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OPI Chapter 303: Shadows Over Tristain
🕑 Added 2025-03-14 17:05:19 +0000 UTCTwo days later.
On this day, the two moons in the world will block the sun at noon to form a solar eclipse.
It was also the time when the enormous floating island of the ancient Kingdom of Albion was at its closest point to the Kingdom of Tristain.
From the northwest, hundreds of magical ships advanced in formation, each carrying between six and seven hundred soldiers.
It was the imposing army of seventy thousand men of the Kingdom of Reconquista.
Like a colossal shadow, the fleet descended from the sky, landing on the vast, green fields. Not far from there was the town of Tarbes.
With firm, heavy steps, the general, dressed in violet armor and with a long sword at his belt, advanced until he stood in front of a woman with green hair and golden glasses.
"Mrs. Matilda, according to the scouts' report, the village is completely deserted. Apparently, they evacuated early."
"How did they know our movements in advance?"
Matilda frowned as she looked around the space.
The Kingdom of Tristain didn't have magical airships, and they hadn't seen any griffin riders on their journey. So how did they manage to detect them and alert the population?
"Excuse me, but it's a mystery to me as well," the general replied. "Even if they know we're here, they won't be able to do anything. With our strength, we can wipe Tristain off the map before reinforcements from other kingdoms arrive."
"Fine, then I'll leave the command in your hands," Matilda nodded. She knew she had no talent for military strategy, so her task would be to confront the enemy's high-ranking mages.
"Understood!" The general agreed.
At the same time, on the ground, waves of soldiers descended from the aircraft, like rivers of steel converging into an immense dark tide.
In the air.
Ten magical warships, with black cannons mounted on both sides, hovered accompanied by squadrons of fire dragon riders, fanning out in formation like a war fan.
Soon, under the general's command, the plain between the mountains housed a perfectly organized army.
At the same time several kilometers away.
Prince Wales, Princess Henrietta, and Marshal Gramont watched the scene through far sight spells.
Behind them, the Tristain army waited in formation, though their numbers were far too few in comparison. Furthermore, they lacked magical airships to protect their airspace.
"The difference in forces is overwhelming," Levi commented. "Captain, are you sure we're not going to intervene?"
Beside them, Horobi and Tucker also looked at Biba.
"The more desperate the situation, the more hidden potential and resources come to light." Biba smiled indifferently. "Our task is to protect Prince Wales, Princess Henrietta, and Louise. If the battle becomes truly unsustainable... then we'll change the rules of the game."
Hearing Biba's response, Levi made no further comments and simply waited patiently for the impending confrontation between the otherworldly magical forces.
He was very curious.
How did Prince Wales and his people plan to make up the difference of sixty thousand soldiers?
However, as he watched, he began to feel disappointed.
Princess Henrietta and her group's strategy was limited to taking advantage of the high ground and the walls built by the earth mages to halt the advance of the Reconquista army. Their plan was to hold out until reinforcements from other kingdoms and principalities arrived.
"Prepare for artillery fire!"
"Prepare for artillery fire!"
"Prepare for artillery fire!"
The Reconquista army halted just outside Tristain's attack range. The vanguard then moved aside, allowing the artillery troops to advance and position the wagon-mounted cannons.
Seeing this, Levi couldn't help but let out a complaint: "I mean, since there are no magic combat airships on our side, but why isn't there even a single artillery cannon?"
Shortly after, the roar of cannons echoed across the battlefield.
The sky filled with fire-blackened projectiles, accompanied by a high-pitched whistling sound as they crashed against the thick earthen walls. Upon impact, explosions and flames leaped into the air.
Taking advantage of the confusion, the Reconquista archer troops advanced under the protection of the infantry's shields.
In an instant, a shower of arrows darkened the sky, raining down on Tristain's defenses.
"Deploy defensive magic!" Marshal Gramont's amplified roar echoed across the battlefield.
Quickly, the magic knights invoked their defensive spells.
As the first attack subsided, and before they could catch their breath, a new wave of fireballs, burning like meteorites, hurtled from the sky, accompanied by more cannon shells.
The waves of ranged attacks made Biba's expression turn grave. He had underestimated the firepower of this world.
"Horobi, protect Princess Henrietta. Levi, take care of Prince Wales."
"Right now!"
