Mira surged towards the ship with her [Paragon Wings] trailing behind her like a comet.
Elenei, not to be outdone, transformed into her true form, a magnificent Frozen Ash Dracophoenix, and followed suit.
The crew aboard the ship sensed two people with similar auras to their leader and started to panic. "Prepare the defenses!" the captain barked, but there was no anxiety or fear in his voice.
The ship rumbled with energy as defensive runes lit up, creating a shimmering barrier around it.
Mira reached the ship first with her scythe ready to strike. She swung it with all her might, unleashing a wave of Yin Lightning that crackled violently against the barrier. The impact shook the ship, but the barrier held.
Elenei unleashed a torrent of icy fire, engulfing the barrier in a freezing inferno. The combination of fire and lightning caused the barrier to flicker and weaken.
Inside the ship, the crew frantically worked to reinforce the barrier. "Hold it steady!" the captain yelled, his hands glowing with Qi as he joined the effort. "Use more Spirit Stones if you have to!"
But Mira and Elenei were relentless. Mira launched herself at the barrier again, this time infusing her scythe with a surge of Qi that came from her black tail. The barrier cracked under the assault as she absorbed a portion of its energy.
Seeing an opening, Elenei let out a mighty cry and unleashed her full power. The icy flames intensified, seeping through the cracks and spreading throughout the ship.
The Captain's face turned serious for the first time, but he just snapped his fingers and caused all the fire to disappear. "Get your shit together and put that barrier back up! Shake those two ants off! Our priority is the treasure!"
"Yes, Sir!" The crew shouted and immediately got to work. Not even a second later, the barrier was back up at full power once again.
Now, it was their turn to attack.
The ship retaliated with a volley of energy bolts, each one a deadly projectile aimed at Mira and Elenei. They dodged and weaved through the air, narrowly avoiding the onslaught. However, the people on the ground weren't so lucky.
Explosions filled the air as people were eradicated and craters were formed in the snowy terrain. The survivors of the assault all looked at each other with mild fear in their eyes. They came to a silent, mutual understanding that they needed to put their differences aside for now and focus on the people trying to kill them.
The captain observed the 'battle' from the bridge as the crew continued to fire volley after volley of attacks. He was not afraid of losing what he set his sights on; he had faced many challenges in his time. To him, Mira and Elenei were mere obstacles to be overcome–just bigger ants.
"Focus on the crystal," he ordered calmly. "Deploy the Siphon."
A crew member activated a device, and a beam of concentrated energy shot toward the crystal, wrapping around it in an attempt to extract it.
Mira saw the beam and realized the ship's intent. "They're trying to take the crystal!" she shouted to Elenei.
The two redoubled their efforts, attacking the ship with renewed fury. Mira's scythe strikes became more ferocious, sending waves of destructive energy towards the ship. Elenei's icy flames grew colder, trying to penetrate the ship's defenses.
But the ship was resilient. It deployed additional shields and countermeasures, deflecting their attacks while continuing to extract the crystal.
On the ground, the various sects and factions had ceased their infighting and watched in awe and fear as the two powerful beings clashed with the ship.
'When did such strong people come to the Northern Continent?' They wondered. Even the people from the Frozen Sangfroid Temple didn't know who they were since they were traveling during the time Mira 'visited' their Sect.
Slashing at the ship with a seemingly endless wave of attacks, Mira's brows creased. 'Tch. What's this fucking thing made of?' She clicked her tongue and smashed against the barrier with one of her tails, empowered by her Martial Manifestation, but all it caused was a ripple on the surface.
Its defensive barriers were bolstered by the crew's combined Qi, creating an almost impenetrable shield. Not to mention, the captain was directing everything. She just wasn't sure how.
Frustrated by the barrier's resilience, Mira decided to change tactics. She flew higher, circling the ship, looking for weak points in its defenses. Her eyes glistened as she spotted a small gap in the barrier.
Without hesitation, she dove down, her scythe aimed at the gap. With a powerful strike using all the momentum she'd built up, she slashed into the barrier and sliced into the ship's hull.
The crew inside scrambled to repair the breach, but Mira just snickered and flickered onto the ship.
'Now that I'm in, I'm not leaving.' She chuckled inwardly before raising her fist, covering it with her [Explosive Ice Gauntlet] Technique, and punched one of the boards. A muffled explosion went off, but she didn't cause any real damage. Still, she did successfully create a small hole, which was all she needed. Hitting that spot again, the board splintered into a thousand pieces.
She then proceeded to tear through the ship like a natural disaster.
