Chapter 7: The Lourian Massacre (Part 1)

(Content Warning: Graphic Violence and Inhumane Acts: This chapter contains scenes of extreme violence and inhumane acts that some readers may find disturbing. It includes graphic depictions of death and physical harm. Reader discretion is strongly advised.)

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Qua-Toyne, Fortress Ejie 6:01 PM.

In the heart of the night, a solitary light punctured the darkness, illuminating the sky and revealing the formidable silhouette of an Iron Wyvern. Atop the city walls, a lone figure stood, his gaze transfixed on the spectacle unfolding above. This was General Nou, the steadfast protector of Ejie. As he looked upward, he recognized the emblem of the Solstice Empire adorning the massive island, a clear signal that these were allies, not foes.

As the island made its descent, a hatch swung open, casting a brilliant, almost blinding, light onto the ground below. Nou squinted against the brightness, trying to discern the figures emerging from the metallic beast. He could see a group of Solstician Soldiers, their uniforms unmistakable even in the harsh light. Behind them, he could see more figures being guided out, their identities obscured by the intense light.

One Solstician, distinguished from the rest by his unique attire, approached Nou. "Greetings, I am Lieutenant Colonel Johnson, officer of the 4th Battalion," he said, extending a hand towards Nou in a gesture of camaraderie.

Nou reciprocated the handshake and introduced himself. "Hello, I am General Nou, currently tasked with the protection of Ejie. May I inquire as to the identities of those individuals your soldiers are escorting?" Nou asked, curiosity piqued. Johnson looked at him, a flicker of disappointment crossing his eyes, but he quickly masked it.

"They are refugees from Gim, General Nou. We are entrusting them to your care here in Ejie. Many have lost their homes and families in the conflict," Johnson explained, his voice carrying a note of solemnity.

Nou apologized, "My apologies, I didn't recognize them. We were expecting their arrival tomorrow."

Johnson reassured him, "No worries, General. Tomorrow, we will be requesting permission to use our new weapon. I would advise against any engagement to avoid crossfire."

Nou protested, "What do you mean by that? We should wait until the other Lourian troops arrive so we are ready to face them."

Johnson's gaze hardened, and Nou felt a chill run down his spine. "Unfortunately, we won't be waiting. Your government has given us permission to act as we see fit," Johnson said.

Before departing, Johnson added, "Just to inform you, half of the Lourian forces are now marching towards Ejie. They should arrive tomorrow, between 7:38 AM to 7:42 AM, based on their speed. We will be launching an attack on the enemy line. We will also be setting up our base 2 km away from the northern territory of Ejie."

Nou was taken aback. "Wait, Lieutenant Colonel Johnson. You said that the Lourian forces are now coming to Ejie, and how did you know that it was just half of their forces?"

Johnson replied, "Isn't it obvious, General Nou? We have eyes on the Lourians, but how we know is classified."

Nou felt a pang of disappointment. "But aren't we allies? Shouldn't we know how you obtained the information?"

Johnson responded, "General, just because we're allies doesn't mean we have to reveal our methods. We can share information about the enemy, but the method is highly classified."

Nou reluctantly accepted this, still disappointed. Johnson then excused himself to build their temporary base, leaving Nou with a head full of questions.

Once all the Qua-Toynian refugees had disembarked from the hovercraft helicopter, Johnson reboarded the helicopter to depart and commence the construction of their base. Before leaving, he initiated a call on a holographic screen, and a woman's figure appeared. "Your Majesty, I apologize for disturbing you at this hour," Johnson said.

"I believe you must be Lieutenant Colonel Johnson, created by Drip Scourge, is it? And no worries, Lieutenant Colonel, it's quite alright. Now, is there something you have to report?" Christine asked through the communication.

Johnson requested, "Your Majesty, the Lourian forces are currently marching to Ejie and we believe they will arrive tomorrow morning. I would like to ask permission to use the Radiant Liquefier. I believe it is the best time to test this weapon on the lower life forms."

Christine took a moment to consider before giving her approval, "Very well, Lieutenant Colonel. I grant you the authority to utilize that weapon. However, exercise caution as it remains delicate and could potentially detonate, endangering your troops."

Johnson bowed in acknowledgment, "I comprehend your instructions. I will exercise the utmost caution to prevent such an occurrence."

Christine added, "Johnson, I have ordered Jonath, along with the coast guard battleships and some shadow demons that are already spying on the Lourians to rescue all slaves they can find and raze all cities except for the capital of Louria once they succeed in their rescue operation. So once you're done with your mission in Ejie, I want you to make your way to Louria to help in the rescue operation."

