Leyndell.
Valkyrie Malenia rode in astride a powerful warhorse, her posture straight and commanding. The sharp ring of hooves struck the stone like thunder, as if nothing in this world could stand in her path.
She advanced along the main artery linking the outer city to the inner gates.
Three days earlier, within the prosperous Royal Capital of Leyndell, a decisive military campaign had begun to unfold.
After careful planning and coordination, the allied forces of the Haligtree and their sovereign partners completed their encirclement of the city.
More than a hundred thousand elite soldiers poured in from every direction, surrounding the once-impregnable Royal Capital. In a matter of hours, Leyndell was sealed tight, hemmed in on all sides without a single gap.
As far as the eye could see, army after army stood in formation. Tents stretched in endless rows, banners fluttered above countless camps, forming a vast expanse like a sea of steel and cloth.
These forces came from different lands, bearing different standards and arms. Yet they had gathered here for one purpose alone—to breach the solitary city before them.
For all its strength, however, this coalition was no monolith.
Supreme command of the siege was jointly held by the three Demigods who led the alliance, each retaining control over the troops they had brought. Though united in name, none of them truly walked the same road. For now, they simply marched side by side.
At first, out of a desire to preserve their own strength, the Demigods had intended to surround Leyndell without launching a full assault.
They had hoped a prolonged siege would wear down the Royal Capital's defenders or force them to sally out for a decisive battle. In that way, casualties could be minimized and victory secured with greater certainty.
But four days earlier, during a war council, the fearless Valkyrie Malenia made it clear she had no patience left for a drawn-out conflict.
Her words forced the other two leaders of the alliance—Praetor Rykard and Starscourge General Radahn—to reconsider.
If the Haligtree army charged ahead alone and was crushed by the Royal Capital's defenders, then the forces of Volcano Manor and Caelid would lose any hope of overwhelming Leyndell.
There was an old maxim in siege warfare: with ten times the force, surround; with five times, assault; with double, divide.
Leyndell not only possessed towering, unbreakable walls, but was also guarded by numerous seasoned champions.
If the allied forces weakened themselves further through disunity, the risks of storming the city would rise sharply.
In the end, orders were issued. All armies were to prepare for battle.
Deep down, the brothers still believed that a patient siege would eventually drain this isolated city dry. But events had moved beyond waiting. The war had to begin.
Three days ago, at the first break of dawn, blaring trumpets echoed across the front lines of the Haligtree, Redmane, and Volcano Manor forces.
Countless soldiers roared as one, their voices crashing together like a landslide or a rising tide. Then they surged forward in waves, charging toward the city walls.
When the horns of attack sounded, the soldiers defending the Royal Capital felt the impact immediately.
It seemed as if the walls themselves—and even the earth beneath their boots—trembled under the force of that advancing tide.
Veterans hardened by years of war remained steady, even in the face of such a spectacle. Their resolute gazes told of past trials and battles survived; the sight before them stirred little panic.
The fresh recruits were another matter entirely.
They had never witnessed an assault of such scale. Fear seized them at once. Faces went pale, throats turned dry, and they swallowed repeatedly, trying to steady their nerves.
As the thick morning fog began to thin, the soldiers of the Royal Capital finally caught a clear glimpse of the enemy's first wave.
At the very front of the enemy formation were neither the battle-hardened Redmane infantry nor the fearless Haligtree knights.
Instead, countless Abductor Virgins led the charge.
These terrifying constructs were creations of Volcano Manor, originally designed to seize and imprison victims.
They bore the form of women cradling infants, yet every detail of their bodies exuded lethal intent.
Their arms were linked by iron chains to massive curved sickles and bladed wheels. When their abdomens split open, twisted, serpent-like mechanisms writhed within.
It was obvious the Praetor, who delighted in devising such grotesque machines, had poured considerable effort into them.
Seeing this, the military overseers shouted themselves hoarse.
"Loose arrows! Loose arrows! Prepare the catapults! Do not let those monsters reach the walls!"
At the command, the soldiers moved without hesitation. Arrows were nocked and drawn full, bowstrings pulled taut.
Their trembling hands finally found release. They did not need further urging; the arrows flew at once.
Ordinary arrows could not halt the Abductor Virgins even when they struck true, so the archers aimed past them, targeting the main force advancing behind. The monstrosities themselves were left to the heavy bed crossbows.
A bowstring snapped.
With a sharp hiss, the first bolt shot out like lightning.
Another twang followed. A second bolt tore through the air.
Amid the shrill whistle of projectiles, the advancing Abductor Virgins fell one after another, crashing down like wheat cut in harvest.
Yet the enemy showed no sign of stopping. Wave after wave of new Abductor Virgins were driven forward, as if they were inexhaustible.
The wide, open plain quickly descended into chaos. Broken constructs lay scattered everywhere, mixed with sand, shattered stone, and twisted metal.
Then a thunderous roar rose into the sky.
The allied forces of the Golden Lords surged forward, trampling over the shattered remains of the Abductor Virgins.
They advanced in dense ranks, packed so tightly there was scarcely space between one soldier and the next.
At the very front were the renowned Haligtree soldiers and Redmane infantry.
These ten thousand were the elite vanguard of the coalition, handpicked to lead the assault.
Armored warriors and beastlike Misbegotten charged ahead, breathing hard, weapons swinging with brutal force. Towering Golems advanced with earth-shaking steps.
On the opposite flank, the Redmane forces maintained their own distinct formation. Individually, they might not match the Haligtree elite, but their numbers were greater. With technological support from Volcano Manor, they were also equipped with formidable siege chariots built for breaching walls.
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