The sound of drums thundered across the valley.
From the walls of Everwood, Itsuki watched as the horizon darkened beneath the march of tens of thousands.
Steel clashed, banners rippled, and the war horns of the Imperial Empire blared like the roar of a beast.
The Empire's army had arrived.
Rows upon rows of soldiers stood in formation, flanked by siege golems and war chariots powered by mana reactors.
In the center, mounted on a colossal beast, stood Lord General Kael, his crimson armor gleaming like blood under sunlight.
Behind him fluttered the black-and-gold banner of Emperor Varian.
Kael raised his sword high.
"Everwood! You defy the will of the Empire! By command of His Majesty, your false kingdom will burn to ash!"
His voice boomed, echoing across the land.
Itsuki stepped forward atop the battlements.
He wore a reinforced coat of obsidian weave, glowing faintly with blue sigils — light armor that merged technology with mana.
Behind him stood Selena, Elara, Lyra, the dwarven engineers, and mages of every race.
His voice carried across the battlefield, steady and calm.
"You stand before Everwood — not a kingdom born of conquest, but of unity. If you still choose war… then this will be your grave."
A heavy silence followed. Then, Kael grinned and swung his sword down.
"Forward!"
The Battle Begins
The ground trembled as the imperial army charged.
Magic artillery lit the skies, mana bolts and flaming boulders raining toward the city walls.
But before they could land, Everwood's barrier flared to life — a vast dome of blue energy that absorbed the barrage like ripples in water.
Elara's voice roared through the command crystal.
"Turrets — fire!"
The frontlines of Everwood exploded in light and thunder.
Rows of automated cannons unleashed a storm of metal and plasma.
The dwarven railguns on the upper wall fired in synchronized rhythm, each shot tearing through entire platoons.
In the air, flying mages and mechanical drones clashed in blinding flashes of light.
Selena commanded the aerial units with precision, while Lyra and the elf archers shot enchanted arrows that burst into shimmering explosions.
Everwood had become a fortress of flame and thunder — technology and magic fused in perfect harmony.
But the Empire was relentless.
Wave after wave of soldiers pushed forward, protected by barrier mages and siege monsters.
Their numbers seemed endless.
Kael raised his hand.
"Deploy the mana cannons!"
Giant siege engines rolled forward — enormous barrels engraved with crimson runes.
When they fired, beams of molten energy slammed into Everwood's barrier, cracking it with each hit.
Selena grimaced. "The shield's integrity is falling fast!"
Itsuki pressed his hand to a crystal terminal. The Codex flared, projecting schematics into the air.
"Redirect power from the lower reactors. Focus all output on reinforcement."
The walls glowed brighter — but only barely held.
Elara clenched her fists. "If this keeps up, they'll break through by nightfall!"
Itsuki looked toward the horizon, his eyes narrowing.
The Empire's siege line stretched endlessly, their army like a living sea of death.
"Then we end this before nightfall."
The Counterattack
Itsuki raised his hand. A faint circle of blue light expanded across the battlefield — a command signal.
"Everwood Strike Force — advance."
From hidden gates in the walls, mechanical mechs and armored beasts thundered forth.
Dwarves and beastkin charged side by side, their roars shaking the air.
Explosions painted the battlefield as Everwood's forces met the Empire head-on.
Selena coordinated artillery support, raining precision strikes across the Empire's lines.
Lyra's unit flanked from the forest edge, striking down siege mages with deadly accuracy.
Even the elves' magic and dwarves' tech worked as one — a harmony born of trust and shared purpose.
Still, despite all their might, the Empire's sheer numbers began to push back.
Kael himself rode to the frontlines, cleaving through Everwood's vanguard with terrifying strength.
Each swing of his greatsword shattered earth and stone, his mana aura burning crimson.
"Your creations end here, boy!" Kael roared.
Itsuki dropped from the battlements, landing amid the chaos. His eyes glowed faintly blue.
"We'll see about that."
He extended his hand — and the earth split open.
From deep underground, a massive gate of glowing metal rose, its seals spinning and locking open with deafening clanks.
The ground shook violently as a colossal shadow emerged from beneath Everwood.
The giant robot — Genesis Type-01 — towered above the battlefield, twice the size of the Dragon King himself.
Its armor shimmered with runic plates, and its eyes burned with blue flame.
The entire field went silent.
Even Kael froze, his expression twisting from rage to shock.
"W–what… what is that!?"
Itsuki's voice echoed through the comms crystal, cold and unwavering.
"The guardian of Everwood."
The mech's chest opened, revealing Itsuki inside the control core.
Energy conduits glowed around him as he placed his hands on the interface.
"Engage combat mode."
The ground erupted in light as the giant moved — its footsteps shaking the entire valley.
With one swing, it crushed a siege golem into the dirt.
With another, it unleashed a beam of plasma that vaporized entire regiments.
Everwood's army roared, rallying behind their creator.
The Final Command
Kael, desperate and furious, gathered his power into one devastating strike — a crimson blade of mana large enough to cleave a mountain.
He leaped toward the mech, screaming, "Fall before the Empire!"
Itsuki's eyes narrowed.
"Judgment… begin."
The mech's core expanded, forming a glowing orb — Project Judgment.
A radiant explosion of light erupted, swallowing Kael's attack and the surrounding army in a blinding wave.
The land itself trembled.
When the light faded, the battlefield lay silent — a vast crater where the Empire's army once stood.
Everwood's walls still stood.
Its people still lived.
The Empire… was gone.
Silence fell across the field. Only the wind whispered through the ashes.
Lyra looked up at the giant, her voice trembling.
"He… did it."
Selena lowered her weapon slowly. "He ended it."
High above, Itsuki stared down from the cockpit, expression unreadable.
"No," he murmured. "This is only the beginning."
The Codex pulsed once, as if in warning.
Next Chapter ( "After the Light")