Chương 1: The Change of Life with a Bloodied River

I was only eight years old when the mountains nearby nation first tried to swallow me whole and forever changed my life. My name is Erumes Flamma. I had pale, fair skin like sun-bleached stone from our southern mountain bloodline, and my dark red hair always stood spiked and wild from sweat and cave dust. I lived with my father, Sacrume Flamma with the age of 39, in the mining village of Rhertia in the Bener Region of Europarum, pressed against the dangerous slopes of Mons Rher.

The people called its heights "fools' meat" for good reason. Beyond the glittering veins of ore... lurked horrors that no mere human miner should challenge without proper strength to measure against: hulking Minotaurus, ox-like humanoids wielding massive weapons and axes carved from their own bones, fast and easy to anger; Sycras, two-legged beasts that burrowed underground and attacked with their huge beaks; and of course the most feared of all, the Dragons, Emperors of the Skies!

I was an eager son who wanted nothing more than to make my hard-working father proud. Sacrume was a broad-shouldered man of the same southern stock, with pale fair skin marked by years beneath the sun and stone, light reddish hair often damp with honest labor, and a stern yet protective gaze that had carved survival from unforgiving rock. We shared a modest shed beside the sweet-flowing river of Danubius. Every strike of my pickaxe filled my young heart with quiet joy. This work suited me perfectly.

That bright sunny Tuesday, the 12th of May in the year 1020, I had already unearthed two fine Green Amethysts in my small cave on the rear flank of Mons Rher. They were worth twelve silver coins at the village seller... enough, I hoped, to ease the quota that weighed upon every soul in Rhertia especially us of the Exodus, not native to this region and lighten the burden on my father.

I paused to drink the river's cool, sweet water and gazed at the endless blue sky above while enjoying its refreshing taste in slow gulps. Then the earth itself rose in fury. A violent quake shook the mountain for the first time in my yet lived short life. The ground roared and trembled as though the god " Michaelanius" himself had grown wrathful, or as if the mountain was punishing me for mining that day. Tears streamed down my pale cheeks.

Clutching my two precious stones tightly, I scrambled down the ladder-path toward the village, my heart pounding with fear and regret. I wished I had mined deeper and gotten more before having gotten the god angered. At the mouth of the great Mons Rher Rush cavern, I spotted my father loading heavy grey rocks into a cart with the other adults. His pale face was streaked with dust, his powerful frame glistened with sweat, and his light reddish hair clung to his brow above a rustling mustache.

"Father!" I screeched, my voice cracking. I rushed toward him and threw my thin arms compared to his around his waist, desperate for a hug. I was still shivering, my face still wet from tears thanks to the fresh terror of the quake. Sacrume's voice stayed gentle yet firm.

"My son, is everything fine?" He continued filling the cart with big grey rocks.

"Son... I will give you my full attention after these five rocks. Let me finish, then we can speak." He patted my spiked dark red hair with a calloused hand. The touch conveyed more comfort than words ever could in that moment. I sat down nearby, still shivering, and scribbled absentmindedly in the dirt with a stick... a crude drawing of a family: a tall man, a woman, and a small child holding only the father's hand while the female figure stood apart.

While I waited, Father spoke with two workers emerging from the depths. Their news was grim: the quake had collapsed vital tunnel lines, and it would take time to reach the grey rocks again. I watched his face darken like a gathering storm, turning red as a fuming cannon. Sacrume was an over-thinker and a survivor who calculated every risk. He did not like surprises he could not control. That news was devastating.

After the workers collected their goods and filled the carts, the quota still loomed like a blade over the entire village. Ten minutes later, he came to me with the loaded cart.

"I need your assistance, my dear son," he said with a small bow that surprised and perplexed me. I pushed from the front while he pushed from behind. As we moved down the mountain path along the river toward the village, he noticed my scribble but said nothing at first. We pushed the heavy cart together eight grey rocks, three red crystals, and one blue inscribed stone weighing us down. Both of us panted and gasped, yet we moved as one.

