Ancient Empire Calendar, Year 1837
Using speed and wind spells, Ricardo flew across the distance that would normally take months between the city of Ricardopolis and the city of Ashterah in a very short time.
When he arrived before the city, the city guards recognized Ricardo and knelt.
"WE GREET THE DYNASTY LORD!"
Ricardo acknowledged their greetings and signaled for them to rise.
"Where is your Dynasty Lord, Marco Ashterah?"
The guard replied.
"At the front lines, on the battlefield."
Upon hearing this answer, Ricardo asked another question.
"Which region is the battle taking place in?"
The guard replied.
"In the city of Loubrum, Dynasty Lord."
Ricardo recalled the city's location from the map. Rising into the air with a wind spell and increasing his speed with a speed spell, he flew towards the city of Loubrum.
Within a few days, he arrived at Loubrum.
Ricardo observed the city from a bird's-eye view in the sky. The flames of war had not yet reached the city.
"I wonder where the Ashterah Dynasty Lord is."
Ricardo attempted to locate Marco Ashterah using his Nur Force, but the Nur Force indicated an area outside the city.
"So, you're not in the city. It's been a long time since I last felt my mana reserves this depleted, but it should be enough to reach there."
Ricardo resumed flying at maximum speed. A day later, he found Marco Ashterah on the battlefield.
The intensity of the battle was even more evident from above.
The ground was painted with blood. Severed limbs and heads rolled across the field, while organs scattered from torn bodies created a nauseating, sickening atmosphere.
The Ashterah soldiers fought valiantly. For every Ashterah corpse on the ground, there were at least three Sapharos corpses.
Only three hundred thousand soldiers remained of the Ashterah armies. They were surrounded.
The Sapharos had lost one million one hundred thousand soldiers, but they were on the verge of victory.
"It seems I arrived just in time."
Ricardo stopped using his already depleted mana and began to fall. He shaped his Aura into a full-body armor.
When he struck the ground, he cracked the earth, and a massive cloud of dust spread around. Soldiers on both sides lost their vision momentarily due to the dust cloud spreading around.
"AAAAH!"
"WHAT'S HAPPENING?"
"IS IT A NEW ATTACK?"
"MY EYES!"
"SAND GOT IN MY EYES!"
In that moment no one expected, hundreds of thousands of Aura-forged arrows shot out from within the dust cloud.
Each arrow struck a Sapharos's head, claiming the lives of half a million soldiers.
"DAMN IT!"
"WHAT IS THIS?"
"I must cut through all of them before they recover from the shock."
Ricardo swung his sword in all directions. With each swing, his Aura took the shape of a massive crescent, cutting in half every Sapharos soldier before him.
"Incredible!"
"Who is doing this?"
"Are you blind? It's the Kislavein Dynasty Lord!"
"Where?"
"Over there!"
"THAT IS THE KISLAVEIN DYNASTY LORD!"
"LONG LIVE LORD KRAEL!"
Not only the Ashterah soldiers but also the Sapharos soldiers were in shock and awe.
"So powerful."
"So dangerous."
Within the first minutes of joining the battle, Ricardo had taken the lives of two and a half million Sapharos soldiers.
Ricardo shaped his Aura into two massive swords.
"ASHTERAH SOLDIERS! ATTACK WITH ME!"
Leading the Ashterah soldiers from the front lines, Ricardo began slaughtering the Sapharos forces.
The battle, led by Ricardo, had transformed from absolute defeat into a one-sided massacre.
In less than an hour, all ten million Sapharos were dead.
Of the two million-strong Ashterah army, barely one hundred thousand soldiers remained.
"I greet the Dynasty Lord."
Njassar Rappa Ashterah knelt before Ricardo and saluted.
"Rise, Rappa. Where is the Ashterah Dynasty Lord? Why did he not come to greet me?"
Rappa swallowed hard before answering.
"He was killed in battle."
Ricardo showed no reaction.
"So, he has finally gone to join his friends. And he left his successor with us. Rise, Ashterah Dynasty Lord, Njassar Rappa Ashterah I."
Rappa rose. He had been addressed as Dynasty Lord. Normally, this would be a day for happiness, but he was not happy at all.
"Unlike us, they value family bonds. One day, I will establish a dynasty where my kinsmen do not fight and shed blood for the throne, where my descendants love their families and do not spill blood for the throne. I hope I can achieve this."
The invasion forces in the Eastern Lands had been destroyed by Ricardo and the Ashterah soldiers. However, two more great battles were yet to come.