250. The Rising Helltides

  Hurried boots clattered against the floor. The Empress accelerated her pace through the corridor, her hair dancing wildly behind her.

  Her mind still replayed the moment her future self fell into the abyss. It didn’t make sense. She studied the vision over and over; she was unharmed atop the pile of dead demons, yet her wound had burst with purple flames.

  Her ring vibrated.

  “Nyrethein, report,” she clipped.

  “Empress! It is true! The demons launched their attacks on my capital. I’ve gathered the civilians inside the fortress’s outer walls, but—”

  “They are legions…” Aurora’s jaw tightened. They all saw the vision; thousands of demonic forces crawling through, destroying everything in their path.

  Wave after wave, ceaseless. Just like the tide — the Helltide.

  “I have recalled all of my mages into the inner wall," Nyrethein said firmly. "Arcanite wells are set up to support their mana. The non-combatants will support with logistics and first aid.”

  “We, the Britainians, will defend this place with our last breath. This will be our defence.”

  She was quick to act, already forming a defence strategy. Surely this wasn't Nyrethein’s first siege, and it would not be her last.

  Aurora pondered for a second. “And what of your brother? Is he alright?” Her voice remained unwavering.

  “He’s fine,” Nyrethein drawled, though her tone held a hard edge. “The lousy explosion was no match for Luger. I will make them pay for destroying my throne room—those hideous fools.”

  “Excellent.”

  “Now that you mention it…” Nyrethein’s gaze dropped to the floor. This wasn’t like her at all.

  “Speak.”

  Nyrethein lifted her chin. “How is the Virgo Novitcius?”

  It was Aurora’s turn to snap her face away. “I could only hope… I have left her to rest in the rejuvenation chamber.” A deep exhalation betrayed her worries.

  “I see. Empress, I must go now.”

  Aurora nodded slowly. “Nyrethein, send them back to hell where they belong.”

  “With pleasure.” Nyrethein bowed before her image cut off.

  The sudden quietness crept into her heart, and she chuckled at the fire of passion burning within her. It was the first time she felt challenged. Her fingers twitched.

  Aurora found herself at the heavy door that separated her from her ultimate weapon. With a resolute step, she entered. The door gave way with a high-pitched creak.

  With a flick of her hand, the Phoros barrier disappeared.

  “Come, Essenceborn. You must free me from the bind.” Thanatos’s voice echoed in a frigid tone. “It is inevitable.”

  Her hand extended to her maximum reach, fingers hovering over the purple sword.

  “I’ve been wielding this power since I was a mere child.”

  I knew it. If Thanatos was capable of rebelling from the start, he could have unbound himself. The stark evidence that he couldn’t means he was just testing me.

  Aurora gripped the handle. “This is a test of my will, my destiny.”

  She drew the blade and pointed the tip skyward. A gust of wind blew around her, causing her hair and cloak to dance eerily.

  “Freed at last.” The blade chimed, his voice brimming with rejoicing.

  “So…” A rumbling sound emitted from the blade, and Aurora inspected it, turning it over. It looked identical to before. This was indeed her absolute.

  “Demons, is it?” Thanatos sent out a deep chuckle.

  Drifting, mesmerising shapes loomed at the edge of the horizon.

  Legions of demonic forces in various sizes and forms marched through the forest ground. Trees tumbled and bushes flattened; the Helltide crushed everything in its path.

  Arrays of war cannons were dragged by large brutes standing four metres tall. Warhorns blew in the distance, followed by bellowing orders.

  “So it’s all true… The prophecy… Everything…”

  Nyrethein perked her chest, standing with her mages atop the fortress wall. This side alone spread over a two-kilometre span. The wind howled, rushing through her hair and swaying it from side to side.

  Her sharp gaze locked on the enemy force creeping through the north forest with sheer intensity. She had no intention to be lenient. Far from it. Soon, they would realise how strong her conviction was.

  “Nyrethein…” Stephen joined her side, one of his arms hanging from a sling.

