Chapter 171

The White Dragon Knights took a slow lap around Aiolos’s Divine Territory, Aeolia Island. Their faces fell.

There was no dock, of course, but there weren’t even any beaches, making it impossible to land. That essentially meant that they would have to enter the fortress straight from the deck.

“How bothersome,” Isaac assessed.

Leonard pursed his lips and agreed. “I don’t see any other way than going in headfirst. Seeing as how Aiolos ambushed us when we were tens of kilometers away, it’s very likely that he’ll attack us when we’re trying to enter the fortress. We’ll be knowingly walking straight into a trap.”

“I agree with you. And as you may know, the bronze fortress is known for its ability to absorb the power of and weaken[1] any outside forces that approach. If we’re not quick in crossing through, this fight will be grueling.”

It was quite literally an impenetrable fortress.

The bronze walls were the flawless shield for Aiolos, and there wasn’t even a gate. It didn’t allow anyone to come in, of course, but this also meant that it didn’t allow anyone to come out.

It was completely closed off without even an opening the size of the eye of a needle.

Climbing over the walls was obviously a bad idea. They were as smooth as mirrors without a single crack, and it would be hard to fight on top of them. Besides, since the walls could already absorb power from a short distance, actually touching it would be a terrible idea.

“We’ll have to fly over,” Leonard said.

That was the inevitable conclusion.

The fortress walls were built mostly to keep out intruders who walked on land. After all, no walls could keep out birds no matter how strong and high they were.

Isaac nodded in agreement. “That would be the best way. But that is no easy task. Our opponents will be expecting it.”

Aiolos was the god of the wind. He had no trouble fighting from a distance, and his authority was perfect for fighting in the air.

If they used flotation or flight spells to clumsily get over the wall, they would only make themselves into targets. The harpyiai’s wind blades had been vicious enough, but the wind summoned by Aiolos’s authority would make them look weak in comparison.

That was what Calantha was thinking. “Flotation and flight spells manipulate the flow of the surrounding air, so they are classified as wind-type spells,” he said quickly. “Aiolos could—no, Aiolos

will

hijack the magic and use it against us.”

“How about Reverse Gravity?” Isaac asked.

“The bronze walls destabilize any spells that are cast near it. It’s too dangerous. Gravity can suddenly strengthen, weaken, change direction, or act the way it’s supposed to.”

“That won’t do.”

With such factors out of their control, they would be taking a gamble.

The White Dragon Knights brainstormed a few more ideas and proposed them to Calantha, but not a single one was feasible.

Leonard watched their discussion drag on. “This shouldn’t be the first Subjugation Order for Aiolos. How did people enter the fortress in the past?”

“They sent several warships and launched cannonballs over the walls. During the barrage, knights would sneak in. Aiolos’s authority over wind is perfect for deflecting projectiles, but when you bombard a target for several hours, they can’t block all of them.”

“...That would be hard for us to do.”

“Indeed.” Isaac chuckled. “One other possibility is digging and entering from underground, but our opponent is too meticulous. For a fragment, he’s quite intelligent and refers to himself as a True God.”

The island wasn’t always entirely surrounded by fortress walls. According to the records, when the Wickeline family discovered it, it still had a proper shoreline. There was no doubt that Aiolos himself had pulled in the waves to swallow the beaches.

Leonard thought for a moment and opened his subspace pouch.

Shing.

Four swords fell out and positioned themselves in the air.

He could use Sword Manipulation.

By channeling his will through his upper dantian and applying his inner energy, he could control the blades remotely and help them cross over the wall. It would be his first time transporting someone who wasn’t himself, but each passenger was a Transcendence Tier knight, so it should work.

The White Dragon Knights discerned his intention, their eyes widening.

“You’re going to make us ride your swords to get over the wall?”

“Will you be able to handle it? This isn’t the same as transporting yourself.”

“It’s all right. I know how tough you all are,” Leonard replied.

Having experienced all kinds of battles, the knights were light on their feet, and if they were still able to properly deflect the harpyiai’s wind blades on a rocking boat, this should work. As long as they were able to land safely after, they would return to perfect fighting conditions.

They would be successful.

“Well, I guess we’ll just have to trust you.”

“You’ve already saved our lives once.”

Even aside from the feasibility of this strategy, their faith in Leonard made them accept the plan.

As soon as the knights of the 3rd Division each mounted a sword, Leonard unsheathed his own and stood on the flat side of the blade. Calantha, who had been watching nervously, hastily moved back in surprise.

“Here we go.”

Five swords lifted the knights into the air and positioned themselves into a formation, just like any other Sword Manipulation technique.

This was a sight that had not appeared on the battlefield since the ancient days. First, they only flew a little faster than weakly shot arrows, but instead of shooting right for the fortress walls, they gradually picked up speed until they approached the speed of sound.

It was rough for the passengers, but a mere sonic boom wasn’t enough to knock over a Transcendence Tier knight.

Booooom—!

They broke through the sound barrier just as they reached the walls, and the knights’ thoughts accelerated.

Aiolos wouldn’t stand idly by and let them be. They didn’t know what it was, but he would have a countermeasure in mind. Otherwise, he would have thrown them back to sea.

Sure, they probably wouldn’t have died, but he would have significantly decreased their fighting forces.

This time...

I won’t embarrass myself as Leonard’s senior!

Their pride fanned the flames of their resolve after they hadn’t been able to do much when the harpyiai had ambushed them.