"Ahh, there we go... only a bit more, Father," I puffed, gasping for short breaths in between. Halfway down, Sacrume called for a short break. We sat on boulders beside the river, enjoying its alive and vibrant flow. The Danubius was a magnificent sight to see. Its crystal-clear waters sparkled under the bright sun like liquid diamonds, rushing powerfully yet gracefully down from the slopes of Mons Rher. He unpacked two wooden water bottles and spoke with quiet gravity after clearing his throat.

"I know the quake was new for you. It was for me too. But I see that you still think of your mother." I tried to interrupt with "I, Father...", but he stopped me with a raised fist in warning.

"Stop! You know I hate being interrupted and I have told you many times not to do it. Let me finish. Where was I... ah yes, your mother. Like I have said many times, she cannot be here. No, she is not dead and no, she does not hate you. She has her own fate to follow which we cannot interfere with. She cannot break it for your sake or mine. I have told you this many times now." Tears welled again in my pale eyes.

"Then at least tell me why?" Sacrume sighed.

"I have told you already. She is not on this world anymore. I cannot explain more right now. Just know this, which I have not told you before: you are old enough now. She will meet you when you have experienced enough in your lifetime."

"I do not understand. All other families in the village have family members whom they can write letters to, while I cannot write to my mom. I have never seen her and I want to meet her."

"You will. She has no other choice. You will one day understand. Telling you otherwise will make no sense. Okay, change of topic. Let us drink and then continue the journey home. Once there we will cook the best meal ever... my home-cooked fish." After drinking our bottles dry and resting with renewed energy, we continued pushing the cart.

After thirty minutes, I could finally see the little village equipped with wooden fortifications and guards, showing that we were an important gathering village to the capital Lae. After one last push we reached the wooden gate. The guard at the top shouted, "You guys wait until I come down! Do not move!" Father answered quickly, "Yes, Sir." The guard came down, greeted us, and said in a hurry, "Some have already come through. You are from Field 7, are you not?" Sacrume replied, "Yeah, Field 7. What was that shake?

What is going on?" The guard answered, "Truth is we do not know exactly what caused the shake, but General Ventrix sent soldiers to form scout groups. The important thing now is to fill the quota. We still cannot stop. Lae needs the materials and the merchants are here. So what are your findings?" Sacrume: "I got for you today eight grey rocks, three red crystals and one blue inscribed rock." Guard: "Good news! With that haul, the quota will be met without problem.

Now get inside and do not forget to come to the office for further news later today. We cannot be sure but be always prepared. Enemies might have done something, since we are near the end of Bener's influence. Let's not forget that Metia is our neighbor." Metia was the neighboring region that had grown in influence over the last twelve years. They had gone through a revolution and gained more power than before.

Graf Heinrich Himmel had become a lord and gained greater reputation and support from other regions around him. Sacrume nodded and we positioned ourselves to deliver our goods to the merchants. The guards cleared the way to the merchant quarter at the back of the village. After reaching the exit point, we handed our materials to Merchant Milux, who was already sweating. Sacrume: "There we go. That was everything, Merchant Milux." Milux: "Yeaaah, thanks for that!" He gave Sacrume thirty-three silver.

"The other groups' materials will have to be skipped for now. I have orders to deliver this to the capital as soon as possible. Tell the others to store theirs at the General's building." Sacrume: "Will do when I see them." The merchant hastily prepared his oxen riders, jumped onto his wagon, and sped off toward the horizon. Sacrume turned to me with a smile.

"Let's get home and prepare the promised food." I answered happily, "Oh yes!" at the thought of homemade fish. Father and I left the gate and headed left toward home, passing the fish market called Austrinus Fisher Camp, known for the most succulent fish from the Danubius. Sacrume looked at the borsch from Austrinus Fisher Camp while they were passing the market.

