Vol. 4 Chapter 2: Desolation (Patreon)

The embers of flames ascended into the air, filling the sky of the once peaceful city like stars. Burning buildings crackled as they broke apart from all the damaging fire spreading like tides. A streak of red hurled from above, exploding on a building upon impact. Sparkled and splashed all over the place were multiple colors along with additional smaller explosions, debris blew in all directions.

People screamed and cried. Others ran to wherever their feet may take them, just anywhere that was safe. Those that were unlucky couldn’t go anywhere. There were others that were pinned down under the debris of their home, their family members trying to set them free.

There were those that were crawling on the ground, leaving a trail of blood as they moved. Limbs smashed, faces burned, major parts of their body torn off being caught in the explosions. Others tried to lift their friends and family, only to be caught up in another explosion themselves. Body parts and blood scattered all over the place, while some were blinded by either debris or from the sparks of the explosions.

“Help!”

A child called for help, her face brimming with tears. The little girl kneed by their ruined home and shop, colorful flowers scattered around her. Her hand was reaching out to a pair of legs right in the rubble, but it was not moving.

“Mama! Help my mama, please!”

She cried and cried. But what would be the point? Her mother was already dead, pinned down by the heavy debris, with only her feet out of it. But how could a little girl like her realize such a thing? Could she even grasp the concept of death? Perhaps she could, but only denied it, or she was only holding on to hope.

A civilian who came across her stopped and glanced painfully at the little girl.

“You can’t stay here!”

“But my mama!”

“I’m sorry.”

The man quickly picked her up and ran away.

“No! Wait! Don’t leave Mama behind! Please!” She tried reaching out for her beloved parent. But she only grew more distant.

“I-I’m sorry. She’s gone.”

In another part of the city, there was a young man and woman running through a small alleyway along with other people. The young man held his beloved’s hand tightly as they went.

“What about my mom and dad?” said the young woman in a panicked voice.

“W-We’ll go check on them, don’t worry!”

“O-Okay!”

“What the hell even is going on? Who’s attacking us?”

The people truly do not know, and how even the enemy got here. Everything was so sudden. They were just sleeping so peacefully, like always, and the next thing they heard were explosions, buildings crumbling, and people dying.

Suddenly, an explosion erupted above them.

“Wha—!”

The two lovers stopped instantly in shock. It was so bright and powerful, like a vicious gale hit them. The explosion severely damaged the surrounding buildings, and they crumbled apart in front of them, blocking their way. Flames began to spread.

The second tiny explosion blew up in a wider area, and pieces of it fell upon the two.

“Agh!”

“It burns!”

Some sort of white substance that came along with the explosions stuck to their arms and faces. They were so hot that they melted parts of the young woman’s face, and burned the man’s arms.

“G-Get it off! Please!” The young woman fell into utter panic. “H-Help me…” Her voice trailed off as she suffered through the intense pain, tears streaming down her eyes, only to evaporate the moment the white substance touched them.

“H-Hang on! I-I’ll get them off!” The man caught her as she fell, drowning in agony. He grabbed the white substance, bearing the pain in his arms, and on his fingers as he removed the things hurting the woman he loved. “Hang on, hang on! Everything’s going to be alright.”

As he tried to save her, flames spread around them, even to the other nearby buildings. It won’t be long before they will be surrounded. But he was focused on saving the one he loved the most.

No one was prepared for this attack, resulting in severe human casualties and immense damage to the beautiful city. Shops that were popular with the citizens and tourists alike, like the store that sells worm barbecue, or the shops that sell souvenirs, all were either already destroyed, or about to. Men, women, and children, none were safe in the wake of these dangerous works of fire.

Parents lying bloodied on roads holding their children, children holding their siblings, families trying to save families, perhaps the most unlucky were flattened by the debris on their beds. It was too terrible. Even the hardened soldiers whose duty was to protect, were shaken by the view of death and destruction in this night colored by the hue of the burning tides.

As the city fell into chaos, its soldiers and knights committed themselves in fighting off the enemies. The city wall was struck by giant metal javelins from the enemy ballistas, embedding into the walls. Despite the gate being broken for entry, the enemy knights still scaled up the wall, using the javelins to climb and jump up.

But it was not only mere plain javelins they used. Aiming at the places where there were no imperial knights, they fired a few javelins with explosives attached to them. Light streaked through the air before the javelins pierced through the wall, and a moment later, an explosion boomed, shaking and breaking parts of the wall. 

But destroying the wall was not the primary goal of these attacks. Despite their explosives, the sturdiness of the wall prevented significant damage. The main objective was to shake the hearts of the Wisterian soldiers, and burn a few if they could. In short, psychological attack.

