The end is coming.
The sight was simply catastrophic. Miles of countryside around Lyonse were burning; the sea of flames and smoke even engulfed the snow. Hordes of monsters and humans converge on the walls, huge runes and guards activating as they approach. Some simply detonated, blowing the battle lines apart, while others were marked with yellow, driving the attackers crazy. The soldiers went berserk, killing each other in a sickening display of blood and violence.
Ned-Walter summoned a storm of lightning and stars to harass the invaders. Huge rocks fell from the sky, killing dozens, if not hundreds, of people as they hit the ground; thunderstorms blasted beasts and wolves the size of elephants. The defending mages unleashed all their spells from the safety of the walls, their projectiles striking the magic shields, while the armies of the Scourge advanced.
There were widening cracks everywhere, and flames poured out along the lava flows. The sons of Muspelheim, fire giants as tall as their cousins from Jotunheim, passed through them; unlike the savage ice giants, they all wore heavy metal armor, carried heavy weapons, and even carried Heavy artillery. Instead of rushing towards the moat and fortifications of Lyon, they prepared to bombard; it was clear that they intended to dig holes in the walls on both sides and overwhelm the defenders in a pincer attack.
Mrs. Searle stood beside Hagen on the highest watchtower in Lyons, watching all this and using divination to provide him with accurate information on the battlefield. Dullahan surveyed the scene with an eerie silence, a white mouse on his shoulder.
Over the years, most of her powers have come from Bald, which is in stark contrast to her current source of power. Her relationship with Balder had once made her feel warm and welcoming, even if she now understood it was a beautiful illusion with no substance. Her relationship with Ty is a frosty one, a bond made of bone and ice. Each spell was like kissing an open grave. She trades false comfort for real but evil undead power. Even the spells she can cast have changed, she uses a ghost mirror to divine and summon giant undead insects instead of angels.
However, there was no doubt which side she was fighting for. She accepts the mission of the dark forces to save the world from Ragnarok; at the hands of Baldr, she unknowingly accelerates all of this. It was a bit ironic, but he didn't have the energy to think about meaningless things.
Even the world tree Yggd
Asil itself seemed to tremble on the horizon, its endless trunks shifting and leaves rotting. The source of all life in the nine realms felt death crawling at its roots.
The initial defenses worked, delaying the invaders; booby traps and mines dotting the countryside prevented ground troops from moving and disrupted the tunnels through which underground dwellers tried to pass through the underground city. Above, storms prevented flying enemies from approaching.
However, everything changes with a powerful display of druid magic; the greatest form of geomancy the priestess has ever seen.
For miles, the land shifted, rocks rising from beneath the dirt and mud. The river, the trees, the trenches separated, forming a wide path between them. A paved road, overcoming all obstacles, leads directly to the gates of Leonis.
Mrs. Salt recognized the spellcaster as Republican Congressman Luheid Strand; the undead warrior transformed into a giant demonic tree, guarded by two undead creatures, channeling his magic through its roots : One is a lich creature dressed in priest garb, the other is a sword and dagger wielding jester, carrying the power of thunder.
The armies of the disaster state regrouped, taking advantage of the roads and especially the cavalry. An undead knight wielding a flaming spear commands the undead and humans from the front, while behind him are a giant ghoul berserker and a ghostly bard leading a pack of gigantic wolves. They bypassed all obstacles on the ground and advanced at full speed towards Lyons, while at the same time the five giants began to bombard the walls with their cannons from a distance.
As the situation changed, a large crack appeared in the sky over the city. It seemed to him as if the black sun itself had cracked like an egg; a flaming eye peered out, and its hellish gaze filled the hearts of all mortals with terror.
Su
t
.
King of the Fire Giants, who will defeat the forces of Order and drown the Nine Kingdoms in flames. An unconquerable disaster, he wanted to knock down the World Tree, but was swallowed up by the hell he caused.
Salt could only catch a glimpse of his armored face, but his large eyes frightened her. The creature was probably over five hundred feet tall, a giant whose stride could level cities to the ground. The size of the crack increases over time; it could even allow Titan to force its way through in a matter of hours.