"Excuse me." Before Father could even continue, Austrinus appeared with a shining, hopeful face. Getting even one customer today felt like a blessing to him. Austrinus was a very materialistic man, but only for one goal: to buy the "Flimmer," his dream boat. That was why he always tried to reel in villagers and squeeze out every possible silver coin. Austrinus: "Oh, you don't even have to ask, Sacrume. That octopus I got you... you're really hungry, eh? That will only be thirty silver."

Sacrume answered while covering his grinning face, clearly scheming something.

"Ohh, that octopus looks good, Austrinus… really good," he said, pointing at it.

"But I just don't have that much silver on me. Still, I want to support your dream, so I'll take that hanging borsch for twelve silver!" Austrinus checked the borsch and pointed at the market price.

"It's sixteen silver," he sighed.

"You're telling me you don't even have sixteen silver on you, Sacrume?" Sacrume took out his right pocket and showed twelve silver. Austrinus insisted he checked all pockets... the two front ones and the shirt pocket — to make sure he wasn't hiding anything. After thoroughly checking, it seemed Sacrume was telling the truth. Austrinus: "Good, you got a deal. Every coin counts, I guess. Take the borsch!" Sacrume happily took the borsch and answered cheerfully, "Good doing business with you, Austrinus."

Austrinus, clearly a bit disappointed, waved his hand to shoo them away. After three minutes, I grew curious.

"Father, didn't you get thirty silver today? How did you do that?" I asked.

"How could you hide the other coins when he checked all your pockets?" Sacrume: "Simple answer, son. Look at your own pockets." Surprised, I checked and found 18 silver coins... 9 in each pocket. Flabbergasted, I stared at him. Father just smiled and said one word: "Speed." He meant his hands were fast enough to move coins without anyone noticing. That excited me so much.

"I want to be that fast too!" I said. Father replied, "You will, if you work hard enough." We finally reached home. It was nothing special, just like every other house in the village, but it was ours. It had 2 chairs, 1 big bed, a small window overlooking the path to the center, and our neighbors' house, which was almost always empty because they were the guards at the blockades. Father started preparing the borsch with some carrots and rich gravy made from animal fat. The food was delicious.

The moment we finished eating, the center bell rang 4 times... a sound that never brought good news. The last time it rang, a boar plague had attacked the village and we lost 4 people. Father and I rushed to the center with the rest of the villagers. The elders of Rhertia were already there: Roberto the Stubborn and Angela the Crazed. They might have looked old and frail, but they had proven their strength before, Angela had killed 16 boars and Roberto 17 during the last plague.

Angela warned everyone, "This will be big news, so sit down and listen carefully, or you'll feel my slaps!" Then Roberto, with a grim face, began to speak. Roberto: "Thank you all. I truly mean it, members of our community... from farmers to workers. We have important news to share, but it is not good. Even if I wanted to, I cannot say it without sounding defeated." At those words, the whole village fell into worried silence. Everyone knew something dreadful was coming. Even my father looked uneasy.

And while the elders remained silent, Ventrix, the Commandant in charge of defending the country's sovereignty in the mountain region, suddenly roared with a deep, angry voice. Ventrix: "ALL OF YOU SHUT UP! I, THE COMMANDANT, WILL EXPLAIN THE SITUATION RIGHT NOW! WE DO NOT EVEN HAVE TIME FOR THIS CHATTER SHIT!" That was the first time I had ever seen the Commandant like this. At that moment everyone instantly stopped talking.

It was not only because of his loud voice and powerful presence, but also because all 144 of his soldiers had surrounded the gathered villagers. Ventrix continued.

"I am a man who came here fully aware that I would be protecting you exodus trash. Still, I am proud of that decision because my mentor and master, Reggente Sentrix the Mighty Ink, sent me here to protect our countryside." Even though his words caused clear displeasure among the seated people, nobody dared to speak. I did not fully understand what he meant, but I knew better than to ask. Something much bigger was happening. Ventrix cleared his throat.

