Chapter 63 - Imperial Reaction

It didn't take long for the empire, which was starting to suffer serious damage, to react. The war had started just over twenty minutes ago and two-thirds of the area south of Tarna had turned to rubble and corpses.

There were already more than a hundred thousand dead, including civilians. The emperor could not and would not allow this to continue.

"All the orders of knights and also the mercenaries that are hiding in the guild. I want everyone out there to kill those bastards!"

Veta looked at the emperor's twisted expression of fear, fury and despair. A joy filled his chest, pushing out a laugh, which he held back with praise. He was also irritated about something.

(I cannot let these invaders succeed in taking down Tarna. My revenge is more important than momentary joy.) Veta thought this and calmed his mind.

"Kyaaa!! Emperor, you look so sexy in that despairing face!" Satur said as she clung to her sovereign.

Sued was indeed a handsome man, the type to be coveted by any woman.

Despite being in his late fifties, the emperor had a youthful appearance, with no a single white streak on his head, and his wrinkles were minimal.

A tall, broad-shouldered man with silky black hair, eyes as black as the night itself and a charming smile.

Every woman who had him in their field of vision sighed for him. It was almost as if he had the same charm as the undines.

Nowever, now Sued's pale face was wrinkled and twisted. His hair was a mess and his mouth arching down with teeth bared.

"Veta, if you don't bring me their leader's head on a spear, you can consider yourself dead!" The emperor snorted as he punched Satur in the face.

Veta bowed with a serene look. "I won't let you down, Your Majesty."

***

The Valkyries took the front of the army and fought with formidable skills.

Lobana led the way as she slashed a soldier on the right, then kicked the one on the left and advanced to the next after burying her sword in the fallen soldier's throat.

Sahari jumps from place to place as if she teleports and like a ghost on the battlefield, she cuts through the enemy and leaves a trail of corpses behind.

This was the moment Nijha had always been waiting for. It was hard to find a battle where she could break free. Still blindfolded, the Valkyrie advanced beyond Lobana into the middle of the imperial army.

There Nijha took off her blindfold, showing her beautiful red jeweled eyes with long lashes and then everything that was alive and she saw turned to stone.

Seeing the world with her own eyes instead of the magical insight she always used was indescribable to her. Even if the world was turning to stone, that joy she was feeling was worth every life she took.

But that happiness didn't last long. As she reveled in the colors of the world, Nijha heard a young, masculine voice coming from above.

"Looks like we can't leave you with your eyes open for our city..."

Nijha looked to where the voice was coming from, but all she saw was the empty roof of a tavern and then she felt something in her throat.

A stab that started in the back of her neck and ended in a burning sensation under her jaw followed by an extreme, quick pain when the man yanked the dagger hard to the side, ripping out her throat.

Seeing the scene of a man in a robe appearing behind Nijha and then the woman falling to the ground, Lobana ran towards the man with fury twisting her face.

Oliana, with her huge size, stepped on the Imperials, crushing them with armor and all, and stepped right where the man was, avoiding Nijha and sinking her foot into the stone road.

However, the man was faster. He dodged and kicked Oliana in the face, knocking her over some houses.

Realizing what had happened, Athena grabbed Serien as if she were a bundle of clothes and jumped off the high wall.

Followed by Mifa, Athena ran over the houses until she reached where Nijha and Lobana were.

"Quick! Heal Nijha!" Athena said and jumped to meet the man, but then a giant hand appeared in front of her.

"Get out of the way! He's mine!" Oliana said and with a speed that did not match her height, the woman hit the man with her open hand like a mosquito.

The man flew to the other side of the avenue, crossing the wall of the inn where Serien was standing.

"Ahaha!" Laughed the man who came through the roof like a mouse. "Now I know who's attacking us. It's a pleasure to see you again, Princess Serien."

Serien expressed bitterness at the sight of the man. "Barka!"

"Hehe... Glad you remember your only childhood friend." Barka smiled like a shy child.

"You traitor..."

"Don't speak... We'll talk later!" Barka said and where he was, a giant hand smashed the roof, leaving only the part where Mifa and Serien were.

"Serien, quick!" Mifa urged as she looked at Nijha on the ground ten feet below.

Serien clicked her tongue in disgust and used her most advanced magic on Nijha and then from Oliana's hands, Barka said with a laugh.

"It won't work. Hahahaha!"

"What do you mean by that?" Athena asked from the giant redhead's shoulder.

"I don't know..." Barka scoffed and exploded into a red mass of flesh and bones.

"Athena, it's not working!" Serien cried out in despair.

"What will we do?" Mifa asked.

"We won't do anything, she died." Lobana said in a heavy voice. "Damn it, I was supposed to take care of you, girl!"

Tears ran down the face of Lobana, Mifa and the other Valkyries around.

But the war was not over and they were now starved for imperial blood.

Oliana threw away what was left of Barka and screamed. "Valkyries, today the empire will meet the wrath of the goddess Ertala's warriors!!!"

