The Empire’s Assault (Part 2)
In the dead of night, the northern boulevard of the city alliance lay under a sky thick with clouds, obscuring both moon and stars. Yet, the boulevard was not shrouded in darkness. Scattered along the road, refugees had set up campfires, creating small pockets of light amidst the gloom.
These were people who had hastily packed their belongings and fled upon hearing the sudden news of war.
Clip-clop! Clip-clop!
Dalen and his companions galloped southward, weaving through the makeshift camps. The city alliance’s territory, which he hadn’t set foot on in nearly a year, felt drastically different from when he had left. The once-bustling streets were now heavy with the tension of war and a sharp sense of vigilance.
“Hey! Who goes there?”
“Everyone up! Outsiders!”
The clatter of hooves stirred the refugees, who scrambled to their feet, clutching makeshift weapons as they gathered around their fires. Despite their fear and suspicion, they lacked the courage to confront the riders directly. Dalen and his group, well aware of this, paid them no mind.
Their urgency was driven by the siege in the southern district of Falcion, now in its third day. To support their allies in time, they needed to cross the northern part of the city alliance and reach the Lycanth River as quickly as possible.
“What’s the situation?” Dalen asked, breaking the silence. A crow perched on his shoulder cawed in response.
“We’re holding up for now. Caw—Ahem! This is more uncomfortable than I thought.”
”…”
“Most citizens have been evacuated to areas near the southern district’s walls. Damaged walls and towers are being swiftly repaired with magic from the Elgaia Tower and Shania Philopon.”
“That’s a relief.”
The voice from the crow’s beak wasn’t Sienna’s or Lucia’s. Both were too preoccupied to maintain communication. Sienna was using her network of crows to monitor the empire’s movements, while Lucia led the knights in frequent skirmishes outside the city walls.
In the chaos of war, where even having multiple bodies wouldn’t suffice, those in a position to communicate with Dalen’s group were similarly stretched thin. Yet, Falcion couldn’t afford to overlook the asset that was Dalen. Thus, someone with many bodies to spare was tasked with communication.
“Caw—But it’s not all good news. The enemy’s numbers and strength have been increasing rapidly over the past three days. By tonight, we’ve even spotted berserkers from the Pantheon.”
Through the blue-eyed crow, Everon Lachtela spoke. One of the twenty-six transcendent beings of the Golden Palace, Everon was known for his frequent external activities. It was an open secret that he managed a vast network of information across the continent, controlling multiple bodies simultaneously.
Although he had lost nearly half of his bodies during a battle with the Vine Witch, a year had passed since then, and Everon’s abilities likely allowed him to recover most of his losses.
“Berserkers from the Pantheon, huh… They’re tough, but not enough to breach the Bronze Wall.”
“Indeed. The status of the Labyrinth City won’t fall to mere fanatics. The real issue is that the empire’s main force hasn’t even arrived yet.”
“What do you mean by that?”
Dalen raised an eyebrow at the confident statement. Even Sienna, the most adept at gathering information, hadn’t fully grasped the empire’s movements. While the transcendent beings of the Golden Palace were extraordinary, they couldn’t instantly decipher the rapidly changing dynamics of the empire.
The crow nodded in response to Dalen’s skepticism.
“We’ve mentioned before that we transcendent beings are bound by the constraints of the Barrier Covenant.”
“Yes, I remember.”
The Barrier Covenant—a powerful magical restriction dating back over a thousand years to the founding of the Labyrinth City. Initially thought to be a mere game mechanic for balance, it held far greater significance.
“It was meant to contain the monsters of the Labyrinth.”
“Correct. Falcion was established at the continent’s center, where the largest opening to the Labyrinth once existed.”
The crow clicked its beak.
“During the ancient war thousands of years ago, the fiercest battles were fought in three places: beyond the northern frost plains, at the rift guarded by the main branch of the Knights, and at the entrance to the Labyrinth where Falcion now stands.”
Even after the defeat of the evil gods and the end of the great war, monsters continued to emerge from the Labyrinth. The city’s founders erected massive barrier towers to contain them, establishing the city to maintain these towers.
“The power of the barrier towers is a vast, encompassing force over the entire Labyrinth. The twenty-six transcendent beings constantly pour their energy into maintaining it. But we are still imperfect beings…”
“You mean you bind yourselves with the Barrier Covenant to prevent overstepping your bounds. I understand.”
”…Exactly. The more one transcends the limits of their species, the easier it is to stray from human reason. Caw.”
Everon twitched his beak repeatedly, clearly uncomfortable with the crow’s oral structure.
“Since the empire’s declaration of war, twelve of the twenty-six transcendent beings have been released from their constraints.”
“Twelve?”
“It signifies that the external threat to the city’s safety is greater than the monsters and demons lurking in the Labyrinth. It means the empire has sharpened its blade.”
Twelve. That was a number only seen when the demon army of Suum descended upon the Tsar Kingdom. It suggested that the empire’s forces approaching the Labyrinth City were at least equivalent to a demon army led by an avatar of an evil god.
