"All fighters, fire missiles and target the largest flaming chickens." Lando bellowed the order.
This time, the Astra Militarum didn't send a hundred planes; they sent 300 in total. Over the past few years, the Imperium had produced three generations of warplanes, and every one of them was mobilized by the Astra Militarum.
After many days of study focused on the Flame Ostriches and the Flame Birds, the Astra Militarum poured unprecedented attention into tactics. Because there was a powerful airborne Supernatural like the Flame Bird, demand for fighters skyrocketed, so they deployed 300 at once.
Hoo, hoo, hoo...
On the ground, 200 UAVs shot upward, rising swiftly to flank the fighters. 500 warplanes side by side formed a not-insignificant armada high in the sky, a sight that left both the audience wide-eyed and astonished.
"This little guy..." Several Level 6 Planetary Lords muttered, stunned. "He still has a trump card."
Huo Kong narrowed his eyes as he watched.
Hoo...
The AGM-62 Walleye missile launched from beneath a plane and rocketed straight for the highest-leaping Flame Ostriche. By common sense, the one who jumped the highest must be the strongest, likely the leader.
"Flame Birds, stop those missiles!" Huo Kong ordered.
A Flame Bird shot out and dove toward the Flame Ostriches clustered below, a hundred in total, falling like a blazing hail. The Flame Ostriches dropped from the sky and, instead of leaping again, began scurrying sideways, dodging spike rounds left and right.
Their sudden descent and lateral movement made it extremely difficult for the Guardsmen to lock their electromagnetic rifles, stretching their fire coverage and reducing killing efficiency. Still, dozens of Flaming Chickens were torn apart in that first strike.
Huo Kong's face remained calm. He knew well that breaking the enemy position would cost lives, but as long as casualties among the units stayed below a thousand, it was acceptable. The real threat was the airborne weapons that could track targets.
"If it weren't for that strange flying creature, the Flame Birds, I don't think they could do much," Huo Kong thought with quiet confidence.
Above the Flame Ostrich, a hundred Flame Birds opened their beaks and spat long tongues of fire. The flames met the air, swelling until each occupied about a meter; layered together, the hundred streams coalesced into a conflagration nearly a hundred meters wide.
The falling armor-piercing missiles screamed through the sky but could not slip past the interception line of those flames. Once a missile touched the fire, it ignited. The Flame Birds weren't spewing ordinary fire but a phenomenal blaze. Blistering hot enough to melt the missile casings and set off their propellant, the missiles detonated in midair.
Spectators outside the arena gasped, and excited shouts followed. This is the first time it's met its match."
Inside the command box, Clifford and the others changed expressions. In previous matches, no opponent had been able to take their missiles head-on. These Flame Birds were the first to destroy missiles mid-flight.
"Terrifying power," Huo Kong said with a small smile at the corner of his mouth. "If those explosions had hit the Flame Ostrich, they wouldn't have survived."
Faces across the Astra Militarum darkened.
"These Flame Birds are stronger than expected," Cyrus said with a frown. "They coordinate like an army."
Lando agreed, but the Astra Militarum would not allow this setback to stand. Planes in the sky kept firing their missiles; the warplanes could launch many hundreds of missiles at once. Learning the lesson, the missiles were now dispersed across many trajectories, aimed at different targets. The dense hail of missiles sent shivers through onlookers, the largest simultaneous salvo the Astra Militarum had launched so far.
"Is it coming?" Huo Kong smiled faintly and barked, "All Flame Birds, form a fire circle and follow the original plan!"
The remaining Flame Birds fell back fast and joined the hundred already aloft. Together, 5,000 Flame Birds formed a dense, blazing ring that rolled through the air like a living wall of fire. From above, it looked like an enormous circle of flame, but it moved at high speed. Each bird had become a mass of flame; the ring's diameter exceeded five hundred meters, and it swept toward the incoming missiles.
Two missiles slammed into the fire ring and detonated with thunderous booms, neatly excised from the salvo. Yet what shocked everyone most was that despite the detonations so close, the Flame Birds were unharmed and held formation. The immensity and resilience of that ring stunned the Astra Militarum's high officials and scientists; even the group of level-six Planetary Lords watching couldn't stay calm.