"Ehm… So I am going to be clear… we are at war. Before you ask, I will explain. Our direct neighbor, Metia, which recently won their succession war, is currently crossing the Mons Rher Mountains with an estimated force of 150 beastfolk and 400 soldiers. That is what Scout Hendrix reported. Now I will answer your questions for 10 minutes, and then we must prepare to retaliate against these vile vermin!" Many villagers began to panic or cry. War was not rare in our world, the Orbis Terrarum. One of them asked, "Mr.

Commandant Ventrix, how do they have beasts in their army ranks? When we workers meet them in the caves, they are always aggressive toward us. So how can they possibly have them tamed?" Ventrix: "To be honest, there are many ways to tame beasts, but none are easy. Still, it is not really important because even if we knew the right method, it would not help us in this upcoming fight." Another villager asked if any of those soldiers had a Vestuto. Ventrix: "I believe they have one general with Vestuto ability.

When someone launches an invasion, they need a person with great power leading them or the whole operation is doomed to fail. But do not worry about that because I have a Vestuto too." No one seemed surprised by his words. I whispered to my father, "What is Vestuto?" while poking his side. Father answered in a normal voice, "Vestuto is a powerful armor you gain by becoming a strong person within your own soul." I immediately raised my hand and asked loudly, "Can I see that Vestuto?"

because I wanted to see his armor. Ventrix completely ignored me and continued answering the other villagers' questions. Father quickly pulled me back down and told me that Ventrix only liked order and discipline, not solo-drivers who ignored the rules. I apologized to him. After answering several more questions, Ventrix raised his voice again.

"Everybody, now that all your burning questions have been answered, I am going to give you a quick rundown of what is going to happen. First, all villagers, even the children, will be involved in this fight. We must use every single person to protect our sovereignty against the Metia scum. So after you hear the plan, you will all go to the barracks in an orderly fashion, put on the provided clothes and weapons, and prepare to meet the enemy at the river. The plan is simple.

We have an army of 144 soldiers and an auxiliary force of 100 units, which will be you, the exodus folk."

"We will position you on the front line with 40 soldiers to back you up. Meanwhile, we will strike from the west and hit the enemy on their left flank. We will show them the true spirit of Bener and make them regret ever attacking us. SO GO NOW! GO! GO! TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE! THE SOONER WE START, THE BETTER! MOVE, PEOPLE! MOVE TO THE BARRACKS!" And that was exactly what we did. It took us 1 hour for all the men and women to be equipped.

The warrior clothing consisted of a robe, a gambeson on top, hose, cuisses, and a hauberk. For weapons we could choose a bolter (a one-handed arrow shooter), a light long sword for beginners, a bastard sword, a heavy sword, or a rapier for fast strikes. I picked a bolter and my familiar pickaxe, since Father said something light would be better for me and I knew the pickaxe best. Father took 2 long swords. Ventrix carried 1 high-quality long sword that had a dark imbued color. Most people chose the long sword.

A subordinate handed Ventrix a report. Ventrix: "Let's see… hmm, lots of long swords and some bolters. Not bad, not bad. I hope it works for these exodus scum." Equipment Summary Stolen story; please report. 144 soldiers — each with 1 long sword and a bolter loaded with 30 shots. 100 auxiliary units — 71 with long swords and bolters loaded with 20 shots, 1 with 2 long swords, 1 with a pickaxe and bolter, 17 with rapiers and bolters loaded with 20 shots, and 10 with bastard swords.

After the loud bell rang from the center, we began the march to the river. It took us about 30 minutes. We saw no monsters on the way, but the quakes grew louder with every passing minute. While we had free time we built traps on the riverbed... sharp spikes for the beasts to trip on. Ventrix and his main army had already moved to their flanking position. One hour before my first real experience of war… a battle that would later be known as the "Battle for Danubius". The enemy came like a storm of nightmares.

