The spirited cheers of the thousands of Vanzhas residents echoed toward the skies, bouncing off the city walls and creating a vibration that could be felt in the very marrow of one's bones. It was not merely a war cry, it was a manifestation of absolute trust.
Alrain, standing by his master's side, felt a chill run down his spine. His hair stood on end, not from fear, but from the overwhelming emotion of witnessing such limitless loyalty.
Magnificent! Alrain cried out in his heart, his eyes shimmering as he gazed at Arvin's sturdy back. My Lord is truly an extraordinary man! How can one individual stir the hearts of thousands to the point where they are willing to follow him even into the jaws of death? Truly... this loyalty is as terrifying as it is grand.
Arvin raised his hand slightly, signaling the start of the march.
With Arvin leading at the very front and Alrain at his right hand, the wave of humanity began to move. The rhythmic thrum of thousands of feet marching in unison created an intimidating cadence. Behind them, hundreds of Vedegra elite soldiers marched in perfect formation, followed by thousands of Vanzhas citizens, all gripping their weapons with fierce, unyielding glares.
They split through the main road, heading toward the West Gate, the threshold between the city's safety and the threat lurking outside.
Upon arriving at the gargantuan West Gate, the sight that greeted them was enough to wither the spirit of any ordinary man.
On the main road stretching before the gate, thousands of royal troops in shimmering silver armor stood in neat, disciplined rows. The banners of the Astoria Kingdom fluttered haughtily in the wind. Their numbers vastly eclipsed the regular Vedegra forces.
Arvin halted his steps a few dozen meters from the enemy line. He stood relaxed, as if taking a stroll through a garden rather than facing thousands of killers.
A man in gold armor and a crimson cloak, the Royal Commander, spurred his horse forward a few paces. He unfurled a royal decree with a face full of arrogance.
"Duke Arvin Vedegra!" the commander bellowed, his voice amplified by magical reinforcement. "In the name of His Majesty, King Dalvanel, you are declared guilty of military aggression and the destruction of three neighboring kingdoms! You are deemed a high-level threat to the stability of our Astoria Kingdom!"
Arvin snorted softly. "I only wiped out those who dared to try and seize my territory and my people." Arvin stated firmly. His voice was calm, yet it radiated an overpowering aura of dominance. "They touched what was mine, so I destroyed them. Is that a crime? Or... has your King lost his mind from the side effects of that ridiculous ritual of his, chasing immortality?"
The commander's face contorted with rage upon hearing his King insulted so brazenly before thousands of troops.
"Watch your tongue, Duke Arvin!" the soldier roared, unsheathing his sword and pointing it at Arvin. "You shall receive the death penalty for this blasph—"
His words were never finished.
Zep!
The sharp sound of metal piercing flesh rang out.
The commander's eyes bulged. He looked down slowly, staring at a jagged ice spear that had materialized out of thin air. It had punched through his golden armor, torn through his heart, and erupted out of his back. Fresh blood dripped, freezing before it even hit the soil.
There were no signs of Arvin chanting. No magic circles. The ice was simply there, as if obeying the silent whim of its master.
The commander's body tumbled from his horse with a heavy thud. Dead instantly.
Silence fell. The royal troops froze, watching their leader die in the blink of an eye. Arvin took a single step forward, a cold smile etching onto his lips.
"If it's war you want, then let there be war!" Arvin shouted, spreading his arms wide as if welcoming them into a deadly embrace. "You came here for this, didn't you? Enough talk!"
The provocation worked. The front lines of the royal army roared in fury and began their charge. But Arvin did not remain still.
Zap! Zap! Zap!
Arvin's body vanished, leaving only a blurred shadow. He moved with lightning speed, closing the distance between himself and the royal army in seconds. He landed right in the center of the enemy ranks. Before their blades could even graze him, Arvin slammed his foot into the earth.
"Perish..."
In an instant, the temperature plummeted to absolute zero.
Crack!
A wave of blue-white frost exploded from Arvin's body, sweeping in every direction like a tsunami. The area surrounding the royal troops was instantly transformed into an eternal sea of ice. Hundreds of soldiers in the front lines didn't even have time to scream. Their bodies, their horses, their weapons, everything was encased in thick, crystalline ice.
They became scintillating ice statues, hauntingly beautiful under the afternoon sun. Their faces were frozen in expressions of eternal shock and terror.
Alrain, witnessing the scene from behind, was stunned to the point his jaw nearly dropped.
I never imagined Lord Duke Arvin was this powerful... Alrain thought, trembling. This isn't just magic. This is a catastrophe. All those soldiers frozen dead in a heartbeat. Magnificent! Truly magnificent!
"WOOOOHHH! LONG LIVE DUKE ARVIN!"
The crowd behind Alrain erupted in joy. Their morale soared as they watched hundreds of enemies defeated with a single strike. They felt as though victory was already within their grasp.
However, Arvin did not join the cheering. He stood silent amidst the sea of ice statues, his eyes fixed sharply on the horizon, toward the hills behind the frozen army.
The joy of the Vanzhas people did not last long.
Thomp! Thomp! Thomp! Thomp!
The ground began to vibrate. A tremor far more powerful than before.
In the distance, thick dust billowed into the sky. Reinforcements had arrived. And this time, the quantity and quality were vastly different. It was a coalition force, a massive alliance specifically prepared to take down the "Vedegra Monster".
In the front lines were high-level Adventurers with unique weapons radiating magical auras. Beside them marched thousands of notoriously ruthless mercenaries. In the rear, a formation of Royal Mages in purple robes began chanting massive protective spells. And among them, the royal flag fluttered grandly.
They numbered in the tens of thousands, blotting out the horizon like a black cloud bringing a storm.