While Gobta was rampaging across the ground without equal, another turning point unfolded high above the battlefield.
It was the front commanded by Gabil—the third unit.
...…
...
…
Following Benimaru's orders, Gabil and his men had moved to support Gobta. If the situation became truly dangerous, they were authorized to shift calmly to Plan B.
In other words, they had been given the same role as Gobta's unit—
Feign distress.
They would continue fighting as if they were being overwhelmed, forcing the enemy to reveal their hidden cards. It was an insane strategy, yet Benimaru had issued it without hesitation. And both Gobta and Gabil had accepted it just as calmly.
If real danger arose, withdrawal was permitted.
—but only after ensuring Gobta's escape as well.
Still, Gabil felt that worrying too much was pointless.
Because despite all his loud complaints, Gobta had been smiling.
That idiot… Gabil thought. He's enjoying this.
Gabil envied that reckless boldness—but in truth, they were alike. Under the right conditions, Gabil wanted nothing more than to tear those airships out of the sky.
Originally, he believed the aerial battle would remain a stalemate. As long as they inflicted damage without going too far, the mission would proceed smoothly.
That assumption proved wrong.
The Empire's airships neutralized magic, blocked wyvern fireballs, and erased Gabil's advantage of one-sided attacks. Momentum shifted sharply in the Empire's favor.
Our goal is to draw their attention… Gabil thought. But if we go all out, we could sink them.
The Hiryuu were his hidden blade. If unleashed, they could absolutely damage the airships.
—but doing so would end the act.
So Gabil waited.
He endured the attacks as ordered.
That created a new problem.
The Wyvern Riders lacked sufficient resistance.
They were elites of the Blue Numbers, but they had not evolved into dragonewts. Their magic resistance was too low. A direct hit from large-scale magic would wipe them out.
"Wyvern Riders, withdraw!" Gabil ordered immediately.
Then he turned to the demoness beside him.
"Ultima-dono, I have a request."
"…What is it?"
"We're continuing the feigned distress. Now we start real acting."
"Acting?" Ultima repeated, amused.
"Yes. If we only run, the enemy won't stop attacking. The best way to sell it is to let the Hiryuu take the brunt of their magic."
Ultima's smile sharpened.
"And your real intention?"
"I've been thinking," Gabil said seriously. "This is an opportunity to gain further resistances. We probably won't die from direct hits. We have plenty of recovery potions. We'll take the attacks, pretend we're badly hurt, and turn it into endurance training."
Ultima burst out laughing.
The soldiers, however, did not.
"General, please reconsider!"
"Gabil-sama, this is incredibly reckless…"
"Is now really the time for this?"
Gabil ignored them completely.
"…Interesting," Ultima said at last. "I'll allow it."
"I appreciate it. Please withdraw for now."
Ultima retreated alongside the Wyvern Riders.
Only Gabil and the Hiryuu remained.
And thus—
Magic endurance training began.
Meanwhile, far away—
Atem watched.
When he understood what was actually happening, even the King of Eterna nearly lost his composure. Severe punishment would come later—though some of those involved had expected that outcome.
Even so, they carried it out.
That recklessness was unmistakably Gabil's influence.
As planned, devastating magic from the airships slammed into the Hiryuu.
...…
...
…
Then—
Gabil heard Atem's voice, carried through authority itself.
‹Enough. Training is over. Begin the purge.›
Gabil straightened instantly.
Though Atem had been concerned, his command was absolute.
Gabil rose with renewed confidence.
"Looks like our weaker troops pulled back in time," he said with a grin. "Good. That means we can finally stop holding back."
His subordinates groaned.
"I'd rather fight properly than keep tanking spells…"
"General Gabil's recklessness strikes again."
Gabil's face reddened.
"Quiet! That's enough! Follow me and show your true power!"
Despite their complaints, the soldiers smirked.
"Yes sir!"
"We obey, General!"
"Let's do this, Gabil-sama!"
Satisfied, Gabil nodded and shouted toward the Imperial fleet.
"I ask you—who rules the sky?!"
"We do—the Hiryuu!"
Their auras sharpened instantly.
"Correct. Those who dare defile our sky must be eradicated. This is the will of Atem-sama. Fight as if this moment decides eternity!"
"Yes sir!"
Then came the real command—
"Do not let your egos be consumed. Dragon Body—activate!"
The Hiryuu moved as one.
Dragon Body—their forbidden power.
A monstrous amplification of strength, gained at the cost of control. If their egos were swallowed, they would become nothing more than beasts of destruction.
This was why it had remained unused.
Even with Midray's training, success rates were low.
—but this was an order from Atem.
They would obey.
"Dragon Mode!"
Power erupted.