Their senses were sharper than usual, and they quickly sensed something approaching.

Something silent and shapeless was flying toward them.

Flash Blade

Grady, who had been flying beside Leonard, brandished his sword.

Oh? That was sharper than last time,

Leonard thought, eyes glinting with obvious interest.

After witnessing the first form of the Sunstrike Sword Art, everything from Grady’s form to his focus had improved by several levels. Even though he was riding on a sword flying at the speed of sound, his execution had no flaws.

Since the attack was soundless and shapeless, he couldn’t rely on his physical senses. Grady closed his eyes and further sharpened his focus, nearly falling into a trance. And then, he launched a barrage of thrusts.

Boom! Boom! Boom!!

The projectiles were arrows made of wind. They didn’t know who shot them, but each one was considerably powerful. However, Grady had cut right through them from their tips. When thrusting, the point of the sword was the most powerful. Therefore, his sword cut off most of the momentum when it hit its target. His unique trait had done about ten percent of the work to cut down the arrows.

“The harpyiai are coming too,” Leonard murmured. He spotted a flock of tens of monsters flying in from the distance. Apparently, there were many more left aside from the ones who had survived Inferno, and it seemed that most of the survivors had been sent to attack them.

The harpyiai were faster and more nimble than when they had attacked as a group tens of meters above them. Their blades of wind were also three or four times stronger than before. Perhaps it was because they were Aiolos’s servants.

Screeee!

With gleeful faces, the monsters attacked with sharp gusts.

The knights managed to dodge most of the gusts thanks to the mysterious ways of Leonard’s Sword Manipulation, but about a tenth of the projectiles hit them.

However, the White Dragon Knights couldn’t be toppled by the likes of a Void Deity’s servants. They didn’t even blink or try to hide their next moves as they cut down the barrage.

“You think you’re the only ones who can use that?” Janet yelled with a bloodthirsty grin.

Song Blade

Sonata of Steel

Inertia manipulation didn’t mean that she absolutely had to apply it to her entire body. Janet had learned that thanks to Leonard’s guidance. She only needed her arms to swing tens of times.

The movements of her shoulders, arms, and wrists were enough to create as many variations as she wished.

Standing with one leg on the sword, Janet spun around like a top.

Concitato

Two, four, eight, sixteen afterimages of her twin swords flickered in the air and continued to double as she attacked with countless shots of sword wind. Some harpyiai were unable to dodge. The sword wind pierced right through their heads, making them drop. Those who narrowly managed to avoid a fatal blow backed away from her.

The rest of the knights were in a similar situation. Other than Leonard, who was focusing on Sword Manipulation, the White Dragon Knights were steadily breaking through the line.

“Wow,” Leonard whispered.

The party soon reached the other side of the walls, and a new landscape came into view.

𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

The ancient kingdom, Aeolia.

Well, the Divine Territory was only an imitation of the real place. Therefore, there were a noticeable number of differences, but its archaeological value was priceless. It was no wonder that Aeolia was the Wickeline family’s preferred Divine Territory.

Calantha said that Divine Territories such as Castor’s are the worst outcomes,

Leonard thought. He now understood what Calantha had meant.

Even though Castor was partly a god, he had still resided in a woodland forest and had no artifacts of the past. However, the influence left by a Void Deity did make plants grow in abundance.

The knights flew through the historical site of the ancient kingdom, heading toward the tower-like structure at the center of the island.

Before they noticed, the harpyiai had stopped approaching and attacking them.

“...It seems he intends to greet his guests himself.”

“Is he arrogant, or is he courteous? Well, it doesn’t matter which one.”

“He could have been testing us. Maybe he thinks that only guests who can handle such an assault deserve to meet with him. Oh, then maybe it’s arrogance after all.”

As the White Dragon Knights each inserted their own comments, they kept their eyes on the structure they were quickly approaching.

The fighting had stopped, but they were even more on edge.

It was only natural. They sensed an enormous presence emanating from the heart of the island that made the harpyiai seem like songbirds in comparison. It belonged to the Void Deity Aiolos, the master of this Divine Territory.

“A tower...? No, it’s a throne!”

Shockingly, the structure was in fact a throne, not a building.

The five swords trembled as they descended to the ground. Staying in the air while this close to Aiolos would put the group at a disadvantage. The farther they were from the ground, the stronger Aiolos’s authority.

“Welcome to my island, travelers.”

The Void Deity of the seasonal winds looked down at them. He was so powerful that his influence had reached them from tens of kilometers away.

Leonard took him in and narrowed his eyes.

He’s a little different from Tyr and Castor. It would be more appropriate to call him a sovereign than a fighter.

The air surrounding a martial artist with as much power as Aiolos would feel different. It would smell like blood. A martial artist would immediately assess their opponent unconsciously and be wary of their surroundings. But Aiolos did none of this.

“I know why you have come. I am also aware that I am but a mere shard of my fragmented self.

As their leader, Isaac stepped forward and replied, “Hm. It doesn’t sound like you want to kill us.”

“Even immortals such as myself can feel the joy of life and the fear of oblivion. Perhaps things would be different if I had never come into being, but I do not wish to walk into the darkness with my own two feet.”

“And?”

Aiolos smiled.

“I, Aiolos, shall swear on my name and divinity. If you allow me to continue to exist on this island and allow me to watch the world from afar, I will do whatever you request of me.”

The knights froze in place. This was something they never could have imagined.

1. Can also be read as “make hostile,” but this is the implied meaning. ☜