Chapter 256 – Battlefield

After Dream received materials and orders from the Red Eye Clan, he was quick to fulfil them all. In only a month, hundreds of powerful weapons were handed to the clan's most powerful combat force besides the highest class 6's. They were all constructed to specification, but their functionality far surpassed what any of the class 5's who received them could usually get with their wealth. 

Not only that, but Dream mass produced some standard weapons for the class 4's using the spare material. This flooded the clan with weapons that, while basic, were much better than the current equipment of the general class 4 population. Just these weapons increased the combat ability of the clan's military force by nearly 40%. 

That wasn't all. Come the second month of Dream's stay, an entire armada of ships were created. There were around 10 thousand, and they were divided into levels based on size. There were the flagships, carriers, and then the smaller corvette ships. The flagships numbered about 100, and each could carry thousands. It was effectively a mobile base, and each was around 1000 meters long, 300 meters wide, and 300 meters tall.

These flagships had to be made for the clan though. If Dream were using these, then they would be equipped with mechanical systems that utilized aether to perform spatial jumps. But this clan only had mana crystals as fuel, so he made them mana based. Still, they could travel much faster and several times more efficiently than the clan's current ships. 

While the clan had upwards of 30 thousand ships, Dream believed they could scrap them all for his with how amazing they were. They were more spacious and more efficient. His 10 thousand easily outperformed the 30 thousand in every way besides perhaps aesthetics. 

He didn't care what they did though. Upon building these ships, Dream called Vela and had her take them away. When she actually saw the massive fleet though, she was stunned silent. 

The ships were easily worth more than what the clan could purchase even if they brought out everything they had. While Vela had provided enough materials to clean out their accumulated resources that had taken thousands of years to build up, Dream had multiplied their value. More than that, he had also provided some of his own because just the material she provided wasn't enough to cover the sheer mass of all the ships. 

Handing them this armada was simply handing them a fortune. But Dream didn't care. He just had her send them off back to the clan. He even told her that they could sell them if they wanted. Dream handing it off was giving them full ownership. 

Vela couldn't say anything to this. The only thing she could think to do was go to the patriarch. When she did this, the patriarch became momentarily livid over the fact that all their warehouses were cleaned out. When he saw what the materials had turned into though, he wasn't so angry. 

The patriarch wasn't happy to have Dream there. He saw Dream as nothing more than an intrusion, a waste of effort. When he saw the weapons and armada though, his attitude quickly flipped. He realized that Dream just multiplied the total wealth of the clan with valuable assets. 

With the things he built, it was only a matter of time until they won the war. This was an insurmountable edge they had gained. Then, they could go on to sell any of the trash they no longer needed, simply using Dream's items as substitute. Given a few years, they would become filthy rich. 

The patriarch could see this, but although his attitude toward Dream changed, he didn't go to seek the man. He knew that he had left a bad taste in Dream's mouth, so he tactfully just kept out of sight, leaving Vela to handle any of his matters. 

With that, things progressed smoothly. After building everything, Dream didn't have much to do. However, his sister was hard at work on the battlefield. In fact, in the two months that Dream was working, she had already made herself immensely famous with both the fellow Red Eye clan and the enemy Blue Blood clan. 

Only, this fame earned some troublesome attention. While Dream relaxed and studied at home, Melody was out drawing rivers of blood. 

..............

After coming under the tutelage of her new teacher, Melody gained strength rapidly. She learned new techniques and philosophies behind wielding the sword. More than that though, she learned what it meant to be an Asura. 

Asuras were a race of violent and competitive people. On this world, asura clans fought all the time. The reasons for war varied greatly, from capturing resources deposits to simply wanting to battle. When it came to asuras, there was very little that didn't have to do with conflict. 

Conflict was their creed. As Dream had explained to Tersa, conflict was the way of life itself. Everyone was always fighting against something. It drove the growth of life. Asuras took this logic a thousand steps further. 

Of course, they didn't do this intentionally. Asuras were simply designed that way. Conflict was ingrained into their very souls, so they took a fighting stance when doing almost anything. 

