Martial Capital, deep within the imperial palace
The afterglow of the setting sun shone on the glazed tiles, casting a blood-red hue.
Heavenly Martial XIII stood before the railing of the astrological platform, his fingers unconsciously stroking the cold stone surface. His gaze pierced through the towering palace walls and landed on the primeval forest that had appeared out of nowhere.
Each of those towering trees exuded a suffocating sense of oppression, as if mocking the fragility of the Heavenly Martial Empire.
The map of the territory hanging inside the hall was mostly marked with the flags of the Shinobi Alliance.
" Martial God, three hundred years of foundation!"
A low sigh escaped his throat, so soft that only he could hear it.
A month ago, he was the Emperor of Heavenly Martial, who ruled over a vast territory, but now he can't even protect this imperial city.
"Your Majesty," came the hoarse voice of the personal guard behind him, "The Empire..."
Heavenly Martial XIII did not turn around, but simply Teuchi the other person, his gaze falling on his slightly trembling fingers.
These hands, which once held the power of life and death, now struggle to even clench.
The ministers in the court thought he was inflexible, but no one understood what surrender meant for the royal family.
How will those monsters from the Shinobi Alliance treat the descendants with the bloodline of Heavenly Martial? Exile? Imprison? Or treat them like those experimental subjects?
A gust of cold wind swept by, dispersing the fragrance on the imperial robes.
"Your Majesty, the Sword Saint requests an audience," the guard announced again.
"Let him in."
Heavenly Martial XIII sighed and turned to sit on his throne.
Not long after.
The Sword Saint stepped into the hall, his armor torn and his right arm wrapped in a blood-soaked bandage.
"Teacher," Heavenly Martial XIII's voice was low and weary, "How is the situation?"
The Sword Saint remained silent for a moment before slowly speaking, "Your Majesty, half of the empire has already fallen. Currently, Martial Capital can still contact fewer than twenty cities."
The hall fell into a deathly silence, broken only by the flickering candlelight.
Heavenly Martial XIII's gaze fell on the Sword Saint's blood-stained bandages, and he suddenly asked, "Teacher, how did you feel fighting that man in red armor?"
The Sword Saint's body trembled almost imperceptibly.
"It's beyond human capability." He uttered these four words with difficulty, "I tried my best, but I could only leave a sword mark on his armor, and he didn't even take this battle seriously."
"I understand."
Heavenly Martial XIII suddenly laughed, "So, what are they waiting for?"
"Waiting for reinforcements." The Sword Saint raised his head, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes.
"No matter what, the Empire is a behemoth, while the Shinobi Alliance invaders number only tens of thousands; they simply cannot absorb such a large force."
"Therefore, they are waiting for manpower to take over the occupied areas, and for the rear to be stabilized..."
The Shinobi Alliance's invasion seemed unstoppable, but in reality, it harbored hidden dangers.
This expeditionary force numbered only a couple hundred men; what was truly terrifying were those tireless, precise, and intelligent puppets.
The empire had a vast territory.
Even the Shinobi Alliance could not fully control the situation and could only concentrate its main forces in major cities and strategic locations.
As for remote towns, they often only send one or two ninjas with a dozen or so puppets to guard them.
Even so, those occupied territories still dared not make any rash moves.
A simple principle.
When the enemy is stronger than we can comprehend, fear can stifle any courage to resist.
The ninjas stationed there didn't even need to lift a finger; the sheer power displayed by those steel monsters was enough to terrify the locals.
"So they are also waiting for my empire to collapse on its own."
"Because they knew very well that if they rashly attacked Martial Capital, it would only incite public anger and cause the remaining forces in various places to rise up in rebellion, at which point they would find it difficult to control the entire region."
"It would be better to besiege it without attacking, letting the empire die a slow death."
Heavenly Martial XIII slowly rose to his feet. "But they forgot that the Heavenly Martial royal family... never allows themselves to be slaughtered."
The candlelight inside the hall flickered violently, casting the shadow of Heavenly Martial XIII onto the gilded walls, twisted like a trapped beast.
Outside the window, the last rays of the setting sun were swallowed up by the eerie forest in the distance.
"Teacher, how many soldiers do we still have available?"
The Sword Saint remained silent for a moment before replying, " The First Knight Order have 10,000 men remaining, the Jinwu Guard has 200, the remnants of the city defense army have 5,000, and with the private troops of various families, we can barely muster 20,000."
Once upon a time, the Heavenly Martial Empire boasted five great knightly orders, whose iron cavalry was invincible.
Now, the Third Knight Order were wiped out at Dragon-Locking Pass, the Fifth Knight Order were ambushed in Qingzhou, the Fourth Knight Order were routed, and the Second Knight Order were completely destroyed by that red-armored demon.
The once mighty imperial cavalry is now reduced to a mere 10,000 remnants of the First Knight Order.
The city's 80,000 elite troops were shattered by the sudden attack of those steel monsters, with less than 5,000 able to regroup.
As for the Jinwu Guard, the emperor's personal army, they fought desperately to help the Sword Saint and the Red-Armored Demon in their duel, but only about two hundred of them survived.
