Broken Bridge And Gods

"Commander, we must advance! We can't endure their artillery barrage forever!" shouted a lizardman magus, his voice strained as beams of fire and light obliterated a portion of their infantry.

"Do you expect me to assault those walls unprepared? My forces were not equipped for an attack on a fortified structure; our preparations were for suppressing dissidents!" argued the general, frustration evident as another salvo of magical beams decimated their charging troops. "We have only fifty artillery pieces against a heavily reinforced magical wall."

"We must fight for the Emperor's glory!" retorted the magus.

"There's no glory in pointless deaths," replied the general. "Fall back toward Xio'thos. We'll inform the Emperor that the vale has fallen into enemy hands."

"Treason!" cried the magus, only to meet the general's enormous glaive, cleaving him in half. "You are the traitor," the general stated. "Kio'ros, sound the retreat horn!"

"Yes, General," responded the younger lizardman.

–

"They're retreating!" exclaimed a marksman as Lucas surveyed the battlefield. The massacre had lasted an hour, revealing the formidable strength of Falcon's Gate. Hundreds of artillery shots had been fired, yet not a single one breached the [Celestial Armor]. The defensive matrix didn't even need activation.

"Excellent work, everyone!" Lucas commended, glancing around at the jubilant faces of the marksmen and cannoneers.

The formidable heavy artillery prototype proved effective, albeit with a slower rate of fire. Each shot unleashed cataclysmic destruction, a joint project involving four factions that naturally yielded a powerful weapon.

"We've managed to eliminate around five thousand enemy troops," Zakera reported to Lucas, her eyes fixed on him. "That's a quarter of their original army size."

"Despite this victory, it doesn't bode well for the next encounter. They'll undoubtedly come more prepared," Lucas remarked, turning away from the wall.

"How much respite do you think we have?" Zakera inquired, her gaze scanning the horizon.

"I can't say for certain. We could be facing another attack within a week or several months," the king responded, joining some marksmen on the magical elevator.

Zakera clenched her teeth, frustrated by the king's apparent lack of interest. Even disdain would have been preferable to the cold shoulder she was receiving now. During the three days of their previous meeting, they had forged bonds, and Lucas had been exceptionally supportive of her given her background. However, since the attack on the city, he had ceased communication with her. She had hoped he would be different from other Elrath followers, someone who wouldn't judge based on opinions or deeds, but it seemed she was mistaken.

"Wait, Lucas!" she exclaimed, catching up with the group on the elevator. "I wanted to tell you something."

"This can wait until the elevator comes down," he replied with a frosty tone. "You know why I don't talk to you anymore, little spider?"

"Is it because of my worship of Mother Namtaru?" she asked, her head turning violently.

Lucas halted and looked at her. He then removed his helmet, revealing flowing blond hair and piercing blue eyes. His face was etched with a frown.

"This has nothing to do with your religion," he replied, the frown still present. "This has to do with what you've done."

"What did I do wrong? This was the best course of action!" she retorted. "We lost no troops and defeated them extremely fast. This was the best thing to do!"

"This is why I don't talk to you any—" Lucas couldn't finish his sentence as Zakera's hand slapped him across the face. The marksmen inside the elevator quickly restrained Zakera.

"My king, are you well?" asked one of the marksmen, noticing blood dripping from Lucas's lips.

Lucas stared at Zakera with widened eyes, while she returned his gaze with venom in her eyes.

"We are at war!" she cried out. "I will do what is necessary to win this war while you hide behind false morals!"

"Do you think you'll become a monster if you disregard morals?" she challenged. "We are all monsters, but we do what is necessary for those who put their trust in us. So grow up, Lucas Aldaric. Wars are never won with morals and gentleness."

Lucas wiped the blood from his lips with his right hand, a frown etched on his face. "You," he began, smacking her right in the face. Despite the powerful strike, her face remained unmoved, as if it were an iron plate. "Do you think this is easy for me? You're all seasoned warriors who have experienced things I can't even imagine. You kill like you breathe, but this is not who I am!" Another smack followed, but Zakera's expression remained steadfast.

