Chapter 298: You Call That Sword Energy?
Rhea crossed the sky on her wind wings.
"Sword of Space!"
From several hundred meters away, she sent a blue-green slash toward a circling Tempest Wyvern.
A red line appeared across its long neck.
Then its head came free. Pale golden blood streamed from the severed neck as the enormous body fell.
The watching Lords erupted.
"One hit?"
"That was a Nine-Star!"
A physical semi-Extreme troop, killed before it could even turn toward her.
They knew little about the Praetorian who had struck. Rhea was already a Legendary Nine-Star at Level 75. Her training in Mistveil March strengthened her body, and Space Will had reached Greater Mastery. With that power behind Sword of Space and her exceptional Heartsense blade, the strike was far more dangerous than it looked.
Cassian glanced at his rewards, then brought out two items with a curious expression.
[Legendary Troop Sigil — Tempest Wyvern]
[Use to recruit one squad of Tempest Wyverns.]
[Heart of the Tempest — Legendary]
[Greatly increases proficiency in wind skills when consumed.]
With the paid Dragon’s Blessing added, his drop rate was running at nearly a hundred times normal. Even so, getting both of these from the first kill was remarkable luck.
Rhea’s opening strike had also benefited from surprise.
The remaining Wyverns scattered at once. Beyond five hundred meters, Sword of Space could no longer guarantee a kill in one blow. When those creatures committed themselves to fleeing, even her wind wings could not catch them.
She did not waste time trying.
Instead, she led the Divine Dragon out of the encirclement and toward the force attacking the Eclipse Legionnaires.
The corps had become one of the coalition’s most urgent problems almost as soon as the fighting began. Every Legionnaire in that fighting force carried a high-quality Legendary weapon.
Aegis Fold gave them a solid defense. Sword of Space brought their attacks together on a single target without warning. Heartpiercing Touch struck through stone and metal, while Wings of the Windlord gave them swift movement through the air.
They had no easy weakness for an enemy to exploit. Wherever they advanced, bodies fell.
Even a Legendary Nine-Star could be killed by the concentrated attacks of the Praetorians.
The coalition had committed more than three thousand Legendary troops to destroying them, with Nine-Star fighters among them. Under that pressure, the light of Aegis Fold flickered again and again. The formation was close to breaking.
Rhea came down beside it with the Dragon at her back.
"Heartpiercing Touch!"
"Ninefold Blade Art!"
"Sword of Space!"
Ten enemies died in her opening burst. One was a Legendary Nine-Star caster.
The Divine Dragon drove through hundreds of attacks, relying on its speed and formidable body to carry it into the enemy ranks. Its tail swept across a cluster of casters.
Dozens of Legendary bodies shattered beneath the blow.
The Eclipse troops cheered as their Praetorian leader and the Dragon broke into the fight. Their wavering line steadied, and their spirits rose with it.
On Seabreaker, the observers could barely take their eyes off Rhea.
"Another Nine-Star. Even his Praetorians..."
"Not an ordinary one, either. She killed a physical semi-Extreme of the same rank with one stroke!"
Then Nessa called out.
"Celia’s surrounded!"
Everyone turned toward another part of the sky.
The coalition had recognized the threat in her approach. Hundreds of Legendary troops, with Heroes among them, were closing around her.
From a kilometer away, spells and arrows began to fall. Restraining skills reached for her from several directions.
Celia drew her sword through the air.
"Cloudscript Veil."
A curtain of mist spread around her, light and fluid as smoke above water. The incoming attacks broke against it.
A Grade-C defensive skill, brought to Lesser Perfection.
Those watching waited for her answer.
It came before a second had passed.
Dozens of short streaks of sword energy flashed across hundreds of meters. Each was barely a foot long, densely formed, with a faint golden sheen.
Dozens of enemies jerked in the air.
Small, terrible holes opened in the centers of their brows. Disbelief remained in their empty eyes as they fell toward the water.
They had tried to dodge. The attacks had followed them as though alive.
Defensive skills and powerful bodies had offered scarcely more protection than paper.
"What skill is that?"
"Dozens of Legendaries with one attack. It has to be Grade A."
"Myriad Blade Convergence? Is that what we’re seeing?"
"No."
Bren had remained aboard the flagship to guard Darian. Now the old warrior was staring at Celia with his eyes wide.
"Not Grade A. And not Myriad Blade Convergence. That’s... Sword Energy."
For a moment, no one answered.
Sword Energy?
The ordinary skill that every swordsman knew by name?
"Sir," Nessa asked politely, "do you mean the Grade-D skill?"
Bren seemed not to hear her.
"That faint gold... Metalroot. One of the finest Legendary treasures among the Five Elements Roots." His voice was little more than a murmur. "She must have Sword Intent as well. But what stage?"
He watched another golden streak form.
"Even that shouldn’t be enough. Has her Sword Energy reached Transcendence? Or is she a Mythic Hero?"
Before anyone could ask him to explain, Celia showed them more.
Her Heartsense Sword became a blur. More than ten streaks of Sword Energy left its edge every second, and each found a different enemy.
Not one was wasted.
As the gap between them narrowed, she released still more. The attacks struck harder too. At close range, guiding them took less effort.
"Fall back! We don’t have enough people to fight her!"
"How can she keep using a skill that powerful?"
"She’s a Devil!"
"Even Devils aren’t that frightening!" a Legendary Greater Devil roared.
A hole opened through its head. Its corpse dropped into the sea.
"We need someone who can stop those attacks! A Nine-Star Crown Sentinel—or a thousand fighters willing to rush her no matter how many die!"
In less than ten seconds, the force sent to surround Celia broke apart. Hundreds of Legendary fighters scattered, shouting warnings as they fled.
Darian stared after them.
"It really is Sword Energy. A Grade-D skill."
Nessa’s eyes shone.
"That’s why she said she’d clear them out! She really is treating Legendaries like weak monsters."
Every skill placed some burden on the body, quite apart from its Aether cost. Higher-grade skills imposed a greater strain.
Rhea could also kill more than ten Legendary enemies in a second by unleashing her powerful arts. Life Water could replenish the Aether needed to repeat those attacks. Even then, about ten such bursts would bring her body to its limit.
A Grade-D skill demanded very little by comparison. Celia could release it again and again at this relentless pace.
The part her audience struggled to understand was how a skill of that grade could kill Legendary fighters so easily.
By the time they finished speaking, she had driven the entire attacking force away.
More than a hundred survivors were still fleeing. Celia let them go. Speed and defense were not her greatest strengths; there was no reason to chase them across the sky.
She joined Rhea instead.
Thousands of Legendary troops were still fighting before the Eclipse formation. With Rhea and the Divine Dragon covering her, Celia sent golden Sword Energy through their ranks.
Where the three advanced, the enemy lines collapsed. Troops that Lords would have treasured fell in groups, their bodies tumbling into the water below.
More eyes turned toward that part of the battle. More broadcast views followed them.
Damon drove Aurelia back for a moment with two successive Moonfalls. He glanced toward the slaughter and froze.
He was a famous Sword Saint himself. He had spent decades studying the sword.
"Transcendence? Who could bring Sword Energy to that level?"
Below him, Tavian shouted an answer.
"The Black Banner has the finest sword arts on the Homeworld! She must be one of our own ancient masters returned as a Hero!"
Damon’s eyes brightened.
"Lady! Surely you were forced into serving Cassian. Come to me willingly, and I’ll make you my chief Hero!"
Revulsion crossed Celia’s face.
"Aurelia! Kill that disgusting man already, or I’ll do it myself!"