North East at sea the same day, 16:00, a large fleet of ships carrying soldiers and siege weaponry such as ballistas were set up in a line formation.
Above, around five ships floated in the air, their size much larger than the ones on the water, and they were decorated with different precious metals.
In the distance, in a similar position, stood another fleet protecting a port city much larger than the one Jack was from, with much bigger houses and better streets.
From above on one of the ships, a few ballistas were being prepared by what seemed to be engineer mages, who were preparing the weapons with both magic and pre-made mathematical calculations.
A few of them prepared special bolts, with sigils that were carved into the metal.
The same people began to charge them with mana, without any chant or artifact. Those people were not normal soldiers; they were knights of noble blood with high mana ranks, which allowed them to have higher mana capacity with higher mana output.
While charging, the bolt began to glow at its tip and emit a form of film around it that seemed to block winds.
The knights went to one of the people dressed in a decorated military uniform who stood on the deck and informed him that the bolts were ready to be charged.
"Lord Viscount, the bolts are ready." The man lifted his hand and walked to the edge of the airship; he then took out a monocle that began to glow.
He looked towards the enemy airships with the monocle and thought.
1.2km... Height of 150m, Piercing bolts... "Move all of them to mark six." He placed his monocle back before continuing, "Point them to the low center and inform His Highness and the Count that we finished the preparations."
The knights, in high spirits, spoke: "Yes!"
Inside the ship, in a well-decorated room with expensive furniture lined with gold, a man in his 40s with black hair and blue eyes, with a well-trained body and a demeanor of someone used to looking down on others, stood looking at a glowing orb.
The knight spoke: "Lord Aurus, we are ready."
It was Aurus. He pointed him outside before speaking into the orb in a laughing manner: "Hear that? Get the item ready!"
On the other side, a slightly annoyed man spoke back: "I know we are brothers and all, but you need to have some respect for your king!"
Aurus responded, "Don't be like that." He tapped the table three times. "We are this close to finally subjugating Malia and its ports. Can't I be a little excited myself?"
On the other side: "I still don't trust that man from the Lehatot Family." Aurus replied, "He said he wanted to forge a great relationship between themselves and our Royal Family."
"And it's not like they didn't give me some insurance. Their head, Victor, is currently staying at Port Bravo, under constant observation."
On the other side: "They are as monsters in human skin. This is the first time I hear of them actually revealing themselves in the last hundred years, apart from the royal events."
"I only met them once when father decided to begin trade with the Nordic nations via the river."
"Victor was still the head even back then, and he had the same description as the one you told me of him."
"And that was when you were born; I was 12 back then, 40 years ago."
Aurus spoke again: "Trust me, I have the feeling that he will not do such things." He drank some wine before continuing, "You remember when I discovered the old count of Lut attempted a coup? I have a good read on people."
On the other side: "Back then when I met him, I got the feeling that he wasn't a human, a devil that could eat me at any moment. The adults back then felt so enamored with him."
"It felt like I was the only one that could see what that monster truly was..." He chuckled. "Perhaps it's because it's said that children could see the true nature of things such as spirits."
"I only declared this war because I was afraid what would happen if I refused to use that artifact."
Aurus's eyes narrowed before a knight came in: "Lord Count, the mana won't last longer than three more minutes."
On the other side: "Tell your men to shoot the bolts. I will use the artifact."
...
On another, much bigger decorated hovering ship, a man in his fifties wearing a crown, in an empty room, stood on a throne-like chair dressed in jeweled golden and silver armor, graying black hair, blue eyes.
He spoke loudly: "Bring me the Grand Mages," as he picked up a bow and a black arrow glowing with violet and green.
He moved onto the deck, passing the arrow to all the Grand Mages. One after the other, they fell to their knees after filling the arrow with their mana before it began to glow completely without any blackness.
The king picked up the arrow and began to draw the arrow towards the sky.
...
Back on the ship, Aurus stood looking at the other line of ships as his ballistas shot their bolts, sinking a few of the ships at the center.
From the neighboring airship, a glowing point of light shot up into the skies. It transformed into a grand whale made of water covering the sun and casting shadows below.
Seeing this, Aurus couldn't contain his excitement. He smiled like a madman.
Did we even need the bolts? "HAHA!"
The whale fell onto the center of the enemy lines, causing large waves of destruction reaching even the airships above, causing them to fall onto the water below.
The waves went towards the enemy city, becoming smaller but still large enough to destroy the three-story houses and the harbor of the city, leaving behind rubble and death.
The enemy line was eradicated with only the airships surviving.
On their own lines, their own ships were affected as well, but due to most waves moving forward from the impact, the ships below were only pushed back 600 meters, with only three warships capsizing.
17:30. The war between Troc and Malia ended in the subjugation and vassalisation of Malia after the fall of their capital city.