Demoness 3 - Chapter 12: ​At the Dawn (9,399 Words) (Patreon)

The chill wind bit Elania’s exposed skin as she soared high above the clouds. Not for the first time, she reached up and adjusted the breathing mask Yolani had given her, ensuring a tight seal.

It had been decided that using [Power] to form an air pocket—for breathing and high-speed travel—was too risky.

Her mission was to collect intelligence and enemy numbers, not pick a fight. Especially with the potential for a far stronger Demi-Divine in the enemy fleet.

And that meant staying undetected.

Elania pulled a telescope from her belt and brought it to her eye, and scanned the skies below. The Monevoian fleet was there, split into a half dozen clusters. That made it easier to count them, so she was thankful for that.

There was a lot of counting required.

She pulled up her tethered clipboard and added another thirty to her tally.

A frown formed on her lips as she scanned the list. Two hundred and thirty-nine airships in total. Maybe she was off by a few, but she felt it was a fairly accurate count.

She titled her body, bringing herself into a wide banking curve that would take her back to Contia.

Most of the Monevoian warships were the large type, too. She hadn’t even spotted any two-balloon ships. Worse, there were a dozen giant four-ballooners and an entire cluster of ships she could only call barges.

Those resembled something like giant flying oil tankers, but as she zoomed in with her telescope, she came to the unhappy realization that they were troop carriers.

Monevoia had come to invade, and they expected to put an army on the island.

With so many ships, it was likely they would succeed.

She let out a puff of breath, fogging her mask for a moment. She brought her telescope back up to scan the enemy’s flagship one last time.

It was at the center of the formation, flying alone. It bore the blazing yellow and red flag of the Sun Emperor, a massive piece of cloth that stretched out above its balloons. According to Arlois, that likely meant that the emperor himself was likely with the fleet, or at least directly involved with the attack.

The ship was lined with dozens of advanced looking artifice weapons on its deck. There were even emplacements built into its balloons. It absolutely dwarfed every airship she had ever seen, its sheer size and armaments a testament to someone’s wildly out-of-control fantasies.

Heck, it was hard to judge, but it looked like the flag alone was larger than the Heart or Gold!

Elania bit her lip and put the telescope away and secured the clipboard and scope in her protected flight bag. She needed to get back and report what she had seen.

As fast as she dared she sped up, the air pressure pressing her breathing mask into her face. Every so often she’d check behind her for any threats.

It seemed like she had made it away to safety once the enemy fleet disappeared beyond the horizon.

A black flash in the corner of her vision caused her to whip around.

Black wings.

[Demi-Divine - Human - Level 387]

Elania yanked off her breathing mask and formed her [Demonic Aura] into a barrier around her before turning and accelerating at full speed toward Contia. Over her shoulder, she could see the black streak chasing after her.

It wasn’t the Sun Emperor, that much was obvious. She would have been in deep shit if it had been.

So who was this asshole?

She poured on more speed, her wings straining against the air stream. The black-winged figure kept up with her, matching her pace. For minutes, and then longer.

It was almost halfway back to Contia before a black orb appeared in front of her and exploded. Elania flared her wings and curved upwards to avoid the blast.

That was enough to slow her down.

The black-feathered man appeared in front of her, causing her to skid to a stop abruptly, her heart pounding in her chest.

Elania’s eyes narrowed, and she glared at her harasser. “Fuck off!” she shouted, loud enough for her voice to carry across the open sky.

He sneered at her, his wings beating steadily. “Surrender to me, and I’ll consider adding you—”

Elania didn’t finish her scoff and jetted away. A barrage of black feathers slashed into her path before she could pick up any speed. She flipped around, cursing as she had no way to really gauge her opponent’s strength. His level told her he was weak, but levels were a pretty shit indicator.

She hadn’t even hit level 300 yet, after all. And she was pretty strong.

Another barrage of energy slammed into her [Demonic Aura], but she fortified it in front of her while summoning a reply of light spears. She flicked her wrist, and they dived into the incoming barrage.

The two energy forces collided, creating a cloud of black and yellow. The aftershocks and explosions deflected off her barrier harmlessly, along with a few of the smaller feathers that slipped past.

He launched into circling around her, attempting to shoot her from various angles. She swiveled in place, her light spears shooting out as she tracked his moves.

A cold realization dawned on her: he was probably trying to slow her down. Or pin her in place for others to catch up.

She needed to end this. Quickly.

Gritting her teeth, she surged forward straight for him.

The shock on his face at her attack only lasted a second, and he lashed out with a black dagger as they collided. She slipped around the attack, her hand clenching around black feathers to send them into a spinning ballet.

Elania blocked his next slash with her bracer, the metallic clang ringing out into the air.

His wing clutched at hers and she strained with her free wing to fight to keep them from spiraling out of control despite his best attempts to continue to force them into a dizzying whirl.

As they steadied in the air, she realized her control was stronger than his.

He aimed for her neck, but her Regalia materialized around her head.

There was a satisfying expression of shock on his face as he tried to wrench free from her grasp.

She angled her revolver under his chin while grabbed his dagger wrist with her free hand. He struggled as she cocked back the hammer of her weapon with a thumb.

A pull of the trigger heralded a bang. His head exploded in a burst of blood and bone. His body went limp, the fight draining from him in an instant.

She held onto the corpse.

[You have slain Demi-Divine - Human - Lvl 387]

[You have gained 387 Karma.]

[You have gained a level!]

[Absorb the lingering Power from Demi-Divine - Human - Lvl 387?]

Yeah, she hadn’t used too much [Power] during the fight, but she wasn’t quite topped off.

[You have absorbed the Power from Demi-Divine - Human - Lvl 387.]

[You have gained a rank in Presence Concealment!]

As the [System] messages cleared, the Demi-Divine’s body shimmered and dissipated into a silver mist. Elania frowned. That was the wrong color, wasn’t it?

A surge of power coursed through her, but it tasted… wrong. Like drinking brackish water.

