Melody watched the screens that showed the situation outside. Thinking for a second, she remembered that the ships her brother built were exceptionally fast. Knowing that they couldn't fight 8 class 5's, she turned to Durack.
"Hey, turn these ships around and run."
"...We can't do that. I'm not sure if you can feel it, but they've locked down the mana in the region with a massive enchantment array. That's why our ships were stopped in the first place."
"...Damn."
Melody was silent for a second as she suddenly released her Will. After feeling the stagnant mana, she cursed. It looked like these people came prepared.
The other two class 5's on the ship were also frowning. However, before they could think of anything, all the surrounding enemies suddenly started attacking. The thousands of high level class 4's all launched attacks at the ships, destroying them and releasing the people within. The Red Eye clan members who were caught outside all went to fight back, but they were overpowered and cut down.
"To all clansmen! Exit your ships and fight! Repel this ambush!"
Suddenly, Durack activated a transmission enchantment and sent a message out to all the ships. The people within all heard this and jumped out. They had also noticed the ambush, so they emerged with fighting spirit.
The tens of thousands of Red Eye clan members all rushed out to meet their only several thousand enemies. However, these several thousand enemies were truly prepared for this. Their power was unmatched and they came out with a variety of tools that could be used as consumable weapons. The area quickly devolved into chaos, red blood falling from the skies to dye the ground below.
At the same time, the 8 class 5's flew to the flagship. Seeing this, Durack suddenly turned to Melody.
"You stay inside. We've already sent out distress calls. If that doesn't work, then find a way to escape."
"Huh? Absolutely not! I'm going out there. It doesn't seem like your people can fight those class 4's, so I'll deal with them myself."
Looking at Durack as if he were stupid, Melody took a step and disappeared from the flagship. Durack was dumbfounded before sighing and also exiting the ship alongside his other class 5's. They went to meet their enemies.
After emerging from the ship, the three class 5's entered a standoff with the other 8. Meanwhile, Melody quickly shot out and launched attacks at the class 4's surrounding the fleet. She was surprised though. After entering a one on one with one of these class 4's, she was forced to spend considerable time before cutting them down. They were very capable people, using their sheer power to contend with Melody's skill. Not only that, but the mana in the atmosphere was being locked down, making it difficult for her to move the mana around her. She had to rely on her own pools to launch attacks. Thankfully the enemies gave Melody plenty of experience, making up for the time and difficulty to kill each one.
"Durack! I knew it would be you. You've cut down too many of our clansmen! This will be your day of reckoning!"
Suddenly, a voice bellowed, washing over the armies. It was the Blue Blood class 5's.
As enemies, it was natural to recognize the highest combatants of each side. Durack was one of the more powerful class 5's in the clan. His subordinate attitude to people like Vela and Dream was only due to their sheer power. Otherwise, he was a force not to be taken lightly. He had clearly made his name known to his enemies due to the people he's killed.
However, Durack didn't care about this. In the face of these 8 enemies that could easily suppress them, he was more concerned about Melody. She was Dream's sister, and if anything happened to her, who knew what Dream would do? It was unknown if either of the clans could survive his wrath.
Even as Durack and his two comrades were ruthlessly attacked by their 8 enemies, he was still racking his mind for solutions.
Meanwhile, Melody was cutting her way through all the class 4's. She was truly eye-catching as she killed them one by one. It wasn't long before she had killed 100, and her level began to skyrocket.
Unfortunately, this display was a bit too eye catching. One of the 8 enemy class 5's looked down, watching her as she drifted among blood petals and launched ruthless attacks at the class 4's. Seeing this, the class 5 actually recognized her.
"That's the Blood Princess! Hey, you guys handle those three. I'm going to have some fun."
Saying that, the class 5 branched off from the battle. As Durack and his two comrades were already weak from the prior battle, they were being beat down enough by the 7 of them. One of them branching off wouldn't affect the outcome. In fact, one of the class 5's next to Durack was already starting to fall.
Seeing that class 5 move toward Melody though, Durack panicked. He couldn't help her. He was too busy barely keeping his own life to help.
"Hmm?"
As Melody was killing a class 4, she suddenly felt a powerful aura wash over her. She quickly killed her enemy before turning around and seeing a class 5 descend in front of her.
'...Shit.'
