Over the vast sea, the tide of beasts receded, and humanity's counterattack commenced.
Perceiving the turning tides, the three Siren sisters, sensing danger all around, didn't bother to calm the chaotic beast tides. They immediately stirred the divinity and divine blood within them, opening their mouths to emit high-pitched songs toward the sky, calling for their kin.
Upon hearing the command, each of the Siren harpies with the face of a woman and body of a bird immediately turned about, heedlessly gathering around the airspace near the three Siren sisters, to protect their monarch, the source of their bloodline.
Amidst the cacophony of chirps and chatter, the Siren harpies already targeting from the air flapped their wings in unison, flocking towards the dozens of Minos warships interspersed within the center of the beast tide.
Under the incitation of these divine blood kin, strong gales surged all around, with waves crashing against the ships' prows.
However, each Minos warship bore an oak-carved figurehead, inscribed with the Protective Rune Goddess Bust, emitting a sacred radiance that held firm against the onslaught of wind and waves, steadily propelling the vessels forward.
Apart from being the goddess of wisdom, craftsmanship, and military strategy, Athena was also the chief god credited with first teaching humanity to build ships, thus holding the authority to protect voyagers.
Still, the goddess emblems on these Minos warships were ultimately sentient objects imbued with spirit, most of which had only experienced naval fire combats with other city-states.
Facing the extreme weather stirred by a large swarm of Siren harpies, these warships made by mortals gradually struggled to withstand the assault, with the light of the goddess emblems being steadily diminished and the deck planks emitting muffled sounds of being overwhelmed.
Gradually, the fleet's speed began to falter.
Witnessing the fleet's impediment and the divine protection on the ships on the verge of dissipation, the skyborne Siren harpies immediately revealed their ferocity, swooping down on the vessels in groups.
They brandished their sharp talons, aiming to tear the sails, snap the wooden masts, and cleave open the chests of enemies on the deck.
"Prepare the five-note etiquette charm, cover the fleet as they intersperse!"
At the fortress's battlements, Princess Ariadne, entrusted with the golden scepter by King Minos before his departure, saw the situation and decisively took over the great prince's role, assuming command of the battle.
As one of the few core individuals privy to the plan, this chief priestess remaining on the island was responsible for emergency battlefield remedies.
After all, although Crete was currently the leading power in the Mediterranean, with a good dozen demi-gods of varying strength, the truly top-tier ones were only King Minos, Luo En, Little Medusa, and Princess Ariadne, the temple's high priestess.
Along with Talos, the bronze giant that King Minos had held in reserve, the high-end forces capable of influencing the battle on the coastal defense line amounted to no more than five in total.
Hence, as the battle shifted, each of them had their responsibilities to bear.
At this moment, a group of priests and priestesses, having taken a brief respite to consume magic potions and gradually regaining some vigor, promptly heeded the high priestess's call, propping themselves up, raising their hands high, and chanting ancient praises.
With the music-like holy chants converging into the air and transforming into streams of golden light, Princess Ariadne in the center raised her bird-winged scepter and swung it forward with a flourish.
In an instant, hundreds of owls with tawny wings materialized from the light above the fortress, their wings fluttering to emit crisp calls as they tore through the clouds in groups, sweeping towards the sea's surface.
The roaring wind blew from the island across the sea, inflating the sails of the fleet, maximizing the ship's speed.
At the same time, these owls born from the light took advantage of the momentum to pass over the fleet, raising their sharp talons and opening their sturdy beaks, descending upon the obstructive Siren harpies.
As birds of prey, owls are symbols of wisdom and the sacred birds of Goddess Athena.
They serve close to the light, guarding the dark battlefields, endowed with the duty to hunt the unclean and bring victory.
Along with the owls' solemn and crisp calls and the women's agonized and furious screams, gold and black feathers rained down from above, like petals welcoming the victor on a triumphant path.
With the Siren sisters' kin intercepted and the path unobstructed, King Minos leaped onto the deck to join the Divine Blood Guard, using the warship as a platform to adjust his breathing, restore his magic power, and await the final battle.
At that time, hundreds of meters away, Luo En squinted perceptively towards a shimmering undercurrent surging to the left in front of the prow.
He instantly grasped his longbow, drew it fully, and launched a potent golden arrow.
Accompanied by a faint rumble of thunder, the golden light flashed instantly, blasting a burst of gold and red blood underwater.
Subsequently, a half-bodied demigod Lamia emerged on the surface, only to be crushed into a pulp by the passing warship.
Instantly, the hundreds of Lamias gathering in nearby waters who witnessed the fate of their new leader let out cries of terror, scattering like flocks of birds and beasts.
Is that all the ability they possess?
Standing at the bow, King Minos completed his pre-battle deep breathing, opened his glittering golden eyes, and a trace of chilling coldness flickered over his aged face. Holding a bronze spear in hand, he swung his arm forward and bellowed.
"Abandon defense, full speed ahead, watch as I slaughter them!"
The well-trained Divine Blood Guard, upon hearing their monarch's command, did not hesitate to cut off the supply of energy to the ship's defensive charms, and instead fully activated the magical arrays that provided acceleration.