CHAPTER 87: INTO THE LION’S DEN

XENON WINGATE 

5 MONTHS AGO

This is it. This is the most awaited day of my life. One month of preparation of Alterra’s military forces and now we are ready for war. I never got any proper sleep for the past few days because I’m so excited for this last mission. Finally, I can go back to my hometown and demand the payment for those who owe me. 

As of the plans, I made them all by myself. I have memorized Elysia’s topography and geography, and I know all the best entrances and the weakest lines of defense if they haven’t changed their traditional military routine by now. It’s been two and a half years since I last stepped in in this place, so I expect some changes.

Elysia’s capital is the Magic Peak, a snowy mountain range that goes around the top of the continent for fifteen miles. At the northern part of the capital is the inhabitable north pole of the planet. The eastern part is near the main military base where White Ghosts like me are trained. Both two directions are bad options to start our invasion, however, the western part of the Magic Peak is the Snow Gulf. This is where trade deals by ships and even airships are conducted, so the city beside the gulf is inhabited with civilians. If I don’t care about the people, I would choose this as a starting point.

Danielle told me that it would be bad for both empires if we had the civilians of Elysia involved, so she suggested an attack starting from the north pole. She said that we have five airships that can withstand the extreme temperature of the snowy mountains. To go to the north pole, we made a route that involves crossing the western ocean to the left and then go as far as north as possible. The world is a sphere, so we should be reaching the north pole as long as we venture continuously to the north regardless if we start from the west or east.

There was a massive snowstorm that intercepted our route when we finally reached the north pole. Thankfully, one of my allies Alder Windstrafe managed to stop the blizzard using the power of his Ice Dragon. We managed to pass through the extreme environment without any damage or casualties.

One hour of traveling southwards from the north pole, and we finally saw the mountain range of the Magic Peak. The mountain range encircles around the capital like a crown that is identical to the crown the emperors of Elysia are wearing. In fact, their gem crown is based on this very mountain range, and this is the symbol of protection for the Elysian people.

Venturing towards the capital of Elysia is impossible on foot. Good thing we have airships which can just hover above the mountain ranges that are about a hundred meters tall. The Elysian military has detected our fleet, and the defense department of this wretched empire tried to threaten us through radio contacts.

“Unidentified airships, you are now entering into Elysian territory! We demand you to stop proceeding or else we will fire in your direction!”

The five airships that the emperor of Alterra gave me bears no flags, so it is understandable that even the Elysian military defense couldn’t identify my airships if they are for commercial purposes or for warfare. It gave them the benefit of doubt, and we both know that Elysia does not fire at civilians unless necessary.

“Oui Senor. We will not turn back.” Danielle replied to the radio.

“This is your final warning! You will turn back to where you came from, or else we will fire at your ships!” The Elysian defense is getting spiky. I can see rocket turrets deployed on the mountain ranges aiming at the five airships.

“Light 'em up,” I muttered to Danielle.

At my signal, Danielle pressed the red button, and all hell broke loose. The five airships revealed its rockets and destroyed all twelve missile turrets that are pointed to us and our airships. Flames started to engulf the mountain ranges due to the surprise attack, and now I guess the crown-shaped snowy mountain ranges won’t be the symbol of their protection anymore.

Three seconds after the explosion around the mountain ranges, the main radio tower of the Magic Peak capital started its broadcast with a loud siren that kept echoing in this vast city.

“The capital is under attack! I repeat the capital is under attack! All civilians evacuate to the White Keep. All military personnel loads up to the battle stations! This is not a drill!”

Several people who witnessed the explosion of their air defenses started to panic. The roads started to congest, and the air was filled with screams. There were several accidents on the highways as all cars, trucks, and buses try to flee from the incoming warzone.

“Danielle, command the airships to dock on the ground and unload all troops,” I said to my friend who is the supreme commander of this fleet. “The backup anti-air turrets will deploy on those mountains shortly, and they won’t fall over the same trick twice.”

“Oui Senor,” Danielle said, then she talked to the airships via radio, repeating my command. When she’s done relaying my orders, she immediately talked back to me. “You should have stayed as the commander. All I’m doing is just to relay your orders.”

“No, you are the commander,” I said to Danielle. “From now on, everything will be your call. I’ll be heading out.” 

“Goodluck Senor.” Danielle smiled. “Please come back with Alphonse and others.”