At that moment the true cause of the earlier earthquakes revealed itself in terrifying fashion. Four colossal Minotaurus, specialized travel beasts bred for crossing the harshest mountain terrain, thundered into view. On their mighty backs rested massive wooden plateaus reinforced with iron, serving as mobile platforms. Atop the largest plateau stood Domestico Riegen himself, arms raised like a dark conductor, holding a Ritual Horn.

With a thunderous blast from his horn, he ordered the Harkons to charge into the water. Domestico Riegen led his beasts in a treacherous "Eagle Formation." At first they seemed scattered and weak, luring us forward with false hope. Then the trap snapped shut. The river exploded into chaos as savage Harkons, salamander-like humanoids with slick scaled skin that gleamed wetly like molten obsidian, long powerful tails, and jagged zigzag "Shredder" swords, surged beneath the foaming current like living shadows.

Their eyes burned with reptilian fury as they dragged screaming soldiers down into drowning darkness. Every earth-shaking step of the gigantic Minotaurus sent violent tremors rolling through the battlefield, cracking stone and making the riverbanks tremble. This was why Mons Rher had quaked so violently that morning. Bone axes of the towering Minotaurus cleaved the air with thunderous cracks. Our lines buckled under the onslaught.

But Ventrix's hidden force struck the rear like divine wrath, turning the river red with enemy blood. Later in the fierce battle, after Sacrume had slain the last of the Harkons in a blazing storm of golden fire, the four Minotaurus released their remaining cargo and charged directly into our soldiers. What followed was an epic and brutal struggle. The giant beasts swung their enormous bone axes in wide, devastating arcs, sending men flying like ragdolls.

Brave soldiers swarmed them, climbing their massive bodies and striking at joints and eyes. One by one the Minotaurus fell, brought down by coordinated spear thrusts, bolter fire, and sheer determination. Their colossal bodies crashed to the ground with final, ground-shaking roars. I watched in frozen horror as Riegen, as planned, fused with one of his own fallen beasts in a grotesque "Eating Horn" ritual. He played a haunting melody that combined both into a single essence of body and mind.

His body twisted and shrank into a nimble crimson horror that moved with terrifying speed, blurring across the battlefield at 173 kilometers per hour, faster than any arrow or charging warhorse. He became a red streak of death that left only afterimages in his wake. Ventrix met the abomination head-on in a whirlwind of steel and fury. Finally he drove his blade through the tamer's heart with a roar that shook the mountains.

"DOMESTICO TAMER PIERCED!" Our brief triumph shattered when the full Metian host under Reggente Wolke thundered onto the battlefield. Their voices rose in a mighty war anthem that rolled across the Danubius like the voice of might announcing itself. Die Himmelsfaust an der Seite, Die Berge zittern in unsere Weide, So bewegt unsere Legende und mit ihr die Schwerter. Heja, hejaa, heja! Hejaa! Das Land, das schnelle, sprengt voran auf heiligem Grund, unbesiegt. So klingt unsere Sieges Kunde mit starkem Schritt.

Heja, hejaa, heja! Hejaa! Es klimmert hell im Morgenbraus und grüßt die Lande, heißt die, die unsere Brüder sind, trotz Schmach und Not mit Schande. Heja, hejaa, heja! Hejaa! Himmel her, Himmel vor, doch die voraus, im Ritterskleid uns im Weg stellen, Für diese verlorne Menschlichkeit, müssen wir ziehen und ihnen weisen, welche heilige Mission wir sind Eisen auf Schwert und Schild. Heja, hejaa, heja! Hejaa!

English: The fist of heaven at our side, The mountains tremble in our pasture, So moves our legend and with it the swords. Hey, hey, hey! Hey! The land, the swift, blasts ahead on holy ground, undefeated. This is how our song of victory sounds with a strong step. Hey, hey, hey! Hey! It shimmers brightly in the morning roar and greets the lands, welcomes those who are our brothers, despite shame and need with disgrace. Hey, hey, hey! Hey!

