Isengard Blitzkrieg

The vast region south of the Elbert Mountain Range and north of the Radiant Mountain Range is the traditional "Agostino Region," the site of the Ancient Agostino Kingdom.

This land is rich in magical elements. Decades ago, Aragon I led his invincible Divine Descendant Legion to destroy the kingdom of Agostino, incorporating it into the territory of Holy Fadlan and naming it "Thrace".

At the pass of the Elbert Mountains stands a military fortress of extremely strategic location— Isengard, meaning "the insurmountable steel fortress city".

Two New Moon- shaped twin castles span the canyon, their magical barriers displaying golden patterns at sunrise, while the three-mile-long cast-iron walls at the pass gleam coldly in the morning mist.

This city is like a natural barrier, separating North Aisel from Thrace.

The city is garrisoned by tens of thousands of the most elite soldiers in northern Thrace, and several noble Angel Divine Descendant serve as military commanders. Its military strength is enough to easily destroy a small country.

The city walls bear the Sun God's Giant Crossbow, the Radiant Disc, and the Sacred Spear Defense System left behind by the Holy Fadlan. It is said that within those impregnable walls lie dozens of Iron Golem and War Golem from the Fadlan Empire era, which will awaken from their slumber and utterly destroy any invading enemies should the city be attacked.

However, as the empire's expansion in the north became increasingly unbridled, the residents of Isengard gradually became tense and uneasy.

In the official propaganda of the Thrace Kingdom, the Red Dragon was portrayed as extremely ferocious, destroying many countries with unstoppable force and enslaving the vast population of the north.

However, the Red Dragon, fearing the wisdom and might of His Majesty Wilhelm, hesitated to venture south and even signed a peace treaty with the Thrace Kingdom that lasted for decades. The residents of Isengard had no need to worry about their safety.

But people aren't fools. Those with discerning eyes had long noticed the increasingly tense situation on the Feanso Continent, discovering that the elite troops of the Thrace Kingdom were gradually gathering in Isengard —a harbinger of war.

A cold wind howled across the cast-iron city wall.

The messenger Fighter climbed the city wall, his voice unusually heavy. "Earl lord, Auguste has sent an urgent report: the Embers of the Burned Empire has declared war on us! The dragons' retinues could arrive at any moment."

"I understand. Pass down the order to gather all troops and prepare for war. We must not let our guard down!"

At the top of the towering city gate, a Fighter clad in heavy, ornate armor and with wings on his back gazed northward with an extremely solemn expression.

He is Hain Diaz, a divine Earl of the Thrace Kingdom, and also the military commander of Isengard.

He, who had been stationed in Isengard for many years and was very familiar with the situation in the north, naturally had some idea of the Embers of the Burned Empire's southward advance.

But in his mind, the southward expansion of the Embers of the Burned Empire would be at least a year from now—or even three or four years from now, not now.

Hein's eyelids were lowered, his golden pupils filled with suppressed rage. "These dragons' minions are so arrogant. After years of continuous war, they have declared war on our Thrace Kingdom without any warning!"

Soon, the sound of wings flapping rang out, and another noble of divine lineage took to the air and appeared at the top of the tower—it was Viscount Elliot Evans.

"This is outrageous! Do they think the Thrace Kingdom is one of those small countries that can be easily crushed?"

"You've come, Elliot."

Haines turned and nodded at him, then snorted coldly, "Although Holy Fadlan is gone, its afterglow has not yet faded! This young and barbaric nation has never witnessed the greatness of Fadlan —they should remain in awe."

Elliot chimed in, "If they hadn't been bogged down in the war in the south and hadn't had time to look north, how could the Embers of the Burned Empire have been so arrogant! They would have been wiped out by us long ago!"

These dragons' retinues are insatiably greedy; they've sold us their most advanced weapons for Gold Coin. And without the superior power to Contend Against with the divine offspring, how could they possibly breach our fortress?

Hein nodded slightly, but still reminded us, "However, we still cannot let our guard down. If that Red Dragon makes a move, with our strength, we may have a hard time stopping it."

Recalling that terrifying Red Dragon, Elliot couldn't help but shudder, but he still forced himself to say, "As far as I know, that dragon is extremely arrogant and rarely takes action personally."