Hagen made a sound. The low, twisted echo of human emotion, the rattling sound of a dead man facing his impending death.
"You're smiling." "You're smiling."
"Why can't I? Isn't this view amazing?" Hagen replied, he was very happy. "Brothers fight each other, this is the age of wolves and steel!" This is the moment I have been waiting for all my life!"
The mask of sanity and stability has slipped away, revealing the ruthless killer beneath; a man who takes pleasure in the pain of others. Someone who finds the end of the world interesting. From the devil on the shoulder to Annie's angel, each is a side of Tai's life. One embodies the remaining embers of his humanity, struggling to keep the light in the darkness; the other is the ruthless undead he once embraced.
Salt half expected Hagen to knock her down and join the invaders, but he did nothing. Instead, he muttered something to the white mouse, then summoned his ghostly steed and prepared to ride off to fight the invaders.
In the end, Dullahan remained loyal to his friends despite his evil ways. He was ordered to hold his ground no matter what, and he would do so.
Despite her misgivings, she couldn't agree more.
Meanwhile, the lich Asclepius teleports among the invaders, attacking the druid and his defenders. As soon as he appeared, the ancient archmage bombarded them with green rays and fire; the priest created a shield to protect the druids, while the jester attempted to attack the lich in close combat. Undeterred, the Grandmaster of the Pale Serpent fought against the three Fiannas, intent on disrupting the feng shui effects and preventing the remaining enemy forces from reaching Leonis.
Unfortunately, the first wave was too late. Knights and monsters reach the city gates, climb the walls, attack the defenders, or pass through the holes opened by cannons. An interruption in the defensive mage bombardment allowed pilots to brave the storm and reach the city, where wyverns and Pegasus knights were heading towards Nastrom's entrance; undead, immortals, and summoned monsters guarded the fortifications; adamantium golems and Meat Golems began to cover the breach; gangsters led by Mockingbird fought alongside militiamen like Percy.
There was chaos and fighting everywhere.
To his horror, he could no longer distinguish between the living and the undead. None of those who went down stayed; instead, the immortals stood up, their flesh repairing itself, ready for another round. Percy was cut in half by the berserker's axe, only to have both halves reattached and continue fighting. His arrow struck the enemy's skin, but this time the squire refused to run.
"They fight in the golden halls every day," Hagen chuckled. "Die on the battlefield just to be resurrected with the sun"
Salt listened and knew what he meant. Previously, she would have accused him of blasphemy, but after learning the true nature of God, her feelings on the subject cooled.
"Here," Hagen smiled and raised his scepter, "this is the Hall of Valhalla! Walter, you gave us the Hall of Valhalla!"
Did so many die for the afterlife? An eternal battle, with a few brief respites ending in blood and steel?
It's never worth it.
Not Valhalla, not Helheim, not the domain of the gods. None of them are worth the cost. She sees this now, even though the end of the world is coming.
What else is worth fighting for?
Life, she thought, and cast a spell on herself. "flight".
"Shall we go?" Hagen asked. "This land needs blood."
"I never thought I'd be fighting alongside an immortal criminal," Salt said, grabbing the "Horn of Jotunheim" that Tai had given her. She blew her whistle and sent a signal to the troops in the city. The ghost of an ice giant appears to have answered the call, preparing to defend the city he seeks to destroy.
"How strange," Hagen replied, as his phantom horse leapt over the watchtower and reached the front line. "That's what I thought of the priest!"
It was a close call, but Gwen Sifhar arrived just in time.
She called upon all the men she could muster, all the knights willing to fight for their lives, all the magicians still loyal to Avalon and its last princess, all the crusaders who longed to fight to the death rather than wait for the inevitable end. warrior. In this respect, they are rare; fifteen thousand years old. The armies of Avalon far removed from their heyday.
But that’s all. The army she manages to raise are true crusaders, and they are not afraid of death; they crave it. She keeps them walking for a few hours so they can reach Lyonnes in time, and Walter gives them a route around the traps in the countryside.
