Terin found himself staring at the Baron of the Moonlight.

Or he had known as the Baron of the Interstice that was working for the good of the creatures of the interstice.

He was told a long time ago that the Baron was eager to defeat the people of the light in hopes that his people could become the rulers of the world once more. To be able to freely look at the world as if it was theirs.

He didn’t hesitate to draw his sword of light.

Blocking the nefarious light that threatened to slice the ships of the fleet. His form became that of a giant made of light.

Because of his form he was able to stand on the water. The Baron of Moonlight manifested into this form that covered their body in a suit of armor that was made of their power. They were located on the chest as the ‘heart’ of the armor that they had manifested.

Terin readied himself but found that behind the ship made of ebony was an entire fleet that was following the Baron.

It looks like we weren’t the only one who was eager to save the world, Terin said to himself. But in their case they want to save their own world and destroy ours. I couldn’t blame, knowing that they had become like that because of their desire.

Hesitate now and we will be defeated, that’s the awful choice here.

Terin swung his sword.

The Baron of the Interstice deftly parried the light of the sword. The fleet behind him were unharmed as well as the fleet that was protected by the banner of the light that Terin had conjured once he manifested as a giant.

That blow was the same as mine. No, he’s far better at handling his output.

Terin pointed his non-dominant hand at the Baron. A searing beam came out that the Baron deflected upwards, protecting the ship. He observed the ships and realized that they were eager to open fire.

Terin made his banner of light glow brighter for a second to signal the admiral. Most of the shots could deflect their bombardment. It was a one-way barrier that would prevent any cannonball or mortar from penetrating them.

Terin moved once more. His sword of light was like a lance that aimed to stab at the Baron. The Baron calmly moved his giant’s body as if Terin’s thrust was child’s play.

The Baron of Insterstice was not hasty. Terin caught a glimpse of one of his Lieutenants and Terin hastily cast a barrier of his own that made him groan.

The others can’t fight well in this regard. They are limited by their power and unlike us who could easily fight in the ocean. I need to be careful. They are a party as well. I guess there are times where they are eager to gang on me as we did to them.

Most of their encounters were his group ganging up on him. Now that the role was reversed, Terin felt like he understood why it was so effective. Nonetheless, even in this form he felt like they were a distraction.

“Blinder of Light,” said a voice to him. “I shall watch your back while you fight the baron. But you must understand that we must destroy their main fleet here.”

“Lady Eletha...as you wish.”

Lady Eletha was riding the wind. She was in her Vitae. Her living tree armor had the figure of a knite and yet it carried a staff embedded with a tool that Terin had not seen before.

Since she’s here then that means that the Galleon would have to rely on the other’s winds to propel forward. The Great Seas has no wind today. She’s going to take on the others while I face the baron...will it be fine?

“Your thoughts are easy to read, child of the sun,” said Lady Eletha. “The fleet will have to take care of itself. Once we are out of the coastlines we shall head straight to the Greater Seas where our journey will truly begin.”

“So you must hold on and fight, Blinder. As the Lady of the Milostiv, I shall be your shield when you are alone in this battle.”

Lady Eletha of Roan stood before them and she was met with the fury of their cannons. Her artes easily blocked the attacks, showing that she was truly one of the strongest Artes Master of the Fleet and not inferior to Lady Mirthal, the leader of the Elven-kin that was accompanying them.

Once they were distracted by the Lady. Terin hurried to meet the Baron of the Interstice. His sword clashing against the Baron. The Baron said nothing. There was a steely resolve on the face of the Baron.

He’s fighting for greater than himself as well. Do not forget that. You cannot convince those who have devoted themselves to his race. To speak is meaningless. To convince and persuade a man who is ready to burn the other races for the sake of his people is useless. If I cannot match his conviction, then match it with my steel!

Terin avoided and made an upward strike to which the Baron returned with a downward strike. Each of their blows made shockwaves that reached the seas. He took a single glance at the side and saw that Lady Eletha was fighting the Lieutenants of the Baron. The way she fought was nimble and each of her blows connected and flowed.

Terin felt his grip lost for a moment, but he hastily blocked the strike of the baron. He was pushed back for a moment and then bounced forward, slashing his sword against the head of the Baron of the Interstice.

The Baron remained silent.

Terin held his sword of light while keeping each movement in check. The Baron went for a feint which Terin reacted with a parry. He tried to make a follow-up of his attack when the Baron shot Terin with a searing beam that almost took Terin’s arm.

Terin made a quick thrust. The Baron dodged, then made a horizontal swing that grazed the giant made of light that Terin manifested. Terin didn’t immediately opt to restore the part of his shoulder and instead threatened the Baron by slamming the flat of his blade on the stomach of the Baron.

