Chapter 704: The Brutal Siege – “Cluster Attack!”
“Boom—”
Dozens of airships below lifted their barrels in unison, cannons blazing with thick, searing light, converging into a single, devastating point aimed at the towering fortress.
Moments later, over a thousand heavy cannons along the Empire’s frontline roared to life. Shells filled the sky in a relentless torrent—thousands of fiery projectiles streaking across the wasteland, their dazzling explosions blinding to the eye, the thick smoke choking the air.
Farther back, steam tanks unleashed a volly of fire, yet dared not charge forward. The scorched remains of fallen comrades lay scattered nearby—silent reminders of the cost.
Under such relentless assault, the luminous membrane shimmered violently with each explosion, its ripples growing ever more frantic—but still, it held. Unbroken. Unyielding.
Then, with a rending crack, the sky itself tore open as a flame tongue lashed through space. A deafening crack! echoed across the battlefield, and jagged fissures split the air within the Empire’s frontline position.
From the breach emerged twelve sorcerers clad in long robes, the foremost a striking young woman. Her crimson hair flowed freely down her back, her eyes glowing like molten gold, radiating a faint but unmistakable aura of draconic power.
Seeing Misha arrive, Drool hurried forward, relief etched across his face. “Thank the stars, Duke Misha! You’ve finally come. Our forces have been stalled here for days—unable to break through this barrier.”
Misha gazed at the colossal, sky-piercing fortress, her eyes narrowing. “So this is the Blazing Sun Barrier? Impressive… the energy waves are immense.”
Drool nodded solemnly. “It’s an ancient relic left behind by Sacred Fedran. It stores sunlight, converting it into raw power. Before our attack, the Sun Core Eye had gathered nearly two centuries’ worth of solar energy—enough to fuel a Sun God’s might. Even our full-scale assault hasn’t managed to breach it. We’ve fired over 200,000 shells, launched a dozen explosive volleys… and still, it stands.”
Misha gave a slow, confident nod. “Indeed, formidable. But fear not, Marshal Drool. We carry the strength bestowed by His Majesty. Even if the Sun God himself descended, he would not stand against us.”
A flicker of hope broke through Drool’s tense expression. “Thank the heavens. That’s what I’ve been waiting for. Once night falls, we launch the final assault—no retreat, no hesitation. We take Saint Michael City by storm!”
“King Kai Xiusu will protect us,” Misha whispered, her voice soft yet unwavering.
Night descended, yet the City of Saint Michael remained bathed in the glow of the luminous membrane—bright as day, glowing like a city forged within a star.
“Swoosh—”
Shells trailing streaks of light tore through the darkness, crashing against the barrier like falling meteors. Each impact sent violent tremors through the membrane, making it flicker wildly—but still, it held firm.
“Damn Empire scum!”
“Can’t they ever stop? They’re driving me mad!”
“By Amanata, when will these cursed Dragon’s Favored be driven out?”
Soldiers on the city walls cursed and grumbled, yet their voices lacked fear. For the people of Saint Michael, this had become routine. Many had grown accustomed to the constant roar of artillery, sinking into sleep beneath the unending thunder.
“…The situation is far worse than we thought,” murmured a silver-armored angelic noblewoman, her wings beating gently as she descended upon the city wall. Her name was Tirena Sta Angel, Duke of the Divine Noble Line of Thrace, and one of Wilhelm’s most trusted lieutenants.
She had once guarded the southern front, commanding the Angel Bloodline Legion in war against the Kingdom of Cassander and the Realm of Seleucus. But now, to repel the Empire of Ashen’s invasion, Wilhelm had pulled her north—sacrificing vast swaths of southern territory.
A human officer stood beside her, bowing deeply. “Duke Tirena, as long as you stand, no enemy shall take Saint Michael. And with His Majesty Wilhelm’s gift—the Blazing Sun Barrier—these barbaric, uncivilized Empire dogs will never comprehend the glory of the Sun God!”
Tirena shook her head, her gaze lifting to the sky, her delicate face flickering in the firelight. “No. We must not underestimate them. I must admit—these Empire forces have an innate talent for war. In just a few short years, they’ve built an army so terrifying, it’s no wonder they’ve conquered Northern Aether and the High Mountain Kingdom.”
