The glow of the burning ships surrounding the Leviathan was reflected on the face of Sephral's featureless mask through the crystal windows. Beneath it, his lips twitched with barely restrained anger as he watched yet another vessel of his fleet split apart as an internal explosion had torn it asunder, sending the severed halves of the hull drifting almost serenely into the churning ocean.
On the bridge, the crew and officers stood paralyzed with pale and disbelieving faces by the battle raging beyond the reinforced enchanted windows, which can be described as a massacre and a one-sided slaughter. They stared in horror as ship after ship fell, with their crews dying without even catching a glimpse of the enemy that was killing their people with impunity.
"Fleet Commander!" A panicked aide snapped a sharp salute as he delivered his report. "The Chief Guard requests reinforcements! The upper decks have been overrun and the guards could not hold them any longer!"
"Damn it!" Sephral suddenly yelled as he spun on his heel to face the frightened aide. His voice cut through the suffocating tension like a blade as he spoke. “All of you!” His gaze burned as it swept over his commanders. “Take back the rear core station! Now!”
The shaken commanders and generals hastily left the bridge, summoning their personnel guards as they rushed to carry out Sephral's orders. Watching them depart from the bridge, Sephral’s expression hardened.
With a curt gesture, he signaled to his own guards. "Attend to me."
Eight figures in crimson coats and identical masks, the elite warriors of the “Crimson Guardians”, stepped forward in a straight row and in perfect unison before Sephral. Without a word, Sephral turned and strode briskly toward the hangar decks with his aides and guards close behind. The metallic corridors groaned with each impact from outside, and fine dust rained down from the trembling overhead panels.
“Prepare the teleportation platform!” Sephral barked over his shoulder. “You two,” he snapped, pointing at a pair of aides, “retrieve my luggage and everything of value from the vaults. Now!”
The Crimson Guardians moved ahead with their hands resting on their weapons as they led the way.
Just as the group rounded a corner, they bumped and came face-to-face with seven strangers dressed in unfamiliar attire and wielding alien devices.
“...”
“...”
For a heartbeat, both sides froze and stared at each other in utter silence.
Then one of the Crimson Guardians acted and leaped into action, drawing a pair of short swords that flashed as she charged forward. The rest of the Crimson Guardians pushed Sephral and his party back down the corridor, forming a protective barrier as they ushered him toward safety. Another Crimson Guardian member stayed behind with his greatsword drawn to support his fellow sister against the invaders.
The clash of steel and the thunderous roars of foreign weaponry broke out behind Sephral as his guards fought against the invaders. He cursed under his breath inwardly and quickened his steps, veering toward an alternate path that would lead to the chamber housing the teleportation artifact. Each step carried him closer to salvation, yet his mind churned with frustration and dread.
How had it all unraveled so quickly? Who were these invaders wielding such power? No one within the Third Civilization Zone, save for the dwarves, should possess such devastating weaponry.
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Aegeusia was a Level 10 warrior-mage, a highly skilled member of the Crimson Guardians who had been raised within the Knight Order since her earliest memories. Training in both martial and magical arts, she had passed the grueling Final Examination to earn her rank of Captain.

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First Light of a New Age
Science FictionJoin the Subreddit: "FLOANA" Join my Discord: https://discord.gg/dzapxK6f --- In a distant realm where magic thrives, ferocious beasts shake mountains and rivers with their mighty roars, and individuals wield superhuman strength capable of reshaping...