Chapter 58 – The Counterattack of Mana

Inside the Skybreaker, the atmosphere shifts.

No more jokes.

No more hesitation.

The hum of the engines vibrates through the metallic floor like a heartbeat preparing for war.

Everyone is ready.

Mentally.

Physically.

Spiritually.

Luna stands beside me on the bridge, staring at the projection of the battlefield.

The capital glows faintly under Kline’s barrier.

But cracks are forming.

“If there is something you cannot handle…” she says softly, not looking at me, “please ask for help.”

I glance at her.

Her grip tightens slightly on the Scourge of the Sea.

“Got it,” I reply. “You too.”

“Ohhhh~ how romantic,” Harmonia sings from the side, leaning over the railing dramatically. “What have you two been doing behind my back~?”

“HEY!” Luna snaps, cheeks faintly red.

“This is war prep, not confession hour,” I mutter.

Even now… she finds a way to tease us.

Bolg enters the bridge, heavy boots echoing.

He looks around like a child inside a legendary artifact.

“Amazing… we are flying at the same speed as Lord Himmel.”

“ETA: 50 minutes,” I reply.

“That fast?!” one of the knights gasps.

“All thanks to the Pope,” I grin. “He did something to the ship. There’s almost no wind drag now.”

Eira laughs maniacally at the controls.

“ARRR! This beauty slices the sky like a dagger through butter!”

“Please don’t crash the dagger,” I say.

“No promises!”

Tactical Briefing

I project the battlefield map midair.

Red dots.

Too many.

“…By the gods,” a knight whispers.

“They really want to wipe us out,” Bolg mutters.

Seraphina crosses her arms.

“Well then. I will support Elysia. Nyx marked her location. She’s holding the western line.”

Bolg nods.

“My men will split. Half with Lady Seraphina. Half with Lady Luna.”

Nyx’s face suddenly appears again on the monitor.

“The eastern front… commander name: Achiles. Fifty thousand strong.”

The room goes quiet.

Achiles.

The name alone carries weight.

I exhale.

“The Hero of the Greeks…”

Bolg frowns. “You know him?”

“Not personally. But his tactics.”

I enlarge the projection.

A perfect phalanx formation.

Layered shields.

Overlapping spears.

A moving steel fortress.

“He specializes in phalanx warfare. A wall of shields and spears. Impenetrable from the front.”

Luna crosses her arms.

“Then how do we break it?”

I look at her.

“We don’t.”

Silence.

“We break him.”

“Huh?” she blinks.

“We lure Achiles into a duel. Challenge his honor. Mock him. Tell him you ‘forgot his deeds.’”

“That sounds… childish,” Luna says flatly.

“Trust me. His pride won’t allow him to refuse.”

Bolg raises a brow. “And then?”

I lean closer to Luna and whisper through mind-link magic.

“He has a weakness.”

Her eyes widen slightly.

“You can’t beat him head-on. He’s faster. Stronger. A master of war. But there is one flaw.”

“…Where?” she asks mentally.

“His heel.”

She almost reacts physically but composes herself.

“Strike there. Everything collapses. Domino effect.”

“…I see.”

I nod.

“As for the army—the phalanx relies on unity. Break the line slowly. Once it fractures, panic spreads.”

Elowen steps forward confidently.

“Once my golem army arrives, we bombard the fractured sections with magic artillery.”

“Exactly. No recovery. No regrouping. No retreat.”

Bolg stares at me.

“…That is brutal. Even by my standards.”

“It’s war,” I reply quietly.

Western Front – Seraphina’s Battlefield

“Next,” I continue, switching projections. “Western front.”

Nyx appears again.

“Yasuke. Morwenna. Thorgrim.”

Seraphina smiles slightly.

“Sounds fun.”

I don’t smile.

“Yasuke… is straightforward. Powerful. Disciplined. But his blade…”

I pause.

“Muramasa.”

The room grows colder.

“A soul-eating sword,” I finish.

Seraphina’s eyes sharpen.

“Understood.”

“Don’t clash blades too long,” I warn. “It drains essence.”

She walks closer to me, placing a hand on my chest armor.

“Dear… if I need aid, I will call.”

Luna immediately pulls her back slightly.

