Chapter 25 – Battle of Mana

The airship hums beneath my feet, my device suddenly flashing with alerts. A cold shiver crawls down my spine.

“…So they really do have it,” I mutter, eyes narrowing. “The same kind of weapon as the Skybreaker…”

Everyone looks at me. I slam my hand on the table.
“Change of plans! Golems go on ahead to the Kingdom. We’re detouring!”

Elowen’s head whips around. “Detour!? Where the hell to?!”

“The Northern Kingdom.”

The air goes dead silent.

“WHAT!?” Elowen shouts, her silver hair whipping.
“Randy, are you out of your damned mind!?” Seraphina nearly slams her staff over my head.

I grin, reckless. “There’s a disturbance in the scanners. I’m betting that’s where their big toy is hiding. And Seraphina—” I point at her with a spark in my eyes. “Charge the cannons. I’ve got a surprise waiting for them.”

“…You’re insane,” Seraphina mutters, already rushing to the console. “Fine. If we die, I’m haunting you.”

The cannons hum, energy spiraling within their chambers. The ship tilts sharply, engines roaring.

“Brace yourselves!!!”

BOOOOOOOOOM!!!!

The Skybreaker punches through the clouds, breaking the sound barrier. The air compresses around the hull, the sky itself screaming in protest.

“GUH—Randy!!!” Elowen clutches her seat, face pale. “What are you doing!?”

“Calculating…!” I grit my teeth, gripping the controls. The ship trembles violently. “If I’m right—we’ll be there in seconds!!”

The world blurs. The Skybreaker becomes a shooting star, tearing open the heavens.

Meanwhile – Kingdom of Synthoria

The massive cannon hums, glowing brighter with each passing second. Its barrel tilts, hungry to annihilate.

Azrael swirls his wine casually, seated upon his throne. His crimson eyes glint with arrogance.
“Ahh… the Gungnir is ready. Verica, you’re dismissed. I can’t afford your incompetence this time.”

“Lord—the weapon is fully charged!”

He raises his cup, lips curling. “…Then let us begin.”

But before the command leaves his mouth—

SLAM!!!

A panicked guard bursts into the hall, drenched in sweat.
“MY LORD! EMERGENCY!!!”

Azrael’s expression curdles. “What is it now?”

“A ship! An airship flying at speeds like—like a meteor! It’s heading directly for us!!”

The wine glass slips from his hand, shattering. His voice darkens.
“…What? Impossible. Did they predict my battle plan!?”

Above the Capital – Skybreaker

The capital swarms with defense mages. Fireballs, lances of lightning, storms of arrows—all unleashed into the skies.

The Skybreaker plows through them like a beast. Explosions rock the hull, flames scraping against the barrier shields.

“Yeahhhh!!! Right into the nest!!” Seraphina laughs maniacally as her cannons glow hotter.

“Randy!!! You’d better pray this thing actually works!!!” Elowen screams over the roaring engines.

“Almost there—!!!” I slam my fist on the console. “LOCK ON! FIRE!!!”

The Skybreaker fires.

From its underbelly erupts a beam of light equal in magnitude to the Gungnir itself. It tears the sky open, a god-spear of destruction, and crashes straight into the charging weapon.

SHHHHHHHHHHKKKKKKKRRRRR—BOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!

The cannon detonates. A chain reaction ripples outward, exploding into a wave that consumes half the palace. Towers disintegrate. The ground cracks. Walls crumble. The capital is swallowed in a storm of fire and debris.

Palace – Throne Hall

Azrael stumbles, buried under rubble, his eyes wide with disbelief.
“…No… NO!!!!”

The panicked voices of survivors echo.
“Run!!! RUN!!!”
“The Gungnir—it’s destroyed!!”
“Our cannon is gone—our capital—!!!”

Azrael roars, his voice shaking the ruins.
“XORVATH!!!”

Skybreaker

The ship soars past the explosion, its shadow cutting through the smoke like a phantom. Flames lick the clouds, but the Skybreaker vanishes into the horizon before the enemy can react.

Nyx, perched atop the ruins, glares at the heavens. Her black cloak billows, her eyes cold.
“…Damn. Too fast.”

A general kneels, trembling. “What… what was that ship?”

Azrael pulls himself from the rubble, his body bruised but his hatred blazing. His hand crushes a stone to dust.

“…This is no Hume invention. We face a new enemy.” His eyes gleam with bloodlust. “Send the troops. Hunt them. Bring me their heads.”

Skybreaker – Bridge

The bridge of the Skybreaker trembles with the aftershocks of its latest maneuver. The crew bursts into wild laughter and shouts, the kind that only comes when death was a fingertip away but missed.

