Chapter 619:God Fights,Mortal Suffer
Chapter 619: 619:God Fights,Mortal Suffer
A few days later, all the noble families of the Empire had finally gathered within the enormous military encampments established near the border regions, and the scale of the gathering was so massive that even Ethan could not help but feel slightly impressed when he looked across the endless sea of soldiers stretching far beyond what the eye could easily see.
Everywhere banners fluttered beneath the cold wind while army after army marched across the vast training grounds in disciplined formations, and nobles from every corner of Arcadia stood alongside their personal forces waiting for further orders while countless officers moved back and forth organizing supplies, assigning positions, and preparing for the coming war.
The atmosphere felt heavy.
Everyone understood that this battle would determine the future of the Empire.
Upon the massive platform overlooking the training grounds, Crown Prince Haster finally appeared dressed in dark golden battle armor while a group of elite royal knights followed closely behind him, and the moment he stepped onto the platform, millions of eyes immediately turned toward him.
"Greetings, Your Highness!"
The voices of countless soldiers, nobles, and knights echoed together across the training grounds.
Haster slowly raised one hand in acknowledgement.
Then his gaze swept across the enormous crowd below.
His expression remained serious.
"Everyone, our Empire has been established for over five hundred years."
His voice carried across the entire field through magical amplification.
"As an Empire, we are still considered young, and that is exactly why the other Empires have never truly taken us seriously."
His eyes gradually sharpened.
"A few years ago, we made a pact with the four major Empires to jointly attack the Demon Alliance, which eventually led to the Great Demonic War, and during that war Arcadia shed blood alongside them while our soldiers died beside theirs and our people sacrificed everything for the alliance."
His voice became colder.
"But now those same Empires have shamelessly betrayed the alliance treaty and invaded our lands while attempting to carve apart our homeland like vultures feeding upon a wounded beast."
A wave of anger immediately spread through the crowd.
Many soldiers clenched their fists.
Many nobles lowered their heads.
Haster took a step forward.
"Now the Empire faces a life-or-death situation, and the enemy believes Arcadia is weak."
"They believe we can no longer fight."
"They believe we will kneel."
His voice suddenly thundered across the training grounds.
"So tell me..."
"Do you dare to join me in facing the enemy?"
For a brief moment...
Silence filled the entire field.
Then the soldiers erupted.
"Fight!"
"We’ll fight to death for our land!"
"Fight!"
"Fight!"
"Fight!"
Millions of voices merged together into a deafening roar while fighting spirit surged into the sky.
Even Ethan could feel the atmosphere becoming heated.
After the mobilization ended, Haster immediately issued the next order.
The super-sized military teleportation gates leading toward the border activated one after another while enormous waves of magical energy flooded the surroundings, and one by one the armies began moving through the gates in orderly formations.
Knight orders.
Imperial legions.
Noble troops.
Support forces.
All of them marched toward the battlefield.
Several hours later they finally arrived in Ontario Province, one of Arcadia’s major border regions.
The province directly bordered the territories of Xylos Empire.
After a day of rest and final preparations, the support army merged with the frontline forces.
Then under Emperor Alaster’s direct command Arcadia launched a full-scale invasion into Xylos territory.
The moment Ethan heard the orders, he almost thought he had misheard something.
"What the fuck is going on?"
He genuinely could not understand the situation.
Weren’t they currently being pressured by the alliance from all directions?
Why were they suddenly attacking Xylos instead?
From Ethan’s perspective...
This looked like complete suicide.
However, as the operation unfolded, he quickly realized there was far more preparation behind it than he initially expected.
The Crown Prince had gathered an overwhelming amount of power.
Saint-level experts personally participated in the assault.
Almost every Duke had arrived.
The heads of the major noble clans had also joined.
The Empire had concentrated nearly all of its strongest forces into one devastating strike.
The objective was simple.
Destroy the enemy before they could react.
The moment the attack began, the battlefield descended into complete chaos.
Massive magical attacks continuously rained from the skies while Saint-level experts clashed above the battlefield like living disasters, and every collision between them sent shockwaves rolling across the land while fortifications collapsed and mountains trembled beneath the pressure.
The border defenses of Xylos immediately came under tremendous pressure.
Meanwhile Ethan was assigned to the second line of command alongside the Divine Knights.
His mission was straightforward.
Intercept the enemy Divine Knights.
And that was exactly what he did.
Throughout the battle, Ethan personally fought against eight Divine Knights while the clashes repeatedly shook the battlefield.
Explosions erupted one after another.
Sword energy tore through the skies.
Powerful shockwaves spread across the battlefield.
Yet despite all of this, Ethan remained surprisingly restrained.
He focused almost entirely on defense.
He blocked incoming attacks.
He intercepted enemy movements.
He delayed their advances.
He tied down powerful opponents.
Several opportunities to kill appeared before him, but Ethan intentionally allowed other Arcadian experts to finish the enemies instead.
The less attention he attracted right now...
The better.
The battle continued for hours and eventually stretched into days.
Then after nearly a week of continuous warfare, shocking news spread throughout the frontlines.
Several Saints of Xylos had fallen.
The morale of Arcadia immediately skyrocketed.
Meanwhile the border fortress itself had been reduced to ruins.
Large sections of the walls had collapsed.
The defensive formations had shattered.
The once mighty fortress looked more like a graveyard than a military stronghold.
Then a new order arrived.
Advance.
Push deeper into Xylos territory.
Ethan was among the commanders leading troops through the conquered lands.
However, as his forces marched through the ruined regions, the excitement of victory slowly faded from his heart.
His expression gradually became heavier.
Because everywhere he looked...
There were bodies.
Bodies littered the roads.
Bodies filled collapsed villages.
Bodies remained trapped beneath shattered buildings.
Bodies lay scattered across ruined fields while dried blood stained the ground dark red.
The smell of death lingered everywhere.
Ethan had witnessed battlefields before.
But what disturbed him most was not the fallen soldiers.It was the civilians.
Families who had never held weapons.
Children who had never understood war.
Old men and women who simply happened to live near the border.
Many of them had died during the bombardments caused by the battles between powerful experts.
Entire villages had been erased.
The destruction stretched for miles.
Beside him, Noel slowly looked around while his expression became heavy.
"My Lord... this..."
His voice trailed off.
Even he could not find the proper words.
Randall, wearing his black armor, quietly observed the ruined landscape before speaking in a low voice.
"This is what happens when the strong fight."
His voice carried bitterness.
"When the gods fight, it’s the mortals that suffer."