"This... this can’t be... Celestial Dragons? How is this possible? How did they change so much? How could they have become this powerful? Their physical strength alone—it’s on a whole different level now..." The lead Angel’s voice trembled as he stared up, stunned. His gaze locked onto Sycaron, who hovered above like a god of war. Clearly, they knew who Sycaron and the Celestial Dragons were. That familiarity only made their shock deeper—because what they were seeing now was something entirely new. These weren’t the dragons they remembered. These were something else. One after another, Emerald Castle’s forces surged through the spatial rift, flooding into the fifth level like a rising tide. In mere moments, they had seized control of the entire floor. The Sky Citadel elites frowned, their expressions darkening. The trap they’d set hadn’t even had time to spring fully, and already reinforcements had arrived. And not just any reinforcements—monsters. They hadn’t expected Emerald Castle to be this strong. Not only had they brought an army, but they had multiple Tier 16 SSS-class units? Still, despite the surprise, the Sky Citadel elites didn’t panic. They were powerful too—every one of them was at least Tier 16 SS-class, and several were SSS-class. The strongest among them? He was at the absolute peak of Tier 16 SSS. A true apex predator. The aura radiating from him was overwhelming—so dense and crushing that even standing near him felt like being torn apart by invisible blades. "Damn..." Ethan muttered, his brow furrowing. "A peak Tier 16 SSS... That’s going to be a serious problem." He knew full well—this wasn’t someone he could take down easily. Maybe not at all. But just as the Celestial Dragons and the enemy forces squared off— A blinding, holy light erupted, tearing through the chaos and darkness of the fifth level like a divine blade. Andona rose into the air, her wings fully unfurled. Golden runes blazed across her feathers, each one pulsing with sacred fire. Every beat of her wings sent tremors through the space around her, as if the very realm bowed before her presence. The enemy forces froze, stunned. The lead Angel’s pupils shrank, his voice shaking: "No... it can’t be... That’s the bloodline of the Angel King?!" In that instant, the entire fifth level seemed to freeze. Even Ethan and the others could feel it—a pressure that didn’t come from power alone, but from something deeper. Something primal. A command woven into the blood of every Angel. Andona’s voice rang out, cold and absolute: "You feel it, don’t you? My bloodline isn’t a lie. I am of the Angel King. And you—are nothing but corrupted echoes, twisted by Sky Citadel’s false power." She looked down on them like a judge from the heavens, her voice ringing with divine authority: The source of thɪs content is NoveI(F)ire.net "Kneel. Swear loyalty to the true bloodline." For a moment, silence. Several of the enemy Angels visibly wavered, their bodies trembling as their blood responded to her presence. The instinct to submit was real. But then, just as quickly, that instinct was crushed. The lead Angel sneered, his eyes burning with fury. "Yes... that’s the King’s aura, no doubt. But you’ve come to the wrong place." He raised his holy sword, and a black-gold light flared along the blade. It was the mark of Sky Citadel—twisted, violent, and absolute. "We’ve long since broken free of the old bloodline’s chains. True strength doesn’t kneel." Andona’s eyes turned to ice. She raised her own sword, and the air cracked with the force of her power. "Then let me be the one to judge who deserves to remain—and who must be erased." Light and darkness collided in a blinding explosion. Her golden blade blazed like a falling sun, flooding the fifth level with searing brilliance. His black-gold sword lashed out like a rift in reality, tearing through space with savage force. The clash shook the heavens. RUMBLE-RUMBLE-RUMBLE...! The moment Andona’s blade clashed with the peak Tier 16 SSS-class Angel, the entire fifth level shook like it was about to collapse. The shockwaves from their collision tore through the air, distorting space itself. Everyone—whether from Emerald Castle or Sky Citadel—felt the crushing pressure bearing down on them. Even Ethan gritted his teeth as his bones creaked under the weight of the energy. It felt like his skeleton might shatter if this kept up. And there was no time to stand around and watch. "Move in! Attack! Crush them—kill them all!" Ethan barked, his voice cutting through the chaos like a blade. In an instant, the rest of Emerald Castle’s forces surged forward, weapons raised, battle cries echoing through the air. They charged into the fray, hacking and slashing with brutal precision. But then—Ethan’s eyes narrowed. Something was off. His expression shifted, and he shouted, "Pull the regular troops back! Hero Units—Tier 16 and above—advance!" The order rang out, and the Emerald Castle army immediately shifted formation. The standard units fell back into defensive positions, while the heavy hitters stepped forward. Elira. Ataneya. Feylora. Cicero. Namyanna. Each of them radiated power like a mountain pressing down on the battlefield. And then—Namyanna struck first. With a sweep of her trident, a wave of absolute cold surged outward. In a flash, three Tier 16 Angel elites were frozen mid-motion, their wings and armor crackling as frost spread across them. Ethan didn’t hesitate. He blinked forward, his fist glowing with raw, destructive energy—and slammed it down. One of the frozen Angels shattered on impact, his body exploding into a mist of blood and bone. "Nice work, Namyanna! Support Andona!" Ethan snapped. Namyanna nodded and shot into the sky like a streak of blue lightning. Her trident spun, gathering another surge of glacial power. She hurled it forward, and the freezing energy slammed into the peak-tier Angel, locking half his body in ice. Frost crawled across the stump of his severed arm, sealing the wound in jagged ice. And in that split-second of hesitation— Andona’s divine blade came down. His other arm was cleaved clean off, blood spraying into the air like a crimson mist. The Angel screamed, a raw, guttural sound of agony. For the first time, fear flickered in his eyes. But he wasn’t done yet. With a roar, he unleashed the full fury of Sky Citadel’s corrupted power. The ice shattered around him as he surged forward, sword raised, refusing to fall. And then—it was chaos. He, Andona, and Namyanna became a whirlwind of light, steel, and elemental fury, their battle tearing the sky apart. Meanwhile, the rest of the Angel elites were locked in brutal combat with Elira, Ataneya, Feylora, and Cicero. The battlefield was a storm of clashing swords, lightning strikes, firestorms, and radiant blasts. The enemy was being pushed back, step by bloody step. Ethan watched it all unfold, his gaze sharp and calculating. They were strong—no doubt about it. But Emerald Castle had the numbers. And more importantly, they had the bloodline advantage. And it was starting to show. The peak-tier Angel was faltering. His regeneration had already triggered once, but it wasn’t enough. The combined assault from Andona and Namyanna was relentless. And then—one final strike. Sword and ice fell together. The Angel’s body was torn apart, blood raining down as he fell into the void below, lifeless. With their strongest warrior gone, the remaining Angels broke. Their morale shattered. One by one, they were hunted down and slain. Emerald Castle now held complete control of the battlefield.