Chapter 8: The Lourian Massacre (Part 2)

(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.)

...

Surveying the cityscape, she contemplated the need for caution. Despite her max-level status, the existence of an adversary as formidable as herself couldn't be dismissed. "Dominus, we'll depart in ten minutes, once Lucas has readied the marines who will accompany us," she announced. A dark void materialized beside her—an inventory from which she retrieved a suit of armor, a world-class item she had worn during the event known as Conquest, where she had faced off against both the Trinity Kingdom and the Cyber Theocracy.

"Understood, Your Majesty," Dominus responded, offering a slight bow.

After a brief pause, she picked up a document she had been scrutinizing for the past month. "Also, after this battle, summon the 8th Custodian, Reginald Hopsworth. I've decided to allow our allies, Qua-Toyne and Quila, to advance their nations to the Victorian era."

Doubt was evident in Dominus's voice. "Is that truly wise, Your Majesty?" He harbored reservations about both Qua-Toyne and Quila.

"Yes, Dominus, it is. We need allies, not enemies. Otherwise, we risk isolation in this world," she replied, her tone grave.

Dominus bowed hastily, fearing he had offended the last Supreme Being. "My apologies, Your Majesty. I let my personal judgment cloud my thinking."

"It's alright, Dominus. I understand your reservations about trusting them. But if we continue on this path, we'll end up alone, as I said. We also need to expand our influence. I'm considering adopting a strategy similar to that of Earth's United States of America, known in their world as the 'global police'," she explained. Dominus was unfamiliar with this concept; in Yggdrasil 2, such a role had never existed, nor was it documented in the Grand Library.

"I beg your pardon, Your Majesty, but I'm unfamiliar with that role," he admitted.

"The role is akin to the Imperial Guard Police (IGP), but on a global scale. It involves safeguarding all nations of the world, acting as a Global Protectorate. This would enable us to shield our trade routes from pirates. Once we conquer and annex half of Lourian, we should invite the leaders of Qua-Toyne and Quila to discuss this proposal," she elaborated.

"Understood. Should I inform Reginald?" he asked.

"No need. I'll assign someone else to contact him. For now, we have a meeting with that foolish king," she dismissed.

As their conversation continued, ten minutes elapsed, and Lucas returned, reporting on the marines' readiness to accompany Her Majesty.

"Your Majesty, the Marines are prepared and await your orders," Lucas announced.

"Excellent. But before we depart, Lucas, could you relay a message to Reginald? Ask him to invite the leaders of Qua-Toyne and Quila to the Solstice. I have a proposal they might find intriguing. Also, ensure they receive the document outlining our plans post-Lourian conquest. Now, let's go, Dominus," she commanded, exiting the room before Lucas could respond, with Dominus trailing behind her.

Qua-Toyne, EJie Lourian Base, 9:03 AM

The Lourians were in the midst of constructing their base. As time ticked away, General Pandour, who had arrived just an hour ago, assumed command from Adem. They were awaiting the arrival of the Eastern lords, oblivious to the fact that they had been wiped out at Gim, as the news hadn't reached them yet.

Suddenly, an Iron Wyvern materialized in the sky, as if it had been cloaked in invisibility. The sight sent a wave of panic through the Lourians. Some prepared for combat, while others sprinted towards the unfinished airfield to mount their wyverns. The Iron Wyvern then spoke in a thunderous voice, causing some of the Lourians who were closer to it to clutch their ears. Some even started bleeding from their ears, and a few became deaf due to the deafening sound.

"This is the Solstice Empire," the Iron Wyvern announced. "We offer you a chance we will not extend again. You have trespassed the Qua-Toyne border and slaughtered civilians. We ask all Lourians to surrender. If you surrender, you will be treated humanely. If you choose to fight, you will face death. We will not show mercy if you choose to fight. We suggest that General Pandour, the commanding officer of the subjugation, consider our generous offer. You have one hour to decide." After delivering its message, the Iron Wyvern flew away and vanished.

