When morning came, the Liberation Empire started its march toward the Skyfall Kingdom with full momentum.
The army consisted of nearly 18 million soldiers: 10 million from Aengus’ personal army, 3 million from the Skyfall Kingdom, now branded under the Liberation Empire, and 5 million from the Araknis Kingdom.
The remaining troops from the Araknis Kingdom stayed behind to guard their homeland alongside the Northern Duke.
The three generals joined Aengus as part of the expedition.
The massive army was divided into two main sections: air troops and ground troops, which included allied forces from the two kingdoms.
The air troops soared through the skies aboard five massive flying warships, wyverns, and other flying beasts.
The ground troops comprised foot soldiers, cavalry, and war carriages, advancing in perfect coordination.
They marched in unison, like swarms of bats in the sky and ants on the ground.
Aengus, Aria, Drake, Yona, and the three generals led the army from the very front, riding aboard a slightly larger warship in the sky.
Surprisingly, Princess Delilah was also on the same ship, positioned just behind them. She appeared casual despite knowing about her rejection by the Emperor.
But only she knew what was going on in her mind. Perhaps she was trying to prove something, or maybe it was a pursuit of honor and glory that drove her to join the war.
The army moved swiftly, and within nearly an hour, they had reached the border of the Skyfall Kingdom.
Aengus could already see a defensive line set up 10 kilometers away from their position.
Aengus turned back.
“Be ready, everyone. Their numbers may look large, but our courage will lead us to victory,” Aengus said, addressing the others.
They had initially been worried about the enemy’s numbers, but after Aengus’ words, they began deploying their plan of attack.
Sometimes, numbers don’t represent everything—just like the unstoppable force of their Emperor.
The generals took command of the war while Aengus activated all his senses to an extreme level, staying alert for any potential ambush.
Aria stood beside him, concentrating deeply to enhance her nature powers. She wanted to help Aengus even more.
Aengus noticed her efforts but said nothing, but he appreciated each of her hard efforts.
Who knows perhaps she might even surpass him one day.
Aengus focused intently on the battle ahead.
“Prepare the magic cannons!” General Leon commanded through his communication device, his voice sharp and clear.
As the warships reached firing range, the five massive vessels prepared their formidable magical cannons.
Crews of several people loaded the black cannonballs into the chambers, straining under their immense weight and destructive potential.
Late the previous night, Aengus had personally infused the cannonballs with Chaos Energy, increasing their destructive power exponentially.
“Set the targets!”
“Wait for my command to fire!” General Leon ordered, keeping the crews on edge.
Moments later, assessing the urgency, he finally shouted, “And… fire!”
Leon’s command echoed across the sky. The ships’ mechanisms roared to life as the massive cannons discharged their payload with thunderous booms.
“Boom! Boom! Boom!”
The five multicolored cannonballs, each at least 25 meters in radius, hurtled toward the ground with tremendous velocity, enhanced by both their initial force and gravity.
On the enemy’s side, massive magical shields sprang to life, shimmering with power, as their caster stood behind them with pride and arrogance.
The defenders were confident in their ability to block the Cannons Balls, dismissing the warships as mere middle-class threats.
But they had no idea that this time, they were facing an entirely different level of destruction.
With a flash of multicolored light, the cannonballs detonated just before making contact with the transparent shields.
“What?!”
“Rumble! Rumble!”
The shield casters’ eyes widened in horror as catastrophe unfolded above them.
The explosions released waves of destructive Chaos Energy, instantly reducing the defenders beneath the shields to mincemeat—ashes to ashes, dust to dust.
When the dust settled, all that remained was charred ground, a grim reminder of the destruction that had claimed hundreds of thousands of lives.
The first round of the attack had been a resounding success, and the Liberation Empire stood victorious.
Despite their superior numbers, the Kairos Imperial Army suffered a significant and demoralizing loss.
“Damn it!”
A frustrated commander growled, exhaling a cloud of smoke from his cigar as he stood amidst the rain triggered by the explosions.
“How can their cannons be so strong, despite their warships being middle-class?” he muttered, confusion evident in his voice.
“Commander, should we call in our high-class fleet now?” a high-ranking official suggested, grinning wickedly behind him. “They’ll crush those mid-class warships in no time.”
“Yes, give them the signal!” the commander snapped. His face twisted with disdain as he spat on the ground. “Not one of those rebel bastar*s should be left alive! Not even their so called ‘Emperor’ bloody Savior my foot!”
His voice grew louder as he added with fervor, “Only our Emperor is mighty!”
“Kill!”
—
“Etha… no… Zero, the enemy warships are approaching!” General Leon reminded, his ocean-blue eyes reflecting the distant fleet.
“Yes, I can see that, General. And from the looks of it, our ships aren’t enough to match them, are they?” Aengus asked, his piercing gaze locked onto the enemy warships advancing steadily.
The enemy’s fleet was already double the size of their own and in terms of quantity as well.
If the Dwarves had been present, their army would have had access to higher-class flying battleships capable of evening the odds. But, unfortunately, that wasn’t possible at the moment.
Aengus had already tasked his clone with locating the culprit responsible for the disappearance of the Ancient Dwarves.
General Leon clenched his fists, frustration etched on his face as he replied, “Yes, Your Majesty. Not only are their warships superior in number, but their ground cavalry and magi-mech technology also surpass ours in strength.”
Suddenly, Aria’s eyes snapped open, and she said confidently,
“I can take care of the ground vehicles, Ethan. You should go and handle the warships…” She had a confident aura, as if she had received new enlightenment.
