Chapter 554: The Spark of the Second Act (2)

Three young men, none older than twenty, entrusted with the task of taking on an immense entity like the Church.

The mission would be anything but easy, and everyone spent the following hours planning the raid.

"The Church has many angels, but the one worth noting is the one that appeared alone in the battle of the elites," Fray said, recounting what he had seen.

"That angel has only one attack—but it’s enough to kill SS+ class fighters. It can fire for three minutes straight, then stops for five minutes to recharge before repeating. That will be our biggest obstacle alongside the High Bishop in this raid."

A diagram of the angel’s form was laid out, and the prince nodded.

"From the reports, that angel hasn’t returned to the Sacred Isle. It’s somewhere in the Devil’s Sea. If we strike quickly enough, we might be able to avoid clashing with it."

Aegon made a good point. As always, he had deep knowledge of his enemies and allies alike.

"But the real problem," Aegon added, "is if the Church has another one—or more."

"I doubt they have another weapon like that," Fray replied. "If they did, they wouldn’t hesitate to use it to wipe us all out. The last battle was the perfect chance to get rid of every SS+ fighter on both sides."

It was a fair point—if two of those great angels had appeared, they would have been completely annihilated. But Aegon didn’t look entirely convinced.

"I wouldn’t be so sure if I were you. Your reasoning makes sense, but there’s still the possibility they’re holding a second angel in reserve to defend their stronghold."

"That conclusion came from flipping the chessboard," Aegon explained.

It was a tactic he often used—reversing the board to put himself in his enemy’s position.

Thinking about the battle from their perspective, he would try to guess their moves.

"If I were the Church, I would never play all my cards at once. They can’t predict what might come their way, so it’s better to act as if they might have at least one more weapon in reserve."

Aegon’s strategic insight was sound, and Fray didn’t object—he nodded in agreement.

"I see your point. It’s best we account for every possibility."

In agreement, Fray and Aegon moved on to discussing how to attack, their back-and-forth smooth and calculated.

It made everyone else in the room fall silent.

Those two were like oil and fire—putting them in the same room was usually enough to make the air tense. Just minutes ago, they had been glaring at each other with looks sharp enough to kill.

But now, it was as if they were in perfect sync. Many of those watching realized this might be the birth of a terrifying team—one made up of an unpredictable fighter and a cunning prince whose plans no one could foresee.

The meeting dragged on for hours, until the time for departure was close. With only an hour left, most agreed to get some rest before setting out.

As the long meeting wrapped up, Prince Aegon turned to Ivar Valerion and raised an important point.

"What about my father and grandfather?"

It was a fair question ..their absence until now made no sense.

Aegon had already asked his uncle to look into it, and Ivar had done so.

The latter sighed in irritation before sharing the information he had recently gathered.

"I don’t fully understand what’s going on, but the report from our men stated that Maekar immediately left the battlefield the moment he learned about the Church’s assault on the Empire... The path he took showed that he headed toward the Demon Sea, so he could be far away by now. And Ser Alon has gone after him to bring him back... That’s why he’s absent as well."

"Ah, I see..." Aegon said, now aware of the current situation.

Maekar Valerion must have panicked the moment he heard about the complete destruction of the royal family’s palace.

For the treasure he kept hidden from the entire world lay within that place. In other words... Maekar had likely set out to cross the Demon Sea himself to return to the Empire.

"My father really does go mad when it comes to that man," Aegon chuckled mockingly, before Ivar asked in confusion.

"What are you talking about?"

"Ah, nothing, nothing. I’m just talking to myself."

Leaving the tent alongside his family members, Aegon smiled and issued new orders.

"This situation might work in our favor. Tell my grandfather to return as soon as possible. As for my father, let him continue toward the Empire and have him take command of the Church’s forces there... His appearance will definitely turn the tide."

"This doesn’t sound like a wise plan to me," Ivar said, unconvinced.

"It’s not supposed to be a wise plan. We want chaos."

Armies clashing across the Continent of Ultras...

A single madman throwing the Empire into upheaval...

And one unit fighting against the Church...

It was complete chaos, exactly as the prince intended. His mind was racing against time, searching for the most optimal path for the events to unfold.

...

...

...

At the same time the prince departed, Frey Starlight also slipped away on his own, seeking solitude.

From his pocket, he took out one of those magic crystals used for communication during times of war. He infused it with his Aura, connecting to the other side.

It only took a few seconds before the other party answered, and a familiar holographic figure appeared before him.

It was Carmen.

"It’s been a while, Carmen. How are things on your end?" Frey asked with a gentle smile, genuinely relieved to see the woman safe.

Sitting atop a massive crate, Carmen glanced around to check her surroundings before answering.

"We’re alive and well thanks to your instructions... Your sister and all the key people are safe," Carmen said, to which Frey nodded.

"Glad to hear that."

"But Frey... how did you know the attack was coming?"

Carmen still remembered what Frey had told her before he set out for war. He had stressed the importance of preparing multiple escape routes in case anything happened.

Thanks to his persistence, they had managed to flee before the main command center was destroyed, and were now hiding underground in a concealed spot amid the ruins of the Oclas Mountains.

However, the less fortunate members of the family who had been in the Starlight region... most of them perished in the flames of the purge.

"Ada’s in bad shape. She’s supposed to be the family’s Lord, so she blames herself for what happened..."

The sudden annihilation of the majority of their family had cast a heavy shadow, and Ada was far from fine.

Frey already knew about that—he had checked on her condition through the system several times.

"I didn’t know about the Church’s attack, but I expected you’d be targeted during the war one way or another—especially since I’ve been making a lot of enemies lately."

Even if the blow hadn’t come from the Church, it would’ve come from other factions, like the Ultras, who might have used his sister against him.

Frey could teleport to her location at any time, but there were cases where he’d be pinned down on the battlefield, like during the last fight. That’s why he had to make preparations in advance.

Thanks to that, his sister and Carmen, along with everyone in the main headquarters, had gotten out alive.