Harmonia nearly topples over, clutching her stomach as she pumps her fists toward the ceiling.
“HAHAHAHA!! Did you SEE their faces!? BOOM!! Right in the middle of the palace! Those pompous royals probably wet themselves!”

Seraphina exhales sharply, her serpent’s tail coiling in irritation as she wipes sweat from her brow. Her golden eyes narrow, voice low and sharp.
“…That was insane, Randy. Even for you.”

Elowen slams her hammer against the floor, glaring at me with a pale face, though her eyes burn with equal parts fury and respect.
“Randy… next time you pull something like that, I swear, I’ll chain you to the deck. And I mean it.”

I lean back against the console, exhausted but exhilarated. My lips curl into a crooked grin.
“Heh. Worth it.”

Outside the glass of the forward deck, the once-proud Kingdom of Synthoria smolders, its capital reduced to ruins. Smoke coils upward like the fingers of a dying god. The first blow has been struck.

But my gut twists. I know Azrael is still alive. This war is far from over.

I run my hand along the charts. “Based on this flight path… we’ll reach the next kingdom in time.”

Meanwhile – Kingdom of Saints

In a chamber lit by frantic torchlight, messengers stumble in, bowing hastily.

“The capital—! The capital is under attack!”

A lone warrior in black armor, a samurai with eyes like midnight, slowly rises to his feet. His voice cuts through the panic like a blade.
“By who?”

“A foreign airship! They left in a hurry after striking the palace!”

The samurai narrows his gaze. The edges of his gauntlet gleam under the flickering fire.
“…That tactic… That is not from this world. So… there are others like me.”

Meanwhile – Rubble of the Saints’ Outer Kingdom

Aethoné grips a bloodstained banner as a messenger kneels before her.

“My lady—news received! The Northern capital is burning, but the enemy has retreated!”

Her lips tremble, tears catching in her lashes. “By the gods… we are saved…?”

“No, my lady. Not saved. Struck by something greater. An airship attacked the capital!”

The messenger’s words echo in the ruined hall. Others around whisper, their voices filled with fear and awe.

“Yeah… our scouts reported it clearly. A screaming blast of wind in the skies, splitting the clouds open!”

“It’s heading toward the Kingdom of Mana!”

“Such power… it’s like the old stories. Just like Lilith and Drake…”

Aethoné’s hand tightens on her banner, hope flickering in her eyes for the first time in years.

Back to the Skybreaker

The Skybreaker cuts through the clouds like a predator of the skies. The crew braces as the horizon reveals a massive dust cloud already devouring the capital of Mana.

“They’ve begun the invasion already…” Seraphina mutters, voice laced with venom.

“Hey—look over there!” Harmonia points, her face alight with both awe and fear.

Below, flames crawl across Mana’s outer walls. Enemy airships swarm like locusts, their shadows blotting out the sun. A hulking land-battleship plows through the city gates, its cannons roaring.

The deck goes silent for a moment, the scale of the chaos sinking in. Then I stand, my voice steady.

“So then… are we ready?”

Elowen slams her hammer against her palm. “Ready.”

“Yeah,” Seraphina hisses, spear spinning in her hands.

Harmonia twirls her gunstaff, smirking with wild energy. “Born ready, captain!”

I glance at each of them. Their determination burns hotter than the fires below.

“Elowen, Harmonia—take down the enemy airship fleet.”

“Got it!”

“Seraphina, you support the ground troops.”

Her tail slams against the deck. “Understood.”

The sky trembles.

“And me?” I mutter, tightening the strap on my gauntlet until the leather creaks. My eyes lock onto the monstrous land-battleship crawling below us, its iron hide bristling with cannons and writhing banners of smoke. My chest thunders with adrenaline—fear mixes with thrill—but the corners of my lips sharpen into a reckless grin.
“I’ll handle that beast.”

The wind screams in my ears, tugging at my cloak. The battlefield stretches endless and bloody below. The war has only just begun.

Inside the City walls

Elysia’s sword flashes like lightning as she parries another blow. She doesn’t flinch, even as stone dust rains from collapsing towers. Beside her, Oswald’s heavy axe carves clean arcs through the enemy ranks—his motions are cold, deliberate, efficient.

Luna’s voice cuts through the chaos like a rallying bell. “Hold the line! With everything you’ve got!” Her light armor gleams under the fires, her presence pulling the terrified into courage.

At the very front, Alfian barrels into the horde without hesitation. “Get out of my way!” he shouts, his eyes wild, as if the battlefield belongs only to him.