She turned a sharp glance at the officer. “But you’re right about one thing—they utterly disdain the power of the Sun God. To dare play with fire before me?”
With a sudden, powerful motion, Tirena launched into the air, her wings flaring wide. She raised her blazing longsword, its blade singing like steel in storm.
“Only the Sun is the source of all fire and light!”
“Boom—”
A blinding golden light erupted into the heavens, forming a massive luminous sphere—like a miracle descending from the Sun God himself.
Then, twelve light prisms rotated in unison, aiming skyward, channeling the sun’s power. The luminous sphere grew ever brighter, blazing like a second sun, flooding half the sky with radiant light.
“It’s Duke Tirena!”
“Amanata above—this is a miracle!”
Under the awed gazes of the soldiers, the luminous sphere unleashed a storm of radiant beams—crackling, searing light that streaked across the sky, plummeting toward the Empire’s frontline position.
“Boom!”
“Boom! Boom!”
The beams struck, igniting massive explosions across the battlefield. Steam tanks were reduced to charred wreckage. Airships became burning fireballs, crashing to the ground in fiery ruin. Thousands of soldiers screamed in agony amidst seas of flame.
Searing alarms blared. Chaos erupted across the Empire’s frontline.
“Activate Energy Defense!”
“Damn it—those Thracians!”
Giant-armored soldiers raised massive shields, unleashing hexagonal force fields—each spanning a hundred meters—linking together to form a protective dome over the frontline.
Hundreds of mages raised their staves, unleashing Rainfall Spells, Frost Spells, and other incantations, dousing the fires that raged through the camp.
At last, the fire meteors from the luminous sphere were blocked—repelled by the energy shields. The frontline slowly regained order, though at a cost: seven airships destroyed, over a dozen tanks lost, and thousands of soldiers dead.
“Damn Thracians!” Drool roared, his face twisted in fury. He slammed his fist onto the table, sending splinters flying—wood splintering into a thousand fragments.
“I want them dead! I want these Thracians crushed beneath our might—let them taste the true strength of the Empire!”
The Great Goblin panted, eyes bloodshot, slowly calming. He turned to a messenger soldier. “Go. Tell Duke Misha—these dogs will pay. They will pay dearly.”
“Yes, sir.”
Misha hovered high above, Dragon wings unfurled, standing with eleven Dragon Oath Mages. Her expression was grave.
“So it’s her. Tirena, the Angel Divine Noble Duke of Thrace—legendary in strength. But—before Master’s power, even your deity would be powerless. It would only be consumed by Dragon Flame Destruction!”
A moment later, a messenger arrived on a two-headed dragon, anxious and breathless. He delivered Drool’s orders.
Misha nodded. Then, she swept her gaze across the Dragon Oath Mages, her eyes sharp, scanning each face.
“Gentlemen… it is time for these lowly Thracians to witness the Master’s strength. For the glory of the Great Red Dragon!”
“For the glory of the Great Red Dragon!” The mages roared in unison, their faces alight with fanatical devotion—like priests about to perform a sacred ritual.
Before they could speak further, Misha extended her hand, pointing toward the distant city.
She closed her eyes. Crimson dragon scales flared across her cheeks, fire swirling around her body like a living aura. The overwhelming presence of a dragon radiated from her.
“Molten Gold Gaze flows—mountains awaken upon the spine, magma carving new borders across the land—”
Behind her, the Dragon Oath Mages closed their eyes, chanting the ancient Dragon Tongue hymn. Their draconic power surged, coalescing into a tangible force. Above them, a colossal phantom of the Red Dragon roared toward Saint Michael.
“When wings tear through the clouds, the Sulfur Storm shall consume the world—”
The Mages poured their strength—gifted by the Red Dragon—into streams of light, converging upon Misha’s back, amplified by their passionate, thunderous song.
Misha lifted her finger. She opened her eyes—golden irises blazing with incandescent flame. A monstrous column of fire erupted from her fingertip, so thick and powerful it seemed to split the night sky.