General Pandour was taken aback. They knew that he was the one in charge of the subjugation. He had just arrived, so they shouldn't know that he was the one currently in charge. This shock was shared by Lieutenant General Adem. They had never seen such a thing before and were left speechless. But Pandour gathered his strength and gave a command to Adem. "Adem, I want you to call for all officers into my camp. We need to decide what we should do next." Pandour ordered. Once Pandour made his order, Adem immediately ran to call for all of the officers. Pandour then walked towards the camp to wait for them.

A few minutes went by, and Adem returned along with the officers. "I have called all of you here to discuss what we should do. So, please take a seat," Pandour said as they all started going to their seats, along with Adem.

"Now, I assume that all of you have seen the Iron Wyvern and heard what it said?" Pandour asked.

"Yes, we all did see it, General. It is truly shocking. I have never seen that kind of creature before," one of the officers replied.

"From what I heard, that thing claimed to be from the Solstice Empire. I believe that's the country that formed a diplomatic relationship with the Qua-Toyne and Quila," another officer added.

"General, how did they know that you are the one in charge of the subjugation? The shift of command just happened an hour ago, so it should be impossible for them to gather this information," a third officer questioned.

Hearing all of them, Pandour, who also had no idea of how they managed to do this, assumed that maybe someone among their troops was a spy. "I also do not know, but I have a guess on how they got the information. I assume that someone among our men is a spy from the Solstice. That would make sense as to how they would get information this quickly without sending a spy," he said. "But we don't have time to find out who it is as we only have one hour, according to what they said. So, I assume they will be attacking within an hour," he continued.

Adem, who had been staying quiet for a while, joined the conversation. "General, how about I go back to Gim to call all the remaining troops in here? That way, we would have more fresh troops among us. Once we defeat them, we will have fewer troops to invade Ejie," he proposed. They were unaware that Gim was recaptured just a few hours ago by the Solstice.

"That is indeed a great idea, Adem. You shall go and call for more reinforcements to Gim. Once you inform them, I want you to go back to the capital to call for more reinforcements," Pandour said.

"Understood," Adem replied, saluting before leaving. He mounted his horse, unaware that he was being followed and watched by someone.

Once Adem left, Pandour issued another command. "If they think that we will just surrender, then they are wrong. We have a lot of experienced veteran soldiers among us. We won't be taken down so easily. So, all of you, I want you to prepare for battle. We will meet them on the battlefield," he said.

As the command was given, they all left and called for all men to battle. They were now forming a battle formation on the battlefield. The others were now mounting their wyverns to prepare to engage them if that Iron Wyvern would be joining the battle. But what they did not know was that this would be the last time they would see the bright sun.

Qua-Toyne, Ejie, Solstice base, 10:03 AM

At the base they had established, Lieutenant Colonel Johnson was monitoring the enemy through a holographic screen. He observed the enemy forming a battle formation and waiting for them. He felt a twinge of disappointment that they had not accepted their offer, but at the same time, he was excited about the prospect of testing the prototype weapon on these ungrateful adversaries.

"It's somewhat disappointing that they rejected our generous offer. However, it does provide us with an opportunity to test the prototype weapon, the Radiant Liquefier," he mused. "Captain, order all units to launch their rockets towards the Lourians. Once the rockets have done their job, send a team to clean up the remains."

Upon receiving the order, the captain left to relay the command to the troops. At the base, the orders were given, and the soldiers immediately moved to the High Mobile Artillery Rocket System to launch the Rocket Radiant Liquefier.

The rocket, still a prototype and thus highly dangerous, was activated. All prototype weapons were equipped with an activation system to ensure they could be activated and deactivated as needed. Once all the rockets were activated, they were aimed skyward towards the Lourian forces, ready for launch.

