CHAPTER 3 - ERUDITES FALL
LYSANDER FARADEISS
"Don't look back! The fate of humanity rests on this final operation! Charge!" General Wilhelm's voice boomed, his sword raised high as he plunged downward, leading the charge.
"This is insane," one of the skysoldiers laughed bitterly, the weight of despair evident in their voice. "This is pure madness."
"Not yet," countered Gabri, one of the Erudite Eight, his tone oddly cheerful amidst the chaos. With determination in his eyes, he spread his brilliant blue Wings of Light and followed General Wilhelm's lead. "But it will be. Advance!"
And with that, we followed, our Wings of Light illuminating the darkened sky as we hurtled toward the battlefield, ready to face the oncoming storm and fight for what remained of humanity.
With two of the Erudites setting a course straight for the Dragon's Fortress below, the rest of the skysoldiers, driven by an unshakable resolve, followed their lead. Together, we nosedived towards what appeared to be an inevitable demise. Madness, perhaps, but this was the desperate offering humanity had left.
We, the skysoldiers, were trained for moments like this, daring to confront the odds for the sake of our fallen world.
As we descended beyond the clouds, our target came into view – the Dragon's Fortress. It had once served as the esteemed Dragon Knights Academy, now occupied by dragonoids and their human knights who had betrayed humanity. In the previous war, mankind had managed to disable its anti-gravity features, causing it to crash from its former floating medieval castle glory into a heap of military base wreckage for the dragonoids. Our mission was to reclaim it, even in the face of overwhelming odds.
Suddenly, the night sky burst into a display of lights, thousands of them resembling stars but far more sinister – the dragonoids. These creatures, while appearing human from a distance, were unmistakably the most dreadful foes of humanity. What set them apart were their fiery crimson eyes, seething with unbridled rage, as well as their organic wings, sharp claws, and lizard-like tails. They are already in their Partial Dragon Forms, which made them resistant to physical damage.
"We've been spotted! Approximately three thousand dragonoids incoming, weapons at the ready!" one of the skysoldiers urgently reported.
"We are too outnumbered! Fighting back will only hinder us!" General Wilhelm's voice rang out once more. "Deploy smoke rounds and continue your descent!"
At the front lines, skysoldiers swiftly switched to their smoke grenade launchers and set them for aerial detonation. In unison, they unleashed the smoke bombs, shrouding our precise location and confounding the dragonoids, their accuracy momentarily compromised. The skies were now veiled in a thick haze of concealing smoke as we hurtled toward our destiny, uncertain yet unyielding.
We continued our descent at an even faster pace, adrenaline coursing through our veins as the fear of a dragonoid assault gripped us. It was a mere five seconds before the dragonoids unleashed their lethal laser beams from their eyes, swatting us from the skies like helpless flies, claiming the lives of skysoldiers one by one.
The onslaught resembled a merciless rain of death, and evading these laser projectiles proved almost impossible. I considered myself fortunate that I remained unscathed, concealed in the densest part of the smoke field. However, those skysoldiers ahead of me were not as fortunate.
"My leg!" one skysoldier cried out in sheer panic as his lower limb was vaporized by a laser beam.
"My arm! Where's my arm?" another skysoldier frantically looked around, searching for his severed limb.
Considered lucky, these two skysoldiers, though injured, were still breathing. Others were not as fortunate, struck in vital spots, some in the head, others in the chest, their lives claimed by the deadly laser beams. I watched as our numbers dwindled rapidly under this relentless shower of lethal fire.
General Wilhelm, observing the growing demoralization among his skysoldiers, understood the vital need to rekindle hope within the remnants of humanity. He raised his sword once again and drew in a deep breath, filling his lungs to capacity.
"Chaaaarge–"
Midway through his thunderous battle cry, a devastating laser beam struck his abdomen, violently cleaving his body in two.
"General!" The anguished cries of most skysoldiers rang out.
I, too, stood stunned by the gruesome sight just meters away from General Wilhelm, torn between an urge to attempt a futile rescue and the glaringly hopeless circumstances. Yet, it quickly became apparent that a wound as severe as this was insufficient to extinguish the indomitable spirit of a man like General Wilhelm.
"Did I fucking stutter!?" he roared with a mighty lion's defiance, undeterred even as his body hung in halves. "Charge, damn it!"
"...You heard the General! Charge, damn it!" My best friend Johnny assumed command, lifting his sword and stepping into the role as if the fighting spirit of our fallen leader had been passed down to him.
I clenched my fists, determination surging through me as I gritted my teeth. My gaze reluctantly shifted away from the General's lifeless form, focusing on the mission at hand. This wasn't the moment for mourning or dwelling on our fallen comrades. The operation took precedence. We had all accepted that this night would likely mark the end for each of us, and it wasn't as if we hadn't confronted this grim reality already.
I followed Johnny, who, like the rest of us, struggled with the abrupt turn of events. However, he maintained his composure and carried the weight of this suicide mission on his shoulders, embodying the same unwavering resolve that General Wilhelm had displayed until the very end.
With only five hundred meters remaining before we reached the unforgiving ground, the radio buzzed with the cries of my allies – agonized pleas for help, desperate longing, and the harrowing screams of pain. A cacophony of grim reports echoed in from the left and right flanks of our descent.
"Erudite Anoushka has fallen! We need immediate support!" came one plea.
"Erudite Gabri is lost! I repeat, Erudite Gabri is gone!" lamented another.
"Erudite Miney is down! Send reinforcement from our side! I repeat–" The last transmission was swallowed by a torrent of static, a grim indication that the skysoldier delivering the report may have met a grisly end. I closed my eyes and mourned for the fallen.
"One hundred meters!" Erudite Lyon, who had taken the frontlines of our charge, announced, breaking through the chaos. He was a tall, dark, and handsome figure with spiky brunette hair, a stalwart presence in the face of our impending doom.