Now, as she surveyed the situation from the mountain, she was daunted by the task ahead. Even counting the city's defenders, the Disaster Army's number was more than ten times greater, and they had already reached the city walls. Thousands of giants and monsters poured out of the rift, an endless wave of flesh and steel.
This is suicide, plain and simple. If she gave the order, all those behind her, all the heroes who dared to answer her call, would die.
She could feel the soldiers' eyes on her, waiting for her call. However, Gwen felt something else watching her; a gaze from a distant world, from the glory of Asgard and Vanaheim. The gods held their breath, but Tyr gave her strength.
Is Odin watching too? Of course. Will he seal the gates of Asgard and watch mortals die in his name while he remains unharmed?
Gwen would resist no matter what.
However, surrounded by thousands of people, she felt more alone than ever.
Her family was dead, wiped out by Metro. Under Hel's command, her friends and teammates died or grew into abominations. Her home, the city of Camelot, was razed to the ground. Even if she survives, she has nowhere to go; she must move on and rebuild her home.
Even her most loyal friend Annie, the one who always defended her, chose Ty over her in the end.
Gwen Sifer has more or less achieved her dream. She now controls Avalon because it collapsed; he leads an army because there's no one else to command it; and after failure after failure, he replaces Arthur as Avalon's last hope. This did not satisfy her.
Was that caused by her ambition? Loneliness and empty contentment?
All she had left was her faith, but it was still enough to push her forward.
"Your Majesty, there are reports that sea levels in the east are rising." A spell caster warned her. The serpent of Midgard squirmed beneath the waves. If this continues, it's only a matter of time before the area sinks to the bottom of the ocean. "
The prophecy is true. Almost literal. Ragnarok is coming.
The headaches made her head spin and her vision dimmed. A vicious cold filled her brain, a dark influence took possession of her soul.
"Let's go, my slave..." His voice echoed in the princess's mind. "Do your duty. Destroy the undead, wipe them all out. They are the true enemy in this life and the next."
"Go away!" Gwen hissed back, her heart hardening as she tried to force the goddess's words out of her mind. "Go away!"
"Would you like to see your brother come back to you? Your good brother and you barely manage to take his place?" Hades chuckled. "You know you're just a placeholder." "
"go out!"
For a moment, Gwen was snapped back to reality, even though Hale's cold laughter echoed in the distance. Her commanders looked at her in silence, a little surprised by her outburst.
Tyr turned her into a paladin, Hel into a monster. She would never feel at peace.
Gwenhyfar turned to face her army, archers, knights, spearmen, and mages. She dreams of commanding these armies like her brother and leading them to victory. Now, for the first and last time, her wish came true.
Destiny has a sense of humor.
"This is the end!" She raised her sword and the caster raised her voice to speak to the entire army. "Today is the last battle!" This is not the last battle between Avalon and the enemy, but a battle of life and death! The power of disaster has risen to seize the soul of Midgard and shroud the world in darkness !”
They listened to her with rapt attention.
"If they succeed, we're screwed!" Gwe
hyfa
go on. Your wives, your husbands, your sons, and your daughters will all perish. Everyone will die in the eternal flames! The sky will collapse and Ragnarok will swallow everything! Even if we win, we will not survive to return home. These will be our last moments. But I promise you: tomorrow, we will dine at the Hall of Valor!"
Her men shouted back. While Gwenhilfal has lost faith in God, many people have not; as long as they have faith, she will use it to inspire them to action.
"Attack the armies of the Legion of Scourge, but ignore the city's undead defenders," she ordered, eliciting a few murmurs. "I know your confusion, and I despise you as much as you do. Small evils are still evils, and big evils are greater. This is not a battle between justice and evil, but a battle between people who want to fight for this world. A fight between those who would rather see this world disappear! Choose your opponent and let us show Loki and his kind that the people of Avalon will never be conquered!"
She turned around on the battlefield and pointed her weapon at Leonis.
"Now, go fight!"
Avalon's troops charged with a shout, Gwenhwyvar at the front.
