Chapter 222: The Alliance Grand Marshal

The monster he had barely escaped from had appeared once again.

Only this time, it wasn’t hunting them.

...It had come to face the entire fleet.

Jake stared at the colossal beast, his expression slowly turning grim.

"...Leviathan."

But suddenly-

A childish girl voice rang out from one of the massive flying ships above them.

"Ready!"

The instant those words were spoken, the entire fleet moved as one.

Across the sky, the massive flying ships rotated their enormous cannons toward the Leviathan, while the warships on the ocean followed suit and raised their own weapons.

A deep, thunderous hum began to spread across the battlefield.

One by one, the cannons started charging.

Brilliant energy gathered within their barrels, growing more intense with every passing second until the entire fleet was illuminated by countless spheres of blinding light.

The pressure alone caused the ocean beneath them to churn violently.

Jake’s expression changed as he stared at the enormous fleet pressure.

Then the childish voice rang out again.

"FIRE!"

For a split second, everything went silent.

Then—

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!

The entire fleet erupted.

Hundreds of cannons fired simultaneously, unleashing a devastating barrage of massive beams that tore across the crimson heavens.

The combined attack was so powerful that the sky itself seemed to split apart.

Waves several dozen meters high were blasted away from the ships, while the deafening roar of the cannons shook the entire ocean.

Countless beams converged on the Leviathan from every direction, forming an overwhelming storm of destruction that completely swallowed its colossal figure.

BOOOOOOM!

BOOOOOOM!

BOOOOOOOOOOM!!!

The horizon disappeared beneath the bombardment as explosions erupted one after another, sending pillars of water and fire soaring into the crimson sky.

Even from a great distance, Jake could feel the immense force of the attack.

Jake raised his hand and his eyes widened as he finally caught sight of the owner of that voice.

Despite the distance, his enhanced eyesight allowed him to see the figure clearly.

It was... a kid with a mustache?

More precisely, she was a dwarf, though there was something about her appearance that made her look even younger than Jake had expected.

She had slightly pointed ears, bright amber eyes, and short, unruly amber hair that framed her small face.

A set of sturdy armor covered her body, clearly made for battle rather than appearance, while a massive greatsword rested against her back, looking almost absurdly large compared to her small frame.

The child stood on the deck of one of the massive flying ships, looking far too excited for someone who had just ordered an entire fleet to unleash a barrage of attacks on a Leviathan.

"Hahahaha! After so long! My baby can finally unleash its full power! And finally, I, the Grand Marshal Mita of the Alliance, can shine after so many centuries!!"

The kid who called herself Mita spread her arms wide, her amber eyes sparkling with excitement as though she were proudly showing off her greatest achievement.

Mita suddenly lowered her arms, and the excitement in her expression was replaced by something far more serious.

She reached for the greatsword on her back and pulled it free in one smooth motion.

The massive blade crashed against the deck with a heavy CLANG!, yet the tiny dwarf didn’t even flinch.

She raised the greatsword toward the battlefield.

"Listen well, soldiers of the Alliance!"

Her voice suddenly boomed across the entire battlefield, amplified by some kind of skill and carrying far beyond what her small body should have been capable of.

Every soldier froze.

Even the ships that had been preparing their next barrage seemed to fall silent for a moment.

"We all know what stands before us!"

Mita pointed her greatsword toward the Leviathan, whose enormous silhouette was still hidden beneath the lingering smoke and explosions.

"It is an ancient ruler of the seas! A monster that has existed for countless aeons! A creature that has drowned fleets, destroyed cities, and made even the bravest warriors tremble!"

"For generations, its name has been whispered as a curse! Its shadow has darkened the oceans, its roar has shaken the heavens, and countless lives have been claimed beneath its waves!

"Today, that monster stands before us once again!"

Her voice grew louder.

"And yes... it is terrifying!"

The soldiers exchanged glances.

For a moment, the fear that had been suppressed by the excitement of battle returned.

Then Mita slammed the tip of her greatsword against the deck.

BOOOOM!

"But so what?!"

Her shout thundered across the battlefield.

"Are we going to run?! Are we going to hide?! Are we going to let some oversized sea serpent decide whether we get to see tomorrow?!"

A few soldiers clenched their fists.

Mita grinned.

"No!"

Her voice rang through the sky.

"Today, we remind that monster exactly who it chose to fight!"

She raised her sword high above her head.

"We are the Alliance! We are the people who stand together when the impossible stands before us!"

Her amber eyes burned with determination.

"So long as one ship remains! So long as one soldier still stands! So long as even a single person refuses to surrender—"

She pointed her greatsword directly at the Leviathan.

"WE. WILL. FIGHT!"

The words exploded across the battlefield like a war cry.

For a brief moment, there was silence.

Then—

"""OOOOOOHHHHHHHH!!!"""

A roar erupted from the fleet.

Soldiers who had been trembling moments ago suddenly raised their weapons.

Cannons were loaded again.

Sails and magical engines roared to life.

Across the massive warships, soldiers began shouting and cheering, their voices merging into a single deafening roar that shook the battlefield.

Even those who had been frozen by the Leviathan’s overwhelming presence seemed to regain their courage.

Jake stared at the scene in surprise.

Mita stood at the very front of the deck, her small figure silhouetted against the crimson sky.

Her amber eyes burned brightly with determination as she raised her greatsword and pointed its massive blade directly toward the Leviathan.

The cheers of the fleet continued behind her, but Mita paid them no attention.

Her gaze remained fixed on the ancient ruler of the seas.

"Oh, one of the Seven Leviathans."

Her voice was calm this time, yet it still carried across the entire battlefield.

"Today, under the lead of I, the Grand Marshal Mita Archforge of the Alliance..."

She grinned as the fake mustache flew away by the fierce winds.

"...I shall put you back to sleep... [Prabur’kbal]!"

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMM!!!

The moment her words fell, the entire fleet erupted once more.

And beneath the crimson sky, the Alliance, which had once repelled and defeated the Seven Leviathans in the First Era, charged into battle once again against one of the ancient rulers of the seas.