Muscles swelled. Purple scales turned jet black, thickening and flexing. Their bodies doubled in size as magicules were devoured and reforged into new combat forms.
Attack power—exploded.
Defense—transcended.
Their former selves were no longer comparable.
The real challenge was control.
And—
They succeeded.
Perfectly.
Now, the Dragon Warriors of Eterna revealed their true might.
"Take them down one by one," Gabil ordered.
"Yes!"
"Then—move!"
The Hiryuu surged forward.
The answer was now obvious.
Who ruled the sky?
Not the Empire.
Not the Air Assault Division.
The dragonewts' Intrinsic Skill Dragon Body rendered magic meaningless. Even Anubis, the Watcher of Fate, would struggle to affect a fully realized Dragon Body.
They were protected by Multilayer Barrier and Natural Effects Nullification, nullifying physical, magical, and natural attacks alike.
The airships' primary magic weapons failed.
Their machine guns couldn't pierce the scales.
Before, the Hiryuu had been A-minus rank.
Now—
They had surpassed A-rank entirely.
They also gained regeneration comparable to Ultraspeed Regeneration, rivaling even greater majins.
The airships, unable to harm them, were doomed.
Gabil laughed wildly.
"I'm going in! Time to show them real slaughter!"
Magicules flooded him.
Though still below Benimaru and Shion, he now rivaled Souei and Geld—and approached the level of former Demon Lords Karion and Frey.
"Vortex Crash!"
A spiraling vortex formed as atmospheric moisture condensed violently. The attack surged through Gabil's spear and pierced an airship outright.
Layer upon layer of magical barriers shattered instantly.
Within seconds, the airship fell from the sky.
The Hiryuu followed.
Barriers broke. Ships were boarded. Imperial personnel were annihilated.
In moments—
The Air Assault Division was erased.
"Gahahahaha!!" Gabil roared. "This is going perfectly! Anyone who hasn't sunk an airship yet—study this!"
Latecomers grimaced.
There were only a hundred airships.
And Gabil was destroying them too fast.
"This won't do!"
"Gabil-sama's on a roll—he won't leave us any prey!"
"That's what happens when the general gets excited!"
Knowing his habits, the Hiryuu rushed in to claim their share.
The roles had completely reversed.
The hunters were now prey.
And the rulers of the sky—
Had been decided.
Let us rewind the battlefield slightly.
Far from the main clash, the Imperial Army's Magic Tank Division supply unit was about to face its trial.
"It is good to see all of you made it here," a calm voice said. "Now then—prepare yourselves. This will be a real battle."
The speaker was Hakurou, commander of the Green Numbers.
His expression was composed, almost gentle.
In contrast, the twenty thousand soldiers before him were breathing heavily.
They were deep behind the Imperial flank. To reach this position, they had taken a massive detour from the Dwarven Kingdom, traveling over forty kilometers—all while wearing full combat armor.
The fact that they were still standing was not talent.
It was training.
Hakurou had drilled them relentlessly and engraved the art of ‹Battlewill› into their very bones. Thanks to that, they could perform techniques such as Instantmove, which allowed short-range instantaneous movement, and Formhide, which erased their presence from enemy perception.
The Green Numbers had departed at the same time as Gobta's unit. Any delay would have exposed them. There had been no room for error.
"I commend you," Hakurou said with a faint smile, "for mastering ‹Battlewill› to this level."
At once, the resting soldiers stiffened.
Those who had trained under Hakurou for years understood what this meant.
When this man praised you before giving orders, what followed would be merciless.
"Our mission is simple," Hakurou continued evenly. "We will sever the enemy's supply line. Destroying their backup units may not immediately end the battle—but it will rot their morale from within."
He paused.
"There is no need to slaughter indiscriminately," he added. "But there is also no reason to show mercy."
Then Hakurou glanced toward the distant
battlefield and smiled faintly.
"Gobta has performed admirably. Exceptionally so. You must not allow yourselves to be outshone. Now—go and finish this."
His voice carried clearly, sharper than the distant thunder of artillery.
For soldiers without battlefield experience, his words were terrifying.
"Listen carefully," Hakurou said. "On the battlefield, there is only one law—survival of the fittest. Hesitate, and you die. Spare the enemy, and your comrades will pay the price. This is absolute."
The soldiers' exhaustion vanished. They clung to every word.
"Life does not hold equal value," Hakurou continued coldly. "The lives of those we love outweigh the lives of strangers. And these enemies are invaders. They have trampled our land. They do not deserve mercy."
His words were harsh—
—but this was Hakurou's kindness.
By stripping away hesitation, he spared his soldiers from guilt.
