Havenloch City had known this was coming.
In less than a day it had conscripted every supernatural within its walls. Civilians were gone, evacuated through rear teleportation arrays. What remained were soldiers, mages, and people who had decided they weren't leaving. A thousand airships hung above the city, cannons charged. Every defensive array was live.
Inside the City Lord's Mansion, the executive officer found the City Lord Jonas already on his feet.
"The Great Aetherium is leading the advance. Two flying war fortresses, hundreds of airships, millions of Angels, hundreds of millions of imperial troops." He took a deep breath, "They've chosen us as their target."
Havenloch was the closest border city to the wilderness. Of course they had.
Jonas's jaw tightened, "Request reinforcements from the command. Every soldier the Empire can spare." His voice came out harder than his expression, "We hold this city. The only way the Great Aetherium enters our homeland is over our dead bodies."
"Understood."
…
The Great Aetherium materialized less than a hundred kilometers out of the city. Their two fortresses at a high altitude, hundreds of airships fanned behind them, Angel legions and imperial troops arranged in formations that swallowed the horizon. Tens of billions of troops from the Castle Faction spread across the flanks.
Someone eyed the airships hanging over Havenloch, "They have nearly ten times what the Great Aetherium brought."
"Sure. And Astral City will go through them like they're decorative pieces."
High above both armies, the Great Aetherium's Gods separated from the mortal forces and ascended. It was an unspoken law of the Endless Continent: Gods fought Gods, mortals fought mortals. The rule existed because the alternative wasn't a war, it was a culling. Four Supreme Gods led the ascent: Lysandra, Yvonne, Eveline, and Nova. Two hundred thousand Divine Auras arrayed behind them.
Lysandra's projection descended over Havenloch City.
"I am Lysandra, an Eighteen-Winged Seraphim, the General of Great Aetherium's armed forces. My Lord is merciful." Her voice reached every district without effort, "Surrender. Believe in my Lord, and live."
The City Lord Jonas rose to meet her, the Truth gods of Havenloch forming up at his back. He looked at Lysandra, knew exactly what she was, knew exactly what she could do to every soul in this city, and answered anyway.
"We who pursue Truth, bow to no God of Faith. Not today. Not ever."
Lysandra's expressions didn't shift.
"Then death will have to serve as your redemption."
She leveled her divine weapon forward.
The Angel legions moved. The Imperial Army moved. Tens of billions of Castle Forces surged from the flanks. Overhead, Astral City and the full airship complement opened fire simultaneously, hundreds of beams crossing the distance at once, hammering Havenloch's defensive arrays hard enough to shake the ground beneath the walls.
The first battle of this Imperial War had started.
…
In the Imperial Palace of the Light Empire's capital city, the Holy Lord Asher sat on his throne with the entire council assembled before him, and said nothing.
The Laws of the Endless Continent had already notified him. The Great Aetherium and the Castle forces were on the offensive. His Light Empire was the defensive side.
A figure appeared in the hall, breathing hard, "Your Majesty, five border cities near the wilderness are all under attack simultaneously. Havenloch, Novara, Helix, Vireo, Axion. Total enemy forces exceed six hundred billion. Havenloch is the most critical point. Billions of supernaturals, thousands of airships, and none of it is enough to stop them."
…
The math was simple and brutal. Six opposing Supreme Gods against one. Over a hundred High Gods on their side alone. At the mortal level, the Light Empire's hundreds of billions of supernaturals could still put up a fight, but at the God Tier, this wasn't a war. It was an execution.
Which meant everything depended on allies.
A senior minister rose, "Your Majesty, we sent envoys to every native empire. All of them refused to help."
The room needed a moment to absorb that.
"The Ice Queen considers the Great Aetherium's ruler a personal friend and won't move against him. The Lord of the Night Webster had our entire messenger group executed — his answer couldn't have been clearer. The Dwarf Empire, the Royal Beast Court, the Dragon Empire, the Dark Elf Kingdom, the Elf Empire, the Ocean Empire—every single one turned us away."
The Dark Empire's hostility was no surprise. The two empires had been enemies long before this war. But the Ice and Snow Kingdom was a human empire, kin in the way that counted, and Eira had still chosen friendship with the Great Aetherium over them. That one landed differently.
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