Gheor wasn't an idiot, nor was he underestimating the Imperial Army. He knew full well that the Empire had prepared several plans to take down the Tiger Corps.

In spite of that, he had chosen to fight for two reasons.

First, it was his responsibility to protect the cities and their citizens.

Gheor had dispatched the Eagle Corps and the Elephant Corps in a way that'd protect the free cities. However, that had been exactly what the Empire had wanted.

Second, he knew that the Empire sought to destroy the Tiger Corps, so he struck at their weakness.

They would use 'airships' to accomplish this! These airships were designed by Gheor and Han Seol, and the Storm Guild had created them.

It was finally time to use them. Instead of sails, they flew using giant balloons.

Plus...

Kyaaaahk!

Each ship was pulled by ten wyverns. Their job was to drag the airship in the right direction, as well as guard them if necessary.

It was a method of transportation that hadn't existed within Arth! Moreover, they were traveling through the sky!

That's why they were able to transport the Eagle Corps and the Elephant Corps without being detected.

Of course, if you took a good look at them, you'd notice how crude they were. They used an actual boat as the hull of the ship, and it was pretty clear how much of a rushed job the balloons were.

Still, there was no better method of transportation when the Tower wasn't letting the Alliance or the Empire use their gates!

Without the Flying Dragon Squad or the Storm Guild, they couldn't have been constructed.

Fifteen airships from both the east and the west quickly flew towards the Nazrak Plains.

They could transport 200 people per ship.

There were 3,000 of the Eagle Corps' elites in the eastern airships. Each of them was a powerhouse in their own right.

It included the Eagle Corps' Commander, Burkan, as well as Dion, the 100 Fighters, and the Sword Mercenaries!

Burkan had asked Kang Oh if he knew anyone who'd be of help to them, and Kang Oh had come through. They were accompanying Burkan on the ship.

Bart and his friends had come, which included the Harbinger of Death, Viper, and the Wolf Warrior, Mulan.

Helena, Plum, Dambi, and Yericka had come too.

The western airships carried 3,000 of the Elephant Corps' elites. Their commander, Ould, and the Master Knight, Olando, were with them.

The captain of the Flying Dragon Squad, Saladin, the Master of Melee Combat, Cracker, and other rankers accompanied them.

This was Gheor's trump card!

Although it was a paltry 6,000 troops, they possessed enough power to turn this battle around.

However...!

All of a sudden, something happened to the western airships.

"The Alliance has made something strange." Black Wolf looked at the airships and smiled murderously from atop his Death Eagle.

Ould saw the Death Eagles from the deck of the ship, and his complexion paled.

"The Nightmares of the Sky are here! Everyone, get ready for battle!" Ould yelled.

"Flying Dragon Squad, get on your wyverns! We can't let the airships fall!" Saladin rushed over to his wyvern and whistled.

The Flying Dragon Squad quickly followed Saladin.

Shriek!

The riders quickly got on their wyverns one or two at a time.

They immediately detached from the lines connecting the wyverns to the airships. After all, they couldn't fight when they were immobilized, now could they?

Due to the large balloons, the airships didn't fall.

Kyaaahk!

150 wyverns flew at the Death Eagles.

Whir!

The wyverns unleashed black or green Poison Breaths from their mouths.

"Scatter, and fight individually! If you lose your Death Eagle, then there'll be hell to pay!" Black Wolf yelled murderously.

"Yes, sir!"

Black Wolf's Death Eagle avoided all of the Poison Breath. Its flying ability was truly extraordinary.

Now it was time for their counterattack.

The members of Black Wolf pointed at their targets, and the Death Eagles opened their beaks, revealing a mass of blue energy.

Blade Wind!

The swift, sharp energy was like the finest of blades.

Rip!

The wyverns' wings ripped, and plummeted to the ground.

"Damn it."

A Wyvern Rider, who was glued onto their wyvern's back, quickly pulled out an adhesive meant for first aid. The Breaker Guild's alchemists had developed this in case their wyverns' wings ripped.

However, a shadow cast over him and his wyvern. A Death Eagle had flown over in the blink of an eye.

The Black Wolf member pierced the Wyvern Rider's body with their spear.

"Keok."

His wyvern wasn't left alone either. The Death Eagle pierced through it with both its talons and its beak.

Kyahaahk!

The wyvern writhed, but it couldn't escape the Death Eagle's grasp.

