Chapter 297: One Against Two
Aurelia was not an Extreme fighter, but she was a martial Hero. Among Cassian’s Heroes, her combined base attributes stood near the top.
Her defense made full use of that strength. Folded Sky Ward had reached Lesser Perfection, and Space Will reinforced the planes around her. The Sword Saint’s repeated attacks scarcely troubled them.
He had no such answer to her offense.
Thunder Crown was approaching Transcendence. Aurelia had not needed Skyblade Descent; a few fierce exchanges had left the other Nine-Star scorched black, his strength fading with every breath.
She gathered the lightning to finish him.
Damon arrived at that instant.
"Pale Moon Art—Moonfall!"
A blade of swordlight barely a meter long shot toward her body. Its power had been compressed until almost none of it spilled into the air.
If she continued her attack, it would hit her.
Aurelia did not even pause.
Thunder crashed down from her hand.
"No!"
Damon’s cry vanished beneath the blast. The Hero who had followed him for decades, whom he had raised from Epic to Legendary Nine-Star, disappeared inside the lightning.
It burned away the last of the Sword Saint’s life.
The death notification appeared before his Lord.
A Nine-Star Hero, killed in moments.
Grief and disbelief tore through Damon together. Why would a Hero of that strength choose to trade such a terrible wound for a kill?
Then his own attack reached her.
Deep, dark planes unfolded close to Aurelia’s body. Moonfall struck them with a rolling detonation.
Folded Sky Ward strained. The spaces through which it resisted and redirected force twisted under the pressure.
Then the ward burst.
Moonfall broke with it. Power swept outward in a great wave, leaving Aurelia untouched at its center.
"She blocked it..."
Damon could hardly accept what he had seen.
Aurelia regarded him with new seriousness. There was excitement in her eyes as well.
"You broke my ward."
Even Mordane had failed to break the reinforced defense during their battle. Of course, the Blood Emperor had been fighting a group and might never have brought his full strength to bear. Just now, she had divided her attention between defense and the killing blow.
None of that made Damon’s strike ordinary.
The Lords who knew his strength were stunned. This two-winged Dawnwing had taken his attack while killing his Nine-Star Hero.
Attributes alone could not explain it. Her skills had to be exceptional too.
"A defensive art at Transcendence?" Damon muttered, his face grim.
Aurelia gave him no time to consider the question.
"Again!"
The ward formed around her once more. Lightning gathered along her weapon, and she drove straight at him.
"Pale Moon Art—Moonless Guard!"
His defensive sword form caught the thunder. This time the attack stopped against a blade that could answer it.
Damon had earned his reputation as one of the strongest below Mythic. He and Aurelia met in a rapid succession of strikes, neither giving ground easily.
In that brief time, the coalition had lost one of its three Nine-Star Heroes. The other two were being suppressed.
Wave after wave of cheering rose from the Crown fleet.
Elsewhere, the battle was no less fierce. The Dawnwing squads worked together so closely that they held off several times their own number of enemies of the same Quality.
The Eclipse Legionnaires fought behind Aegis Fold. When their swords moved together, Sword of Space delivered concentrated killing blows to targets that had no time to escape.
Fighting spread across more than a hundred kilometers of sea. Bodies fell from the sky with every passing moment, staining the water red.
Then the ocean flashed beneath the coalition.
Ten thousand beams of Energy tore upward.
Thousands of ships broke apart almost at once.
The coalition had been forced to gather its vessels to meet Divine Province’s surface fleet. That dense formation had given the Ghost fleet exactly the target it wanted.
Its commanders raged, but there was little they could do. Scatter now, and the enemy above the water would destroy their ships one by one.
——
On Seabreaker, Cassian’s friends were still staring at the fighting overhead.
"Peak Legendary. Both of them?"
"Did he hold back that much during the last battle for Divine Province?"
"Perhaps they advanced afterward."
Darian looked as though a small mystery had finally been solved.
"No wonder you could give away so many Legendary Hero Souls," he said quietly. "Your own Heroes had already reached Nine-Star."
Elara thought of someone else.
"Cassian, Veyra was your first companion, wasn’t she? How strong is she herself?"
Before he could answer, a Dragon’s cry shook the sky.
There was pain in it.
Everyone looked up.
A huge shape streaked past the golden Dragon’s flank, tearing away a broad strip of flesh. It was a Tempest Wyvern, a physical fighter whose attributes placed it among the semi-Extreme lines.
Its body was only part of its strength. Tempest Wyverns possessed Wind Will from birth. At that speed, their real fighting power could rival an Extreme troop.
The Dragon’s tail caught its attacker across the back.
A shriek answered the blow. The Wyvern tumbled toward the sea, while eleven more circled the Dragon, waiting for an opening.
All twelve were Legendary Nine-Stars.
Together, they could make even a Mythic troop pay dearly. Neither side might survive a fight to the end intact.
The coalition cheered at the sight of golden blood. Across Divine Province’s ships, the celebration faltered.
"The Dragon’s hurt. We should join in!" Seraphine called.
She turned toward Cassian with an eager look.
"Boss, want to fight beside me?"
Several gazes settled on her at once. They were sharp enough to make the hair on her arms rise.
Rhea gave her a hard look, then addressed Cassian.
"Lord, stay here. Since when does a respectable Lord have to do all the fighting himself?"
She sounded as though she feared he might accept the invitation before anyone could stop him.
This was a battle in which even a Mythic fighter could die.
"Rhea is right," Celia said. Her eyes left Seraphine at last. "Lord, spend less time with friends who keep dragging you into fights. Find a few who enjoy eating, drinking, gambling, and a little pleasure instead."
Seraphine stared at her.
Somehow, those standards for choosing friends seemed wrong.
Cassian laughed at their concern.
"Don’t worry. I’ll stay out of it. Rhea, Celia—you two can go."
Rhea answered immediately.
"These enemies are stronger than the Divine Legion’s force. Let Celia fight. I’ll stay and protect you."
"No need." He smiled. "I’ll remain aboard Darian’s Seabreaker. I promise I won’t go wandering off."
Nine patted her chest.
"I’ll protect the Lord, Rhea!"
Only then did Rhea nod, still reluctant.
"Be careful, Lord."
Wind gathered at her back, and she rose from the deck.
"I’ll help the Dragon. Tempest Wyverns, are they? Let’s see how they compare with Wings of the Windlord."
Celia lifted her hand.
"Blossom Tide."
Aether spread into a boundless sea of flowers. They bore her slowly into the air, pale petals flowing around her as she ascended.
"I’ll clear out the enemy’s Legendary troops."
Everyone on the flagship followed the two women with their eyes, wondering how much strength they had yet to show.
Celia’s words held their attention in particular. Clear them out? People spoke that way about weak monsters, not Legendary troops.
She had said it as though the task were perfectly ordinary.