The fire from some houses began to spread everywhere.
The flames advanced uncontrollably, devouring roofs and walls, while thick smoke covered the city's sky.
Screams of despair mingled with the creaking of collapsing wood.
Children and civilians ran aimlessly, many falling to the ground, others trapped by the fire.
Some couldn't escape and died burned by the flames, leaving behind a silence broken only by the roar of the fire.
The elves destroyed everything in their path. They showed no mercy. Every street they advanced through was reduced to ruins, and every person or creature they encountered was eliminated without hesitation.
Their attacks were precise and brutal, as if every move had been planned in advance.
The king marched out with his army to confront the elves. His presence commanded respect, even amidst the chaos. On the enemy side, the elves also had their king at the forefront, leading the attack directly against the civilians, impassively observing the destruction they left in their wake.
"Listen, all of you… the kingdom is under attack, and we must protect it at all costs."
King Arthur's cry resounded powerfully, piercing the din of battle.
Those words ignited the soldiers' spirits, who, despite their fear and exhaustion, gripped their weapons and continued fighting.
The castle gates flew open, allowing soldiers to pour out from all sides.
The sound of metal and boots striking the ground filled the air as the troops divided into three large, well-organized groups.
The first group consisted of knights tasked with rescuing and protecting civilians, evacuating them from the most dangerous areas.
The second group focused on defending the entire kingdom from greater threats, guarding key points and containing potential flanks. The third army, led by the king himself, was tasked with directly confronting the elves on the battlefield.
On the elven side, a great majority began to fall under the knights' attacks.
The knights used their powers with precision, combining magic and sword to eliminate them more quickly.
The ground was covered with bodies as the combat intensified.
The elven king, from his horse, watched the city ablaze. His expression remained cold.
Suddenly, he leaped to the ground and, with his fist, slammed his fist into the earth. The ground trembled, and from the depths, thick roots grew, intertwining to form an enormous tree that rose above the destroyed buildings.
That display of power did not go unnoticed.
King Arthur saw it from a distance and turned his attention in that direction, understanding that the true confrontation was about to begin.
…
"I think we need to intervene in this whole mess they're making."
In a torchlit room, several nobles were gathered around a round table.
The atmosphere was thick with tension as they debated the situation and the future of the kingdom.
"I believe we must eradicate all the elves from the territory."
A fat man, seated at the table, spoke in a firm voice, trying to assert his authority and take the lead in the discussion.
An awkward silence filled the room. No one responded immediately, until another noble slammed his fist on the table, abruptly breaking the silence.
"I agree, and anyone who opposes me won't fare well with me. Whoever is on my side, raise your hand."
One by one, everyone present raised their hand. There was no opposition.
The sound of a bell echoed throughout the room, signaling the end of the meeting.
The nobles began to retreat quickly to their quarters.
A masked man, with a red dot on the top of his mask, observed the entire situation from a small window. Without making a sound, he vanished as if he had never been there.
In the sewers, two men dressed in military fatigues advanced silently. On their left arms, they wore a symbol shaped like a triangle with three circles. In their hands, they carried briefcases displaying the same symbol, accompanied by a radiation warning. The echo of their footsteps resonated as they moved through the damp passageways. Upon reaching a certain section, they found a metal door. They opened it and descended a staircase that led them to a large underground laboratory. Inside, enormous cylinders filled with green water illuminated the place with a sickly glow. Within them, small monsters and humans could be seen suspended, some banging on the glass in desperation, pleading for help without receiving a response.
The masked men placed the briefcases on the cold floor of the laboratory, a neglected place, full of trash, remnants of cables, and sparks jumping from broken connections.
One of the scientists present opened one of the boxes and took out a green and red ring.
Without hesitation, he inserted it into one of the cylinders.
The water inside the cylinder changed color, turning red.
The man trapped inside began to convulse violently.
His skin reddened and scales began to emerge, covering his body as he screamed silently.
A warning appeared on a nearby screen, displaying a red interface with the word "error" in the center.
The cylinder began to heat up from the outside, becoming incandescent.
In an instant, it exploded, leaving the subject dead amidst shards of glass and spilled liquid.
"It couldn't withstand that much power... we'll have to try it with that prototype to see how it goes."
…
"King, we're losing the battle. What do we do?"
The knight spoke with difficulty, covered in blood and ash.
The king had just ended the life of an elf and, without showing any hesitation, sheathed his sword. His breathing was heavy, but his gaze remained steady.
He placed a hand on the soldier's shoulder, conveying a forced calm.
"We'll have to use plan B."
Without another word, the king leaped onto the roof of a nearby house.
From there, he raised his arm to the sky, concentrating his power.
A beam of light shot from his hand and soared upward, piercing the clouds and becoming visible throughout the devastated city.
"My king... don't tell me..."
The king didn't respond immediately. With a faint smile, he gazed at the sky, waiting.
"Soldier, it's time to end the war our ancestors began."
Clouds began to blanket the blue sky.
