The crumbling barrier gave way, and Aya spread her wings and flapped them, creating a gust of wind that blew away the surrounding smoke and dust.

"I thought we were tough enough, but now they're tearing down their own house with even more determination..." Tiran muttered as she glanced around at the scene.

If Tiran smashing the main hall of the Maston Palace with an ice crystal greatsword earlier was like a righteous hammer, then Haze's barrage of firepower was like a righteous tactical strike. The devastation left in its wake was beyond description — the place was practically a ruin.

The result of the heavy artillery, which even three layers of powerful Magic defense spells couldn't withstand, on ordinary buildings was painfully obvious — all that was left were craters, with any remaining bricks or debris not exceeding the size of a fist.

As for Maston King outside the palace, his concerns about his demolished home were not a priority for the three currently engaged in battle.

"Is he still alive? Seems like I underestimated the Dragon's magical reserves," Haze remarked with some regret as the smoke cleared, revealing the positions of Aya and Tiran.

"What's this? A portal?" Aya was puzzled by the massive mural-like painting that appeared in midair, showing a moving scene that resembled glimpses of another world through an opened door in the sky.

It depicted an endless army in formation, clad in black military uniforms, surrounding heavy iron-colored cannons.

"However powerful you individuals may be, you are nothing but ants before the might of civilization!" Haze raised a fragment of a spell scroll and the scene in the projection screen behind him began to move again. A barrage of intense firepower, with dense explosions echoing through the universe, materialized at the boundary between the projection and reality, raining down on the crater where Aya and Tiran stood.

As metal projectiles spun rapidly through the air, the high-speed cannonballs suddenly slowed down — not due to external forces, but because time in the world had slowed. In this altered realm, even light seemed to move sluggishly, casting a dreary hue over everything. Only Aya and Tiran, who could manipulate time, retained their normal movement ability in this time-dilated world.

"Holy Rank? Well, I am too." Haze, whose color had returned vividly alongside the slowed cannonballs, prepared to face the challenge posed by his opponents.

The battle at Holy Rank where the manipulation of time and space offered tactical advantages was incredibly difficult. Victory could only be achieved through real combat, not through mere manipulation of fundamental laws.

"But this guy is really ruthless! How can he escalate to cannons without warning!?" Aya's hands folded tightly across her chest, summoning a rock barrier to shield herself from the bullets, then swinging the Disaster Branch Greatsword to release a wave of lava that erupted in midair, intercepting the hail of projectiles.

"More importantly, what is this...," Tiran struggled to cope, her hands working to deflect and break the incoming cannonballs with her dual-wielding ice swords. The enormous kinetic energy carried by the artillery bombardment made it difficult for her to maintain balance.

It was abnormal, highly abnormal. Most of the cannons in this era were still reminiscent of pre-industrial era muzzle-loading styles, and the round cannonballs they fired were nowhere near as powerful as those from industrial-era cannons. Even Tiran's Italian cannons, despite their unprecedented potency, couldn't rival the destructive force displayed by the current barrage of cannonballs.

Hmm... still at a loss!

"I don't care! Let's just take him out up close!" "Why think so much? Just take him out directly!"

They both reached a consensus almost simultaneously. With the telepathic precision of dragon knights, they moved instantly into action, Aya letting out a roar as her face transformed into dragon scales and horns, her limbs bulked up, wings sprouting from her back as she completed her dragon transformation. Her tail struck the ground, sending debris flying, enhancing her Wind Magic to sweep through the sky and collide with the incoming artillery.

"Come on!" Aya seized Tiran's hand and wrapped her other arm around the princess's waist before forcefully hurling Tiran towards Haze like a projectile on the ground. Meanwhile, Aya soared into the air, breaking through the air and diving into the rain of bullets from above.

Such synchronized attacks were their specialty, as their shared bond allowed them to execute maneuvers that others with weaker bodies and dynamic vision couldn't handle. The sword blade, reinforced with frost Chi, emitted a dark blue glow as it extended to a five-meter length, directed straight at Haze.

【Ice Sword Intent: Shattering Firmament】

"What the... what kind of move is that?" Tiran shouted the technique's name, sending a shiver down Aya's spine and causing her scales to stand on end.

"Don't sweat the details, just be cool!" Tiran replied telepathically, adjusting her posture in midair as her frost Chi erupted once more, hurtling her like a blue meteor towards Haze almost unstoppable.

At the same time, Aya broke through the lingering smoke and locked her gaze on the light screen unfolding behind Haze. Active elements began to weave and form under her psychic touch, while a massive flow of magic energy was detected by Haze. But even so, he was powerless to retaliate, as the imminent threat of the blue comet was enough to send shivers through his very being, freezing his blood.

"Earth element!" Following Haze's command, the only remaining earth elemental giant intercepted Tiran's sword blade, while Haze unleashed earth waves and countless rock spurs and swiftly retreated. Normal Magic constructs couldn't withstand Tiran's blade — the Cross Swords of Light almost effortlessly cutting through the earth elemental giant and the rock spurs, with only a slight slowdown caused by the earth waves which allowed Haze to evade her strike.

"Tsk!"

Tiran slowed her speed by unfolding her crystal wings and felt a little upset because of missing a hit, but soon turned back and drew her sword then unleashed two slashes towards Hazel.

Howeverm it s unpratical if she still wants to build her advantange with ranged attack after missing a sudden strike, after making enough space, Hazel once again summoned her Earth Giant. For elemental creaturem, it could be slowly repaired with matched element as long as it doesn't take any fatal damage ig its summoner still survive.

But indeed, from the begining they never put faith on winning with one strike, their opponent was a holy rank after all, their aim was buying time for Aya to let her cast the forbidden spell.

"Have you done?"

"Dont distract me!"

Aya in the air glared, but then smirked:"Glad it is done"

"Hmph?"

Hazel found out the massive element gathering in the air.

"Now it is too late to react for you!"

Aya shaped a square with her fingers then aimed at the light curtain where Hazel stood miles away.

"Although it is only for the beginnersm but its power is enough for you.....Wrath of collapsing stones."

A shing starlight lit in the middle of the light curtain, then collapsd in a second, followed by a shocking wave expanding outwards, then a shadowed dust storm swallowed every thing inside the curtain.

As the shockwave nearly broke the curtain and was about to reach the Marston Place-or Ruin, Hazel could only shut down the curtain, but the firepower that once even Aya could not resist was already dead even with the spell being stopped.

"Nice...Wow!"

Tiran was about to give compliment to Aya, but before she could speak a word, she was pushed away by a stone pillar.

After steadying herself, she found Hazel has already regain his spirit and controlled the ruins with his magic then threw them towards Aya and Tiran like shooting cannon.

"Once more? it is not fun with same trick! And what if you hurt others outside!"

A white shield was summoned in the air to block the stones, then Aya came to Tiran's side:"Am I good?"

"Let's take down this guy first."The Princess sighed as she looked at Aya's arrogant expression,"But what is this unsettling feeling..."