"I am a human not some kind of-" 

"Enough !" she cried out "Grow up, when you will lose people that you care for because your morals were in the way of securing a victory, will you have the same discours ? Everyone is gentle until they lose their family and loved ones !" 

"You showed me that you were someone who cared for me. If I die because you couldn't kill a child due to your morals, will you mourn me or the child?" she challenged the king.

"And lastly, it seems that you care more for our foes than for your people. You killed more of your own people with the traitors back then than you killed Lizard Men. Your inaction and shackles will prove to be your downfall, Lucas!" she declared.

Light emanated from Lucas as his eyes glowed golden. "Who are you to judge me? Just a barbaric woman from a barbaric world, thinking that killing is the best way to end a conflict."

Zakera chuckled at the king's words. "You think that talk can calm down the Empire with pacific talk?"

"I am not talking about being a pacifist," the king replied. "I talk about genociding an entire—"

"You are truly a hypocrite. You genocided an entire species in the first week that you were here, so do not talk to me about morals," she retorted

"And you dare to take me from the moral high ground about being from a 'barbaric' world? I don't know about your world, but I don't think that yours was exempt from wars," she responded defiantly.

"So now, pull your head out of your ass and start thinking, Lucas Aldaric," she concluded as the elevator doors opened. The marksmen released her, and she strode out.

"Or sadly, you will be the first one to die in this world," she added before disappearing into the sea of soldiers outside.

"Your Majesty, we can't let her get away with hitting you like that!" cried out one of the marksmen.

Lucas repositioned his helmet and gazed at the sky. "Do not pursue this matter. I will be going. Good day to you." He then disappeared in a flash of light.

–

A similar flash of light appeared above Falcon's Reach. Lucas didn't head toward the castle for rest; instead, he materialized on a mountain peak. Seated on a slab, it was his favorite thinking spot—calm and with refreshing air.

Lucas set down his helmet near him and pondered as he looked at the sky. 'Am I truly in the wrong?' he thought, touching his bruised lips. 'She went easy with this strike. As a Might Hero of the Necromancer faction, she could have pulverized my head with that slap.'

This mountain spot was also a secret project he was working on, something against his morals, something he never wanted to create. He entered through a magic circle emitting a golden light, appearing in a chapel inside the mountain. It wasn't dedicated to Elrath but to an armored man—himself. Since discovering that worship could elevate people, Lucas had been researching, straying away from Elrath's grace.

Inside the mountain, the second project was Celestial Crafting. It was a venture that would have appalled every priest of Elrath. Lucas conducted experiments using the body of the deceased Baron Elrio and his soul in an attempt to create the first angel. However, despite using a dozen [Legendary Gemstones] to supply mana, the endeavor proved unsuccessful in crafting a legendary creature.

'I truly am a hypocrite, huh?' thought Lucas as he looked at Elrio's body, covered in dozens of markings. His wife cried incessantly when his body wasn't found on the battlefield. As a pardon, Lucas had made her take her husband's place at the head of the barony.

Exiting his underground chamber into the open, his staff tapping on the ground as the magical gate disappeared, Lucas surveyed Falcon's Reach below him. The city seemed a bit more lively, with many merchants arriving from Lumen to sell their goods to the remaining population.

Lumen had experienced the greatest growth among all the cities of the Kingdom. Its strategic positioning, with a river facilitating goods transport by boats, was remarkable. The third town in the kingdom was the capital of the Wolf Duchy, situated south of Falcon's Reach within an enormous mountain range with extreme wealth in minerals and elemental crystals.

Sooner or later, Falcon's Reach would be overshadowed by its burgeoning neighbors. The city had little to offer, situated disadvantageously without any strategic benefits. Its sole redeeming quality lay in the multitude of farms surrounding it, making Falcon's Reach the granary of the kingdom. Lucas was aware that the mines around the city were depleting, especially the [Earth Crystals], a pity as the golems mined them at a blazing speed.

