The one-star fortress remained quiet beneath the frontier night while pale moonlight spread across the intact battlements, empty watchtowers, and silent stone courtyards left behind after the earlier massacre. No structural damage scarred the fortress because Noctis had erased only the occupants during the academy mission, leaving the walls, halls, and defensive architecture untouched beneath the drifting night wind. Yet despite the fortress appearing outwardly unchanged, the atmosphere within the walls no longer resembled territory belonging to the Holy Church. Crimson inscriptions now pulsed faintly through portions of the weakened sanctified wards rewritten by the Sanguine Prelates, and drifting blood mist occasionally moved through the pathways and corridors beneath the pressure radiating from the transformed hierarchy occupying the stronghold.
The fallen angels naturally dominated the fortress atmosphere without needing to move or speak much. Several occupied the battlements overlooking the distant frontier roads while others remained gathered throughout the courtyard below beneath the moving wind, their black wings folded against blood-metal armor threaded with crimson vein-like patterns that pulsed softly whenever blood authority circulated through their transformed bodies. The pressure radiating from them spread continuously through the fortress and caused portions of the weakened holy wards embedded throughout the stone to flicker unstably whenever one of them passed nearby.
Marcus stood near the opened fortress gate with the massive blood execution sword resting against his shoulder while drifting crimson mist curled around his broad frame beneath the moonlight, and farther above him Daniel leaned casually against the upper battlement railing while rotating one of his dual blood-forged longswords through his fingers. Victor remained stationed beside the inner courtyard entrance with the blood-metal tower shield planted against the stone near his armored body, his presence alone resembling a defensive wall capable of stopping advancing enemies through sheer pressure.
The female fallen angels occupied different sections of the fortress naturally rather than remaining grouped together. Claire leaned against the upper battlement while long dark violet hair shifted softly beneath the frontier wind and the blood-forged rapier resting beside her waist reflected pale moonlight whenever she moved slightly. Sophia observed the distant roads beyond the fortress while the massive vampiric bow rested loosely against her shoulder beneath flowing silver-black hair, and farther along the western wall Elena stood with the crimson war spear planted beside her while Eva and Hannah occupied sections of the courtyard below beneath drifting blood mist and traces of abyssal pressure.
The transformed clergy remained gathered nearer the center of the fortress beneath considerably heavier oppressive force. Adrian stood within the courtyard while abyssal scripture drifted continuously around the black blood-metal robes covering his transformed body and the Abyssal Blood Scepter resting beside him radiated dense suppression pressure into the surrounding air. Nearby, the Sanguine Prelates continued stabilizing rewritten ward channels embedded throughout portions of the walls while the Dread Judicators silently patrolled the inner fortress corridors beneath shifting blood vapor and fractured halo fragments rotating slowly behind their heads.
The fortress no longer felt abandoned despite the absence of ordinary life because Genesis authority now occupied every section of the stronghold.
Noctis stood atop the inner wall overlooking the courtyard while Nocthyrael remained beside him with one arm wrapped naturally around his own beneath the moving frontier wind. Silver strands of her hair drifted softly through the air while the Eye of Veinheart pulsed faintly beneath the fitted black armor hugging her body, and although her expression remained calm, her crimson gaze occasionally shifted toward the female fallen angels occupying the battlements below before returning toward the distant frontier roads stretching beyond the fortress walls.
Far away, traces of aura fluctuations eventually spread through the night air.
Several fallen angels naturally shifted their attention toward the road while black wings folded slightly tighter and blood-forged weapons reflected pale moonlight beneath drifting mist. Noctis quietly observed the approaching figures without changing expression, though the academy students themselves gradually slowed after entering visual range of the fortress because confusion had already begun spreading visibly throughout their formation.
The fortress stood silent.
No guards occupied the walls.
No clergy patrolled the battlements.
Yet the pressure radiating from inside the stronghold felt far more dangerous than before.
As the academy group cautiously entered through the opened fortress gate beneath the drifting night wind, several students instinctively circulated mana through their bodies while others quietly reached toward weapons hanging at their waists after sensing the transformed hierarchy occupying the fortress interior. Much of their attention immediately shifted toward the fallen angels standing throughout the battlements and courtyard because the black-winged figures radiated overwhelming presence beneath drifting crimson mist, and even the students least sensitive to aura fluctuations could instinctively feel these beings were far beyond ordinary demons.
