287 So much for stealth

They were attacked ten seconds after they reached the Spectre lines.

"But… but we have perfect cloud cover!" Gary protested, as Loh brought their airship into a tight swerve to avoid a blast of ghostly energy from a Tier 7 Spectral Beast.

"Well, that proves my theory." Tang Yin mentioned, holding on tightly to some safety netting.

"What theory?"

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"Spectres don't use eyes."

Gary stared at him, gaping for the better part of five seconds as Loh sent the airship into crazy maneuvers to avoid more and more Spectral blasts. "SAY THAT EARLIER!"

"It was just a theory!" Tang Yin said defensively.

BOOM! The airship took a direct hit from one of the smaller Spectral Blasts. This one came from a Tier 5 Spectral Flyer that had swooped in close. It had triangular wings, three tails, claws on the wingtips and feet, but only a three-tentacled mouth for a head. There were no eyes, ears, or any such sensory organs visible on the opaque beast.

A thunderous roar shook the air as Kor'ag-dras swooped in between them and the Spectre. Dragon fire filled the air, and sonic waves swept through the skies from the meeting of roars and roars on all sides. Claws, wings, and fire met. Shockwaves ran around rampantly.

"Everyone hold on!" Loh gasped, trying his best to avoid the worst of it.

"Mindy!" Gary was already yelling into the comms crystal. "We're under attack!"

***

"Already?!" Mindy blurted.

Tim didn't wait to ask questions. He and Khar'al-dras already launched into the air. "Wind Emperor! We're moving out!"

[What? What's going on?] The Wind Emperor woke up and looked around in confusion. [Is it another attack?]

"This time we're attacking them! You coming?"

[Great!] the Wind Emperor leapt up and joined Tim as they sped off towards the west side.

Mindy glanced about and realized that it was up to her and Chirpy to open another front on the east side. This wouldn't help the team directly, but it would surely take a lot of pressure off them. [Chirpy!]

[Ready.] the great fire bird slowly raised her head and exhaled. Waves of flickering flames swept out into the night air. [Let's go.]

Mindy leapt onto Chirpy's back and then the night shot as quickly as if shot from a cannon.

Already twin roars rose up and two colossal figures reared up directly ahead of them.

Two Tier 8's?! Mindy wasn't sure how the largest Spectres had distributed themselves, but facing two at once was going to be dangerous and difficult for herself and Chirpy.

"I'll take the one on the left." Mindy decided, grimacing.

[Then I shall hold off the one on the right. Do not over-extend yourself.] Chirpy warned her. [The moment it becomes too difficult, withdraw!]

Mindy and Chirpy together was more than a match for the weaker Tier 8 Spectres, even able to stand toe-to-toe with their strongest, but apart, Mindy herself could only delay a weaker Tier 8, at best.

Especially now that it was night. There was no sunlight, no warmth radiating from the sky. There was only the cold, and the dark, and the somewhat romantic gleam of the moon… none of which would help her strength one bit.

Her power came from Chirpy, the Flame Emperor. Sunshine and afternoon heat would have been helpful. But like this… Mindy was afraid she was going to have to drain Chirpy dreadfully in order to stand her ground.

"Sorry, Chirpy…" Mindy winced, and drew as much strength as she dared.

Flame erupted around her, forming wings even as she drew the fire sword. Covered in her burning shroud, Mindy looked like a smaller fire bird as she darted forward and slammed her blade into the face of the easternmost Tier 8 Spectre.

A single claw rose up and blocked her. The impact nearly made her black out just from the shock alone. Four claws closed in around her, trying to grab her.

Mindy dropped, just plain fell out of the sky and out of the grasp of that claw. She slid forward, slicing her blade cleanly straight down. Firelight and blade light swept out in a towering arc as if to split the Spectre in two.

But of course, that, too, was blocked. That same claw descended and suddenly closed around the fiery bladelight as if they were equally tangible. The bladelight shattered, and then another claw swiped at Mindy from the side.

Mindy hopped back a clean ten meters, avoiding both the second claw and the immediate follow-up third claw that would have hit her if she'd tried to drop farther.

"It's Three-Arms, isn't it?" Mindy recognized this Tier 8 Spectre now.

It wasn't the first time they'd fought. This particular Spectral Beast had three arms, and four legs. It also had a comb of thin hairs at its rear that were probably supposed to be a tail, or maybe some sort of antennae… or maybe that was its head? Mindy wasn't entirely sure. Nobody could really see a Spectre clearly anyway. They could only see their vague figures shimmering about and guess.

Anyway, as far as Tier 8 Spectres went, Three-Arms was actually one of the weaker ones. Mindy felt somewhat relieved that it wasn't Sharphorn. If it was, she would already have started running.

[How are you doing?] Chirpy asked.

[Not bad. I got Three-Arms. You?]

[Not so lucky.]

[Why?]

[I got Sharphorn.]

Mindy's face fell. [Are… are you going to be okay?!]

[I'll try my best.] Chirpy said grimly.

Mindy dodged the Spectre's next attack, and the next, unwilling to face it head-on, not daring to draw more power from Chirpy than she absolutely needed. [Darian! You guys need to hurry up! We can't hold them for long!]

[There's… too many!] Darian sent back. [That tin can of an airship isn't helping at all!]

[George!] Mindy called grimly. [We need help!]

[I know.] George's reply was even more grim. [We're coming.]

[Who's coming?]

[Everyone who can walk!]

It was the first time the defenders at Dragon Lake left their fortifications and sortied to the south in an all-out advance. Putting aside their typical policy of hunkering down and holding out, they actually charged forward in an attempt to draw attention to themselves.

[It's working! Half our assailants are leaving!] Darian reported.

[Tim! How are things on your end?] Mindy asked.

[No problems. Wind Emperor's fine too. Yours?]

[We…] Mindy gritted her teeth. [We're holding out for now.]

There was a short silence.

[Are you sure you're all right?] Darian asked, suspiciously.

[Just get that airship through!] Mindy said swerving tightly to avoid attacks. [That's all that matters!]

[But…]

[No buts! Remian aside, we need to seal that Gate!]

On that point, there was no argument.

***

Speaking of Remian, he'd pretty much covered his entire bedroom wall with papers, notes, diagrams and formation symbols.

"Halfway there." He told Xiao Yan. "At this rate, we might not need to ask all the teachers on the list for help. Just a few more and we could be done."

"Or, we might get stuck and the rest of the teachers might prove to be no help." Xiao Yan yawned.

"Don't jinx it." Remian shuddered. "We don't have time to spend years in research here. I have the feeling that I really should get back as fast as possible."

"Well, I won't argue with that. I want to go see your world." Xiao Yan said agreeably.

"You will." Remian promised.