When everything was set, the captain gave the green light to launch the rockets. "Launch all rockets," he ordered over the radio, a piece of equipment all military personnel were required to carry, even if they also had holographic communication devices.

Upon the order, all rockets were launched, leaving a bright blue smoke trail in their wake, a stark contrast to the usual white. This was due to the rockets being powered by Mana Core Liquid Crystal, an environmentally friendly fuel, as opposed to the environmentally impactful combination of ammonium perchlorate mixed with powdered aluminum and liquid hydrogen as fuel and liquid oxygen as an oxidizer.

Once all the rockets were launched, the captain hurried back to Lieutenant Colonel Johnson to report the successful launch and the anticipation of the rockets hitting their target.

Qua-Toyne, Ejie, Eastern territory Lourians 1.2 KM, 10:05 AM

Their troops assembled for battle, filled with pride and anticipation, believing that the impending conflict would bring them honor and victory. Pandour, their leader, surveyed his forces with a sense of satisfaction, confident that their sheer numbers would ensure their triumph.

However, as time passed, confusion set in. The enemy had yet to appear on the battlefield. Initially, Pandour assumed they had fled, too intimidated to face his formidable army. But as the wait extended, a sense of unease crept in. Suddenly, a bright blue object streaked across the sky, heading straight for them. Before Pandour could issue a warning, it exploded above the Lourian troops, emitting a blinding light.

Once the light faded, they thought it was merely a scare tactic. But then, a chilling scream pierced the air. Turning towards the source, they saw a comrade writhing in agony, his body slowly disintegrating. Attempts to aid him were futile, as those who tried met the same gruesome fate, their skin melting away.

Pandour watched in horror, unable to comprehend the unfolding catastrophe. "What the… What is happening!?" he cried out, witnessing his troops dissolve as if made of ice, their raw flesh exposed and their screams of agony echoing around him.

"Help, make it stop!!!"

"I don't want to die!!"

Their pleas for mercy filled the air, a chilling symphony of despair. As the horrifying spectacle continued, their flesh began to slough off their bodies. Some were fortunate enough to die instantly, trampled in the ensuing chaos rather than enduring a slow, excruciating demise.

The officers among the Lourians at the front line suffered the same fate, their skin melting away. After a few agonizing minutes, they were suddenly engulfed in flames, intensifying their torment. Some prayed fervently to their gods, begging for an end to their suffering.

Unbeknownst to them, a shadowy figure observed from the forest's edge - the clean-up team from the Solstice Empire, ready to dispose of the remains once all had perished.

Pandour, observing from the hill where his tent was pitched, collapsed to his knees, overwhelmed by the sight of his men's suffering. "Why is this happening? Why can't they grant us an honorable death!" He pounded the ground in frustration.

"General, we need to evacuate immediately," one of his officers advised, believing that Pandour's leadership was still crucial for their reunification efforts. But as Pandour prepared to retreat, the same object descended upon them, exploding overhead in a brilliant display of light.

Fear gripped Pandour as he watched the officer who had urged him to flee begin to melt in agony. He then felt a searing pain and looked down to see his own hand disintegrating. Despite his attempts to escape the radius of the object's effect, he soon realized the horrifying truth - the effect was irreversible.

As they collapsed to the ground, writhing in unbearable pain, the initial victims' suffering intensified as their limbs began to detach from their bodies. Their pleas for mercy filled the air, a haunting chorus of despair. The once lush green grass beneath them was now stained with their blood and beginning to decay.

Soon, the screams subsided as death claimed them, their bodies now resembling rotten corpses. The stench of decay permeated the air, a grim testament to the horrifying spectacle that had unfolded.

Pandour, in the throes of decay, clung to life with a desperate will. He crawled laboriously, noticing a group of figures approaching. His vision blurred, he mistook them for reinforcements and tried to reach them, not realizing they were from the Solstice Empire.

