A thunderous blast rang out.
The ancient stained-glass windows atop the church instantly shattered, scattering across the old streets and piling knee-deep.
Under the setting sun, the fragments now gleamed crimson, reflecting the blood of victors and vanquished alike in the city's narrow lanes.
Ava tilted her head back slightly and let out a wordless roar, like a blazing furnace.
A searing gale swept through the blasted rubble, tearing apart the endless ruins and raising clouds of dust as high as the distant chimneys. The ground beneath their feet still trembled, booming as though struck by a giant fist.
Boom~!
Another colonnade was hit, blasted to pieces by tank fire, while the fragile wall farther away teetered on the verge of collapse.
The maidservants around her bent down one after another, trying to shield their noble Grand Duchess.
Yet she remained unmoved, breathing heavily as she gripped the hilt of her exquisitely crafted rapier.
Far to the left, beyond a dried-up riverbed, the Harpies' exceptional vision allowed her to see tiny, gray-green hunched figures charging into the abyss of battle on another front, ducking and turning to evade incoming fire.
She watched them charge, and for a moment, admired their courage.
Though they had not spent long together, she believed she understood these Beasts well enough. In battle, they unleashed something—joy, pure and primal.
Even from so far away, she could feel their hearts pounding fiercely.
She had never expected them to leave such an impression on her. Her education had always told her of their savagery.
This was Dunwich's northern district. Ork forces that had crossed the human suburban defenses were advancing toward the damaged roads on both sides, close beside the piled rubble. In a sense, they had already broken into Dunwich.
Then came street fighting of unimaginable