Several students unconsciously slowed after sensing the pressure radiating from Marcus and Victor near the gate while others stared toward the female fallen angels standing along the upper walls beneath the moonlight. Claire remained leaning casually against the battlement with one hand resting near the blood-forged rapier hanging beside her hip while long dark violet hair shifted beneath the moving frontier wind, and the longer several male students looked toward her, Sophia, Eva, or Hannah, the more visibly uncomfortable they became afterward. One eventually coughed awkwardly and turned his attention toward the fortress walls while another suddenly became very interested in inspecting nearby ward inscriptions, causing faint amusement to spread subtly across portions of the female fallen angels' expressions beneath the drifting night air.
Then one of the academy students finally recognized the figure standing atop the inner wall and immediately called out Noctis's name, causing the entire group to look upward almost at once while portions of the tension spread throughout their formation eased visibly afterward. Several students quickly moved deeper into the courtyard beneath drifting crimson mist while questions immediately followed behind them, and while some asked where Noctis had been, others questioned where the demons came from or whether he had seen the massive explosion earlier across the frontier.
Nocthyrael's eyes narrowed slightly after seeing so many people suddenly gather around him, though she remained silent while tightening her hold around his arm beneath the moving night wind. Noctis descended from the wall afterward while his trench coat shifted softly around his legs and traces of blood mist drifted through the courtyard behind him, and once he reached the lower stone pathways the students naturally gathered closer while still casting cautious glances toward the transformed hierarchy spread throughout the fortress.
"I found them in the lower sanctum," Noctis explained calmly while one of the students continued staring toward Marcus's massive execution sword and another visibly avoided looking too long toward Claire or Eva again. "They were imprisoned there, and since they oppose the Church now, I figured they might become useful allies for the academy."
Several students exchanged uncertain looks afterward while their eyes moved back toward the fallen angels and transformed clergy occupying the courtyard beneath the moonlight. Useful allies sounded like a ridiculous understatement considering Marcus alone radiated enough battlefield pressure to make weaker students instinctively avoid standing too close to him, and Adrian's mere presence distorted portions of the weakened holy wards embedded throughout the surrounding walls. Even the quieter fallen angels carried dangerous predatory pressure beneath the drifting crimson mist saturating the fortress atmosphere.
Still, it was Noctis speaking.
That alone carried considerable weight after everything he had already accomplished since entering the academy.
Eventually the leader of the group exhaled quietly while observing the transformed hierarchy once more beneath the moonlight before replying that if Noctis trusted them, then they would trust his judgment as well, and although traces of caution still lingered throughout portions of the academy group, several students slowly nodded afterward while continuing to observe the black-winged figures occupying the battlements.
Another student eventually looked toward Noctis again while traces of unease still lingered visibly across his face and asked about the explosion that had shaken the entire frontier earlier. Several students immediately focused on Noctis afterward because most of them already suspected he had something to do with it, especially after witnessing what looked like a gigantic crimson sword descending from the sky far beyond the fortress region.
Noctis outwardly remained calm while the frontier wind continued moving softly throughout the courtyard and drifting mist passed intermittently between the gathered students and transformed hierarchy.
"I saw it too," he replied casually while Nocthyrael glanced briefly toward him afterward. "But I'm not sure what caused it. I stayed here the entire time."
The academy students exchanged confused looks while portions of their expressions clearly showed they did not fully believe the explanation. The description of a gigantic crimson sword sounded suspiciously connected to Noctis, especially considering the strange beings now gathered throughout the fortress beneath his command, but they also understood he clearly had no intention of discussing the matter further, so eventually the questioning gradually stopped beneath the drifting night wind.
The leader of the academy group instead looked around the fortress afterward while traces of curiosity spread subtly across his face and asked whether there was anything useful left inside the stronghold. Noctis replied calmly that there was nothing remaining except the demons, and the students once again turned toward the transformed hierarchy occupying the fortress beneath the moonlight.
This time the male students visibly struggled even harder to maintain composure after properly observing the female fallen angels again.
Claire's crimson eyes lingered toward portions of the group beneath flowing dark violet hair while Sophia's silver-black hair shifted softly across her shoulder beneath the night wind. Eva remained leaning casually against the courtyard wall while Hannah's elegant figure stood beside the blood scythe resting against the stone nearby, and several male students realized they had once again stared too long before quickly redirecting their attention elsewhere with awkward expressions.
The female fallen angels noticed every reaction.
Claire's lips curved faintly.
Eva appeared openly amused.
Hannah remained calmer, though traces of subtle satisfaction still lingered across her expression beneath the moonlight.
Beside Noctis, Nocthyrael immediately wrapped both arms around his own and pressed herself closer against him beneath the drifting frontier wind while her crimson gaze shifted toward the female fallen angels occupying the courtyard and battlements. Several quietly returned her stare while traces of competitive amusement spread subtly throughout the atmosphere, though Nocthyrael only smiled afterward while tightening her hold around Noctis's arm slightly more.
