Red dragon: in charge of natural disasters

Northern Thrace, Eisen Guard.

A red dragon coiled atop the iron fortress, its massive body nearly consuming the entire structure. The steel in contact with its scarlet scales glowed red-hot, emitting plumes of white smoke.

The Dragonborn Earth Genasi, Imperial Marshal Dolo, knelt before the fortress, head bowed, and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, the Western Front's Mixed Third Division was ambushed by the Holy Guard and completely annihilated. We have brought shame upon you."

The Earth Genasi observed the red dragon's expression, and only after seeing no rage did he continue his report: "Furthermore, the situation on the Eastern Front is also unfavorable."

"At Saint Michael's City, we encountered the Holy Fadlan's ancient weapon—the Blazing Sun Bulwark. The Eastern Front Army has been unable to breach it for several days. Duke Misha and Marquis Anthony have already rushed to provide support."

Kaysus spread his wings, looked down at Dolo, and said in a calm tone, "War is a game of wins and losses. It's just that the Empire rarely encounters opponents of equal strength—to the point of being blinded by years of victory."

"The Empire's officers are still too careless. They actually treated the Kingdom of Thrace as a weak and vulnerable nation like those in the Northern Lands, and dared to easily divide their forces while deeply entrenched in enemy territory."

"Yes, Your Majesty, I will urge them to correct their mistakes as soon as possible and make this a classic example for the army," Dolo immediately and solemnly promised.

The loss of over fifteen thousand men and hundreds of thousands of gold coins is still bearable for the Ember Empire. Kaysus would not be enraged by this, but it will take some effort to appease the Empire's populace.

Even in his eyes, if it could slightly change the Empire's army's tendency towards being overly ambitious and aggressive, even paying a little more price and lesson would be worth it.

Kaysus exhaled a puff of sulfurous white smoke, turned his head, and asked the Tiefling, who was also kneeling on the ground beside him, "Mejoraesh, have you investigated the origins of those so-called 'Holy Guards'?"

"With the Sun God dormant for so many years, they can still cultivate such an army, capable of devouring an entire division of mine."

Mejoraesh replied in a deep voice, "Reporting to Your Majesty, I have already dispatched Nocturne and the Imperial Intelligence Bureau to conduct a detailed investigation."

"As far as I know, these Holy Crusaders first appeared three years ago, and the source of their power is not the sleeping Sun God, but Baator, the Nine Hells."

"Oh? The Hells?"

Kaysus raised an eyebrow, and a glimmer of light flickered in his golden vertical pupils, finally showing some interest.

Mejoraesh took out a box of charred material and replied, "Yes, Your Majesty. We took samples from Height 103, where the mixed division was ambushed, and found ashes produced by Hellfire."

"That legion is less of a Holy Guard and more of a Hell Legion in angel's skin. I suspect this is mostly Zariel's doing."

Kaysus continued to ask, "But as far as I know, the Hells have always advocated for equal exchange. What did Wilhelm pay to obtain such an army?"

"Souls."

Mejoraesh said without hesitation, and then took out a data file that had been prepared long ago.

"According to data compiled by the Imperial Intelligence Department, the number of missing persons in the Kingdom of Thrace has increased year by year in the past three years. Even the vagrants on the streets have disappeared, and the country has reached a point where everyone is in danger."

Mejoraesh took out a memory stone, and a series of magical images appeared in mid-air, showing Thracian soldiers throwing unconscious civilians into underground tunnels.

On the walls of those tunnels, there were bizarre, twisted magic arrays everywhere, like hideous faces.

Mejoraesh continued, "We have reason to suspect that, in order to consolidate his rule, that king has sacrificed more than one hundred thousand—or even more—souls to the Hells."

As a Tiefling with demon blood flowing through his veins, Mejoraesh had no good feelings for these distant relatives, and even wished he could slaughter them all.

After all, it was the existence of these demons that had subjected their race to centuries of pain and humiliation.

Kaysus sneered mockingly, "Claiming to be descendants of the Sun God, radiant and beautiful angels, yet sacrificing the souls of their people to demons, truly laughable to the extreme."

"It seems that we are right to say that the Empire has liberated the people of Thrace. At least we won't use them to feed demons."