“Back off.”

Seraphina laughs softly.

“Oh my~ territorial.”

Bolg clears his throat loudly.

“I shall personally assist Lady Seraphina.”

“Good,” I say.

The Colossus

The projection zooms further back.

There it is.

The Colossus.

Towering above siege towers.

A walking mechanical god.

Steam vents like volcanic breath.

Runes carved into its iron ribs.

And standing near it—

Aethone.

And Alfian.

But his aura is twisted.

Corrupted.

“Randy…” Tikka’s voice trembles again behind me.

“That machine disrupts ley lines. It drains mana from the earth itself.”

My jaw tightens.

“Then I’ll destroy it first.”

Bolg glances at me.

“You will face them alone?”

I grin slightly.

“Not alone.”

I look around the bridge.

“Just ahead of everyone else.”

Nyx continued

“Seems to be someone like Randy appeared out of nowhere, with that kind of machine”

We see it and its

“Tesla tank…” me

“What is that….?” Seraphina

“Yeah Randy…that machine…” Elowen

“impossible…so they summon him too…..man I wanted his autograph…” me

Everyone giving a look 😳😒

“Yeah you could meet him but seems like he scatter his tanks evenly between two fronts…” Nyx

“so….now for the final front…” Nyx

Showed the image of the Colasus which moving a damn city…the capital city of Elysium

I look at it…

“So she has goone…now…” me

“indeed…her blashemy is beyond reach” Bolg

“I’ll handle this….making sure they would not reach the capital…in the middle of the battle…” me

“Kline is holding them off now…” Nyx

“Well that’s two of us…” me

“Who is Kline?” Bolg

Elowen said “same like him….an idiot…”

“I see….I am interested to see this Kline….” Bolg

“Oh please don’t he is our alchemist….but loose screw in his head same like Randy here…” Elowen

“Now I’m even more interested…” Bolg

“Well I did warn you…” Elowen

Emotional Undercurrent

Luna suddenly grabs my wrist.

“Do not die.”

I blink.

“…That’s very direct.”

She looks away.

“I will not repeat myself.”

I lean slightly closer.

“Then stay alive too.”

Harmonia dramatically wipes imaginary tears.

“Ahhh young love blooming before apocalypse~”

“Sing somewhere else,” Luna snaps.

Even Bolg chuckles.

For a brief second—

We feel human.

“Next,” I continue, switching projections. “Western front.”

Nyx appears again.

“Yasuke. Morwenna. Thorgrim.”

Seraphina smiles slightly.

“Sounds fun.”

I don’t smile.

“Yasuke… is straightforward. Powerful. Disciplined. But his blade…”

I pause.

“Muramasa.”

The room grows colder.

“A soul-eating sword,” I finish.

Seraphina’s eyes sharpen.

“Understood.”

“Don’t clash blades too long,” I warn. “It drains essence.”

She walks closer to me, placing a hand on my chest armor.

“Dear… if I need aid, I will call.”

Luna immediately pulls her back slightly.

“Back off.”

Seraphina laughs softly.

“Oh my~ territorial.”

Bolg clears his throat loudly.

“I shall personally assist Lady Seraphina.”

“Good,” I say.

The Colossus

The projection zooms further back.

There it is.

The Colossus.

Towering above siege towers.

A walking mechanical god.

Steam vents like volcanic breath.

Runes carved into its iron ribs.

And standing near it—

Aethone.

And Alfian.

But his aura is twisted.

Corrupted.

“Randy…” Tikka’s voice trembles again behind me.

“That machine disrupts ley lines. It drains mana from the earth itself.”

My jaw tightens.

“Then I’ll destroy it first.”

Bolg glances at me.

“You will face them alone?”

I grin slightly.

“Not alone.”

I look around the bridge.

“Just ahead of everyone else.”

Final Preparations

After we drop Elowen to the Sky Island she immediately called all of the golems

And we continued to fly reaching the borders of the capital.

"Ten minutes 'til the broadside, ye scallywags! To yer stations now!" Eira shouts.

The capital’s barrier is visible now.

Cracks spiderweb across it.

Explosions flash beyond.

Kline’s magic signature spikes violently.

