Southern and Eastern Borders
"Have the barbarian troops taken any action?" David asked, his expression relaxing as he gazed at Roy Valha, who stood before him clad in silver-white armor.
"Indeed, Lord Duke. According to our reports, there are approximately five hundred thousand to one million troops being led by the second general of the Savaran Empire, Don," Roy explained in meticulous detail to David.
He then fell silent, awaiting his command.
David's expression remained impassive upon hearing this information, but a slight quirk of his eyebrows revealed his interest.
"Ah, Don is leading this war, then?" David's lips curled into a faint smile as he processed the news.
Don, the second of the four great generals in the Savaran Empire, was renowned for his formidable power at the high elemental saint level.
In previous battles, David and Noah had clashed with the four great generals of the Savaran Empire, among whom Don held a prominent position.
However, due to the extraordinary might of David and Noah, the four major generals suffered a crushing defeat.
The situation grew so dire that the Savaran Emperor himself had to intervene.
He dispatched two of the three elite special forces units he had trained.
Each member of these units boasted power equivalent to that of a high-level elemental saint.
Their intervention was necessary to rescue the four generals, who teetered on the brink of death at the hands of David and Noah.
"Is he audacious enough to possess such confidence, even knowing that I stand as a guardian at the border?" David chuckled contemplatively.
But Roy's countenance abruptly contorted, hinting at his desire to convey additional information.
"Is there something further you wish to share?" David, detecting this anomaly, inquired with his usual nonchalance.
Roy assented with a nod, proceeding to elaborate, "According to the reports we've received, General Don embarked on this campaign accompanied by three enigmatic figures shrouded in robes. The aura emanating from each of them is exceedingly potent."
"Estimations place their strength at the threshold of the high-level elemental saint tier," Roy explained, his expression tinged with concern.
It wasn't that he doubted Duke David's capability to handle the situation, but the amalgamation of four formidable entities at the high-level elemental saint tier wielded an overwhelming and disconcerting power.
Upon hearing this, David offered a faint smile, choosing not to reply.
He had remained relatively inactive for quite some time, causing certain individuals to forget the fierceness that once defined him—a reputation that had earned him the moniker "Fire God."
Beyond the boundaries of the two empires, his renown extended across the entirety of the human continent.
His title, along with the formidable power that substantiated it, had left an indelible mark on the collective consciousness—a living testament to his prowess, exemplified by his mastery over elemental fire, which had incinerated a hundred thousand Savaran troops.
"It appears that the time is ripe to resurrect that appellation," David murmured softly before rising from his seat.
His crimson robe, adorned with a blazing fire motif, exuded an intense air of authority, and his gaze swiftly turned razor-sharp.
"Summon all the troops stationed across the two primary regions. Prepare for battle!" David's command resonated with majestic force, filling the room.
Roy, upon hearing this directive, nodded resolutely.
"As you command!" Without hesitation, he lowered his head, rose to his feet, and departed the room, leaving David alone amidst its confines, his countenance devoid of emotion.
"Whoosh!" With a swift rush of air, the room's atmosphere trembled as a butler materialized, followed closely by ten cloaked figures whose features remained veiled from view.
"Greetings, Duke," the butler offered with a deferential bow, while the ten cloaked figures behind him mirrored the gesture in perfect unison.
"Have you successfully assembled the shadow army, Butler?" David inquired with his customary detachment.
Upon hearing this question, the butler didn't hesitate and proceeded to provide a detailed explanation.
"I have successfully gathered all the shadow troops scattered across the five empires and one kingdom. Every member stands ready, awaiting your command, Duke," the butler conveyed solemnly.
True to its name, the shadow army stood as a meticulously honed, specialized force forged under David's guidance, harnessing every resource within its grasp.
From the potency of eight elemental circles to the pinnacle of high-level elemental saints, the array of power contained within this force encompassed a vast spectrum.
The unfathomable might wielded by this far-reaching assembly, which had disseminated across the vast expanse of the human continent, defied comprehension.
Guided by the butler in the capacity of its chief commander, the shadow army operated in coordination with ten individuals who assumed the pivotal roles of its primary generals.
Their strengths resided within the realm of middle- to high-elemental saint levels.
Upon hearing this report, David nodded in satisfaction and promptly issued instructions to the butler.
"Organize the troops and deploy a contingent to assist in the ongoing conflict with the Savaran Empire. Focus on our ultimate objective," he directed, his gaze penetrating the butler.
"Understood! As per your command!" With that affirmation, the butler swiftly vanished from David's presence, trailed by his ten assembled generals.
David's attention shifted upward, drawn to the window, where he stared at the expanse of clear sky outside.
"It all commenced from this point, and my final ambition centers on the subjugation of the Balkan Empire," he muttered icily.