The only solution was to transform Falcon's Reach into the hub of Elrath's Church and the kingdom's center of knowledge. Lucas seized this opportunity, establishing schools and even overseeing the construction of a Cathedral. However, Lucas harbored reservations about the clergy. While grateful for their contributions to the population, he couldn't shake the fear of their potential greed. Perhaps not in this generation, but he was certain that, eventually, the clergy's avarice would gain strength, as history had shown time and again.

So he had a lot to accomplish for the kingdom, but time was not on his side.

In comparison to its allies, the Holy Falcon Kingdom was significantly wealthier and larger, surpassing other kingdoms by a considerable margin. The only one that came remotely close were the wizards under Nur, but even then, there was a significant gap between them. Lucas's kingdom comprised several cities, towns, and villages, while many of his allies had only one capital and a few villages. However, one ally caused Lucas concern—the Necromancers of Heresh were unsettling. War seemed to be their playground, exemplified by Zakera single-handedly eliminating a town without even deploying a single soldier.

Lucas was grateful for the alliance but despite his gratitude he started to plot some counters if there were traitors inside the ranks of the alliance.

–

Lucas sat at his desk in his chambers, surveying the decorated bedroom before opening a message from Falcon's Gate.

It had been a month since the initial assault on the gate, but no lizard men were sighted during this period. The Archipelago, too, remained eerily silent. This silence only heightened the fear that a significant threat loomed on the horizon. Vagran's army encountered resistance every time he ventured into a part of the Xanatos Empire. There seemed to be a formidable counterforce awaiting his raiding parties wherever he went.

"It appears the Empire is fully aware of us now," Lucas mused, his gaze shifting to the enormous cathedral visible from his window.

Within a month, an additional ten heavy artillery pieces were crafted to fortify the gate. Each faction dedicated more resources to strengthen the defenses, resulting in the emergence of increasingly powerful troops every week. Malarion went so far as to dispatch a Hydra to safeguard the mountain and serve as an early warning system in case of a flanking maneuver.

What the Xanatos Empire remained unaware of was that we were no ordinary kingdoms. Blessed by the gods, our armies experienced exponential growth each week.

A week after the attack on Falcon's Gate, Lucas commenced his apprenticeship with Belketh, the Angel residing within a chapel built in the name of Asha by Lucas himself.

To Lucas's surprise, Zakera joined the lessons, as Belketh was instructing her as well. The relationship between the two remained shattered into a million pieces. Lucas had pondered on Zakera's words but staunchly refused to acknowledge them.

Zakera, on the other hand, remained furious about what she deemed Lucas's "dumbassness." He was stubborn, born with a fixed worldview, and showed no inclination to change.

Strangely, they still held a mutual respect for each other, a fact that Belketh keenly understood. At the conclusion of each lesson, he pitted them against each other to showcase their acquired skills. In magical battles, Lucas consistently emerged victorious, but when it came to martial skills taught by Belketh, Zakera effortlessly brought Lucas to the ground.

Lucas made significant strides in Prime magic, leading to the construction of gigantic teleportation gates sprouting up all over the Vale. Creating teleportation magic posed challenges, but with Belketh's guidance, Lucas managed to craft gemstones that functioned similarly to teleportation. The only critical requirement for teleportation was the immense amount of light crystals needed. Though it was a monumental task, it became feasible thanks to the abundance of Light Crystals in the Wolf's Capital.

This project practically bankrupted the kingdom in magical crystals, halting the creation of defensive golems or turrets.

–

Inside the throne room of the Falcon's Kingdom, all the key figures assembled for the monthly meeting.

"Your Majesty," Thaum began, holding a scroll in his hands, "The creation of the teleportation could prove to be detrimental for the Stag Duchy. Many of our naval merchants are pleading with me to convey their concerns to you. If the project is completed, the need for naval commerce will diminish. They beg you to reconsider your decision!"

"There will be no reconsideration, Thaum," replied Lucas firmly. "This is the most crucial project for the kingdom. Naval merchants can adapt by transforming their fleet into a fishing one and still utilize the portals to sell their merchandise."

