New World - A New Beginning

ASTHIA DARCK'S POV:

Both sides roared as two waves of soldiers crashed into one another, sparks of weaponry showering the battlefield in golden fireworks. Two adventurers approached me as I ran through the soldiers, swiftly executing them with my mobility.

So now the Dwarves were finally using their supersoldiers? Adventurers were considered the powerhouses of all militaries, the binding of elements considered a power that could rival that of an entire battalion of regular infantry.

A young man, no more than 15, shot a bolt of water. My eyes tracked the projectile, its speed almost laughable compared to the heightened velocity that my powers were giving me. I vaulted over the attack, appearing beside the boy as flames swirled around my blade.

I slashed outwards, cutting right through his neck as his head toppled off, the flames searing the cut and preventing blood to spurt out. The other adventurer watched in horror as their teammate died in a matter of seconds, toppling back in fear.

I stretched out my palm, condensing a small bit of bind around it as a crimson flame shot out and pierced the adventurer's forehead, killing him instantly. My eyes watched indifferently as two bodies lay before me, knowing full well that many more would have to follow if we had any hope of winning the war.

My emotions were slowly dissipating, the lust for power consuming my mind. All I could feel was the velvet inferno of heat swirling within me, pushing my entire body forward with raw strength.

Soldiers flew at me from all directions, attempting to end me with a simultaneous attack from all directions. My arms burst outwards suddenly as if my body no longer needed the orders from my mind to react.

The air ignited around me, immediately killing the dozens of soldiers that had leaped towards me. My eyes glanced upwards, noticing Mia as she glided through the air with a frozen spear in her hand. The girl crashed into a wave of oncoming troops, spikes of ice erupting around her point of impact and impaling the Dwarves.

Three more adventurers approached me, all of them cautious of their opponent. They had witnessed my power decimating their ranks, and they knew I was not some Princess who couldn't fight.

I analyzed the field around me, realizing the illusion that had settled after seeing the destruction that Mia and I were causing within the Dwarven ranks. Dragons were being run over by hundreds of Dwarves, their superior skills and power irrelevant when faced with such a large number of opponents.

I raised my sword, signaling the backlines of the Dragon army.

"Unleash the Wyverns," I muttered, the sudden roar of ferocious beasts echoing across the valley.

"What the fuck-" said one of the adventurers, their eyes horrified at the sight that was presented before them. Hundreds of battle-ready wyverns took to the skies, the full force of Lares's aerial army soaring above as small orange balls of energy condensed within their mouths.

BOOM

Deep orange flames seared the landscape as the wyverns unleashed hell onto the oncoming Dwarven soldiers. I leaped into the air, slamming into the stunned trio of adventurers, barely leaving time for any of them to scream before perishing to the heat surrounding me.

I continued onwards into the neverending flood of Dwarves, my sword gliding graciously through the air as it sliced through soldier after soldier, leaving a trail of bodies behind it.

My body twitched suddenly twitched at the sound of heavy machinery. I looked up, heavy ballistae slowly being wheeled into place as they prepared to fire upon the aerial threat.

"Fire!"

BOOM

Giant metal arrows soared through the sky and slammed into the wyverns, killing some of them immediately. The beasts crashed into the ground, crushing soldiers underneath their giant bodies. Killing the wyverns was proving to be extremely costly for the Dwarves, but one look at Ares told me that he didn't care about the price.

The S-rank looked into the air, summoning huge spears of stone behind him. He thrust his arm forward, sending an endless barrage of missiles right at the wyverns.

BOOM

He ignored the casualties, focusing solely on the end goal: total victory for the Dominion.

If victory could be achieved, then everything was justified.

I launched myself at the S-rank, destroying any opposition in my way. An adventurer with a power level similar to that of an AA-rank stepped in front of me, his aura attempting to intimidate me and slow down my approach.

The ground beneath him turned to ice as a girl skid across the valley, grabbing her spear with both hands as a violent horizontal swing cut the adventurer in two with a single blow.

I stopped, facing the friend that had stayed by my side during this hell of a war.

"Let's beat him this time," I said confidently. Mia nodded, turning her attention to Ares.

"Do you think you stand a chance?" taunted Ares, looking down on me. I said nothing, forcing the man to continue his monologue. "Very well. I will show you the true power of an S-rank adventurer, and the true disparity between our levels."

"!!"

A massive pressure burst forth from the S-rank, almost bringing me to my knees. The full power of an S-rank had been unleashed and was ready to annihilate its opponents without holding back. A golden glow radiated around Ares, his eyes flooded with an energy that I had never witnessed before.

"I won't be holding back this time," finished Ares, launching himself towards us.

JAY CADMIUM'S POV:

"Ryo, head East from here with the rest of the Shadow," I ordered, the Dragon nodding hesitantly.

"You don't want any backup, sir?"

"I don't need any. All my backup is already there."

I watched as the main group of Shadow separated from my position, heading Eastwards to support Selena. I was still amazed that the Empress had managed to hold off against two S-ranks for so long, but then again, I expected nothing less from my former teacher.

But now that Irox was gone, a clear difference in power was beginning to present itself; torn with the death of her husband, Selena was no longer at the peak of her power.

I closed my eyes, focusing on the wide-area around me in an attempt to locate the human army. I frowned, unable to sense anything. Were they still far out?

The Dwarves were currently extremely close to Lares, and one final victory would most likely allow them to push straight through to the capital. Reinforcements were desperately needed, and the entirety of the Dragonkin was depending on the arrival of the Imanian armies.

I gritted my teeth, boosting my speed even further. I was still a few hours out from the location of the current engagement, and I was no longer sure how long Asthia's forces would be able to hold out for.

If I were to not make it in time...

I shook my head, erasing the terrifying thoughts from my mind. All I could do was hope that my friends would be able to stall Ares long enough for reinforcements to arrive.

Hang in there, Asthia.