A thunderous roar echoed and the Valkyries surged forward with more ferocity than any monster in the army.

***

On the ground, Athena looked at the pulp of flesh that had once been a man and there, she saw two daggers emanating purple mana and as dark as Fritt's sword.

Athena took the semi-curved bladed daggers, which had a chain linking them together, and thought of Mifa.

However, the thought of Mifa wearing such a disgusting thing was devastating to Athena, but the girl was on a battlefield and needed to be strong to survive.

Athena jumped back to the roof where Serien and Mifa stared at Nijha's cold body, which had been placed there by Oliana.

"That's what that man killed Nijha with." Athena said and handed the bloody daggers to Mifa. "These are stronger weapons than your current claws. Use them to protect yourself for now."

Mifa frowned and push the weapons back to Athena. "I do not want."

"Mifa, I understand you, but this is war!" Athena insisted and Mifa turned her face in denial.

Serien, seeing the scene, remembered something and opened her [Dimensional Bag]. "Majesty, you said you cut Knight Fritt's sword with your sword, so I think your sword is better than those daggers."

"Yes, but Mifa doesn't use swords."

"So... Arladele's spear was too big and there was material left over from it, so I had some six-inch straight daggers made." Serien explained as he took a glittering bag out of the air. "There are seven daggers."

***

The knights of the empire started to appear there and here on the battlefield and Serien was starting to run out of mana.

Thanks to the princess, casualties on Athena's army side were minimal unlike the imperial army which had lost a huge number of soldiers, without counting the dead civilians.

Just over forty minutes had passed since the start of the battle. Even if the empire won, it would leave a huge stain on its history.

"M-Majesty..." Serien called for Athena.

"Hm?"

Serien was pale, sweat run down her forehead and she was on her knees as she breathed heavily. "I'm at my limit."

"Right... Hey! It's time to back off." Athena shouted to one of the soldiers closest to the roof where she was.

The soldier picked up a ram's horn that was hanging from his waist and blew it out a blasted sound.

The shrill sound repeated and the Basilican army began to retreat slowly while still fighting.

"You'll go back too, Mifa." Athena decided and before the girl said anything, Athena threw her to Oliana along with Serien and Nijha's body. (From now until the next assalto, this place is mine.)

A smile spread across Athena's face. Lobana and Sahari, who were the last to retreat, felt goosebumps when they saw Athena on the roof with that wicked smile.

When Basilica's last troop left the city, the sun shone through the black clouds as Athena undoes the magic.

Athena stretched her arms and arched her back backward, stretching in the sun like a cat, and then, sensing three overwhelming presences, Athena pulled her sword out of the air as she spun her body with a smile on her face.

Satur, who was in front, was caught off guard and only had time to protect herself with her gauntlet and was thrown off the roof, onto the ground on the other side of the avenue.

"Calm down..." Draia, the fifth force, said as she raised her hands. "We want to talk."

Next to the sleepy-looking woman with messy black hair, a man with brown hair and an annoyed look stared at Athena as if he were looking at an insect.

Athena cocked her head as if wondering what the woman was saying. "We have nothing to talk about." Athena said in a mocking laugh. "I came to kill you and you can resist if you want." Athena said this, the knights blinked and then they were looking at the sky.

"!!!!" Zaqirm widened his eyes and drew his sword as he fell, turning his body to face Athena on the roof. "[One Thousand Swords]"

Stiffening his arm muscles, the knight pierced the air with his bastard sword and hundreds of mana blades flew toward Athena.

Athena cut a few swords that reached her first and like she was dancing, she dodged the rest.

"Now, it's my turn?" Athena asked.

"No, it's mine!" Satur responded by appearing beside Athena.

Athena tried to jump away, but it was too late, Satur had already released her skill before she even got there and Athena had her back and hair cut.

"Satur, I thought you were already dead." Draia said as she watched Athena bounce from roof to roof leaving a trail of destruction.

Satur rubbed the bloodied cut on her gauntlet with a pained expression. "She managed to cut through my gauntlet and hit my arm. Zaqirm, I saw you barely hit her. Give me your place as the eighth."

"Shut up. You only managed to hit her because she let you.." The man growled.

"She stopped bouncing some time ago... Did she die?" Draia said and Satur laughed proudly.

"Now no matter what you say, I'm the eighth." Satur yelled laughing.

"Hm... Are you part of the 'Forces of the Emperor'?" Athena asked from behind Satur, the knights jumped away and Zaqirm was the first to die.

The moment they jumped, Athena jumped towards Draia. Athena swiveled her upper body to the left and swung the longsword as if it were a greatsword to split the woman in half.

Seeing what was about to happen, Zaqirm used all his strength to kick the air and then without thinking twice, he kicked Draia to the ground, taking her place in front of Athena and being torn into four pieces.

"Serious?" Satur said with a stupid expression on her face.