Siege

[Some time Earlier]

[Around the same time as Ed Fighting Aurelia]

The sound of clattering armor, the low hum of urgent whispers, and the shifting of various objects transformed a barren room into what initially appeared to be a rudimentary, hastily assembled war room.

Sunlight filtered through the heavy, dust-covered curtains, casting long, dramatic shadows that danced across the map sprawled out on a massive wooden table.

The map was that of the Imperial Nexus' design, and it was very intricate, marking places down to every last nook and cranny.

Sitting opposite the map was Hagen, wearing a tense expression across his face.

Just then, the massive oakwood doors swung open, and a guard came rushing in, sweat beading across his forehead. There was a troubling aura about him, as he made his way to the desk where Hagen was sitting in.

Hagen asked him, his voice low "What is it?"

"Commander, the third, fourth and fifth legions have mobilized without any authorization and seem to be working on their own. They have surrounded our castle and are demanding to have an audience with you, commander." He said, slightly out of breath, and with a gaze that seemed to be searching for answers.

Hagen sat with himself and thought for a bit.

"Why would they want to meet me out there?" He asked, his face slightly puzzled, but still maintaining the tense undertone in his voice as he stood up and came close to the soldier.

The soldier cowered back in fear, but Hagen pulled his collar back in, and said "It's okay, don't think too much of it. I want to know what you think about this situation." He let out a small laugh as the entire room seemed to hold his breath.

"I... Have no idea, Commander." He replied, his voice uncertain. He let go of the soldier and the room collectively let a sigh of relief.

"First Isabelle gets abducted, now this. Is all of this planned, I wonder?" Hagen sighed as he plopped back down onto his chair.

He put his hand up to his forehead, appearing to contemplate his choices, and in a decisive move, he got up from his chair with vigor, and stormed out of the room.

"What is he going to do?" The soldier wondered to himself.

Hagen walked up to the colossal balcony that looked down the Imperial Nexus to the outer gates, and what he saw sent a nervous ting down his spine.

In front of him, he saw three of the five legions of Herakles, standing menacingly, and in front, he saw two of the five commanders standing, as if they were awaiting someone's orders.

Hagen looked down onto the almost surreal sight. It's been a hundred and fifty years since more than one legion had gathered in a place like that, and this was the first time Hagen had seen such a sight.

Since he was recently promoted to the rank of commander, Hagen quite couldn't grasp it when he was told that he would lead a division of more than three hundred thousand men, but only now, seeing the sheer scale of the army, did he finally realise just how many were three hundred thousand people. 

Rows and Rows of soldiers stretched for eternity, and it really was a spectacle to behold. 

In front of that massive army, stood two people. It was hard to see from a distance but Hagen instantly recognized who the two were. They were Olivier and Sierra, commanders of the third and fourth legion respectively.

Olivier Reynard stood tall and imposing, the armor he donned was a masterpiece of craftsmanship, intricately detailed with etchings of phoenixes, symbolizing rebirth and resilience. It had a regal and almost divine quality to it. He had a shaped beard which bore sharp features, going along with the theme of his outfit, befitting of a commander.

Beside him stood Sierra Earle, her dark magenta armor also had intricate etchings, but here they seemed to glow with magic, almost an otherworldly aura around her. The armor was fitted to her petite and agile frame, and in her left hand she held a staff with a deep blue crystal orb adorning the top. Her auburn hair flowed down in beautiful waves, complimenting her dark magenta armour.

Separating the two parties was a two-hundred feet of concrete wall.

Hagen continued staring at them, and turned to one of the more burly looking men in his guard.

"How many members of the First legion do you think we have stationed in our castle right now?" Hagen asked.

The first legion, being the immediate response unit of Amberhelm, meant that almost half of the first legion always stayed within the castle premises, ready for quick deployment anywhere when forces were necessary. The Imperial Nexus was so large that it had enough space to accommodate even the entirety of the first legion.

"I think most of our men here are already on the ready sir. We have around one hundred thousand in and around the city, and immediately in the castle, we have around twenty thousand ready for defense sir."

He looked up, and the sky was ominously overcast. 

"That's nearly not enough, is it? Astonos." Hagen said, still having a cold and calculated demeanor on his face. "Get our men ready, especially our archery division. Give them hell once you see my signal."

"But what about yourself. commander?" Astonos questioned, his tone uncertain as he didn't know what would happen.

Hagen thought for a bit, and then walked up to the edge of the balcony overseeing everything that was happening out there.

Without a flicker of hesitation, he planted a single boot on the balcony's ornate railing and, in a heartbeat, vaulted over the edge.

Everyone watched with anticipation as he neared the ground, his hand grazing the wall of the castle ever so slightly.

As he got close to the ground, Hagen instantly pulled out his sword, and plunged it into the stone wall, slowing down his descent. The sword's steel bit into the rock with a thunderous clang, and with a graceful twist, he executed a flawless landing, and made his way to the two commanders standing up front.

As Hagen made his way to the two commanders standing up front, he greeted them with a cold, measured tone. "Good day, Olivier and Selene. May I know what brought you two here on this very—"

"We're here to take what is ours." Selene replied, her voice laden with animosity.

"Take what? I'm not really getting you, you know?" Hagen replied, sarcastic and almost mocking in his tone.

"You two clearly lack the incentive or the power to act on your own like this, how did you two know that Isabelle went missing, and on whose command are you doing all of this?" Hagen asked, to which he got no reply.

"With that withering hag Isabelle finally gone, we can take the kingdom, money and power we were once promised when we were appointed commanders!" Olivier roared, his words echoing throughout the now empty streets of Amberhelm.

"Oh, you really think I'm such a pushover?" Hagen mocked them, as his hand went to his hilt once more, his eyes glowing blue now. "On whose orders are you doing this?" Hagen asked.

As if the heavens themselves were responding to the impending clash, raindrops began to fall, and a deafening bolt of lightning struck behind Selene and Olivier. he sudden flash of light cast their imposing shadows over Hagen, who stood unfazed.

With a swift motion, Hagen pulled his sword from its sheath, and a brilliant blue aura enveloped him, intensifying with every passing moment.

But just as the atmosphere reached its electrifying peak, the earth itself seemed to tremble beneath the Legion soldiers' thunderous charge. A deafening war cry filled the air as the massive Legion army surged forward, a relentless tide of armored soldiers, driven by their insatiable thirst for power and conquest.

At the same time, Selene raised her staff into the air, and started to chant a spell, and everyone around her could feel the pressure from the sheer amount of mana being poured into her chant, as an orb of fire and a magic circle formed around her and her staff, lighting up her face in an ominous glow.

"Prepare for hellfire." She voiced, her muted voice sending shivers down Hagen's spine.