Chapter 465: The Abyss Unleashed (2)
On that freezing night, As snow and rain took turns falling from the heavens...
The Imperial Fleet neared its destination ..
A fact we confirmed the moment a thick fog swallowed the entire fleet.
That fog was a signature of Shezclar Bay, the gateway to Ultras territory.
Entering it meant only one thing:
We had arrived.
Standing at the bow of the lead ship,
We all gathered behind Bloodmader,
Who stared silently into the horizon with his empty white eyes.
The silence was eerie ..
Beyond the creaking wood and crashing waves, No one dared make a sound.
It was a moment of pure tension and focus.
A strange phenomenon, As ten thousand men fell into perfect silence at once.
We were now officially within enemy land.
Everyone knew...
This calm wouldn’t last long.
Slowly, I clenched my fist, Feeling a violet light begin to swirl within my eyes.
I could sense them.
And so could every warrior on this ship.
The enemy.
Hundreds—no, thousands—of auras closing in around us.
They were close.
Very close.
But the thick fog still kept them hidden.
"They’re right in front of us, but we can’t see a thing."
Bloodmader turned to us,
Nodding toward a certain person.
"Do it, Snow Lionheart.
Light up this world once more ..
Reveal the enemies lurking behind this veil of fog."
With a heavy breath, The crowned hero stepped forward.
Behind him stood Saintess Yorasha.
"I’ll support you."
"Thank you."
Their words carried weight ..
A clear sign that a deep bond had formed between them during Snow’s months of training in the Church.
Channeling her holy power, Yorasha poured her aura into Snow’s body.
In turn, Snow summoned Vermithor,
Unleashing the explosive energy that fused his aura with the saintess’s divine force.
Manipulating the elements bent to his will,
He moved the thick fog surrounding us with surreal ease .. As if it were part of him.
Across a radius of over twenty kilometers,
Snow drew in all the fog ..
A breathtaking sight that left everyone stunned, Witnessing the ease with which he commanded nature itself.
Then, with the fog absorbed into his power,
Snow raised his sword ..
And fulfilled Bloodmader’s request by lighting up the world once again.
"First Sword: Solar Judgment."
With a single swing of his blade,
Snow reminded the world why he had been chosen as the next hero.
The sky, dark just moments ago, Became flooded with light .. As if dawn had arrived early.
His light pierced through the veil,
Shining directly upon the enemy that had been hiding behind the fog all along.
It took a moment for the Imperial Fleet to grasp what had happened.
They were mesmerized by Snow’s Solar Judgment.
But they quickly snapped back to their senses ...
Once the scene before them became clear.
"They’re here."
Bloodmader’s voice rang out.
And at that exact moment ..
Reality trembled.
Swords were drawn.
Auras exploded.
And battle cries echoed.
The soldiers of the Empire, eyes burning with bloodlust, Prepared themselves for the imminent clash.
And how could they not?
Because finally ..
On the far horizon ..
The enemy had arrived.
Black ships ..dozens, perhaps hundreds lined the horizon on the far end of the sea.
Though we could barely make them out through the distance, it was enough to grasp the scale of what we were about to face.
Their fleet was massive—undeniably larger than ours—and I could sense the auras of several powerful individuals among them. Auras I had already grown familiar with.
But the numbers didn’t matter much. Numbers had never been the deciding factor in war.
"Give the order, Bloodmader."
With eyes glowing purple and killing intent I could no longer suppress, I turned to him .. no, pleaded.
"Give the order and let the bloodbath begin."
Now that I had reached the battlefield I’d long craved, I found it nearly impossible to hold back.
This Aura, this strength I had cultivated over months .. I wanted to know just how far it could take me.
I knew I was still a mere insect compared to those who watched from above. But this moment—this very battle—was the threshold. A chance to glimpse how far I could ascend.
To break my chains, I needed overwhelming power. The kind of strength few ever reach.
Time was against me. And the time I did have... was running out.
But Bloodmader didn’t share my impatience. He raised his hand to halt me and pointed toward something else entirely.
"Not yet... Look carefully at your enemy, Frey Starlight."
Following his gaze, I finally understood what he meant.
To the east, the Imperial fleet. To the west, the fleet of the Ultras.
And in the stretch of sea between them, a platform had been erected .. an ornate stage constructed in the middle of the cursed sea.
The Ultras had sent a signal. The experts of the Empire understood it immediately.
"Before the battle begins... they want to talk? That’s unexpected of them."
Unlike their usual brutality, the Ultras were asking for a meeting between the two sides. We didn’t know why ..but surprisingly, Bloodmader didn’t reject it.
"This is the first time they’ve requested anything like this... since the First War, three centuries ago."
He stroked his beard thoughtfully.
The war was inevitable. No words would change that.
But these kinds of meetings were often used to shake an enemy’s morale .. to make a psychological strike before the real one.
That the Ultras would request such a thing meant they had something prepared.
Bloodmader chose to go himself, bringing only a small force meant to intimidate rather than negotiate.
And just like that, in a matter of minutes, an unspoken agreement delayed the war.
From the Empire’s side...
Bathed in radiant white light, Bloodmader launched himself into the sky, flying toward the platform like a streak of lightning.
Behind him, Snow and I followed.
We were the Empire’s finest talents, our strength eclipsing our peers by far.
That’s why Bloodmader chose us .. for the enemy to see the true face of Imperial might.
We crossed the distance in the blink of an eye and landed with flair upon the solid platform .. only to find them already there.
Three of them... and three of us.