"Twenty thousand remnants are enough!"
"Teacher, relay my order: the entire army will attack at dawn."
"I will use the destruction of the royal family and the ruin of Martial Capital to declare to the world that the Heavenly Martial would rather die standing than live on their knees!"
The voice of Heavenly Martial XIII echoed in the hall, each word resounding. He slowly walked to the telegraph machine in the corner of the hall, his withered fingers hovering above the buttons.
"At the same time, issue an order to all states: I, the Heavenly Martial XIII, swear by the bloodline of the royal family that all Heavenly Martial shall rise up upon seeing this edict and annihilate the invading Shinobi Alliance. We will spare no effort, even if it means burning cities and destroying land, even if it means destroying everything in our path!"
"Wherever this edict reaches, it becomes a battlefield!"
The buzzing of the telegraph machine echoed throughout the hall, transmitting the emperor's last edict to every corner of the empire.
Banners fluttered atop Martial Capital walls.
Flames soared into the sky from granaries throughout the city, billowing thick smoke that blotted out the sun.
The poison was poured into wells throughout the city, instantly turning the water murky and giving it an eerie green hue.
All of this was done in the dead of night, with the aim of making everyone believe that it was the work of the Shinobi Alliance.
Whether the people will believe it or not has become irrelevant.
" Shinobi Alliance, you will never have a complete empire. All I will leave you is a burning wasteland!"
The first rays of dawn pierced through the clouds.
Heavenly Martial XIII stood atop the city wall, revealing his first genuine smile in a long time.
Below the city, hundreds of thousands of people gathered, their clothes tattered, their eyes burning with despair and anger.
"Your Majesty, everything is ready."
Heavenly Martial XIII nodded slightly, his well-defined fingers slowly rising.
Suddenly, the bronze horn on the city wall blared, its sound like Thunder rolling across the entire city, startling a flock of crows into flight.
" The Shinobi Alliance has massacred the city!"
This roar was like igniting a powder keg.
The crowd erupted instantly, with cries, curses, and roars mingling into a deafening roar.
Women carrying children, elderly people leaning on canes, and young and strong men wielding hoes and kitchen knives surged toward the city gate like a tide.
Amidst the surging crowd, the 20,000 remaining soldiers moved slowly with the flow of people.
"Your Majesty, is it worth it?"
Upon witnessing this scene, the Sword Saint's face showed grief, and he closed his eyes as if unwilling to see this human tragedy.
"Value."
Heavenly Martial XIII's voice was calm yet firm as he emphasized, "This world... can only belong to the Heavenly Martial Empire."
Faced with the surging crowd, the puppet army stationed outside the city finally reacted.
"Civilians... will not be killed."
Three thousand puppets turned around in unison, and mechanical voices emanated from their chests.
This is an ironclad rule set by the Shinobi Alliance: unless attacked, no one may attack civilians.
As if Heavenly Martial XIII had anticipated all of this, the old man at the very front of the crowd suddenly staggered and fell, his bundle spilling out and dozens of poisoned crossbow bolts rolling to the ground.
This signal was like a wildfire.
"Kill!!!"
The taxi soldiers, disguised as beggars, suddenly sprang into action, unleashing a barrage of short crossbow bolts from their sleeves. The kerosene cans hidden in their vegetable baskets were ignited, trailing black smoke as they hurtled towards the puppet formation.
In an instant, the mechanical eyes of the intelligent puppet flashed red.
"Hostile attack detected. Switch to Annihilation Mode. Target locked. Kill without mercy."
The next moment, the steel torrent swept into the crowd.
As the bone blades flew, waves of blood surged, and screams of agony tore at the heart.
The civilians amidst the chaos finally realized that the rumors were true: the Shinobi Alliance was indeed massacring the city!
"Your Majesty... they..."
The sword in the Sword Saint's hand trembled, reflecting the blood-red inferno below the city, while the face of Heavenly Martial XIII was as hard as a stone carving.
"Only this way."
"When the blood of Martial Capital has been shed to the last drop, the people of the world will see clearly... the Shinobi Alliance was never here to rule, but to exterminate!"
Blood mist rose from beneath the city walls, reflecting an eerie rainbow in the rising sun.
Heavenly Martial XIII slowly removed his dragon robe, revealing a simple, ancient black armor underneath.
The Heavenly Martial Armor, the most robust defensive artifact among the twelve forbidden weapons, is paired with the longsword ' Dragon-Slaying ' at the waist, representing the empire's true... and final foundation.
"Teacher, follow me into battle!"
The Sword Saint nodded silently, the broken sword in his hand humming as the two leaped off the city wall, crashing into the center of the battlefield like meteors.
The Jinwu Guard, the remaining three Martial Saint in Martial Capital, and the ministers followed closely behind.
" Shinobi Alliance!"
The roar of Heavenly Martial XIII echoed through the sky.
"Today, I will show the world that your so-called benevolence is nothing but a lie! The people of the Heavenly Martial Empire would rather die standing than live on their knees!"