“He’s overexerting,” I mutter.

Nyx appears one last time.

“They’re pushing hard! Achiles advancing east! Yasuke breached outer walls west!”

“Hold!” I shout.

The Skybreaker accelerates again.

Supersonic.

The clouds tear apart around us.

Lightning streaks along the hull.

Thalorien’s blessing glows brighter.

Mana turbines roar like dragons.

Everyone braces.

Weapons activate.

Golems power up.

Bolg’s knights kneel in silent prayer.

Luna unsheathes the Scourge of the Sea.

It hums.

The ocean beneath the distant battlefield begins to stir unnaturally.

Seraphina rolls her shoulders.

Harmonia inhales deeply, preparing a battle aria.

And me?

I stare at the Colossus.

At Aethone.

At the corrupted Alfian.

“Let’s counterattack,” I whisper.

The Skybreaker dives through the clouds—

And the Counterattack of Mana begins.

The Counter Begins

“Positions!” I shout.

The Skybreaker hovers above the battlefield like a second sun breaking through storm clouds.

Below us—

Chaos.

The Kingdom of Mana burns at its edges.

The eastern horizon is a forest of shields.

The western front glows with dark red mana.

And at the center—

The Colossus.

Moving.

Alive.

Splitting the Sky

Luna doesn’t hesitate.

She steps onto the edge of the ramp.

Wind tears at her silver hair.

“Eastern front,” she says calmly.

Behind her—

Half of Bolg’s elite knights.

And Elowen’s first wave of combat golems.

Metal bodies glowing with embedded mana circuits.

Luna looks back at me one last time.

“Do not be reckless.”

“You first.”

She narrows her eyes.

Then—

She jumps.

Not falling.

Diving.

Mana erupts beneath her feet, forming a streak of blue lightning across the sky.

The Scourge of the Sea hums violently.

Behind her—

Golems drop like meteorites.

Bolg’s knights follow in formation.

A storm descends upon Achiles.

On the opposite side—

Seraphina smirks.

“Well then… Yasuke.”

She rolls her neck once.

And leaps.

A crimson arc cuts across the western sky as she vanishes toward Morwenna and Thorgrim’s forces.

Bolg watches her go.

“…Fierce.”

“She bites,” I reply.

Harmonia clasps her hands dramatically.

“Oh my dear capital~ your diva has arrived~”

And she literally launches herself, wings of sound forming behind her as she flies straight toward the barrier over the capital.

Even in war—

She sparkles.

Now.

It’s my turn.

I stand alone at the edge of the ramp.

Below—

The Colossus exhales steam like a slumbering titan awakening.

Aethone stands before it.

Alfian beside her.

But his aura—

Wrong.

Twisted.

Controlled.

I take a deep breath.

Exhale slowly.

“Alright… let’s dance.”

I jump.

Interception

I streak downward toward the Colossus—

When—

Movement.

A squad breaks formation below.

Huge figures.

Green skin.

Massive armor.

“…Those aren’t normal goblins.”

They’re giants.

For goblins.

Seven feet tall.

Muscle layered over bone like war beasts.

They charge toward the capital’s outer defense line.

“Tch.”

I redirect midair.

Thrusters ignite.

I descend behind them.

Inside the Capital – The Breaking Line

“Hold the front, men!!” Raul roars.

The soldiers tremble.

The goblins tower over them.

Their clubs alone could crush five men in one swing.

“Do not fear!!” Raul shouts again.

But fear is human.

One goblin raises its weapon—

A student mage freezes.

Another stumbles backward—

And then—

BANG.

A thunderous gunshot splits the air.

One goblin’s head explodes.

Silence.

Then—

BOOM.

An explosion tears through two more.

Smoke fills the street.

Students shield their eyes.

“Is that—?!” one gasps.

Raul looks up.

Through the smoke.

Through the falling debris.

A silhouette lands.

Armor glowing.

Rifle smoking.

“…It is.”

More gunfire.

Precise.

Controlled.

Every shot fatal.

Within seconds—

All goblins fall.

Students stare in disbelief.

“RANDY HAS RETURNED!!!”

The shout spreads like wildfire.

Morale spikes instantly.

Raul looks to the sky—

And sees it.