Melody had come to learn this very quickly. First it was the trial in the totem space when she was being evaluated. The thing that determined talent was the height of the sea of blood she spilled from her enemies. Such a trial was the very embodiment of violence. 

Now, after learning with her teacher for a while, she was directly sent to the battlefield. The clan was always fighting a battle, so it wasn't long before Melody had joined one. 

In each battle, there was always one or more class 5's at the head of the fleet. The class 5's would fight in the sky while everyone else battled below them. Melody was among the army below, and she only had one job. 

To kill as many as possible. 

Thus, she walked on a battlefield. The two sides were very distinct. There were her red allies and then the blue enemies. Upon the battle starting, Melody was first to fly forward. She was immediately noticeable, both sides containing tens of thousands locking their eyes onto the single lone woman that dared to charge ahead by herself.

Her enemies raised their weapons, launching attacks at Melody. Thousands of streaks of mana charged through the air, brightening the sky with myriads of colors. Then, they all converged on her. They blocked off all routes of escape with their sheer number. 

But it was as if Melody didn't care. She charged forward before raising her sword, pointing its tip at the bundle of attacks. The tip glowed red while blood petals formed around her. And with a step, she vanished. 

There was a single red streak in the air. This red line went straight through the bundle of attacks. Then, Melody reappeared on the other side, all the attacks exploding behind her. She continued her charge, both enemies and allies stunned by her miraculous technique. 

Before long, Melody dove straight into the opposing army. Hundreds rushed forward to meet her, but with a single slice in the air, a blade of blood was formed that cut through space. This blade cut any enemies it met in half. A lucky few got away with lost limbs while others were directly killed. 

The space in front of Melody was immediately dyed blue with the splattering blood of the Blue Blood clansmen. Everyone who rushed forward was either killed or maimed. Seeing this, the entire army was horrified. Melody's single attack was only less powerful than the class 5's above. 

Nobody came forward to attack her. But fortunately for Melody, there were so many people that she could attack blindly and still hit someone. Thus, she merely flew forward. The unlucky groups of people in her path were mercilessly cut down. Their blood painted the ground a deep blue like the ocean. 

After a few thousand were killed by Melody's hand, the two armies finally met. With Melody putting on a show of beautiful bloodshed, those behind her were fired up. They rushed forward with indomitable momentum. Her allies had new weapons recently handed to them for free, something that greatly increased their confidence. Everyone was eager to display their fullest ability, cutting down as many as possible. 

A blue lake began to form above the fields of grass below. Only some of this lake was marred with red streaks, the two mixing and forming a faint purple. It showed the disparity in the battle. In fact, such a lake of blood would usually form on these battlefields, and it was an indicator of how the battle went. 

After only several hours, the lake had expanded greatly in size. Melody shot through the thinning battlefield, killing as many as she possibly could. By now, her aura had turned from an elegant swordswoman to a bloody demon straight out of the depths of hell, a result after nearly 80 thousand people were personally ended by her sword. Any enemy that felt her approach would feel their mind grow faint and soul become weary simply due to this aura. It severely diminished their combat ability, allowing Melody to end their life with minimal effort. 

This aura was in fact a special technique taught to her by the teacher she recently came under. This technique was created over many generations of powerful asuras as a result of their brutal nature. It wasn't just the Red Eye clan, but all clans of asuras who knew and actively taught this technique. Even Dream had come to know this technique since Melody was excited to show it to him after learning it. 

It was known as Death's Knell. This technique was one that actually touched upon one's Level. Because one would gain experience from killing, a higher level usually meant more kills. This technique would read the accumulated experience of a person to form an aura of death representing the number of souls they had taken. The more kills, the more oppressive and powerful the aura. 

This technique was exceptionally fitting for asuras who lived lives of bloodshed. They could use their kills to form an aura to support them in battle, weakening the spirits of those who felt it. Of course, because every asura could use this technique, in the midst of battle, any single asura didn't account for much. But when someone like Melody came along, slaughtering tens of thousands alone and reaping lives with her ruthlessly efficient skills, it became a fantastic tool. 