Heaven here, Heaven forward, yet those ahead, in knight's garb stand in our way, For this lost humanity, we must march and show them what holy mission we are iron on sword and shield. Hey, hey, hey! Hey! Wolke did not hesitate. After witnessing the loss of the Beast Unit, he unleashed his Vestuto in a storm of dark green energy. Towering bone armor formed around him as the legendary Himmelbrecher sword appeared, seeming to split the very air. The armor transformed around his body like a second skin.

Surprisingly, the fallen Riegen, who had looked dead in the river, twisted once more. He mutated into a nightmarish winged beast of shadow and blood, roaring with unnatural hunger. Then something far worse happened. The corpse of the fused Riegen, which everyone believed defeated, began to twitch violently on the blood-soaked riverbank. Dark, pulsating energy erupted from the open wound on his cracked back. The body started consuming its own spilled blood in grotesque gulps.

A horrifying, inhuman scream tore across the battlefield... not the cry of a man, but the raw, mindless rage of a newborn beast. The fused form reawakened completely out of control. It mutated into an even more monstrous creature: huge leathery wings burst from its back, blackened skin rippled with living spikes, and its eyes glowed with feral hunger. It no longer recognized friend or foe. It attacked everything in sight, tearing into Wolke's own soldiers with savage abandon.

Its claws and spikes ripped through armor and flesh alike in a frenzy of uncontrolled power. In that moment of pure chaos, my father acted without hesitation. With a golden roar that drowned out the screams of battle and shook the very air, Sacrume summoned his Vestuto. A blazing golden robe and helmet crowned in living flame appeared around him. His swords ignited at 1550 degrees, glowing like the heart of a forge. He charged straight at the out-of-control Riegen beast.

The two titans clashed in a storm of fire and shadow. Father's burning blade met the creature's dark spikes again and again. Each impact sent showers of molten sparks and black ichor flying. The Riegen monster lashed out with blinding speed. Its wings beat furiously as it tried to overwhelm Sacrume with sheer savage strength, its spikes drilling toward his chest. Father dodged and countered with powerful sweeping strikes. His flaming swords carved deep burning gashes across the beast's torso.

For what felt like an eternity they fought... flame against darkness, golden light against corrupted beast. The ground around them turned to glass from the heat, and the river water steamed and boiled where their powers collided. Finally, with a mighty upward slash, Sacrume drove his blazing blades straight through the beast's chest, piercing its corrupted heart. The Riegen monster let out one last ear-splitting shriek before its body began to disintegrate in golden flames.

As the monstrous form collapsed, Father did not stop. He turned his wrath upon the remaining Harkons that had swarmed onto the beach. With sweeping arcs of his flaming swords and bursts of Lavou Erutipo lava spheres that streaked like falling comets, he cut through the scaled salamander-like humanoids in a whirlwind of golden fire. Dozens of Harkons fell in seconds. Their slick obsidian skin cracked and melted under the intense heat. Their Shredder swords clattered uselessly to the ground as they burned.

Father moved like a living inferno, clearing the entire beach in a devastating display of power. Only charred remains and the scent of scorched scales remained. The air itself seemed to burn. In that moment of pure chaos, the true duel of titans began. While the corrupted monster Riegen fought my father, another desperate battle erupted on the old stone bridge that spanned the Danubius. Ventrix's remaining soldiers, battered but unyielding, formed a tight defensive line across the narrow crossing.

They planted their boots firmly on the ancient stones, shields locked and swords raised toward the enemy. They were determined to hold the bridge at all costs and prevent Wolke's main force from flanking our position. Wolke's soldiers charged like a green tide, ignoring the defensive line. Their dark armor gleamed under the bloody sky. Bolter shots whistled through the air. Spears thrust forward. The bridge shook under the weight of clashing steel and roaring men.