The wind grew colder, and a heavy rain began to fall, accompanied by thunder, lightning, and flashes of light that illuminated the destroyed city.
Three hooded figures appeared around the king. Each carried a briefcase. Without a word, a portal opened before him, its energy distorting the air.
"I see you're in trouble. Thank you for calling us."
The king stepped through the portal and, in an instant, found himself in the filthy underground laboratory, where capsules filled with people and monsters illuminated the place with their sickly glow.
One of the masked figures led him down a long corridor to a door at the far end. He opened it.
Inside the room, a man sat in the center, surrounded by papers, antique furniture, and an oppressive atmosphere that made it difficult to breathe.
"I see you finally sought my help. I knew you would need it someday."
The man picked up some papers from the table and handed them to the king.
"And what's this?"
"You want to know why the elves are attacking the city?"
King Arthur frowned and lowered his gaze, recalling scenes from the past.
"Why, in your opinion?"
A sarcastic laugh broke the silence of the room.
The king, visibly enraged, removed his crown and burned it with elemental fire power.
The heat began to intensify, making the air stifling.
The man slowly rose, walked over to the king, and touched his shoulder, whispering in his ear:
"Do you think no one noticed when you went to eliminate the elf king's daughter? I don't know what your intentions were, but that king was not pleased."
The king took a step back. Silently, he handed over the sheets already signed with the royal signature.
"I see you finally gave in. Remember not to overuse these pills."
The man gave him a small vial. The king put it away without a word.
"I hope you enjoy it, King."
Arthur left the room without looking back.
…The destruction of the kingdom continued. From atop the castle, a masked figure in a sleek military uniform with a neon blue insignia on his right arm observed the entire situation.
Beside him, a masked woman with a ruby red insignia did the same.
"Ryo, I think it's time to act, don't you think?"
"It's not time yet, Marie. Just wait a little longer."
Marie took Ryo's hand. The instant a bolt of lightning struck the castle's spire, they both vanished.
…The elves watched the chaos in the capital with grim smiles as they advanced toward the castle.
A bloodcurdling scream echoed throughout the fortress. A dragon-like beast descended from the sky and perched atop the castle, breathing fire and reducing everything to ashes.
Some elves tried to retreat, but their comrades' spears were raised before them.
Those who tried to escape were mercilessly pierced.
The rest of the elves charged at the dragon. Its fiery breath consumed them, reducing them to dust, followed by a deafening roar.
The elf king, furious, leaped from his position and struck the dragon with elemental air power.
The beast recoiled and plummeted.
Struggling to its feet, the dragon attempted to unleash a blast of energy and fire, which the elf king skillfully blocked.
The creature tried to take refuge inside the castle, but failed.
The elf king ascended to the very top of the
Strength, concentrating his power.
He created a sword of compressed air and launched himself at the dragon. The beast tried to destroy part of the castle to stop him, but it was in vain.
The elf king hurled the sword. It pierced the wall the dragon used as a defense and, with greater force, split it in two, revealing the human king inside, impaled as if he were the beast's heart.
The elves were victorious.
They retreated on their white horses. When it was all over, Ryo emerged from behind one of the castle walls and picked up the empty flask the king had dropped.
…At the rear of the castle, the soldiers were about to flee to the shelters when one of the nobles of the Round Table approached them.
He took a sealed scroll from his pocket, bearing the royal signature and seal.
The soldiers were stunned to read the order: they were to march to the Arize Kingdom, also known as the Kingdom of the Growing Tree.
A kingdom characterized by the intense aura in the air and the manufacture of the highest quality power crystals.
The soldiers laughed for a few seconds, but soon their expressions turned serious and they sat down on the ground.
"Do you think we're cannon fodder? Everyone knows that to enter, you have to pass through a forest filled with toxic fog."
"Yes, and the golems they have are very powerful. We would have to bring all our elite knights."
Some began to throw their weapons to the ground and retreat.
Seeing their refusal, the nobleman took out another scroll, this one red and black.
"The Opsagon ordered that anyone who fails to complete the mission be beheaded."
A furious soldier lunged at the nobleman, but from a corner of the castle, a man with his face covered cut him into small pieces.
Fear gripped those present, who took up their weapons and accepted the mission.
At dusk, they arrived at the kingdom, shrouded in a thick, toxic fog.
A wizard erected an anti-poison barrier to prevent poisoning.
After walking for some time, they reached the first elven village, with huts built high in the trees, like nests.
The elite knights attacked without hesitation, using elemental fire to burn everything.
The elven guard tried to protect them, but they too were consumed by the flames.
The fire and screams spread through the villages and towns, reaching the capital, where the elven royal family tried to escape.
The little princess of the elven kingdom hid in a wardrobe, trembling as she listened to the chaos.
"Daughter, you have to get out of there and flee from here."
Her mother pulled her from the wardrobe and, by pressing a book, opened a secret door that led her to a dark forest, far from the capital of the Kingdom of the Growing Tree.