The feeling passed quickly though, and without sparing it more thought, Elania turned and sped towards Contia at full speed, her [Demonic Aura] bubble flaring with friction.

The fight had wasted enough time already, and she needed to report on the impending invasion.

  *

Elania zoomed toward Contia, the sight of the city flooding her with relief. Despite the victory in the fight with the black-feather, she hadn’t been able to escape the feeling of something worse crawling up her back the rest of the flight.

This was the last time she was going on a scouting mission. At least for a while.

As she approached, airships were in the process of lifting off from their various bays, joining a growing formation in the sky. Their bronze-wood hulls gleamed in the sunlight. She hadn’t seen so many Contia airships mobilized at once, but the spectacle was overshadowed by the sheer number of the Monevoian ships on the way.

There was no way the small formation was enough to challenge the enemy fleet, and they’d have to pick their fight carefully.

A flash of purple rocketed out of the city, and Elania recognized Arlois flying towards her. The Purple Wing matched her course, their wings beating in unison as they drew closer.

“Elania!” Arlois shouted. “We need to land at the central island. Follow me!”

Elania nodded, shouting back, “Okay!” She adjusted her course, following Arlois as they bypassed the Purple Tower and headed towards Contia’s central spire.

As they approached the spire, a frown creased Elania’s brow.

She hadn’t visited the Celestial Engine or the center tower since their first arrival in Contia. She knew it was where the Towers controlled the island. There were soldiers manning defensive emplacements and cannons on every balcony, and the arcane field around it shimmered with a resonance that hinted at its potency.

Well, that only made sense. It was the island’s most critical location. Losing the Celestial Engine would send the entire city crashing to its doom.

Arlois landed on a balcony, and Elania followed suit, her wings folding behind her as she touched down. “I counted the enemy airships,” Elania began.

Arlois held up a hand. “Wait until we’re with the others,” she said, her tone serious. “You only need to say it once.”

Elania nodded, following Arlois as they stepped inside. It was an elevator.

Arlois turned to her, an amused flicker in her eyes. “Mind your feathers,” she said, gesturing to the door.

Elania quickly folded her wings tightly against her back, the feathers rustling as she tucked them in.

The elevator doors closed, and they began to descend, the sensation of rapid movement making Elania’s stomach flutter. That felt sort of silly, since the same thing in a dive wouldn’t have bothered her. But something about being in a plummeting box did.

As the elevator doors slid open, Elania found herself in a fortified room of stone and bronze.

Control panels and artifice workings lined the walls, and the space buzzed with activity. Artificers and soldiers sat at benches, their faces illuminated by the glow of arcane screens and the flicker of magical energy.

It reminded her of a warship CIC. Actually, that was exactly what it was. Maybe not exactly as a modern naval warship’s, but close enough in form and function to be the same. They were just dealing with magic… or, well, artifice?

It seemed a lot more advanced than everything else she had seen, like the control room for the Celestial Engine back in Neftasu before it had been destroyed.

The output of their new detector was plastered on the ceiling. The wave of Monevoian warships advanced toward the city, just as she had seen.

Yolani’s eyes brightened as she spotted Elania, a smile spreading across her face. Elania returned the smile, waving back as she approached the table.

Arlois nodded to Elania. “You can give your report now.”

“Where are Elysia and Lyra?” Elania asked, glancing around the room.

“Lyra is helping the people into shelters and bunkers, fortifying them,” Arlois replied. “Elysia is reinforcing the island’s cohesion and braces. We need to ensure that if we take damage, parts won’t crash or break off from the city.”

Elania nodded, turning her attention to the others. “I counted 239 enemy ships. Most of them are three-balloon battleships, but there are also a bunch of barge-shaped ones carrying troops.” She pulled her clipboard from her flight pack, placing it on the table.

Grim expressions settled on the faces of those gathered as they absorbed the information.

“Good work gathering this,” Arlois said, her tone serious.

Yolani’s eyes met Elania’s, concern etched on her face. “Were you attacked?”

Elania nodded, her expression darkening. “How’d you know?”

“We spotted two heat trails coming toward the city,” Ember said. “Then they stopped, and there was only one.”

“A black-feathered Demi attacked me after I finished scouting and was on my way back,” Elania explained.

Arlois frowned. “We told you not to engage.”

“I didn’t really have a choice,” Elania replied.

“What happened to him?” Ember asked.

“I blew his head off,” Elania replied, her tone matter-of-fact.

Arlois grunted. “The Sun Emperor must have enlisted lesser Demi-Divine to assist him, or created them himself.”

Elania’s brow furrowed. “He was barely higher level than me.”

“He was probably young,” Ember mused.

Elania nodded.

“You were lucky you didn’t encounter someone stronger,” Arlois said, her voice stern.

Elania’s frown deepened, and she met Arlois’ gaze. “You’re the one who sent me on the mission.”

Yolani cleared her throat. “The Gold is loading up the Mushroohums to evacuate them to Freyhoi now,” she said. “Elania, you’ll need to reinforce the containers before they leave.”

Elania nodded. “I know.”

Arlois frowned, her brow furrowing. “There’s not enough time for you to return to Freyhoi yourself and reinforce the mine for them.”

“I know that, but keeping them all in the Arena could be disastrous. They will be able to survive in the containers for a while, and as long as we don’t lose, I can make it down to them to take care of the rest later,” Elania countered.

“If something happens to you, they’ll slowly die,” Arlois said.

Yolani stepped forward, placing a reassuring hand on Elania’s shoulder. “Nothing is going to happen to Elania,” she said, her eyes meeting Arlois’ with a fierce intensity.

Ember nodded in agreement, casting a sharp look at Arlois. “You’re being uncharacteristically defeatist.”

Arlois sighed, her shoulders sagging slightly. “I apologize.”

Yolani turned her attention to the map on the table, gesturing for Elania to join her. “We should go over the plan again for Elania,” she said, her finger tracing the lines of the city’s districts.