The Skybreaker.

Hovering like divine judgment.

The Beam

Enemy airships close in from the north.

Cannons aimed at the capital.

Charging.

Eira’s voice echoes through the battlefield via amplification crystal.

“Target lock complete!”

The Skybreaker’s main cannon begins to glow.

A massive ring of energy forms at its front.

Mana compresses violently.

The air distorts.

Even the clouds swirl unnaturally.

“FIRE!!!” Eira screams.

A colossal beam erupts.

White-blue.

Blinding.

It rips across the sky like a god drawing a sword.

Enemy airships—

Vaporized.

Shields collapse instantly.

Hull structures melt midair.

The shockwave alone sends debris raining down in flaming fragments.

“EARGHHHH!!!” screams echo from enemy ranks.

The Skybreaker dominates the sky above the capital like a mechanical guardian deity.

Its cannons glow faintly, rotating with predatory patience.

Below—

Chaos.

Above—

Eira grins like a pirate queen who just found buried treasure.

“COME ON THEN!” she laughs at the enemy fleet regrouping in the distance. “Try me!”

Toward the Colossus

I cut through the battlefield airspace.

Smoke.

Mana blasts.

Screams.

The Colossus towers at the center like an iron god.

Then—

Movement on the ground.

Tesla Tanks.

Crackling coils of electricity spinning violently.

Blue lightning arcs between their cannons.

“Oh hell no.”

I lock on.

Missile ports open.

“Target acquired.”

I fire.

Missiles streak downward.

Impact—

BOOM.

A chain explosion rips through the squadron.

Electric coils detonate, sending shockwaves across the field.

Burning wreckage flips into the air.

Soldiers cheer.

I don’t stop.

I push forward.

The Unexpected Duel

When I reach the Colossus—

I blink.

It’s fighting someone.

Not Kline.

A man in a pristine 1920s-style suit.

Fedora.

Gloves.

Cane.

Moving with elegant precision.

He dodges the Colossus’ massive mechanical fists like he’s late for tea.

“…Who the hell is that?”

Behind enemy lines—

Kline lands next to me.

“HEY!!! ABOUT TIME!!!!! THAT TOOK FREAKING FOREVER!!!”

“Yeah yeah,” I reply. “You good?”

“Peachy. Except for the walking skyscraper trying to crush us.”

He gestures upward.

The Colossus roars mechanically.

“Others?” he asks.

“We split forces.”

“Good. That’s smart.”

He spins his staff.

A magical engine ignites.

His bike materializes beneath him.

“Ut Lo is holding the eastern side. Barely.”

“I’ve got an idea.”

He smirks.

“Oh, that’s never comforting.”

“It’s a machine.”

“…Yeah?”

“We go inside.”

He pauses.

Then grins.

“Now you’re speaking my language.”

Infiltration

The suited man distracts the Colossus with impossible agility.

We use the chaos.

Thrusters ignite.

We dash toward an exposed vent near its leg joint.

Slip inside.

Metal corridors.

Steam vents.

Runes glowing along the walls.

The inside is bigger than some cities.

“Damn… it’s huge.”

“Well, yeah,” Kline mutters. “They didn’t build this for decoration.”

He slams his staff onto the floor.

“I’ll synthesize a destabilizer. Buy me time.”

“Always the backup guy, huh?”

“Don’t die.”

Internal Tension

As Kline works—

I scan.

Energy conduits.

Mana reactors.

Central control tower somewhere above.

Nyx’s face flickers in my visor.

“That giant can be destroyed by taking down the controller.”

“Copy.”

“But since you’re already inside…” she smirks darkly, “might as well blow the hell out of it.”

“What about you?”

Her expression hardens.

“I’ve got a score to settle.”

Western Demon Borders

Nyx stands alone.

Across from her—

Azrael.

Dark wings unfurled.

Calm.

“So… this is your answer?” he asks.

“Where is Cleo?” Nyx demands.

“That,” he says quietly, “is not something I can answer.”

Silence.

Wind.

Then—

They vanish.

A shockwave explodes outward.

The clash begins.

Eastern Front – Luna vs Achiles

Luna arrives like lightning incarnate.

The eastern battlefield is already engaged.

