Then, as if awakened by a primal challenge, the Moonlight Queen burst into a silvery-white light. Her aura expanded. Illuminating the entire stadium.
Her power, originally at an enhanced level, instantly surged to an illuminated level. It was just like what Jack had suspected.
Moonlight Queen wasn't just a title for a mere figurehead. It was a bloodline class, just like Aella's mysterious faewitch. And it was tied to the kingdom's authority. When the kingdom was threatened, it would burst into much greater strength.
Beside her, the old Prime Minister who had been observing the tournament result with quiet dignity, also ignited his power. A golden light, regal and unyielding, formed around him. Solidifying his own illuminated presence. He was the Moonlight Guardian of the kingdom.
Then, three figures appeared next to them . The Royal Generals. They also flared with their respective powers. All three were also illuminated combatants.
One bulked up in size and erupted in swirling earthen power. Forming stone plates around him. This was the Earth General of Grandmoon Kingdom.
Another one became a lean figure coated by a vortex of howling wind. This one was the Sky General of the kingdom.
And the third one blazed with controlled blue frost fire. The temperature around him dropped into freezing degree. This one was the Sea General of the kingdom.
Five illuminated beings against seven. The odds were not helping the Grandmoon Kingdom's side.
But then, there was a rustle in the stands. An old man, seemingly just another spectator, stood up. Jack immediately recognized him. He was Master Gerath, the Fable Keeper he had met in Marevale Town.
The old man levitated upward slowly and removed the fang pendant necklace he was rearing. His enhanced transcendent power rapidly grew stronger. A surge of ancient, potent energy erupted from him.
The man now exuded a deep, resonant aura that indicated a profound, accumulated power. This aura pulsed with a wisdom that transcended mere physical might. He too, was an illuminated being.
Jack narrowed his eyes. His [Eyes of Judgement] couldn't detect the old Master Gerath's real power before. Was it disguised? Or sealed? Looking at how he had to take out his necklace, it was very likely self-sealed.
Jack quickly made a calculation based on the information his special eyes could acquire. Six against seven. The battlefield was set.
The Alliance was leading in numbers. But from the intensity of the aura, Jack could see that the strongest here was Master Gerath. Followed closely by the old prime minister. Both belonged to Grandmoon Kingdom.
However, combat power wasn't purely based on aura strength. The Ghost Assassin from the Black Market Syndicate was the weakest in aura. But, was he the weakest among the illuminated level? Not necessarily.
Meanwhile, just as Jack was observing the big shots, an explosive sound reverberated all over the stadium. The illuminated battle had started...
No exchanged taunts. No grand declarations. The moment Master Gerath's power fully manifested, the thirteen powerhouses launched themselves at each other.
The air vibrated, then shrieked. The arena's massive protective wards shattered instantly. Exploding into a shower of arcane sparks.
Lightning, shadow, arcane blasts, primal energy, necromantic curses, pure kinetic force... All clashed in a maelstrom of destruction above the stadium.
The sky pulsed with a riot of violent colors... black, golden, silver, green, scarlet, icy blue...
Explosions ripped through the space above. Each one echoed like a thunderclap. Shaking the ground below. Dust and debris scattered everywhere. Mixed with fragments of the arena's protective dome.
The sheer scale of the power clash was overwhelming. The force of the illuminated clashes alone was enough to destroy a significant part of the city. Jack hadn't forgotten that the Highcliff Town was basically destroyed by the clash of illuminated forces.
Jack gritted his teeth. His own power was not enough to join such scale of fight. Even in his hulking rakshasa form. Not yet... The illuminated level of existence was entirely different.
Reina clutched his arm. Her eyes were wide with the horrifying magnificence of the battle. "Dear! This is beyond us."
Jack nodded. His jaw was tight. "We have a different kind of opponents to fight."
As he spoke, a new threat emerged. Grunts. Hundreds of them. Lower-tier transcendent combatants. Not even in enhanced level. Not exactly hard enemies for Jack's crew. But they were a great danger for the non-transcendent spectators.
They began appearing from the edges of the stadium. Pouring in through collapsed sections of the walls and leaping over the stands. Their eyes were manic. Full of the intent on massacre.
They immediately targeted the panicked civilians. Pushing into the stands, cutting them down without mercy. Screams of terror erupted anew. Drowning out the distant roars of the illuminated battle above.
Chaos descended upon the stadium floor and the once-orderly seating.
"Everyone! Protect the innocents!" Jack roared. His voice was amplified by his inner strength. Cutting through the chaos.
Most of his crew members were already aware of the great chance of such battle. They moved with practiced efficiency.
Baroness Artheim unleashed crackling arcs of lightning birds. Repelling the initial wave of grunts the nearest from their section of the platform.
The armored Leon did something similar. He unleashed focused bolts of lightning. Knocking back any hostile opponents in range. Especially those who got too close to the civilians they were trying to protect.
Most of the other crew abandoned their sorcery or mystic spells. Instead, they used the steamrune rifles that everyone in their crew possessed. Aiming them at the grunts that targeted the civilians.
