A couple of days had passed, and the sky was painted an intense cobalt blue with a few clouds that looked like they'd been brushed on with light strokes. The crisp, biting air whipped across the Wyolanders' faces as they flew northward. Their final purpose was drawing ever closer. Today, they would take BloodLust's head and put an end to the Survivor Game.

Marshmallow, perched atop the Dragon Goat, felt adrenaline coursing through his veins. His eyes scanned the horizon, searching for any sign of the enemy. Beside him, Lynx, Raven, and Parabellum maintained a heavy silence, each lost in their own thoughts about the impending battle. Thanks to the work of Marshmallow and Sage Ezechiel, twenty satyrs had been transformed into powerful dragon-satyrs. These hybrid creatures, with massive dragon bodies and curved goat horns, flew with grace and power as their scaly wings sliced through the air with ease.

Marshmallow thought back to the moment when he had handed over the massive quantity of dragon fangs to Ezechiel. He couldn't believe his eyes: "I asked you to bring me some dragon fangs, not ALL the dragon fangs!"

But thanks to Marshmallow's extra effort in decimating the dragon race, the army following them now was a breathtaking sight. With that overabundance of material, Sage Ezechiel had been able to work under the best conditions, and the transformation of the satyrs had yielded results far beyond ripe. It had been a long and painful process, but the final outcome had exceeded all expectations. Each dragon-satyr possessed not only the strength and endurance of a dragon but also the cunning and agility typical of satyrs.

However, none of them could even remotely compare to the Dragon Goat. He was a true masterpiece of nature, on par with the other A Ranks he carried on his back, at least as strong as Parabellum or Lynx. Probably, to match the power of the Dragon Goat alone, it would take all twenty dragon-satyrs.

But that wasn't all. Eldrin wasn't present with them, but he had contributed to the cause with five high-level healing potions. He had really put effort into these; they weren't like the ones he had used previously. Marshmallow still remembered the look of amazement on Raven's face when he had handed her those vials of crystal-clear liquid.

"These," Marshmallow had explained, "can heal any wound, no matter how severe. They'll give us a crucial advantage in battle."

Now, as they flew towards their goal, Marshmallow felt the weight of those expectations on his shoulders. But he wasn't worried. In fact, he felt stronger than ever. The day before departure, he had spent a few minutes deciding how to allocate his 50 Assignable Points. In the end, he had decided to distribute 10 points to all stats except Luck.

"Hey, Marsh," Lynx's voice interrupted his thoughts. "How are you feeling?"

Marshmallow turned to her with a confident smile. "Ready for anything," he replied. "I can't wait to end all of this."

Lynx nodded, though with a trace of concern. "Just remember you're not invincible. Don't overdo it, you've got a super powerful army following you, you don't have to do everything yourself. Plus, we need you alive to win this war and kill BloodLust."

"Don't worry," Raven chimed in. "Marshmallow knows what he's doing. And with our army, not even someone like BloodLust will stand a chance."

Parabellum, who had remained silent until then, cleared his throat. "Let's stay calm, don't underestimate the enemy," he said gravely. "BloodLust will surely have prepared some surprises for us."

His words cast a shadow over the group, but Marshmallow didn't let it discourage him. He knew they had done everything possible to prepare; they couldn't be any stronger than this. And as they continued to fly, the grassy landscape gradually gave way to rocky, desolate terrain. And that's when they saw it. In the distance, suspended in the sky like a wound in the air itself, they could make out a gigantic dark blue portal. Its surface rippled like troubled water and emanated a terrifying power.

"There it is," Raven murmured. "We've finally arrived at the Novgovians' hideout."

Marshmallow felt a shiver run down his spine. They were so close to their objective, but before they could get any closer, a fleet of small armed airships emerged from the portal like a swarm of angry insects.

"What the hell...?" Lynx exclaimed with wide eyes. They had seen a Novgovian airship once before, but not like this. These were smaller, more heavily armored, and more badass. They moved with a speed and agility that defied logic. How could they be so fast? They seemed more like fighter jets than airships in how they moved. Moreover, their metallic surfaces gleamed under the sunlight as they arranged themselves neatly in a square formation: they were positioned in such a way that no one would pass through. They would do everything to prevent the Wyolanders from reaching the blue portal.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

"Watch out! Prepare for combat!" Raven shouted.