Elania stepped closer, her eyes scanning the map. “Has anything changed?” she asked, her gaze flicking between the others.

Arlois shook her head. “Not much.”

Yolani pointed to a section of the map, her finger tapping the Neftasu District. “I will guard the Neftasu District along with most of the Neftasu Guard.”

Arlois pointed to four quadrants of Contia on the map, her finger moving from one to the next. “Each Tower will be responsible for their own sector,” she said, her tone serious. “It’s likely there will be attacks from every direction, including above and below.”

Ember nodded, her eyes narrowing as she studied the map. “The airship fleet will wait until the enemy fleet enters range of the city,” she said, her voice calculating. “Then it will engage them from behind, hopefully with cover from the sun.”

Elania frowned. “What if the enemy has more Demi-Divines with their forces?”

Arlois’ expression darkened. “It will make things complicated.”

Ember nodded at Arlois, her expression serious. “It’s likely that any other Demi-Divines the Sun Emperor has enlisted are younger ones or weak, without Regalia or their own [Domain].”

Elania bit her lip. “I’m surprised there are so many,” she admitted. “I thought they were more rare.”

Arlois gave her a sharp look. “There are a lot,” she explained. “Mortal women can give birth to Demi-Divines as well.”

Elania tensed up. She had always assumed that Demi-Divines were… rare? At least a class above? The deference that she had seen given seemed out of place otherwise.

Ember added, “Most of those don’t have wings and can’t fly, though. But that’s not always the case.”

Yolani nodded. “The Magistry kept any from coming down into Neftasu.”

“Digging through a chunk of the planet isn’t really workable, and they had a tight hold on the choke point,” Arlois said.

Elania’s jaw clenched. “Not tight enough to prevent the Lightbringers coming down,” she said, her voice tight.

“One of the hardest things to do when you are in power for a long time is to not become complacent,” Ember said.

Arlois nodded in agreement, her gaze distant. “Time warps things,” she murmured before looking at Elania. “You’ll understand when you have a couple of centuries under your belt—memory is a funny thing.”

Elania frowned, unsure what to think of Arlois’ words.

She pushed the thought aside and pointed to the map, her finger tapping the central spire. “Is my role the same as before?”

Arlois nodded. “You’ll be a flying wildcard, tasked with reinforcing any weak points and assisting anyone in trouble.”

Elania’s brow furrowed, a sudden thought occurring to her. “What about the Celestial Engine?” she asked, her voice tight with concern.

“It will be in my zone of protection, and I will be mostly staying at the central spire, since the rest of the area is lightly populated,” Arlois explained.

Elania turned to Yolani. “What about the Heart?”

Yolani smiled, her hand reaching out to give Elania’s a reassuring squeeze. “It’s repaired, fueled, and ready,” she said, her voice filled with confidence. “It will fight with the rest of the fleet, while the rest of the Ironfist will be working with the Guard.”

Elania watched as Arlois let out a tense breath, her gaze shifting to each person in the room. Her expression was serious as she spoke. “If you have any final preparations, make them now. The enemy will arrive within the next few hours. While the new detector will warn us if the enemy Demi-Divine attack early, it isn’t foolproof. They could come in low and slow, ahead of the airships.”

Elania nodded, her attention turning to Yolani. “We need to go to the Estate and finish our preparations.”

Yolani nodded. “I have a few things for you, and I need to get my own weapons.”

As they turned to leave, Arlois placed a hand on Elania’s shoulder, a frown creasing her brow. “This is your last chance to reconsider. It’s still possible for you to get out.”

Elania brushed Arlois’ hand off, shooting her a sour look. “Thanks, ‘mom,’ but I’m not running away.”

A flicker of pain—or terror—crossed Arlois’ face, but she glanced away, nodding in acceptance.

Elania frowned. Maybe that had been a bit too sharp. “Sorry, but we’re not running away. We don’t really have anywhere else to go.”

Yolani nodded silently with a frown. Arlois waved them on without another word.

As they flew towards the Estate, Elania couldn’t help but notice the flurry of activity on the islands below. She spotted Lyra flying around, overseeing the preparations.

Crowds of people poured into the central island’s larger buildings, which were built into the face of the mountain.

“Do you think that’s safer than being on the outer islands?” Elania asked.

Yolani considered for a moment before replying. “A little bit, but if something bad happens, a lot more people could get hurt.”

“I need you to stay safe while protecting the district,” Elania said. “Or I won’t be able to focus on what I’m doing.”

“I will,” Yolani said quietly, her voice barely audible over the rush of wind. “But I’m not hiding, either.”

“I know,” Elania replied, hugging Yolani a little tighter as they neared their destination.

Shadow greeted them with a mewl from the bed as they landed on their balcony.

Elania turned to Yolani as they entered the bedroom, a question on her lips. “Clothes?”

Yolani shook her head, and Shadow followed them out of the room, padding silently behind them.

They crossed the hall and entered the workshop. Shadow watched from the hallway as Yolani approached a workbench. Elania gave him a quick head pat before following inside.

Yolani grabbed a wand and turned to Elania, running it over her harness. “I need to make this tougher, considering how often you get it damaged,” Yolani said, her brow furrowed in concentration.

Elania grimaced, a twinge of guilt in her voice. “Sorry, I’m just exposed to dangerous things.”

Yolani frowned, walking around Elania as she worked. The repair was quick.

“Let’s get that air tank off of you,” the other girl muttered. Elania lifted her arms over her head, and Yolani undid the straps. When she was done, she grabbed a belt with two sheathed daggers, attaching it to Elania’s waist.

“New weapons?” Elania asked, a bit surprised.

Yolani nodded. “Some melee weapons would be good for you since you already have the Revolver. These should work if needed.”

A wry smile tugged at Elania’s lips. “I’ll end up a walking arsenal.”

Yolani grunted, opening a box filled with dozens of mana shards. She took Elania’s left forearm and turned her bracer around, her fingers deftly working on the device. “I didn’t have time to work on this much, but it’s simple to double the capacity to twenty-four shards.”

