An airplane. That was what people were now calling this giant flying machine that had delivered a terrorist attack directly to the capital of the East Realm. If it weren’t for the Matriarch, there could’ve been many casualties, but as it stood they were limited to a few injuries, including Electrum’s leg.

After its occupants had put up some resistance in the form of magic barriers, the airplane had been successfully shot down by a group of Silvermoon Elders some distance away. They did as much as they could to keep the plane intact and its occupants alive; however, the remaining occupants – none of which were clones – all committed suicide. After this, the plane was promptly captured for analysis. Building such a contraption couldn’t have been easy, and there were many people who were very eager to understand how it worked. For now though, it was treated as a military weapon, and thus its study was being restricted to researchers and experts who worked directly under House Silvermoon.

The exact origins of the airplane and its occupants, including the clones, were still unknown, but the vehicle had been spotted by cameras and onlookers flying in from the direction of the west. And it was already known who was in the west – the Magic Freedom Fighters, who had been researching clones of the Matriarch, and utilized child clones in combat.

The resulting mass outrage against the Magic Freedom Fighters led to a number of witch hunts and pointing of fingers, as people tried to find outlets for their anger. A number of innocent people were scapegoated as a result. Due to this, House Silvermoon had to make a public announcement not to be so quick to blame others, and to show compassion. Prejudice would only beget more prejudice.

While this was all happening, the clones had been taken into advanced custody by House Silvermoon – all 60 of them. They had been locked up under high security, both for the protection of others, and for their own safety. Attempts were being made by psychologists to rehabilitate them, and some seemed to be more reactive than others. As a fellow clone, Prelinsa wondered how Corynn was holding up, but she hadn’t seen her in a while. Some people would surely direct their anger towards Corynn, even though none of this was her fault.

Meanwhile, the entirety of the East Realm had to be worried now about the possibility of future airplane attacks by the Fighters. Experts warned that airplanes could be used for other purposes besides delivering military troops. If they got high enough off the ground, it would take the most skilled of mages to actually deliver a hit to them, which meant that non-mages could use them relatively safely for scouting and bombing roles.

Equally concerning was how the clones were able to make use of magic while still high off the ground. Mana came from streams underground and underwater, after all. This was why mages didn’t fly, and many in fact hated the idea of flying. There was also the situation of powerful mages throughout history simply discouraging development of flying machines, as they were afraid of being dethroned. Flying allowed a non-mage to fight against a mage on even terms. For the mages in power, that was a terrifying thought that warranted the destruction of any attempts to build an airplane. Even under Matriarch Kirith, the Silvermoon Empire had not prioritized flying machines. They had instead focused on political stabilization, environmentalism, infrastructure, and long-distance communication systems to help coordinate their large territory.

However, the dynamics of wars had suddenly changed overnight. The reality of the situation was that an airplane could fly so fast, so far, and so high that it would be challenging to deal with for most mages. It could be defended with magic, and made nearly silent through magic, even though it was so high off the ground. It could cross the Great Desert at high speed, making a direct attack on the East Realm possible. It allowed mages to retain supremacy, while taking advantage of the power of flight. This made planes a nightmare to deal with, especially if they could be deployed in large numbers.

It was now understood that the crystals the clones carried were responsible for this phenomenon of using magic in midair, with some having survived in the captured airplane for analysis. Experts determined that they were a form of crystallized mana – predicted by theory, but never actually created until now. It was a major scientific breakthrough that warranted intensive study.

These crystals, along with the airplane, raised major questions of how the Magic Freedom Fighters had so many resources to their disposal. It didn’t seem realistic that a faction which had previously disbanded could become this powerful so quickly, especially since it didn’t actually seem like there were that many Freedom Fighters. If they were sending clones, then their actual numbers were probably limited.

The signs naturally pointed towards House Goldensun of the West Realm, but they denied any involvement. Which didn’t mean they weren’t involved. Politicians would do anything to cover their asses.

The combined threat of airplanes and aerial magic was such that it forced a lot of House Silvermoon’s stronger mages to disperse throughout the East Realm, in order to defend borders and populated areas. Meanwhile, technological and magical countermeasures were being proposed by researchers to help relieve the pressure and allow the mages to focus their efforts elsewhere. Research was of course also being done on the mana crystals, but it would take time to unlock their secrets.

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Despite the many things going on, Prelinsa’s training continued. Since the fight with Electrum was called off, she would not receive any rewards yet.

“I’m worried,” Rensa said out of the blue one day. Her brother Rupeth had been sent off to the front lines, in order to stave off the threat of airplanes.

“Aren’t we all?” Prelinsa asked her, as she paused with her magic practice. It had been a few days since the tournament ended, yet there were no indications of any further attacks.

A fox wandered into the training grounds. Prelinsa bent down to pet it under the chin. It stayed, and accepted the pets.