"Save Rick!"

A group of wyverns came rushing at the Death Eagle. They couldn't use their Poison Breath or they'd risk hitting Rick too.

At that moment, the Death Eagle forcefully flapped its wings.

Flap!

Whoosh!

The Death Eagle quickly soared into the air with both the wyvern and its rider in tow!

There was no way the wyverns could match that kind of speed. Its skill in the air was unparalleled.

"Damn it. It's too fast."

"Close the distance however possible! Take advantage of our numbers!"

It was a fight between 150 wyverns and 40 Death Eagles!

Plus, the mages and archers in the airships offered long-range support.

But as time passed, they realized why the Death Eagles were called the 'Nightmares' of the Sky!

It was as if they were piloting dozens of old aircraft versus the top of the line fighter jet. There was no way they could possibly compete with them.

The wyverns and their riders kept dying, while the Death Eagles and the Black Wolf Squad were completely unscathed.

In the end...

A Death Eagle approached the airship. Its mouth was filled with blue energy.

'This is bad!'

Saladin's face was filled with despair. It was too late. There was no way to stop them.

He could see the airship being ripped to the shreds, and falling to the ground.

Then...

A red meteor came flying by.

It was incredibly fast!

What was that?

"A-A wyvern?" Saladin gaped.

It was a mutant wyvern with red skin and black armor!

The wyvern was faster than the Death Eagle, even though it was carrying two people on its back.

Inhale. Roar!

Waryong spewed blazing flames.

Fire Dragon's Fury!

The Death Eagle countered with sharp wind energy.

Blade Wind!

The two energies fiercely clashed in the sky.

Waryong and the Death Eagle's energies engaged in a tug of war.

"What are you doing!? Go help that wyvern!" Saladin yelled.

The red wyvern wouldn't be able to stop the Death Eagle by itself. After all, a wyvern was like an old aircraft, while a Death Eagle was like the newest fighter jet.

However...!

"C-Captain!" A member of the Flying Dragon Squad widened his eyes.

"Hoh!" Saladin gaped once more.

Waryong's flames pushed through the Death Eagle's blast, and completely devoured it and its rider.

Roar!

Gyaaahk!

The Death Eagle released an anguished cry and plummeted to the ground. Its rider didn't remain safe from the flames either.

This was the first time that the top of the line fighter jet, the Death Eagle, was defeated. It had been defeated by an older model at that.

Saladin stared at the wyvern in disbelief. However, what he had seen was irrefutably true.

'There's nothing more surprising than... Heok!' It felt like his eyes would pop out of his head.

A man on Waryong's back pulled out a yellow 'something' from his chest. It looked like a chick of some sort.

However...!

That chick was engulfed in flames and instantly transformed into something else.

A Phoenix!

The mythical bird had appeared!

* * *

Empire's Giant Soldier and Moby Dick Squads were engaged in an intense battle with Breaker's Beast Squad.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

The white-winged Pegasus landed on the ground. Then, cheers rang out all around the rider.

"Uwaaaah!"

"Commander Dukeram has appeared!"

"Emperor! Emperor! Emperor!"

"Dukeram! Dukeram! Dukeram!"

Dukeram's mere presence brought strength to his soldiers and the members of the Empire Guild. Dukeram was invincible. Thus, his presence was a sign that victory was at hand.

"Damn it." Raon, who was fighting against Tainos, furrowed his brow.

He was ashamed that he was having such a hard time fighting someone like Tainos.

But now, they had Dukeram to deal with too!

'Someone needs to take care of him.'

However, there was no one that could. Him and Snow Flower were busy dealing with Tainos and Moby Dick.

"Magma, Schaal!" Raon yelled.

The Breaker Guild had four squads of its own: Steel Sword, Lava, Leopard, and Flying Dragon!

Schaal was the leader of Steel Sword, while Magma led the Lava Squad.

They were two members that represented the Breaker Guild's power!

Although they weren't in their best condition, as they were tired from fighting the Empire Guild and had accrued wounds, there was no one else that could handle Dukeram.

"Yes, sir!" Schaal, who possessed a tiger's face, yelled.

Magma, who hadn't become an anthromorph, turned his head and stared at Raon.

"Take your men and keep Dukeram busy. Buy as much time as possible!"

"Understood."

Schaal, Magma, and their men did as they were ordered.

Dukeram pulled out two pieces of equipment from his inventory.

