The cry rang out across Rose City:
"Enemy sighted! Everyone, to your positions!"
The alarm bells shook the fortress. Soldiers on the city walls raised their 98K rifles, aiming skyward. Searchlights swept across the heavens, their beams cutting through the night like blades.
High above, Archmage Leander hovered in the air, his beard and hair whipping wildly in the wind, his crimson aura blazing like fire.
"He's a magician—spread out! Don't bunch together!" shouted Captain Rotis. Immediately, the soldiers broke into skirmish formations, spreading along the walls and fortifications.
From atop the fortress tower, King Gavin Ward narrowed his eyes at the figure in the sky. His voice was calm, almost cold. "Put the searchlights on him. It's dark, and his silhouette is too small a target."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Dozens of searchlights flared to life, bathing Leander in blinding white brilliance. For the first time, the old mage caught a clear view of Rose City's nightscape.
He faltered.
Below him, the city shone brighter than the capitals of empires. Streets glowed with endless electric light, homes lit like stars across the land. For an instant, he wondered—was this truly a mortal city, or some magical capital?
His face twisted with rage. "Gavin Ward! Come out! You dared to kill my thirteen disciples—show yourself! I promise, only you and your magicians will die. I will spare the common people of Ross!"
Gavin raised an eyebrow. "Thirteen disciples?"
A knight at his side leaned close. "Your Majesty, during the battle on the Wali Plains… more than a dozen mages of the Nott coalition perished."
"Ah." Gavin's voice hardened, his expression turning sharp as a blade. "Then he has come for revenge."
He raised his hand. "Snipers, prepare!"
In perfect discipline, hundreds of Ross soldiers leveled their rifles toward the sky, each one aimed squarely at Leander's brow.
"Evacuate the recruits. Veterans on the front. And ready the bazookas—I don't trust ordinary rifles to pierce his defenses."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
More than a dozen soldiers shouldered the newly crafted rocket launchers. The cold steel tubes glinted, their warheads loaded and waiting.
---
Leander Strikes
As the soldiers prepared, Leander's crimson eyes swept across the city. His gaze fell on two figures among the crowd—Angelina and Ya'er.
His lips curled. "Elves? So you are Ross's hidden magicians!"
He raised his hands. Magic surged, and two massive fireballs, red as blood, formed instantly. With a flick of his fingers, he hurled them toward the street.
"No!" Angelina shouted.
"Ya'er, shield—now!"
Together, the two elves thrust out their hands. Green energy burst forth, forming twin magic barriers etched with the patterns of vines and leaves.
The fireballs struck.
"BOOM! BOOM!"
The impact shattered both shields in an instant. The explosion sent flames surging outward. Civilians screamed as fire licked their clothes and skin. Angelina and Ya'er were hurled backward, slamming into the dirt, coughing and trembling.
Angelina's delicate hands shook violently. Too strong… that was just a casual attack, yet it broke our full defense.
On the fortress wall, Gavin's jaw tightened. "He dares attack civilians?! Bastard!"
He snarled words he hadn't spoken since his past life, curses spat in fury. Then he roared: "Snipers—fire!"
The night exploded with sound.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Hundreds of rifles fired in perfect rhythm, bullets streaking upward like a deadly hailstorm. Every round sought one target: Leander's forehead.
---
The Archmage's Mockery
Leander sneered, conjuring a shimmering crimson barrier. Bullets ricocheted harmlessly, sparks spraying across the air.
"Pathetic," he muttered. With a casual wave, he manipulated the ricocheting rounds, suspending them midair in a crimson glow. Slowly, he gathered them before his eyes, smirking.
"So these are your so-called weapons… copper casings, no more than mortal toys. Stimulated by a spark of energy, thrown like arrows." He crushed one between his fingers, scoffing. "Even if they are fast, they cannot break my shield. Not worth mentioning."
Below, Angelina staggered to her feet, her golden hair dust-streaked, her breathing ragged. She pulled Ya'er upright.
"Listen to me," she hissed. "That man… that is Leander. He stands a step away from the rank of Star Saint. His power dwarfs every mage you've seen. No one can defeat him. Tell Gavin Ward to escape while he still can!"
Ya'er stared at her in shock. "Your Highness… why do you care so much about that man? That king humiliated us, made us farm like peasants—"
"I don't know!" Angelina snapped, her voice cracking with urgency. "But I don't want him to die. This city… it's unlike anything else in the world. The people here live well, in peace, in happiness. He made this. If he dies, it all ends!"
Her chest ached with a strange, unexplainable fear.
---
Rocket Fire
Above, Leander spread his arms, preparing to unleash another storm of fire. But before he could strike—
"Whoosh—!"
From the fortress, a long metal tube belched flame. A rocket streaked upward, fire trailing from its tail.
Leander's lips twisted into contempt. "Mortal trinkets again? Do you think such toys can harm me?"
Fury in his eyes, he thrust out his hand and caught the rocket midair, his crimson aura crushing down upon it. "See? Nothing but impact and noise. You insult me!"
On the wall below, Gavin's smile turned sharp, almost mocking.
You fool, he thought. This is not an ordinary rocket.
The weapon in Leander's grasp was no simple projectile. It was a high-explosive round with a fuze—designed to detonate on contact, even against something as soft as flesh.
And Leander had just caught it barehanded.
"Spicy," Gavin muttered under his breath, a dangerous grin spreading across his face. "You can really cheat yourself…"
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