CHAPTER 140: CHAPTER 140 | 3 YEARS LATER

*clang...! *clang...! *Bang...! *Boom...!

The clash of steel on steel echoed faintly in the distance, sharp metallic clangs overlapping with the deep, thunderous booms of far-off artillery.

Each sound seemed to reverberate through the smoky night air, mixing with the low tremor beneath Jinn’s feet as if the earth itself was feeling the strain of the siege.

The acrid tang of smoke clung stubbornly to the air, mingling with the heavy, metallic scent of fresh blood—both odors lingering like unwanted guests in his senses.

No matter how long he inhaled, the stench refused to fade, searing itself into memory.

Jinn allowed his eyes to close for a brief moment, shutting out the chaos of sight to instead take in the subtler details of his surroundings.

The low rumble of distant siege engines.

The muffled shouts of soldiers issuing orders.

The fluttering hiss of banners in the wind.

Every sound painted a picture in his mind of the battlefield beyond these walls.

He took a moment to remember the faces of his friends... long before they had departed 3 years ago.

Ophelia, Vox, Verhedyn, Orin, Kain, Hector...

I wonder how are all of you fairing now...?

Do you still bicker from time to time?

Are you now happy that you are free?

Jinn’s lips curved into a faint, almost wistful smile as his mind drifted to the faces of his friends and the warmth of the orphanage—

the days when life’s greatest concern was nothing more than deciding what meal they would share together.

Then—

he felt it.

A faint disturbance in the air.

The subtle scrape of armored boots shifting on stone, too close to ignore.

A presence was approaching.

"How goes the siege, child?"

The voice was rough, weighted with years of command and countless battles fought.

Jinn opened his eyes to find the source—an aged soldier clad in heavy, battle-worn armor that bore the dents and scratches of long service.

His left eye was marred by an old, jagged scar, while his thick, steel-grey beard framed a face that carried both stern authority and the quiet fatigue of one who had seen too much war.

His very posture radiated experience, and even without an introduction, it was clear this man was no common soldier.

Gaius.

A name that carried weight within the ranks of the Empire of Zerafhon.

A general whose presence on the battlefield meant victory was not just expected—it was inevitable.

Jinn turned his head slightly, just over his shoulder before speaking.

"The shield is about to be destroyed any minute now—me and my team shall swoop in the moment it is down."

"Good."

Gaius stepped forward, his heavy boots pressing into the dirt with a slow, deliberate rhythm until he stood shoulder to shoulder with Jinn.

His eyes fixed ahead, taking in the sight of the besieged city that lay before them.

A sharp, crackling roar tore through the night as arcs of unstable electricity rippled across the sky, illuminating the darkness in jagged flashes of blue and white.

The city’s great shield dome shuddered like a dying beast, its luminous surface flickering violently.

The air itself seemed charged, each pulse of electrical discharge sending faint vibrations through the ground beneath their boots.

Jinn and Gaius stood in silence for a moment, watching the spectacle unfold.

The barrier wavered again, its once-smooth curve now fractured by spiderwebs of light, each break revealing glimpses of the city beyond.

The scent of ozone thickened in the air, mingling with the ever-present smoke.

"This would be your fifteenth city," Gaius said at last, his gravelly voice carrying a note of genuine respect.

"A high feat that no other soldier could have claimed at your age."

His gaze remained forward as he reached out, placing a heavy, calloused hand upon Jinn’s shoulder—a gesture that was both a soldier’s acknowledgment and silent approval.

"Venedix and the Empire would be proud of you, boy."

Jinn’s eyes narrowed slightly at the mention of her name, but his voice carried no hesitation when he replied.

"I’m sure they’ll be," he said, his tone laced with quiet confidence, the kind that came not from arrogance, but from the certainty of his own abilities.

The dome shuddered again—this time far more violently.

Streaks of energy bled outward like cracks in a sheet of glass, each one spreading faster than the last. And then, as if the very city had surrendered.

The barrier’s glow dimmed, its faltering pulses signaling that its collapse was imminent.

A signal.

The sign that the walls would soon be open, the enemy exposed.

"It’s time," Jinn said, his voice firm.

He stepped forward without another word, the weight of purpose in every movement, before making his way toward the rows of soldier tents where his group awaited their command.

The General’s sharp, battle-worn eyes followed Jinn’s retreating figure for a moment, his expression unreadable, before he finally turned back toward the camp.

*flap!

His heavy, adorned cape caught the wind, snapping and rippling behind him like a banner of authority.

Then, drawing in a deep breath, he bellowed a single word that carried over the chaos of the siege like a thunderclap splitting the night.

"COMMANDERS!"

The shout rolled across the encampment like a wave of sound, echoing off the siege towers and siegeworks, striking the ears of every man and woman in earshot.

It was not merely loud—it was commanding, the kind of voice forged through decades of battle, the kind that demanded obedience without question.

From the dim-lit edges of the camp, several figures emerged, each one marked by the gleam of decorated armor and the weight of authority in their steps.

They moved quickly and with precision, converging in front of General Gaius in perfect formation.

In a single, crisp motion, they saluted—backs straight, eyes sharp, their discipline a reflection of the Empire’s military machine.

"Rally the troops and prepare the ram," Gaius ordered, his voice cutting through the tension like a blade.

His gaze swept across each commander, lingering just long enough to ensure the gravity of his words struck deep.

"It is finally time to take the heart of Evonhart—to claim the main city as ours!"

With the pronouncement still hanging in the air, Gaius lifted his armored fist high toward the stormy night, his voice booming with a fervor that seemed to ignite the very ground beneath their feet.

"FOR THE EMPIRE!"

The commanders reacted instantly, slamming their fists against their chests in a perfectly synchronized motion.

*THUD!

The sound of metal striking metal rang like a war drum, their unified voices answering back in unshakable conviction.

"For the Empire!"

Without delay, the commanders broke formation, vanishing into the shadows of the camp with swiftness.

"Form ranks! Form ranks!"

"Artillery behind, assaulters in front!"

"The shield is about to go down!"

Their voices barked fresh orders across the lines as they moved to their posts, rallying ground troops, aligning siege engines, and positioning the great battering ram that would breach Evonhart’s gates.

"Move Move Move!"

*Clutter! *Whirring!

*rumbling....!

The camp transformed into a storm of motion—soldiers striding with purpose, artillery wheels grinding against the dirt, the creak of wooden frames and the heavy clatter of chains all merging into the steady, mechanical rhythm of war.

*thud! *thud! *thud!

*rumbling!

It was as though the entire force moved as one colossal, living entity, each part working in harmony toward a single goal: the destruction of the enemy.

Within moments, the hundreds of thousands stood ready in their final formations.

Energy Shields locked, blasters braced, banners unfurled, artillery looming over the ranks like iron giants.

The war machines groaned forward on reinforced wheels, the scent of burning oil and sharpened steel carried on the cold wind.

Then came the sound—deep, heavy, unrelenting—the metallic thud of armored fists striking breastplates in perfect rhythm.

*THUD! *THUMP! *THUD! *THUMP! *THUD! *THUMP!

Over and over,

*March!! *THUD!

"Vekarn in Khal!"

*March!! *THUD!

"Surah!"

the noise rolled across the battlefield,

*March!! *THUD!

"DEATH!"

"DEATH!"

a heartbeat of iron that sent a shiver down the spine.

The ground shuddered.

*March!! *THUD!

*Rumble!

The skies trembled.

"KILL THEM ALL!!!"

*THUD! *THUMP! *THUD! *THUMP! *THUD! *THUMP!

And for the city of Ebonhart and their citizens...

it sounded their doom.