Before Johnson could respond, Christine continued, "And please, if you have any reports, you should contact the custodian Aeliana, for she is the one responsible for the airforce."

As Johnson was about to apologize, Christine ended the communication.

Qua-Toyne, Ejie Northern Solstice Base, January 20, 6:21 AM

The Solstice Empire worked tirelessly through the night to construct their base. The base was equipped with an aerial defense beam cannon and housed 14,600 soldiers. Overnight, a fresh batch of Solstician soldiers arrived, bolstering their ranks into a full division. The base also featured a missile system, pre-loaded with a Radiant Liquefier rocket. Their air force was impressive, boasting 200 aircraft - 50 Falcon's Fury, 20 Quantum Hawks, and the remainder being Orbital Fighter Jet Neutron Phoenix, each capable of reaching top speeds of Mach 25.

A squadron of 10 Quantum Hawks was assigned to constant patrol, ensuring that no enemy could slip past the vigilant eyes of the Shadow Demons spying on the Lourians.

Lieutenant Colonel Johnson, a vampire undead who had been authorized by Her Majesty herself to command the division, was now monitoring the enemy's movements throughout the night. Sleep was a choice for him, not a necessity.

As Johnson scrutinized the Lourian ranks, he turned his attention to his right where two captains, Michael and Jonathan, awaited his orders. "Captains," he began, "I want you two to prepare a warning for the Lourians. Once they reach their destination, they will likely start building a base near Ejie, judging by the supplies in those carriages." He pointed at the holographic screen displaying the enemy's movements.

The captains looked at Johnson, asking in unison, "And what kind of warning, sire?"

"Keep it simple," he replied. "Tell them to surrender openly for fair treatment or face extinction and a painful death. Also, once the Lourians arrive, send a message to General Nou advising him not to engage to avoid friendly fire."

"Understood, sire. It shall be done," the captains responded in unison, saluting Johnson before departing to carry out their orders.

As he continued to monitor the screen, Johnson found himself wondering, "Does Her Majesty desire to conquer these so-called Lourians?" His gaze remained fixed on the screen, keeping himself updated on the enemy's movements.

Qua-Toyne, Ejie, 7:40 AM

From a distance, General Nou stood atop the city walls, his gaze fixed on the Lourians who were already constructing their base. Just as Lieutenant Colonel Johnson had predicted, the Lourians had indeed arrived between 7:38 and 7:42. Nou found himself wondering how they had managed to predict this with such accuracy and even knew the enemy's movements.

"It appears that their information was accurate. The Lourians are indeed building their base, preparing to launch an attack on Ejie," Nou mused. A few minutes later, he heard the sound of approaching footsteps. Turning towards the stairs, he saw a messenger from the Solstice Empire making his way up.

"What brings you here this time?" Nou inquired.

The messenger halted a few feet away from Nou. "I am here to deliver a message. You are not to send any troops or interfere in the upcoming attack. This is to prevent any friendly fire during the crossfire."

"Do you mean to say that you will be using mages to attack?" Nou asked, trying to understand the situation.

"Not at all," the messenger replied. "From what I overheard during your conversation with Lieutenant Colonel Johnson, we're going to be using a new type of weapon."

Intrigued, Nou asked, "Can you tell me more about this weapon?"

Suddenly, Nou felt a chill run down his spine. The messenger's gaze had turned icy, almost murderous, causing him to freeze in place.

"I must apologize, but the information about the weapon is highly classified. Only the custodians and Her Majesty are privy to such details," the messenger replied.

Nou took a moment to regain his composure. "Oh. I-I see. I'm s-sorry for asking," he stammered, still reeling from the fear he had just experienced.

The messenger looked at him with a look of disgust, which Nou failed to notice as he was still in a state of shock and fear. "There is no need to apologize, General Nou. We all make mistakes. Now that I have delivered my message, I will be returning to the base," he said, before turning to leave, leaving Nou in a cold sweat.

Qua-Toyne, Gim, Lourian operating base. 7:43 AM

In the Lourian Occupied Territory, a few wyverns patrolled the skies, vigilant against any enemy attempting to retake Gim. Unbeknownst to them, their demise was imminent. As they continued their patrol, a sudden flash of light streaked across the sky, piercing through the wyverns and reducing them and their riders to dust.

This unexpected event caught them off guard. They tried to scatter, to evade the deadly flash of light, but to no avail. They met the same fate as their comrades. The Lourian foot soldiers, numbering 1,200, who were left behind to guard the occupied territory, witnessed this spectacle. They were confused, unable to comprehend what was happening. They saw their wyverns disintegrate into dust when hit by the flash of light, which sent some of them into a state of panic.