Phalanx formation locked tight.

Shields interlocked.

Spears forward.

And at the very front—

A towering minotaur bracing the formation.

Holding the line alone.

Luna doesn’t hesitate.

She dives.

Lightning erupts from her blade.

She lands beside the minotaur.

“Move.”

He blinks in confusion—

Then she strikes.

A blinding combo of electrified slashes.

The minotaur roars as she launches it backward through enemy ranks.

She raises her blade.

“Barn yr Awyr!”

Wind and lightning spiral outward.

The front of the phalanx explodes apart.

Shields scatter.

Formation fractures.

Achiles’ eyes widen.

“What—?!”

Luna closes her eyes for a brief second.

“In my mind… how would Lilith fight?”

Her body begins to glow.

Silver armor materializes over her form.

Her hair shifts to silver-blue.

Eyes blazing pure sapphire.

Her cat ears turn white.

Her tail splits—

Two white tails swaying behind her.

She opens her eyes.

And disappears.

She reappears within the phalanx.

Slash.

Flash.

Impact.

Soldiers scatter like broken dominoes.

Achiles tightens his grip.

“So you are the Princess.”

She points her blade at him.

“Duel me.”

The eastern battlefield trembles under the weight of fifty thousand shields.

A perfect phalanx.

Layer upon layer of bronze and iron.

Spears angled like a forest of death.

At its heart—

Achiles.

Unmoving.

Unbreakable.

Waiting.

High above—

Luna floats silently.

Wind threads through her silver-blue hair.

Her dual tails sway behind her like banners of war.

In her mind—

My voice echoes.

“Remember… Achiles will feel insulted if you ignore him.
He will challenge you.
But make sure he is enraged.
Nothing good happens if he is calm.
After that… it’s a cinch.”

She exhales softly.

“Dumb Randy…”

And then—

She vanishes.

The First Collapse

She doesn’t charge Achiles.

She dives straight into the army.

Lightning explodes from her blade.

The first rank shatters.

Shields split in half.

Spears melt at the tips.

Men are thrown skyward as if gravity has betrayed them.

The phalanx falters.

Fifty thousand—

Instantly drops to half effectiveness.

Confusion spreads like disease.

General Liong, the towering Minotaur commander, watches in disbelief.

“This… this is impossible…”

He grips his axe tighter.

“MEN!!! CHARGE!!!”

He leads the allied forces into the fractured gaps.

The battlefield shifts.

Momentum tilts.

The Dance

Luna moves like flowing water.

Spears thrust—

She sidesteps.

Shields slam—

She vaults.

Every movement is graceful.

Precise.

The soldiers begin whispering in awe.

“…Is she dancing?”

Because she is.

Her blade arcs in luminous trails.

Every strike is deliberate.

Every step measured.

She isn’t fighting.

She’s performing.

The Provocation

Achiles’ eye twitches.

She hasn’t looked at him once.

Not even a glance.

He steps forward.

Roars.

“WOMAN!!!!! I CHALLENGE YOU!!!!! HOW DARE YOU IGNORE ME?!”

She doesn’t respond.

A squad falls behind her in a single sweeping arc.

She lands softly.

Still not looking.

The enemy soldiers begin glancing at each other.

Uncertainty.

Fear.

Their formation weakens further.

“FOCUS!!!” Achiles bellows. “YOUR LINE IS YOUR LIFE!!!”

Luna leaps skyward.

Mana gathers at her feet.

She chants calmly:

“Trawiad y Tir.”

She descends.

Blade plunges into the earth.

The land fractures violently.

Shockwaves ripple outward.

The phalanx collapses entirely.

Men and shields are hurled into the air like broken toys.

General Liong shields his eyes as enemy soldiers rain down around him.

“…A living goddess…” he breathes.

Dual Blades

Luna draws Nu Wa’s blade—

Scourge of the Sea.

Now dual wielding.

Silver lightning in one hand.

Oceanic blue in the other.

She moves.

And everything in her path falls.

A single spin—

Twenty men collapse.

A crossing slash—

Armor splits.

She moves faster than sight.

The battlefield becomes a storm of silver and blue.

The Tanks

Suddenly—

Tesla Tanks roll forward.