Elania’s eyes widened. “That’s a lot.”

“They aren’t the best ones, but we have plenty of the lower quality ones,” Yolani explained, her gaze focused on the bracer. “Probably for the best, since you like dusting them.”

Elania smiled weakly. “You can’t argue with results.”

Yolani gave her a flat look that softened. “Do whatever it takes to stay safe. I’d rather have you than a million mana shards.”

Elania leaned in, placing a gentle kiss on the side of Yolani’s head. “The feeling is mutual,” she murmured.

Yolani moved to the wall, picking up a rifle that looked different from the ones Elania had seen before. Elania tilted her head, confused. “I have my revolver already.”

Yolani smiled, a glint of excitement in her eyes. “This isn’t for you.”

Elania blinked, inspecting the weapon more closely. A device was attached to the top of the musket, and the barrel was longer than normal. “Is that a scope?” she asked.

Yolani grinned widely, nodding. “It has tracking and homing.”

  *

Elania stood on the roof of the city’s tallest spire, her hand gripping the point for balance as she surveyed the city below.

The usual chaos and bustle of Contia had slowed to a crawl, leaving the streets mostly deserted save for small groups of soldiers moving about with purpose.

In the distance, even without a telescope, she could see the incoming Monevoian fleet, their ships like a swarm of angry wasps on the horizon.

Her communicator device buzzed and snapped uselessly, the interference rendering it ineffective. All around the city, shimmering blue and purple fields snapped into existence, the magical barriers the final preparation made for the impending battle.

The Monevoians approached from the north, and with the afternoon already well underway, they would likely be fighting at dusk. She stretched her wings reflexively, her feathers rustling with the movement.

She wasn’t sure how fighting at night would change things, or even that they would fight that long…

Everything that could be done had been done, and now all that remained was to wait.

Elania checked her [Status]. It was likely that she would get enough levels to hit level three hundred. That would mean another perk point. She’d have to figure that out on the fly.

Hopefully, things weren’t so intense that she’d have to decide on that in the heat of battle.

Yeah, fat chance of that, right? Somehow, she knew that was exactly what would end up happening.

Her [Divine Power] hovered just below full, so there was no need to worry about that. Unless she was overpowered, that was probably enough to fight for days.

The waiting seemed to stretch forever, the minutes turning to hours. Annoyed anticipation clung to her sides, and she just wished things would get started already.

She scanned the sky for any surprise attacks by Demi-Divine, but saw nothing. The air was clear save for the unnatural clouds that clung to Contia’s islands.

The wind was light, and the cloud wisps had mostly lifted high into the sky. It was a stark contrast to the violence that was about to unfold.

Elania took a deep breath, trying to steady herself.

Arlois’ suggestion to flee with Yolani echoed in the back of her head.

But she didn’t think her choice to stay and fight was wrong.

She stretched her wings out behind her as she surveyed the approaching Monevoian fleet.

A sense of belonging settled over her. Neftasu had been a nightmare, a place where she and Yolani had been forced to fight for survival at every turn.

But Contia felt different. It felt like a place where they could build a future. That was worth defending.

The Towers had welcomed them, making space for the refugees and listening to Elania’s arguments and concerns.

It was a stark contrast to the chaos and desperation of Neftasu, and the troublesome Magisters.

Contia was far from safe, but… wasn’t that part of her job as Demi-Divine now? To make it safer for herself and others?

She hadn’t asked for the power, but she didn’t resent it either.

It gave her a measure of control over her own destiny, even if it created a target on her back.

And Yolani seemed to thrive as well, her [Priestess of Artifice] powers allowing her to shape the world around her with magic.

Elania squinted into the distance, a glint of gold caught her eye. She pulled out her telescope and raised it to her face, her eyes widening slightly.

Countless tiny figures were flying out from the enemy airships. Small flying contraptions armored in polished bronze, the same material Yolani favored for her artifice creations.

Golds, Arlois had warned. The counterpart to Contia’s Silvers. The best guess was that they were about as strong as a Lightbringer Paladin.

There were far too many of them.

They spread out above and below the airships, forming a massive cloud of metal that glinted in the sun.

Elania bit her lip. The cloudburst artillery Yolani had designed would be perfect for this, she realized.

Even if the Golds were armored, the shrapnel would likely tear through their flyers.

Elania put the telescope away and then leaped into the air.

Elania scanned the city as she made a circular patrol.

She couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off, that the Monevoians were too confident in their approach.

She dove below the islands and cloud cover. Spinning around, she searched for anything coming from below underneath Contia’s shadow, but there was nothing. No flanking maneuvers, no surprise attacks.

Just the airship fleet on the horizon.

Elania shot upward, her wings carrying her back to the central spire.

As she neared her perch, a thunderous boom echoed through the air, the sound of Contia’s new long-range artillery. She pulled out her telescope, her hands shaking slightly as she focused on the enemy fleet.

The shell exploded early, a burst of black smoke and fire in the distance. Elania squinted, trying to make out the damage, but it was too far away to tell for sure.

It would be nice if the shrapnel found its mark, tearing through the enemy ships.

Minutes passed, and there was no response from the Monevoians.

Elania felt the tension building in her gut, her muscles coiled like springs ready to snap.

A half-dozen of the massive artillery cannons fired in a single volley, their shells detonating amidst the enemy ships in expanding spheres of black clouds.

Elania scanned the islands, checking each one for any signs of trouble. But they all seemed secure. Nothing for her to do. Yet.

She turned her attention back to the fleet, watching as the heavy artillery continued to blast out explosive shells at regular intervals.

After a dozen more volleys, the sound of the artillery changed, and Elania leaned forward.

Instead of the black powder shells, blue lances of energy lashed out from the cannons, homing in on several ships. Three of the beams aimed for the enemy flagship.

A massive golden sphere appeared in the air in front of it, absorbing the impact of the elemental strikes.

Elania frowned. She had expected more from the direct fire mode, had hoped that it would turn the tide of the battle.

