Ancient Empire Calendar, Year 1839
The massive fleet, consisting of tens of thousands of ships gathered from all corners of the Five Lands, was within sight of the Sapharos Archipelago.
The banners of hundreds of dynasties fluttered from the masts of the ships in this colossal fleet. But there was one that overshadowed all others.
The Kislavein Flag was larger and more magnificent than all the others.
Ricardo's ship, as it should be, was at the very front of the fleet.
Ricardo watched the Archipelago with astonished eyes.
From where the coastal sands ended, the islands were surrounded by seemingly impregnable, colossal iron walls thirty meters high.
Hundreds of thousands of soldiers atop the walls were eager for battle.
Flamethrowers and massive cannons displayed technology far superior to any weaponry seen in the Five Lands.
"If they possess such weapons, why didn't they use them when invading our Lands?"
Ricardo could not answer Benjen's logical question.
"If even the Dynasty Lord, who always has an answer for everything, is left speechless, what are we facing?" Benjen thought.
Not only Ricardo and Benjen, but the entire army was in shock. No one could easily describe or comprehend what they were facing.
"Will one million soldiers be enough to conquer these iron islands?"
Osiris had unwittingly shared his thoughts.
Although no one had expected an easy victory, they felt that the impact of this war would be devastating.
"PULL YOURSELVES TOGETHER!"
The entire army flinched at Ricardo's mana-amplified voice.
"WHEN WE CONQUERED THE FIVE LANDS, WERE WE EVER SUPERIOR IN NUMBERS IN THE BATTLES WE FOUGHT?"
The soldiers answered.
"NO, DYNASTY LORD!"
Ricardo continued.
"IN WHICH BATTLE DID WE FEAR? IN WHICH BATTLE DID WE FLINCH? IN WHICH BATTLE DID WE RETREAT, EVEN WHEN DEATH WAS GUARANTEED? TELL ME!"
The soldiers answered.
"NONE OF THEM!"
Ricardo laughed.
"THEN WHY DO YOU FEAR? I AM WITH YOU. KRAEL II, THE KISLAVEIN DYNASTY LORD, IS WITH YOU. I POSSESS INFINITE POWER AND POTENTIAL. I AM A DESCENDANT OF RUNANHAIMER, THE KING OF EMPERORS, LORDS, AND SPIRITS. HOW CAN YOU FEAR WHEN I AM WITH YOU?"
"WE DO NOT FEAR, DYNASTY LORD!"
"THEN FOLLOW ME! LET US CONQUER THE ARCHIPELAGO TOGETHER! ATTACK!"
"HAAAAAAAAAAH!"
Incited by Ricardo's speech, one million soldiers fearlessly attacked the iron walls.
Ricardo decided to use most of his mana to destroy the seemingly impregnable iron walls.
He rose meters into the air—so high that everything appeared as a miniature model.
Pointing his hands towards the walls, he expended all his mana, simultaneously casting numerous spells.
He hurled spheres, arrows, spears, and countless other spells composed of fire, earth, water, ice, lightning, air, Nur Force, Dark Magic, and many other elements towards the iron walls protecting the Archipelago.
Although all these successive spells depleted Ricardo's mana, they shattered the iron walls into pieces.
Hundreds of thousands of Sapharos soldiers atop the walls perished, crushed under the iron.
"Good. They have lost their defensive advantage—or rather, most of the advantages that would give them superiority in battle. A voice inside me says the war will end soon."
Ricardo noticed that his flying spell was slowly losing its effect.
"My mana is almost depleted. I cannot stay in the air much longer."
Ricardo made a safe landing before his remaining mana ran out.
Kislavein soldiers were engaged in hand-to-hand combat with the shocked Sapharos soldiers.
Some Kislavein and Sapharos commanders had engaged in duels.
Xavier Xanros V was fighting with Dexter, a Sapharos Commander.
During the duel, Xavier lost his balance due to a wound on his leg and fell to the ground.
Dexter seized the opportunity, jumped on Xavier, and crushed his head with his bare hands.
Dexter stood up from Xavier's crushed corpse. After taking a few steps, he knelt and vomited blood.
"Ugh... damn... he poisoned his sword... the cowardly bastard."
Dexter fell face down and died.
During the battle, Osiris was struck in the neck by a Shadow Needle, a Demon Magic spell.
The demonic poison spreading from the needle quickly penetrated his veins.
His darkening, swelling veins became rapidly prominent.
"ARRGH... AAAAHHH!"
Osiris's veins swelled and burst, facing a death filled with agony.
His corpse was unrecognizable due to the damage caused by his bursting veins.
In the following hours, nine legions under the command of Jack Johanson had scaled the walls of the Sapharos Palace.
"ADVANCE! DON'T STOP! ATTACK! TAKE CONTROL OF THE PALACE!"
Jack was at the forefront. While fighting on the palace walls, a flamethrower from a watchtower spewed fire upon him.
Jack quickly cast an ice spell to defend himself. By the time the weapon's fire ceased, Jack's mana was also exhausted.
"This is the opportunity."
Ajder, a Sapharos Commander, at the cost of his own life, expelled his mana in its raw form to destroy Jack and his legions.
The raw mana delivered a swift and painless death to Jack and his legions. They were all annihilated down to their ashes. But not only them—the Sapharos legions caught in the attack also perished.
By midnight, the entire Archipelago had been conquered. Only the Sapharos Royal Palace remained.
Harlonnen Harmen shaped his Aura into a massive ram's head. With a single strike from this ram's head, he shattered the palace gates.
Kislavein soldiers poured through the shattered gates like a flood, entering the palace and slaughtering everyone in their path—soldier and civilian alike.
Ricardo, accompanied by his young commanders Benjen, Arael, Rogan, and John, stormed the throne room. They advanced, slaughtering the Sapharos who attacked them, and looked upon the Queen sitting on the throne.
The Queen was a beautiful woman in her thirties. She possessed a pair of wings and horns.
"Step down from the throne," said Ricardo in a threatening voice.
The Queen rose from the throne.
"I am aware that I have lost. Is it too late to surrender?"
"Perhaps not. Your race interests me."
The Queen laughed.
"I know why we interest you. Those Hybrid Legions were truly impressive."
The Queen blew a horn beside her. When the sound echoed throughout the Archipelago, all Sapharos soldiers stopped fighting and surrendered.
"Normally, we would plunder and massacre after a war—if we hadn't suffered heavy losses, that is."
Ricardo's mocking demeanor angered the Queen.
"Like you did 1,800 years ago?"
Ricardo knew what she meant.
"Not exactly. My ancestor Harloumen I betrayed his friends. We admit that. But this time is different. You attacked. You massacred our people twice. You didn't care whether they resisted or not."
The Queen did not respond to these words.
"You are right. According to your laws, plunder and massacre are forbidden in lands that surrender. It is the same for us. But the hatred, vengeance, and desire for revenge that my people have bequeathed to subsequent generations for over a thousand years recognized no law."
Ricardo pointed his sword at the Queen's slender neck.
"It seems we will be conversing for a long time."
The war was over. The Sapharos Archipelago lay in ruins. The Kislavein armies had suffered 200,000 losses.
Ricardo's actions at the beginning of the battle had saved the Kislavein armies from heavy casualties.
The Sapharos soldiers, on the other hand, had lost one million soldiers. Civilian casualties were negligible due to their early surrender—a rare scenario.
Ricardo and the Sapharos Queen were conversing in the Queen's bedchamber. Kislavein soldiers and the Sapharos people were tending to their wounds.
What would happen next depended on Ricardo's decision.