Floating above both hands of Viers, there were four cards.

The Magician, the High Priestess, the Lovers, and the Temperance.

The owners were Farley, Clarissa, Sakuya, and Paina. Viers gave them the Major Arcana that was most suitable for them.

The four owners looked on in no small amount of wonder and amazement as Viers infused the cards with mysterious energy. Motes of light, tiny and numerous, beautifully entered the cards. When he was done, there was a soft ringing sound resembling a clear bell.

“The battle ahead will be tough. May the extra power serve you well. Hopefully, it is unnecessary,” Viers said as he floated the cards back to the four. “Use reasonable judgment. Be bold, but not reckless. Take care of yourselves.”

“You too, Viers,” Clarissa replied.

“Be careful, okay. Don't get any weird episodes up there,” Paina said.

“Heheh, too late,” Viers chuckled.

“Indeed, it’s too late,” Farley cut in. “I will try to meet your expectations, Lord Viers.”

Viers shook his head before answering. “Do or do not. There is no try.”

“...Okay.”

“Viers-sama, if you need my help, anything at all, please don't be hesitant to ask,” Sakuya had a half-longing look on her face.

“Thank you. I’ll bear that in mind. Sakuya, sorry for our sparse interaction, just after our reunion to boot. Once things have calmed down a bit, I want us to talk and properly catch up.”

“It would be my pleasure!”

Trying to hide her silly smile and blush, Sakuya put on her mask in a hurry. With warm feelings in their chest seeing the wholesome scene, the rest of Team White also put their mask back on.

Before they went their separate way, Viers just had one more thing to say.

“May the Force be with you.”

***

Falmerion awed everyone with his mighty wings, glimmering red scales, fearsome claws, swords-like fangs, majestic body, overwhelming mana, and his presence as a True Dragon.

No monsterkind could claim to be above him except for stronger dragons.

The creature that the Latias people regarded as the nation’s symbol was standing before them. It instilled a feeling of strength inside their hearts.

These people had seen Falmerion before but it was different now. What they saw was the Rank 3 Falmerion, a juvenile dragon the size of a small horse. The Rank 4 young adult Falmerion was more or less the size of Daenerys’ dragons at the show’s end.

Croix’s Dragon Evolution Arte showed its power here. Although Falmerion only went up by one Rank, his power was much greater than before.

The surroundings gawked and cheered. Who didn't like to have something like this on their side? However, some princes were feeling complicated since the dragon belonged to another, while their own dragon egg failed to hatch. The tamer prince in particular had the look of great envy.

Falmerion himself seemed to be showing his regality to one being in particular, Serena the black dragon. The female dragon frolicked about with the adult Falmerion.

He is bigger than before, Viers thought.

He’d seen Croix use Dragon Evolution Arte two times before this. The first was shortly after the dragon’s hatching, to escape the volcano from Marvin. Little did the prince know Viers returned and killed Marvin. The second time was at the elven enclave of Liapris, when Croix battled the injured Level 5 dark elf that created the elf-killing epidemic there.

Compared to those instances, Falmerion today was bigger, stronger, and meaner. The reason was the dragon’s own growth and the increase of Croix’s power. The stronger they became, the stronger the result. If they grow further, Falmerion might be able to jump to his Rank 5 future form from Rank 3 instead of 4.

“This is so incredible, Brother Croix. I didn't know you had such a magnificent technique.” Celestine praised wholeheartedly.

Her dragon hatched the same year as Falmerion so they were the same size, and so was their Rank.

“In the matter of dragons, it seems I don't hold a candle to you.” The princess, like everyone else, was in her battle gear. Stratos, her Level 4 teammate who made Viers wary, was close by her side, ready to protect the princess from the scary dragon if the need arose.

“The great Archion saw fit to bequeath me a little of his favor,” Croix replied.

“So it's true you went to the Archion Volcano...” Celestine muttered.

The Ancient Red hadn't been seen for centuries. Those who recklessly entered the volcano perished.