The enemy fleet continued to advance, seemingly unfazed by the barrage.

A sinking certainty filled her.

The long-range weapons weren’t going to be enough. She had known that was the case, deep down. But part of her had still been hoping their weapons would fend the enemy off, make them reassess.

The battle was going to have to get personal.

The sound of artillery fire continued to echo through the air.

The enemy drew closer.

More details became visible, but her attention was drawn to the flagship at the center of their vanguard.

Its bow began to glow, a bright yellow energy coalescing at its prow.

Elania swallowed. Surely it wasn’t doing its best to mimic a Super-Yamato Beam Cannon?

Of course it was.

Time seemed to slow as the energy flashed forward, the air scintillating with lightning as it crossed the distance toward Contia.

The Sun Emperor. This had to be his attack.

She drew a blank as the beam hurtled forward.

Thankfully, she wasn’t defending the city alone. It wasn’t actually her place to respond to such an attack.

A thin line of purple light erupted from the ground, reaching skyward before expanding into a thick pillar. The pillar formed into a wedge, its surface shimmering with its own energy.

It had to be from Arlois.

Elania held her breath as the yellow beam slammed into the purple barrier, the impact sending shockwaves through the air.

The beam split in half, its energy diverted around Contia instead of tearing through the city’s heart.

It wasn’t over, though.

The split beams curved back towards the city, their destructive intent undiminished.

On the left, a giant blue plate materialized, its surface gleaming like polished sapphire. To the right, a green funnel took shape, its swirling vortex bending the very fabric of reality.

Lyra and Elysia, Elania immediately recognized.

Elania recognized the handiwork of Lyra and Elysia, their [Divine Power] manifesting in ways she had never seen before.

The yellow beam on the left ricocheted off the blue plate, its energy dispersed into the sky. The beam on the right plunged into the green funnel, its power channeled downward and impaling itself into the surface below.

Elania blinked. The Towers had manipulated their [Divine Power] in ways she had never thought possible, their mastery over the arcane arts far surpassing her own abilities.

Her [Demonic Aura] control seemed paltry in comparison. She needed something stronger.

Looking back to the enemy fleet, the damage inflicted by Contia’s artillery was visible.

Several ships burned, their hulls scorched and battered, while others limped forward with punctured balloons.

The fleet was nearly within range of the city’s standard artillery, and Elania knew that the true battle was about to begin.

She needed to do something of her own to help. Leaping into the air, her wings beat heavily as she gained altitude. The wind whipped at her as she soared higher, her eyes scanning for the Contia air fleet.

They’d be approaching the enemy from high up and from the west, attacking from the sun.

The glare forced her to squint, but she made out the silhouettes of the Contia airships.

A frown traced Elania’s lips as part of the enemy fleet broke away from the main formation and began to rise. Her heart began to sink as she realized the Monevoians had detected or spotted the Contia ships.

The element of surprise was lost.

Her best course of action would be to support their airships, Elania judged. They’d need all the help they could get, being outnumbered, even facing a small portion of the enemy.

Gritting her teeth, Elania pushed herself to fly faster, her wings straining with the effort.

The Heart was somewhere among the Contia airships.

As she closed the distance, the sounds of the approaching conflict grew louder, the roar of cannon and the crackle of arcane energy filling the air as the fleets closed to combat distance.

It was time to join the fray.

  *

The sound of the flight system ticking down the altitude gauge and the wind rattling the hull was the only noise on the bridge as Harlock held onto a grip near the helm.

The Heart tilted into its maximum dive, and outside the sealed compartment, the wind whipped at the ship wildly.

Crewmen clutched whatever they could in their sheltered emplacements.

The balloons acted as massive brakes, slowing their descent, despite their best efforts to force themselves into a controlled fall.

Hundreds of steel cables strained to hold the rest of the ship to them against the extreme force.

Firing was impossible while diving at such a rate, but the same couldn’t be said for the rising enemy ships below.

Coming in from such a high altitude with the sun had been a risk, but they’d hoped to catch the enemy by surprise.

Harlock grunted as one of the allied Contia ships took a hit on its belly. Bronze and wood shattered, spilling out into the sky. The blow wasn’t enough to end the ship, but its port side defense field flickered warningly.

None of the Contia ships had belly guns. If they were going to make more attacks from above, a redesign was needed. The ship shook, and the crew cursed.

“Damage control crew, investigate!” Harlock ordered through the ship’s voice tube.

A crewman called down from above. “Enemy fleet, two hundred feet vertical!”

Harlock grabbed the helmsman’s shoulder. “Level out!”

The ship began to tilt back to level as another crewman shouted, “Other ships have signaled ‘Full Attack!’”

Harlock bit back a remark that this was a fool attack.

The Heart groaned and rattled as it leveled out, the sudden change in momentum causing Harlock to grip the railing tighter.

He surveyed the chaos far below. The enemy fleet engaged in a fierce battle with the city’s defenses. Hundreds of bolts and flashes of magic traded between them, illuminating the sky in a dazzling display of destruction.

“Gunnery crews, man your stations!” Harlock bellowed, his voice cutting through the din of battle.

As the crew scrambled to their positions, the enemy detachment opened fire on the Contia airships with their heavier weapons.

The Heart shuddered as it took several hits, its arcane fields flaring blue, then orange.

An engineer burst onto the bridge, his face streaked with soot. “The shields can’t handle much more of this! The shards are already stressed enough as is!”

Harlock raised his telescope to his eye, scanning the enemy ships until his gaze fell upon the battleship targeting them.

Flames licked at its hull, evidence of a previous hit, but it showed no signs of backing down.

“Focus fire on that battleship!” Harlock commanded, pointing at the offending vessel.

The gunnery officer nodded, dispatching a crewman to relay the orders to the gun master on deck.

Moments later, the Heart’s smaller cannons erupted in a volley, each gun selecting its own target among the enemy fleet. Riflemen on the upper deck joined the fray, their shots adding to the cacophony of battle.

