[Chapter 200]
[A Matter of Moments(4)]
Operation A∩B proposed by Jung Ha-yang.
When she first proposed it, the commanders' reactions were curious but hesitant to accept.
The risk they had to bear was too great to carry out the operation relying on her idea.
But the situation was the situation.
The urgently flowing battle situation had now become one where they had to take risks to turn it around.
Still, it's better than our platoon moving with the crazy squid's platoon.
There wasn't much choice either.
But it was worth a try.
Eun-ha, who heard the operation, decided to follow it.
"Bae Su-bin, Jo A-ra, Kaede."
The players were being pushed back by Cobalt Knight.
Ryu Yeon-hwa was performing brilliantly, but even she couldn't protect everyone inside the domain.
At least
Eun-ha, looking down at the battlefield, instructed his clan members fighting with him in the air.
"We'll be the center in luring Cobalt Knight."
"Roger, better than just staying like this."
"Okay, I'll try my best."
"Got it, I'll do that then."
The three responded.
They seemed to have each received the message.
Long explanations weren't necessary.
Leaving the monsters flying around the night sky to others.
The four lowered their altitude and approached it.
─Whoosh!
It noticed their approach.
Perhaps it had raised its senses after being attacked from the air a few times, it launched magic flying around it.
Magic reminiscent of blades.
Dozens of blades flew in.
The trajectories of the blades weren't constant.
It shouldn't be seen as a simple launcher.
The blades were formed according to its will.
Blast Counter
Eun-ha immediately countered.
He, who headed down before others, swung his sword in the air.
The mana dissolved in the air from the battles so far was stimulated and exploded.
Whoosh!
Blades sprang out from the explosion.
Then the wings of flame inflated their power and burned the blades.
He didn't worry much about the blades that passed through overcoming the flames.
Because he believed the rest of the clan members would handle it.
Distorted Wind
Sure enough.
Bae Su-bin raised wind.
Even the blades flying under the corps commander's orders couldn't overcome the wind.
Meanwhile, Kaede aimed her arrow.
─Eye of the Storm
With Bae Su-bin's magic added.
The arrow that absorbed the residual wind made a sound like an angry beast.
She released the bowstring.
The arrow containing a storm flew towards the corps commander.
I am the guardian of this land.
It blocked the attack with a barrier.
But Eun-ha and his clan members achieved their goal.
They drew its aggro.
Its visor flashed.
"I'll lower the altitude more from now on, so everyone be careful."
Lure the corps commander like this.
Just then, players on the ground were also clearing a path.
Kang Si-hyeong, Ariel, and other players also drew the corps commander's aggro.
At this, Eun-ha became bolder.
He lowered the altitude to a height where its hand couldn't reach.
─Other people are preparing to restrain it while secretly following behind.
I need to keep its attention from turning to those people.
Blades fly here and there.
He watches people moving while hiding their presence, avoiding the blades rampaging without rules.
They were organizing ropes and chains, and moving to designated locations.
Snipers were retrieving their sniper rifles and finding new sniping locations.
He had to give them time to prepare.
So Eun-ha lingered annoyingly in the corps commander's sight.
Whoosh!
He snapped his fingers.
It was to illuminate the night and hide players with flames.
The excited monster didn't seem to notice Eun-ha's intention at all.
Rather, it kept moving to try to catch him who couldn't be caught even if it tried.
Spark Blast
...Meteor
Thanks to this, Bae Su-bin and Jo A-ra could buy time to cast.
Bae Su-bin, who fearlessly approached even the back of its head, immediately launched magic.
Jo A-ra didn't miss that moment either.
─Boom boom boom boom!!
The attack hit directly.
The corps commander couldn't block the bombardment that fell from right nearby.
It was driven into the ground.
Blast Cross
Eye of the Storm
An unexpected opportunity arose.
Eun-ha and Kaede responded quickly, and other players joined in.
The blades flying around it had disappeared from the bombardment just now.
It must have been dazed from the unexpected attack.
It was then─.
─I am the guardian of this sky.
It regained its senses.
A blue sphere surrounded it.
It stood up after defending against the pouring attacks.
"Damn..."
Someone clicked their tongue.
Eun-ha felt the same.
It spread its wings.
Suddenly a ring of light appeared behind its back, and four pairs of wings sprouted from the rim.
What that meant.
And the thought it sent right after.
There was only one thing it indicated.
Sealing of magic in the air.
I am the guardian of this sky.
I do not forgive intruders.
It took flight.
The first person it aimed for was Jo A-ra.
"...!!"
Jo A-ra hurriedly chanted magic.
The fireball she reflexively created had no effect on it.
The fireball passed right through its body and fell to the ground.
Bewilderment settled on her face.
"W-wait, what is thi--!!"
Kaede shoots an arrow.
Bae Su-bin deploys magic.
The support of the two was meaningless.
The arrow made of mana and magic futilely passed through it.
"─Release Levitation!!"
"...Kyaaah!!"
Just before Cobalt Knight's sword touched her.
What saved her, whose thoughts were momentarily paralyzed, was Eun-ha's voice.