"I hope so."

Hein looked north again, his expression serious, like a marble sculpture.

In truth, they all knew that saying this was merely to boost their own morale. Even they themselves were not certain of victory against the Embers of the Burned Empire from the north.

But in the Thrace Kingdom today, even the slightest hint of fear in one's words would be reported to His Majesty Wilhelm by spies, and the suspicious and irritable king would regard him as a "coward" and a "surrenderist."

"When--"

The great bell in Isengard rang out, its resounding chimes echoing throughout the city, accompanied by a solemn and majestic Sun Hymn, waking countless people from their dreams.

At the call of officers at all levels, soldiers rushed from Isengard and gathered in great numbers beneath the towering cast-iron walls, forming a mottled torrent.

"The Embers of the Burned Empire has declared war on us?"

"On Amanata!"

"Didn't they just finish fighting the High Mountain Kingdom? Don't these guys suffer any losses in battle?"

"What a bunch of lunatics!"

The soldiers were talking amongst themselves, filled with panic, anxiety, and tension; they no longer wanted to participate in any war.

In recent years, they have heard too many familiar stories of nations being destroyed by the Embers of the Burned Empire, where every soldier in the Embers of the Burned Empire is a fire-breathing monster in the fairy tales of northern Thrace.

But under the stern gaze of the warlord, no one dared to talk about retreat or surrender.

Under the spotlight of countless gazes, Hein, standing atop the city wall, raised the dazzling Sun Holy Lance, his voice echoing throughout the city. "Loyal Fighter, I believe you are aware of this news— the Embers of the Burned Empire has declared war on us! They shamelessly tore up the peace treaty, wanting to occupy our land, plunder our wealth, and turn our loved ones and friends into slaves of evil dragons!"

Hein's voice was impassioned, but the soldiers were not excited; in fact, their expressions were somewhat numb.

Many of these soldiers were transferred from the southern battlefield, had experienced the brutal Three Emperors' War, and had witnessed countless comrades die outside the Holy City. They were no longer very interested in such slogans.

They often wondered, "We are all former Fadlanites, so why are we fighting to the death over the ownership of a city?"

"Listen up, everyone!" Hein shouted, his voice booming like a war drum in the silence. "Today, we have no way out. If this city falls, all our homes will be reduced to ashes."

Therefore, no matter what happens, we must not retreat an inch! Fight for the Thrace Kingdom, fight for His Majesty Wilhelm! Fight for the glory of Fadlan!

"Quick!"

"Keep up, get to your positions immediately!"

"Quickly, move these shells to the north gate tower! We're short two boxes there!"

Under the officers' command, the soldiers went to their posts, inspecting the cannons, loading their weapons, and transporting boxes of ammunition.

Ironically, many of these weapons were purchased from the Embers of the Burned Empire and bear the "Empire Made" stamp on their bottoms, yet they are now being used to defend against the impending invasion of the Embers of the Burned Empire.

"Where is the Sun God Sacred Arrow?"

"Where are the members of the Math Olympiad Legion? Quickly recharge the Radiant Disc!"

"It's too late! Quickly awaken the Iron Golem!"

A thick plume of smoke appeared in the valley, followed by a dark, iron-gray cloud that loomed over Isengard like a giant black curtain over the entire city.

At the top of the tower, Hein's expression grew increasingly solemn, as if shrouded in gloom. "There shouldn't be fog in the Elbert Valley at this time of year."

He commanded in a deep voice, "Arcane Legion, disperse this smoke and show me what's hidden inside!"

"Yes, Earl Excellency."

Several mages dressed in Crimson Gold robes appeared in mid-air. They chanted incantations, raised their staffs, and their eyes shone with dazzling light, creating gusts of wind.

"Whoosh—"

A fierce wind howled, sweeping across the land and dispersing the thick smoke. The mages who were casting Divination Spell suddenly changed their expressions and cried out in alarm, "Watch out! Their shells are coming!"

"Enemy attack!"

A piercing whistle rang out, and after the thick smoke dissipated, a dense net of shells appeared in the sky, as if it were about to envelop the entire city.