Nearby, a Contia warship unleashed its heavier cannons on a Monevoian vessel, the blast finding a weak point and slamming into the enemy ship’s balloons.

The fragile structures shredded to pieces, sending the crippled ship listing to one side as it began to lose altitude.

The Heart’s main artillery finally erupted with a thunderous roar, sending a hail of black powder shrapnel shells bursting towards the targeted warship.

Harlock watched as the projectiles found their mark, exploding in a fiery cascade between the enemy ship’s balloons and deck. Men tumbled overboard, their screams lost in the distance as flames engulfed the vessel.

“Half their cannons are down, Flight master!” a crewman shouted.

Harlock grunted in acknowledgment. “Focus fire with the light cannons. Riflemen, pick off any men you see on deck.”

The Heart’s crew sprang into action, flame bolts spitting from the light cannons and swivels, while riflemen took aim at the exposed enemy crew.

The targeted ship retaliated with another volley, angry red energy splashing against the Heart’s starboard defense fields. Lightning crackled along the ship’s hull, and an explosion near the bow drew Harlock’s attention.

“Swivel’s gone, Sir!” a damage control crewman reported.

Harlock turned to the helmsman. “Turn to starboard. Present the port fields to the enemy.” Somehow, his voice remained calm.

As the Heart maneuvered, an allied airship turned to port, passing dangerously close.

Harlock held his breath as the ships’ fields collided, sparks flying, but fortunately, neither shorted out.

A barrage of flame bolts slammed into the other ship, sending embers raining onto the Heart’s deck.

A large enemy warship pulled alongside, its main cannons leveling at the Heart. They were too close for the enemy to miss, and the Heart’s fields likely couldn’t withstand a full blast.

“Brace for impact!” Harlock shouted.

A Demi-Divine flashed by, her gray and gold wings outstretched.

With a precise path, she sliced through the enemy airship’s balloon cables, causing the vessel to list heavily to one side, its top exposed to the Heart.

Harlock pointed at the vulnerable ship. “Open fire!”

Harlock gripped the overhead handle tightly as the Heart’s guns erupted in a ragged line, chunks of the enemy battleship flying.

The port artillery cannon fired, its shell burrowing deep into the enemy vessel before detonating inside.

The ship expanded for a moment, then collapsed in on itself, the forward and rear sections splitting apart, held together by a few remaining steel cables.

The entire wreckage plummeted downward as the balloons failed to provide enough lift.

Cheers erupted on the bridge, but Harlock quickly silenced them. “Quiet! Move to the next target!”

The Heart whipped away from the combat at full speed, maneuvering to attack the next enemy ship from behind.

Feathered wing ran amuck between the enemy ships.

Elania.

His jaw went slack as one ship was encased entirely in ice, plummeting like a rock. Another was bathed in a sea of fire until its balloons burned away, while a third dissolved in a green mist.

He could hardly believe this was the same girl he had trained back at the Ironfist headquarters in Neftasu. The transformation was beyond anything he had ever witnessed.

Not that wielding divine magic had much to do with sword-play.

The gunnery officer shook Harlock’s shoulder, shouting, “Which ship are we supposed to target, Sir?”

Harlock grunted, focusing his attention back on commanding the Heart. “Target whichever one isn’t already sinking or being destroyed by the Demi!”

The officer nodded, relaying the orders to the gunnery crew.

The enemy fleet was in disarray, ships falling from the sky or consumed by the elements their Demi conjured.

The battle was nothing like he had imagined it would be.

  *

Elania panted, her chest heaving as she hovered in the air, watching the last Monevoian ship of the squadron crash and burn.

Flames licked at the wooden hull, consuming it like a ravenous beast.

A dozen Contia airships were crashing as well, their crews abandoning ship and filling the sky with parachuting men and women seeking escape.

She turned, spotting the Heart through the chaos.

It was smoking, the once pristine balloons marred by scorch marks, but still flying along with the rest of the fleet.

They were moving away from the battle, lowering their altitude.

They would be circling around in a wide arc to allow damage control to make repairs and so they could come in at an even elevation. The sunward dive had turned out to be a costly mistake.

Elania folded her wings and dove toward the city, the wind whipping her hair back.

She had spent too much time helping the airship squadron, and now the enemy armada was fully engaged with the city defenses.

A constant stream of arcane cannon fire—fire, ice, lightning, and every other color of magic Elania could think of—painted great swaths of clouds on the city’s various defensive barriers. The city was firing back, just as fiercely.

One of the Monevoian barges crashed into a city district, and Elania realized they had done it on purpose to land soldiers.

Black dots began to swarm out of the wrecked ship like ants from a kicked nest. Flashes of gold filled the air as the smaller flyers flew through the arcane barriers without hindrance, landing across the city.

In the distance, she spotted a blue and gray figure locked in aerial combat—a battle between two Demi-Divines.

Elania bit her lip as she continued her dive. Should she help Lyra against that enemy Demi-Divine? Or should she address the landing barge and the soldiers pouring out of it? Maybe she should target the gold-armored figures scattered throughout the city?

Another barge came into view, angling for a crash landing like the first.

Elania adjusted her trajectory, aiming straight for it. She would stop as many of these troop deployments as she could first.

Elania picked up speed as she dove. She forced her [Demonic Aura] to expand until it was a sizable bubble around her and pulsed [Power] into her wings to increase her velocity.

The scenes of the battle faded as the air shimmered around her with heat, and then a shockwave cone appeared. She cleaved the distance between her and the bow of the invasion barge into non-existence.

Just before impact, Elania expanded her [Demonic Aura] wider, and then she smashed through the airship’s deck.

The increased surface area of her aura caused her to apply more force instead of shooting straight through, like a bullet.

The entire vessel screeched, lurching like a noodle as riveted and welded plates broke at their seams and the kinetic force ran down through the ship.

The force was enough to change the vessel’s trajectory.

The entire section around her exploded, allowing Elania to see the ship hurtling toward the rocky bottom of the island the ship had aimed for.

