A wave of the Mad Queen’s hand highlighted how outdated the look of her armor and academy were when compared to Sylpha’s.
“Now, however, we’ve exchanged positions and this has become the pathetic struggle of an even more pathetic present that refuses to turn into the past. I am the future, Fake Queen.
“My academy, its students, and my Generals, are the harbingers of a new dawn for the Griffon Kingdom! You and your pathetic followers can struggle all you want, Fake Queen, but you can’t win.”
Another burst of power highlighted the difference between the two women. The contrast between their auras, the mass, and the raw power they emitted made Sylpha pale in comparison with Thrud.
“Your only true achievement is this final surprise. I wasn’t aware of this particular piece of Valeron’s legacy even though my father took his sweet time studying the Royal Archives. How did you do that?” She pointed at the new Royal Array.
“It’s easy once you think about it.” Sylpha was glad to stall for time.
It allowed her to activate her Mother Earth, nutrients, and tonic tattoos. Derived from Hatorne’s research, they allowed the alchemical potions to reach her bloodstream without wasting time drinking them.
The Mother Earth potion granted Sylpha Tyris’ breathing technique while the other two would provide her with everything she needed to heal during a fight. She wasn’t a white core and lacked Thrud’s regenerative abilities but this way Sylpha had achieved the next best thing.
“After Arthan’s execution, the new King failed to capture you and discovered the whereabouts of the Golden Griffon. He knew that one day you or one of your descendants might return and that the lost academy had to be another of Arthan’s monstrosities.
“On top of that, no secret can be kept forever. The Royal Array is powerful, but once discovered it was only a matter of time before an enemy of the Kingdom found a way to destroy it.
“Hence he started to modify the power cores of the six great academies in a process that has continued up to this day. After all, you have destroyed the Royal Array, but the geysers fueling it are still in place and so are its focal points.
“The Crown made sure that in case something like this happened, the six great academies each held a portion of the Royal Array and that they could conjure it by themselves whenever it’s necessary.”
“Brilliant.” Thrud nodded. “It will help me greatly in taking down the city of Valeron first and then in invading the other two great countries. You see, the new Royal Array is fantastic news for me since my academy can tap into it as well.
“Linnea modified the power core into a replica of yours so the Royal Array gives you no advantage. Sure, my armor is outdated, but I’m a white-cored Golden Griffon whereas you are just a fake Awakened human, Fake Queen.
“On top of that, the students inside your academy are nothing but fake mages. Mine are powerful Awakened who can use the seven elements of magic and even Silverwing’s spells.
“Thanks to the Unwavering Loyalty array, I could afford to Awaken everyone, even the clerical staff without the worry that they might betray me. You, instead, had to keep your people weak to cover for your stupid secrets.
“This isn’t even a fight. Stop this pointless struggle and I’ll grant you, your husband, and your children a painless death. I’m not like Tyris. I won’t make them suffer like she did to my father. Unless you force my hand, Fake Queen.”
“You shouldn’t have threatened my family, Mad Queen.” Sylpha’s voice was ice cold, her fury transmitted to the Saefel’s Set which started to hum with power and silver bolts of lightning.
“I would have never stopped or surrendered anyway, but while before I would have offered your followers the possibility to surrender after I kill you, now that’s off the table.
“You can blab all you want but all I hear are the ravings of Arthan’s worthy daughter. I’m sick of hearing your voice calling me a ‘Fake Queen’. We are both Queens but there’s only one Kingdom.
“This battle, not your ramblings, will prove which one of us deserves the throne and which one instead will be remembered as a power-hungry tyrant.”
“I couldn’t agree more.” Thrud nodded. “Here stand two Queens and two Griffons where there can be only one. By the end of this day, one shall stand…”
“And one shall fall!” Sylpha closed her helmet shut and the White Griffon followed suit.
Two stone plaques came out from the sides of its mouth, meeting in the middle. There they extended further, forming a beak and turning the human face into a Griffon’s head.
‘A face mask! The White Griffon has a face mask just like me.’ Lith remained frozen for a second in amazement while the two colossi and the two Davross-clad Queens clashed.
‘Reel in your inner fanboy and focus!’ Solus’ voice snapped him out of it. ‘Incoming!’
Thrud wasn’t afraid of the assembled Council because she had brought an Awakened army of her own. Many plaques of the Golden Griffon opened, letting out every single Forgotten, Emperor Beast, Fae, and Divine Beast at her disposal.
“Why waste time and manpower holding a few cities when I can get them all? Once the White Griffon is destroyed, I’ll have six Golden Griffons and no one will be capable of standing in my way!” Thrud’s blade was as heavy as Sylpha’s but the gap in the strength of the hand holding them was abyssal.
Even during the first exchange, the Queen had been pushed back of dozens of meters. Both she and the Mad Queen were used to aerial fighting so no matter how much Sylpha flew back, Thrud followed.
Without distance, strength and speed became of paramount importance and Thrud was above Sylpha by several notches.
“I can’t believe it has really come to this point.” Tyris said, her eyes watery as she witnessed the clash between the two armies.
No matter to what faction they belonged, she considered them her children and she felt like she had let them all down.
“I can’t believe we had to come to this very spot a second time.” Salaark said, reminiscing the day Tyris had called them to witness the fate of Nalear’s plot to trigger a civil war.
“History tends to repeat itself when people fail to learn from it.” Leegaain patted Tyris’ shoulder to console her.
“I can’t believe no one has ever seen this coming!” Milea Genys, the Magic Empress pointed at the battling academies while she held the little Shargein in her other arm. “I’m nowhere near completing my academies.
“How could the Kingdom have six of them since its foundation?”
“Easy.” Leegaain shrugged. “For a time, there were three Magi – Lochra, Menadion, and Bytra – and two white-cored Awakened, Valeron and Lochra. By combining their power and wisdom, everything was possible back then.”
“I see.” Milea grumbled. “There have been two Magi at the same time during the history of the Empire, but never three, and none of them was a white core.”
Meanwhile, on the battlefield, Lith was giving his all just to stay alive.
