Three columnar teams with a total of 75 'Fire of Heaven's arrived at their designated intercepting positions almost at the same time and soared towards the Devilbeast formation from three directions; their trajectories resembling a crisscrossed scissors. In an instant, they tore through the enemy's line up!

The largest aerial battle to date in the Battle of Divine Will began above the Impa.s.sable Mountain Range of the Kingdom of Wolfheart.

In an instant, the ferocious roars of the demons resounded along with the booming engines across the mountains.

The Devilbeasts which were struck plummeted downwards in a spiral fas.h.i.+on. Regardless of how strong the riders were, they were helpless as they plummeted along with their mounts, ultimately turning into a blue spot on the ground.

After the clash, the original formations of both sides no longer existed.

In accordance with the flight manual, the Aerial Knights quickly broke away from the enemy's pursuit. They made use of their speed superiority and created a distance between them before turning and executing their next round of attacks.

"Fire at will, fire at will!" After issuing the command, Tilly took the lead by relying on the Phoenix's potent propulsion and charged out of the battlefield. Most probably due to her striking plane color, a few Devilbeasts tailed her, but it was something she had already antic.i.p.ated.

The more enemies attracted to her, the less pressure her comrades faced.

So long as they were able to pull the distance, the Aerial Knights would become even more suited for an aerial battle compared to the Devilbeasts!

"Your Highness, be careful! There's a big one eyeing you!" Good's reminder sounded out from the receiver.

"Relax, I've noticed it." Tilly turned and swept a glance. "Pay attention to your position. I'll call for support if I require it!"

As the Phoenix's various functions far surpa.s.sed that of the Fire of Heaven and Fire of Heaven Mark II, she had never allocated a wingman for herself. Aside from her confidence at controlling the plane, there were no biplanes capable of keeping up with her. Therefore, flying solo and fighting alone allowed her to paradoxically display the performance of her plane.

Tilly rode with the wind and took the initiative to complete a climb while the Devilbeasts in pursuit did their utmost to flap their wings in a bid to close the distance. But when both parties came face to face again, the enemies remained completely oblivious that they had turned from the hunter to the hunted.

While swooping down with the Phoenix, Tilly firmly pressed down on the fire b.u.t.ton!

Under the favorable firing range, she did not even need to check the aim of the machine guns on both wings.

Four dazzling beams of light spewed out from the plane, forming a beautiful arc due to the displacement in the air that flew straight into the Devilbeasts—

Having raised the issue of the 8mm general-purpose machine guns wielding insufficient firepower while sweeping against ground units, Roland prioritized the production of larger-caliber weapons. As a dedicated plane manufactured using the various top techniques possible, the Phoenix naturally was the first to benefit from the weapons. Inside its ma.s.sive nose, four 20mm autocannons were arranged symmetrically, capable of unleas.h.i.+ng 3000 sh.e.l.ls per minute, allowing to deliver an unprecedented level of damage.

Although her target was ere not a ground target like the Spider Demons or Mad Demons, the Devilbeast was a size larger than its peers, clearly indicating that its owner had to be a Senior Demon.

Against an enemy with such power, the best method was to destroy it before it could release all its powers!

The Devilbeast which had spearheaded the charge was instantly penetrated by the autocannon sh.e.l.ls that drew strands of blood upon entering its chest. It was an extremely eye-grabbing sight to behold. When the beams of light approached the Senior Demon, the latter unleashed a furious howl. Layers of blue s.h.i.+elds immediately appeared and surrounded him into a ball, as though draping a firm armor around himself.

But just moments later, the "armor" produced sparks from the impact of the sh.e.l.ls and weakened at a rate visible to the naked eye. It shattered and disintegrated. Following that, the huge thrust sent the Senior Demon flying out of control as it plummeted towards the ground. If the Senior Demon did not have any magic stones capable of flight or life-saving sigils, it was impossible for him to survive the fall from that height.

The Devilbeast that lost its master panicked and attempted to flee the battlefield, but Tilly clearly wasn't giving it such an opportunity. She unleashed another clip of sh.e.l.ls after adjusting her aim.

At this time, both parties were less than 10 meters away from each other. The remaining blood and flesh from the hail of bullets splashed all over the Phoenix's windscreen.

The sight of the bloodstains made Tilly smile, her heart filled with unmatched joy.

The sky was her platform of revenge, and she thirsted for more.

The pitiful whine from the large Devilbeast before its death attracted a new group of enemies. The demons had realized that the red iron bird had outstanding speed and power greater than the other iron birds, and was undoubtedly their biggest hindrance. From how the Devilbeasts were equipped, there were at least two or more Senior Demons in the battlefield.

In the Union's era, they were considered Commanders or the core of an a.s.sault team in the Demon Army. But in present times, they had been dispatched as ordinary troops. In some sense, it was enough to reflect the robust strength of the Demons.

But there was not an ounce of fear in Tilly's heart.

Instead, she felt a flame burning in her chest.

In the process of regaining an offensive position, her eyes remain fixated on the Senior Demon, with the other glaring back at her. Tilly could clearly feel the increased caution in their movements as they no longer showed their contempt and belittlement.

She licked her lips and suddenly pushed down the control stick.

"Come on!"

…

"Truly… a delight for the eyes." Mask stood on the plains above the city's exterior as he watched the battle from afar and let out a chuckle.

Silent Disaster turned and looked at him in surprise.

"You must be curious, why am I so interested in those lowlifes?" Mask turned his head, the numerous masks producing ear-piercing sounds that were a result of friction.

"No…"

"I guess it won't hurt telling you… the one to determine the superiority or inferiority of a race are not those incompetent beings, but the outstanding individual that controls knowledge! I am not admiring those lowlifes who control the iron birds, but the human that understands the principles behind the iron birds—" Mask spread out his hands. "Even though they are of the same race, the disparity between the two are stark. The former are lowlifes, while the latter… is what's called human! To be able to combine a pile of dead metals together and create something capable of moving like biological beings, don't you find that it in itself is such a fascination? I really want to have a taste of such a human brain!"

"…" Speechless, Silent Disaster turned his eyes back to the battlefield.

"But that is something to consider for the future." Unable to elicit any resonating response from Silent Disaster, Mask sighed wistfully. "What we need to do now is to disperse these annoying lowlifes—"

He took out a pocket-sized core and imbued it with magic power. The core's center immediately blossomed with ripples. Following that, the ground beneath his feet started trembling!

A giant stele tore out from the ground as cracked soil and black rocks slid from the top to the ground, producing crackling sounds. The other end of the stele remained buried underground while the stele pointed straight into the sky. After the dispersion of dust, the true form of the stele was revealed. With its translucent walls, one could see the Symbiotic Demon within, with meridian channels and blood vessels spread throughout the entire stele. Continuous flow of magic power streamed through the stele in endlessly, making the stele look like a living creature.

There was more than one such stele.

As though a command was received, even more steles started appearing on the Deity of G.o.ds.

"I will use the Battle of Divine Will to prove that knowledge surpa.s.ses brute force, and so-called magic power is only a part of knowledge!" Mask stood in the shadows of the stele and raised the dazzling core in his hand. "—And I, Na.s.saupelle, am the most praiseworthy Senior Lord in the race!"