Lucius rose from his sofa, drawing his favorite sword, complete with its scabbard, and fastened it to his right side. Observing this, Emilia couldn't help but wonder if Lucius intended to engage directly in battle. She inquired with a gentle and respectful tone, "Are you planning to fight on the front lines, young master?"
"Of course," Lucius replied, nodding slightly as he shifted his gaze towards Emilia, affirming positively. "Why should I remain idle when the enemy openly targets my possessions?" His expression turned grim, and his voice took on a cold, weighty tone as he continued, "I will ensure they fully comprehend what true hell is on the battlefield."
Celestia smiled proudly and interjected with unwavering confidence, "Don't worry, Emilia. Lucius is more than capable of annihilating them all." Her words were laced with absolute certainty, devoid of any doubt.
As she stood up from the sofa, Eleonora expressed her desire to accompany Lucius into battle. With a glance at her mother, Liora, she received approval through a simple nod.
Liora grinned with satisfaction, imagining her daughter's eagerness to tear through the enemy ranks, recalling how fervent Eleonora became amidst the chaos of war. Nonetheless, as a formality, Liora reminded Eleonora not to obstruct or disrupt Emilia's plans and operations on the battlefield.
With their farewells offered, they were about to depart when Lucius was suddenly detained by Cryselia, who clutched his right arm tightly.
Cryselia pursed her lips in frustration, feeling neglected by her beloved Daddy for not inviting her along. She sulkily pleaded to join Lucius in the battle, but Lucius firmly refused. His primary goal was to protect Cryselia, making it inappropriate to involve the young girl in warfare.
"No, I want to go with Daddy!" Cryselia pouted even more, clinging affectionately to Lucius, unwilling to let him leave her behind.
Cryselia found it unbearable to be separated from Lucius for even a moment. To her, being close to him was a source of inner peace she couldn't ignore. Initially puzzled by this feeling, she eventually realized that Lucius was her sole emotional anchor, an attachment she could not overlook.
This time, Isolde played a pivotal role in convincing Lucius to take Cryselia along with him. After all, there would be no harm in letting the young girl experience the thrill of the battlefield. Such exposure could fortify her mentality for the conflicts she might face in the future.
With understanding from one of her mothers, Cryselia flashed a sweet smile at Isolde, expressing her gratitude with eyes that were at once innocent and charming.
"Hehehe—see, Daddy? Even Mama Isolde supports me. So please, take me with you," Cryselia pleaded with a bright smile, her voice brimming with enthusiasm as she awaited a positive response from her father.
With a resigned sigh and an expression of helplessness, Lucius reluctantly agreed to Cryselia's request. However, he issued a stern warning for her to stay close and not act recklessly during the battle.
Without hesitation, Cryselia eagerly nodded in agreement, her head bobbing with enthusiasm.
As they walked out, Cryselia clasped her arms around Lucius's, unwilling to let go, fearing he might renege on his promise. Observing her childish behavior, Lucius could only sigh deeply, gently patting her head with affection.
'Though her body is mature, her emotions and personality are still akin to that of a little girl,' Lucius mused, casting a warm smile at Cryselia.
Upon exiting the bungalow area, Cryselia transformed into her Phoenix frostfire form, carrying Lucius, Eleonora, and Emilia on her back as they headed towards the naval aircraft carrier.
"By the way, young master, were you the one who sent meteors towards my fleet?" Emilia inquired, her smile hinting at a subtle danger.
Hearing this question, Lucius was taken aback, realizing his oversight in not apologizing earlier.
Scratching his head, Lucius expressed his remorse with a tone full of contrition. "I apologize, Miss Emilia. I mistakenly thought your fleet was an enemy force, and thus, I attacked with certainty."
"Hah—well, never mind, it's all in the past now," Emilia sighed, waving her hand dismissively, unwilling to dwell further on the subject.
In the span of five minutes, they finally arrived a few hundred meters above the aircraft carrier. Given Cryselia's colossal size, which was dozens of times larger than the carrier itself, the four of them had no choice but to make a free-fall descent from the sky.
However, Lucius took the initiative to activate the Aura of Empyrean Dominator, creating an absolute domain around the bodies of the three women beside him. He manipulated the gravitational field surrounding them, allowing for a gentle landing onto the aircraft carrier.
Upon reaching the surface, they were greeted by several mid-ranking officers. One of the officers, a silver-haired woman, stepped forward to greet Emilia in a more familiar manner.
"Lysandra, what is the overall situation?" Emilia bypassed the pleasantries, immediately inquiring about comprehensive information regarding the latest developments in the enemy's movements.
"Admiral, the enemy possesses a single aircraft carrier and a total of 120 warships. Their air combat capabilities are significant as well. We've identified hundreds of Astonishing-class sorcerers, dozens of Superb-class sorcerers, and two Superlative-class sorcerers through our sensory units. Information on Supreme-class sorcerers remains unattainable," reported Lysandra, a young silver-haired woman who serves as a junior officer and aide to Emilia. She meticulously detailed the intelligence, ensuring no crucial points were omitted.
Emilia nodded in satisfaction upon receiving the new information. "Excellent. In that case, let's commence the battle by initiating an offensive strike," she declared, a sly grin spreading across her face as she voiced her intent.
Lucius, who had been attentively listening, nodded in agreement with Emilia's strategy. He then volunteered to lead the initial assault on the enemy fleet.
Emilia readily accepted Lucius's proposal without the slightest hesitation, which left the surrounding junior officers somewhat perplexed. However, given the absolute nature of an admiral's decision, none dared to challenge or protest it.
"Eleonora, Cryselia. Wait here for a moment; I shall return shortly," Lucius stated in a neutral tone, as he harnessed a considerable amount of aura energy, enveloping his entire body.
The officers felt their hair stand on end, overwhelmed by Lucius's formidable power, and involuntarily stepped back a few paces, awestruck by the intense pressure.
Without awaiting a response, Lucius activated his Aura of Empowerment. He then shot into the sky at light speed, accelerating freely towards the enemy fleet.
In mere nanoseconds, he arrived above the adversary's combat fleet, hovering several thousand feet in the air. Lucius unsheathed his sword, raising it above his head. The blade glowed with a destructive violet aura, illuminating a vast area.
Almost every enemy soldier sensed the anomaly in the sky, instinctively looking up, only to be blinded by the brilliance.
Swinging his sword downward, Lucius shouted the name of his attack with a booming voice, "Hydra!"
A colossal aura-based violet serpent surged towards the enemy fleet at lightning speed. As it advanced, dozens of additional serpent heads sprouted from the main body, each one precisely targeting the foremost warships.
The violet aura serpent struck each warship with colossal force, resulting in massive explosions and total annihilation with each hit. Simultaneously, 65 warships were utterly destroyed, along with their crews and soldiers onboard.
Thick, black smoke billowed skyward, while blazing red flames engulfed the remnants of the warships still afloat on the ocean's surface.
The opening strike was successfully executed, heralding the beginning of an unrelenting war.