Finally, the battle came to an end. Above, there were 6 class 5's who were fighting, three from the Red Eye clan and three from the Blue Blood clan. The three from the Blue Blood clan were barely standing. It was clear the Red Eye clan was going to win. And one of the people on the Red Eye clan's side was Durack, the one who had first found Dream and Melody.

Durack had received one of Dream's weapons before the battle, just like every other class 5. This was to his great pleasure because the enemy he met this time was actually much more powerful than expected. His weapon was able to make up the gap in strength though, allowing him to barely eclipse his enemy. Of course, the battle would probably have been a bit easier if he also weren't dividing his attention and watching the battle below. He knew that Melody was in his fleet this time around, so he wanted to make sure nothing would happen to her. 

But the result was astounding. Durack didn't know how to feel when he saw Melody wipe out a large portion of the entire enemy army. This wasn't Melody's first battle, so he had heard stories about how amazing she was. But seeing her insane skill for himself was another matter. 

"Jeez. Both of them are freaks."

He sighed as he delivered his last few attacks to his enemy. After they died, he looked at his weapon. It was many times better than the one he had previously. He couldn't imagine that the man who could so easily end the life of a class 5 as a class 4 would also be a prodigious craftsman. 

With that, any remaining forces of the Blue Blood clan retreated. Of course, thousands of their ships were destroyed and captured in the process. 

Standing in the air, Melody took deep breaths as she watched the enemy fleet fly away. In her vision, she could see thousands of notifications. In this battle alone, her level had gone up a few times. She was now approaching level 360. And with each level she gained, her power rose greatly. Her only limiter was being removed, and she was growing into her vast potential. With more and increasingly powerful enemies, it wouldn't be long until she became a class 5 herself. 

"We have won. Everyone return to your ships and await further orders. Our battle has not yet ended."

In the air, Duracks voice boomed across the battlefield. Everyone returned to their ships.

Melody also flew back. Because she had earned a fearsome reputation, she stayed in the flagship along with Durack and the other class 5's. However, she was confused as to why they weren't done. She went to the war room where Durack was recovering and planning their next steps. 

"Durack. What's going on?"

Melody questioned, disregarding the difference in power between the two. Of course, Durack didn't mind this. He responded while swallowing a healing medicine to repair his wounds. 

"This area isn't far from a mana crystal mine. We have orders to scout the mine and prepare it for takeover."

"That's why there are more class 5's with us?"

"Yes. It'll be about an half an hour before we arrive. Recover until then. Although it's unlikely, there might be some remnant forces there."

"Alright."

Melody nodded, returning to her room. After entering, she laid down on her bed. Not long after, Aegis suddenly appeared next to her. His armored form stood to the side, preparing a drink for Melody.

"You did well in the battle, Lady Melody."

"Thanks. I wish they would send out some more powerful people though."

"My lord would say to take things safely and steadily."

"He might say that, but has my brother ever done things safely or steadily? I remember hearing many crazy stories from his time on that other world."

"...My lord's situation was never one that allowed him to do things with much regard to safety."

Aegis spoke as he served a cup of an unknown liquid. Melody sat up and drank it. Despite the liquid not being plentiful, it filled her with vitality. Any wounds she received were quickly healed, and her energy began to restore itself. This was a specialty of the clan that she received from her teacher. 

She looked at Aegis.

"I forget that you were with my brother for a lot of his time on the other world."

"Only after he stole the Heart that is currently inside me. Before that, I was mere code for his suit of armor. Now I have a soul that he bestowed upon me."

"Mm. Hey, what was the craziest thing Dream did on that other world?"

"Craziest? My lord has done many 'crazy' things."

"Like?"

Melody's gaze bore into Aegis. He stood there for a second before speaking.

"Well, he once fought an artificially born class 5 demon formed from the combined souls of many powerful class 4's. He also saved the 300 million beings brought to Earth by building an underground haven for them. It was there that they fought a final battle against waves of millions of demons before sealing themselves underground with nuclear bombs. There were also the worldwide battles fought against the demons that emerged from the oceans of the planet prior."

