries being dispersed by the wind attack of the white jeweled Rakh-ahtan.

The Great Iron from the 11th high post had avoided death by the first assault of the Rakh-ahtan. Instead of having his head ripped off, he only lost his left arm, which he had replaced with a wooden arm. He stood next to Guttenson and noticed Guttenson's metal arm. "So they got you too. Looks like we'll need a good rest after this ordeal."

The two Great Irons assumed an unusual fighting stance, positioning their artificial arm in front of them. However, unlike Guttenson, the 11th Great Iron showed signs of ancestral flooding.

"Great Iron Tormelli' and I will take the lead. Team 1 will flank its left, and Team 2 will flank its right. We put an end to this now!" Guttenson' shouted, his voice filled with determination.

Tormelli' and Guttenson charged forward, disregarding the scorching heat that engulfed the once tranquil landscape of the 9th high post.

Whenever they encountered flames, Tormelli' summoned roots from the ground, swiftly uprooting acres of soil and moving the fire from their path. Guttenson', assumed the lead between the two.

In contrast, the flame-engulfed Rakh-ahtan remained motionless.

As Guttenson closed in, a chilling realization crept over him—the red-jeweled Rakh-ahtan was fixated on his fallen comrade.

"Watch out! The other one is still alive!" Guttenson's voice pierced through the chaos, alerting the four Great Irons who had begun their flanking maneuver. When Guttenson' finally stole a glance backward, he was dismayed by their lack of experience of the other Great Irons.

The white jeweled Rakh-ahtan that Gutteson had put a hole through had returned to life and had paid back his wound by impaling Tormelli' through the chest with its metal staff. 

Miraculously, Great Iron Tormelli' clung to life, subtly allowing his wooden arm to contact the ground. The wooden arm instantaneously erupted, growing into a massive tree that enveloped and trapped the white jeweled Rakh-ahtan, rendering it immobile.

Tormelli', despite the gaping hole in his chest, managed to stagger a few steps forward before falling to his knees. The green light in his from ancestral flooding slowly faded.

The extensive wound in his chest prevented him from drawing breath, but he refused to die. A smile adorned his face as he gave one final upward gaze to his home of Tonovia. A resounding snap reverberated through the air before everything went black for Tormelli'

The snapping sound had come from the white jeweled Rakh-ahtan, easily breaking free from the wooden tree it was caged in.

After freeing itself, the white jeweled Rakh-ahtan used his metal staff to strike Tormelli' with such brutal force that the Tonovian's upper torso, including his arms, were obliterated. The remaining Great Irons could do nothing but watch the ruthless nature in which Tormelli' had been taken out.

The white jeweled Rakh-ahtan stood triumphantly upon Tormelli's lifeless lower body, relishing in its kill.

In that moment of hubris, Sayelle' materialized out of thin air, wielding a small razor blade. Swiftly, Sayelle' sliced into the beast's heels before becoming invisible again. Although the Rakh-ahtan possessed an astonishing capacity for robust regeneration, the wound forced the wind Rakh-ahtan to fall to its knees.

Seizing the opportunity, the remaining Great Irons acted without hesitation, closing in on the wounded Rakh-ahtan.

Guttenson alone confronted the red jeweled Rakh-ahtan. Waves of flames flew past his left and right, the red flickers licked at his feet and hands with every twist and turn.

Mid-air, Gutensson' executed a rapid body spin, narrowly avoiding another slice of flames. 

Meanwhile, the opening Sayelle' had created was obliterated instantly by the mighty gusts conjured up by the white-jeweled Rakh-ahtan's metal staff. The swirling winds mercilessly tossed the remaining 5 Great Irons through the air.

Though narrowly evading death, Guttenson' looked for a way out. "At this rate, they'll systematically take us out one at a time."

The white jeweled Rakh-ahtan hurled its staff with the force of a cannon toward one of the airborne Great Iron's. The staff shot through his body with ruthless precision, causing an instantaneous explosion and leaving behind a mist of blood. The ranks of the Great Irons had now diminished from twelve to a mere five, with Guttenson' included.

The white jeweled Rakh-ahtan leaped toward Sayelle' who had become visible after being tossed up by the wind. Sayelle' himself was about to hit the ground and couldn't avoid the swinging staff of the white-jeweled Rakh-ahtan.

However, the staff disappeared before making contact with Sayelle. Sayelle' came crashing onto the ground face-first, avoiding certain death.

The red jeweled Rakh-ahtan had also vanished. In the next moment, a sonic boom pierced the ears of the Great Irons.

Seven Tonovians adorned in intricately jeweled armor confronted Guttenson', who was covering his ears. "Relax, Great Iron Guttenson'. The Great Diamonds have arrived. We will end this attack on our homeland."