Coils crackling.

Lightning cannons charging.

Bolts fire toward allied lines.

Luna’s ears twitch.

She doesn’t even glance at Achiles.

Instead—

She accelerates toward the tanks.

“Think like Randy…” she murmurs.
“He never goes for the boss first.”

She leaps.

Front kick.

The first tank flips upside down like a kicked pebble.

The second—

She cleaves in half mid-leap.

Explosions ripple behind her.

Dark elves among the enemy ranks freeze.

“…She fights like Lilith…”

Panic spreads.

“RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!!”

The tide has turned.

The Challenge Accepted

Achiles can no longer endure it.

He charges.

Every step cracks the earth.

“WOMAN!!! FIGHT ME!!!”

This time—

She turns.

In a blink—

She’s in front of him.

Her blade thrusts straight into his chest.

Steel meets flesh.

Blood sprays.

But—

He doesn’t fall.

He grins through blood.

“You are strong! I give you that!”

Luna doesn’t answer.

She disappears again.

A flurry of slashes.

His arms.

His torso.

His thighs.

Everywhere cut.

Blood splatters the battlefield.

Still—

He stands.

Roaring.

Defiant.

She front-kicks him square in the chest.

He launches backward like a cannonball.

Crashes through debris.

Before he can recover—

She appears behind him.

Stabs.

This time—

His back.

“EARHGHH!!!”

General Liong watches in disbelief.

“Is that truly Princess Luna…?”

Achiles is lifted into the air by consecutive strikes.

Juggled helplessly.

The once-unbreakable general now airborne like a helpless soldier.

Finally—

He draws his sword.

Steel flashes.

Their blades collide.

Sparks explode.

For the first time—

He fights back seriously.

Luna’s eyes narrow.

He shifts his stance subtly.

Guarding.

Protecting.

His heel never exposed.

She notices.

“That means… Randy was right.”

Her lips curl slightly.

So that’s it.

The flaw.

Hidden.

Protected instinctively.

The battle slows.

A predator circling another.

Achiles breathes heavily.

“You will face me properly now.”

She twirls her blade once.

“No.”

And vanishes again.

The real duel—

Is about to begin.

Western Front – The Serpent and the Storm

The western battlefield is chaos incarnate.

Broken walls.

Burning siege towers.

Cratered earth soaked in mana residue.

Elysia skids across the ground, barely blocking Thorgrim’s warhammer as it slams down hard enough to fracture stone.

“DAMN, MAN!!” she shouts, firing an arrow at point-blank range.

Thorgrim grins through his beard.

“Too slow!”

He swings again—

—but suddenly a spear whistles past his ear and forces him backward.

A blur crashes into the field.

Seraphina.

And behind her—

Bolg and the Pope’s knights descend like divine judgment.

“MEN!!!” Bolg roars. “PUSH THEM BACK!! SHOW THEM THE MIGHT OF THE FOLLOWERS OF THE POPE!!!”

“HOOOAH!!!” the knights thunder.

Elysia grins in relief.

“About time!”

Oswald lands beside her, adjusting his coat.

“Jeez, man. Took you long enough.”

“Blame Randy,” Seraphina replies smoothly, spinning her spear once. “He enjoys dramatic timing.”

“Where’s Yasuke?” she asks calmly.

Elysia points with her bow.

“Huh? He’s sitting there like some damn champion.”

Across the battlefield—

Yasuke sits upon a broken stone slab.

Calm.

Silent.

Watching.

Elysia releases an arrow.

Perfect trajectory.

Yasuke lifts one hand—

—and catches it between his fingers.

Snaps it.

“See?!” Elysia snaps.

Seraphina exhales slowly.

“Well then…”

She steps forward.

Spear lowers.

Her eyes sharpen.

“Vātyāghāta.”

Wind detonates around her.

She becomes a spiraling tornado of steel and fury.

Enemies are lifted off their feet, sliced midair, thrown aside like leaves in a storm.

Even Morwenna and Thorgrim stagger backward under the pressure.

“What the hell did you learn in Eligos?!” Elysia shouts.

Seraphina winks mid-spin as another soldier falls behind her.

“It’s a secret.”

Oswald stares, red-faced.