Hein roared, "Activate the Radiant Disc— "

Mages and Cleric immediately began chanting spells, trying to activate Isengard's spell School of Abjuration, but the spiked projectiles were simply too fast, piercing the air and tearing through the sky almost instantly.

"Boom!"

"Boom! Boom!"

Hundreds of fireballs simultaneously erupted from the cast-iron city wall, their light blinding and their flames raging.

The sudden barrage of shells seemed to have eyes, instantly destroying most of the cannons and Sun God Ballista, and killing thousands of soldiers.

"It hurts so much!"

"My legs! My legs!"

"Where are the enemy artillery? I can't see them at all!" The wounded soldiers groaned and cried out in despair amidst the ruins.

Caught completely off guard, without even seeing the enemy, they suffered a devastating blow and died in astonishment and terror.

—This was a premeditated attack. The intelligence agents of the Embers of the Burned Empire had long since ascertained the city's defensive structure and carried out a precise strike.

Gazing at the devastated city walls, Hein stood rooted to the spot, muttering in disbelief, "How could this be? How could they bomb us from thousands of meters away?"

Immediately, the divine Earl's eyes widened in fury, and his whole body trembled. "Damn it, damn those Imperial People! They sold us defective goods!!"

"Buzz—"

Several Radiant Disc began to rotate simultaneously, and a massive light shield bearing the emblem of Amanata enveloped Isengard.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Hundreds more shells came, but they were all blocked outside the huge light shield and exploded in mid-air, causing the light shield to flicker slightly.

In the distance, a low, continuous sound like thunder rolled in, an ominous sign from the approaching enemy troops, their iron hooves crushing the soil and their chariots rolling over stones.

Smoke and steam swept across the land, and even the city walls trembled. One after another, steel behemoths charged through the valley toward Isengard —the Imperial armored legions.

Each thick beam burst forth with intense flames, and the powerful Armor Piercing Shells repeatedly pounded against Isengard's light shield, causing the light to dim even further.

"Earl Excellency, we have sensed an extremely strong spatial fluctuation!"

"It's a teleportation spell!"

"On Amanata. And what is that?"

The mages looked anxious, and the soldiers looked up in fear, only to see huge scars appearing in the sky.

Enormous airships emerged one after another, forming large groups that Sky-Shading and cast huge shadows over the city of Isengard, like a spectacular pod of whales suspended high in the air.

Meanwhile, countless Wyvern were flapping their wings haphazardly, circling the airship cluster and emitting hoarse howls.

Immediately afterwards, hundreds and thousands of bombs poured out from the bellies of these "Giant Whale," raining down on Isengard like a storm.

The continuous explosions and the flames that filled the sky were like Divine Punishment descending upon the world, a sign that the end of the world had come.

Under this intense bombardment, even the Radiant Disc left behind by the Holy Fadlan could not withstand it, growing dimmer and dimmer until it finally shattered with a crash.

"Holy Lance! Crush these Giant Whale!" Hein roared almost madly, pointing his lance to the sky.

Several magic arrays within the city suddenly lit up, unleashing intense magical fluctuations. Dazzling golden rays descended from the sky, tearing through the heavens with undeniable force and piercing the airship hovering ten thousand meters above the ground.

That is the Sacred Spear Defense System of Holy Fadlan, which can draw energy from the sun and pierce through invading enemies.

The airship, pierced by the Holy Lance, exploded in mid-air, then transformed into a massive fireball that crashed to the ground, creating a tremendous explosion within the city.

"Tear them apart! For Thrace, for For Holy Fadlan!"

Immediately afterwards, Hein flapped his wings and led several Angel Divine Descendant into the air, attacking the threatening airships.

"Aww—"

A furious roar echoed through the sky, and an enormous, two-legged Wyvern emerged from the portal, its wings flapping and spewing scorching dragonfire—it was Smaug, the King of Lonely Mountain.

One of the Angel Divine Descendant was caught off guard and was engulfed by the oncoming dragon flames, instantly turning into a fireball and falling to the ground.

Accompanied by a cacophony of roars, hundreds of Wyvern surged toward the Angel Divine Descendant like billowing clouds, colliding and entangled with them.

The severed limbs of the Wyvern's corpse, the golden blood of the Angel Divine Descendant, and the charred feathers fell continuously toward the earth.