When the gold-and-green Giant's Arrow swept over Sand City, Swinburne immediately rushed to the window of the war council hall. As those two colors spread across the entire city like fireworks and rained down like meteors, his eyes filled with shock, and a trace of stunned horror lingered at the corner of his mouth.
"Everyone, on guard!" He pushed open the window and shouted down to the Viking Warriors waiting in orderly ranks below.
Thunderous booms rang out as the warriors struck their shields with their weapons. Thousands of sounds merged into a tremendous roar, like an earth dragon raising its head to bellow into the night. Afterward, answering roars rose from the East City Gate, West City Gate, and North City Gate. The warriors' excitement and passion reached their peak. At that moment, they forgot the cruelty of war and the death that might await them. Only pure battle intent remained in their hearts, something the Vikings called "heroic spirit battle intent."
Swinburne also stood ready with his sword. Framed by the window, he looked like a stone statue, his water-calm eyes and chiseled face united in stillness. Like the upright sword held in both his hands, he awaited the ferocious attack to come.
After the firework-like meteor shower brought by the Giant's Arrow scattered and landed, it released an extraordinarily rich smell.
The aroma was rich and mellow, filling everyone's noses and mouths at all four city gates. No one could identify its ingredients. They knew only that it was richer than the smell of any meat and carried farther than any grain liquor.
This was the elemental medicinal soup painstakingly prepared by the Elemental Healers, brewed from chunks of meat from numerous Elemental Beasts and a variety of potent medicinal herbs.
The reason its smell was so