18: Battle of Two Commanders

As the battle between the two valiant armies raged on, two individuals with distinctive presences hovered high up in the air.

Commander Kael stood tall and imposing, clad in the legendary Spartan Armor—a marvel of ancient craftsmanship infused with mystical energies that pulsated with raw power. The armor, forged from a rare and resilient alloy, shimmered with a lustrous sheen that caught the light of the battlefield, casting reflections that danced like flames across its surface.

Emblazoned with intricate runes and symbols of power, the armor seemed to hum with latent energy, each sigil pulsing with the essence of the elements themselves. Every inch of the suit exuded an aura of indomitable strength and resilience from the tips of his armored boots to the crest of his helmet.

The helmet, a masterpiece of Spartan design, obscured Kael's features behind a visage of stern determination. Its visor, a translucent pane of enchanted crystal, glowed with an inner light, obscuring his eyes yet hinting at the fiery spirit and anger that burned within. Etched into the helm were patterns of lightning bolts and dancing flames, symbols of the elemental forces that Kael commanded.

Across his broad pauldrons, emblazoned with the emblem of Sparta—a blazing sun framed by lightning bolts—were mounted vambraces adorned with spikes and jagged edges. Runes of protection and resilience, which had the ability to ward off the blows and attacks of weak enemies, were etched into the metal.

Beneath his armor, Kael's muscular frame rippled with power, honed through years of rigorous training and disciplined practice. He took a step forward, and even to the eyes of mortals, this movement was fluid and precise, a sign of his mastery of the Spartan martial arts and his unwavering dedication to the art of war.

On one hand, he wielded a mighty greatsword—a weapon of legendary proportions forged from a rare metal known as Starsteel, said to have fallen from the heavens themselves. Its blade crackled with fire and lightning elemental energy that contained the rage and grief of its owner.

As Commander Kael stood in the air, his presence was like a beacon of hope to the Spartans amidst the chaos of war, a symbol of strength, courage, and unwavering resolve. But very few knew or noticed that Commander Kael's heart was filled with rage and sadness as his bone-chilling gaze fixed on his enemy while recalling the prior events that occurred some minutes ago.

After jumping to meet his enemy, he saw his trusted subordinate, Dax, get killed by a sniper.

The first time Dax was shot, the person who shot Dax was Major Kade. Commander Kael assumed that only Major Kade was targeting Dax, and that there was no other sniper whose main target was Dax.

But his assumption was wrong.

Very wrong.

Dax had been on Major Kade's hit list, and due to his negligence, he had paid the price. One of the rising stars of the Spartans was dead, and he was at fault.

"Hahahahaha! You should see your expression Commander Kael. It's fucking priceless! Hahahahahahaha!"

The grating and hateful voice of his foe and adversary flowed into the ears of Commander Kael, and Commander Kael's killing intent flowed outwards.

The air trembled.

Flames danced in the sky.

Lightning flashed.

And the space around Commander Kael became noticeably thicker.

Normally, the gazes of every individual weaker than Commander Kael would have been drawn to these spectacular phenomena occurring in the sky, but everybody was engrossed in the war on the ground and in the skies.

Uncaring and nonchalant about the rage of Commander Kael and the phenomena caused by him, Major Kade kept on laughing.

" To tell you the truth. I always enjoy battling you Commander Kael."

Major Kade voice was filled with an unmistakeable tone of satisfaction. A satisfaction that came at the cost of Commander Kael's grief and the suffering and death of every Spartan.

"Why did you target him? What despicable plan did you come up with this time around?"

Despite asking, Commander Kael had an inkling as to why Dax had been on Major Kade's hit list, and the assumption he came up with scared him.

"I think you already know why I killed him Commander Kael."

Major Kade mocking voice flowed into Commander Kael's ears. His mech-suit moved, and it glanced at the battlefield. Commander Kael also glanced at the battlefield with a grim expression.

A sense of unease filled Commander Kael's heart, and as he surveyed the battlefield, what he feared the most came to pass.

His gaze fell upon numerous fallen Spartans, but among those casualties were the promising young talents and rising stars of the Spartans. Normally, the death of one, two, or three rising stars of the Spartans would not faze or bother him. But now, as he looked at the battlefield, he realized that all the rising stars in his army were dead.

Every single one of them.

Their deaths were extremely similar to that of Dax. A sniper had killed each of them with an eerie accuracy, and this fueled Commander Kael's rage. Like a volcano that was ready to erupt, Commander Kael's aura erupted without restraint.

"You're a dead man." With a voice that was as deep and coarse as that of a demon from the depths of hell, Commander Kael spoke.

Major Kade smiled, and with a nonchalant tone, he said:

"You're wrong Commander Kael, you're the dead man this time around."

Just as Major Kade was about to dash towards Major Kade and unleash his wrath on him, his senses picked up on something unbelievable. 

He paused and looked to his left.

Reflecting in his eyes was the image of a familiar object flying in their direction at an extremely fast speed. Two seconds later, a mech-suit similar to that of Major Kade hovered beside Major Kade.

"Impossible."

Commander Kael mumbled while gripping his greatsword with a grim expression. His eyes were filled with uncertainty, confusion, anger, sadness, and acceptance.

"Do you get it now, Commander Kael? You're not going to live to see another day. This war would end in the death of all your Spartan soldiers, and I'll be the victor."

Major Kade, seeing all of these emotions in the eyes of Commander Kael, spoke with a satisfied grin, and Commander Kael closed his eyes.

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[A/N: Power stones ranking has been reset guys. It's still TEN power stones for a bonus chapter (This is without my power stones. SO VOTE GUYS!]