They have breached the city wall.
For the past hour, Tai focused on maintaining his storm and ranged attacks. He invades the minds of commanders and drives them crazy, forcing them to attack their own people and disrupting the chain of command. He sends down meteors, raises the dead, and makes men and beasts bow down in worship.
However, there were just too many of them. Endless tides would cover the water in a short time, and air power was already on its way to Nastrang's hole. The fortifications could not last long, for even the immortal soldiers were trampled underfoot by the onslaught.
And now, Gwenshivar is here, coming from the east like a giant rhythm. good. He just had to wait for Metro, Hel, and the Death Heroes to appear, and the stage was set.
No one wanted to take Nastrang away from him. His lair will be their tomb.
But to do that, blood has to be shed. More blood than ever was spilled in one place; a sea of bile and guts. A massacre that disgusted even the gods in heaven.
"Annie," Tai said, walking out of the cathedral and casting every empowering spell in his arsenal. His apprentice had been busy casting spells on himself, summoning as many gargoyle defenders as possible. "Hear my telepathic signal, prepare to evacuate"
"Where are you going?" Annie asked worriedly.
The God of the Dead nodded, holding Apophis in both hands, and glanced at the entrance of the cave. "They won't pass," he promised. Or, if they do, they will pay dearly for it.
"Yes," said Anne bluntly. "Survive".
Be brief and to the point. Taylor was grateful; neither of them had time for long sentimental speeches. "So will you, Anne," he said. "So will you."
Having said these words, he flew up into the sky in the form of a ghost like the ghost of a huge snake. Hordes of aerial monsters follow him, along with swarms of vermin and ghosts.
Tai loses his humanity and the eternal snake emerges from his shell.
As his monsters scattered across the city, Tai floated as high as he could until he reached the clouds, overlooking the entire city. A large group of monsters rushed toward him on horseback, led by two Fianna cavalry; an undead knight riding an armored flying dragon, and a ghost commanding a black Pegasus.
They silently raised their weapons and tried to attack him like moths to a flame.
Tai simply stopped time, interrupting the fight. In an instant, the world became quiet and peaceful, as silent as a tomb. In this cold moment, only the words of the Necromancer echoed, a promise of doom to all challengers.
"[Super Flare], [Accelerated Super Flare]," Tai said over and over. "[Super Flare], [Accelerated Super Flare]..."
When time resumed, a flash of light painted the sky white. A huge explosion swept through Lyonesse, wiping out all the winged cavalry, including their powerful commander. The Fianna may have escaped the magical attack, but their flesh was burned to the bone and they were forced to retreat. Their men fell to the ground below, at the mercy of swarms of white rats.
Legend or not, they are ultimately just humans.
Walter is a god.
He is stronger than an entire army and can only be threatened by Death Heroes or all Fiannas united. As long as he stood, Nastrom would not fall.
His mental boast was answered by the flapping of great wings.
The two Fiannas did not retreat; they returned to their master and announced his arrival.
He emerged from the smoke astride a black monstrous flying dragon nearly fifty feet long. The beast has ruby eyes, breathes blue fire, and holds the remains of a hardened golem in its sharp claws. The knight used a spell to make himself as big as Walter. His armor gleamed and his bony face glowed with nihilistic determination.
A brave knight found a mount worthy of him.
"You can't stop me, Walter," Medlot said, his sword shining like the sun, the surviving Fianna flying behind him, their wounds regenerating. "I'm going to end this today."
They are wrong. Walter assumed that the Death Knight would command from the rear and wait for his troops to clear the way; instead, his old friend planned to take matters into his own hands. He may be a madman, but he is no coward.
Walter didn’t know either, he didn’t move.
"Unless I die," Walter replied, reciting a spell. "No one is going to die, Metro. Not even in the whole world."
"You'll never listen." (Death Knight) replied with anger and sadness. "Then go to hell!"
Walter unleashed a freezing blizzard, and Medlott's mount retaliated with a blast of fire. The two attacks collided, turning the sky red with fire and ice.