"Of course, Your Majesty. Under your great blueprint, everything in the world can achieve true fairness and freedom. This is the most real and powerful justice."

"Is it really that Wilhelm? He is the second son of Aragon I, once revered as the 'Angel King,' how could he..."

Olivia, who was standing by, frowned slightly, her eyes flickering, and her fair face was full of surprise.

In the past few years, this silver dragon has traveled between the Melvord clan and the Empire, dedicated to maintaining the relationship between the Ember Empire and the Metallic Dragon Clan.

But Olivia also felt particularly helpless about the Empire's conquest. She could understand Kaysus's "great blueprint," but still felt pity for those creatures who died in the war.

But now, when she personally saw the evidence of the Kingdom of Thrace colluding with the Hells, she still felt a little unbelievable.

That was the Kingdom of Thrace! As one of the successors of the Holy Fadlan, it held a special position in the hearts of many lawful good beings.

Kaysus chuckled and explained, "That's just what they want you to see. Just like those so-called Holy Guards, they seem radiant and beautiful, but once you tear open that layer of false skin, their dirty true colors will be revealed."

Olivia stared at the magical images and said sternly, "The Empire should reveal their true colors to the whole world, only then..."

"Do you really think those hypocritical guys can't see it?" Kaysus sneered.

"If that's the case, why..." Olivia raised her head and looked at the red dragon, her face full of doubt.

"They are just pretending to be ignorant. In their eyes, the lives and deaths of the Thracian people are unimportant. Their own interests are simply more important.

They would rather exhaust everything to oppose the Ember Empire, which resisted the Abyss's invasion, than deal with the Kingdom of Thrace, which colluded with the Hells and harmed human lives."

Finally, the red dragon leaned down and said, word by word, "Haven't you seen it clearly yet? In the final analysis, where are there any ideals or beliefs? It's just a tangle of interests."

"..."

Olivia looked complicated and stood silently in place.

Lamp applauded repeatedly, praising, "Master is right! He has revealed the essence in one word. Only with the Empire, under the Empire's great blueprint, can the world truly achieve peace and development."

Kaisius turned his head and instructed the ogre not far away: "Trump, continue to issue missions, increase the rewards, and summon Starfallers from all over the empire to Thrace."

"Yes, Master."

Trump agreed happily.

"Angel Nephilim, Holy Knights, ancient weapons... It seems that the Thracian Kingdom has indeed exhausted all means.

Ultimately, the victory or defeat of this war will be determined by the Sunrise City—Augustus."

The red dragon raised its head and looked south, the flames surging in its pale golden pupils, and the rigid body fortress beneath it made a dull roar.

Thracian Kingdom, Saint Michael City.

This city is named after the Archangel, hence it is known as the "City of Angels". The city has a long history and many relics of ancient solar cults.

Saint Michael's geographical location is also extremely important, serving as a military fortress in eastern Thrace, the pass of the Radiant Mountains, and the only way to Augustus.

At this moment, this city has been surrounded by the armies of the Blazing Empire, and the sky is covered with huge airship clusters, and dense swarms of wyverns and flame drakes.

On the ground, there are steam tanks and armored vehicles like hills, as well as countless heavy artillery pieces raised high. In addition to nearly 100,000 ground troops, the Imperial Army has formed a mottled wave north of Saint Michael City.

Outside Saint Michael City, whether in the sky or on the land, the area is occupied by the Imperial Army, like a tsunami. If ordinary mortals encounter such a situation, they would have surrendered long ago.

However, this city has withstood the Empire's attacks for several days and still stands tall.

An officer of the Empire waved the battle flag and shouted loudly: "Attention, all troops, fire—"

"Boom!"

"Boom! Boom!"

The roaring sound shook the sky, and the muzzles of thousands of heavy artillery pieces burst out with dazzling fire.

The main guns of hundreds of tanks also aimed at the walls of Saint Michael, and armor-piercing rounds burst out.

The whistling sound of the air being torn apart resounded through the sky, and the arcs of the shells intertwined in the high sky, forming a burning net to completely destroy Saint Michael City.

However, a hemispherical light membrane enveloped the entire city, and even armor-piercing rounds could not break through it, leaving only ripples of energy—this is why Saint Michael can resist for several days.

In front of the white walls covered with angel reliefs, there stands a towering bulwark, which is the city defense device left by the Holy Fadlan—the Blazing Sun Bulwark.