He had barely finished his sentence when the airships opened fire. Magic bullets and beams of pure energy streaked towards the Wyolander army, transforming the sky into a chaotic and lethal battlefield.

The Dragon Goat roared in anger as its wings fully extended to prepare for action. The group held on tightly, their minds already focused on the imminent battle.

"What the hell are those things?" Lynx yelled, dodging a bullet that grazed her hair.

Raven replied with eyes narrowed against the wind. "Looks like BloodLust found a way to employ even the lower ranks. E, D, C... he's turned them all into these flying war machines."

"Well, shit." Marshmallow commented. Lynx, meanwhile, appeared disgusted by Raven's explanation. It's true that in war there are no rules, but how could one turn humans into... airships? Maybe they were willing? Who could know? Either way, they couldn't afford to feel pity at that moment.

It's us or them.

The situation became critical in a matter of seconds. The dragon-satyrs, as powerful as they were, weren't prepared to face such an agile and well-armed enemy. Some dragons began to fall, hit by the magic cannons of the airships or pierced by their sharp spikes.

Marshmallow felt anger rising within him. They couldn't lose like this, not after everything they had done to get this far. Plus, he also knew they couldn't waste all their energy in this first encounter. Eldrin's potions were limited, and BloodLust was waiting for them with open arms. They would need all their strength and resources to kill him.

It was at that moment that the dragon-satyrs demonstrated their true worth. With a roar, the bravest among them launched into a frontal attack against the airships. Spewing flames and using their bodies as living weapons, they hurled themselves against the enemy in a suicidal but devastating assault.

"Look!" Lynx shouted, pointing to a spot in front of them. "A gap is opening up!"

And she was right. The desperate attack of the dragon-satyrs had created a breach in the enemy formation. It was small and unstable, but at that moment it represented their only chance of reaching the portal.

"Now! Make a sprint, as hard as you can!" Marshmallow addressed the Dragon Goat with explosive determination.

The Dragon Goat seemed to understand the importance of the moment. With a roar that resounded like thunder, it beat its wings with unprecedented force. The air around them seemed to condense and then explode in a shockwave that propelled them forward at supersonic speed. The world around them became blurred, and the wind howled in their ears as they far exceeded the sound barrier. Marshmallow and his companions felt their bodies pressed against the Dragon Goat's back by the force of acceleration, but they didn't lose their grip.

An airship tried to block their passage, emerging from the chaos of the battle right in front of them. But Marshmallow was ready; everything happened in a few microseconds. He regained his balance and summoned his Supernova Titan Hammer.

"Out of the way!" he yelled, swinging a powerful blow against the airship. The hammer struck the airship, adding the power of the blow to the highly supersonic speed at which he was traveling on his steed at that moment. The result was that the airship was practically hit by a force comparable to that of a meteor, effectively disintegrating the airship's armor, eliminating the threat, and ending the life of the transformed Novgovian.

And then, in an instant that seemed to last an eternity, they reached the gap. The blue portal opened up before them, swallowing them in a vortex of pure energy. Marshmallow and his companions felt their stomachs churn as they were transported through space and perhaps time itself. Colors of all kinds swirled around them, and cacophonous sounds filled their ears. And then, just as it had begun, it ended. They emerged on the other side of the portal, finding themselves in a new place.

They were on a road that seemed to float in the void. The air around them was dense with magical energy, and there, in the distance, they saw a huge, majestic castle looming before them. But there was something profoundly wrong with that vision. The castle was completely upside down, floating in the air, and its towers pointed downward like giant stalactites.

The Dragon Goat landed gently on the floating road, resuming its humanoid form as soon as everyone had dismounted. The group remained silent for a few moments, trying to process what they were seeing.

Marshmallow stepped forward. His companions were disoriented, but he didn't seem to care. As he kept his gaze fixed on the upside-down castle, he felt adrenaline coursing through his veins and a mixture of excitement and apprehension pervading his spirit.

"Well," he said with a determined smile, "looks like BloodLust has prepared quite a welcoming committee for us. What do you say we pay him a visit?"