Terin moved two steps away from the Baron.

The Baron followed his movements and at the same time matched his pace of movements.

As if the initial fight was nothing more than a test of their swordsmanship. The speed in which they swung their sword was faster despite the size of their bodies. Their bodies made solidified light that was beyond impossible to comprehend.

Meanwhile, the battle that was happening between the Lieutenant of the Interstice and Lady Eletha was overwhelming. She was covered and surrounded by the sprites that acted as her swords and shield. The sprites protected her dearly while she shot arrows made of conjured flame and blades of shield.

Surrounded as she may be, the Lady of Roan did not falter as she danced around and sang her songs of Artes with passion and ferocity. Her war songs echoed and the enemy who were going against her showed no passion in their voices either.

The Reconnoiter Company was still moving forward.

The smoke and fire that they were letting out on the Undersea Tribes made for quite a sight. Without the giant beasts distracting their firepower. The starboard fleets engaged the sea-kin by firing a series of bombardment.

Every ship of the fleet was fighting. Their bayonets stabbing on the sea-kin. The barrel of their rifles blowing a hole on the non-human bodies.

I wish I could help the fleet...but I need to focus on the Baron. We are fighting at the same power, and yet he’s also unwilling to protect break the formation--

Before Terin could finish that thought. The Baron grabbed hold of his giant’s neck and made a giant leap that immediately pulled them upwards. Terin managed to get hold of himself, broke the hold of the Baron and retaliated with a downward slash that immediately split the clouds.

Terin tried to look around only to realize that the Baron was making use of the fog gathered on the cloud to lower his visibility.

If I make my body burst with enough heat then it will clear the area around me. But at the same time it will leave me helpless. No, I need to go back to the ocean and fight him there.

Terin tried to go down when he saw a sudden swing that took his arm. He kicked forward and followed it with a strike using the elbow when suddenly there was a palm that almost shattered his defenses.

Terin tried to follow it with an attack but the Baron dispersed his giant and fell on the ocean.

Terin landed his giant’s foot on the surface of the ocean when he suddenly saw the tip of the sword trying to stab upwards. Terin dispersed his giant form and manifested it again. Once more, there was a series of attacks that made Terin defensive.

The Baron was relentless.

Terin remained on the defensive.

The Baron made a feint and then launched another attack that caused him to stagger. Using that time to stagger him, the Baron made a pulling motion that directly slashed the Lady of Roan right to her side. Before he could finish her off however, Terin’s sword of light blazed and shattered the banner that was protecting the fleet. As if waiting for it, the Fleet immediately fired heavy rounds of mortar fire on the Fleet to which the Baron responded by spreading his manifested form to shield his own fleet.

“We should retreat for now.”

“Why?”

Lady Eletha groaned as the Vitae that she wore withered immediately. “That’s why,” she pointed her finger and saw this awful contraption that was armed on one of their ships. Terin prepared himself when suddenly the figure of the Baron forced him to let go of the Lady and blocked it. The Lady tried to help when she was suddenly held by the forces of the Baron.

Then the fleet of the Baron used a strange cannon that fired a bloody beam which shattered the banner of light. Terin saw that beam destroy fifteen of the fleet’s warships and numerous vessels that were unfortunate enough to be at the line of fire.. The man-o-wars who were close to the beam had their hulls burnt!

Anger temporarily made Terin lose control and with it he swung so mightily that he found the light that made him strong falter for a moment.

“Calm down, blinder, restore the barrier around the fleet first.”

Terin held on to his sword while leaking out blood from his mouth. He restored the banner and quickly shot a strike that damaged the strange cannon they fired. From the looks of it they were having artes users make use of their powers to create a powerful weapon.

“I said be calm...blinder. Attack the forces trying to reach the fleet. Admiral, there are forces trying to flank the rear of the ship,” she said to her staff.

Terin heard the admiral’s voice but was unable to understand it when he saw the Baron ignite his sword once more.

“Blinder, please understand that you are facing an aged warrior. You are doing well but remember that the goal of the fleet right now is to escape this place. Once we are out in the open then we will be able to employ the tactics of our fleet. For now we’ll try to rid them of that cannon. Understand that we are at a disadvantage with the size of our fleet. You must confront Baron Reazem. He is chosen by the Moonlight.”

“I understand,” Terin calmed himself down and clashed his sword of light against the Baron of the Interstice with his eyes on Terin.

I’m sorry Baron, whatever that is that you want to protect… I need to win and save my people first!