"And for your information, the gates will not be active at all times. They will only be operational two days each month and when the army needs swift deployment. The tests show that maintaining the portal open continuously requires too much energy."

"But I thought it would be a permanent portal?" Thaum inquired.

"This was my intention, but the magical energy consumption is too much for us at the moment," Lucas explained.

A heavy silence settled over the room as each council member glanced around, waiting to see if anyone had something to add.

"Your Majesty," George spoke up, taking the next turn to address the assembly. "The final defenses for Falcon's Gate have been implemented, and the plans for our next cities are ready. The construction of the city south of the capital of the Wolf will commence soon."

"Good," replied Lucas, his attention shifting to a scroll he had received the previous day. "The creation of another Duchy is expected before the end of the first year. Select some candidates for the title; I will review them and appoint the most suitable one."

"Your Majesty," a beautiful woman with long black hair, Natala, leader of the Magi and headmistress of the Royal School, addressed him. "This little Irina, the firstborn of our kingdom, is an absolute genius. Before her first year in this world, she has already begun circulating her mana in her body in the right direction. We should be expecting her to use some spells at around two years of age, something that I have never seen in my two lives."

Lucas nodded at her, and silence once again filled the throne room.

"Is this all?" asked the king to the seven councilors present. "The matter of Irina will be discussed when she is older. As for you, Thaum, I apologize for the merchants, but these gates are far too important to dispose of. We are in a time of war, and being slow means defeat."

"The new cannons will be sent to the wall shortly after this meeting. The Magi Order will continue their research for technologies that facilitate the life of everyone and war technologies. The Smith Guild will persist in forging weapons and armors, along with their research for new alloys."

"Finally I and the construction guild will continue to build the portals, in less than two days the portal of this city and the one at Falcon's Gate will be finished allowing for the quick deployment of our soldiers and supplies" the king ended suddenly as the doors opened wide to see a Praetorian adorning the colors of house Aldaric, purple and gold with a scroll in his hands

"Your Majesty, we detect an enormous amount of magic near Falcon's Gate, the enemies used an invisibility spell to hide their artillery, the gate is under attack ! " he cried out as the Dukes ran outside in a hurry while Lucas looked at the Praetorian

"Well, council adjourned, I will go with the Dukes and the reserve army toward the gate, the council will enact my will until I come back" said Lucas as he disappeared in a flash of light.

–

Hundreds of magical beams struck the impressive wall's magical defense, causing the shield to tremble. Some soldiers lost their footing and fell to the ground.

"I want everyone's battery to fire at will!" cried out the leader of the Praetorian Legion defending the wall. His white pristine armor gleamed as hundreds of light bolts were fired from the wall in retaliation, raining death upon the attackers.

The commander, named Leon, was the best of the best—someone in Ashan who led the Praetorian Guard of the Emperor himself.

Enormous sounds erupted from above him as a dozen heavy artillery pieces fired, creating cataclysmic explosions upon the foes and decimating around 3000 soldiers.

'But what is this uneasy feeling?' he thought, glancing around to see if anyone else sensed it. However, nobody seemed to notice a strange hue in the sky.

'What is this?' It seemed that thunder was brewing.

"Activate the matrix NOW!" he cried out to the elven engineers. Before they could respond, an apocalypse unfolded.

–

Lucas appeared on the devastated side of the wall, sensing the enormous mana that was unleashed. The wall had survived the onslaught, but the defenders were vaporized clean. Nothing remained of them. This magic did not stop the battle, the inverse happened, what remained of the eastern side of the wall defenses continued to fire while the western side, where most of the normal pieces of artillery were, continued to retaliate.

'If this continues, they will still not pierce our defenses,' Lucas noted as he employed his magic to store the souls of the deceased inside a prism that he created.

'This magic is dangerous,' he thought as he observed the perpetrator—a woman resembling an elf but with red skin.

'Retaliation is in order.' Lucas took one of the gems from a destroyed heavy artillery piece in his hands and channeled the mana out of it.

