As the sun peeked over the horizon, Thirteen slowly opened his eyes.
Erica and Shana held him in a gentle embrace, their combined warmth and softness soothing him.
Both ladies were naked, and the faint kiss marks on their bodies were proof of the intense passion that they had shared several hours ago.
Sherry, Princess Aracelle, and Princess Xynalia were also on the bed, naked just like everyone else.
They, too, had shared that passionate mont with Zion, allowing them to gain so sense of calmness.
If this was another ti, he might have decided to stay with his lovers and sleep for an hour longer.
But he couldn’t do that.
Tiona had sensed that he had already woken up and updated him about the movents of their enemies.
Three hours.
That was how much ti they had left before the airships of both Castor’s and Regulus’ armies would be seen over the horizon.
Sighing internally, Thirteen slowly freed himself from their loving embrace. He then kissed their cheeks one by one before going to the washroom to take a shower.
The cold water that hit his body woke him up completely, making him feel alive.
After his shower, he dried himself and wore clothes.
By the ti he finished, all his lovers had woken up, and another round of hugs and kisses descended inside the room.
They then had breakfast together before Thirteen left the mobile fortress to take command for the upcoming war.
"Sound the war horns," Thirteen ordered through his Aether Link, which his subordinates imdiately obeyed.
The sound of the horn spread across the city, waking up the people who were still sleeping.
More horns were sounded, and soon, the entire city stirred into action.
"Our enemies will arrive within two and a half hours," Thirteen said through the Aether Channel that everyone was connected to. "Eat and prepare for war. An hour from now, we will enter code red."
The soldiers all took this announcent seriously and went to their teams to have breakfast together.
There was a possibility that this may be their last breakfast together, so they took it seriously.
The clang of armor.
The hurried footsteps of soldiers.
The sound of weapons being sharpened, and the prayers that everyone was muttering under their breaths.
On the walls of the City of Lyra, banners were unfurled, deep blue fabric embroidered with silver threads catching the morning breeze.
The sigil of Artem, a sword piercing through the sun, fluttered like a declaration.
We will not bow!
Thirteen stepped onto the makeshift tower erected near the walls and looked over the entire expanse of the battlefield.
His gaze landed on the city walls, slling the scent of war in the air.
Sitting on top of one of the palace towers, Stella lightly patted the heads of her two little sisters, who had used her lap as a pillow the entire night.
She was already used to this, so she wasn’t really too troubled. Since her sisters decided to stay to protect her, Stella also promised that she would protect them.
Looking at the rising sun in the distance, a sigh escaped Stella’s lips.
Soon enough, the golden ray and light would be upon her and warm her skin, marking a new day.
Unfortunately for her, she couldn’t see that beautiful scene, for her world had lost all of its colors.
But there was one place that stood out among the black, white, and gray of the city.
The tower where Thirteen was currently standing .
She could see its colors, as well as the flags that fluttered in the breeze.
But most importantly, her gaze locked on the teenage boy looking at the city walls.
Thirteen wasn’t particularly tall, but in her eyes, he was bigger than life.
She had seen how he had fought his wars in Pangea and Solterra, and frankly, this war reminded him of the battle against the Majin King, which made Zion believe that Cranky had died in saving his life.
Stella still vividly rembered that specific scene whenever she thought back on that day.
The young man wielding Sun Wukong’s Staff could even kill Gods due to its imnse power and strength.
For a brief mont, Stella compared Zion to her father, whom she loved and respected very much.
Both of them were very different from each other, and yet...
"And yet... I’m afraid of the mont that the two of them will et," Stella muttered.
A hollow pain tightened in Stella’s chest as she whispered those words to herself.
’If Father sees him... what will happen?’ Stella thought.
Half of her wanted to know, but the other half was scared to see it happen. She knew her father could be overprotective of his daughters, which made even her mothers sigh helplessly.
The wind brushed her hair as if trying to answer, but only silence greeted her.
Below, the soldiers continued to move in formation.
Shields being stacked, weapons being checked, last-second repairs done with trembling hands. The entire city moved like one massive organism fueled by fear, determination, and the will to survive.
A bell tolled.
Once.
Twice.
A warning that an hour remained before Code Red.
Sotis, ti could pass so slowly. But this was not that ti.
Soon, black specks appeared over the horizon, and the war horns blew once more.
The soldiers on the city walls stood, manning the magical cannons that had been prepared for the siege.
Thirteen took a deep breath, and gave an order on his Aether Link.
"Raise the shields!"
As soon as the order was given, three dos of light covered the entire city.
Crankly landed beside Zion and crossed his arms over his chest.
The Honey Badger had been his staunchest ally since he beca a Wanderer in Pangea.
They had fought many battles together, and now, they would once again face a battle that could decide the fate of a world.
Rana also landed beside Zion, looking at the black specks in the distance.
Her heart was beating wildly inside her chest, feeling a little anxious because of their uphill battle.
"Don’t worry, Lady Rana," Thirteen said. "We will not lose."
Rana nodded. "We will not."
She gazed at the teenage boy, who was several years younger than her.
However, whenever she talked to him, she felt as if she was talking to a real adult, who had faced many battles despite his young age.
This made her calm down for a bit, and even thought it funny that a teenage boy had beco her anchor, stabilizing her heart and mind.
Even the Jinns, who felt that they might not live another day, glanced at the tower where Thirteen was standing .
He had beco their spiritual anchor in a world that was thousands of miles away from ho, and they believed that if they continued to follow him, they would be able to return victorious to their world where they had been born.
A hush fell across the city walls.
No one spoke.
No one breathed.
Only the low hum of the barrier dos and the distant roar of engines vibrating in the air.
Thirteen stared at the incoming fleet, the corner of his lips rising into a faint smile.
His life had never been an easy one, but he believed that one day, a ti would co when all the hardships and sacrifices that he was making would be worth it.
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