The unrivaled Max Cain, and the Emperor's Staff!

Dukeram raised the golden staff into the air. A bright yellow sphere like the sun rose from the end of his staff.

Summon Invincible Army!

Glittering sand soldiers rose from the ground. There were so many of them.

He had summoned 10,000 soldiers!

Who would believe you if you said that one player could summon 10,000 soldiers at once!?

However, if Dukeram did it, a lot of people would say 'as expected' and nod their heads.

He was a one man army!

That was the best way to describe him.

Even so, Dukeram couldn't summon 10,000 soldiers whenever he wanted.

When he became a Desert Emperor, Dukeram gained a new side stat called 'Rulership'. Summoning and maintaining these sand soldiers consumed these stat points. Dukeram had just used up more than half of his saved up points by summoning all of these soldiers at once.

"Desert Emperor!"

"Great One! Give us your orders!"

Two sand men, who were more than 3 meters tall, and were garbed in glowing golden armor, shouted simultaneously. These were the generals that led the Invincible Army!

"Kill anyone who opposes me!" Dukeram ordered.

"As you command!"

"Invincible Army, follow me!"

The sand generals yelled.

Long ago, there was a man who lived for hundreds of years and ruled the desert as emperor with his strange Hourglass Magic.

It was said that this emperor's army was invincible; it didn't die, eat, or sleep.

It was the Invincible Army.

This legendary army had returned once more.

"Holy shit!"

"He's a monster!"

"They come back even if you kill them!"

The sand soldiers were far stronger than any normal troops. Even if you did manage to kill them, they would come back.

Hence the name, the Invincible Army!

They wouldn't disappear until Dukeram exhausted his entire Rulership stat.

Dukeram, the Invincible Army, and the Empire!

This combination...

Was too dangerous!

* * *

Rudy, who'd transformed into its true form, was truly a majestic creature. Not only was it larger than the Death Eagles, but its outstretched wings burned with the Fire of Life.

Sun Wing!

Rudy unleashed feather-shaped flames everywhere. There were so many of them that the sky was completely filled with them.

The Death Eagles flapped their wings and avoided the barrage, but three were unable to do so. The feathers didn't give them any room to dodge.

The Phoenix was a miraculous bird birthed from the Source of Fire. Any enemy opposing it would be burnt to a crisp.

Roar!

The three Death Eagles' wings quickly burnt away. Then, their skin, talons, beak, and bones melted away too.

Their riders tried to extinguish the flames, but it was no use.

Then...

"Let's go!" Sephiro grabbed Waryong's back.

A dark red meteor flew through the air.

Meteor Crash!

This was one of the effects of Waryong's armor.

For 10 seconds, Waryong's speed would be quintupled, and it would be surrounded by energy.

It was basically a mace that would break through any barrier.

Boom!

Waryong rammed into a Death Eagle. Meteor Crash made Waryong so fast that the Death Eagle couldn't hope to respond in time.

Kieeek!

The Death Eagle fainted and plummeted to the ground. If it fell from this height, then it wouldn't remain unscathed.

Sephiro stood up and shot an arrow as thick as a harpoon. Waryong spewed red flames at the Death Eagles.

After that...

A dark red winged demon threw a Darkness Chain at a Death Eagle!

Of course, a Death Eagle was skilled enough to dodge something like that.

Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!

If Kang Oh hadn't thrown Sarahoff using Weapon Bombardment beforehand, that is.

The Death Eagle was being chased by Sarahoff, so predicting where it'd fly to next was no problem at all.

Swish!

Once the chain wrapped around the Death Eagle's talon, Kang Oh shortened the chain and quickly closed the distance.

"Get lost!" The rider thrust a fine-looking spear at him. However, he was nowhere near skilled enough to hit Kang Oh, the evasion master.

Kang Oh dodged the attack and then jumped on top of the Death Eagle. Then, he swung Ubist and Blood.

Mad Wind's Sword!

A merciless blade storm raged across the Death Eagle's back. Countless black feathers and shards of light mixed together in the air.

The rider had died long ago, and the dying Death Eagle plummeted to the ground.

Kang Oh flew into the air once more.

'This is a sick nightmare!'

They had already lost six Death Eagles to Kang Oh's party!

The Black Wolf Squad realized that the true nightmare wasn't the Death Eagles, but Sephiro, Kang Oh, Waryong, and the Phoenix!