"This is... mutation?" a Level 6 Planetary Lord breathed, staring at the projection. "Has the Flame Bird mutated?"
Others murmured. Flame Birds and Phoenix were both super-civilized races, but the difference was huge. Flame Birds were common; Phoenix were rare and mutated, reaching the pinnacle among Supernaturals. A Phoenix could transform its entire body into flame; a Flame Bird could only blaze its feathers. Mutations were usually accidental and nearly impossible to induce.
After the bombardment, the Phoenix was unscathed. The conclave of bigwigs guessed correctly; these were not ordinary Flame Birds anymore; they had mutated into Phoenix. The two species looked almost identical, but their abilities told another story: the Phoenix could become pure flame and fight as an energy body. That explained why the missiles had so little effect.
"No wonder they said he was the undisputed number one in the Area," one Level 6 Lord marveled. "A Phoenix is a top-tier existence among Supernaturals."
"Even the most terrifying weapons in the Endless Star Territory couldn't create this," another added. "Huo Kong is truly remarkable."
What made everyone tremble was that all units had mutated at once. That was terrifying.
"With Phoenix around, Sebastian's most powerful airborne weapon is useless," one level-six Planetary Lord said flatly. "There's nothing to be done."
"Sebastian didn't lose unfairly," another Lord insisted. "No one would blame him when facing the Phoenix."
"All aircraft stay away from those birds," Lando ordered on the spot. He hadn't known they were Phoenix, but he sensed the danger.
A scientist reported hurriedly, "Their bodies have fully transformed into flame, not just feathers but carapace. We suspect an upgrade, or they might be a different species. Missiles have little effect on these flame-formed entities."
"Could they be energy bodies? Not normal flame?" Cyrus asked.
"Yes," the scientist answered. "These flames carry Supernatural energy, far hotter and more potent than ordinary fire."
Silence fell. The most powerful weapon on their side lay disabled, a grim outcome.
"Hold back. Shrink the formation. Storm fighters and drones, stand down for now," Lando commanded. Then, to a cluster of scientists, he added, "Observe them closely. Find any weakness."
Strangely, the flaming ring hovered still, neither advancing nor retreating. The Flame Ostriches on the ground also froze.
"Sebastian." Huo Kong's voice came into Sebastian's ear. "This flying species I engineered is called the Phoenix, a rare mutation of the Flame Bird."
"Phoenix?" Sebastian raised an eyebrow, recalling an entry from a book. Phoenix were extremely rare and powerful, a mutated pinnacle of the Supernatural races. The mutation was pure luck; outsiders couldn't force it.
"My luck ran well; the Flaming Birds I created experienced a group mutation," Huo Kong continued. "They can now transform their entire bodies into flame."
"As you saw, Phoenixes are immune to damage from conventional weapons; they are literally a ball of flame. Unless you have an ice-type weapon... there's nothing that can harm them."
"So..." Sebastian smiled faintly. "You're trying to persuade me to surrender."
"To be honest," Huo Kong laughed, "this circle of flame won't last long, by the original plan. It's not aimed at your planes but at those unit on the ground. Once this ring drops, how many of your Guardsmen will survive?"
"You're very confident," Sebastian said calmly.
"I'm optimistic for you," Huo Kong replied with a smile. "I don't want excessive casualties among your unit, I won't ruin your match in the loser's bracket."
"Originally..." Huo Kong paused. "I intended to concede after competing with you, but... I've not lost since awakening to become a Planetary Lord. Naturally, I want to remain undefeated. So I'll send you to the loser's bracket."
Sebastian didn't answer.
"I'll give you one minute to think it over," Huo Kong's tone went cold. "If you don't surrender in a minute, I'll have the Phoenix unleash flame upon your Guardsmen!"
Sebastian remained unhurried. The Astra Militarum during the Elizabeth era had long prepared for such contingencies. He knew the essence of Supernaturals: their bodies held Supernatural energies, and without them, they would weaken over time.
"I guess the spike bullets won't do much," Lando said, looking helplessly at the blazing circle. "Then we have to use that special weapon."
This special weapon had been refined by generations of scientists, a device specifically designed to counter Supernatural energy.