Ember Dragon

After a long silence, the soldiers of the Empire erupted in fanatical cheers, while the defenders of Isengard felt a buzzing in their ears and overwhelming fear.

"God..."

"By Amanata, how... how is this possible?"

"Count Hain was eaten? He was blessed by the Sun God! How could this happen?!"

"That evil dragon... could it be—the Emperor of Embers? God, I’ve seen that image—it really is him!"

They looked up at the massive dragon that blotted out the sun, at the sky that had suddenly dimmed, feeling an unprecedented despair.

The army of the Ember Empire, though terrifyingly powerful, was still something mortals could defeat—if they had enough courage and made enough sacrifices.

But that dragon in the sky?

With one bite, he devoured Count Hain, who had received Amanata’s grace—devoured their shared sun, and devoured their final hope!

Despair and fear overwhelmed the soldiers’ hearts, like facing a natural disaster—tsunami or earthquake. There was no method but to run.

Under tens of thousands of eyes, the red dragon high in the air carelessly spat out the angelic scion’s corpse and casually licked his lips.

—Cassius simply disliked eating humanoid creatures. He only wanted to consume the godforce core that was about to explode.

Hain crashed into the ground, embedding deep. A massive hollow marked his chest, his body dark and cracked like a shattered statue.

Though long dead, his face still bore a terrified, disbelieving expression.

—This noble-born angel never imagined that his final act of mutual destruction would end with him being eaten.

In the skies, the red dragon flapped his wings and looked down with his deep golden slit pupils upon the cast-iron walls spanning the valley, slowly opening his mouth and speaking in a flat tone.

There was no trace of threat—just a calm declaration of a trivial fact.

"Greetings, remnants of Fadlan, followers of the Sun God.

Perhaps you’ve heard my name. I am Cassius, Emperor of the Ember Empire, Lord of Anzeta.

The Ember Empire shall rescue you from the cruel oppression and terrifying rule of the Kingdom of Thrace—and grant you true salvation."

A thunderous voice echoed above Isengard, reverberating through the grand city, filling people with terror, yet also deep confusion.

In their eyes, the red dragon was a ruthless tyrant, conquering Isengard solely for plunder and enslavement. His monstrous legions feasted on human souls.

But now, hovering above the city, the evil dragon solemnly spoke of "salvation." The scene was bizarre and surreal.

"What is he trying to do?"

"What is he saying?"

"The Ember Empire says they’re here to save us?"

Cassius’s voice rose with cadence: "King Wilhelm of Thrace colluded with Hell’s demons, sacrificing his people to steal the power of the sun—and thus was forsaken by the gods.

You should see his true nature and recognize one truth—The Ember Empire is the rightful successor of Holy Fadlan! We are the true Sun!"

As people stared in shock, the red dragon unfurled his wings. The dragon crystal on his chest shone like a blazing sun, releasing boundless radiance.

[Phantom Sun]

With the combined powers of fire element, heavenly essence, and solar divinity, the red dragon’s brilliance outshone Hain’s—more divine, more solemn.

Rivers evaporated under its glow, and air within a hundred miles turned dry and scorching—like noon in the height of summer.

"How is this possible?"

"But this power... it really is from Lord Amanata..."

"That light—it’s too familiar. Could it be true? Has King Wilhelm really betrayed the gods?"

Murmurs filled the city. Was everything they had fought to protect—just a demonic lie?

Clearly, their faith was beginning to shake.

Seeing their reactions, Cassius added fuel to the fire: "Many of you fought in the Holy War, didn’t you? It was a brutal war—comrades turning on each other..."

At those words, many soldiers nodded grimly, sharing the sentiment.

"And those lofty kings never obeyed the church’s teachings. They never saw you as true citizens—just cheap cannon fodder!

To seize power, they signed pacts with demons, sold your souls! They have no right to inherit Fadlan’s legacy! Even the so-called divine scions are nothing more than thieves of power!"

Activating the power of [Silver Tongue], the red dragon’s charm twisted reality, making people subconsciously want to believe him.

"Evil dragon! Stop spewing lies!"

"You won’t deceive our warriors with flowery words!"

Angry roars echoed from Isengard’s walls.

Several remaining angelic scions rose above the walls, glaring at the red dragon and raising their silver swords—blades glowing gold.

The golden light intertwined, forming a massive sun disc in the sky. It spun, projecting divine radiance that barred everything outside of Isengard.

The lead scion gritted his teeth and shouted, "Evil dragon! I don’t know how you stole this power, but as long as we stand, you will not set foot in Thrace!

Everyone, fight to the death! Even in death, let him witness our might!"

"Kill—"

"For Thrace!"

"For Holy Fadlan!"

All nine scions unleashed a sun disc hundreds of meters wide to protect the city. Even against a demigod, it could buy time until Thrace’s reinforcements arrived.

