Carnage- The best word that best describes this scenery...
Smoke swallowed the skies, and the air reeked of death and burning flesh. Dozens of weapons clashed, filling the air with a wild symphony that mixed with the loud chants of the mages.
Zathan was under attack. The Durian Empire had stormed the Capital with a massive army.
The Zathan army faced the largest force on the Continent and stood on the brink of defeat. Outnumbered five to one, they were slaughtered without mercy.
General Neil Walderweist, a Seven-Circle mage of the Durian army, stood proudly before the dozen Zathan survivors tied up in the city square for execution. He looked at their faces. Even in defeat, their eyes still burned with defiance.
"I don't like the look on your faces," he sneered. "But alas, what can I expect from a bunch of savages?"
"Neil Walderweist," Garron Stone, commander of the Zathan forces, scowled. "Have you no honor? Your Sovereign broke the Pact by attacking our land while we were already at war. You and your Sovereign are nothing but swine in the mud." He coughed up blood.
Neil laughed, "Honour? Pact of Engagement?" His grin twisted. "What do mindless mutts know about such things? Hear me well—Zathan is not recognised by the Six Empires. Your so-called 'Lord' is nothing but a False Sovereign… a fat mutt fit to be hunted and caged."
"Haha! Six Sovereigns combined will never match up to the greatness that is our King!"
"Oh but it is," Neil countered. "You are all but lost pups without your leader. Blame your war-mongering Ruler, who in his arrogance left his stronghold defenceless. There shall be no mercy for you savages, on this very day, you, your children, and your homes will burn to the ground to be swept away by the sands of your Red Desert."
Neil stretched out his arms, "Today, The Land of the activists who dare challenge the Six Empires of the West will be wiped from the face of the Earth!"
Mana surged around him, the temperature of the air around them became hot increasing with every passing second. "By the law of crimson, O'great blazing spirit of judgement descend and engulf the unworthy, Sixth Circle Magic: Helios Gaser!!"
Six large spell-circles spun in front of him. A powerful torrent of fire shot forward like a starving dragon ready to devour it's prey.
From above, a man clad in armor black as night fell from the sky like a shooting star. Gripping a giant scythe, he slashes through the flames as if he was tearing through flesh. The flames split into embers before exploding as the man landed with an impact so strong that the ground beneath him cracked.
A heavy silence followed. A pair of dark-violet eyes shone through the settling does.
The faces of the Zathan soldiers brightened at once. "Lord Areis!"
Neil and the Durian soldiers stood frozen in shock. Neil's face darkened with fear and disbelief. "Y-you? H-how?" he stammered.
Areis spared him not a single glance. His cold gaze swept across the ruined streets of his home, or better yet, what was left of it.
Neil's expression darkened, his voice laced with disbelief and unease. "By all accounts, you should be on the frontlines, locked in battle against the Sovereign of Thalgrun and his forces."
Areis paid him no mind as he faces his soldiers in shackles with a sad look on his face. "You have been through alot. Thankyou for protecting our home." He commended them.
The Zathan soldiers despite being outnumbered held out for a week against the Dumians. This gave Areis enough time to leave the front lines and return to Rease.
Areis waved his hand in drawing up peculiar symbols in the air. "Release!" With that, the shackles binding his army broke apart setting them free.
"Garron. Form a search party with the soldiers that can still move and comb the ruins for any survivors."
Garron and the other Zathan soldiers bowed, "Yes, My Lord." The invaders watched them as they scattered leaving Areis alone in the midst of the Durian army.
Neil snickered, "You insufferable fool! Did you really think your presence now will make a change?" He spread his arms apart gesturing to the vast army behind him. "You are in the presence of the great Army of Durian! 700 Knights, 300 Mages, all of which are at least Five-Circle mages."
"Hmm... Was that the noise of a mosquito?" Areis picked his ear lazily as he turned with a quiet scorn.
"You arrogant tyrant!" Neil's rage had reached its boiling point. "Mages, on me!"
The mages channeled their Ether into Neil. An explosive force of energy surges around him pushing his army backwards a few steps. Areis on the other hand was completely unfazed. If anything, he appeared to be bored.
"I shall savor every single moment of this, Seventh Circle Magic: Grand Helios Gaser!"
An enhanced version of the spell he used earlier was fired at the False Sovereign. Areis yawned. He flicks his wrist and eight magic circles appeared.
"Eight Circle Magic? H-how… how is it that you have reached the pinnacle of magic reserved for Archmages?" The Durian army Commander shook with fear. "Areis Neil took a step back. '… Areis Azazel… what… what in the ancient gods' are you…?"
"Your execution. Eight Circle Magic: Ashen Judgement!"
Violet flames burst raced forward like massive tidal waves. Aeris's flames devoured the red flames as they set a course towards Neil with a large explosion that swallowed half of the invaders including Neil.
The flames circled him like hungry vultures and he cries in devastating agony as the flames devoured him whole until he was nothing but ash.
The other half were frozen with fear after seeing their leader get burned to ashes in mere seconds. They wanted to run, but their legs refused to move.
"Now then," Areis said as he turned to them. A dark grin stretched across his face while he dragged his large scythe, walking slowly toward the trembling invaders.
They wanted to beg for mercy, but fear locked their lips in place.
"Stand ready to repent... With your heads!"
The ruined city filled with the desperate screams of Durian soldiers.