“Sorry, should’ve be more specific. I’m worried that because we’re focused on the airplane threat, our defenses are spread too thin. I’ve said this to Mother as well. I hope I’m not overthinking things, but if I were an enemy, I’d try to exploit that.”

“Like how?” Prelinsa asked, standing back up again. The fox yawned, and lay down.

“Maybe make lots of airplanes and have most of them attack all at once, out in the open. Then while the mages are busy with them, sneak in with some stealthier airplanes and do as much damage as possible. Target big cities like Pyrus, where most of the important people are.”

“Pyrus will be tough for them with the Matriarch around,” Prelinsa commented. “The airplanes still need to exit stealth once they start attacking, right? Once they do, they’ll be easy targets.”

“Well, that’s still how I would approach it. But you’re right, Mother has enough power to destroy a city. Not entirely sure how you solve for that problem. Even if you have lots of airplanes, it doesn’t matter if she can just kill them all.”

She thought for a bit.

“I guess you would do this is with… more airplanes, actually,” she continued.

“Huh?” Prelinsa raised an eyebrow.

“Hear me out,” Rensa began. “If you can get Mother high off the ground with an airplane, you neutralize the threat. That’s really hard, but it puts into perspective how reliant we are on mana streams. I don’t know how you’d get Mother off the ground in the first place, though. You’d need an insane amount of mages and an insane amount of mana; enough to destroy multiple cities. If you can burn up a ton of mana streams, you could- oh my fucking gods.”

Prelinsa had not heard Rensa swear before, but she quickly understood. A horrible feeling washed over her.

“Oh no,” she realized. “The North Realm…”

“We have to warn everyone!” Rensa exclaimed.

Suddenly, there was a droning noise. The sound of an airplane. Prelinsa looked up. No, it was many airplanes, which must have hidden themselves with magic until just now. A massive horde of them, looking like a sinister flock of birds, their wings not flapping even once. Mages on the ground shot up at them. Rensa shot up at them, but even she couldn’t get them. There were just too many, and they were defending themselves with magic. There was such an overwhelming quantity of mana that someone of Rensa’s caliber wasn’t able to get through.

Stolen story; please report.

As the airplanes flew over Pyrus, clones began to drop out of the sky, descending with wings of water. Then a loud explosion and blast wave shook the training field, knocking Prelinsa flat to the ground. The fox yelped as it was tossed along the ground. As Prelinsa sat up, she could feel an absolutely colossal amount of mana coming from the direction of White Blossom Castle, so vast that it was on par with that of the mana stream below her feet. The Matriarch’s Phoenix energy was mixed in with it – she could feel it even from here.

Meanwhile, Rensa was able to remain upright, but the explosion was rapidly followed by others, which were non-magical and far smaller in nature. Even so, there were many and the destruction was considerable. Smoke and fires erupted all around White Blossom Fortress. Rensa stopped blasting as the chaos settled, and the planes flew out of range.

“Oh, no! Prelinsa, follow me! Now!” She urged, racing towards Castle Hill. In the distance, White Blossom Castle burned brightly in flames. Further still, the rest of Pyrus was illuminated in red.

Prelinsa did not need to be told twice. She quickly chased after Rensa.

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The two Silvermoons raced through the streets. Along the way, they encountered more clones, as fights broke out all around them. Prelinsa couldn’t do much, but Rensa knocked the clones out with ease – being very careful not to kill the children. As they arrived at the castle, Prelinsa realized that the castle wasn’t actually there. The flames she’d seen came from the wreckage of the castle, which lay in a big crater in the ground. She also could not sense the Matriarch’s energy, and hadn’t for some time now.

“Mother!! Mother, are you alright?!” Rensa called. There was no response. Without further delay, she raced into the burning remains. Such a weak fire couldn’t harm her, after all.

“Mom!! Are you there?!” Prelinsa asked, running towards her home. It was on fire, and she had a horrible feeling that she might have lost yet another parent. She was about to run inside, but she heard someone cough. It was Missus B. She was blackened with smoke, as she staggered out of the door.

“Mom!” Prelinsa rushed to her side, helping her stay upright. She helped pull the ailuran woman away from the burning building, as timbers fell from the roof.

“Prelinsa… gods, am I glad to see-” Missus B. coughed again.

“Don’t talk! Just rest right now.”

Missus B. nodded, as Prelinsa helped her lie down.

Rensa emerged from the crater, shaking her head sadly.

“Mother is… gone. I don’t sense her presence anywhere.”

Prelinsa’s heart sank.

“What happens now?”

“The role of the Matriarch falls to me,” Rensa said, as she bent down to heal Missus B. with her magic. “As of now, I’m the leader of House Silvermoon.”

Prelinsa bowed respectfully.

“Then, Matriarch Rensa. What should I do now?”

“Go help people and warn the soldiers! Tell them the Matriarch has disappeared, and that I’m now in command! The entire East Realm is in a very precarious situation!”

Prelinsa nodded, turned, and raced off.

