There had been a lot of traps and sensory spells laid over the ground around the palace. However, most of them were made to contain the slaves that had lived in the battlefield. Digging deep enough, they’d bypassed it and entered the sphere of detection spells. Now inside, there was little that would be able to detect them.
Once they had gone over the information that Kim had given them, they said their good-byes and split into two groups, headed in different directions.
***
The emperor had a dark expression on his face as he looked at the screens of the command center. Everyone inside was careful to do nothing to incite his anger.
He had requested again and again to go to the front lines to join in the slaughter of the Emerilians. Imagining it to be the same as when he had flown over the slave-filled battlefield, laughing, killing any who drew his attention with a swipe of his hand—that was what he loved more than anything: feeling as if he were a god looking down upon all creation, waving his hand and leaving nothing more than death and destruction.
His uncle and the man in charge of his personal guard had done everything to keep the emperor in the command center.
He frowned, looking at the screens. “Why haven’t they attacked?” the emperor asked, his face grim.
No one replied to him for some time.
“They are probably scared of the might of your forces, nephew,” the emperor’s uncle said.
The emperor’s countenance brightened, pleased by his uncle’s praise-filled words. A smile appeared on his face as he sat up straighter, mist falling on him.
“Very wise of you to say, Uncle. I did not realize it myself. Indeed, anyone would be afraid to act upon witnessing my anger,” the emperor said, naturally raising himself to a higher position.
“But this will not do. They have come for battle and we must remove this scourge from my residence. Send out our forces to destroy them or get them to act,” the emperor said.
The commander of the emperor’s personal forces glanced at the emperor’s uncle for a split second before he relayed the orders.
It only took a few moments before a group of mechas started to move and some of the defensive floating islands started to advance. Spell formations appeared in front of the flying citadels as Mana beams shot out through the skies.
Light spells ignited in the cannons of the Jukal; beams hit Mana barriers that covered all of the Emerilian forces.
The Mana beams were stopped by the Mana barriers of the palace before they could reach the floating islands.
It wasn’t long until the floating islands started to leave the defenses of the Mana barrier.
The flying citadels waited for them to build up some speed and exit the Mana barrier before they all focused on one floating island, overwhelming it with firepower. Missiles shot through the sky; artillery cannons blared and ranged spells beat the floating island back. It was unable to do anything until its Mana barrier shattered and the attacks started to rain down on the ship itself.
The floating citadel lost its power and started to fall toward the ground.
“How dare they!” the emperor yelled, standing to his feet, unable to accept that such lowly creatures would dare to even fight back against his might. His plan and excitement for the battle dimmed. This was being broadcasted all across the Jukal Empire. Wasn’t it just showing how weak he was if his forces were defeated so completely by the Emerilians?
A shimmering glow appeared around the emperor. On the battlefield, a shadow appeared. It was hit by multiple rounds from both sides, making it harder to establish. It started to solidify as the emperor in his command center unleashed a punch in the direction of the Emerilians.
The emperor let out an angered roar as he poured more and more power into his body. His fist struck the Mana barrier in front of a flying citadel, only to find that there were layered shields covering not only the flying citadel but all of the attacking forces.
His rage reached new heights as the barrier failed to crack under his punch. He roared again. More power ran through his illusionary body. Rounds smashed against him from the Emerilian side; the Jukal held their fire for fear of hitting their emperor.
Seeing as it was just a projection, the flying citadels disregarded it and fired on the floating islands, bringing another crashing down. Its engines tossed it backward as it flew toward the ground, breaking apart and raining down on the Jukal defenses.
The emperor’s second punch landed on the Mana barrier, making it shudder and change colors. The emperor kicked out at it in frustration, making it shake again as he let out another punch. His fist became solid as he smashed it down on the Mana barrier. The barrier shattered like glass as the emperor let out a satisfied grunt that seemed to stir the air of the sky. His illusionary body started to disintegrate in that same wind.
“No one stops the emperor of the Jukal Empire!” the emperor barked inside the command center, a look of satisfaction on his face as he turned to the commander of his personal forces. “Send out everything we have. We’ll show them my might and wipe them out of existence!”
The commander didn’t even look to the emperor’s uncle, knowing that there was no way to get the emperor to reduce his orders.
***
“Crap. I was hoping that we could just stay out here, hit them at range and distract them.” Deia looked at the entire Jukal defense that was mobilizing. Her words were tinged with worry.
Dave gripped her hand. He, too, was stunned by the power of the projected emperor. With three simple hits, he’d destroyed the combined Mana barrier. It wasn’t their only Mana barrier but it was their strongest one.
“Hit them with every damn ranged weapon we’ve got. We’re prepared for the possibility that it will come down on us in order to defeat the emperor’s forces,” Jung Lee said.
Lox and Deia looked to each other. Lox was still wearing his armor but they nodded to each other, the same idea held in their hearts.
They opened up channels to the Emerilia and Jakan forces. Portal relays, flying citadels, mages, archers, aerial forces—anyone and everyone who could hit the Jukal at range were called to action.
The Jukal, in turn, used all of their weapons: missiles, plasma cannons, light cannons—all of them fired.