"Prove yourselves worthy of being my students," he said. "Cut down those iron sheds. Or would you rather die to the rocks they throw at us? If not—do not waver. There are no enemies beneath your blades."
No one spoke.
To object would be to admit immaturity.
Some were still nervous—but none doubted Hakurou.
He never issued orders his students could not fulfill.
The Green Numbers fixed their gaze on the Imperial supply tanks, waiting for the signal to strike.
Hakurou, however, bore pressure of his own.
He could not disgrace the reputation of the Four Heavenly Kings.
Through his Extra Skill ‹Sky Eyes›, Hakurou observed the battlefield in its entirety, sharing the vision with his troops via Telepathy Net. The coordination was flawless—terrifyingly so.
Still, one truth weighed on him.
They were being outpaced by Gobta's Goblin Riders.
Everyone knew it.
They must rise to the occasion, Hakurou thought.
He surveyed his soldiers and felt some tension ease. He had trained them to endure any battlefield—but even so, this was their first real war. Casualties were inevitable.
I should have trained them more, he thought grimly.
But war would not wait.
Benimaru's strategy was precise: keep Gobta's unit locked in stalemate with the Empire. Let anxiety build. Tanks had limited ammunition—once the shelling slowed, Hakurou would strike.
By destroying the supply unit, the tanks would be crippled.
There was another objective as well—
—to lure out the Empire's strongest warriors.
But the likelihood of that was low.
If only they would show themselves…
Even so, Hakurou understood the truth.
This was everyone's first battlefield.
If they wavered, they would die.
Just as unease began to creep into the ranks—
A voice resounded through the battlefield.
‹Hear me. End this swiftly. Eliminate the enemy without delay.›
It was Atem, King of Eterna.
The moment his voice reached them, the monsters' fear vanished.
Confidence surged. Spirits ignited.
Hakurou exhaled softly and smiled.
"So my worries were unnecessary," he said. "You heard our king."
"Then we move. There is no reason to wait—show them your strength."
He did not even finish speaking.
The Green Numbers charged.
Ten minutes later, the Imperial supply line was engulfed.
Though surprised, the Empire responded quickly. Armored transport vehicles opened fire, and for a moment it appeared they held the advantage.
But the Green Numbers did not flinch.
Bullets slammed into scale shields lining the front ranks—shields forged by Garm, reinforced with Charybdis scales.
Unlike arrows, bullets traveled straight. Without breaking the shield line, rifles were useless.
Firearms had once revolutionized warfare—but in a world of magic, their lethality was limited.
Against magic-capable soldiers, bullets were inadequate.
Damn it!" the Imperial commander shouted. "Switch to spell guns! Maintenance teams—bring supplies and fall back to the main force!"
The Empire's spell guns, engraved with Fire Lance, were distributed.
The commander believed they would incinerate at least half the attackers.
He was wrong.
"Cease fire!" someone screamed. "Magic doesn't work on them!"
The shields possessed extraordinary magic resistance.
Despair spread.
Then—
The sky ignited.
"Don't hold back—spill as much blood as you like!"
Ultima's cheerful voice rang out as fireballs rained down.
They were not especially powerful—but more than sufficient.
Imperial soldiers screamed as flames tore through their ranks.
The maintenance and medical units panicked. Untrained for real combat, they ignored orders and were swiftly overwhelmed.
The battle became one-sided far faster than Hakurou had expected.
Ultima descended lightly.
"Hakurou-san, may I leave these to you?"
"I have no objections," he replied calmly.
Her demeanor toward Hakurou was shockingly gentle.
"Oh? Then I'll leave it to you~!"
She spoke like a spoiled granddaughter—an image that would have horrified those who knew her true nature.
"By the way," Hakurou added, "do you have a good relationship with Carrera-dono?"
Ultima tilted her head.
"I'm more curious why she's 'dono' and I'm 'miss,' but… no. It's terrible," she replied sweetly.
Her smile was innocent.
The meaning was not.
"I see. I was wondering if you knew anything about Agera, Carrera-dono's subordinate…"
Agera resembled Hakurou's grandfather and teacher, Byakuya Araki, perfectly. That resemblance had gnawed at him.
Ultima shrugged.
"Not interested. Don't know."
Then she smiled brightly.
"If you're that curious, why don't you ask him yourself?"
Hakurou nodded.
"I may be overthinking it."
"Probably. But later," Ultima said. "Focus on the war. If you don't, Atem-sama will be displeased."
With that, she soared back into the sky.
Hakurou watched her go, his expression tightening.
"…Personal matters are a distraction."
Drawing his blade, his eyes sharpened.
"Well then," Hakurou murmured, stepping forward, "let us conclude this properly."
And with that—
The silent blade of Eterna descended upon the Empire's lifeline.