Although they hadn't seen what transpired inside the city, anyone with common sense could tell that the unknown woman was responsible for everything that had happened.
They knew the Supre Leader had summoned them to face an extrely powerful enemy, but seeing how this enemy had managed to hold back Goddess Ilse while in a severely battered state-one that would have left any of them dead-they couldn't help but feel anxious about making it back to Paradise alive.
After all, wouldn't they fail their mission and be defeated if she used that sa phantom beast to attack them?
As their worries intensified, Orion cleared his throat and spoke, "Warriors of Paradise, I didn't show you this to instil fear but to prepare you for what we will face. This is not just a battle- it's a challenge that will test who we truly are. The world may tremble at the re ntion of the divine, but rember this: we are not the world. We are Paradise. If the divine stands against us, we will kill them-without rcy, without hesitation. Not out of hatred but to protect our own. Because no force, in this world or beyond, will take what we've built."
Orion's voice rang with authority, his presence commanding as the Supre Leader of Paradise.
His voice rose with greater intensity, "And if the divine stands with us, we will welco them as allies, as brothers, as sisters, and protect them as our own. So, if we clash with the divine, let them see the fire in your eyes! Let them witness the strength and unity of Paradise! Let them feel the weight of our conviction!"
Hearing the Supre Leader's words, the warriors felt their hearts race, their worries and fears dissipating, replaced by a surge of courage and resolve.
"For Paradise!" one warrior roared, his voice tearing through the air and resonating in the ears of all present.
"For Paradise!" more voices followed in unison, the ground beneath them trembling as celestial energy burst from their bodies with each declaration.
"For Paradise!" At the forefront, Zogar raised his Devourer Gear in its activated form to the sky, joining the declaration. Iris did the sa with her sword.
Seth nodded, smiling, his eyes fixed on Orion with respect.
Beside Orion, Ilse's eyes flickered curiously as she scrutinized his form. She had wondered how he would convince their warriors to stand against a divine being, and now, she couldn't help but be amazed that he had lifted their morale so high.
They believed they could kill a divine, even after the grim replay they had just witnessed.
Ilse suddenly shook her head.
It was their foundation!
From what she had learned, while other races survived through the aid of their Runaway Cities, moving between territories and trading with one another, Paradise had rely been a village. A village situated like a magnet within an encirclent of Vylkr vines, where survival depended solely on the skills and capabilities of its warriors.
They did whatever they could to defeat enemies who couldn't be reasoned with, carrying the hopes and expectations of their fellow villagers. And now, they had survived to this point, conquered other Runaway Cities that had tried to attack them, endured countless phenona, and even had a divine being fighting on their side-her, along with Aerialia, who was prepared to support them. Aurora's ascendence to divinity was still a mystery to her, as was the unknown nature of her daughter.
With all this, it was doubtful that warriors would kneel when faced with the threat of another divinity. As the conclusions ca together, Ilse couldn't help but smile wryly. She had severely underestimated the inhabitants of Paradise, a realization that filled her with a mix of surprise and admiration.
"Can you open the rift for us to pass through?" Orion asked, turning to Ilse. He froze, stunned by the smile on her face.
Ilse swiftly recomposed herself, pretending she hadn't just been caught smiling, and nodded. With a wave of her hand, she tore a rift in space. The rift expanded until it was about ten ters (33ft) in width and twenty ters (66ft) in height and stopped.
"You are not all strong enough to pass through this rift on your own, so I'll assist you," Ilse said, her voice reaching everyone. Fortunately, she could handle a number this large. "You've heard the goddess Ilse. Now charge forward, warriors!" Orion commanded.
"FOR PARADISE!" the warriors bellowed in unison, their war cries reverberating as they boldly stepped into the expansive rift.
At that mont, no fear remained in their hearts-only the drive to conquer and defend Paradise.
As all two hundred and fifty n walked through the portal, including Seth, Zogar, and Iris, Orion followed, with Ilse by his side.