Bener soldiers fought with the fury of cornered wolves, hacking and slashing. Their long swords carved bloody wounds. One by one they fell, yet each death bought precious seconds. A young auxiliary drove his blade through a Metian throat before being impaled himself. An older veteran swung his bastard sword in wide, crushing blows, shattering helmets and bones until a hail of bolts finally brought him down.

Blood flowed freely across the weathered stones, staining the ancient mortar a deep crimson and making every foothold slick and treacherous. Wolke moved like the wind itself. His dark green bone armor shimmered as invisible currents swirled around him. Himmelbrecher sang in his grip. With a cold smile he planted his feet at the center of the bridge and raised the Sky Breaker high.

"Enough," he whispered. In one fluid upward arc he brought the blade down. There was almost no sound, only a faint whisper like wind flowing through grass. The molecular edge sliced through the ancient stone as if it were nothing more than air. A perfect surgical cut severed the bridge's main supporting arch cleanly from its moorings. Cracks spider-webbed outward in an instant. The mighty ancient structure groaned once... then began to collapse before them all.

Ventrix, the Earth-shaking Commandant of Rhertia, stepped forward like a living mountain. His Vestuto erupted in a surge of raw earthen power. His body swelled massively, bones cracking and reforming as he transformed into a colossal wild boar avatar. Thick ivory boar skeleton armor burst from his shoulders and extended down his arms into two enormous, razor-sharp bone lances that gleamed like ancient spears forged from the mountain itself.

His legs became powerful boar hindquarters, hooves cracking the riverbed stone. He lowered his skeletal tusks and charged with the unstoppable force of an avalanche. Wolke met him without fear in the now lower river. His dark green bone armor shimmered as wind howled around him. In his hand, Himmelbrecher sang with invisible currents. Under his Vestuto, the blade gained its terrifying molecular edge, capable of slicing not just flesh or steel, but the very bonds that held matter together.

He could cut clouds into nothingness and sever stone as if it were air. Ventrix's charge was cataclysmic. The ground buckled beneath his hooves, sending shockwaves that hurled soldiers and dead beasts alike from the river. He aimed to impale Wolke straight through the chest, driving the extended boar skeleton lances with the full weight of the earth behind them. The air itself seemed to scream as the living siege engine barreled forward.

Wolke vanished in a gust of wind at the last instant and reappeared above Ventrix's head. Himmelbrecher came down in a silent vertical slash. There was almost no sound, only a faint whisper, yet one of Ventrix's massive skeletal tusks was severed cleanly. The molecular cut was so precise that the bone simply parted as if it had never been whole. A thin but perfect line of blood appeared across Ventrix's armored shoulder.

"You dare cut my bone?!" Ventrix roared, spinning with terrifying speed for his bulk. He slammed both skeletal arms into the riverbed, causing massive earthen spikes and boulders to erupt in a deadly circle around Wolke. The wind demon laughed coldly and danced between the spikes with effortless grace. His body blurred into afterimages. Every time Ventrix tried to gore or crush him, Himmelbrecher flashed. Invisible slashes carved deep gashes into the boar skeleton armor.

Each cut severed molecular bonds so cleanly that entire plates crumbled into fine dust mid-battle. Ventrix refused to yield. He activated his full Earth charge, lowering his head and barreling forward again like a wild boar. The riverbed rose in a rolling tidal wave of stone and mud beneath his hooves, turning the battlefield into a treacherous shifting maelstrom. He intended not only to pierce Wolke but to bury him beneath tons of moving earth. Wolke's eyes narrowed with lethal focus.

"Enough games." He planted his feet and swung Himmelbrecher in a wide horizontal arc. The wind howled like a living thing. The blade did not merely cut the air... it erased it. A crescent of molecular severance ripped forward, invisible yet absolute. It sheared straight through the oncoming wave of stone, splitting boulders cleanly in half as their very atomic structure came undone. The slash continued onward and struck Ventrix across the chest. The impact was horrifying.

