The wind carried a heavy chill that morning the kind that whispered of war long before the first sword was drawn.
From the highest tower of Everwood's Great Hall, Itsuki stood overlooking his city.
Once, this land had been wild and untamed a place of shadows and beasts.
Now, roads cut clean lines through the forest, street lamps glowed with steady light, and the sound of industry echoed like the pulse of a living heart.
Everwood was no longer just a village.
It was a nation.
And that nation now stood on the brink of war.
Down below, the training grounds roared with life.
Rows of soldiers — elves, beastkin, humans, and dwarves — trained in unison under Elara's sharp commands.
"Faster! You think the Empire will wait for you to catch your breath? Again!"
Gunfire echoed from the firing range as units practiced with the rifles and pistols Itsuki had created.
The air smelled of oil and iron.
In another section, beastkin warriors trained with explosive spears and reinforced shields, while dwarven engineers checked the engines of armored transports.
Massive mechanical turrets were being assembled along the outer walls, their black barrels gleaming beneath the sunlight.
Everywhere Itsuki looked, Everwood was alive — moving, adapting, preparing.
And yet, for all the activity, there was a silence underneath — the kind that only comes before a storm.
Inside the command chamber, Selena spread a map across the table.
"Scouts report the Empire's army has already begun moving. Thirty thousand strong, led by Lord General Kael."
Her tone was grave. "They'll reach the western border within two weeks."
Elara folded her arms. "Good. That gives us time to finish fortifying the river pass."
Lyra, standing near the window, looked uneasy.
"Thirty thousand… against us. Even with our weapons, can we hold that long?"
Itsuki didn't answer right away. His eyes lingered on the glowing map, where red markers showed the Empire's advance.
Then he spoke quietly, his tone steady.
"We won't just hold. We'll make them realize they picked the wrong enemy."
Selena gave a small nod. "Then it begins."
Meanwhile, in the Imperial Capital…
High above the grand city of Athelon, Emperor Varian stood on his balcony, watching his army march through the streets below endless ranks of steel and banners, gleaming under the morning sun.
His golden armor reflected the light, and his sharp eyes glowed with cold ambition.
At his side stood a tall man with a scar over his left eye Lord Kael, the Empire's strongest general.
"Everwood has refused surrender," Kael reported. "We march in six days. By the time we arrive, their little kingdom will be dust."
The Emperor's lips curled into a smirk.
"Good. The world must be reminded that no one defies the Empire and lives."
A young nobleman stepped forward hesitantly. "But, Your Majesty, reports say they've developed weapons unlike any seen before. Perhaps—"
Varian's gaze snapped toward him.
"Perhaps you should remember your place."
The noble went silent instantly.
Kael gave a small, cruel smile. "We'll crush them swiftly, Your Majesty. Their weapons may scare children, but they'll not stand against imperial might."
Varian turned his gaze toward the horizon.
"Everwood… a kingdom born from arrogance. Soon, it will burn."
Back in Everwood
The night sky shimmered faintly with blue energy as defense systems activated across the city.
Magic-powered barriers hummed to life, surrounding the outer perimeter in a translucent dome.
Lamps illuminated the newly built walls, where guards stood at attention, rifles in hand.
Itsuki walked the length of the wall, Lyra following close behind.
"You haven't slept in two days," she said softly. "If you collapse before the battle even begins, what then?"
He chuckled faintly. "You sound like Selena."
"I'm serious," she pressed, stepping in front of him. Her emerald eyes searched his face. "You're carrying too much alone. You don't have to."
Itsuki stopped, meeting her gaze. For a moment, the weight in his eyes softened.
"Maybe. But this—everything we've built—it's my responsibility. I won't let anyone take it away."
Lyra's hand brushed against his arm, lingering. "Then let us protect it with you."
He smiled faintly. "That's all I could ask for."
In the days that followed, Everwood became a fortress.
Workshops ran day and night, producing ammunition and equipment.
The dwarves built heavy armor plating for tanks and mechs, while Lunaria's magic corps embedded protective enchantments into every weapon.
Scouts flew through the skies on drake mounts, tracking imperial troop movements.
And beneath it all, deep underground, Itsuki continued refining Project Judgment — the weapon of last resort.
The sphere now glowed with a soft, ominous light — a contained power, capable of reshaping the land itself.
He stood before it one evening, the Codex floating beside him.
"I don't want to use you," he whispered. "But if they come to destroy everything we've built… I will."
Three Days Before War
The bells of Everwood rang at dawn.
From the walls, watchtowers spotted movement far in the distance — the glitter of steel under sunlight.
The Empire had arrived.
An army stretched across the horizon, banners fluttering like a sea of blood.
Selena's voice came through the comms crystal. "Lord Itsuki, the enemy has been sighted. Estimated thirty thousand troops."
Elara grinned fiercely. "About time."
Itsuki stepped onto the battlements, wind tugging at his coat.
His gaze met the horizon — that endless line of soldiers marching toward his city.
Behind him stood his commanders, his allies, his family.
"Let them come," Itsuki said, his voice calm and cold.
"Everwood will not fall."