“Damn fool!” one adventurer yells, but Alfian doesn’t listen.

Raul’s voice booms over the din. “Warriors! Rally here! Form on me!” His presence is thunderous, a raw magnet that draws fighters to his banner.

The defenders are scattered, a storm of disorganization—but somehow, it works. The walls hold. The kingdom refuses to fall.

“Help will arrive!!!” Luna shouts, her voice cracking yet fierce.

Elysia raises her blade to the flames and screams back, “Stand your ground!!! You are warriors of this kingdom! No demon, no beast will break us!” Her eyes blaze with fire that ignites hearts.

Oswald, ever calm, drives another enemy to the dirt. “Tch… They just keep coming,” he mutters, but his movements remain flawless, almost beautiful in their brutality.

The Adventurers’ Counterattack

The twenty elite adventurers—each one sharper, faster, deadlier than Raul and Alfian combined—crash into the enemy lines like titans. Their blades shine, their magic scorches, their presence lifts the battlefield itself. Behind them, the inexperienced rookies stagger, clumsy but determined, throwing support wherever they can.

The clash turns into a storm.

Alfian screams, charging a hulking beast alone.
“This is battle! This is what I live for!” His laughter is raw, unhinged, as his sword carves through flesh.

Raul smashes aside a spear and bellows, “I was born for this moment!!!”

Then—an explosion.

The enemy’s center erupts in flame and metal, bodies hurled skyward like ragdolls. Dust rolls like a tidal wave. Chaos swallows order.

Above the battlefield

Harmonia stands at the prow of the airship, her white hair whipping in the storm winds. She closes her eyes and presses her hand to her chest. Then she begins to sing.

The world stills.

Her voice pours out like light, piercing through screams, fire, and despair. The melody surges across the battlefield—holy, unearthly—threading into hearts, lifting courage, binding broken wills. Even the wounded rise. Even the dying smile.

“Impossible…” Raul whispers, his blade pausing mid-swing as the song floods him with power.

Elowen grips the controls of the airship, her hammer at her side. “Now!!!” she yells, and the ship’s cannons roar. The fleet below crumbles, slow to respond against the storm of speed.

“Since we’ve got the sky,” Elowen laughs, slamming another lever, “they’re falling like flies!”

Seraphina dives from the airship, her bladed spear gleaming. She lands in the midst of the enemy army with an earth-shaking crash, scales rippling with power. “Pathetic,” she hisses, before cutting down ten in a single sweeping strike.

The tide shifts. The war is far from over… but for the first time, hope ignites like wildfire across the battlefield.

Seraphina dives back into formation, her naga tail whipping as she lands beside Luna and Elysia.
“Hey!! Miss me!?” she grins, spinning her bladed spear.

Elysia laughs through the smoke. “About damn time!!!”

“Where’s Randy!?” Luna demands, eyes scanning.

Seraphina points toward the iron behemoth crawling across the battlefield—an armored land battleship, bristling with cannons.

Inside, I tear through the corridors in my flight suit, plasma sparks flying as I cut down the crew one by one. The alarms scream. My goal is clear: reach the engine… and light the beast from within.

The chamber glows red-hot as I breach it. One final charge—
KABOOOM!!!

The land battleship erupts in a storm of fire and steel, shockwaves flattening the earth.

“Randy!!!” Elysia shouts—
But then they see me burst through the inferno, wings of thrusters blazing like a phoenix. My silhouette cuts across the sky.

Padel’s jaw drops. “Sheesh… that’s like a friggin’ Gundam…”

Kyle pumps his fist. “Damn, man! That looks awesome!!”

Elysia’s face lights up, voice breaking with relief. “Now that’s something, Randy!!! Go, Randy!!!”

But the victory is short-lived.

From the smoldering haze, Verica rises. Her form twists, horns sprouting, black wings tearing from her back. Her eyes burn like twin suns of hatred. She grips her weapon—a scythe that drips with shadows.

“You…” her voice is venom.

The death scythe howls as Verica swings, its black arc tearing the very air apart. My thrusters flare—I barely twist aside, sparks grazing my armor as the blade slices past. I retaliate instantly, rifles blazing, tracer rounds streaking across the sky.

Steel meets shadow. Wings of flame against wings of malice. The two of us spiral through the smoke-filled heavens, locked in a deadly dogfight that splits the battlefield in two.

And then—
Two figures surge into the fray.

“You bitch!!!” Alfian roars, his fist wrapped in raw aura, the very air trembling under the pressure of his strike. His punch slams toward her like a cannonball.

