It's been a few months since Xing and co. entered the Aeternum army, while other's has chosen to enter the various department, Xing applies to stay in the army even after the mandatory training and service. He was glad and proud to call himself an Aeternum Soldier, wearing the all-black military uniform was his pride, and by the second months he entered the Dungeon Clearing and Expedition Division, he got recommended to enter a Special division called Aeternum Special Forces, known to Aeternums as the Swords of Aeternum.
Only the best of the best can enter the divisions, among 100 that were recommended only 10 stayed, the training they had in the division was the hardest and the toughest even the Knights Crusade training can't be compared to it. Some say that Special Forces soldiers were the 3rd most powerful Division after The Maidens of Aeternum that were personally trained by His Excellency Mr.President himself. At this moment there's only 100 Special Force Soldier thaThe courtiers broke. One by one, they dropped to their knees, begging for mercy, their crowns and jewels clattering to the floor like insignificant baubles. Bina, ever efficient, barked orders, and they were seized, their pleas ignored. Alessia, her blades still dripping, led soldiers deeper into the palace to clear the last pockets of resistance, a cleansing flame.By the fifth hour, the palace was fully secured. The dungeons, once filled with the king’s enemies, now brimmed with his council, his loyalists, his sycophants.And atop the highest spire, the Lone Star flag, with its arrogant, solitary star, was lowered, slowly, ceremoniously. In its place, rising against the smoke-filled, triumphant sky, ascended the banner of Aeternum — stark, unyielding, gleaming. Its symbols, representing unity and equality, were a stark contrast to the fallen banner, a promise etched in the heavens.The war was over. Star City had fallen. And with it, the racist, supremacist, and utterly abhorrent Ki
“They’re not fleeing the city,” I murmured. “They’re bracing. Waiting for us.”It was not rebellion with banners and open blades. It was rebellion of silence, of refusal, of a people already turning their backs on their king. And that was louder than any uprising.Bina leaned over the map, eyes narrowing. “Silent cities are dangerous cities. Soldiers backed into corners do ugly things. If we don’t strike soon, they’ll start burning districts to smoke people out.”Alessia crossed her arms, crimson eyes catching the lamplight. “Then the people will hate them even more. Every fire will be another nail in Lone Star’s coffin.”I met her gaze. “We let them destroy their own throne room while we prepare the march. But no innocents burned. If even one fire spreads too far, we cut it out ourselves.”The room went still. My decree was final. The army could be ruthless, but it would not be barbaric. That distinction was why people begged for Aeternum’s banner instead of dreading it.That night,
“They’re not fleeing the city,” I murmured. “They’re bracing. Waiting for us.”It was not rebellion with banners and open blades. It was rebellion of silence, of refusal, of a people already turning their backs on their king. And that was louder than any uprising.Bina leaned over the map, eyes narrowing. “Silent cities are dangerous cities. Soldiers backed into corners do ugly things. If we don’t strike soon, they’ll start burning districts to smoke people out.”Alessia crossed her arms, crimson eyes catching the lamplight. “Then the people will hate them even more. Every fire will be another nail in Lone Star’s coffin.”I met her gaze. “We let them destroy their own throne room while we prepare the march. But no innocents burned. If even one fire spreads too far, we cut it out ourselves.”The room went still. My decree was final. The army could be ruthless, but it would not be barbaric. That distinction was why people begged for Aeternum’s banner instead of dreading it.That night,
“From our agents in the capital, Your Excellency.”I broke the seal. Inside were notes in cipher — food riots, hangings, nobles quarreling, whispers of rebellion. And at the bottom: The people await your hand.For a moment, I said nothing. Then I folded the paper and looked at Bina and Alessia. “They already see us as saviors. That is both gift and weight. When the gates open, we cannot stumble.”Bina smirked, the edge of a predator’s smile. “Then let’s make sure the gates open the way we want them to.”As the council dispersed, I lingered in the command room, staring at the map under the dim lantern light.Lone Star’s fate was sealed — not by the power of its king, but by his own blindness. His people no longer feared us; they feared him.I whispered, not for anyone else but myself: “We don’t conquer this city. We liberate it.”The words tasted heavy, like an oath. Soon the world would know whether I was right. Star City’s embers glowed hotter by the day, fanned by cruelty within and
Elijah adjusted her spectacles and tapped a supply route traced in crimson ink. “This road here is their artery. Once severed, Star City starves.”Bina’s voice cut like iron. “They’ll fight like cornered dogs. That makes them dangerous.”I let the silence linger before answering. “Then we smother the bite before it draws blood. No mercy for tyrants. But every kindness for the people. Mark me well: we are not here to burn a city, but to claim it whole. Our strength must inspire loyalty, not ashes.”They nodded, and I knew they understood. This was not conquest for glory. It was reclamation, shaping the world into something better.South of Star City, the Silvercross River shimmered like molten steel beneath the dawn light. Lone Star forces had entrenched themselves along its far bank, confident that the wide waters were a natural shield.At first light, Aeternum artillery shattered that illusion. Shells screamed across the river, tearing earthworks to pieces. Smoke rolled like a curtai
At dawn, the sky growled. Artillery shells screamed down, tearing craters into the battlements. Tanks rolled forward, their cannons pounding relentlessly.By the second hour, half the wall was rubble. Lone Star soldiers fled into the streets, pursued by Aeternum infantry moving with mechanical precision.By the third hour, the Aeternum banner flew from the keep. Civilians peered from doorways, stunned by the speed of their deliverance.In the southern plains, General Alessia led her Eternal Night Division through the smoke of burning villages. Her soldiers moved with terrifying efficiency, striking at pockets of resistance and vanishing before counterattacks could form.One captured captain spat at her boots. “Monsters! Beasts!”Alessia leaned close, her crimson eyes glowing. “Perhaps. But we are beasts who spare the innocent. Tell me — what does your king spare?”The captain had no answer.Behind her, stabilization forces set up aid stations, distributing supplies to the freed villag