novelraw Chapter 937: War has Begun (1)
Chapter 937: War has Begun (1)
Chapter 937
With every step he took, the clouds overhead rumbled again and again.
The sky even went as far as darkening prematurely, as if a catastrophic storm was rapidly approaching.
The three Generals looked toward the firmament with apprehensive expressions, their earlier confidence momentarily flickering.
All the horses the men rode began to neigh in unison at the sudden, violent turbulence in the atmosphere.
The beasts cried out at once, their instincts flaring as if a primordial demon had already descended upon them all.
The soldiers themselves, however, didn’t appear frightened in the least.
There was nobody in the surrounding territories who didn’t know exactly who Kael was.
His reputation had spread far and wide, growing even more legendary after Grey had originally disappeared.
During that time, Kael had traveled from city to city, even sneaking into rival Kingdoms in his desperate search for the Supreme Magus.
His moniker as the "Lunaria Demon" had traveled too far to be ignored.
But what the men were calculating at the moment—as they saw Kael halt his movements roughly two meters away from the Generals—was the simple reality that there was undeniable power in numbers.
No matter how formidable Kael or the teenagers atop the wind bird were, the army believed they were bound to fall eventually.
These figures weren’t in mere hundreds; this wasn’t one thousand, five thousand, or even seven, but ten thousand men strong, bolstered by three Generals with power that could arguably surpass even Kael himself.
Even if backup was currently en route, the squad might still perish unless the Emperor himself decided to descend—which was an outcome they considered very much impossible.
"I will give you all one last chance," Kael began, his voice cutting through the air as the rumbling died down for a brief, heavy moment.
He gazed at the vast sea of men before him.
"Turn back now before you lose soldiers that should be useful in protecting your own Kingdom."
The bald-headed man snarked at the mage’s warning, unimpressed.
"You should be the one heading back, Lunaria Demon."
"...."
Kael exhaled deeply, his head shaking slowly for a moment in disappointment. "Alright."
Crack—! BOOOOM—!
The entire sky turned pitch black, with violent streaks of lightning racing through the former white surface of the clouds.
Bolts of electricity slammed into the ground like torrential rain, each strike scorching the earth beyond all imagination.
Given how close this phenomenon was to their position, the three Generals calmly steered their steeds to the side, choosing to observe what Kael would do from the sidelines for the time being.
Another bolt crashed directly into Kael from above.
When the blinding light finally dimmed, a jagged, electrical demonic mask had appeared over his face.
With the next strike, an armor of arcing blue lightning materialized across his torso, followed by a pair of lightning boots that sat snugly upon his feet.
Finally, a blade composed of pure electricity fitted into his palm as if it had always belonged there.
The enemy soldiers all shifted, leaning forward on the backs of their horses while glaring intensely at Kael.
Their hands began churning and swirling with various magical energies, primed and ready to explode toward their target.
....
Scarlet stared at her comrades and, without a single moment of hesitation, leaped down from the wind bird.
"Let’s go back Kael up!"
Greg jumped down immediately after her, followed closely by Jay.
This left Raze alone with Arthur and Vanica atop the construct.
"Come on," Raze urged, his voice tight with focus as he guided the wind bird higher into the sky.
He moved them not so high that they would be unable to witness the unfolding carnage, but still at an altitude sufficient to protect them from any stray projectiles or spells as they hovered over the hostile host.
"Why aren’t we jumping down?" Arthur asked, a tense, frustrated look etched onto his face as he gripped the edge of the wind bird.
Raze watched in silence as Scarlet, Greg, and Jay rushed forward with terrible velocity, hoping to reach Kael’s side in time for the first collision.
The Generals stood aside, choosing to remain spectating from their steeds.
Raze thought for a moment before offering a measured reply.
"This way, you guys won’t be harmed, and you can heal or protect the others respectively from this vantage point."
He paused, considering the logistics before adding,
"... And I need to be here in order to control the bird and steer it away from any projectiles that might be heading your way. I can also launch attacks from up here too. I don’t need to be on the frontlines to be effective."
Vanica nodded, acknowledging his logical points.
However, Arthur still had something to say. Alas! He couldn’t voice his concerns because the war had officially begun.
"ATTACK!" the cracked-toothed General shouted with sudden vigor.
— HIYAH!
All the men roared at once, a cacophony of screams rolling over the plain while Kael stood there unmoving.
His sword, armor, boots, and mask crackled with lethal intent as he watched the army chant their various war cries.
With one final scream, the soldiers sent their horses charging forward at full speed, managing to maintain their balance while standing atop the steeds’ backs.
Kael’s eyes remained cool and collected as Scarlet, Jay, and Greg finally reached his position, their elemental affinities blazing around their hands, ready to be unleashed.
Hooves pounded against the parched ground like a steady, rhythmic drum.
Dust clouds were kicked up with every charge, and within mere seconds, the vanguard was upon the measly squad of mages.
Without hesitation, the enemy rained down a volley of strikes at the teenagers.
Wind blades screamed toward them at deadly velocity.
Earth spikes and even a mixture of string magic whooshed through the air.
However, the teens didn’t flinch as they stared at the onslaught heading their way.
Arthur, watching from above, clenched his jaws and clasped his hands together with desperate intensity.
A shimmering bubble appeared around the group down below, covering them from head to toe like a protective dome.
Bam—! BOOOM—!
The attacks collided with the bubble with a resounding force that shook the very earth the mages stood upon.
Cracks spider-webbed across the ground as the teens held their position.
The barrage kept pummeling the barrier, relentlessly trying to shatter the defense.
Arthur was seen trembling, his hands quivering and teeth tightly gritted as he refused to let the shield fail.
No matter how much mana he poured into the construct, cracks still began appearing across its surface.
Kael observed the barrier with a steady, clinical gaze.
Finally, the entire shield exploded like brittle glass, and Arthur’s hands were flung back in pain.
The moment the protection fell, the Generals grinned for a brief second.
Then—
Crackle—!
"Keep up!"
BOOOM—!
Kael had already exploded forward, charging headfirst to meet the ten thousand men before they could reach his comrades.