Hundreds of burning projectiles streaked across the sky like a shower of incandescent meteorites.
Leaving a trail of light in the air, they impacted in quick succession on the elevated positions of Tristain's army.
The explosions roared loudly, unleashing waves of scorching heat that crashed violently against earthen walls, wind shields, and water barriers conjured by the defending mages.
Heart-rending screams echoed across the battlefield, followed by an eerie silence. In the end, only charred masses remained scattered across the ground.
After three rounds of bombardment with cannons, arrows, and fireballs, Tristain now faced an even greater threat: from the sky, magical war airships and dragon riders descended in fury; from the ground, nightmarish creatures advanced at full speed. Trolls, goblins, kobolds, Fenrir's black wolves, and other magical beasts formed a terrifying army.
Princess Henrietta was paralyzed.
Beside her, Louise wasn't much better. Her expression was pure panic, her mind torn between the horror of the fight and her concern for Saito, who would soon be returning to his world.
Meanwhile, Marshal Gramont issued quick and precise orders in his firm voice. The Royal Guard soldiers regrouped, raised their shields in a tight formation, and aligned their lances.
Meanwhile, the griffin knights took flight and without hesitation launched themselves valiantly against the dragon riders. However, from the first clash, they suffered many casualties.
"Henrietta, Henrietta!" Prince Wales shook the princess, waking her from her daze. When she came to, he shouted determinedly, "We must prepare the hex-size spell!"
"Yes!"
Henrietta nodded firmly. Her eyes reflected unexpected courage, a renewed fire of determination.
They both raised their wands and began to chant a complex and mysterious spell.
This was one of the most powerful special techniques taught only to royal magicians.
[Swoosh!]
As their incantations progressed, the air around them began to stir intensely, expanding in an ever-increasing radius.
[Buzz!]
Suddenly, Louise, Chelsea, and the others saw the rings on Prince Wales and Princess Henrietta's hands emit an intense blue and green glow.
At that moment, the sky suddenly darkened. On both sides of the battlefield, soldiers looked up, surprised to see thick clouds forming out of nowhere, covering the sky.
The rain began to fall in torrents, but before it hit the ground it was swept away by a violent gust of wind.
In a matter of seconds, water and wind merged into a colossal aquatic whirlwind that connected heaven and earth. Like a gigantic moving tidal wave, it advanced relentlessly toward the Reconquista army.
"Every world definitely has its own secret weapons..." Biba murmured, riding the gryphon he had obtained as loot from Wardes. His expression was grim as he watched the thousands of trolls, goblins, dark wolves, and other demonic creatures being swept away without resistance by the immense current and mercilessly torn to pieces.
Euphoria broke out on Tristain's side.
Meanwhile, the Reconquista army was paralyzed with terror as they watched the monstrous whirlwind approaching ever closer to them.
But then, in a thunderous crash, the devastating whirlwind that had seemed unstoppable just a second before suddenly exploded, dissipating in a violent wave of water.
Although the explosion swept away hundreds of soldiers and filled the air with cries of pain and despair, for the Reconquista army, which numbered seventy thousand men, it was nothing more than a superficial blow.
As for the monster troops, they were little more than cannon fodder and were already destined to perish from the start.
"Pathetic sentimentality!" Biba snorted contemptuously.
His gaze fell on Prince Wales and Princess Henrietta, whose faces were pale and whose chests heaved with heavy breathing due to exhaustion.
Had they waited for their troops to eliminate the enemy demonic creatures and allowed the Reconquista army to advance far enough to engage their own infantry, they could have cast the spell at the crucial moment.
With such destructive power, they could have decimated the enemy's main force in one fell swoop.
Princess Henrietta may not understand this truth, but didn't Prince Wales understand this simple fact?
Perhaps he was influenced by Princess Henrietta's opposition, or perhaps he himself refused to cast such a powerful spell while still having allied troops at his front. In any case, he had chosen the path of compassion.
What for many might seem like a noble and altruistic decision, for Biba was nothing more than stupid.
At that moment...
As the whirlwind disappeared, the dense clouds also began to dissipate.
However, the sun didn't shine again.
The sky was still dark.
Louise raised her head, her face paling.
Up above, the sun was being covered by two lunar shadows of different sizes.
An eclipse!
Saito... He's about to leave...