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As she ran, everything became somewhat of a blur. The smells of fire, blood, and death filled the air. People screamed in pain and agony. Some had lost their children. Some had lost their parents. Prelinsa stopped to help those who were trapped by debris and carry them to safer areas, but she couldn’t do anything about more serious injuries. She didn’t even know if there was somewhere she could tell them to go, other than the medical centers. In all the chaos and destruction, it was inevitable that some of those centers simply were not running. They might also not be safe from the clones.

At one point, she tried to used her phone to call people, but the service was out. The terrible carnage reminded her of bad memories of the slums and slavery, but she used them to push her onward and motivate herself. She couldn’t save everyone, but she would try her hardest to save those she could.

When possible, she tried to assist guards and soldiers who were fighting against clones, but there wasn’t always anything she could do. The clones were stronger than her and often forced her to retreat, leaving people behind to their fate. It was a horrible feeling of powerlessness. It made her feel angry at herself again.

In all the chaos, she encountered a familiar sight that helped bring her back to her senses. It was a short elf with pale green hair.

“Prelinsa! This is awful!” Rona said, tears in her eyes. Her face and hair were streaked with soot, and her clothes were stained in dirt and blood. But she didn’t seem injured herself – Prelinsa could smell that the blood came from different people.

“Rona!” She called out.

Rona wiped her eyes, as the two girls stopped in front of each other. “There’s a stronghold at the Western Keep,” the elf explained, keeping things brief. “We’re trying to gather people there! Tell everyone you meet! I’ll keep looking for those I can help! Don’t worry about me!”

“Got it!” The news was relieving to Prelinsa, and gave her renewed purpose and strength. People were still fighting for survival. “Also, Rensa is the Matriarch now!”

“Alright!”

The two quickly parted ways again, unsure if they would ever meet again.

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As Prelinsa looked around for what felt like hours and guided people to the Western Keep, she began to see less non-mages around, while fire and water mages, along with non-mage firefighters, were doing their best to put out the infernos. She frequently saw Rensa running around, giving orders, fighting enemies, and providing healing for grievous injuries. She also occasionally encountered more familiar faces. Camilla. Mirabelle. Electrum. Arlan. Lana. She even spotted Rona again at one point, healing a group of injured people. People that she knew were still alive, and they were all doing their best to help in their own ways. There had been many casualties, but the worst of the destruction was already over.

The combined efforts of people turned the tide against the clones, which were both comparatively limited in number, and ironically had been struggling for a while now to maintain their own water magic, amid the dance of fire and mana. Even with the fires being extinguished, they continued to struggle due to their lack of stamina and experience. As a result, some vague semblance of normality was returning to White Blossom Fortress.

Turning a corner through a cloud of smoke, Prelinsa encountered Corynn. The Silvermoon princess was fighting alongside one of her fellow clones, and against no less than eight other clones. It was a confusing sight, seeing nine identical looking people and one who looked very similar engaged in combat. But Prelinsa was able to follow the mana flow, letting her tell who was fighting who. She drew her sword and swung wildly, launching waves of phoenixfire to distract the enemy clones. This gave Corynn and her teammate an opening to overwhelm their foes. Corynn yelled and quickly moved in, incapacitating the enemy clones with her sister’s help.

“Thanks!” Corynn said.

The friendly clone didn’t react, instead turning to face a nearby burning building, and aiming her water magic at the flames to extinguish them. But like the other clones, her magic was struggling terribly – her hands shook, her streams weren’t concentrated, and a lot of the water simply evaporated before even hitting the flames. She seemed frustrated by her inability to do anything meaningful.

Corynn also focused her efforts on the flames, outstretching her hands to will them out of existence. With her help, the fire quickly came to a stop, leaving behind the burnt shell of the building.

“It’s okay,” Corynn said, giving the clone a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “You’re doing your best. Remember that I’m here to help you.”

The clone didn’t speak, and only nodded in sullen silence. It was hard to tell since her expressions were still rather blank, but she genuinely did seem upset. It was a big contrast to the completely stoic appearance of the other clones.

“So… she’s safe, right?” Prelinsa asked, pointing to the clone. After seeing the clone’s reactions, she assumed this was the case, but figured she’d ask for confirmation.

As they spoke, Prelinsa spotted the fox from the training ground wandering by. She could recognize it by scent.

“Fairly safe. I think she wasn’t happy working for the Fighters. But also, we don’t really have a choice right now. We need all the help we can get.”

“Right,” said Prelinsa. “There’s a stronghold at the Western Keep. Get people there if you can. Also, your mother is-”

“Gone. I was there,” Corynn said sadly, as her ears drooped. “They took her away in a cage hanging from one of the airplanes.”

“Well. I just hope she’ll be fine. It seems like things are getting under control now, too. I think-”

“Prelinsa, look out!”

Suddenly, Prelinsa felt something heavy hit the back of her head. She could faintly hear Corynn’s yells before she drifted into unconsciousness…