“…She looks hot when she’s like that.”

Elysia elbows him.

“Focus, idiot!”

She releases a volley of arrows that pierce through retreating enemies.

Clash of Titans

Bolg lunges at Thorgrim.

“Bolg?!” Thorgrim growls.

“Oh… the traitor returns.”

Their fists collide.

Shockwaves ripple outward.

Morwenna swings her scythe toward Seraphina—

—but Seraphina blocks effortlessly.

In that instant—

Elysia fires.

Morwenna barely dodges.

“Grrrr!”

“Looks like you’re struggling now!” Elysia laughs.

Morwenna hisses.

“You pests…”

The Skybreaker’s Roar

Tesla Tanks roll forward again.

Enemy airships hover above.

Cannons charging.

Then—

The sky turns white.

A massive beam tears through the airship fleet.

Explosions bloom across the horizon.

Debris rains down.

“Is that Randy?!” Oswald shouts.

“Randy’s not dead?!” a knight yells.

Seraphina smirks.

“Of course he isn’t.”

Oswald grins.

“Well, party’s not over then! PUSH!”

“HOOOAH!!!”

Morale surges.

The western forces advance.

“That’s some insane shooting,” Elysia mutters.

Seraphina glances toward the Skybreaker.

“We have a new member.”

“Oh?” Elysia smirks. “I’m curious.”

“Oh, you’ll like her.”

Seraphina smiles sweetly.

“Like me.”

Elysia’s eye twitches.

“…I doubt that.”

Inside the Capital

Fu Xi looks up at the Skybreaker streaking across the sky.

“Looks like they returned… right on time.”

Mina whistles.

“Jeez… that’s some shooting.”

Harmonia lands gracefully beside them.

“HEY GUYS~!”

“Who’s piloting that thing?” Mina asks.

Harmonia beams proudly.

“Our new member! Nu Wa’s granddaughter!”

Fu Xi bursts into laughter.

“Nu Wa’s WHAT?!”

Back to the Western Front

The allied forces push the enemy back step by step.

Morwenna retreats slightly.

Thorgrim struggles against Bolg’s relentless assault.

And then—

Yasuke stands.

Slowly.

The air shifts.

Even the wind seems to hesitate.

He draws his blade.

The sound alone chills the battlefield.

Seraphina remembers my words.

“Yasuke is disciplined.
Don’t duel him head-on.
Focus on the army.
Break his backbone piece by piece.”

She smiles faintly.

“Understood.”

She charges—not at Yasuke—

—but into his troops.

Mana surges around her body.

Her form shifts.

Lower body elongates.

Scales shimmer.

A serpent tail coils beneath her.

Armor gleams along her upper torso.

Her eyes glow gold.

A Naga Queen awakens.

Several enemy soldiers lock eyes with her—

—and instantly turn to stone.

Panic spreads.

Yasuke moves.

Blinding speed.

He attempts to close distance.

But Seraphina avoids direct blade contact.

She spins.

Her serpentine body coils midair.

“Vātyāghāta!!”

A violent vortex erupts.

Wind and blade shred through ranks.

Yasuke braces, barely shielding himself.

His clothes tear slightly at the edges.

He steps back.

“…She is a worthy opponent.”

Seraphina’s golden gaze locks onto him.

“And you,” she replies softly, “are predictable.”

Behind her—

Elysia fires arrows with perfect timing.

Bolg drives Thorgrim further back.

The western line is breaking.

Yasuke tightens his grip.

This is no longer a simple invasion.

It is a war of legends.

And Seraphina—

Is enjoying every second.

Western Front – The Blade That Hungers

The battlefield slows.

Yasuke finally moves seriously.

He draws Muramasa.

The blade ignites in purple and crimson light, veins of cursed energy pulsing along its edge like a heartbeat.

The air grows heavier.

Even Seraphina feels it press against her scales.

“You,” Yasuke says calmly, eyes fixed on her, “will be a wonderful addition to my blade.”

His voice is not arrogant.

It is factual.

Like a collector examining a rare jewel.

Seraphina smiles sweetly.

“Oh? I’m expensive.”

The Coordinated Assault

Yasuke lunges—

But he doesn’t realize something critical.