“The strength of their weapons is more than I thought it would be.” Dave grimaced.
“What does that mean?” Induca asked.
“It means that our Mana barriers are going to break sooner than we thought,” Malsour said, his voice emotionless and barren.
“We need to make sure that the portals are ready if we need to retreat,” Dave said.
“I’ll help you,” Malsour said.
Dave shared a look with Deia as he and Malsour disappeared. Dave looked to the portals that were arrayed behind the Emerilia and Jakan forces. They quickly gathered mages and people to help them.
“We’ll keep some of them connected to Ice Planet and other places of aid; then, the others, if we angle them up, we can connect them to Gunboat Isle,” Dave yelled. The noise of the fighting made it hard to even hear over party chat.
“Got it!” Malsour said.
They distributed the portals behind their forces and then the mages got the ground to grab the portals, creating supports and pointing them up on an angle. As they finished, the portals connected and missiles tore through the air, bringing more damage down upon the Jukal.
Malsour and Dave worked quickly. A thundering explosion made them duck, looking around before they saw one of the flying citadel’s shields were deflecting under the massive damage as it was brought under fire.
The citadel started to fall apart, the different sections breaking. A surge of power rushed through the citadel as a spell formation solidified in front of the flying citadel. The entire vessel retreated with a burst of speed. Instead of trying to re-establish their shields, they had pushed themselves away from the forces on the ground. The flying citadel crashed into the ground, leaving a deep groove. It finally c
ame to rest after a few moments. The people on the citadel recovered and started firing back at the Jukal, even wounded and no longer able to fly.
Light spells tore through Mana barriers on the ground; artillery landed among the Emerilians and Jakan. Light cannons cut through them in swathes. However, they didn’t charge them but maintained control and continued to hit the Jukal from range.
They had been lucky to not take many losses in this war yet. Now they were being torn apart on the ground while the Jukal emperor’s shield was madly fluctuating.
Dave could already sense the shield that was waiting just behind it.
“Come on, Josh. Kill that fucking toad.” Dave saw an artillery round coming down toward him. Orbs shot out and created a barrier. The artillery round exploded; the force broke the Mana barrier and damaged Dave’s personal barrier, throwing him into the ground.
Dave’s head was ringing as Malsour picked him up.
He looked at the battlefield that had turned into chaos and at the approaching mechas that were nearing the dwarven lines.
It was a sight that he would never forget. Shields and Mana barriers were failing all over the place. There was little that they could do. Malsour and Dave disappeared, reappearing back on the flying citadel that was now wreathed in fire as it unleashed all of its firepower at the Jukal.
Everyone had pulled their weapons out and were circulating their Mana, ready to fight. Bob stood at the center of them, flanked by the members of Party Zero as well as Water, Fire, and Air.
Dave held out his arms. Metal plates appeared around him, joining together to form a new body that was only slightly shorter than Steve’s body. The two of them didn’t stand on the walls but rather hovered between two defensive walls.
In Bob’s hand, a spear formed. His cloak fell away, revealing his wolfkin body and resplendent armor with gray smoke falling off it.
In the air around the flying citadels, the aerial forces waited. Up on the walls, Legendary figures had gathered and stood there in defiance and looked down at the Jukal.
“For Emerilia!” Bob yelled, running and leaping over the crenellations, diving toward the mechas.
“EMERILIA!” Their voices reached up into the sky. Fighters jumped from the walls, the ranged attackers covering them as they charged forward. The aerial force’s voices joined with theirs, the beasts among them letting out their own war cries as they shot downward.
Dragons led the charge from above, with Denur leading them. She combined the power of their attacks into a blast of force that radiated out toward the Jukal. It came in waves. The first cut open armor and tossed those who weren’t ready for it head over heels. The second made the ground rage under the Jukal, turning against them. Moisture in the air turned into raindrops that shot out with enough force to pierce armor while a shimmering shadow made armor rust and those caught outside of armor to wither as if their life force was being drained from them. A golden wave shot through armor, as if ignoring it without cutting through it. People started screaming as it felt as if they were burning from the inside out. A blue wave of concentrated fire caused armor to crackle and pop, melting the faces off the mechas.
Those leading the charge let out their own attacks, the mechas only slightly stunned while those who were on the ground were washed away with the force of the dragons’ combined attacks.
The aerial forces behind the dragons came into range and unleashed their own attacks.
The floating defensive islands sprouted defensive fire as drones shot through the sky, raking the forces in the air. Bodies dropped to the ground below as the aerial forces broke into smaller groups, evading the defensive islands’ fire and hunting down the drones while trying to support those racing toward the Jukal.
Bob let out a shout. His body stretched to the limit before he straightened in one motion as he tossed his spear. It smashed into a mecha, exploding with Mana as another spear appeared in Bob’s hand, shooting into another mecha. Whatever his spear hit, it was destroyed.
“Lo’kal! I thought you had died on that pitiful creation you called Emerilia.” The emperor’s voice rolled through the sky as a projection of his head appeared above the battlefield looking dominating and well, imperious.
“Still hiding in your bunker like a widdle bitch!” Lo’kal laughed. Spears appeared around him and shot out at the mechas.
