BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Tens of light blurs streaked through the air, delivering a rain of hell to those below.
After Damien's departure, the Roaring Dragon Cavalry took a central role on the battlefield, and Ezio took command of a majority of the troops to bring them to victory.
The airbikes were the core of the new army formation. After the Roaring Dragon Cavalry set up a canopy to both injure and confuse the enemy, the second wave of aerial troops would follow to land killing blows. Any that were left afterward were left to ground troops to finish off.
This strategy was much better than the disorganized mess that the battlefield had turned into for a moment, but even with this, it was difficult to secure the win.
'The Nox troops are too many in number. For every one we take down, another ten pop up. And in this environment, it's impossible for us to completely exterminate every enemy, so rebirths are taking place as well.'
Ezio narrowed his eyes and observed the battlefield from above before handing down his command.
The Nox were currently fighting in small groups rather than as a whole entity. Without the oppression of a Nox Commander to keep them in place, their unruly and independent nature came out in full force.
This was extremely advantageous for Heaven's Army, as it made it far easier to cope with the pure number of enemies.
ROAR!
SKREEEE!
The cries of beasts resounded as the affiliated cavalry units made their move.
The battlefield itself spanned for several hundred thousand kilometers. At this time, the cavalry units covered that entire circumference with their forces as if to confine their enemies.
"Fire!"
Countless beasts roared and let loose their strongest wide-area attacks.
Ezio focused his mind to its maximum potential and peered into the proceeding explosions, observing the Nox within.
'There are…160 that act as leaders. As long as they can be taken down, the rest won't be trouble.'
Still, 160 was a large number.
Ezio's body jolted.
"Shit!"
He rapidly swerved his airbike to the side and abandoned it. In the next instant, a terrifying projectile swerved to follow him and directly collided with the bike.
BOOM!
The machine exploded on impact, making Ezio shed a tear as he regained his balance in the air. However, before he could even properly mourn the loss of his baby, the projectile charged through the explosion, headed straight for him!
"Dammit, why me?!"
Ezio gritted his teeth and galvanized his mana, setting up a fortified defense. At the same time, he gathered mana in his arms and enhanced his strength manifold, pulling his fist back in preparation to receive the hit.
BOOOOOOOM!
"Kak!"
Ezio's fist came in contact with the yellow light. He coughed out blood as he was sent by the force.
The yellow light, on the other hand, merely halted in its tracks.
"Keuk…!"
Ezio rapidly readjusted and grabbed his shoulder in pain as he glared at the light.
'That is…why is that here?!'
Ezio's eyes widened. Unexpectedly, he recognized the force that attacked him.
His face turned pale.
The yellow light expanded with the passing of time, revealing its form as a beautiful orange-gold phoenix that was emitting a fierce killing intent.
Ezio gritted his teeth and pushed his mana. 'Dammit! There are still Nox strong enough to directly control the Infected on the battlefield!'
The phoenix in front of him wasn't a Nox being, rather, it was a beast who'd been corrupted by them. And its entrance meant…
'If we can't deal with them quickly, we'll be besieged by a second wave!'
"Everyone, attention! Focus on the 160 targets I've marked! Take them down as fast as possible while I hold back the strong beasts!"
Ezio immediately relayed the order and refocused on the phoenix.
'It's a late-stage 4th-class beast. Since it arrived by itself, I'm sure there won't be other beasts as strong as it in the coming tide. As long as I can get rid of it…'
There was no need for further thought. Ezio pushed his mana to its furthest and shot at the beast. Earthly mana covered his fists and turned them into terrifyingly dense blunt weapons that he swung with the weight of stars.
BOOM!
The impact of his fist on the air rang out, sending an ear-piercing clap into the surroundings. The phoenix, however, sensed the attack's danger from the start and dodged perfectly.
The beast bared its talons and flapped its wings powerfully, making an impossible maneuver to fly into Ezio's blind spot and slash him.
SHING!
The sound of flesh tearing was loud. Ezio's blood went flying into the air, forcing him to grit his teeth to force down the scream building in his chest.
"ARGH!"
The beast's talon ripped almost all the way through Ezio's body before he could respond. But in that final moment, Ezio had no plan of remaining idle.
He grabbed the beast's outstretched leg with all his strength, his muscles bulging as if to increase their power to aid him. His earthly mana blazed into the surroundings unlike its usual peaceful appearance, and under Ezio's strict control, it directly pressured the phoenix and attacked its wings.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
SKREEE!
The phoenix was forced to back away to avoid the attack. Ezio grinned, ready for his counterattack when…
XIU!
The world seemed to turn white.
Ezio barely moved his head in time.
A thin red line appeared on his neck, dripping blood onto the rest of his body thereafter.
A cold sweat poured down his back.
He almost died.
'There was…another one…?'
Ezio's pale face turned a shade whiter.
If this beast was able to arrive, then…
RUMBLE!
His worst fears came true. The sound of the earth quaking was so loud that it felt like Eien was on the verge of collapse.
A plethora of powerful auras expressed themselves from the distance, intimidating their enemy into submission far before their arrival.
'Then…the phoenix was just a diversion…?'
The phoenix and the newly arrived flying panther beast both looked at Ezio with a look of contempt, as if mocking him. They didn't attack during this time, clearly enjoying the feeling of despair spreading through Heaven's Army.
AHHHHHH!
The first scream signified the start of a slaughter.
The 3rd classes on the subsidiary battlefield were the first to die. Under the rampaging force of countless 4th class beasts, how could they stand a chance?
The screams of agony that entered Ezio's ears felt like scars in his heart. Every single one of them was another comrade lost in battle.
'But it seems…I will be joining them soon.'
Ezio smiled wryly.
'What a shame, I just found a great successor candidate too…'
He grinned in lament and took a fighting stance.
If he was going to die anyway, he was going to take as many enemies down with him as possible!
Ezio lifted his injured body and began gathering power, but before he could even make a move, his mana was disrupted and canceled.
'Something else?!'
He almost gave up all hope.
But at that time, he realized that the screaming stopped.
He looked down, and then he followed the gazes of those below to the sky.
His eyes almost fell out of his skull.
'That…'
His thought wasn't even allowed to end before he disappeared off the face of the earth.
The beast tide, the Nox, and the remains of Heaven's Army all disappeared with him.
A figure watched it take place from the distance.
This figure existed millions of kilometers away from the battlefield at the peak of a mountain in a completely different section of Eien.
He smiled.
He curled his fingers, giving way to many black wisps that melded into the air for reasons unknown.
The man's lips curved into a malicious smile.
'As expected, you came here. Someone the Lord appreciates cannot be average…'
"Damien Void, enjoy the gift I've prepared for you! I pray you do not die too early."