She released the magic that was making her fly in the sky.
"Kyaaaaaaah!!"
The sword grazed her hair.
Jo A-ra, who could no longer fly in the sky, screamed as she fell.
She flailed her arms and legs.
A gesture as if trying to grasp at straws.
But there was nothing to grab.
Soon she loses consciousness.
Right at that moment─.
─Phantasmal Beast Transformation
Phoenix Wings
Eun-ha snatched her.
Eun-ha, who caught her as she fell, immediately deflected the incoming blades with his sword.
Hamper Wave
Damn it.
Even jamming doesn't work.
It must be the monster's characteristic.
Moreover, the support from Bae Su-bin and Kaede was of no help.
"Hold on tight."
"...Ah, okay..."
By then Jo A-ra had grasped the situation and meekly answered.
She gritted her teeth.
Eun-ha also gritted his teeth.
Whoosh!!
Vertical ascent.
Blades chase from behind.
Eun-ha left control to Buldak and struggled to keep his eyes open against the rushing wind.
Whoosh!!
It's no use flying high.
Moreover, the blades were now shooting out magic on their own.
A small beam grazed his cheek.
Eun-ha tightly hugged Jo A-ra and communicated with Buldak through their pass.
Alright, I'll leave it to you.
Mana rapidly drains out.
Buldak took it.
Soon Buldak uses the mana as fuel to increase speed.
Whoosh!
It accelerates.
It rises upward at a speed the chasing blades can't keep up with.
Midway, his breath catches.
The air was thin.
Surely Jo A-ra in his arms must be having an even harder time breathing.
He heard her groaning.
But that was only for a moment─.
─Whoosh!
His vision flipped.
Buldak, who had soared high into the sky, suddenly folded its wings completely.
His body flipped.
Falling downwards.
His head points down.
Conversely, the blades chasing Eun-ha were heading towards the position Eun-ha had just reached.
They lost their rear.
The wings of flame spread again.
Blast Cross
Then there was only one thing to do.
Left hand, Winter Crawling on Snow.
He hit the blades trying to change direction with magic compressed twice with mana.
Boom!!
An explosion erupted.
The blades were annihilated.
At this, Eun-ha immediately changed direction and headed towards the corps commander that was blocking attacks surging from the ground.
"Ara."
"Huh...? What!? I can't hear well!"
"I haven't said anything yet."
Eun-ha spoke to Jo A-ra who had her eyes closed in his arms.
But she didn't seem to hear well because of the wind noise.
It didn't matter.
"─I'm going to drop you. Just so you know."
"What did you say!? Say it again!!"
"I said I'm going to drop you!!"
"...What?"
Whether she heard or not.
Eun-ha abandoned Jo A-ra.
Jo A-ra, freed from his arms, fell from the sky again.
"Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!! Noh Euuuuun-haaaaaaaaaaa...!!"
As if a villain was dying.
A resentful cry echoed.
Her ivory hair grew smaller and smaller, becoming a dot in Eun-ha's vision before disappearing from sight.
─Witch's Broom
And in place of Eun-ha.
Bae Su-bin moved.
Eun-ha had contacted Jin Seo-na beforehand through The Lovers' Whisper, and Jin Seo-na had contacted Bae Su-bin.
She, gripping the broom tightly with both hands, barely caught Jo A-ra as she fell.
"Geez.... Ara, now you know how much humiliation I suffered under that guy?"
"N-Noh Eun-ha.... Ugh.... P-p-ple-please...."
☆
Meanwhile, at that time.
Eun-ha, who had boldly abandoned Jo A-ra, was fighting Cobalt Knight again.
Whoosh!!
Magic pours in.
Eun-ha folded his wings.
He flies towards the corps commander while dodging the rampaging magic here and there.
Conversion Necklace
Soon he infused mana into the necklace.
The incoming magic converted to mana and fluttered.
Eun-ha put strength into the sword in his hand.
Two blades contained light.
Dunning Blade
Dazzling light flashed.
The light cleanly seeped into the blades as if it had always been there.
─Hanmae Style
Ice Rink
And just then.
Ryu Yeon-hwa came to support.
Her eyes met Eun-ha's as she rode up on a path made of ice.
One?
Two.
Timing with their eyes.
The two counted to three simultaneously and attacked the corps commander.
──!!
Eun-ha's sword tore one of the corps commander's wings.
But it was just a wing made of magic.
It would create wings again.
But that was fine.
Eun-ha struck the side of the monster that had lost balance in the air with a powerful sword strike.
Its armor shattered.
Unable to withstand the impact, it staggered and fell downwards.
─Whoosh!!
It responds.
Even faster.
Ryu Yeon-hwa jumped off the ice path and thrust her spear at the falling monster.
Hanmae Style
Waterfall
An ice waterfall created in the sky.
The stream of water starting from the spear tip freezes, drawing a vertical trajectory.
I am... this sky....
It struggles.
It tried to respond with magic while gripping the spear with both hands.
Hamper Wave
I won't let you.
Eun-ha activated jamming at that moment, thwarting its magic.
