Global Awakening: Apocalypse Ender's Chronicle-Chapter 1033: Challenged!

Kenji’s cockpit alarms blared as the petrification spread across his Skybreaker’s frame.

"Damn it...! My thrusters... they’re failing!" he shouted with panic rising in his voice.

The mech’s right leg had already turned to stone, locking in place and dragging his frame downward.

He struggled to stabilize, but the petrification aura was not stopping.

It seemed that Lesley’s ability had gotten a lot stronger!

"Sheena!" Kenji cried out.

Sheena’s Skybreaker‑01 dove in, her mana blade immediately glowed, and with a swift strike, she severed the petrified leg before the effect could spread further.

Crack!

The stone limb shattered into fragments, falling uselessly to the ground.

"Kenji, pull back! You’ll die if you stay!" Sheena ordered with a sharp tone.

Kenji’s mech staggered for a bit, but it was already. Although crippled, it was still functional. "Tch... fine! I’m retreating!"

Sheena also considered for a moment before she ordered through the comms. "All units, if you still had ammunitions, release all of them to those golems and warriors below... After that, we disengage! We don’t have the magical defense to fight her directly. Return to the Fortress!"

Just like that, all their remaining bullets were released to the enemies. It created another huge chaos, but it was enough... Some of them even had to cut off parts of their limbs because Lesley was not stopping at all!

Soon, they had to leave the battlefield!

One by one, the Skybreakers broke formation. Their thrusters flared as they ascended, retreating back toward the Floating Fortress.

Finally, the battlefield grew quieter as their silhouettes vanished into the clouds. The noise made by GN Drives could no longer be heard...

Then, the Overlord Clan’s defenders erupted in cheers.

"They’re retreating!"

"The mechs are gone!"

Morale surged like a wave. The sight of the Skybreakers disappearing into the sky filled the soldiers with renewed courage. Even the Aura Knights, battered and bloodied, raised their weapons high.

"Vice Clan Leader Lesley has turned the tide!" commanders shouted from the ramparts.

Still, the battle was far from over. They knew that Lesley exerted a lot to scare off those Mech Frames.

Mireya, seeing the Skybreakers retreat, also gave a signal to her assassins. "Fall back. We regroup at the inner wall."

Selvaris, his armor still emanating some residual lightning, nodded grimly. "We’ve done enough here. Pull back before we lose more."

The assassins melted into the shadows, retreating in disciplined silence. Selvaris and his soldiers followed, withdrawing step by step toward the inner defenses.

But their retreat came at a high cost.

The residential district was abandoned, homes were shattered, various buildings were smashed, and the streets were littered with rubble.

It didn’t end there, the market area was lost... The stalls were burned, goods were destroyed, and the once‑bustling trade hub was reduced to ash.

The plaza suffered the same fate. The monuments were toppled, the fountains were destroyed, as the Super Soldiers and the remaining Warden Units advanced.

Even the outer training grounds and artisan workshops were given up as their defenders were forced to flee.

All of these areas lay outside the inner wall, and now they belonged to Shane’s forces.

The Overlord Clan had consolidated its strength at the inner wall.

"Good..." Shinja muttered as he looked at Selvaris’s sword. He actually wanted that sword for himself, even if he already had three Legendary-Grade Swords himself.

In his mind, he knew that it was only a matter of time before this shelter gets destroyed, so it would give him a motivation to fight harder if he was looking for a reward.

And that reward for Selvaris’s weapon!

Soon, the battlefield calmed down as the outer districts were gone.

Of course, the Overlord Clan wasn’t broken yet. The Skybreakers had been forced to retreat, and Lesley’s Petrification Talent had proven itself a weapon that even Shane’s Floating Fortress could not ignore.

Still, it seemed that there would be some negotiations happening as Lancelot finally revealed himself...

Lancelot was in his white and red robe like a king. His shiny blond hair, fair skin, and unbothered eyes also made it seem like he had never experienced any difficulties in this Apocalypse at all.

Furthermore, he wasn’t holding any weapons. He was only adorned with various accessories that definitely had mystical abilities

Soon, he spoke loudly, enough for everyone to hear.

"Shane... I know you’ve finally arrived. How about we fight this out one on one, like a real man?"

***

A few moments earlier, Shane had arrived at the battlefield.

He stood at the edge of the Floating Fortress, watching with amusement as Lesley’s Petrification Talent forced the Skybreaker Mechs to retreat.

Indeed, he had flown to the Floating Fortress with his Flight Ability...

Then, after seeing the petrification, he didn’t panic. In fact, he smiled.

"They think they’ve won something," Shane muttered to himself. "But the Fortress hasn’t even revealed half of its strength. The Legendary Elves I brought haven’t moved yet... and the firepower we’ve prepared can shatter their inner wall’s barrier in one strike."

His confidence was absolute. To him, the retreat of the Skybreakers was nothing more than a tactical pause.

Then, from below, Lancelot finally appeared. Draped in his regal white and red robe, adorned with mystical accessories, he stoodat the ramparts of the inner wall and called him out...

"A duel?" Shane chuckled. He hadn’t expected to be challenged directly, nor to be noticed so quickly.

With a thought, he removed the effect of the Ring of Dusk and Dawn. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

The Mythic Ring that supposedly isolated his presence.

’He must have an incredible detection artifact, or he’s just guessing that I’m here already. Anyway, there’s no need to hide anymore...’

Soon, the concealment faded, and he revealed himself fully on the battlefield.

Of course, he also triggered his Flight and slowly descended.

The soldiers gasped, the commanders stiffened, and even the Doom Knights paused for a moment as Shane’s presence radiated across the shelter.

Indeed, he didn’t just remove his concealment. His Swordmaster’s Domain and Heaven’s Wrath were activated, creating a unique aura around him!