“Everyone, we’re wasting time,” Prince Lutz’s gentle voice cut through the chatter.

And so the strike team went to their positions. Those without the flying mount or items were carried by those with.

Pegasi and gryphons, magical wings and mechanical airboards, and of course, dragons. The dragons were the lesser kind, like wyverns, Only Falmerion and Serena were True Dragons.

“Are you all prepared? We go now!”

Prince Lutz gave each person and mount a buff in the form of a streak of light, imbuing them with power and magical glow touch-ups. Viers analyzed that the 11th Prince seemed to have many skills that were good for supporting many people.

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Every five royals got the chance to say a sentence or two.

“We’ll give the Empire a proper Latias welcome! Let your fighting spirit burn bright!” Croix said when it was his turn.

The strike team cheered and raised their fists. Morale was high. The time was perfect.

Their counterattack began with the roar of a dragon.

Falmerion and Croix tore through the veil that was put in place to hide the magic and visuals of the congregations of Pathseekers. With the preparations complete, they had nothing more to hide. The red dragon led the strike team from the front.

Other than the big wyrm, there were other big ones too, like Prince Cassian’s Deva monsters and Prince Vadym’s flying ship. The rest used smaller vessels or hopped on the big ones. The teams from the Grand Prix usually stuck together. For example, Theus’ team of four used some kind of formation Arte to become a ten-meter warrior-avatar thing that flew.

Incidentally, Princess Celestine did not ride on her dragon. Unlike Croix, she wasn't able to make her dragon transform to adulthood with an Arte. Serena needed all the mobility she could get for the inevitable aerial battle ahead and the princess did not want to burden her with extra weight.

To the winds and clouds they went. Even Viers felt affected by the fever and enthusiasm of the fellows around him. The young lords and ladies that would become the backbone of the Kingdom united against a common foe. The Grand Prix contestants knew how strong their rivals were from the previous two rounds, and now they were all on the same side. It was an uplifting feeling.

Viers played a fitting song for the occasion in his head as BGM. It would be a sin not to in this situation.

Their trip to the sky did not go unnoticed. By the dukedom knights on the ground, or those fighting on the walls, by the gryphon knights in the sky, and by the enemies.

There were three flying fortresses. For strategy’s sake, the group designated the fortresses A, B, and C. Fort A was being attacked by the dukedom’s knights. Their elites, according to Tinade. Many of them were Level 4s. Against such a heavy attack, Fort B and C were sending reinforcement.

Earlier, Prince Vadym said Fort B, the one in the center, was the command seat of the invasion of this front and a Level 5 was there. He kept Ciel’s mother in check just like the duke was kept busy by another Harkelan Level 5.

Even though their strike team was full of talented individuals, they were no match for a Level 5 so their aim was Fort C which had sent some of its forces to defend Fort A. They would aim at that thinner defense.

When Vadym was asked where he got that information he said he interrogated one of the Harkelan captains that he encountered. Viers uncovered the same information though he didn't know if the prince used soul search like him or not.

At any rate, if they were able to bring down or disable just one of the three flying forts, the deadlock would be broken and the battle would lean in their favor. Their defeat condition would be if they failed or took too long for Harkelan reinforcement to arrive. Even if they didn't bring a fourth fortress, the way the fortresses changed the weather and gradually empowered their soldiers created a time limit. Given enough time, they would break the defenses of the city and sack it.

They could not fail. They must not.

The shouts and cheers came from the city after seeing Falmerion and the others challenging their skyborne invaders. A dragon came to their aid? Wasn't that just the best? It was just like the legends.

On the other hand, the Empire’s side responded to the threat coming their way. Enough men garrisoned at Fort C to intercept. Harkelan soldiers tried to stop the strike team before they reached the fort.

“How are they able to do that?” Ciel grimaced.

The Empire soldiers flew, even though they weren't Level 5s. The majority of them were Level 2s.