Raul charges beside him, shield raised, eyes burning with righteous fury. “How could you betray us, Verica!?” His blade follows like judgment, heavy and precise, striking for her exposed side.

Verica snarls, twisting her scythe in a vicious arc to parry both. Sparks explode as steel clashes with shield and fist. Their combined assault forces her back, wings beating furiously.

Good. That’s my chance.

While they lock her down, I turn my sights on the true threat: the last land battleship. Its engines rumble, massive cannons rotating into position, targeting the city below. One shot—and everything we’ve gained burns away.

My jaw tightens. Focus, Randy. Finish it.

I dive. Engines scream, trails of fire cutting through the sky as I push past the hailstorm of flak.

On the ground, the tide shifts.

Luna dashes across the battlefield, her rapier flashing in precise arcs. Every thrust drops an enemy, her speed blurring past demon knights before they can react.

Elysia rallies the wavering lines, her voice like fire. “Stand tall! You are knights of the kingdom! No demon will claim this city while we yet breathe!!”

And at the center—Seraphina steps forward, her new sky-island blade humming with power. She raises it high.

“—Marut Cuzhal Vāḷ!!”

Her slash carves open the storm itself. A tornado unfurls, shredding rows of enemies like paper dolls, the winds howling with divine fury. The battlefield clears in a single sweep.

“Seraphina!!” Luna skids to her side, but freezes as a hulking armored demon steps forward. Its giant sword gleams like a slab of steel forged in hell.

“Foolish girl!!!” The demon swings down with monstrous force.

Luna sidesteps, agile as lightning—
But the blade twists mid-strike, slamming into her weapon. Her sword shatters.

“Dammit!!” Luna’s eyes widen.

“Die!!!” the demon snarls, blade plunging toward her unguarded chest—

SHRRK!!

Seraphina’s blade pierces the demon from behind. With a grunt, she heaves it into the air, slamming it down like a ragdoll.

“Mahā Oli!!” she chants. Lightning erupts from the sky, vaporizing the beast into molten ash.

Panting, Seraphina tosses something to Luna. “Luna!!! Catch!!”

Luna grabs it—a gleaming rapier, light as air. Her grip tightens, and her eyes blaze. “This… this is perfect. Thank you, Seraphina!!”

“You betcha!!” Seraphina grins.

Luna raises the rapier, voice ringing like thunder.
“Cyfiawn Ceart!!”

A sphere of lightning erupts, exploding outward. The blast engulfs the demon horde, obliterating them in a rain of sparks.

The knights cheer, their morale surging.

“Onwards!! We charge!!” Luna commands, her voice a clarion call. The army roars back and surges forward.

High above, I weave through chaos.

The sky is hell itself. Flak bursts all around me, painting the heavens in fire. My HUD screams warnings, armor rattling under near-misses.

“Dammit!! This is insane!!” I snarl, twisting through a gap in the storm.

Beside me, the Skybreaker and enemy airships fire in tandem, cannons blazing. Sky golems soar around them, hurling spells and intercepting enemy bolts. Entire airships fall burning from the skies.

“Eligor was tough enough… but this next one…” My eyes lock on the monstrosity ahead. “…this thing’s a damn fortress!!”

The Behemoth Land Battleship.
Triple the size of the others. Bristling with guns. Moving like a mountain dragged across the earth, its colossal cannon slowly swiveling toward the city.

Then—the skies darken further.

“Dragon riders!!” someone shouts.

A squadron of demons descends, mounted on scaled beasts. Their lances crackle with cursed flame as they dive straight at me.

“Drones—activate!!”

With a hiss, my drones deploy, splitting off into formation. Streams of gunfire rip through the sky, tearing dragon wings and scattering riders.

The survivors gape in shock.
“This power…!!”
“They possess the weapons of the Alchemist Kingdom!!”
“But they went extinct—!!”

Too late. My drones converge, shredding the riders apart in a storm of bullets.

But the Behemoth looms closer, cannons now tracking me. My chest tightens. My rifle won’t even scratch it.

Before me rises not a battleship, but a mountain of iron and fire.

And every turret aims directly at me.

Dust falls from the dungeon ceiling as the ground trembles, each step echoing like a drum of war.

I steady my breath, eyes narrowing as I deploy another drone. Its wings buzz faintly, a mechanical insect darting toward the looming shape of the land battleship.
“Check the surroundings of the land battleship,” I order, voice low but firm. The drone splits from the others—smaller, faster, built for recon rather than firepower.

The enemy won’t even notice it. Perfect.

But there’s no time to relax. My chest tightens. “Where is Kline…?”

to be continued