He isn’t fighting one opponent.

He’s fighting a team.

Seraphina strikes first—spear flashing downward.

At the same second—

Elysia releases an arrow.

Yasuke twists.

Blocks the arrow.

But that tiny movement—

Is the opening.

Oswald slams his fist into the ground.

“Crafanc y Ddaear!”

The earth fractures in a straight line toward Yasuke.

Stone claws erupt upward.

He leaps to avoid it—

—but Seraphina is already above him.

Her serpent tail whips across his torso.

BOOM.

He crashes into the ground, carving a crater.

Dust rises.

Silence.

Then—

He stands again.

Unshaken.

Muramasa pulses brighter.

Storm Against Discipline

Seraphina doesn’t wait.

“Vātyāghāta!!”

She spins into a vortex of blade and wind.

Point-blank.

Direct hit.

Yasuke shifts into full defense.

His footwork tight.

Minimal.

Perfect.

The ground beneath him cracks from the pressure.

Behind him—

A female goblin commander, Moonwhisper, raises her staff to assist.

But she’s instantly intercepted—

The Elite Twenty descend on her like wolves.

The support is cut off.

Yasuke’s eyes narrow.

He exhales.

“Kaze no Tsurugi.”

His blade vanishes—

And reappears mid-swing.

A horizontal slash of wind cleaves through Seraphina—

Blood sprays—

No.

Illusion.

Seraphina appears behind him instantly.

Her tail coils around his waist.

She slams him upward into the sky.

“OSWALD!!!”

Oswald raises both hands.

“Barn y Nefoedd!”

The sky answers.

A colossal bolt of thunder descends.

It engulfs Yasuke midair.

Explosion follows.

The shockwave pushes everyone back.

When the smoke clears—

Yasuke falls from the sky.

Crashes heavily.

His armor is cracked.

His mask splits open.

Half his face exposed.

Blood trickles down his cheek.

Yet—

He rises again.

“You all… are truly powerful.”

He wipes blood from his lip.

“I must not falter.”

There is no anger.

No rage.

Only discipline.

And that makes him terrifying.

The battlefield pauses.

Both sides hesitate.

A standstill.

Above the Capital – The Sky Belongs to Them

High above—

The Skybreaker dominates the heavens.

Airships attempt flanking maneuvers—

But the Sky Golem intercepts.

Beams of mana slice through hulls.

Explosions bloom like fiery flowers across the clouds.

Eira grips the wheel, laughing wildly.

“Arr, blast that cursed vessel to splinters! Swing us alongside ‘er! Let the main guns sing!”

Cannons rotate.

Fire.

Another airship erupts in flame.

No airstrike reaches the city.

Not today.

Elowen’s Descent

Elowen climbs onto the railing.

Wind whipping her cloak violently.

“Hey!!! I’ll handle the bombardment! Make sure the ship stays afloat!”

“Aye aye!!” Eira shouts.

Without hesitation—

Elowen jumps.

Free-fall.

Mana gathers around her hands.

The Sky Golem follows her descent like a loyal titan.

She points toward the battlefield below.

“Begin precision bombardment!”

The golem’s chest opens.

Mana cores glow.

And then—

Bombardment begins.

Explosions ripple across western and eastern enemy lines.

Strategic.

Controlled.

Devastating.

The skies above the capital—

Are fully under Skybreaker control.

No enemy ship dares approach.

Back to the Western Front

Yasuke stands at the center of a crater.

Breathing steady.

Muramasa now glowing darker.

Purple energy begins crawling up his arm.

Seraphina senses it.

“That blade…” she murmurs.

Elysia nocks another arrow.

“…It’s hungry.”

Oswald cracks his knuckles.

“Well, let’s starve it.”

Seraphina coils her tail.

Her golden eyes lock onto Yasuke’s.

There’s tension.

Respect.

Danger.

And strangely—

A spark of thrill.

He is not reckless like Thorgrim.

Not arrogant like others.

He is composed.

Honorable.

A warrior’s warrior.

And that makes the clash intimate.

Deadly.

Personal.

Yasuke lowers his stance.

“Come.”

Seraphina twirls her spear once.

“Gladly.”

The storm gathers again.

To be continued