After a few seconds, the sky was eerily calm, devoid of the wyverns that once patrolled it. The soldiers assumed that the enemy's target was only the wyverns. They were mistaken. Moments later, a large object emerged from the clouds. Some recognized it as a battleship, having seen similar ones during their travels to the Republic of Mu and the Holy Milishial Empire.

However, those who recognized it were still somewhat confused by this large object. They had never seen battleships fly, as they knew that neither Mu nor Milishial possessed such technology. Not wanting to waste time, they immediately ran for cover.

Those who didn't run were still in a state of shock. They noticed that the large object launched something that resembled a large, egg-shaped object. A hundred of these objects were falling right towards them, prompting some to run, trying to avoid the falling objects.

As they tried to run, some were hit by the objects, their bodies squashed and their flesh scattered around. Once all of the objects had fallen, they turned their attention to the object, aiming their spears, swords, and bows at it. They saw that the object suddenly opened, revealing ten soldiers in armor, each carrying a strange weapon that they assumed was a staff.

What they noticed was that these unknown soldiers were large and tall, their bodies completely covered in what looked like heavy armor. As they were still in a state of shock, the unknown soldiers took advantage of this, immediately taking their weapons and aiming at them. A blue trail of light came out of the strange weapon.

The blue light came right at them, killing whoever was hit by it. Finally realizing that they were being attacked by these unknown soldiers, they tried to form a formation that resembled the Roman Testudo formation.

They thought that this formation would keep them safe, but then a blue light just pierced right through their shield. Realizing that their shields were futile, they tried charging, but what they didn't realize was that these unknown soldiers were even deadlier in close combat.

The unknown soldiers killed a few hundred of them before they could reach them. Once they were closer, the firing suddenly stopped. They assumed that the soldiers had run out of mana, but what they didn't realize was that the soldier in front of them was about to use tier magic, something they were unfamiliar with. "5th Tier magic spread hellfire," the soldier yelled, casting a spell. Those that were already closer heard him when suddenly a flame came right through them.

Upon the flame making contact with them, they were immediately turned into dust. Those who still managed to stay alive for a few seconds screamed in pain. Those who weren't hit by the flame didn't know that the flame that burned them could burn their soul, inflicting a more painful death than what a simple flame could do.

As the Lourian soldiers charged, they were mere seconds away from reaching the unknown soldier when a large black circle appeared in their path, causing them to halt abruptly. They watched in awe as the soldier pulled out a large Halberd. Simultaneously, they noticed that all the unknown soldiers ceased their long-range assault and also drew their Halberds.

The Lourians had assumed that the weight of the Halberd would slow the soldiers down. However, to their surprise, these soldiers launched at them with an astonishing speed. The Lourians at the front line were cut in half with shocking precision and speed.

Some of them tried to flank the unknown soldiers, but to no avail. The Lourian archers and mages attempted to attack the unknown soldiers, but their attacks were blocked by some sort of barrier. The Lourians engaging with these soldiers were easily defeated.

Meanwhile, the Eastern Lords, who were still in the town hall they were using as a temporary headquarters, heard a commotion outside. Deciding to see the battle for themselves, they stepped outside. They were met with a gruesome sight. The ground was soaked with blood, and dead bodies were scattered everywhere. Upon closer inspection, they realized that all the corpses were their troops. The stone floor was now a river of blood and organs. Some of the Eastern Lords fell back, overcome with shock and fear.

Junfila's voice trembled as he yelled out, "W-WHAT THE HELL I-IS GOING ON IN HERE!?" His eyes were wide with terror, darting around the gruesome scene. His heart pounded in his chest like a war drum, echoing the chaos that unfolded before him. His breath hitched in his throat, the taste of fear bitter on his tongue. The sight of his fallen troops, their blood pooling around them, was a nightmare come to life. His legs felt weak, threatening to buckle under the weight of the horrifying reality. The world around him seemed to spin, the horrific scene blurring as shock took hold. His mind screamed for him to run, to escape the bloodbath, but he was rooted to the spot, frozen by the sheer terror of the situation. The blood of his troops, now a gruesome flood, reflected the horror-stricken expression on his face. The reality of the situation hit him like a punch to the gut, leaving him reeling in shock and fear.

The other Eastern Lords tried to regain their strength to stand up, but their legs betrayed them, as they were sitting on the blood of their troops.

As they tried to process all of this, they then saw two of their troops running, desperately, as they thought they could escape when all of a sudden a large figure fell right at them, crashing them to death, as the other managed to survive only for him to get drowned from the blood of their comrades that is already flooding the street, the Eastern lords seeing this, immediately knew that they should try to escape because what they are witnessing right now was just a one-sided battle as it wasn't even a battle. "This wasn't even a battle this is just a slaughter!"