While the empire boasted the continent’s largest territory and a formidable army, such a threat was rare even across hundreds of cycles.
“Even if the Pantheon declared a holy war… Are they really going all out with no regard for the consequences?”
The empire’s state religion, the Pantheon, attached divine names to all things, promoting harmony and acceptance. Declaring a holy war under such a banner was peculiar, but Dalen, aware of the entity lurking behind the Pantheon, wasn’t surprised.
Still, were they really willing to reveal that secret? It suggested a desire to shake the continent’s balance, even if it meant exposing a truth hidden for a millennium.
“This battle is going to be bigger than I thought.”
Dalen gently pulled on the reins, slowing his horse. The crow on his shoulder nodded.
“I’m advising caution. The empire surely knows of your reputation. They’ll likely take measures to prevent you from joining us, perhaps even…”
“Those measures.”
”…”
“Seem to be already in motion.”
Clip-clop. Clip-clop.
As Dalen pulled the reins tighter, the horse came to a complete stop. The boulevard was enveloped in a thick darkness.
Dalen stared into the shadows and spoke.
“I can see you. No point in hiding.”
He had anticipated this for some time.
The refugee camps lining the boulevard had thinned out and vanished altogether. The darkness covering the road was unnaturally dense, even accounting for the obscured moon and stars.
Of course, even without such anomalies, the magical illusion would have been caught by the Eye of Dispelling.
A voice emerged from the shadows.
“Not only a skilled warrior but also a capable sorcerer, I see. The rumors weren’t wrong.”
Crackle, crackle…
The space above the boulevard distorted, crumpling like paper. The veil over the area dissipated, revealing an army that had completely occupied the boulevard and its surroundings.
Even at a glance, there were nearly a thousand troops. About eighty percent were clad in sturdy armor and armed, while the rest, robed figures, lingered at the back.
The torches hidden in the darkness blazed fiercely, their light reflecting ominously off countless blades and metal armor.
Dalen dismounted with ease. Taking a few steps forward, he spoke.
“This is just an army. Why not throw these forces at the city instead?”
“Even if the Barrier Covenant is lifted, the cowards of the Golden Palace won’t venture far from the city. They’re too worried about their precious towers collapsing.”
The lead rider responded. Dalen chuckled softly.
One of those “cowards” was right on his shoulder, listening to everything. A quick glance confirmed that the crow’s blue eyes were twisted in irritation.
“The real issue is you, with your ability to come and go as you please. If you join the city, it will disrupt our holy war, and who knows, you might even cause chaos beyond our borders.”
“You speak as if the city walls would crumble without me.”
“Of course. Do you think we declared a holy war on the Labyrinth City without a plan?”
The knight chuckled, his rough voice echoing dully inside his helmet.
“The walls of silver and gold are known for their height and strength. But the bronze walls? Not so much. A battle among the transcendents will surely bring those walls down, and once they do, our forces will flood in, destroying the infrastructure of the bronze district.”
Srrrng…
The knight slowly drew his sword, its edge jagged like a saw.
“When the food runs out, a city of millions can fall in an instant. Build a castle as high as you want on sand, and it will still collapse at the slightest wave.”
“Perhaps you’re underestimating the founders of the Labyrinth City.”
“Do you really believe in the myth of an unbreakable city? If you doubt me, just watch how that colossal city crumbles.”
The knight raised his hand, and the soldiers behind him aimed their loaded crossbows in unison.
“Of course, you’ll be watching from hell, since heretics don’t go to heaven.”
With a flash, a brilliant light erupted from the rear of the army.
The low chants of the priests harmonized, enveloping the imperial forces, and a divine aura shimmered above the loaded crossbows.
Whoosh―!
Without warning, a rain of arrows descended.
Hundreds of streaks of light sliced through the dark night sky, forming a deadly net capable of piercing even the fiercest beasts.
At the end of it all, Dalen, with his hand resting on his hip, simply shook his head slowly.
“I don’t think it’s an unbreakable city.”
A soft chuckle.
Silence fell over the road at that laugh.
He neither blocked, deflected, nor cast a spell.
Yet the hundreds of arrows, aimed at the warrior, hung frozen in mid-air as if time itself had stopped.
“It’s not an impregnable fortress, either.”
He had witnessed the city fall hundreds of times.
Seen the seven walls collapse one by one, and the last survivors of the continent meet their grim fate.
Even the final bastion that held out in the desolate land couldn’t endure forever.
“But if you want to bring down a thriving city in one fell swoop like this…”
The arrows suspended in the air quietly turned.
The arrowheads, once aimed at Dalen and his companions, now pointed back at the crossbowmen.
“At the very least, the one lurking behind the gods should come in person.”
The soldiers, watching the scene unfold through the slits of their helmets, were filled with shock.
“Exi.”
The single word echoed down the road, and the rain of arrows changed direction, pouring down upon their own ranks.