Chapter 267: The Overwhelming Difference

“Begin the siege…” Valeria commanded coldly as she paced through the ranks, her armor stained by the crimson rain.

The war horns answered her from every direction around Blackspire, roaring one after another into the dark clouds until the entire capital was trapped within a circle of sound.

Their cries rolled across the plains and struck the crystal walls with enough force to make them tremble, shaking the hearts of the defenders no matter how hard they attempted to remain steady.

Hands tightened around weapons, teeth clenched, and frightened eyes remained fixed upon the endless army surrounding their home.

There was no battle plan capable of answering a force of this size, nor any weapon upon the walls powerful enough to guarantee their survival.

Blackspire had only its people and the hope that their combined strength would somehow be enough, but hope had always been the final weakness of those without the power to decide their own fate.

The first groan of the trebuchet mechanisms echoed across the plains the moment the war horns faded beneath the rain. Ropes strained, wooden frames creaked, and enormous throwing arms were drawn backward by hundreds of soldiers before a sudden crack split the air.

The first trebuchet released its burden, and countless others followed immediately after it.

Thousands of magic boulders rose above the Imperial Court army, briefly disappearing into the crimson clouds before gravity dragged them toward Blackspire.

Golden magic burned across their surfaces, transforming them into enormous fireballs bright enough to consume hell itself, while their light spread across the frightened faces of the defenders watching the sky descend upon them.

“Brace yourselves!”

The four dragon family heads roared from their positions at the four gates as magic erupted from hundreds of thousands of palms. Ice spread through the air and formed barriers above the battlements, fire rose beside it, violent winds twisted around both elements, and thunder rushed through the sky alongside the multicolored light released by the spirits.

Their combined strength collided with the falling boulders. Some exploded above the walls, scattering burning fragments across the crimson sky, while others were frozen solid, torn apart by wind, or shattered beneath countless bolts of thunder. There were simply too many to stop them all, and several broke through the barriers before crashing into the crowds gathered upon the walls.

Golden explosions swallowed entire formations. Broken bodies were thrown through the air as screams rose above the rain, and the hope holding the defenders together weakened the moment their blood spilled across Blackspire.

Yet while its people bled, the walls beneath their feet did not crack in the slightest.

Every boulder that struck the black crystal shattered upon impact, releasing explosions of golden magic across its surface without leaving even the smallest mark behind.

The siege weapons capable of flattening ordinary capitals could kill the people standing upon Blackspire’s walls, but they could not destroy the walls themselves.

Panic spread across the battlements as corpses littered the crystal and the wounded cried out for healers, but fear soon gave way to hatred.

The survivors stepped over the fallen and raised their hands toward the plains, gathering their magic once more as the thirst for revenge burned through every dragon, elf, and spirit who remained standing.

“Magnificent creation…” Valeria muttered as she stared at the untouched walls, her eyes widening while hatred briefly gave way to admiration.

Purple and golden light continued moving through the black crystal beneath the crimson rain, making the capital appear almost alive. Valeria found herself glorifying its beauty within her heart, no longer seeing Blackspire merely as an enemy city awaiting destruction, but as a prize worthy of being claimed.

“I want this city…” Desire entered her eyes as a quiet laugh escaped her lips. “I want it for myself.”

She appeared completely unconcerned by the enormous mass of magic gathering above the walls, and even as countless attacks turned toward her and the Imperial Court soldiers, she continued admiring the city she had already begun imagining as her own.

“Kill the enemy! An eye for an eye!”

The people of Blackspire roared as fire, ice, wind, thunder, and multicolored spirit magic erupted from their palms. Hundreds of thousands of attacks filled the crimson sky before descending upon the Imperial Court army from every direction.

“Weaker than I expected…” Valeria laughed as she finally turned toward them.

Dark chuckles spread through the Imperial Court ranks, and not a single soldier attempted to flee. They raised their hands in perfect unison, creating enormous layers of magical barriers that connected across their formations until the million-strong army disappeared beneath a sea of light.

The attacks from Blackspire struck the barriers and swallowed the plains in destruction. Fire scorched the grass, thunder shook the earth, and enormous clouds of steam rose as ice shattered against the shields. For several seconds, the Imperial Court army vanished, and the defenders leaned over the battlements with hope returning to their eyes as they waited for the smoke to clear.

When the wind finally carried it away, the Imperial Court formations remained exactly where they had been. Their barriers had shattered, and some soldiers had been knocked from their feet, but they simply rose and returned to position without leaving a single corpse behind.

“Not a single one…” Rosalia stumbled onto the highest balcony of the citadel and gripped the crystal railing, disbelief spreading across her face as she stared at the unharmed army below.

Blue flames burst from Agnia’s hands as scales spread across her body and she transformed into her dragon-hybrid form. Her wings opened behind her, scattering heat through the chamber as she stepped toward the edge of the balcony.

“I’m heading out.”

“Agnia, wait!” Rosalia called desperately, shifting into her own dragon-hybrid form before rushing forward and catching her arm. “You cannot face that army alone!”

“Then what are we supposed to do?” Agnia snapped, her blue flames burning brighter. “Stand here and watch them climb our walls?”

Before Rosalia could answer, the voices of the four dragon family heads thundered from their positions around the capital.

“Save your strength! Leave the walls and take cover!”

The single counterattack had revealed the greatest weakness of Blackspire. Its people possessed tremendous individual strength, but their scattered magic could not break through the coordinated defenses of the Imperial Court army, while the walls had no siege weapons capable of forcing the enemy to remain at a distance. Max had created defenses capable of enduring almost any attack, but he had never been given enough time to arm them properly.

The defenders reluctantly abandoned the battlements, carrying the wounded and dragging their fallen away before the trebuchets could release another wave. Some continued looking back at the enemy with hatred burning in their eyes, but remaining upon the walls would only turn them into helpless targets.

“Look at them, running away like cockroaches.” Valeria laughed darkly as she raised one hand. “Storm the walls, but do not destroy the city itself. Blackspire will become our new bastion, our glorious City of Valor.”

Her hand fell as she gave the command.

“Take it!”

More than a million soldiers surged toward Blackspire. Siege ladders rose above the charging formations while armored warriors carried grappling hooks and climbing equipment toward the crystal walls, the earth trembling beneath their combined steps as they rushed forward to enter the capital and bring an end to the people of Voidstar.