"Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld!"
With another ANBU ninja unleashing a jutsu, a large section of land beneath the Luss soldiers instantly transformed into a muddy swamp.
One by one, soldiers began sinking into the mire.
Seeing the opportunity, Zephir's soldiers did not hesitate.
They unleashed a barrage of artillery.
Explosions thundered across the battlefield as trapped enemy troops were mercilessly annihilated.
The sounds of cannon fire, roaring ninjutsu, and the enemy's desperate screams merged together, echoing across the entire plaza.
Many of the surrounding buildings had already been reduced to rubble.
Far away, the citizens of the Kingdom of Luss stared at the battlefield in horror, their faces pale.
"How… how could this happen?!"
"Wasn't Zephir supposed to be weak?!"
"Who are those people that breathe fire and control lightning… are they gods?!"
"It's over… we can't win…"
Terrified cries spread among the civilians.
For years, the Kingdom of Zephir had been regarded as weak.
No one believed it could challenge the Kingdom of Luss.
That had always been common knowledge.
Yet now—
Reality had slapped them hard in the face.
With such overwhelming firepower and warriors capable of manipulating wind, fire, thunder, and earth, the situation on the battlefield was obvious.
Even though Luss had four to five times more soldiers than Zephir—
If this continued, their complete annihilation was only a matter of time.
Shock Among the Commanders
Not only the citizens were stunned.
Even General Barto stood frozen in disbelief.
"Commander, this can't continue!!"
One officer shouted anxiously.
"Where did Zephir get so many heavy weapons?!"
"How did such a massive army arrive in the plaza without anyone noticing?!"
Another officer shouted in confusion.
"And those masked fighters… who are they?!"
"They're too powerful! Our soldiers can't stop them!"
More officers gathered around Barto in panic.
"What should we do, Commander?!"
"We need a strategy, or we'll lose!"
A dust-covered captain rushed toward Barto.
Barto's face darkened.
His eyes scanned the battlefield, watching the masked ANBU operatives moving like ghosts through the ranks.
Every time they attacked—
Large numbers of soldiers fell.
A terrifying thought suddenly flashed through his mind.
Could it be…
Was the Gambino Family really destroyed by Zephir?
If that were true…
The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.
His face turned pale.
He immediately shouted toward one of the captains.
"This is bad!"
"We may have severely underestimated Zephir from the beginning!"
"Captain Ailan!"
"We'll hold the line here!"
"You must go report to His Majesty immediately!"
"The destruction of the Gambino Family may very well have been carried out by Zephir!"
"We may have provoked something far more dangerous than we realized!"
"What?!"
The surrounding officers gasped in shock.
Captain Ailan froze for a moment before snapping back to his senses.
He nodded quickly and sprinted toward the royal palace.
"Commander Barto… do you really believe that?"
"Was the Gambino Family truly destroyed by Zephir?"
The remaining officers stared at him nervously.
Barto spoke slowly.
"Given what we're seeing…"
"There's a very high chance that's exactly what happened."
"If they truly annihilated the Gambino Family in such a short time…"
"Then our Kingdom of Luss may truly be in grave danger."
The officers' faces turned pale.
If even the stronger Gambino Family had been wiped out—
What chance did they have?
Barto frowned.
"Enough."
"These matters aren't for you to worry about."
"His Majesty will decide how to deal with it."
"Your task now is simple."
"Hold the line with everything you have."
"Do not allow the Zephir army to advance even one step toward the palace!"
"Yes, sir!"
The officers snapped back to attention and hurried away to command their troops.
Barto watched them go.
"Zephir… hiding your strength so deeply…"
"What exactly are you planning?"
He muttered quietly before preparing to personally direct the battle.
Despite the disastrous situation, Barto still believed Luss could recover.
After all—
Their disadvantage came mainly from Zephir's sudden attack.
Their fleet had been rendered useless.
Heavy artillery hadn't been deployed in time.
That was why the battle had turned out this way.
But once the Luss army reorganized—
Even against the masked warriors and Zephir's heavy firepower—
Their overwhelming numerical superiority could still hold the line.
Or so he believed.
The White-Haired Reaper
"AHHH!!!"
"Shoot him! Shoot him now!!!"
"Help—!"
Suddenly, frantic gunfire erupted nearby.
Barto looked up immediately.
His pupils shrank.
Among the Luss soldiers—
A white-haired masked man wielding a short blade moved like lightning through the battlefield.
Soldiers fired wildly.
But each time—
The man's figure flickered and disappeared.
Every bullet missed.
Whenever he passed by a soldier—
A spray of blood followed.
The soldier would clutch his throat and collapse.
In the brief moment Barto watched—
Dozens of soldiers had already been killed.
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