Melody cursed inwardly. Thinking, she turned her attention to Aegis.
'Aegis, this isn't good.'
'I have already sent out my own distress calls to my lord, but they haven't received any confirmations. I believe the array surrounding the fleet is somehow affecting my digital signals.'
'That's even worse. Can you fight these guys?'
'I can defend against one, but killing one would be difficult. The most I can do is ensure your survival. I am already mobilizing aether to form a spatial channel out of the surrounding array. Once completed, we can escape and contact my lord. '
'...'
Melody was silent as she pondered. Meanwhile, the class 5 in front of her lifted his sword.
"You, Blood Princess, have killed many of our clansmen. My name is Galvo. Be honored that I will be the one to end your carnage."
"Huh? Are you stupid or something? I don't care about your name. How about you drag your sorry ass back over there and fight someone your own level. Or are you so incapable that you can only fight those weaker than you?"
"...You've got a sharp tongue."
Galvo snarled at Melody's words. It was like she didn't even care that he could kill her. He pointed his sword at her.
"I'll have to teach that nasty mouth of yours some manners since your parents obviously couldn't do so."
"My parents? You don't even qualify to lick the dirt from under their toenails, let alone question how they raised me."
"Insolence! Meet my sword!"
With gnashed teeth, Galvo sliced down with his sword. Despite sneering at Galvo, Melody was inwardly frowning at the power of the attack.
Thankfully, she had something to rely on. As she swung her own sword to meet Galvo's blade, Aegis manifested. His silver cells streamed over her skin and covered her sword blade. The power of his Heart streamed through Melody's body, supplementing her power and strength.
Melody was shocked as profound and overwhelming energy coursed through her.
This was Aegis, Dream's personal butler and armor. His power could not be understated.
*Bang!*
An explosion sent shockwaves through the surrounding mana as the two swords met. Anybody nearby was blasted away, and even the ground a thousand meters below was split open.
"What?!"
Galvo was shocked as he felt this power. He looked at Melody.
Melody's body was now covered in silver armor that was covered in complex red lines. These lines pulsed as if they were connected to a beating heart. Not only that, but Galvo could sense extraordinary enchantments within this armor. Whatever this armor was, it was truly a treasure worthy of even a class 6.
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Unfortunately, taking it was easier said than done. After that first strike, Melody went on the offensive. Drunk on Aegis's power that flowed through her, she utilized everything she had and attacked Galvo. He was put on the defensive as copious amounts of mana slammed into him.
Galvo wasn't so easily oppressed though. Unlike Aegis's power that Melody couldn't fully control, Galvo's power was precise. He was able to avoid most of the energy behind her attacks and deliver his own. And while Aegis had a disgusting defense, Galvo's power wasn't ineffective. Melody felt every one of his attacks shake her soul, weakening her over time.
Aegis gave Melody the power to contend with a class 5 far above her level. This fact was already shocking enough. With this, Durack's trio was able to last a bit longer against the 7 enemies.
But it wouldn't last forever. Even Durack began to falter under the overwhelming situation, let alone his two comrades. Given time, one of them would die, and then this entire army would be wiped out, Melody included.
Aegis knew this. So he continuously sent out distress calls. At the same time, he continued mobilizing aether within him to perform a spatial jump. Usually it was Dream who performed this, so Aegis wasn't fully proficient in doing it himself. Luckily, Dream had left the ability to do so within Aegis, so given time, he could put together the enchantment and make the jump.
However, using his full power against a class 5 also hindered his ability to perform the jump. He had to balance protecting Melody and assembling the enchantment. Everything came down to if Durack could hold out long enough.
Unfortunately, there was another pair of eyes watching this battle. This invisible person watched Melody and Galvo with interest. The person could feel the power of Aegis and knew that armor was an extraordinary treasure. They wanted it.
So they appeared. As Melody fought Galvo, she suddenly felt another aura wash over her. This aura far surpassed the class 5's that were attacking. She had only felt this aura from one other person, the patriarch of the Red Eye clan.
'Class 6!'
Melody felt her heart drop. The next moment, a figure appeared beside her and Galvo. Seeing this figure, Galvo immediately stopped fighting. Melody also froze, and Galvo bowed.
"Patriarch!"
"Mm. Stand down."