“Roar—”
A dragon’s roar echoed from the void itself, shaking the very fabric of reality.
That blinding white flame column—like a colossal longsword—ripped open the darkness, piercing the heavens.
“Kai Xiusu above!”
“What is that?!”
“It’s Duke Misha! She wields the strength granted by King Kai Xiusu—those Thracians are doomed!”
The Empire’s soldiers looked up in frenzied awe, their faces alight with ecstasy.
Drool grinned savagely, roaring into his walkie-talkie: “Open fire! All guns—open fire! I want these Thracians to suffer the most agonizing pain! Let them regret ever opposing the Empire of Ashen!”
With a thunderous roar, the flame column surged forward, unstoppable—barreling toward the Blazing Sun Barrier.
“Amanata above… this power is terrifying! Quick—block it!” Tirena’s face paled. She flared her wings, raised her longsword, and poured her divine power into the Sun Core Eye.
The other Angel Divine Offspring leapt into the air, raising their flaming swords. Their combined light poured into the luminous membrane, reinforcing it. The sacred emblem on the barrier’s surface began to rotate.
“Stop it!”
“By any means necessary!”
“For Thrace! For Amanata!”
Hundreds of Solar Priests hurled golden powder into the Sun Sacred Vase. The liquid solar energy within boiled violently. In the mirror, the Sun Wheel Totem emerged—glowing, radiant.
Now, Saint Michael was entirely engulfed in light. Mortals could barely keep their eyes open.
“Boom!”
The flame column struck the luminous membrane with cataclysmic force. The sky exploded in a supernova-like burst, unleashing shockwaves that shook heaven and earth—ripping the ground open, tearing the clouds apart.
At the moment of impact, the ground before the city turned transparent. The solid granite beneath vanished in a thousandth of a second—vaporized into a churning sea of molten lava.
The golden dome groaned in agony. The seven hundred and twenty alchemical matrices along the barrier flared in unison.
The sacred glyphs—etched for three centuries—began peeling away like molten gold foil, drifting into the void.
Around the point of impact, the membrane trembled, cracked, and pulsed. Thin, spiderweb-like fractures spread across its surface.
“Never let them shatter the Blazing Sun Barrier!” Tirena screamed, her eyes blazing with divine light. Golden fire erupted from her mouth and nose. Her body became semi-transparent, revealing bones beneath her skin. Cracks of light split her flesh—she had given everything.
But the flame column did not weaken. It grew fiercer, radiating high-grade energy.
At the same time, the Empire’s frontline cannons roared in unison. Thousands of shells, trailing flames and smoke, tore through the sky, striking the membrane again and again—each impact making it flicker, dim.
In the past, the luminous membrane had shrugged off every attack. But now—under the sustained assault of the flame column—it faltered. It weakened. It thinned.
“Duke—critical point approaching!” The chief solar priest gasped, blood spraying from his lips. He poured every last ounce of strength into the Sun Core Eye. The sun within his pupil dimmed.
“No—!”
“This can’t be!”
Tirena screamed in anguish, tears of golden blood streaming down her cheeks—her voice raw with denial.
But even she could not stop it. She could only watch helplessly as the membrane cracked, split, and shattered.
With a sound like breaking glass, the luminous membrane exploded outward—shattering into countless fragments of solar energy.
The flame column struck the Blazing Sun Barrier directly, melting it. A massive hole, over ten meters wide, tore through its center—spilling boiling, crimson molten iron.
“God….”
“Amanata above! Our barrier—our sacred defense—it’s collapsing!”
“Boom—”
In a deafening screech of metal, amid the screams and wails of the dying, the towering fortress collapsed instantly—turning into a tomb for countless Thracians.
The legendary Blazing Sun Barrier—centuries-old relic that had repelled countless fiend invasions—was gone.
Without the membrane to block them, the Empire’s shells fell like rain. They detonated on the city walls, killing countless defenders, riddling the fortifications with holes.
Steam tanks and armored vehicles roared across the earth, charging forward in a coordinated assault.
“For the Empire!”
“Long live the Great Red Dragon!”
Soldiers screamed their battle cries, surging southward—this was the moment of counterattack.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
