The Ylfaen empire was currently in disarray.
It did not help that those factions, who adopted a waiting game while they observed the 'secret war' between the Royal Family and the major factions in the empire, revealed what they knew of the current situation.
Soon, the supposed 'secret war' was out in the open, and the citizens were afraid.
They feared the war between the Royal Family and the major factions would soon spread and affect them.
Most small and medium factions took advantage of the citizen's unrest to recruit and offer protection in return for their fealty. Some even took the opportunity to sell their stock resources to the army after learning that most of their warehouses were sabotaged.
By then, they were convinced that one of the major factions sent the people who destroyed the army's warehouse supplies.
There were even rumors spreading that the three major factions— Aureole, The Conclave and the Templar Code had joined forces to oust the Royal Family and the Army. Soon, the Three Noble Families also joined, and both sides were at an impasse.
Meanwhile, the attack on four different locations was reaching its climax.
In Noser, after confirming Nolan replaced Azaloth as the new Sovereign of the Human plane, which stopped the threat of the invasion of other Sovereigns, Anette and Ezra made a drastic decision to end the battle so they could assist their allies.
Now that they were aware of the situation of the Spirits and why they could not provide an up-to-date report of their allies' situation, Anette and Ezra deemed it expedient they go and provide help.
For the matter in Ravenpass, at first, Zephyr and Kyran's beast Sigils were supposed to go there. But knowing White Lily was there and she could keep the Crown Princess busy, they decided it best to help their allies first and regroup. After which, they would all go to Ravenpass and maybe wage the start of the 'final battle' there.
Of course, the latter would only be possible if Kyran returned.
With this in mind, Zephyr personally led the attack against Ane.
Ane possessed Wind magic and was an Archmagus. But Zephyr was not afraid of her because his Air magic was far superior to hers. Although his level was inferior, he was a Quilin— a legendary beast that possessed real Dragon bloodline albeit half.
Besides, after becoming Kyran's Sigil and being saved by him from certain death from Gael's perverse attack, Zephyr was enlightened. The reason he did not awaken as soon as he was healed was that he was slowly accumulating all the experiences he went through.
After waking up, Zephyr felt he was far stronger than before.
If Anette and True Void had not stopped him from confronting Ane earlier, he felt he had long put the latter in her place.
Zephyr did not need any strategy to deal with Ane. As soon as he left the safety of the Spirits' barrier, he revealed his real form and unleashed his magic aura.
Ane and the Grand Masters with her were shocked after seeing a young boy turned into a huge Quilin.
Among them, only a selected had read about the report about how the Templar Code suffered at the hands of a mutated Quilin.
Looking at the Quilin before them, Ane and the rest of the leaders among the Grand Masters were convinced that he was the same one from that incident.
'According to the report, the most outstanding Elite member of the Templar Code died because of that incident. But the one who killed her was not this Quilin but the one who saved it,' Ane analyzed the information in her head silently.
'But now that we know the Templar Code had joined hands with the new Dark Sage, it is unknown if their report is true.'
Ane shook her head and put the matter of the Templar Code's insidiousness aside.
'Deal with this beast first, and then find out where the Templar Code is hiding!' Ane thought before hovering forward to confront the Quilin.
HIIISS!
Bas and Iss hissed at Zephyr from behind the barrier. They were asking the latter permission to help in subduing their enemies. Manti and Mera also paced about as if itching to go out of the barrier and continue disposing of the Grand Masters with Ane.
"It's okay. All of you had been working since earlier," Zephyr told them. "Rest up and replenish your magic energies. When Master returns, he will need us."
Hearing his words, the four legendary beasts were pacified a little. Nevertheless, they still felt a little listless.
When Zephyr spoke to the four, he had not taken his sight off Ane.
By then, Ane was only fifty meters away and did not intend to stop. She continued forward, and her magic aura rose.
Ezra and most people behind the Spirit barrier felt their hearts palpitate from Ane's magic aura. Ane had been leading the attack since the start, and she only stopped after White Lily's amplified voice shook the empire. Ezra and the others initially thought Ane was already nearing her limit. But they did not see her take any potion or pills to replenish her magic energy, yet her magic aura remained overwhelming.
Zephyr did not react when Ane's magic aura swept past him.
It was not because he looked down on her, but Zephyr sensed Ane's magic was not as powerful as it was when she first started assisting the bombardment of the Grand Masters with her. Nevertheless, there was an obvious change in her temperament.
'I see,' Zephyr thought and sneered. 'Earlier, she has focused on using her magic to amplify the fire magic attacks from those mages with her. But now, it seems, she plans to use her magic offensively.'
What Zephyr guessed was correct. Ane did not want to disrupt the bombardment made by the mages with her. Thus, she decided to act as a support. Besides, compared to her Wind magic, she believed Fire magic would be more effective against the Spirits barrier. With the amplification of the wind, the flames they produced were even more devastating.
Unfortunately, she failed to grasp the extent of the Spirit barrier. She admitted underestimating the means of these people.
But that was no longer the case.
To prevent sacrificing the Grand Masters with her, Ane ordered them to retreat and to stand by. After that, she told them to wait for her signal before they commenced attacking.
When the Grand Masters heard her command, they immediately retreated. It did not take long for them to understand Ane's intention.
She planned to deal with the Spirits barrier by herself.
"I will give you another chance," Ane started. Using her magic, her serene voice fleeted in the wind and was clearly heard by everyone below.
"Surrender, or don't blame me for being rude."
"Says the person who had been rude from the start," Zephyr replied with a snort. "Don't bother talking, little girl."
Without waiting for Ane to react, Zephyr had already moved.
His whole body emitted an ominous aura as his horn glowed. After that, the air crackled around them, and the magic fluctuation in the surroundings increased.
Several orbs circled Zephyr once before they all went after Ane. Concentrated energy beams shot out from the orbs and went after Ane. At the same time, Zephyr's horn crackled as a dark purple and black concentrated magic energy formed just above it.
Ane was initially taken aback by Zephyr's sudden movement. Nevertheless, she was an Archmagus with several years of battle experience. Before Zephyr's horn glowed, Ane also moved.
Huge wind spears appeared behind her and flew straight at Zephyr.
Just as everyone thought Ane's attack would interrupt Zephyr from accumulating enough momentum for his horn's concentrated magic energy attack, he roared and released the attack, meeting Ane's wind spears.
BOOM!
Both attacks collided, followed by a powerful explosion.
*
Meanwhile, Eoin and the remaining Courtenay and Lumley family members continued to resist the attack in the Lumley Family's Ancestral Hall.
Since they succeeded in helping the Lumley Famiy's fastest mage and a Courtenay Family Array Specialist escape, Eoin and the rest's next move was to endure until help arrived.
Outside, the two mages were busy escaping from the pursuit of two Grand Masters.
The Lumley mage was also a Grand Master, but he had no plans of engaging the two Grand Masters after them. In the first place, he was a support mage, and he was fast because of his innate magic: Speed.
He cast a supportive spell on himself and the Courtenay Array Specialist using his magic, while the latter threw magic items with array formations to attack their pursuers.
"We are near the edge of the range of the jamming spell," the Courtenay mage told the Lumley mage.
"Alright. Let me know when we arrive, and I'll draw their attention while you work on sending a message."
"Okay."
*
In the Tower of Conclave, Osric initially felt agitated after White Lily's intervention and the birth of a new Human plane's Sovereign.
But all of it was replaced with exhilaration after suddenly receiving a message.
A message that came from Lira.
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