The edge of a primeval forest.
Hashirama Senju stood atop the giant tree, his brow furrowed as he gazed at the carnage unfolding in the distance.
The puppet army's bone blades mercilessly reaped lives, and the blood had stained the moat crimson.
"Ban, this is too much! Those are all civilians!"
Madara Uchiha stood on another giant tree, coldly watching the battlefield, his gaze fixed on the charging Heavenly Martial XIII and the Sword Saint.
"War has always been like this. Do you think that when we quelled the chaos of war, our hands were not stained with the blood of innocent people?"
Hashirama Senju clenched his fist and opened his mouth to say, "But..."
" Hashirama," Madara Uchiha turned and warned, "You can interfere if you want, but don't meddle in my fight with those two."
On the distant battlefield, Heavenly Martial XIII had broken through the puppet defenses.
The Dragon-Slaying Saber drew a dark blue arc, causing puppets to explode wherever it passed. The Sword Saint's broken sword, like a venomous snake spitting its tongue, precisely pierced the joints of the puppets with each strike.
Madara Uchiha, seeing an opportunity, thought, "These two might bring me some pleasure."
"Therefore, they deserve a dignified end, rather than dying at the hands of those lumps of iron."
Hashirama Senju sighed and used Wood Release to manipulate the surrounding forest, attempting to carve out a path through the chaos.
As for giving orders to stop or to injure but not kill the puppet, that's definitely not an option.
Three thousand puppets against hundreds of thousands of civilians—the disparity in numbers was too great, and many remnants of the old army were also taking advantage of the chaos, making the situation even more chaotic.
Even he himself couldn't distinguish between civilians and enemies, let alone intelligent puppets.
Meanwhile, on the other side, the battle has already begun.
Whether it was the indifferent Madara Uchiha, or Heavenly Martial XIII and the Sword Saint who had prepared for a do-or-die situation, none of the three cared about the casualties around them.
Madara Uchiha held Gunbai in his right hand and a scythe in his left, the chain between them gleaming coldly in the morning light, easily parrying Heavenly Martial XIII's Dragon-Slaying Saber.
Is that all you've got?
Madara Uchiha sneered, then suddenly swung his scythe, the chains coiling like venomous snakes toward the emperor's throat.
clang--
The Sword Saint's broken sword managed to block the scythe in time, but he was knocked back three steps.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Heavenly Martial XIII charged forward, his Dragon-Slaying Saber aimed straight for Madara's ribs.
Madara Uchiha pressed down with his Gunbai, his scythe spun, and the chain lashed out like a whip toward the emperor's wrist.
" Wood Release: Tree Binding Eternal Burial!"
At this moment, Hashirama Senju intervened again, and vines burst from the ground, sweeping towards the people who were about to be affected by the aftershocks.
Madara Uchiha frowned slightly, seemingly displeased with Hashirama Senju's interruption.
This action, however, gave Heavenly Martial XIII an opportunity. The Dragon-Slaying Saber suddenly changed direction, leaving a bloody gash on Madara Uchiha's red armor.
"Interesting."
Ban glanced down at the cracked armor, a hint of excitement flashing in his eyes. Then, he swung the chains violently, his scythe and Gunbai spinning like meteor hammers, forcing the Sword Saint back, while the Gunbai aimed straight for the emperor's heart.
The runes on the Heavenly Martial XIII Heavenly Martial Armor suddenly lit up, taking the blow head-on.
Bang--
The shockwave exploded, forcing the emperor to retreat seven steps, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. Taking advantage of the opportunity, the Sword Saint launched a surprise attack from the side, his broken sword piercing straight for Madara Uchiha's back.
Madara Uchiha his head. His chains spun like living things, his scythe precisely blocking the broken sword, and at the same time, he used his Gunbai to slap the Sword Saint away.
"Your teamwork is good, but it's not enough."
In the distance, Hashirama watched the three people caught in the chaos once again, his brow furrowed. His Wood Release had just saved a group of civilians, only to be engulfed in a new massacre in the blink of an eye.
Using the cover of Wood Release and the common people, the Jinwu Guard attacked the puppets, while the Martial Saint, mixed among the rescued old men, suddenly attacked and killed three puppets.
"Madara!" Hashirama couldn't help but shout, "Stop!"
Madara Uchiha ignored him, the chains suddenly tightened, and the scythe and Gunbai twisted like scissors toward Heavenly Martial XIII's neck.
Heavenly Martial XIII retreated hastily, Dragon-Slaying Saber, but Ban flicked his wrist, changing the direction of the chain midway, and the Gunbai slammed heavily onto his shoulder.
"Snap!"
The sound of bone cracking was clearly audible.
Heavenly Martial XIII grunted, and the runes on the Dragon-Slaying Saber began to flash violently.
Seeing Sword Saint released his broken sword and flew straight for Madara's throat.
Madara Uchiha raised his Gunbai to block, but saw the Sword Saint grab the chain and use it to launch a flying kick. He then sneered and suddenly pulled back the chain, throwing the Sword Saint into the air, his scythe aimed straight for his heart.