Explosions of fire erupted around the city, chaos rupturing the iron will that had previously been established.
This was the reality of war.
Allowing the people of Auroria to believe that war would be a simple task that they could simply cheer on was only a fantasy. Lives would be lost, families would be torn apart, relationships would be fractured.
Screams echoed all around me, the wind rustling my hair as Ares came shooting right at me like a comet. His speed was incredible, something that came as no surprise given his rank. But it was nowhere near Amelia's speed.
I electrified my body, sidestepping the attack with the enhanced velocity given to me by my lightning. Smoke covered the city of Thorria, civilians sprinting in all directions below us as I met Ares's gaze.
No words were shared, both of us understanding the positions we found ourselves in. Being friendly with each other was no longer a luxury we could afford, our bodies becoming living weapons designed to fight for our nation's freedom.
I was well aware that I couldn't beat Ares one on one without Integrate, but fending him off was definitely within reach. My soldiers knew their roles, all of them zipping across buildings as they ignited rooftops and the streets below.
I would carry their sins. They were simply following orders, knowing full well that innocent civilians were being caught in the blasts. That being said, they knew why we were doing this. I had given each and every soldier under my direct command to choose whether or not they wanted to participate in this first operation, and yet all of them had agreed to take part in it immediately.
I refocused my attention on my adversary, ignoring the wails of horror and the constant crashing of buildings ringing around me.
Ares clearly understood the gravity of the situation. An entire dragon battalion had managed to infiltrate Schild's borders and make it all the way to the capital without being detected. Now all he could do was witness the attack firsthand as he attempted to take down the leader: me.
Ares suddenly appeared above me, bringing his spear down onto my head. I narrowly avoided the attack, redirecting all the lightning into my weapon as bolts of blue lightning crackled around the blade.
Ares immediately rose a pillar of stone in between us, stopping the strike. He knew his weapon would simply conduct the lightning, meaning a direct block was a one-way street towards defeat.
The pillar suddenly shattered, small bits of stone shooting at me as I tumbled back.
"Gah!" I coughed, blood spilling out from my mouth. Even knowing how powerful my opponent was, I had still managed to somehow underestimate his abilities. I felt the gaze from a few of my soldiers, the dragons sensing the irregularity in their leader's state.
Alarms blared all around me, signaling the maximum level of alert. I could sense the Dwarven armies flooding out onto the streets, all of them hunting down the intruders.
I dashed at Ares at full speed, managing to get past him before his eyes could process my movement.
"!!"
BOOM
A massive explosion of fire sent Ares shooting back, but I could immediately tell the S-rank was mostly unharmed from the direct attack. He dug his spear into the building, slowing his speed as he grinned with satisfaction.
"It seems like you had us all fooled, Jay," he muttered, amused at his own deception. "I never thought the young boy in the dungeon had power similar to that of an S-rank."
I remained silent, simply pulling out Phoenix from a newly-created rift as I equipped it in my other hand.
Ares understood my lack of response, re-engaging as he leaped towards me. The S-rank was clearly not using his full power, but it wasn't out of mercy or hesitation. My instincts told me our current battlefield prohibited Ares from really going all out, his full force likely too destructive to be used within city grounds.
As long as he was holding back, I had a shot.
Three other spears made out of rock appeared above Ares, the weapons following his movements as he shot his arm out towards me.
The lances shot at me with blinding speed, my body reacting immediately as I jumped back.
BOOM
The three projectiles slammed into the roof of the building, missing their target.
"What the fuck is that speed-" I muttered, my voice cutting as a sharp pain burst from my left shoulder.
"!!"
I clenched my teeth in pain as the smoke cleared from the blast, a fourth stone spear impaled right through my body becoming visible.
Ares sensed that he had hit his target, lunging towards his weakened opponent to end the fight.
I ripped out the weapon from my shoulder, waves of pain shooting through my body as I felt my arm go numb. My eyes widened immediately, noticing the incoming strike as I stomped the ground.
Ice erupted around me as Ares's feet became encased in ice, stopping his movement. I slashed downwards with my working arm, a trail of flames following Phoenix's path as it came into direct contact with Ares's defensive stance.
Time's up, I thought as I ignited my palm with a mix of fire and water, steam surrounding the area as I leaped back.
We're retreating, I ordered my troops, all of them reacting to their new order immediately. I had managed to gain a few minutes stalling Ares, but I had reached my limit.
Next time, I wouldn't let my guard down. I had gotten used to my fights with Amelia, and it was time I understood that this was no longer taking place inside a practice court.
The smoke cleared, Ares's eyes widening in horror as he turned around. Thorria was engulfed in flames, panicked screams ringing his ears as he saw the numerous Dwarven soldiers dragging lifeless bodies out of the rubble.
He sighed, realizing how far behind he had really been. His opponent had managed to play the role of an innocent child who happened to get caught up in the intricacies of diplomatic war, allowing him to enter the most fortified city in all of Auroria.
An attack from inside one's own walls. It was something no nation was ever prepared for, and the kingdom of Schild was now in chaos. Ares knew the main Dwarven forces were already placed south to attack the Dragon armies, but the sudden appearance of an enemy so close to the capital was bound to force a few battalions to return to Thorria immediately.
"So it was all planned out from the very beginning, huh?" muttered Ares in disbelief, leaping off the building to assist his own troops.
The Kingdom of Schild was surrounded by large mountains spanning thousands of mels. Even if this could be seen as a military advantage, it allowed us to hide right underneath the Dwarves' noses.
I stumbled behind my troops as two of them supported me, helping me into the massive cave that had been molded together using earth bind.
I turned around, my eyes gazing at the tornado of pitch-black smoke wafting through the air above Thorria as I closed the entrance of the tunnel with a flick of my hand.
This is all we can do, I thought to myself, my mind drifting towards Asthia.
The rest is up to you now.