This was her territory.
Noctis remained almost entirely oblivious to the silent exchange occurring around him while observing the academy students gradually spreading throughout the courtyard. Thinking back on it now, he honestly understood why he fell for Nocthyrael almost immediately after her birth because her beauty had genuinely stunned him the first time he saw her. Not simply because she was attractive, but because something about her reminded him deeply of the women he once loved during his previous cultivation life, especially Yinxue, and that strange familiarity affected him far more deeply than he initially realized at the time.
If he had still been fully Haotian, he probably would have already built a harem naturally around himself.
But now things were different.
Nocthyrael alone was enough for him.
The female fallen angels might possess dangerous beauty themselves, but none of them resembled the women he once loved. Only Nocthyrael carried that strange sense of familiarity capable of reaching him emotionally, and the thought caused him to chuckle softly beneath the moving night wind before Nocthyrael immediately looked upward toward him suspiciously and asked what he was laughing about.
"Nothing," Noctis replied casually while portions of silver hair drifted softly against her shoulder beneath the frontier wind.
Her crimson eyes narrowed slightly afterward, though she remained pressed tightly against his arm while the leader of the academy group eventually looked around the fortress once more before asking what they should do now. Noctis glanced toward the surrounding structures briefly while drifting blood mist continued moving through the courtyard behind him and replied that there might still be hidden sections he had not fully explored yet, suggesting they thoroughly search the fortress before leaving.
The group leader immediately agreed and ordered the students to spread throughout the fortress, giving them three hours to search everything. Soon footsteps echoed gradually through the empty halls, towers, lower chambers, and abandoned corridors beneath the moonlight overhead while the academy students disappeared deeper into the stronghold, leaving only Noctis, Nocthyrael, and the transformed hierarchy gathered within the central courtyard beneath the drifting frontier night.
The academy students gradually disappeared deeper into the fortress while their footsteps echoed through abandoned halls, lower chambers, watchtowers, and storage corridors beneath the drifting frontier night. Occasionally distant voices carried faintly through sections of the structure whenever one group crossed another deeper within the fortress interior, but much of the stronghold slowly returned to silence afterward beneath the spreading pressure of Genesis authority. Crimson mist continued moving softly across the courtyard stone while rewritten ward lines pulsed faintly beneath portions of the ground where the Sanguine Prelates had altered the original sanctified formations into blood-aspected structures more suitable for the transformed hierarchy now occupying the fortress.
Several fallen angels naturally shifted positions throughout the courtyard after the academy students left. Marcus rested the massive blood execution sword against the stone beside him while Victor remained standing near the gate with the tower shield planted against the ground beside his armored body. Claire moved from the upper battlements into the courtyard below while long dark violet hair shifted softly beneath the frontier wind, and Sophia leaned casually against a nearby pillar with the vampiric bow hanging across her back while silver-black strands drifted gently through the moving night air.
Nocthyrael remained pressed against Noctis's side beneath the moonlight while the Eye of Veinheart pulsed softly beneath the fitted black armor hugging her body, and although her expression outwardly appeared calm, her crimson eyes occasionally drifted toward Claire, Eva, and Hannah before narrowing slightly each time they lingered near Noctis too long.
Noctis quietly observed the gathered hierarchy while the moving wind stirred portions of black wings, long hair, trench coat fabric, and drifting blood mist throughout the courtyard. Three hours honestly felt like more than enough time to accomplish something useful, especially now that the transformed hierarchy had stabilized properly beneath Genesis authority instead of resembling uncertain beings freshly converted through blood and abyss power.
What they lacked now was battlefield structure.
He eventually exhaled softly before stepping farther into the center of the courtyard while traces of drifting crimson mist curled around his boots and several fallen angels naturally shifted their attention toward him beneath the moonlight. Adrian lifted his gaze from the rewritten ward inscriptions embedded throughout the surrounding stone while abyssal scripture continued drifting slowly around the black blood-metal robes covering his transformed body.
"We should use this time properly," Noctis said while portions of the frontier wind continued moving through the open fortress overhead. "Right now all of you are individually strong, but strength without structure falls apart once a battlefield becomes chaotic."
Several fallen angels exchanged brief glances afterward while Marcus rested one hand against the execution sword beside him and Victor shifted the massive tower shield slightly beneath the moving airflow crossing the courtyard.
Noctis continued speaking while casually adjusting the black gloves covering his hands. "The formation itself is simple. It's called the Formation of the Phoenix."
