In the northern hemisphere, the beastmen and draconians attacked the Divine Kingdom. The beastmen besieged it from the north while the draconians bombarded the south. The winged human's mana barrier was holding up for now, but it would soon fall apart.
The draconians were using twenty cannons that fired fireballs of dark red mana. The balls looked like magma as it splashed against the barrier. The bluish-white shield started to flicker in the south about to give away.
The north wasn't fairing much better. The beastmen had an artifact that could breach huge barriers. The commander of the beastmen was using it slice a breach to allow the beastmen to attack by foot. The Angel Corp was fighting the beastmen out in the field. Many low leveled warrior bodies plastered the ground.
The Storm Sect went south to defend it for when the barrier collapsed. Hiro and Alice acted as the commander for the fighters at Shattering and below. Hiro recently broke through into the first level of Shattering. His technique and mana power had increased by several folds since fighting with Leo.
A woman in a dark battle dress walked up next to Hiro and shot Alice an ugly look. Her golden-locks were tied up with a dagger holding it in place. She looked ready for war.
"Lucy, you joining the Storm Sect for this battle?" Hiro was wondering why she was joining them and not her men apart of the Angel Corps.
"I'm more familiar with the draconian's fighting style."
"Oh...that is right." Hiro looked at her and sighed.
After the fight with Leo, Hiro had a hard time accepting his loss. Talking with Lucy and discovering what happened to Leo, Hiro kind of understood the hardships he had to cross to get to his current level. Hiro also learned of the battle to save Shadow, rescuing of the Golem race, and the draconian attack. Deep down, Hiro finally came to terms with it, and this revelation allowed him to step into the first stage of Shattering.
"So glad for you to join us, Lucy," Alice said with a smile.
Lucy ignored her and focused on the enemy to the south. Looking carefully at the ships she noticed the ships looked different than the ones that attacked Machu Pichu.
"Hiro, are those new ships created by the draconians?"
Hiro looked through the barrier at the airships attacking, and something felt familiar to him. The ship's designs looked like the one that attacked him and Leo. "Are they the ones that kidnapped my men?" Hiro's mana started to crackle around him. "They are disguising themselves as draconians can causing us to fight each other."
"Hiro, what do you mean?"
"Alice, I need to inform Paziel of something important. Can you command the warriors without me?"
"Of course," Alice responded confidently.
Hiro nodded his head and looked at Lucy. "Don't kill each other, and be careful. Those are not draconians." Hiro disappeared using his movement technique towards Paziel airship.
Lucy understood that this force must be the ones behind the attacks and bombing in Lankani City. "They are the reason my father died."
Lucy had advanced to Late Core Builder a while back. Since coming to the Divine Kingdom, she mostly focused on cultivation and establishing an information network to gather intelligence. Several elemental mana started to twirl around Lucy.
Alice looked at her and then back forward. She didn't like her, but she did respect her strength as a Paragon warrior. Watching her and Hiro spar made her realize that if Lucy's level was a bit higher than even she wouldn't stand a chance against her.
The bombardment started to destroy the barrier faster than it could repair itself. Even with Paizel and Storm Sect's leader providing mana, the barrier popped, and the entire kingdom was vulnerable.
"Storm Sect attack!" Shouted Alice.
The disciples flew forward on aircrafts at the draconian fleet. Channeling mana into blasters, the created particle beam penetrated the enemies defenses destroying a few of the smaller ship. Many draconians leaped from their vessels to attack the incoming force. The draconians had the advantage in numbers as it was two to every one human.
Using wind mana to propel herself forward, Lucy flew at the enemy. Alice was surprised at her control over wind element that rivaled her own. She leaped up and flew after Lucy.
The two women flew towards the first battleship and landed on the bow. Lucy quickly attacked all the men on board. Men struck by her death mana withered away, revealing their true form as purple humanoids.
Seeing his men die before him, the commander of the draconian army sent three Avatar warriors to deal with Lucy and Alice. The three men leaped to front ship until a thunderbolt struck the three of them.
Alice looked back with admiration. "Master."
The Storm Sect's leader finally joined the fray. Charmeine followed by Relthe and Hiro, attacked the ship obliterating it.
"Relthe you take over command. Hiro and Alice, support him. I will fight the commander." Charmeine flew towards the commander when a flame attack was launched at her. Brandishing her spear, she sliced through the flames like butter.
"Hiro take Lucy to the right flank. Alice, you handle the left flank." Relthe issued his orders, and the three of them leaped off the ship to execute. Lucy knew this wasn't a time to argue, so she just followed Hiro to the right flank.
Most of the enemy soldiers in the right flank were Mana Fighters and Core Builders. The Storm Sect disciples were mostly Mana Fighters. With them outnumbered and out leveled the Storm Sect was losing the battle of attrition.
Lucy landed from flying over and unleashed Queen's Hell Fire burning about 20 enemy soldiers killing all of those not at the Core Builder level. She followed up with Queen's Storming Fury to fry those still clinging onto life.
"Men, focus on the human female!" Shouted a draconian captain.
The draconians, in the immediate area, disengaged with their opponents to fire an attack at Lucy. With several fire blasts heading her way, Lucy gave off an imposing aura. Smiling, she released a Water Art: Auqa Sphere and a Wind Barrier simultaneously. The flames extinguished upon smashing into the wind and rain whipping around Lucy.
Lucy struck out with Lucifer's Spear, causing her barriers to form a gust of wind and water blasting those in the direction of her spear tip. Using her movement technique, she closed the distance between her and the draconians stabbing several of them with her spear. Each soldier pierced by the polearm would die minutes later by the death mana ravaging their bodies.
Hiro arrived and finished off the ones on the outskirts. His katana slashed many of foes in half before they could even react. With Hiro and Lucy joining the right flank, the battle momentum changed dramatically.
"Cale! Tell all the wounded to retreat behind the walls." A Storm Sect disciple turned around and acknowledged Hiro's order.
Hiro and Lucy became a two-person demolition machine. Unless a Shattering or Avatar warrior arrived soon, they would defeat the entire right flank themselves.
Blood and dirt covered Lucy's battle dress, but she wasn't even tired yet. It was almost like she became another person with her eyes becoming a grey-misty color from the standard crystal blue color. Then her locket around her neck had a faint death aura on it.
Inside of Lucy's mind, "Lilith! Why have you emerged? You are not allowed to have my body yet."
An old but elegant voice resounded in her head, "I know, I'm just lending you a taste of the power we could have together."
"I don't need your power." Lucy retorted back.
An Avatar warrior arrived in the area and released his Dragon Art: Dragon Inferno. A giant blast of flames flew towards Lucy.
"You do need me." The voice responded condescendingly. Black mana rushed out from Lucy and devoured the incoming attack. Lucy fell to one knee, for releasing that much power in one go, and breathing heavily.
A concerned tone of voice asked, "Lucy! Lucy, you ok?"
Lucy looked over at Hiro running over, and responded, "Yeah, I just need to rest."
Hiro faced off with the Avatar warrior on the aircraft. Could he, a 1st Shattering warrior, defeat an early Avatar warrior?