Reina and Aella teleported again and again. Saving the civilians. Shooting the hostile invaders.
Jack, seeing the scale of the massacre unfolding, knew they couldn't just continue defending the civilians like that. The ones they saved once would still be in danger afterward.
They needed an exit. So, he pulled a small, normal-looking hand mirror from his [Spatial Backpack]. It was not exactly magical on its own. But in Jack's hand, it could show a miracle.
He activated his [Mythical Mirror Realm]. The mirror shimmered. Showing a distorted, swirling reflection of the chaotic arena for a moment. Then it rippled, yet the image turned clear. It now displayed a grand mansion interior. Vast and empty.
"Mirella! Serene! Autumn! Get inside! Prepare to receive the rescued ones inside the mansion!" Jack barked his command.
Mirella, who had been unleashing his paintings to provide buffs, nodded sharply. She immediately dashed to the mirror.
Serene and Autumn also recognized the command and the necessity. They quickly followed. Their healing energies were ready.
The three women touched the mirror surface one by one and were sucked inside immediately. Entering the sanctuary of the Mirror Mansion.
"Evacuate as many as we can!" Jack commanded. "Knock them out if necessary. It's faster and less troublesome. Throw them in!"
The task was obvious. Thousands of civilians were trapped and terrified. Hundreds of bloodthirsty and relentless transcendent threats were coming.
And above, the thirteen illuminated powerhouses continued their devastating aerial battle. Their stray blasts shook the entire stadium and threw massive debris all over the place.
Jack gave an example himself. He moved with incredible speed. A blur in the eyes of the panicked masses. He used his rough knowledge of pressure points and vital areas to deliver quick, non-lethal hits. Rendering the civilians unconscious without harm.
He would then grab them, sometimes two or even three at once, and pushed them towards the small hand mirror. They shrank and passed through the surface. Disappearing into the safe confines of the Mirror Mansion.
Reina quickly copied him. She materialized behind civilians with a soft popping sound. A gentle touch of illusionary fog instantly sent them into a peaceful sleep. Then, with another quick teleport, she carried them to Jack and tossed them through the mirror.
After her, Baroness Artheim also acted in similar method. Her lightning bolts crackled softly through the air.
She used precise, low-intensity shocks on panicked individuals next to her. Stunning them just enough to make them unconscious. Before sending lightning wolves to transport them to Jack's mirror.
The last direct contributor for the evacuation was the duo, Chloe and Sparkle. They were a dynamic duo of precise rescue. Sparkle's paralyzing zaps made the civilians fainted. Then, Chloe, would carry them into the shadows. Bringing them to the Mirror Mansion.
The others didn't really have the sufficient control or temper to handle the rescue. Thus they moved to deal with the transcendent invaders instead.
Bell, Moby, Ned, Don, and Barnaby worked with ruthless efficiency. The first four didn't use their large scale magic spells. And Barnaby didn't play his battle song. They didn't want to attract the attention of the illuminated ones above.
Instead, they all used the steamrune rifles Jack had provided for all the crew members. They delivered accurate lethal shots to the grunts. Before these hostile combatants could reach the civilians.
Unlike the four who preferred long ranged attack, Leon didn't mind the types of attack. He charged toward the grunts. Completely clad in draconic armor, he was like a true war tank. Crushing any hostile opponent on his way.
And this tough 'war tank' had long ranged missiles. His single targeted mystic spell, Lightning Strike, was as deadly as steamrune riffles. Blasting any target in his sight that tried to attack civilians.
Aella could teleport like Reina. But she had no way to reduce his voidfire power to be non-lethal. Therefore, she moved to eliminate the invaders instead. She cleaned them up even faster than anyone of the crew.
The rescue operation never stopped. The crew did their tasks non-stop amidst the terrifying pressure coming from the illuminated clash above.
...
The noise around the Grand Arena was deafening. Screams, explosions, magic tearing the air, the thud of bodies hitting the ground. The arena floor was slick with blood, dust, and debris.
The Silent Mermaid's crew members were under heavy pressure. Most other transcendent competitors for the tournament chose to escape the stadium. Those who stayed in the arena mostly sought to fight and destroyed the invaders at all cost. Ignoring the civilian's lives.
Even Jack felt the strain. His [Mythical Mirror Realm] and [Eyes of Judgement] were activated all the times. His perception was stretched. Tracking a dozen things at once... the illuminated ones that battle above, the incoming grunts, the panicked civilians, his team's ever-shifting positions...
The hand mirror he held was a constant, swirling beacon of safety. A vortex of hope in the heart of destruction.
Outside the Mirror Mansion, the crew struggled hard to send more civilians inside. Inside, Mirella, Serene and Autumn, worked tirelessly. Handling the rescued civilians. Ensuring they were fine. Mending broken bones, healing flesh wounds, and recovering internal injuries...
The situation turned worse and worse. The illuminated battle above intensified.
A blast of pure black energy slammed into the stadium's ground. Causing a huge spatial crack. Gigantic insect monsters poured out from it. Their numbers seemed endless...