The ground was approaching.
Tap
Ryu Yeon-hwa, who had been stepping on the corps commander's stomach until then, used that stomach as a foothold and leapt up.
Eun-ha grabbed her waist and maintained altitude.
"Are you hurt anywhere?"
"No. Are you okay?"
"I'm not okay, but I have to be."
"...Want a potion?"
"I have plenty of potions too. You drink it, noona."
"Okay."
The two looked down at the ground.
The corps commander had crashed, destroying a building and deeply gouging the ground.
The dust storm was long.
Players hurriedly shone lights, trying to confirm whether the corps commander was alive or dead.
─I am the guardian of this land.
Of course, the corps commander was alive.
It appeared from the dust storm, standing up with its armor in tatters.
It waved its hand.
It retrieved its sword that had been buried somewhere and tried to cast magic on the players swarming around.
Whoosh!!
Blades increased in number compared to before.
It was truly persistent.
Conversely, it could be said to be in a dangerous state on the verge of death.
Its health was also nearly depleted.
In the midst of this─.
─Whoosh!!
A rain of blades poured down.
The dealers who had entered its domain flinched.
And that was the end.
...?
The blades made of mana ridiculously passed through the dealers' bodies.
It showed bewilderment for the first time.
On the other hand, smiles appeared on the faces of players who confirmed the situation.
"─Ha-yang's thought was right. Looks like they're affected too?"
"Yeah, that worked out well."
While engaging with Eun-ha.
It had unknowingly arrived at the location players had lured it to.
Just now, Ryu Yeon-hwa had dropped it at the exact position.
In other words─.
[─The 2nd Supply Platoon reports. Players in charge of subjugating the corps commanders will enter the point where the two corps commanders' domains meet.]
Crimson Knight's domain.
Cobalt Knight's domain.
Where the two corps commanders' domains intersect, neither magic nor physical attacks work.
Even if they attack that domain, people inside take no damage.
Conversely─.
─Heaven's Net
Flash Rain
Diamond Blast
Tyrant Paddock
Blade Needle
People in the area where the two domains intersect can deal damage to the one in the blue domain.
[From now on, we will attack both corps commanders at once! Those who can make physical attacks mediated by devices will attack Cobalt Knight, those specializing in magic attacks will attack Crimson Knight! Guardians and rangers will restrain the two corps commanders, and snipers will stand by positioned outside the domain! This was telepathist Jin Seo-na.]
☆
At that time.
Hoshimiya Kaede was floating in the air looking down below.
Players were attacking the corps commanders with lively faces.
"Phew...."
Looking at that scene.
Hoshimiya Kaede pulled an arrow from her quiver.
She nocked the arrow.
The attack just now didn't work.
But now it will be different.
Unlike the players, she was currently in Cobalt Knight's domain.
In a situation where magic effects were completely nullified even in the air, only magic mediated by devices would work to attack it.
Unfortunately, the bow in her hand belonged to devices, but the arrow made of mana belonged to magic.
So this time, she decided to imbue magic into the arrow.
"It's been a while since I shot a real arrow."
Arrows were cumbersome to carry around.
They were consumables.
So she usually used arrows made of mana in battle.
She didn't carry arrows often.
She didn't expect to use the arrows she brought just in case while preparing for the Uijeongbu Recapture War.
Meteor Shower
She imbued magic into the arrow made by Byeok Hae-su.
Light gathered at the arrowhead tip.
She shot that arrow into the sky.
The arrow, fully imbued with light, caused an intense explosion sound.
It was enough to momentarily draw the attention of people fighting on the ground to the night sky.
To people, that light reminded them of Venus, occasionally visible before the sun rises in the east.
Whoosh!!
Soon that Venus split into tens, hundreds, thousands of fragments and fell.
It was the birth of an archer who brings down stars.
The light arrows rained down on the battlefield, causing explosions wherever they landed. Players on the ground cheered as they saw the corps commanders being bombarded from above.
Meanwhile, Eun-ha and Ryu Yeon-hwa continued their assault on Cobalt Knight. With its flying ability hindered, the corps commander was struggling to defend against attacks from both air and ground.
"Now's our chance!" Eun-ha shouted. "Everyone, focus your attacks!"
Players coordinated their efforts, with physical attackers targeting Cobalt Knight and magic users concentrating on Crimson Knight. The two corps commanders, caught in the intersection of their own domains where their abilities were nullified, found themselves in an increasingly desperate situation.
As the battle raged on, Jung Ha-yang continued to direct operations from the command center. Her strategy was working, but she knew they couldn't let up.
"Keep the pressure on both targets," she instructed through telepathy. "Don't let them regroup or escape the intersection zone."
The night sky lit up with constant flashes of magic and explosions as the recapture team pressed their advantage. After hours of grueling combat, it seemed victory might finally be within reach.
But even as hope grew, Jung Ha-yang remained vigilant. She knew the battle was far from over, and somewhere out there, other threats still lurked. The fate of Uijeongbu - and perhaps all of Korea - hung in the balance as the epic clash continued.