Mechas started to drop, their barriers and armor unable to stop Bob, who stood in the air like some war god. With a glance, destruction landed on the mechas.
“You dare to lecture me? You, a traitor to your own species? You should cut your own throat!” the emperor bellowed.
“Hah! I tried to keep humanity alive, then my esteemed race turned them into nothing but entertainment. How great is my race,” Bob spat vehemently.
“You! You!” the emperor bellowed. His face turned into a body as he lashed out at Bob.
Bob laughed crazily as he charged up to meet the hundred-meter-tall projection of the emperor. It looked impossible for him to win, nothing more than a hair on the emperor’s body.
Spell formations rotated around Bob, channeling down his fist as he punched out. Mana poured through the formations, then into his arm, a shining gray light solidifying on his hand.
Their fists met. A powerful shock wave rumbled out as the emperor’s body became fainter and Bob was tossed backward.
His arm was destroyed, nothing more than a mangled mess but in front of everyone, it started to reform.
“So, the emperor only equals this?” Bob laughed and charged forward again. The emperor raised his hands, trying to defend as Bob flitted around. His body glowed with power as he lunged at the emperor’s projection.
“Come here!” the emperor said, infuriated as he tried to grab and hit Bob. There was no technique to his movements; he had relied on his position and the power of the AI and his energy reserves to dominate the Jukal Empire.
Now he was a hundred-meter-tall projection. Without any fighting training, he was little match to Bob as he conjured weapons, empowered his body and unleashed attacks in every direction. The emperor’s projection started to fail, only to have a larger surge of energy run through it.
Dave looked at the sight; he wouldn’t be able to do what Bob was doing. The power he showed was unparalleled on Emerilia and capable of contending with the strongest single being in the empire.
Plasma cannon blasts hit the distracted Dave, his body lurching away.
“Time to play a game?” Steve said in a deep voice as they shot through the sky. Streamers appeared around their bodies as they moved at incredible speeds in the air.
Dave gave out wild laughter. The orbs on his body rotated into position; the cannons on his shoulder locked into position as magical formation appeared in front of his hands. Mana blasts poured out from his weaponry. The air distorted under the sea of fire that tore through anything in its path.
Steve let out a roar. His speed increased to new heights. It only took him a few seconds to reach the ground. His axe flashed; light tore out, cutting down those in its way before he smashed into the ground. The ground shook and was hidden in dust from the impact.
A roar filled the air as Steve rushed out, dust breaking over his body as his axe tore out.
Jung Lee let out a crazed laugh as the free Affinity souls poured into this body. He seemed to grow taller; power rolled off him and distorted the very air around him as his hair became longer. Rounds exploded around him as his hand slowly wrapped around his blade. His mouth stretched out into a line, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly, making those who looked upon him shake in fear as they felt their hearts pound. His hair breezed behind him as he shot ahead. He landed on the ground, with his sword flashing out of its scabbard so fast that a gray light shot out with it; as with Steve’s axe, the cutting force sliced through all in its path. Those on the ground were cut apart without time to fight back; the mecha tumbled as they lost their feet.
Jung Lee’s sword flashed in front of him, blocking
the incoming rounds and piercing out. An artillery round in the sky exploded before reaching him as he shot forward. Dust shot up behind him as he left imprints in the ground. He was a vengeful spirit, the calm smile on his face unshaken as he looked at the Jukal as a man who had already seen their death. Blood colored his clothes and fell on his face, his expression not changing in the slightest.
Armor appeared around Fire and Water’s bodies from their elements. They turned into red and blue streaks; their staff and trident moved in patterns to summon powerful spells. Their attacks weren’t flashy and didn’t seem powerful. The entire strength of the spell was wholly contained, only unleashing its might at the moment of impact, tearing those who faced them to nothing.
Mal called upon his demon avatar as he dropped to the ground. A crater formed around him. He clenched his fists and roared into the heavens as lava heeded his call. He truly looked like a demon risen from the bowels of hell as lava shot into the sky.
“Death.” His voice rumbled across the battlefield as he pointed at the Jukal. The lava heeded his call and rushed forth, forming into rune-filled hounds and let out howls that made one’s blood run cold.
Around Deia, red flames turned to blue. Her eyes turned red as her bow’s runes glowed brighter and brighter, turning into actual flames that went from red to blue. The air around her was a series of shock waves as she moved across the sky, her face calm and emotionless as arrow after arrow rained down from the heavens. They seemed to have eyes because they followed their targets as they tried to escape.
Induca and Malsour shot down at the Jukal. Armor swarmed over their bodies, as did runic lines of power as their auras surged; they reached down and cut through those on the ground, their bodies bursting to flames or disintegrating under curses. Their breaths destroyed everything that had the misfortune of being in their path.
Malsour and Induca crashed into several mechas. Their claws tore them apart as their powerful bodies took the impacts of the weapons mounted on the mechas.
A spell appeared around Malsour that made the mechas explode into their components and then rush back together into a ball of junk. The air around Induca surged in temperature, melting the mechas into slag.
Empire Burning (Emerilia Book 11) Page 27