It is said that this device was forged by the ancient solar cult by melting fragments of a fallen sun and once evaporated an entire vampire army in the ancient Blood Moon War.

Only solar priests who have passed the "Trial of Light" can serve as operators—their pupils will be permanently branded with the solar wheel mark, and they may even gain the ability to briefly elementalize into light.

Its main body is a curved giant shield made of gold and white crystal, with a relief of the Sun God driving a chariot to patrol the sky carved on the surface. A suspended "Sun Core Eye" is embedded in the center of the shield, and below it is a solar holy urn made of fine gold.

Twelve foldable arc-shaped light prisms extend on both sides of the shield, forming fan-shaped light wings when unfolded, like the wings of an angel.

Its twelve light prisms freely adjust their angles through a suspended magic circle to form a light prism collaborative array, which can refract the core energy into different forms:

When focused, it can be clustered into a beam of light that penetrates the city walls. When scattered, it releases a rain of fire covering the battlefield. When reflected, it creates a light membrane covering the city.

At this time, the Blazing Sun Bulwark is in a reflective state, and the twelve light prisms are aimed at the outside world, projecting a hemispherical light membrane with a diameter of 300 meters above the city walls, which can block simultaneous magical and physical damage.

In addition, undead and demonic creatures will spontaneously combust upon contact, and ordinary enemy troops will suffer continuous light-induced blindness, burns, dehydration, and unbearable pain.

"For Thrace!"

"Long live the Holy Fadlan! Saint Michael City will never fall!!"

Inside the Blazing Sun Bulwark, several Angel Nephilim flapped their wings, suspended in mid-air, raising the flaming long swords in their hands and continuously pouring the solar divine power into the Sun Core Eye.

The Blazing Empire's officer roared: "Attack! Crush their turtle shell for me! For the Empire!"

"Boom—"

In an instant, the earth trembled violently, and the tracks rolled over the ground, leaving deep marks.

Dozens of steam tanks galloped at high speed, firing their main guns in succession. They charged towards Saint Michael City like a herd of raging beasts.

"Those dragon minions are coming! Quick, prepare for the Solar Flare Judgment!"

"Buzz—"

The horn sounded, and six solar priests were scattering gold powder containing divine power into the central solar holy urn.

The liquid solar energy in the urn boiled violently, and a solar wheel totem forged with ancient divine inscriptions appeared on the mirror surface.

When the horn sounded for the third time, the twelve light prisms rotated, and the blazing white light stream gushing from the urn was refracted through layers of mirrors, focusing into a solar flare in the hundred-meter sky that was enough to melt gold and crack stone.

"For the Empire!"

Under the cover of artillery fire and bullets, the dragon-blooded goblin pushed the joystick violently, driving the steam tank to crash into the fortress, the huge metal ram like a siege hammer.

Behind him, the Empire's ground forces were also advancing rapidly, cooperating with the steam tanks that rushed forward to launch a coordinated attack.

But at this moment, the stationed Holy Knights suddenly took off their helmets and squatted down—this was not surrender, but to avoid being blinded by the sudden burst of intense light.

"Praise the Sun! Praise the God of Golden Light, the Eternal Lord of Radiance!"

The chief solar priest cut open his wrist and injected golden-red blood into the holy urn. The next moment, the sunlight turned into roaring light dragons that pierced through the battlefield.

"Boom—"

The steam tank thirty steps away from the city gate was the first to be attacked and exploded directly, turning into a huge fireball, and the steel-cast armor melted into scarlet juice and seeped into the scorched earth.

"By Kaisius!"

"It's that kind of divine art again! Quick, magic protection team!"

The anti-magic shields raised by the ogres made a crisp sound like shattered glass when the light stream swept over them, and even the bones of the shield holders glowed with a strange red light.

When the light column finally dissipated, only countless vitrified gullies extending radially remained outside the city walls, and even the falling black smoke evaporated into golden mist in the residual high temperature.

"Damn Thracians!"

In the distance, at the Empire's position, Drol looked at the barrier that seemed to never collapse through a telescope and slammed the table heavily, letting out an angry roar.

The Imperial Army, which had always been invincible and indestructible, had encountered a truly evenly matched opponent for the first time.