The patriarch, an old man with a soft voice, waved off Galvo. As Galvo backed away, the patriarch released his Will, locking onto Melody and Aegis.
He immediately saw through Aegis and Melody, including the Heart within Aegis. He could sense the amazingly complex and powerful enchantments. His desire for Aegis went up, and he smiled cruelly.
Seeing this smile, Durack, who was watching, felt a chill crawl up his spine. He shouted.
"No! Don't touch her! You kill her, and your clan will be wiped from this planet!"
"..."
This shout echoed across the entire battlefield. The old man in front of Melody heard this and slightly frowned. For Melody to have such an amazing item, she obviously had someone behind her. However, he was a decisive man. Ignoring the warning, his gaze bore into Melody.
"Little girl, give me that armor of yours. Otherwise, I might just have to rip it out of you myself. Maybe I'll let you leave with your life."
"..."
Melody was silent as the old man put out his wrinkly hand. Realizing that she couldn't escape this situation, her mind moved at a million miles an hour. If the ambush by class 5's was bad, then this was hopeless. She started to fear for her life.
But then, she remembered something. She looked at her wrist where a cosmic band was placed. This cosmic band had imprinted itself onto her soul, and it contained a wisp of Dream's soul in it. It was given to her so he could track her if she got lost.
She couldn't send messages through it. But since Dream could sense this piece of his soul, then she could alert him a different way. With a tinge of hope, she locked onto the wisp of soul, destroying it outright.
...........
......
Meanwhile, Dream was on Tersa's planet. He overlooked the construction that was being carried out across the entire planet. After almost two months, the entire material composition of the planet had been harvested, leaving only Dream's nanites. Now, after the entire place had been converted to a factory, Dream was realizing his goal of turning this place into a machine world. It was a bit thrilling.
While building powerful weapons was time-consuming, Dream had more than enough time to do research. He increased his magical knowledge while analyzing Tersa's Terra Core. He also improved several weapons of his using solid mana material that comprised Terra Cores. While he hadn't increased his power by leaps and bounds, he was definitely more powerful than two months ago. He was getting closer to finally commencing his class advancement.
At this time though, Dream suddenly felt something within him break. His cosmic form that floated in empty space froze.
[Dream! Melody's soul connection has been destroyed!]
"..."
Dream was silent. He immediately knew what had happened. Obviously something went horribly wrong if she needed to destroy his soul connection.
"Somebody is cornering my sister... Not even Aegis could save her. A class 6? She's on a battlefield right now. What class 6 would dare to step out in a battle that doesn't involve them?!"
Feeling anger rise up within him, Dream turned around, facing the planet Melody was on.
"Somebody is going to die today."
With an ultimatum, Dream took a step. The chaotic void was opened in front of him, and he disappeared within, teleporting to the battlefield.
.........
Melody was still in a standoff with the old man. After destroying the wisp of Dream's soul, only one second had passed.
After that second though, Melody was shocked to see a tear appear in the sky. The old man in front of her also noticed and looked over.
Above the raging battlefield, a tear in space revealing the chaotic void exposed itself. It caused the mana in the vicinity to go crazy. Not even the array that locked down mana could resist this power.
The old man's eyes bulged a bit. As a class 6, he knew very well what the chaotic void was. Only a class 6 such as himself could hope to survive for a limited time inside of it. Yet, someone was using it to transport themselves. It was an amazing display of not only power, but sheer knowledge and profound comprehension into the nature of reality itself.
Then, a figure stepped out. This figure seemed like the window to space, containing a universe within. The figure was Dream in his cosmic form, and upon arriving, he looked around.
"Stop!"
He shouted. At the same time, his Will was released. This Will instantly shattered the array that locked down the surrounding mana, and as if his word were law, every soldier froze in place. Even the class 5's felt their movements halt, greatly affected by Dream's absolute power. They could only stop their fighting and turn to the person who could command such power.
Only the class 6 was unaffected. The old man gazed at Dream with narrowed eyes. Dream's Will had formed a domain that controlled even space. However, after he looked at Dream's soul, he was shocked. Dream was only a class 4!
Dream also looked at the old man that stood next to his sister. He was relieved that his sister was alive, but with that old man there, her life wasn't in his hands.
"You. Give me my sister."
Dream pointed. The next moment, Melody drifted toward him. However, the old man acted and reached out his hand, grabbing Melody by the neck. He obviously couldn't let his hostage get away.
