Eliza withdrew her Soul Sense manifestation, and her withered body moved within a casket-like container.
After a prolonged period of inactivity, her sunken eyes fluttered open.
Although her eyes appeared dry and almost sightless, they radiated a fervent spirit and vitality. Despite the shadow of death looming, her will to live and exact revenge burned more brightly than ever.
With creaking sounds, the casket-like cover was lifted, revealing Eliza's original body, upright and composed. Her frail form shifted, facing Eren. Her dry, skin-covered jaw moved with effort, and she managed to speak a few words.
"Layla, Leela, my dears, remember what I told you to do, alright? Meanwhile, I will... I will keep an eye on Reen," she rasped, her skeletal gaze turning to Reen, who stood next to her casket-like container.
"Erni, take care of yourself," Reen said to Eren with a warm smile. He nodded in response and reassured her with confidence, "Don't worry, Reen. One way or another, we'll be together by the end of all this."
***
"Witch of the Enderflames, this is not the Calamity Era anymore. You do not belong here."
"Eliza Samael, if you agree to cooperate with us, the Anfang Alliance will make sure that you are able to leave Anfang and explore other worlds."
The Sages outside the Birdcage Barrier persisted in their attempts to communicate with Eren and Eliza's group, mixing pleas and threats. Soon, more Sages from both kingdoms joined the efforts.
After confirming Eliza Samael's survival, the Anfang Alliance wielded its influence to stop the two kingdoms from battling each other. They compelled both sides to mobilize reserve Sages who weren't initially supposed to participate.
The Alliance had already dispatched the maximum number of Sages they could. As a result, they had to rely on the reserved Sages from both kingdoms.
At this point, the leader Sage recognized that their requests, suggestions, and demands were falling on deaf ears regarding the architects of this strange situation.
He also observed Eren and Eliza's group making preparations for what seemed like an unusual ritual or a demonic ceremony. He grew apprehensive about their intentions and concluded that it was time for action rather than words.
***
The leader Sage from the Anfang Alliance began commanding his own Runic Formation to address the Birdcage Barrier. He instructed the other Sages accompanying him to function as Array Eyes for this offensive-type formation.
The Battle Formation employed by the leader Sage was akin to the one Eren had encountered during his confrontation with Arthur's Hound, Oliver. It was a pure offensive Battle Formation that materialized a colossal weapon by condensing S-Ranked Mana.
The more Sages acted as Array Eyes for the formation, the more potent and intricate it became. Oliver, in his battle against Eren's team, had conjured an elemental sword with his deployed Battle Formation. In contrast, this Battle Formation produced a colossal Elemental Spear that surpassed Oliver's creation in its terror.
The Elemental Spear loomed in the sky above the Sages who stood within the Battle Formation's protective layer, covering them like a domain Ability. This Elemental Spear stretched approximately 500 meters in length, bearing a massive blade throbbing with ominous S-Ranked Mana.
The shaft of the giant spear was adorned with magical runes. It appeared as if one swing of this magical weapon could obliterate half of the trapped Rankers from both sides on the battlefield. A second swing might suffice to annihilate the Field Armies fielded by both kingdoms.
Swoosh. Zoom. Bang.
The massive Elemental Spear generated by the Battle Formation sliced through the air, causing a fierce storm in the vicinity and emitting a sharp cutting sound as it collided with the Birdcage Barrier.
Booom! Rumble!
A muffled, primal sound emanated from the clash of the two Battle Formations. One Formation was concentrated on defense and isolation, empowered by intent-based magic, while the other had the numerical advantage in terms of Sages serving as its Array Eyes. It also had penetrative Abilities.
This collision ruptured the fabric of space momentarily, revealing a devouring void. It unleashed a potent S-Rank Mana Storm that would have been deadly for many Rankers had they been exposed to it.
Ironically, the Birdcage Barrier, which confined the Rankers from both sides, protected them from this violent energy.
"What are they doing?"
"They… these fucking Sages are trying to kill us?"
"Aaaah! Sage Hansen, please save me. I… I will do anything you ask of me."
The trapped Rankers implored the Sage Rankers outside to cease their actions, shocked by the Sages' disregard for their safety. Some Rankers inside the Birdcage Barrier, their priorities shifting, now wished for the barrier to withstand the offensive-type Battle Formation employed by the Sages. If this was let on, the Rankers with two opposing ideas would form groups and start attacking each other for a new cause.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
The sounds of the impacts were akin to a giant hammer striking a glass window with an unnatural ability to endure the blows while maintaining its glass-like properties. This sight would have sent shivers down the spines of lower-ranked entities had they been outside the Birdcage Barrier.
The Elemental Spear became adorned with various offensive spells as it attacked the Birdcage Barrier, clashing with the elemental walls with such intensity that the defensive formation's runes vibrated with a resounding "huuuummmmm" sound.
The Sages outside incessantly struck the Birdcage Barrier, aiming to overwhelm it and forcefully breach it from the outside. However, the leader Sage soon noticed that something was amiss with the Formation-generated Elemental Spear.
"It... It can't be. That barrier is siphoning away the condensed mana from the Elemental Spear," he muttered as he observed the state of the manifested weapon produced by the offensive-type Battle Formation.
The other Sages also grew fatigued as they realized that an unusually large amount of S-Rank Mana was being drawn from them while they served as the Array Eyes for the Formation. They soon grasped that the Birdcage Barrier was siphoning their mana to enhance its strength.