Elene saw Mira's success and joined in by focusing her icy fire on the breach. The ship's defenses faltered under their combined assault.
Meanwhile, the Siphon had almost completed its task. The crystal was slowly being lifted off the ground, moving towards the ship.
Mira and Elenei redoubled their efforts. The ship's crew 'fought' with everything they had, but with one inside the ship and the other outside, the tides were beginning to turn. Mira's ability to destroy was simply too high, even for them.
The captain noticed this and was trembling in rage. With a fiery look, he decided to take matters into his own hands. He stepped onto the deck, flaring his aura wildly. "Enough!" he roared, unleashing a powerful wave of energy with the help of the ship's reserves and arrays.
The blast hit Mira and Elenei, sending them reeling back and away from the ship. But they quickly recovered and rushed back toward them.
Unfortunately, they were so caught up in the battle and destroying the people in front of them that they forgot about the one thing they were supposed to defend!
Clank!
The ship shook for a moment as the crystal landed in their grasp.
The captain watched with satisfaction as the crystal was linked to the ship. "Prepare for departure," he commanded.
"Understood!" The crew saluted and controlled the ship to begin ascending rapidly.
"Dammit! Get them!" Mira hopped onto Elenei's back and commanded. Elenei released an ear-piercing screech that burst the eardrums of anyone nearby and shot after the boat like a meteor.
"Focus on the engines!" Mira shouted, pointing towards the rear of the ship where energy thrusters emitted a brilliant glow.
Elenei nodded and unleashed a barrage of icy flames towards the ship's engines, aiming to disable its propulsion system. The flames enveloped the engines, but the ship's defenses kicked in, creating a protective shield around the critical area.
"They're not making this easy," Mira growled, her frustration mounting.
Meanwhile, the captain stood at the helm with a grim expression. He knew the importance of the crystal and was determined to keep it out of the hands of these interlopers. "Increase power to the shields! Don't let them near the crystal!" he commanded.
The ship responded, and its shields grew stronger and brighter. The crew worked tirelessly, channeling their Qi into the ship's systems to bolster its defenses.
Mira and Elenei continued their assault. Mira launched herself from Elenei's back, transforming into a streak of light as she used her [Glacial Mirage Steps] to appear right above the ship. She swung her scythe with all her might, aiming to cleave through the shield.
The impact was immense, creating a shockwave that rippled through the air. The shield flickered and wavered but held firm.
"We need to combine our attacks!" Elenei yelled, swooping down to join Mira, who nodded in return.
The two of them then began channeling their energy together in an attempt to increase the potency of their attacks.
Mira's scythe and Elenei's icy fire worked in tandem, slicing countless holes in the barrier. The ship's defenses struggled under the relentless onslaught, cracks beginning to form in its shield.
Inside, the captain's frustration turned to desperation. He knew they couldn't withstand this assault much longer. He made a split-second decision. "Release the golems!"
At his command, a swarm of small, flying metallic golems emerged from the ship, each armed with weapons. They zoomed toward Mira and Elenei, firing a hail of metal bolts.
Mira saw the 'drones' and grinned. "Perfect." She swung her scythe, creating a whirlwind that sucked in the drones and shredded them to pieces. The debris rained down like metallic snowflakes, hiding their presence.
Elenei took advantage of the distraction and unleashed a focused beam of icy fire, targeting the now-exposed and weakened engines.
The ship lurched as one of its engines exploded in a burst of flame and smoke. Losing altitude, it started to descend rapidly.
"Now's our chance!" Mira exclaimed, her eyes locked on the crystal.
Elenei dove towards the ship like a blur. Mira readied herself, channeling her Qi in anticipation.
As they neared the ship, the captain stood defiantly at the helm, his Qi flaring. "You won't take it!" he roared, unleashing a final, desperate attack.
A massive wave of energy surged from the captain, aimed directly at Mira and Elenei. They braced themselves, ready to counter.
The energy wave collided with Elenei's icy fire and Mira's Yin Lightning, creating an explosion of light and power that enveloped the ship.
In the chaos, Mira leaped forward, her hand outstretched towards the crystal. Her fingers grazed its surface, and she felt a surge of power coursing through her.
But before she could grasp it, the ship veered off course due to its destroyed engine, taking the crystal with it.
Mira and Elenei were then thrown off balance by the explosion, and watched in frustration as the ship, with the crystal in tow, disappeared into the distance.
"Damn it! After them!" Mira shouted, flapping her [Paragon Wings] as fast as she could.