"I don't think so. I want this armor. Give it to me, and I'll let your precious sister go."
"My armor?"
Dream lowered his arm. His voice was frosty as he slightly tilted his head.
"How would I know that you'll be true to your word? Actually, I don't need to know. Let's do it this way. I'll let you have the armor. But if you don't hand over my sister, I'll have no choice but to wipe out your clan. You may be able to fight me, but you can't contain me. There will be nothing stopping me from killing every last one of your people!"
Dream's voice bore into the old man, who couldn't help but remain silent. If Dream could travel through the chaotic void, then he truly couldn't be contained. The old man couldn't protect his entire clan from such a person. It wouldn't be difficult for Dream to keep true to his promise.
"...Fine."
The old man agreed. Hearing this, Dream turned his gaze to Aegis.
"Aegis."
"..."
Aegis was silent as he quickly slid off of Melody. With his Heart, he reformed in front of the old man, standing rigidly. Seeing this, the old man nodded before releasing Melody. She quickly shot over to Dream, and the old man didn't stop her.
"I-I'm sorry."
"No, that's alright. Since I have you now, I can focus on retrieving Aegis."
Dream pat Melody's head. Hearing this though, Melody was shocked, as was the old man.
Suddenly, Aegis shot back. Seeing the armor trying to escape, the old man shot his hand out, power exploding from his body. At that time though, Dream suddenly teleported next to Aegis. He punched out his own fist, and space rippled under his cosmic power.
*BOOM*
The two powers collided. Between them, the ground split open, cutting several miles down and several miles wide.
"My lord!"
The two powers canceled each other out. With that, Aegis rushed back into Dream's body, the two combining once more. The old man was livid.
"You conniving thief! Do you have no shame?! No honor?!"
"Honor? Please."
Dream sneered at the old man.
"The moment you threatened my sister and coveted what was mine, you forfeited your life. I need not honor the dead."
"The dead? Hah! I cannot be killed by a measly class 4!"
"I wouldn't be too sure about that."
His voice lowering, Dream's Will bore into the old man. Feeling this power, the old man was indeed shocked by the pressure. However, he only smiled.
"Is this it? A mere class 4, someone who isn't even an Asura, dares to threaten me?! I'll have you understand true power! Feel the mountain of souls that a class 6 Asura stands on!"
Saying that, the old man suddenly exploded with his own power.
The space and sky darkened despite being daytime. An aura of death spread throughout the battlefield in the form of a gray fog. It sent chills down everyone's spines. It was as if the grim reaper's scythe was hung around their necks.
This aura, this domain of power pushed back Dream's own power. The death filled air washed over him. He didn't panic though.
"Death's Knell? I studied this technique earlier. It's rather interesting how it can utilize the experience you took from others by killing them to form an aura. How many people have you killed in your many years of life?"
Dream asked, and the old man smiled wickedly.
"Me? Easily several million! I've carved my path through rivers of blood to stand at the highest ranks of Asuras! I've fought on countless battlefields over thousands and thousands of years to get here! Compared to a child like yourself, I am death incarnate!"
"Death incarnate? With several million lives on your shoulders? It doesn't seem like you understand what death is then."
Dream spoke dully. At the same time, his aura started to change.
"I also know how to release Death's Knell. While I've never been one to put the heinous acts of my past on display, to you who believes you know what death is, I suppose I should do so for... educational purposes. I'll also be learning something. I've never actually fully utilized this technique as you do."
"What the hell are you talking about?"
The old man frowned, suddenly taking a step back. From within Dream, he could feel a horrible darkness emerge.
The sky darkened further, turning almost pitch black. Ghosts and ethereal skeletons emerged from the ground as if rising from the dead. Screams echoed in everyone's ears, carrying with it despair and fear. Class 4's felt their souls try and escape their bodies while class 5's wished for nothing more than to leave this emerging land of death.
Even Melody couldn't help but shiver. She had already been shaken by the aura of the old man that was built on millions of souls. But Dream? Very few people know the number of lives that had been ended by his hand. It wasn't something he talked about, and she only just came to know.
Now, the darkness of his past was crawling out of the abyss under his calling. This was Death's Knell, something that all asuras knew how to perform. Only now, they were being exposed to its darkest manifestation.