  “Brother, you should rest now,” Nyrethein chided. “Must I remind you that you aren’t an arcanist?”

  “How could I sit by and watch my people shed their blood and tears to protect my hide? This is the least I can do. I must stand with them, especially in the face of the Helltides.”

  “Suit yourself, Brother.” Nyrethein’s voice softened. “Don’t perform any stunts now, please. I almost thought I lost you then…”

  “Did you really?” Stephen chuckled.

  She curled her lips down, not finding it amusing.

  Her long fingernail pointed at the enemy force. “We will not go without casualties. They have been crawling like infested cockroaches. How repulsive.”

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  “It’s time for Britainians to prove their courage once more,” Stephen said, puffing out his chest with pride. His calm expression was a clear indication that he believed in his citizens.

  Let me be the witness.

  To his sides, the arcanists lined up in two rows, spreading atop the high wall. Deep frowns were etched across their visages, but every single one of them remained unshaken.

  They had trained for this moment. They readied their staffs, clinking them against the stone walls. The orderly, harmonious shuffle echoed through the wall.

  “Barrier up!” Nyrethein bellowed.

  With practised movement, they weaved mana from the Arcanite wells and fuelled it into their staffs.

  “Phoros!”

  They chanted thunderously. The air vibrated erratically with power as the mana reformed into glimmering barriers that slowly encircled the full length of the wall.

  On the north-east side of town, civilians rushed through the main gate. Some had tattered clothes, some had blood on their garments. But their pale faces told the same story — they were terrified.

  It was pure chaos. People pushed and shoved against one another with force in order to retreat to safety. The gates just weren't big enough for this volume of people to get through at once. Their desperate crying and shouting echoed from the masses.

  One lady held out her baby to the sky, hoping for someone to rescue him.

  “To the inner keep! That way!”

  Luger stood atop the wall, pointing in the direction. His loud voice guided the disoriented crowds.

  A small boy looked left and right, his brows knitted, until his figure was lost in the frantic surges of the incoming crowd. A man tripped over him, sending the kid sprawling.

  “Little one! Out of the way!” Luger bellowed as he jumped down. His large frame plunged through the tide of people. Eventually, he spotted the little boy curled up on the floor, his clothes stained the colour of dirt.

  “Are you injured, little one?” He reached out to help the boy to his feet.

  “N~No… My mother,” the boy said, clasping his arm.

  “You must go, save yourself!” Luger commanded, scanning his small frame. There were no signs of injury.

  Luger poked his head up from the rushing newcomers. “Hear me, hear me! To the inner keep! We are under siege!” He turned and waved his arms overhead.

  “Go now!” he urged, lightly tapping the boy’s back. “Now!”

  The alarm horn sounded, reeling Luger’s head. It was coming from the top of the wall.

  “Enemies! The demons!”

  Worse, the crowds went wild. Their screams filled the street; their erratic footsteps thundered against the ground.

  Luger rushed through and scaled the wall. With frantic strides, he reached the edge. The crowd was thinner now, but black smoke and fires spread across the outer town.

  A shrieking scream erupted on the street. A red-skinned brute with a horn chased a couple with its cleaver. The dark iron glinted against the afternoon light.

  “A stray, I see.”

  Raising two fingers, Luger mustered his mana. The air froze over, and a spiral shard of ice formed.

  “Cryomax!” he chanted, guiding his projectile with mastery.

  The shard shot out and pierced the air, followed by a howling shriek.

  A deep gurgling sound ensued shortly as his attack punctured the demonic brute’s throat. The cleaver slipped out of its big hands, and its entire body slumped to the floor.

  “TO THE KEEP! NOW!” one of the sentry mages shouted, waving his hands to the rescued couple.

  As the big crowds dispersed and the last group made their way through the gate, Luger scanned the streets once more. His fingers tapped on the wall fence; time was running out.

  The newcomers sat near the wall, breathless, sweat drenching their garments. They coughed hard while the guards checked on their condition. They received water and supplies before the guards directed them to where they needed to be.