The name immediately caused portions of the transformed hierarchy to focus more sharply while drifting blood mist moved slowly between the gathered figures occupying the courtyard beneath the frontier night.
"The frontline consists of four fallen angels acting as the primary pressure points," Noctis explained while his gaze moved naturally toward Marcus, Victor, Ryan, and Jason. "Your role is straightforward. Hold enemy advancement, stabilize the battlefield, and break apart opposing formations before they properly establish momentum."
Ryan's grip tightened slightly around the blood halberd resting against his shoulder while Jason shifted the weight of the blood-forged war hammer planted beside him on the courtyard stone.
"The remaining fourteen fallen angels split into two separate wings," Noctis continued while portions of crimson mist drifted softly past his trench coat beneath the moving wind. "Mobility, aerial pressure, battlefield collapse, flanking attacks, and suppression support."
Several fallen angels visibly listened more carefully afterward while the transformed clergy remained silent nearby beneath heavier abyssal pressure. Claire's crimson eyes lingered toward Noctis while Sophia slowly adjusted the bow resting against her shoulder and Elena lightly rotated the crimson war spear once beside her before planting it back against the courtyard stone.
"The transformed clergy become the body of the formation," Noctis said while his gaze shifted toward Adrian and the others. "The Crimson Marshals protect the front of the core formation while the Dread Judicators secure the rear. Adrian and the Sanguine Prelates remain within the center."
Adrian quietly lowered his head afterward while abyssal scripture continued drifting around his body beneath the moonlight.
The structure itself made immediate sense.
The fallen angels naturally possessed superior mobility and aggressive battlefield adaptability while the transformed clergy carried heavier suppression, support, and formation stability capabilities. Even without further explanation, several members of the transformed hierarchy had already begun mentally visualizing the battlefield arrangement beneath the drifting frontier wind moving throughout the courtyard.
Nocthyrael eventually tilted her head slightly while still holding onto Noctis's arm beneath the moonlight and asked where she belonged within the formation.
Noctis glanced sideways toward her afterward while traces of silver hair drifted softly against her shoulder.
"You stay beside me."
The answer visibly softened her expression almost immediately.
Several female fallen angels quietly observed the exchange beneath the moving night air while Nocthyrael's wings shifted subtly behind her.
Marcus eventually spoke while resting one arm against the execution sword planted beside him. "How do the wings effectively support the frontline once the vanguard enters close combat?" he asked while drifting crimson mist moved slowly between the gathered formation. "Aerial pressure alone may not stop enemy advancement once formations collapse together."
Noctis smiled faintly afterward.
"That part is easy."
The movement immediately drew attention throughout the courtyard after he casually pulled back portions of his trench coat and reached toward the holster resting beneath it. The black-metal weapon emerging into the moonlight instantly caught the attention of every fallen angel gathered throughout the fortress while traces of blood authority circulated softly through the dark frame beneath the drifting frontier wind.
Nocturne.
Even Nocthyrael visibly blinked in surprise afterward while several fallen angels narrowed their eyes slightly beneath the moonlight.
The intent became obvious almost immediately.
Noctis held the blood pistol loosely while drifting crimson mist curled around the barrel and the surrounding courtyard gradually quieted beneath the moving night air.
"The wings will learn blood pistols."
Silence spread naturally afterward.
Not because the idea sounded impossible.
Because the image itself sounded horrifying.
Fourteen fallen angels using blood pistols simultaneously would create overwhelming battlefield suppression capable of collapsing enemy formations from multiple angles before direct engagement even properly began.
Jason eventually tightened his grip around the blood-forged war hammer while traces of hesitation lingered subtly across his expression beneath the moonlight. "Are they truly necessary?" he asked carefully while the frontier wind continued moving softly through the courtyard around them. "Our current weapons already suit aerial combat and direct battlefield engagement."
Several others quietly shared similar thoughts.
Noctis noticed immediately, though another detail caught his attention first.
Their tone.
The transformed hierarchy still unconsciously spoke to him with excessive reverence beneath every conversation. The constant Master this and Master that honestly made him uncomfortable.
He lowered Nocturne slightly afterward while drifting crimson mist continued moving softly between the gathered figures beneath the moonlight.
"First," Noctis said while his gaze moved across the transformed hierarchy occupying the courtyard, "stop calling me Master."
Several fallen angels visibly blinked afterward while portions of the transformed clergy exchanged uncertain looks beneath the moving night wind.
"You can call me Noctis," he continued calmly. "That's enough."
Then his gaze shifted sideways toward Nocthyrael.
"She's the only exception."