But they overlooked one fact: their opponent was no ordinary being, but the same dragon who once felled the lord of the heavens—Cassius, Emperor of Embers.

Glaring at the angelic scions, Cassius spread his wings and scoffed coldly: "Fools.

Even the true Lord of Heaven couldn’t stop me. What makes you think a bunch of winged pigeons can stand in my way?"

The red dragon grinned viciously. "Fine. Then let me show you—what the true sun looks like!"

Cassius inhaled deeply. The solar divinity in his dragon crystal surged into his veins, boiling with dragon blood, concentrating into a blazing fireball in his throat.

He had countless ways to kill them effortlessly—but he chose the most humiliating one.

[Sun Breath]

He would use their own god’s power to annihilate them—not just physically, but spiritually.

"Boom—"

A deafening blast echoed. A blazing beam of light shot across the sky, piercing kilometers of air toward the golden disc.

The sun’s fury could destroy everything—even itself.

Facing the beam, the scions’ faces still turned pale with dread, their bodies lit by the incoming light.

This wasn’t a dragon’s breath—it was divine retribution from the Sun God himself.

Was that red dragon truly Amanata’s herald—sent to punish them, the guilty?

That was the last thought that crossed their minds.

In the blink of an eye, the light beam pierced the sun disc.

The divine power obliterated their bodies, stripped their godly essence, and reduced the winged beings to ash.

Then, the beam slammed into the cast-iron city wall.

"No—"

"Run! It’s collapsing!"

Isengard shook violently. Outer walls melted into molten iron. Inner walls crumbled. Steel and stone crashed down like rain.

Even rune-etched walls, immune to spells, stood no chance against the solar breath.

In every soldier’s eyes reflected the blinding light—then smoke, debris, and a thunderous crash.

Within seconds, a hundred-meter stretch of towering wall collapsed completely. Thousands were crushed or fell to their deaths.

"By Amanata..."

"Is this divine punishment? How can we fight such an enemy..."

At this point, it no longer mattered whether the dragon was Amanata’s agent or the true heir of Fadlan.

Cassius had proven—he could destroy this city in mere moments.

The red dragon descended, wings eclipsing the sky, landing atop Isengard and digging his claws into the wall.

"Buzz—"

Metal shrieked under pressure as the claws dented the steel walls.

Yet the soldiers trembled, frozen in place. Some even fainted under the suffocating dragon’s presence.

"God... God..."

"By Amanata..."

The red dragon gazed down with his massive golden eyes and coldly spoke a familiar phrase: "Submit, or die."

"Clang!"

The clatter of falling weapons rang out—at first scattered, then a flood.

The banner of sun and wings descended from the tower. The imperial flag of flame and vertical pupil rose, fluttering.

The airship fleet hovered above, casting vast, dappled shadows over the city—an eerie, surreal sight.

Massive war mechs marched through the streets, bodies like moving mountains. Each step made the ground tremble.

They weaved through small buildings, metal shells gleaming coldly, drawing fearful and curious stares.

Imperial infantry formed orderly ranks, advancing swiftly under officers’ commands toward the armory, banks, and strategic locations.

"Boom—"

Armored cars rumbled down the roads, machine guns mounted. A loudspeaker blared: "Imperial forces have entered. Remain indoors. Stay calm. Do not wander—"

"Mom, I’m scared. The Imperials... do they really eat children’s souls?"

"Don’t be scared, child. That’s just a rumor."

"But I heard—"

Such conversations echoed through many homes. Citizens of Isengard, terrified by the Imperial arrival, huddled in their houses, trembling.

For in Thracen propaganda, Imperial soldiers were greedy, brutal monsters.

Though Isengard lay between Thrace and North Aether, it was deep within Thracen territory, untouched by enemies for decades of peace.

Even wars in the south and uprisings in the north only brought heavier taxes—never flames of war.

But now, the Ember Empire had changed everything.

"Boom—"

The ground let out a low roar.

Outside Isengard, steam tanks rumbled across the plains, wyverns soared, and Imperial troops surged through Elbert Pass, flooding into Thracen lands.

Isengard had fallen. The total war between the Ember Empire and the Kingdom of Thrace—had officially begun.

......

Kingdom of Thrace, Auguste.

"Extra! Extra! Ember Empire declares war on Thrace! Isengard has fallen!"

"What?! Isengard fell?!"

"By Amanata!"

"That was the only gateway to the north! The indestructible stronghold—fallen just like that?!"

The Ember Empire’s forces had pushed deep, rampaging through Thrace at lightning speed. The city of Auguste fell into chaos and panic.

The Ember Empire was now a massive blade—hanging over everyone’s heads.

For the first time in nearly a century—excluding internal wars—an actual foreign invader had entered Fadlan’s land.

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