Behind the Great Diamond that addressed Guttenson', a mighty figure approached. It was a bulgingly muscular Tonovian standing eleven feet tall. He had snow-white hair and beautiful azure skin. His imposing physique was the pinnacle of the Tonovian genetic lineage.

In his right hand, he clutched two horned heads with crimson eyes still open in shock.

"I can't believe the Father of Father awoke Greater Diamond Deiousus from his prolonged sleep." whispered Sayelle' to another Great Iron.

In response to the instantaneous death of the two Rakh-ahtan warriors, the mother lake began shaking violently. The silver blood from the Rakh-ahtan beast had made it a metallic expanse that started to move on its own. It folded in on itself, forming the body of a colossal Rakh-ahtan warrior towering almost 100 feet tall.

The behemoth lacked a gem on its forehead like the warrior's Greater Diamond Deiousus had beheaded. The colossal beast began its relentless march towards the wall where the 12 high posts were located. From its gaping maw, waves of gemless Rakh-ahtan beasts spilled forth, launching a full-scale attack.

"We couldn't even take one jeweled warrior down with our own hands." Guttenson' voiced his frustration. "Unless an army of Great Diamonds arrives, our fate remains sealed."

****

Miles above, within Kentucky's forest, two Tonovians were walking, their footsteps leaving deep imprints in the woods.

"I'm telling you, Loh', that massive crystal above us is an ancestral crystal," Asoto exclaimed. And I'm telling you, you fool. It's called the moon, and that vast expanse above us is the sky," retorted Loh, increasingly irritated.

Undeterred, Asoto' persisted, "Well, no matter what you call it, whoever left behind such a giant crystal of that magnitude must have been as the world itself." 

Ignoring his companion, Loh', he emerged into the Kentucky woods with no sense of direction except for the mission entrusted to them by the Father of Fathers, Usto' Tinneus.

The two Tonovians found themselves enveloped by an eerie silence. Suddenly, Asoto' grapped Loh' and dragged him behind a tree. "Be quiet, I hear something," Asoto' whispered.

Two figures appeared in the distance.

"I'm telling you, Buck, I heard some strange noises, like aliens jibber jabbing," a short, stout man said to his taller companion, who held a hunting rifle.

"It's probably just some critter you heard, Rick. Most critters startle easily," replied the tall man named Buck.

Rick ignored Buck as he scanned the surroundings with his flashlight. Just as Rick was about to interject again, Buck's flashlight illuminated four massive blue arms protruding from a tree.

Realizing they had been noticed, Loh' jumped out of the tree, opting for a diplomatic approach. Despite being small for a Tonovian, Loh' stood eight feet tall. As Loh' drew nearer, the two men became paralyzed with terror.

In a panicked outburst, Rick screamed, "It's a bigfoot, Buck! Quick, shoot it! Shoot it in the head, Buck!"

Rick's terrified shouts echoed through the forest, carrying fear and desperation. Reacting swiftly, Buck raised his rifle, aiming at Loh', and fired, the bullet struck the Loh' squarely in the chest.

Thankfully, Loh's Tonovian physiology was incredibly tough. The bullet barely pierced his skin.

A few minutes later, Loh' and Asoto' found themselves wearing ripped human clothing. Loh' examined Rick's phone while Asoto' inspected Buck's rifle.

"For such a small contraption, it packed quite a punch," Asoto' remarked, looking at Loh's chest.

"You're telling me. They sure do have some interesting tools," Loh' replied. The two departed, leaving Rick and Buck unconscious in nothing but their underwear.

They strolled through the unfamiliar landscape, thoroughly amused by the novelty of their new environment. As the skies gradually brightened, the sun began to rise, causing the moon to lose its luster.

Asoto' couldn't help but ponder the changing scene. "It's getting brighter, and the 'moon' is fading. What do you think is happening, Loh'?"

Loh' remembered a brief history of the surface world given to him by his teacher, Geova'. "The outer world's Sun rises and descends. Its intense light is capable of scorching our Tonovian skin. We should avoid it if we ever encounter it."

After explaining to Asoto' to cover himself, Loh' returned to playing around with Rick's phone.

"Father of Fathers mentioned seeking assistance from a particular group of humans up north, where there are two vast lakes. Our best choice is to continue our journey northward." Loh explained as he took the lead.

A thousand miles away, several states to the west, Al, Cesar, Ellie, and Jin darted across the landscape at a speed surpassing that of any vehicle. They were on Route 80. Each of them clutched paper talismans adorned with fading, glowing yellow runes.

"I told you we should have brought more talismans for this journey," Jin complained in frustration.

"Don't worry. If we happen to run out towards the end, it will serve as an opportunity to train our endurance." Al reassured Jin.