The clean-up team from Solstice, busy disposing of the corpses, noticed movement. "Guys, we've got a survivor over there," one of them pointed out, laughing at Pandour's maggot-like crawl. "Look at that maggot trying to crawl towards us," he added, pointing towards Pandour.

Pandour, his hearing still intact, heard them speaking in their native tongue, referring to him as a maggot. The realization dawned on him - they were not allies. As he attempted to turn around, a sharp rod pierced his back, protruding through his chest. He knew then that his end was near.

A sense of relief washed over him as his vision began to fade, his final breath escaping his lips. Unbeknownst to him, his body was destined to be transported back to Solstice for laboratory experimentation.

Johnson, observing the scene unfold on a holographic screen, smiled in satisfaction. "Well, it seems the operation was a success," he declared. "Captain, relay the news of our success to Lady Aeliana and inform her that we will now join the rescue mission."

"Understood, sir."

With the mission in Ejie completed, they prepared to join Jonath on a rescue mission once the clean-up was finished. They didn't want the civilians in Ejie to witness the gruesome aftermath. Using 4th Tier Magic levitation, they collected the bodies, denying them a proper burial as they were destined for experimentation in Solstice.

The corpses were treated with little respect, tossed around like discarded toys. Some of the clean-up team even used a severed head for a game of volleyball. A number of them, being vampires, began to feast on the corpses. The strong scent of blood from the rotting bodies was irresistible, driving them to consume the cold flesh and drink the blood. Even the charred bodies were not spared, though only a few partook, finding the taste of burnt flesh bitter.

The vampires had consumed nearly half of the bodies, while the dark elves and Fauna collected the rest into a large container. As they continued their grim task, they glanced towards the tower at Ejie, spotting General Nou of Qua-Toyne observing them through a telescope. They waved at him, grinning.

Upon seeing their casual disregard for the dead, General Nou began to retch, attempting to hide his revulsion. What terrified him further was their ability to spot him from such a distance. He watched in horror as they devoured the bodies and tossed the corpses into the sky like playthings.

He was appalled by the scene, the most inhumane act he had ever witnessed. Even the Lourians, he thought, would not treat bodies with such disrespect. He had never seen anyone consume a dead body before, not in his years of service or in any historical record.

"This is the Solstice Empire, they are savages. I must report this to the higher-ups," he muttered, unaware of the shadow demon lurking in his own shadow, ready to incapacitate him.

As he descended the stairs, his consciousness suddenly faded, causing him to tumble down the steps.

The shadow demon emerged from his shadow, taking on a physical form. "Messages," he cast, lacking any conventional communication device to blend into the shadow. Once his call was answered, he reported immediately, not wanting to delay. "Sir Dominus, it is I, Shade," he said.

"Is there an issue, or more specifically, has something occurred?" Dominus inquired.

"Yes, General Nou witnessed the clean-up team devouring the Lourian's remains. Realizing he was about to report to the higher-ups, I put him to sleep," Shade explained.

"I see. We will send a doppelganger to replace Nou. Instruct the clean-up team to transport Nou back to Solstice. Nou possesses knowledge that should remain exclusive to us and Her Majesty," Dominus instructed.

"Understood," Shade responded, as Dominus ended the call.

Shade then lifted Nou and stealthily made his way out, carrying Nou without attracting attention. Once he escaped Ejie, he directed Nou towards the clean-up team, following Dominus's command.

"Everyone, collect him and transport him back to Solstice's Laboratory. He discovered that some of you consumed a corpse," he informed them. They promptly picked up Nou's unconscious body, tossing him into the containers where the decaying remains of the Lourians were stored.

...

Hello, dear readers, I apologize for the delay in updates. Regrettably, the original Chapter 8, which was over 3800+ words, was inadvertently deleted during my editing process and I hadn't created a backup. As a result, this chapter may seem a bit rushed and is shorter than usual, containing only 2910 words.

Despite this setback, I've done my best to ensure the chapter is as detailed as possible. I appreciate your understanding and patience.