Nocthyrael immediately straightened beside him while portions of silver hair drifted softly through the moving air.
"She can call me whatever affectionate thing she wants," Noctis continued casually while traces of blood mist curled softly around his boots. "Dear. Lover. Hubby. Whatever she feels like using."
Nocthyrael's entire expression immediately brightened afterward while her wings twitched softly behind her and she hugged his arm even tighter beneath the frontier night.
The female fallen angels quietly reacted afterward.
Claire's expression remained controlled, though the faint shift in her crimson eyes did not escape Eva standing farther nearby beneath drifting crimson mist. Hannah's grip tightened slightly against the shaft of the blood scythe resting beside her while Sophia quietly looked away toward the upper battlements.
Noctis either genuinely failed to notice or intentionally ignored the atmosphere entirely.
His attention returned toward Nocturne afterward while the moving wind continued passing through the open fortress overhead.
The pistol rotated casually through his fingers before he suddenly raised it toward the empty fortress wall beyond the courtyard.
A compressed blood round erupted from the barrel.
The shot crossed the courtyard so quickly that the distant explosion against the outer wall arrived a fraction later beneath the moving frontier wind. Stone fragments burst outward from the impact point while cracks spread through the surrounding structure and drifting dust scattered through the moonlight afterward, causing several fallen angels to instinctively narrow their eyes toward the damaged wall.
Noctis casually rotated Nocturne once more before firing again.
This time the blood bullet struck the stone courtyard at an angle before ricocheting sharply across multiple surfaces throughout the fortress interior. Crimson streaks curved unnaturally through the air while the projectile rebounded through impossible angles around pillars, walls, and battlements before finally piercing directly through a distant stone column near the rear section of the courtyard.
"The pistols aren't limited to ranged combat," Noctis explained while lowering Nocturne afterward and allowing traces of blood authority to dissipate from the barrel. "The blood bullets themselves can be manipulated through aura shaping, compression control, trajectory adjustment, and pressure timing."
Several fallen angels focused more sharply now while even Adrian's gaze remained fixed toward the pistol beneath the moonlight.
Still, traces of uncertainty lingered subtly throughout portions of the group.
Noctis noticed.
"Use the blood memory first," he said simply while holstering Nocturne beneath the trench coat again. "Then decide afterward."
The fallen angels immediately obeyed afterward while blood authority gradually circulated throughout portions of the courtyard beneath the drifting frontier night. One after another, the transformed beings accessed the inherited memories resting within Genesis blood, and although their bodies remained motionless beneath the moonlight, the battlefield experiences unfolding inside their minds quickly pulled their attention completely away from the fortress itself.
The inherited memories unfolded beneath blizzards, lightning storms, battlefield chaos, and overwhelming pressure while the fallen angels watched Noctis move through combat with blood pistols functioning almost like extensions of his own body. Against Bahamut, they witnessed him continuously maintaining distance while blood bullets struck from constantly shifting angles that prevented the gigantic serpent from properly retaliating. The pressure never stopped. Every movement flowed naturally into the next shot while the battlefield itself seemed controlled entirely through positioning, timing, and impossible trajectory manipulation.
But the Frost Lightning Wolves affected them far more deeply afterward.
The battlefield buried beneath snowstorms and blue-white lightning became filled with wolves fast enough to leave streaks of electricity across the frozen terrain, yet within the middle of that overwhelming battlefield pressure, Noctis continuously moved through the chaos while blood bullets curved through the blizzard from impossible angles. Every time one of the wolves attempted to close the distance, another shot struck from somewhere it should not have been possible to fire from. Long-range suppression shifted seamlessly into mid-range pressure before collapsing instantly into close-range combat while Noctis weaved between attacks, dodged through openings barely large enough for movement, and continued firing throughout the entire exchange without losing momentum.
The fallen angels gradually realized something horrifying while the inherited memories continued unfolding beneath the drifting frontier night surrounding their motionless bodies within the fortress courtyard.
If they themselves had been the ones attacking Noctis during those battles, they would have been shot repeatedly before even reaching him.
Of course, none of them would ever dare attempt such a thing now.
The blood memories slowly faded afterward while the courtyard gradually returned fully beneath the moonlight and moving frontier wind. Several fallen angels remained completely silent for a time afterward while drifting crimson mist continued moving softly throughout the fortress and portions of shattered stone still remained scattered near the damaged walls struck earlier by Nocturne.
Marcus eventually exhaled quietly while resting one hand against the massive execution sword planted beside him.
"…The pistols are far more dangerous than we initially understood," he admitted while traces of lingering realization still remained visible across portions of the transformed hierarchy beneath the frontier night.