She shot back up into the air as the invasion barge slammed into the side, flattening the barge all the way to its middle before it bounced off to crash toward the ground in a burning wreck.

Metal and men spewed into the air, resembling a broken piñata.

Elania steeled herself and flew back up to the city, looking for another target.

She landed in front of one of the Golds on a rooftop. He had a massive sword that reminded her of the blue blades the Lightbringer Paladins used.

There was no hesitation as he saw her, and his rush was wildly fast for his size and bulk.

Elania braced herself as the raised golden sword glinted in the sunlight.

As he reached her and swung the weapon, she dropped a golden orb bomb that blasted the sword away.

Grabbing his upper arm, her fingers screeched as they dug into the metal of his armor and it gave way to her grasp.

With a powerful yank, she ripped his arm out of its socket, the metal tearing and stretching before shattering.

She hit him with the severed arm hard enough to send him flying off the island.

She let out a tight breath.

He was probably about as strong as a Paladin, but that was essentially nothing to her now—about the same as dealing with an Arcane creature at worst. The bigger issue was how many, and how spread out they were.

Elania looked below and spotted two Golds moving through the city streets. Militia with muskets engaged them but were being smashed to pieces, literally. A third Gold was locked in a deadlock with a Silver.

Elania jumped off the roof of the building, generating two light spears, one in each hand.

She rushed at the backs of the two Golds. They sensed her just as she arrived, turning around in time for Elania to plant her light spears in their faces simultaneously.

The energy exploded, ripping their helmets and heads off. Blood sprayed, covering the injured and retreating Contia militiamen.

The Silver gained the advantage on the Gold as Elania approached.

With a swift strike, the Silver took off the Gold’s head with his own sword, although his armor was bent and caved in where he had taken multiple blows. The Silver turned to Elania. “My lady—”

He was cut off as a black-feathered Demi-Divine landed behind him, bisecting him from head to groin.

Elania took up a guarded stance as the Silver’s body slid apart, revealing the enemy Demi-Divine. “Didn’t I kill one of you before?” she asked.

The Demi-Divine hissed angrily and charged at her.

Elania threw a light spear, but he swung his fist. A black-purple energy lashed out, swatting her attack away.

She jumped backwards, and into the air, and he followed her.

She switched to her Regalia, loading a brace of regular bullets. The Demi-Divine closed the distance, swinging a black energy whip at her. She blocked with a wing, then fired at him. He slid out of the way with super speed, and the bullet exploded a building behind him.

“Damn it,” Elania cursed, dancing out of his next attack of black needles that sprayed wildly into the air after her.

She switched to her Regalia bracer and darted in, the dagger Yolani gave her sliding into her hand from her belt.

He swung at her with black energy claws, but she blocked his swing with her forearm and then punched him.

His face expanded wildly into a massive black energy set of jaws and chomped down on her shoulder.

Elania screeched in pain as their wings battered at each other. She dropped her weapon and grabbed his arms, and then hugged him tightly.

She could feel him trying to drain her energy through his bite. It was a painful tug of war, and his teeth had given him a purchase just under her body’s barrier, giving him access to her essence.

A brief second of panic surged through her until she realized just how little he was hurting her, despite the pain.

He was so small.

Elania focused on her [Demonic Aura] and folded the space around them tightly while linking her hands and squeezing.

She felt his body squirm, then crack.

His bite went weak, then limp, and he started to scream.

She could feel his bones cracking and then snapping.

Elania stretched her wings, then pointed them toward Contia.

They picked up speed, and at the last second, she let go and slammed him into the rock, her foot caving in his chest.

Her revolver flowed into her hand, and she blew away his head.

[You have slain Demi-Divine - Carrion Crow - Lvl 234]

[You have gained 1,675 Karma.]

[You have gained a level!]

[Absorb the lingering power from Fledgling Demi-Divine - Carrion Crow - Lvl 234?]

Why not? Maybe she’d get a skill.

She didn’t, but she did gain a rank in one of hers.

[You have gained a rank in Presence Concealment!]

The Sun Emperor sure seemed to have a lot of shadowy-stealth type followers.

Elania looked around at the battle and gained altitude to survey.

How many of them were there?

She spotted another one, this one headed straight for the Neftasu district.

Elania took off in pursuit.

That couldn’t be allowed.

  *

Yolani gazed out from the roof of the Neftasu District defensive tower, the small caliber defense cannon placed at its center humming as its ammo waited to be discharged.

Two dozen men of the Neftasu guard manned positions along the crenulations, their forms slightly exposed yet shielded from above by an arcane barrier designed to deflect any aerial threats short of a direct landing.

Two dozen more men waited on the floor below, weapons at the ready as they peered out windows, prepared to rain fire upon any enemy foolish enough to approach or traverse the district’s streets.

The layered defense continued down to the tower’s base, where an entire company stood poised in the main chambers, a flying reserve ready to deploy at a moment’s notice.

Throughout the district, the remaining Guard and Ironfist forces lay scattered, concealed within random buildings and defensive emplacements.

They all were waiting, ready to spring ambushes and surprise attacks that would turn the lives of any invaders into a living nightmare amid the urban sprawl.

Yolani looked out at the empty streets.

All the civilians had been evacuated to three major bunkers, each fortified with defenders—one in the Ironfist company’s headquarters, another in the Neftasu Guard’s barracks, and the last beneath the District Council building.

The Tower itself lacked a bunker due to the sheer difficulty of safely excavating a staircase through its reinforced flooring.

She was confident the island itself would shatter before the Tower ever fell. By then, far greater concerns would surely arise.

She exhaled tensely, scanning the distant battle as airships landed upon Contia’s surface amid the thunderous exchange of artillery fire between city and fleet.

Dozens of Monevoian vessels caught flame, floundering in the sky, most failing to reach their intended crash sites within the city limits.

The invasion barges posed the greatest threat, and from her vantage point, Yolani witnessed two making controlled crash landings, their hulls digging through streets and buildings like immense metal ploughs through soil.