"Oh, tell me how he got everyone into that haven. I remember Luna telling me about it."

"Very well."

Aegis agreed as he sat nearby on a chair. Melody bounced a bit as she prepared to listen, like a child hearing a bedtime story.

"My lord had killed all the demons on the world off at one point. However, he didn't realize that they had been breeding in the oceans, so he had been thrown into a crisis situation when they emerged by the billion from the oceans and attacked the land empires."

"By the billion?"

"Indeed. I believe there were around 2 billion in total that emerged from the ocean over time. Anyway, my lord was quick to deliver an ultimatum to the world's empires, letting them know of the situation and that they would be wiped from the planet unless he enacted his plan. They agreed, and he quickly built an underground haven within only a matter of weeks."

"And the demons? There's no way they just let that happen."

"You're right. They launched offensives on every settlement on the planet, converging on the empires."

Aegis spoke as he projected an image in the air. The image was of the planet, and it showed the sequence of events after the demon invasion. Melody could see waves of red overtake the blue settlements around the core empires of the world. 

"My lord moved quickly, constructing transport ships and ensuring that the underground haven was habitable. Even as it was still being built, millions were moved into the haven. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough time. The demons overwhelmed everything, rushing straight to the empires. More than that, my lord wasn't able to repel them with nukes as they had learned from his previous attacks and maintained a spread advance. He could only fight them with squadrons of his bots. But those had limited effect at the time. Many were wiped out by the most powerful class 4 demons that were scattered throughout the armies."

"So how did he defend the main empires if his weapons didn't work?"

"...He didn't."

Aegis solemnly spoke. Hearing this, Melody was surprised. She hadn't been told this before.

Aegis continued. 

"My lord got as many people out as possible. The haven was quickly filled by the million. Only, there were too many people to move. Cities could house millions each, and there were some that resisted transportation despite knowing the threat. My lord forcefully moved some of these people, but with the advance of the demons, he had to prioritize. Thus, he eventually came to save 300 million before the demons reached the empires."

"...How many were there in total?"

Melody asked with a sinking feeling. Aegis replied slowly.

"The global population at the time was around a billion after the initial invasion."

"...So..."

"My lord was only able to save a minority."

"And the rest? They were killed by the demons?"

"...The demons that invaded were capable of converting people into additional demons. If my lord had left the empires full of people be, then the demons would have gained hundreds of millions more. This was shown to be a fact after the demon forces converged on and surrounded the heavily populated empire cities, yet didn't kill the people inside."

"He couldn't allow the demons to gain more when he was already being overwhelmed. And since he had already saved those 300 million..."

Melody went quiet after connecting several dots in her head. After coming to a conclusion, realizing the only avenue Dream could have taken at the time, she felt a bit of dread creep over her. She looked at Aegis with a horrified face. She didn't want to believe what she was thinking. 

Aegis didn't speak, his silence confirming Melody's conclusion. After a bit of mental digestion, Melody opened her mouth to speak. 

However, at that moment, alarms suddenly sounded throughout the ship. Melody snapped to attention, as did Aegis. Aegis suddenly retracted into Melody's body before Melody ran out of the bedroom and to the war room. 

"What's going on?"

She shouted as she saw Durack. Durack turned to her with a solemn look. 

"We've encountered an enemy force."

"Huh? Then why are we panicking?"

Melody confusedly asked. Some random band of soldiers was nothing to them. It surely wasn't enough to panic over. However, before Durack could respond, several auras washed over the ship. 

There were 8 of these auras, and all of them were class 5. Not only that, on the table in the war room, there were images displayed that showed thousands of people that rose around the fleet and surrounded them. These thousands of people obviously weren't weak to be so arrogantly surrounding an entire fleet. With her senses, Melody could detect great strength from every one of these people. They were at the peak of class 4. 

If it were just these class 4's, there wouldn't be anything to fear. But the 8 class 5's put them into a dire situation. They outnumbered the three class 5's in the flagship. 

Melody frowned. Things had suddenly turned bad.