“We’ll do!” Serena answered to Danielle. Then she looked at me with a set of eyes that are filled with determination. “Xen, let’s do this.”

“Right!” I shouted out loud as I removed my dragon knight uniform and switched to my old white Eskimo suit that was my modified White Ghost uniform. As soon as Serena and I went out to the top deck, we both jumped and made a freefall in the air. I held my heart and synchronized my heartbeats with my dragonoid. “Activating Vesryn Pulse! Limit Release! Exceed! Forge into death from above!”

Serena’s body was covered with light particles as she shaped herself into a new form of Nexus Dragon. Unlike before, my Nexus Dragon now has six wings that look like the wings of a satellite. Each wing has these orbs at the center that is filled with concentrated magic. There is also a bluish-white orb that spawned on my Nexus Dragon’s chest and forehead, making her a dragon that is a force to be reckoned with. She is now a Nexus Bomber Dragon.

“Activating Vesryn Pulse!” My four allied dragon knights also did their Dragonoid's transformations. Jerick Fachias rode with his Quasar Dragon, Estoff Wraith rode with his Magma Dragon, Alder Windstrafe rode with his Ice Dragon, and Mark Anthony Octavius rode with his Gladiator Dragon. All four spread out in a fan-shaped area, protecting the airships from the incoming tanks.

The sounds of the blasting shell echoes. There are about forty tanks that surrounded them, but as expected, dragon knights have the upper hand. The Quasar Dragon unleashed a lightray from its mouth, the Magma Dragon slammed the ground that produced lava on the floor, the Ice Dragon flapped its wings to unleash icicle spears, and the Gladiator Dragon swept the enemies with its halberd. All enemy tanks were destroyed in one go.

“Deploy our tanks! Release the troops!” Danielle commanded. The allied airships opened its platforms, revealing all the thirty tanks and ten thousand soldiers I got on my army. At this moment, we will commence an all-out attack.

Our plan is simple. We will launch a blitzkrieg towards the capital, rescue Alphonse and Kevin with their dragonoids, then hang Eldritch and Trystgade in a burning stake as fast as possible. This surprise attack should be done swiftly so that nobody could escape from our grasps.

“All callsigns, be advised. Do not fire on the civilian buildings. Focus on taking the northern part of the capital and assist the dragon knights as they push through towards the royal castle of Elysia.” Danielle said through our earpiece. She’s really good at being an overlord.

“We have around fifteen minutes before the capital could call reinforcements from their own dragon knight academy!” I said through the radio. “We need to take the castle as fast as we can!”

“Roger!” All other four dragon knights affirmed as they flew towards the direction of the heart of Elysia.

About ten kilometers from here is a tall ice castle that is our goal. The Royal Castle of Elysia is the safe haven of all the royal families, and also the underground chamber of all their dirty secrets. I greatly suspect that Kevin Valesmith and Rius are being held up on the underground part of the castle, so seizing that very establishment is hitting three birds in one stone. If we take control of the castle, Alterra’s war with Elysia will be over, we get to rescue our friends, and I get to have my revenge. 

Suddenly, the military bunkers revealed soldiers with anti-air equipment. Bazookas, assault rifles, manned turrets, and javelin missiles started to attack us. I know that bullets and missiles would do little to no damage to our dragons, but I just can’t turn a blind eye.

“Serena!” I cried.

“Bombs away! Bombs away!” My Nexus Bomber Dragon said through telepathy. At that moment, the orbs on her wings, forehead, and chest magically forged spherical bombs that rushed through the military bases. In an instant, those spherical things exploded into clusters, its shrapnels accurately hitting each and every hostile available. 

“Push through the castle no matter what!” I cried out loud. “Ignore the soldiers! I’ll take care of them!”

Our siege towards the capital is getting better. It’s going so smoothly that I really doubt if I’m dreaming because the main city of Elysia is not offering a formidable resistance at all. I know that I have an overpowered dragon on my control, but I really think all of this was too easy. 

Or so I thought.

When we finally hit the five-kilometer mark away from the Royal Castle of Elysia, a military establishment opened up its floor, revealing a beacon that is full of rotating rings and gears.

“Merde! It’s the Psychic Amplifier!” Danielle cried through my earpiece. 

We really jumped into the lion’s den as of this moment.