Orion reerged high above the clouds alongside Ilse. Below him was the Sleeping Fox Runaway City, still immobile, with Vylkr vines encroaching from all sides, attempting to devour it and everything within. Fortunately, the gods' chosens of the Sleeping Fox Runaway City had already descended, destroying the Vykr vines and preventing them from advancing.
Orion ordered fifty warriors to assist the effort while the remaining forces surrounded the Runaway city from above. He placed Zogar in charge of them before descending toward the Runaway City with Seth, Ilse, and Iris at his side.
As the warriors descended from the sky to the foot of the Sleeping Fox Runaway City, the gods' chosens and several inhabitants were taken aback by their sudden arrival; their attention was imdiately drawn to the sky.
Within the Sleeping Fox Runaway City, Vargoth widened his eyes in surprise at the arrival of the Paradise Warriors. Upon noticing the Supre Leader's presence among them, Vargoth quickly turned to a captain of a nearby unit, and said, "Summon Mr Lakul imdiately! The Supre Leader of Paradise is here!"
The captain, a fox-kin man with three tails, swiftly nodded and leapt into the air, heading toward the Royal Den.
Orion and the others stopped before the large hole created by the unknown woman within the Sleeping Fox Runaway City. They hovered beside it, neither entering nor setting foot on the ground. Despite the absence of any signs of an ambush, they remained on high alert.
As the minutes ticked by, their vigilance only heightened. They awaited Lakul's arrival; fortunately, it didn't take long. Orion and the others turned to et him.
"Supre Leader, you're here!" Lakul exclaid, his voice filled with relief. He then collapsed before them, prostrating on the ground. "Supre Leader, please help us! We've been attacked by an unknown enemy who has taken control of the Sleeping Fox Runaway City. We need Paradise's intervention!"
Behind him stood three more individuals whom Orion recognized as forr Sleeping Fox Runaway City leaders. They, too, prostrated themselves silently, their expressions filled with fear and unwillingness to accept their dire circumstances.
"I want you to tell in detail everything that has transpired," Orion asked, frowning. The situation was as anticipated, but he needed to know how the Sleeping Fox Runaway City had handled the attack and how many had been killed to better understand how to proceed. "It's terrible. We've lost 300 inhabitants due to the enemy's sudden descent, and the Forge palace has fallen into their control. We can no longer access it. We are currently counting 20,000 people, including gods' chosens and more, who are unconscious from the sudden appearance of the beast-like phantom. Fortunately, none of our gods' chosen have been killed."
"Still, they are all overwheld by the sudden onslaught of Vylkr vines attacking us from all sides," Lakul said, explaining the details of the oppressive force that had rendered tens of thousands of inhabitants of the Sleeping Fox Runaway City unconscious.
This included the Master of the Forge palace and workers, who were found unconscious and seriously injured outside the Forpalace as if they had been forcibly thrown out. The Forge palace had been sealed and was no longer under their control, leaving them unable to command the Sleeping Fox Runaway City and stranded.
"We need Paradise's intervention to help us reclaim control of the Sleeping Fox Runaway City! Please, Supre Leader, help us! The Sleeping Fox Runaway City is our ho, and we cannot stand to watch it fall into the hands of an unknown enemy!" Lakul pleaded, his voice breaking as he wept.
At first, they had been taken aback by the appearance of another phenonon, especially when Paradise had recalled their representatives and commanded them to flee the territory. They thought a great disaster was about to descend upon the area, one so severe that even Paradise could not handle or protect them from it, leaving them to their fate.
At that mont, Lakul suddenly realized why Paradise had ordered them to leave. It wasn't because they were afraid or uncertain of victory-after all, Paradise had shown up monts after the enemy struck. No, they didn't want them getting in the way, as the enemy could take control of a Runaway City. Paradise had acted out of concern for their protection. Lakul couldn't help but feel ashad of his previous assumptions. He had misjudged Paradise's intentions and displayed it openly.
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