Ventrix's thick boar skeleton cracked audibly. A long surgical wound opened across his armored torso, blood spraying in a wide arc. Enraged beyond reason, Ventrix lowered his remaining tusk and charged once more, faster and heavier than before. The ground quaked with every hoofbeat. Wolke met the charge head-on this time and parried with Himmelbrecher. The collision sent a shockwave that flattened nearby soldiers. Sparks of earth and wind exploded outward.

Wolke's molecular blade sliced repeatedly into the boar skeleton, carving away chunks of bone, while Ventrix's lances grazed Wolke's armor and cracked the dark green plates. For long, terrible minutes the two battle-hardened titans clashed. An unstoppable earth boar against an untouchable wind. Ventrix's charges shook the mountainside. Wolke's slashes carved the very sky, leaving trails of nothingness where clouds once hung. The river boiled around them. Stone turned to dust.

Blood painted the Danubius redder than ever. Finally, Ventrix gathered every ounce of his remaining power. He reared up like a true primordial boar and brought both skeletal lances down in a devastating overhead strike meant to split Wolke in two. Wolke countered with a rising upward slash of Himmelbrecher. The molecular edge met the bone lances in a cataclysmic impact that lit the battlefield like lightning. The sound was deafening. This time Ventrix's left tusk shattered completely.

Wolke was driven back, his armor cracking, but he spun mid-air and delivered a final blinding horizontal cut across Ventrix's exposed side. Ventrix staggered, blood pouring from multiple deep wounds, yet he still stood. Wolke, breathing hard, raised Himmelbrecher for the killing blow. At the same time, I fought like a cornered wolf. My pale face was streaked with mud and blood, my dark red hair matted and wild.

I struck my first foe with my mining axe, the blade biting deep, then finished him with a desperate rock to the head. In that horrific instant something inside me died forever. A warrior was born. From that moment I saw every enemy not as living men, but as stones to be shattered by my pickaxe. Father leaped high into the air like a blazing comet. He slammed his palms down to carve protective shelters into the earth with bursts of raw air pressure, roaring for us all to take cover.

His Vestuto blazed brighter as he rained apocalyptic fire upon the foe. The river boiled. The ground quaked. In the end Father and I stood shoulder to shoulder with the battered survivors. When he saw Ventrix about to make his final move, Father joined him. Together they delivered the finishing blows. Ventrix and Sacrume, one gravely wounded and bleeding, felled the last of Wolke's forces. Wolke himself was brought low by a devastating combined strike.

His mighty body was pierced and his grand ambitions were swallowed forever by the blood-red waters of the Danubius. Battle Report – Victory for Rhertia Bener Forces: 144 soldiers (33 survived), 100 auxiliaries (17 survived) Metia Forces: Total annihilation Reggente Wolke, Domestico Riegen, all tamers, soldiers, and beasts slain. The survivors cheered as one. Soldiers, citizens, and exodus folk united in a hard-won, soul-shaking triumph. Yet the cost was terrible beyond words. Ventrix ordered an immediate retreat.

A prearranged convoy carried the wounded and valuables toward the second stronghold of Samae. The six-day journey was filled with screams of pain and sorrow. I rode beside my slowly recovering father, clutching his hand tightly. My pale face and dark red hair were still stained with the memory of battle. Father's light reddish hair caught the fading light as strength slowly returned to him. No one knew what the future held. Questions stacked up from housemaidens to soldiers, all directed at Ventrix.

He rode at the rearguard, still bleeding yet visibly recuperating on his horse. He gave only reassuring words: all questions would be answered once we reached Samae. Peace had ended. The age of turmoil in our region had begun. And thus my legend — the legend of Erumes Flamma, son of Sacrume Flamma, child of the southern mountain blood... took its first bloody steps into the Epic of the Nibelungen.