Sovereign of the Ashes

“Legions of more than a hundred thousand Thunderfall World creatures are approaching the outskirts of the fortress. All knights and mages, prepare for battle!”

An ear-splitting announcement echoed throughout the main fortress base of the Thunder Plains.

Sein, along with the other knights and mages in the base, also received a direct battle order from the command center.

Even without the announcement, Sein, who had been supporting the frontline with long-range magic, noticed the shift in the battle dynamics at the very outset.

He had already reduced the frequency of the magic towers’ attacks to conserve energy while maintaining their operational status.

On the west side of the fortress, where Sein was stationed, roughly a hundred thousand Thunderfall World creatures were advancing.

The situation on the east side appeared more dire—it was closer to the main battlefield, and it was estimated that an army of more than two hundred thousand strong might be approaching that area.

Sein was not surprised by the inhabitants of the Thunderfall World dividing their forces to storm the Magus World’s main fortress base.

They clearly could not overpower the Magus World on the frontal battlefield alone, so it was only natural for them to think of alternative strategies to turn the tide of the war.

The strategic importance of the main fortress base to the Magus World Army was undeniable.

It housed a large number of the Magus World’s war resources. If the Thunderfall World forces could deliver a decisive blow here, they would be able to send the Order of the Steel Fist “packing” soon.

The colossal gray space fortress looming above was an asset crucial to Steel Fist, the Rank Four knight.

It was the most valuable asset the Order of the Steel Fist had displayed on the battlefield thus far.

Should this fortress fall from the sky, Steel Fist would likely find himself burdened with a new debt for another thousands of years.

As a Rank Two mage, Sein had no authority over the strategic control of the battlefield. He lacked the right to command the forces at the frontline to return for immediate support.

All Sein could do was muster every ounce of his strength for the upcoming battle to defend the fortress.

At least, he thought, he could try to save his own life.

For now, Sein and the other mages were relatively safe, positioned at the deepest part of the fortress base’s western side.

The ones who would be suffering the most were undoubtedly the legions of enslaved creatures outside the fortress.

This group, which remained within the fortress, was far from elite.

The most capable of the enslaved creatures had already joined the main forces and advanced to the main battlefield.

While not particularly elite, their numbers were substantial.

Many of them had been performing laborious tasks at the base. Now, they were ready to exhaust the last vestiges of their value.

Neither the knights nor mages like Sein held any sympathy for these creatures, who had sold their souls to the Magus World.

Very soon, the advancing native creatures of the Thunderfall World appeared in Sein’s view.

A vast expanse of dark shadows and gray dust signaled the approach of over a hundred thousand creatures charging toward the area.

Despite their rough appearance as remnants of an army previously routed by the Magus Civilization’s main forces, their morale remained impressively high.

Hundreds of surveillance devices flew out from the fortress base, hovering above the battlefield.

Although only a few knight legions remained at the base, a significant number of mages were present.

These mages comprised the entirety of the Order of the Steel Fist’s mage force in this interplanar war.

In the western corner of the fortress alone, there were over a hundred spellcasters, with close to ninety percent being Rank One mages.

Despite their lower ranks, they formed a formidable force, particularly in a defensive battle where their mastery of elemental power would prove more useful than the close-combat skills of knights.

A screen of elemental light materialized before Sein, displaying the attacking creatures of Thunderfall World—predominantly Garths, with other native species in the minority.

Despite their short stature, the Garths exuded a formidable sense of oppression when gathered in large numbers.

Occasionally, a thunderbolt would strike from the sky, imbuing the Garths it touched with an aura that far surpassed their peers.

Sein, who had been closely monitoring the frontline, noticed that the frequency of lightning strikes had significantly exceeded any previously recorded data since the start of the conflict.

Such an anomaly was unlikely to have been caused by the Thunderfall World creatures; it was more likely linked to the unseen influences of opposing Rank Four creatures on the battlefield.

It was unclear what the enslaved creatures stationed outside the fortress thought as they faced such formidable foes.

However, they were not the first to engage; instead, it was Sein and other mages within the fortress who launched the initial attacks.

When the opposing forces were still thousands of meters away, the magic towers to the west of the fortress unleashed beams of elemental light in various colors.

The towers under Sein’s command had previously managed to strike the rear of the main battlefield to the northeast; thus, striking a comparable distance in a different direction was entirely feasible.

Previously, against millions from the Thunderfall World legion, the limited number of mages providing long-range firepower like Sein had only supplemented the main effort.

The tens of thousands of knights and a far greater number of enslaved creatures were the true force that had crushed the Thunderfall World’s elite main army.

Now, facing only about a hundred thousand incoming Thunderfall World creatures, the mages, supported by numerous magic towers, were well-equipped to give these adversaries a hard time!

The combat command center’s decision to not immediately recall the main frontline troops likely stemmed from confidence that the fortress’s defenses were strong enough to withstand the Thunderfall World creatures’ counterattacks.

The first wave of elemental strikes turned the western side of the fortress into a veritable sea of elemental energies.

Although the Thunderfall World creatures had long-range capabilities, they could not match the reach of the Magus World mages.

A vast swath of creatures, including many of Rank One and above, were annihilated under the fierce onslaught of elemental power.

This was merely the first of several waves of magical strikes unleashed from the Magus World’s fortress base.

A second and third wave of magical attacks swiftly followed, each one exacting a heavy toll on the Thunderfall World legions.

It was not until the seventh wave of attacks that the Thunderfall World creatures leading the charge finally neared the heavily fortified base.

The explosive tenacity and willingness of these creatures to lay down their lives had long thwarted the three orders of knights from conquering the plane.

Despite enduring seven consecutive waves of magical bombardment, the Thunderfall World creatures maintained their undiminished fighting spirit as they reached the fortress.

The enslaved creatures, positioned at the forefront of the fortress, surged forward at the knights’ command, clashing fiercely with the advancing enemies.

Meanwhile, the glow of magical elements continued unabated, illuminating the sky above the battlefield.