  “Seal the gate!” Luger commanded the female mage. She froze as screams of agony still echoed from the distance.

  “Sir?” She frowned.

  “Now!” he ordered.

  With a reluctant nod, she cast her telekinesis spell. The heavy gate creaked and flung shut, sealing out the wails.

  Luger bared his fangs with guilt, but this was war. He must carry out the Celestius’s orders without fail. He served a higher purpose — to save those who could still be saved.

  “Sir Lunarius!” a young man shouted.

  Pivoting on his feet, Luger spun to spot a group of young men dragging Arcanite wells through the chaotic crowds. The glowing pillars were strapped onto wheels, the men heaving with loud grunts.

  “Where would you like us to put it?” the young man asked.

  “Over there! Next to the east wall!” Luger pointed at the guard post.

  “Understood!” He nodded before jogging back to his crew to fulfil their task.

  Distorted light cast dancing shadows on the ground.

  “HA!” Luger rejoiced, his tail wagging.

  His joy lasted a mere second as a ball of metal arched through the sky and collided with the shimmering barrier.

  An ear-bleeding shatter followed, and a massive gap appeared at the upper side of the barrier. The battle cry of the demons seeped in, taking hold of the hearts of men.

  The metal ball slammed into the ground, the kinetic energy rolling and bouncing it a few times, leaving wide craters in the street.

  Luger frowned at the ball, his ears twitching. Something isn’t right, he thought.

  The steaming metal shell cracked open, and imp demons rushed out. Their ugly giggling filled the square as their red eyes sought out targets.

  One demon bolted toward a woman, its jagged teeth bared.

  “Enemies Breached!” Luger shouted, his legs already sprinting. The other sentry mages followed.

  As the imp leapt, Luger slammed his fist, intercepting it mid-air. It heaved, eyes jutting.

  “Die! Critter!” He stomped his boot, the skull crushing with a sickening crunch.

  “AHH!” The woman screamed in terror, crawling away.

  “Go now! All civilians—Evacuate!” Luger roared at the lingering crowds. They hauled their friends and kept moving.

  In the background, mages shot ice shards, cutting off demon limbs; another employed an ice burst, freezing an enemy in place before shooting it down with a projectile. The impact shattered it into chunks of frozen meat.

  “Lunarius! The Celestius calls for you, sir!” a mage said, pointing at the battlefront. Simultaneously, the shimmering barrier reformed and strengthened again.

  “Got it! I can trust you to be safe, right?” he bellowed back, his voice rising.

  “Yes, sir!” The sentry mages saluted in a crisp pose, their eyes focused and filled with resolve.

  Wrecking balls hurled at the barrier, causing flashes of light. Muffled explosions erupted in the distance.

  “Hades!”

  This time, the barrier held, yet Luger knew it wouldn’t last forever. He sprinted, racing against time. With his Animori strength, he leapt up the stairs and made his way through the walkways. His armour clanked, rustling against his fur.

  “Out of the way!” he bellowed, passing through the sentry mages. His boots clattered against the stones, louder and faster as his pace increased.

  The walkway arched to the north, and the dark, shifting horizon came into view.

  “Holy… Gaia…” The inaudible gasp escaped his lips, his ears pulling back sharply. The Helltide was already knocking on their walls; their bombardment raged on. Some explosions shattered portions of the wall, sending their minions inside.

  Luger’s jaw hung wide at the scale of it; this was beyond his comprehension. This was no longer the demonic infestation he was aware of. This was truly something else.

  Their demonic troops — war cannons, armoured juggernauts, lycanthropes — were a mere hundred metres away. Their march sent tremors through the ground; loose rocks vibrated on the stone. Luger could feel it through his boots.

  The massive barrier held and regenerated as long as the mages weaved their staffs. However, it just occurred to him that it was a one-sided war; he couldn’t sense any attack from the Britainian side.

  “What’s going on?” he murmured.

  Then it became clear in his mind, and his grin widened.