"As for the Savaran Empire, it's but a transient chapter—an empire that I shall raze to the ground!"
Suddenly, flames materialized around his form, seemingly erupting from thin air.
In an instant, he vanished, leaving behind smoldering embers that adorned the room.
...
Imperial Capital
"Oh, has everything started?" Emperor Alex stood comfortably in the imperial garden, reading the golden letter in his hand with a slightly smiling expression.
"I didn't expect that everything would be really faster than I expected, and it seems that David has also started to launch an attack." He muttered and then closed the letter and put it into the golden envelope.
After that, he put the envelope into the pocket of his golden robe and looked up at the large statue before him.
"It has been more than ten years, and I will definitely keep my promise to you." His perennially detached gaze carried a nuanced undertone of nostalgia as he regarded the imposing statue before him—a monument of his own likeness, painstakingly sculpted by his late wife, Empress Balka.
Immediately, he retracted his gaze and then spoke.
"Butler, order General Alvert to send the prepared troops to the border." Her indifferent voice sounded a little harsh.
"As you command." Suddenly, there was an old man's voice that echoed around the garden.
After giving the order, Emperor Alex then walked out in the direction of the garden with a nonchalant expression.
...
The Border of Two Empires, the Ancient Badlands
"Boom! Boom!" The resonant thud of foot stomping reverberated with unusual intensity, filling the air around it.
The assembled troops, composed primarily of robust men donning sturdy black armor and wielding formidable weapons, cast an aura of tension that felt unusually palpable.
What intensified the atmosphere were the profoundly grim expressions etched upon the faces of these men, hinting at the trails of human lives they had likely left in their wake.
"Hu! Hu!" Mighty cries erupted from the mounted soldiers, mingling with the rhythmic pounding of their steeds' hooves, the collective clamor echoing outward.
Leading the troops stood four commanding figures, seemingly poised as the paramount leaders of the entire force.
Among them were three enshrouded in black cloaks, while the fourth was a brawny man bearing burns that marred both his cheeks and neck.
The brawny individual sported an aura that exuded ferocity and malevolence, as if the accumulation of lives he had extinguished had melded into a shroud of somber armor.
"Can you truly assure your aid in my conflict against David?" The brawny man questioned him, his pitch-black eyes shadowed beneath a deep-set brow.
A long, iron spear rested on his back.
Before him stood the three black-cloaked figures—none other than Don, one of the four illustrious generals of the Savaran Empire.
In response to the query, one of the three figures enshrouded in cloaks answered with indifferent brevity.
"Fear not, for united in our triad, we possess the assurance to confront David Asvold," one of the cloaked figures stated nonchalantly.
Don inclined his head, comprehending their self-assured response.
He was aware that these three figures held the distinction of being the emperor's specialized generals, dispatched directly to his aid.
In short order, he led the assembled troops toward the heart of the Badlands—a region central to the terrain and the boundary shared by the two empires.
"They too have arrived, haven't they?" Don swiftly raised his right hand, prompting the half-million-strong contingent to halt in unison, their movements governed by his command.
Don fixed his gaze upon the army of the Balka Empire, under the command of a middle-aged man none other than Roy Valha.
"Would you kindly introduce yourself?" Don's voice boomed, overshadowing Roy's demeanor of indifference.
"I am Roy Valha, the leader of the esteemed Luvic family Valha and the chief general overseeing the southern region." His voice rang out with a pride that reverberated through the ranks of both armies.
Elevated to the mid-level elemental saint tier, Roy radiated an unmistakable air of self-assuredness.
Upon hearing Roy's introduction, Don's brows furrowed and his thoughts clouded with uncertainty before he remembered that the Valha family was a potent military lineage that had lent support to David's forces during previous conflicts.
"I understand..." Don nodded faintly, shifting his focus back to Roy Valha.
"Your courage is commendable, yet if it were solely you, breaking through your forces would be a simple task." Don's arrogantly uttered proclamation reverberated, swiftly succeeded by the surging eruption of a high-level elemental saint's aura enveloping his being.
In tandem, the aura of the cloaked figures beside him surged wildly, generating an intense atmospheric disturbance across the desolate terrain.
"Advance!" Don raised his massive spear, issuing the command.
"Hu!" The collective roar of the barbarian army reverberated, their unified charge executed with unwavering precision against Roy's forces.
"Prepare for battle, soldiers! Charge!" Roy's commanding voice rang out, his mid-level elemental saint aura radiating outward.
"For the empire, advance!" The responsive roar from Roy's ranks resounded with fervor, each voice charged with excitement.
Swiftly, the two armies advanced, their momentum culminating in a violent collision.
"Boom!"
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