'All of you, may your souls serve to appease the ones who died,' he thought as the sky parted, allowing the enormous sun to descend upon the enemy army.

Hundreds of barriers were created to stop the spell, but the majority of them were destroyed when the sun made contact. The red elf struggled as her barrier trembled under the sun. Then, Lucas clenched his fist.

[Flare]

The sun exploded, creating a wave of heat that calcified everything in its vicinity. As the sun disappeared, what remained of the explosion was an enormous crater pulsating with light and fire magic. Nothing remained of the mages that tried to defend against the spell.

Suddenly, Lucas aimed the tip of his staff to his right as the red woman appeared near him, casting a spell.

[Light Shield]

[Thunderous Hammer]

The two spells collided with an enormous sound, sending Lucas flying, yet he remained undamaged.

[Fist Of Elrath]

An enormous fist materialized above the woman and crashed into her.

[Lightning Body]

The woman escaped the impact by blitzing above Lucas, her hands aiming at him.

[Thunderous Crash]

The impact against Lucas's shield was enormous, causing some cracks to appear as he was forced to kneel due to the pressure.

[Elrath Wrath]

An explosion of Light emanated from Lucas, throwing the woman into the sky. Her right arm had disappeared as she was hit by one of the beams generated by the last spell.

"Die!" cried out Lucas as he clenched his drawn fist.

[Implosion]

The ultimate offensive spell of the Prime Magic Lore, a bubble appeared around the red woman. She tried to escape, but suddenly the bubble shrank to the size of an atom, destroying her entire body.

Lucas slumped on the ground as George ran toward him.

"Your Majesty, the enemy is retreating!" he cried out.

"No, they are not, George," the king replied with a chuckle as an enormous veil appeared in the sky. "They are already dead."

Belketh looked down at the battlefield, dozens of Gemstones flying around him.

[Death]

The spell was instantaneous as thousands of people fell to the ground, their souls sucked from their bodies toward the prism that Belketh carried above him. The energy from a dozen Gemstones depleted in an instant. The thousands of attackers reanimated themselves, and an enormous cry echoed in the horizon.

Belketh looked at the horizon with a frown. "I was waiting for you, false gods."

An enormous Coatl rushed at Belketh, and when its mouth opened, a torrent of pure lightning was thrown toward him. A red elven woman looked at Lucas with hate in her eyes as she disappeared.

"You killed my daughter, you damned mortal!" she cried out, gripping the air and cracking the [Light Shield] of Lucas. His body flew above the ground like a ragdoll.

Lucas grunted as he tried to repair the shield, but the woman just gripped harder, and the shield was destroyed. Before the spell could hit Lucas, the woman was struck on the face by a gloved fist and a lightning bolt.

Zakera and Nur appeared as George took a position in front of his king. Lucas was panting on the ground as he narrowly escaped death.

"You mortals dare to strike me Nia'tala, Goddess of Magic?" the red elven woman screamed as she slammed her hands on the ground, creating a tornado that engulfed all her opponents.

Nur manipulated the environmental mana, and the tornado froze in an instant.

"What?" the goddess cried out as Zakera smashed her on the ground with her two clenched fists.

[Elrath's Judgment]

An enormous sword made of light appeared in the sky and dropped rapidly on the woman.

"You insects!" she cried out as a blizzard appeared from nowhere and engulfed everything around her.

'We are not strong enough.' Lucas widened his eyes as they were all sent flying, their bodies freezing due to the frigid temperature.

Suddenly, the blizzard melted, and it was as if someone had placed them near a volcano due to the sheer hotness of the air.

"You are an interesting little girl!" a guttural voice was heard, and as everyone looked around, they saw an enormous Pit Lord looking at the goddess from the mountain near the gate.

"I am Azkaal, Prince of Hatred, now die!" he cried out as an inferno erupted.

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I hope that you like this chapter

I personally quite enjoyed writing it

Well, the relationship between Zakera and Lucas was quite difficult to write.

See you soon :)