Some of them tried to flee but, only for them to bump into someone, as they looked up, they saw that these soldiers weren't one of them, which caused some of them to faint.

"Who are you, do you know who are you messing with!!" One of the eastern lords yelled out trying to be intimidating, as he kept yelling, the soldier grabbed him by the mouth as forcefully opened his mouth wide open, and then pulled his jaw, Ripping it apart.

"You Maggots are truly loud and love to keep barking like a wild dog, and as for who we are, you don't need to know, as this would be your last day." The soldier said.

"W-We surrender," Junfila and the rest of the Eastern lords said in unison, as they didn't want to die. not really understanding what these soldiers meant by their last day, because what they knew was that if they surrendered, they would be taken as prisoners of war even if they threatened to kill you, they should still be forced to take them as prisoners of war, which they thought would allow them to buy time and try to escape.

"Unfortunately, we are not here to take prisoners, we're only here to liberate Gim and rescue all slaves you captured within the city of Gim." The Solstice Soldier said, and continued. "Captain, I leave these maggots to you," he ordered.

"Understood colonel." The captain said.

Junfila, along with the Eastern Lords, immediately grasped the chilling implications of the colonel's words. "You can't do this to us, we've already surrendered, you savage!" They collectively yelled out in protest.

"Oh, so we're the savages, are we?" The colonel retorted, his voice laced with icy contempt. "Tell me, who are the real savages here when you and your misguided king declared an invasion on Qua-Toyne, all because of your pitiful ideology of human supremacy?" The colonel's words hung heavy in the air. "Captain, take these men away. Make sure their demise is particularly painful. Perhaps we can create a painting from their organs," he said, his words sending a wave of terror through Junfila and the Eastern Lords. They tried to resist, but their efforts were futile as they were forcibly dragged by the captain and other soldiers into the town hall, which had been converted into a temporary headquarters, to meet their gruesome fate.

As they were hauled into the town hall, their screams echoed through the air, a chilling testament to their impending doom. One of the soldiers approached the colonel. "Colonel, we have located the place where they're holding the slaves. We are now transporting them to the ship for medical treatment, as we don't want to waste any healing potions."

"Excellent work," the colonel responded, his tone business-like. "Once they finish extracting the slaves, we will proceed to the other cities controlled by the Lourians. Private, I want you to contact HQ and inform them that our mission to recapture Gim has been successful, and we will now proceed with locating all the slaves to be rescued." He ordered the private, who immediately took out a Holographic communication orb to contact HQ.

Solstice Empire, Sunward Citadel, Solstice Haven Palace, 8:01 AM

In the grandeur of the Imperial Palace, Christine found herself on the balcony, her gaze sweeping over the cityscape that she and her companions had meticulously constructed. She was lost in the memories of their initial project, a structure they had completed only to dismantle later due to dissatisfaction with the design. They had then embarked on a journey of redesigning the buildings, resulting in the architectural marvel that now lay before her. As she was engrossed in these reflections, a knock echoed from the double doors.

"Enter," she commanded, her voice echoing in the vast room. The doors creaked open to reveal Dominus himself, accompanied by Lucas. "What brings you here? Has something transpired?" she inquired, her tone laced with curiosity.

Lucas, who held the dual responsibility of overseeing the Navy and the Marines, stepped forward. "Indeed, Your Majesty. We have just received a report from Colonel Lysander Corvinus, the Commanding Officer of one of our Coast Guard Battleships. He informs us that their initial mission has been successful. They are now in the process of locating all the slaves captured by the Lourians," Lucas relayed, his voice steady and clear.

"Hmm… That is indeed promising news," Christine responded, a thoughtful expression crossing her face. "I believe it might be time for me to personally assess the situation with the Lourians. Dominus, you will accompany me. Lucas, I want a contingent of 200 Marines to join us. I intend to visit the Lourian Capital to meet this foolish king for myself."

"But, Your Majesty, is it truly safe to go?" Lucas asked, concern evident in his voice.

"It's fine, Lucas. Dominus will be with me. Ensure that the Marines are prepared to accompany us," she instructed Lucas, her tone decisive.

"Understood, Your Majesty," Lucas acknowledged. He bowed respectfully before exiting the room to carry out his orders, leaving Christine to her thoughts as she continued to gaze out over the city.

...

This is your author speaking. In this chapter, I've made every effort to minimize the brutality as much as possible. Please note that the most intense scenes are being reserved for the upcoming conflict between Palpadia and Solstice. I hope to successfully craft this in my narrative.