“Why aren’t they setting up a perimeter?” “They’re amateurs. What would they know about formations and tactics?” 

“They're fighting like they’re boarding a merchant ship.” “This isn’t a battle, it’s a brawl.” The soldiers commented between laughs, but the officers knew better. 

A second volley of projectiles erupted from the foliage, when the rest of the Whale Ships halted their approach and opened their mouths.

"Focus!" “Tight formations!” “Bunker down as soon as we hit the ground!” “Squad leaders, keep those lines open!” Reed, Avalon, Dumas and Farah shouted, and the legions marched forward. They crossed the watery veil that split the cargo bays in two, and the turbulent winds pushed them around on the other side.

“Halt your charges. I have just received tissue samples from my forces.” Kagiso reported, and he sent the results to Raymond, Duke, Laurence, Gloria, Jane, Hugo, Jabu and Mei. 

“You mean your pirate mercenaries.” The two-horned woman replied snidely. 

“Interesting. The same hands that raised the sea monster made these so-called demons.” Laurence deduced, when he had noticed they had the same medical facilities and similar genetic traits.

“It doesn’t matter. Their energy signatures are pathetic. These things are no match for our legions. Commence with the attack.” Raymond replied, and Kagiso clenched his fist angrily. 

Drop ships that resembled train carriages levitated and drifted alongside the legions. They crossed the veil, left the Whale Ship’s mouth and performed evasive manoeuvres immediately.

The legions broke out into a jog, before they sprinted a short distance and leapt over the edge. The waves of heavy bodies poured out of their ships like water. They plummeted to the ground and thousands of heavy boots came crashing down on the demons around the pirates.

“Shields up!” Dumas roared and the bannermen and women planted their flags. Watery spheres, with a fifty-metre radius, ballooned and the yokai were driven back. 

The drop ships opened their sliding doors, while the projectiles cracked their shields. They fired bright white harpoons at the tree line and the heavy gunners mowed down the approaching hordes.

The barriers continued to expand until they passed through each other and reinforced one another. Duke’s forces landed to the west and protected their left flank, while Gloria’s legions defended the east. 

Jane’s, Hugo’s and Jabu’s warriors landed in the northernmost position, in front of the pirates, and erected their barriers. With the perimeter set, Ramond and Laurence’s legions landed behind the four barriers that cut the forest off from the southern coastline.

The drop ships evaded and returned fire. However, the shower of projectiles was too much for their shields. The hexagonal crystal plates cracked, before they shattered, and dozens of drop ships exploded. The rest survived the flight and nosedived towards the arena sized barriers, made from many translucent bubbles.

The drop ships touched down behind the tens of thousands of warriors, and the heavy gunners leapt out. They lined up behind their comrades, took aim and waited patiently.

“Open fire!” the commanding officers roared, and a symphony of supersonic booms erupted from the barriers. The crystal fifty calibre slugs shattered bone and ruptured soft tissue. 

The translucent bullets chewed through their targets and crystal shrapnel mowed down anything behind them.

“Hmm. So, their close quarters combatants drop in first, then their shooters fall in behind. What of their magical units? Do they have spell casters in their armies? How many of them know how to use Mana?” Crane wondered, and he adjusted his glasses.

“Switch to Eraser Rounds!” the commanding officers roared over the gunfire and their voices washed over the battlefield. The firing squads shot the same bright white bullets the enemy had fired at them. The deadly projectiles disassembled their fleshy bodies and chopped down the trees a few kilometres behind them.

“Something is off.” Gloria said, and the Candidates grew restless. “I agree. Demons should not be this easy for humans to slay.” Duke added and Jane laughed. “Then we are in luck. My legions will clear the hordes within the hour.” She boasted and her brothers laughed as well. 

“If they do not flee from my warriors first.” Jabu said arrogantly, which riled up the Candidates even further.

The legions charged in unison, and the heavy gunners repositioned themselves at the very edge of the barriers. The waves of heavily armoured warriors crashed into the tattered armies of demons and swung, with all their might. The few that knew how to coat their weapons in Mana cleaved through their enemies. The rest grouped up and cornered the yokai, before they time their attacks carefully and brought them down together.

“Forward!” “March!” the commanding officers bellowed and the bannermen and women raised their flags. They advanced four hundred metres and the barriers ballooned once more. 

The powerful swings kicked up dust clouds and cleared them away again. They sent heavy bodies flying into one another, only for them to be pilfered and cut down by a shower of supersonic gunfire.

“See? It is only a matter of time now.” Hugo said confidently and the Candidates’ eyes glowed furiously. “This is boring.” “We could clear this area in minutes.” 

“Demons aren’t mortal, right? So why should the mortals be the only ones fighting?” “Indeed, I did not come here to watch a mock battle.” “True. They flaunt their underlings' power and force us to watch. I will not stand for this.” A few Candidates grumbled and complained, before they vanished.

“Hmph. Spoil sports.” Goldjack muttered, with a grin. “I don’t mind sitting back and enjoying the show.” Feng said, and she smiled behind her mask. 

The Candidates appeared before the legions of warriors. They charged and a violent slipstream nearly swept the mortals off their feet. The Candidates ripped, pummeled, burned and crushed their enemies swiftly.

The pirates finished off the yokai inside of the circle of barriers. They turned their backs on the jungles and vanished. The Candidates glanced over their shoulders furiously. The pirates appeared near their captains and smiled from ear to ear.

“We have done our part and taken one step closer to completing our first quest.” Goldjack said theatrically and Crane scoffed. Light spilled from the pirates’ eyes and they tracked the Candidates’ high-speed movements.

The monstrous corpses inside of the circle of barriers spontaneously combusted and the soldiers glanced over their shoulders as well. The battlefield seemed to stand still. 

The pirates gathered and knelt before the two-horned man standing on the beach. The scene resembled the Candidates gathering before the Dragon Guard and tempers flared.

“You have slain the first of my enemies and delivered as promised. I have chosen well. The Pact is Sealed. Fly freely under my banner.” Kagiso rumbled proudly. 

“Rise! Raise the flags!” he rumbled, and the pirates raised their heads. They stood up, stared at their benefactor, and their ships appeared above their heads.

The crew raised the new black flags. The Draconic skull smiled, and the crossbones shifted. The tapestries changed slightly, and every jolly roger decorated itself differently. 

The Miliana’s flag flashed its spectacles and the Shenlong’s red horns grew longer. Goldjack puffed out his chest at his, when a second flag was unfurled beneath the black tapestry.

The clan symbol for the oldest house in Dragon society fluttered in the wind, and the pirates were awestruck. They gawked at the golden tree, the spiral on its canopy, the eight Draconic symbols arranged around it and the symbol in the very centre of the circle. 

A glittery barrier ballooned around the fleet and the projectiles passed right through the Ghost Ships.