Ramps unfurled by the dozens, disgorging men who slid down ropes or leapt off with flight packs to form up in formations on the ravaged streets or pick their way across the rooftops of intact structures.

She hurried over to the stairwell, her heart pounding as she shouted down, “Mortars!” Her voice echoed through the confined space, reverberating off the stone walls.

She returned to the battlements, her eyes scanning the chaos unfolding below.

A minute later, several squads of men rushed up the stairs, their footsteps clanging against the metal steps.

They carried long, cylindrical tubes—Elania had explained how the weapon worked to her, and she and a dozen others had spent a few days getting it to work. They were simple yet effective, though their accuracy left much to be desired still.

They hadn’t had time to fine-tune the ballistics.

Yolani pointed to the troop barges, her finger trembling slightly.

The barges presented the smallest viable target; landing the mortars in the streets without striking buildings was nigh impossible. The men nodded, their faces grim as they set up their weapons and took aim.

As the mortars fired, Yolani watched the enemy troops still disembarking from the barges.

Thousands upon thousands of soldiers poured out, their numbers seemingly endless.

A cold, sinking feeling settled in her stomach as she witnessed the sheer magnitude of the Monevoian forces. It reminded her too much of Neftasu’s invasion.

Contia’s military was formidable, but the question remained: just how many soldiers had the Monevoians brought to bear?

The foot soldiers would eventually be wiped out, provided the Demi-Divines could defeat the enemy leaders.

But they could wreak in the meantime, and the lives they could take sent a chill down her spine.

Perhaps that was their plan all along - to butcher the people, leaving the Towers with no followers and no means to regenerate their [Divine Power].

A slow, agonizing death by divine strangulation.

On the lower islands, Yolani spotted Golds flying in to attack, their forms a blur of motion.

Silvers rose to meet them, their armor glinting in the light.

Yolani’s own flight pack weighed on her back, primed and ready for use if needed.

Her eyes narrowed as she noticed a Gold flying toward the Neftasu District.

With a fluid motion, she flipped out the bipod on her rifle, steadying it against the battlement.

It was time to test her new weapon.

She took a deep breath. The bipod provided a stable support.

She peered through the scope; the crosshairs highlighted her target just as she had practiced on the shooting range. The only difference now was that this was a real enemy soldier, and he was moving.

Through the magnified view, she could make out the gold-bronze hue of his gear and armor, as well as the intricate details of his flying contraption.

With a slight adjustment, she centered the green dot on his helmet and smoothly pulled the trigger.

The rifle bucked in her arms, the recoil a familiar sensation. The projectile moved as a slow-moving streak of blue light.

The enemy Gold noticed the incoming round and attempted to evade, but the projectile curved gracefully, adjusting its trajectory to intercept his head perfectly.

His head disintegrated, and his lifeless body plummeted from the flying device.

‘One down,’ Yolani thought grimly, knowing there were countless more to go.

The constant rumble of artillery fire filled the air, but Yolani’s attention was drawn to her men as they called out, indicating they were ready to fire.

She turned to them and shouted, “Fire at will!”

In unison, they dropped projectiles into the mortar tubes, sending out a series of loud wumphs as the shells were propelled skyward.

She raised her telescope, adjusting the zoom to get a better view of the target area.

The shells arced through the air before exploding above the enemy barge, raining down sprays of red-hot metal flakes onto the disembarking soldiers and the ship itself.

Men fell from ladders and ramps, many of them rolling on the ground or seeking shelter from the deadly barrage.

Despite the mortars’ effectiveness, the enemy troops continued to pour out of the barge in alarming numbers, moving past their wounded comrades and charging into the city streets.

Yolani bit her lip. They should have tried for a bigger tube and a bigger projectile.

Or made more.

She missed the impact of the next volley as her head snapped up at the sound of a thunderous crack overhead.

Her eyes widened as she saw two Demi-Divines engaged in a fierce aerial battle above the district. The anti-air turret began to yaw and elevate, the Guards frantically pushing it to track the combatants.

“Don’t fire!” Yolani shouted. “One of them is Elania!”

The Guards acknowledged her command, their movements becoming more precise as they tried to track the enemy Demi-Divine without firing.

The enemy wielded a whip of black flame, the dark tendrils lashing out at Elania.

Elania’s wings moved with incredible speed, blocking each strike, but the relentless assault left her little room to counterattack.

Yolani raised her rifle, peering through the scope as she tried to line up a shot on the enemy Demi-Divine. Their erratic movements made it impossible to get a clear lock.

Cursing under her breath, she lowered her weapon and scanned the area, desperately searching for anything that could help turn the tide of the battle.

An explosion erupted on the Tower’s arcane barrier, the force of the blast sending everyone ducking for cover.

A barrage of fire bolts struck the protective field, the impact unleashing a wave of heat and ashes that rushed through the air.

Despite the intensity of the attack, the barrier held strong, absorbing the damage.

Yolani spun around, her eyes locking onto the airship responsible for the attack.

“Return fire on that airship!” she commanded, pointing at the offending vessel.

The Guards swiftly rotated the defense turret, aligning it with the target. A moment later, they fired, sending a white kinetic bolt of energy streaking through the air.

The bolt slammed into the enemy airship’s fields, causing them to flare a brilliant red as they absorbed the impact.

“Fire at will!” Yolani shouted.

The turret began unleashing a relentless barrage, firing a bolt every few seconds.

The men along the crenulations suddenly shouted, alerting everyone to the enemy on the ground.

Rifle fire erupted from the wall as the guards on the roof and in the rooms below opened fire through the windows.

Enemy mages retaliated with magic bolts, but the arcane barrier surrounding the Tower effectively blocked their attacks.

Yolani rushed to assess the situation, her heart pounding as she took in the scene below.

The concentrated fire from the Tower forced the enemy soldiers to seek cover up the street, but their sheer numbers allowed them to push forward despite the growing number of casualties.

They needed the machine gun.