“Some kind of gimmick must be involved. My guess is this is the Ice Fortress’ handiwork. Perhaps their defenders can fly near its vicinity,” Viers analyzed, his eyes turned viridian as he was using Euryale Sight Arte.

The strike team was a bit less than fifty people.

The first wave of the fort defenders was more than five times that.

The two sides were flying full speed ahead.

While an army of Level 2 charging on a group of Level 3s and 4s was normally tantamount to suicide, the Empire soldiers’ morale was high. They were strengthened by the terrain and they also used battle arrays before engaging. Battle arrays were the most common tactic when a bunch of Pathseekers were fighting something or someone stronger.

And yet...

“OUT OF MY WAY!!!”

The first men who had the ‘oh shit’ moment were the men who were directly on the path of Falmerion. By the time they got close enough for Croix’s voice to reach them, Falmerion’s potent Dragon Fear and the sight of his teeth made them wonder why they made such a stupid decision to charge at an angry dragon in the first place.

Falmerion tore through their line as if they were LEGO soldiers. Mutilated bodies of those in his direct path were falling. One unfortunate soul was in his jaws at this moment, pierced by fangs that bit through his metal armor.

Those not in the dragon’s direct path were thrown away by the wind pressure the dragon made as he passed them by, which made them easy prey for the rest of the strike team behind the prince and the dragon. Croix himself already reddened his blade by cutting a soldier during the initial charge.

“Falmerion, light them up!”

The soldier in Falmerion’s jaws rapidly turned to charcoal and lost his life before the dragon let loose a stream of flame in front of him like a gigantic flying flamethrower. The Harkelan soldier’s formations were unable to hold cohesion and sunk into frantic disarray.

Capitalizing on the opening created by their comrades, the strike team sowed chaos as the smaller group entered the clump of soldiers.

Brilliant and deadly Artes sent lives to the afterlife in seconds.

No hesitation, no mercy. Even for a good-natured person like Ciel. How many towns, villages, and civilians had these invaders exterminated? Many of the strike team had seen the handiwork of the Empire. Justice was on their side. How could it not?

Like an unstoppable bullet, the strike team continued on. With Falmerion at the tip of the spear, he opened the path for the rest to follow. The other royals also showed their worth. The Level 4s inflicted maximum damage on the enemies, while the rest of them acted as support.

In this 3D aerial battle, Viers acted as support. As Avel the Level 3, he had no problems with it. He didn't only play DPS in online games. Healer or Tank, he could play any role. Using Futon’s electricity to Chain Lightning a bunch of enemies without even an ounce of his own Victa almost made Viers feel guilty for how exhilarating it felt. Almost.

As their battle illuminated the cold and dark clouds around them, Viers imputed the data of the Latias top young Pathseekers. The data of their abilities would be of great use to him. For example, Princess Celestine who used a wand, was a Space Pathseeker, with a high affinity too.

Fascinating. Royals with the middle name of gems really are brimming with potential and talents. But her black dragon doesn't seem to be of the same affinity. It isn't darkness either... Curious.

The black dragon, though Falmerion had eclipsed it in size, still thrived in this carnage as a Rank 3. No matter what, dragons were not to be underestimated.

Viers kept his thoughts brief. He was in the middle of a warzone. He focused on his role as support and saved some people from a dicey situation a couple of times.

After fourteen minutes of intense fighting that felt twice as long for the combatants, the strike team arrived at one of the fortresses on top of a floating ice glacier. At close distance, the walls and towers of the fort seemed bigger than from afar. Like an unshakeable giant, it stood stalwartly.

No member of the strike team had fallen while the other side's casualties were in the high hundreds. In the end, the Empire soldiers seemed reluctant to engage them, even if it was to buy time, that was how lethal the strike team was.

“Things are going according to plan.”

“Without trouble, since we are strong.”

Viers didn't know who said that but yes it was smooth sailing up to this point. The group was in high morale and adrenaline. It was the feeling of riding a rising wave of fate.

Which means it is time for something to start going wrong.

The universe wasted no time to prove Viers was correct.