A sudden assault, strange loud booming sounds erupting all over the city, everything on fire, walls shaking and slowly being broken. Nothing more could rattle the mind of the defenders. How fearsome indeed.

Imperial knights stormed the top of the wall, elites easily cutting through the enemy Wisterians. Strong Wisterian knights were present on the wall as well. And they were faring way better than the normal soldiers. However, the imperials would form a small group to face a Wisterian knight to quickly dispose of them. So, before a Wisterian knight could kill an enemy, he would already be struck from anywhere but the front.

The several Wisterian elite knights assigned to the wall quickly realized the enemy’s plan.

“Regroup!” said a Wisterian knight.

The elite knights regrouped and formed a defensive line. Imperial knights engaged them, both sides exchanged strikes and magic attacks. Wisteria managed to execute multiple of their enemies, but then a hooded figure joined in the fight, holding a thin-bladed sword of his own. With a brandish of his sword, several wind whirls — about 10 meters wide, and 30 meters high — formed from out of nowhere, dismantling the Wisterian’s formation. It didn’t end there as flames engulfed the stranger’s blade, and he swung towards a whirl, launching a wave of fire. And the fire merged with the wind whirl.

The Wisterian knights quickly backed away, while one promptly engaged with the enemy, sending a number of magical slashes. Quickly evading, the man’s hood was removed. The knight’s eyes widened when he saw the man’s ears.

“An elf!” The knight knew of them. They hunted them before.

Aware of the danger they possess, the knight quickly withdrew to join with his allies. The elf frowned, ignoring the knight. With his flame engulfed blade, he struck one of his wind whirls, creating more whirls of fire. His fierce winds moved throughout the walls, devouring and killing everything in their path. Commoner soldiers screamed and tried to flee, but these forces of nature were relentless.

The surviving Wisterian knights watched on in anger. 

“It’s not just the Empire.”

“Go and alert the palace. Let them know of the enemy we’re facing!”

“Got it!”

One Wisterian knight quickly jumped down the wall, plunging his sword into it to slow his descent. When he reached the surface, he made a run for it, using as much Physical Enhancement he could use. As he went further in the city, he felt pain and grief at the sight of what had become of his home city. And worst of all, the number of dead.

Enemy forces had already started to swarm the place. Common soldiers and knights of Wisteria fighting them off. Along with them were what appeared to be the adventurers. But the knight kept on moving, without even thinking of helping anyone in a fight.

But then, someone suddenly jumped in beside him. A glint of a weapon passed by and bludgeoned him on his side, launching him into a nearby building. With an annoyed groan, he quickly gained his footing as a lance was coming down at him.

He used his sword to deflect the incoming weapon as he stepped to the side. But suddenly, wind blew up from the lance, pushing him away. As he was recovering from his stagger, a piercing light came at him, striking and damaging his dominant right hand. His sword dropped to the ground.

And the next moment, without giving him a second to react or recover, his enemy extended his lance forward, but failed to reach him. The tip glowed for a moment before being followed by an incredibly powerful wind, and it pierced through the Wisterian knight’s chest, blasting a hole through it.

The knight tried taking a breath, but he couldn’t.

With a grin, the enemy lancer grabbed him at his torso, and they glared at each other.

“Where do you think you’re going?” He chuckled, as if mocking him.

The lancer was the imperial elite Orven, with his main weapon as a lance. He had a particular way of killing, it was blasting a hole through the enemy’s chest. It was a quick and sure way of killing an opponent, not even healing spells can save them. All by using his wind through his weapon. But not wind alone, he also included his Armament Magic. The latter to break through the metal, and the wind to support the magic forward or cut through flesh.

But this feat was easier said than done. One would need to focus most of their power on a single point, and not to mention a large amount of mana at their disposal. Orven was a special case, as if he was gifted or blessed by the gods. His abilities were stronger than anyone else, his magic more powerful than anyone. And to merge both his Armament Magic, and his family’s specialty of offensive wind magic, was a special achievement.

He was certain death.

His piercing blow was so powerful that it could entirely go through an armored man like this Wisterian knight. With his high affinity with magic, and his skills as a warrior, landed him in the position of an elite knight. He was one of the best.

The Wisterian knight could only glare as his life slipped away. He saw a few streaks of light flying high up in the sky. Orven looked up as well.

“Would you look at that? Your palace will have one hell of a headache once those hit. Those long eared guys sure are something.”

And the Wisterian knight closed his eyes while feeling fear for his home nation. Orven casually dropped him.

“Oh well, gotta keep going.”