My eyes snapped open, and before me lay the imposing Dragon's Fortress, seemingly within arm's reach. But this fortress was safeguarded by a formidable, magical barrier – a luminous red bubble that stood as an impenetrable shield against any would-be invaders.
"Lysander, you're the fastest Erudite! Once you break through, activate the Regression Magic!" Erudite Lyon directed, his voice resolute.
"What about you!?" I queried.
"I'm going to smash that barrier!"
As we descended to within fifty meters of the ground, Erudite Lyon concentrated all his mana into his feet, momentarily disabling his Wings of Light. With a swift stomp on the magical barrier, he triggered an explosion, shattering the shield like fragile glass, granting us access to the fortress.
A hole, roughly three meters in diameter, had been torn open in the barrier. It threatened to mend itself, but Erudite Lyon stretched out his limbs, determined to keep the opening intact.
"Get in! Quick!" he urged.
Johnny wasted no time and was the first to slip through the breach, followed by me and a handful of skysoldiers. Witnessing Lyon's strength wane, he channeled his mana into his heart, triggering a self-destruct sequence.
"Raaaaaah! Blaze of Glory!"
A thunderous explosion reverberated, obliterating the regenerating shield. A few more skysoldiers managed to squeeze through the hole, but within mere seconds, the barrier sealed itself, closing off the fortress once more. Erudite Lyon's sacrifice had cleared a path for the survivors, securing their entry into the heart of the Dragon's Fortress.
I had finally touched down on the roof of the fortress, deactivating my Wings of Light. But when I cast my gaze upward, all that met my eyes was the grim aftermath of the massacre – the fallen skysoldiers who hadn't made it inside the barrier.
"How many of us made it?" I inquired, my voice laden with sorrow.
"Only twelve," Johnny replied with a grave expression. "And you're the sole Erudite who managed to breach the barrier."
CHAPTER 3 - ERUDITES FALL
LYSANDER FARADEISS
"Don't look back! The fate of humanity rests on this final operation! Charge!" General Wilhelm's voice boomed, his sword raised high as he plunged downward, leading the charge.
"This is insane," one of the skysoldiers laughed bitterly, the weight of despair evident in their voice. "This is pure madness."
"Not yet," countered Gabri, one of the Erudite Eight, his tone oddly cheerful amidst the chaos. With determination in his eyes, he spread his brilliant blue Wings of Light and followed General Wilhelm's lead. "But it will be. Advance!"
And with that, we followed, our Wings of Light illuminating the darkened sky as we hurtled toward the battlefield, ready to face the oncoming storm and fight for what remained of humanity.
With two of the Erudites setting a course straight for the Dragon's Fortress below, the rest of the skysoldiers, driven by an unshakable resolve, followed their lead. Together, we nosedived towards what appeared to be an inevitable demise. Madness, perhaps, but this was the desperate offering humanity had left.
We, the skysoldiers, were trained for moments like this, daring to confront the odds for the sake of our fallen world.
As we descended beyond the clouds, our target came into view – the Dragon's Fortress. It had once served as the esteemed Dragon Knights Academy, now occupied by dragonoids and their human knights who had betrayed humanity. In the previous war, mankind had managed to disable its anti-gravity features, causing it to crash from its former floating medieval castle glory into a heap of military base wreckage for the dragonoids. Our mission was to reclaim it, even in the face of overwhelming odds.
Suddenly, the night sky burst into a display of lights, thousands of them resembling stars but far more sinister – the dragonoids. These creatures, while appearing human from a distance, were unmistakably the most dreadful foes of humanity. What set them apart were their fiery crimson eyes, seething with unbridled rage, as well as their organic wings, sharp claws, and lizard-like tails. They are already in their Partial Dragon Forms, which made them resistant to physical damage.
"We've been spotted! Approximately three thousand dragonoids incoming, weapons at the ready!" one of the skysoldiers urgently reported.
"We are too outnumbered! Fighting back will only hinder us!" General Wilhelm's voice rang out once more. "Deploy smoke rounds and continue your descent!"
At the front lines, skysoldiers swiftly switched to their smoke grenade launchers and set them for aerial detonation. In unison, they unleashed the smoke bombs, shrouding our precise location and confounding the dragonoids, their accuracy momentarily compromised. The skies were now veiled in a thick haze of concealing smoke as we hurtled toward our destiny, uncertain yet unyielding.
We continued our descent at an even faster pace, adrenaline coursing through our veins as the fear of a dragonoid assault gripped us. It was a mere five seconds before the dragonoids unleashed their lethal laser beams from their eyes, swatting us from the skies like helpless flies, claiming the lives of skysoldiers one by one.
The onslaught resembled a merciless rain of death, and evading these laser projectiles proved almost impossible. I considered myself fortunate that I remained unscathed, concealed in the densest part of the smoke field. However, those skysoldiers ahead of me were not as fortunate.
"My leg!" one skysoldier cried out in sheer panic as his lower limb was vaporized by a laser beam.
"My arm! Where's my arm?" another skysoldier frantically looked around, searching for his severed limb.
Considered lucky, these two skysoldiers, though injured, were still breathing. Others were not as fortunate, struck in vital spots, some in the head, others in the chest, their lives claimed by the deadly laser beams. I watched as our numbers dwindled rapidly under this relentless shower of lethal fire.
General Wilhelm, observing the growing demoralization among his skysoldiers, understood the vital need to rekindle hope within the remnants of humanity. He raised his sword once again and drew in a deep breath, filling his lungs to capacity.
"Chaaaarge–"
Midway through his thunderous battle cry, a devastating laser beam struck his abdomen, violently cleaving his body in two.
"General!" The anguished cries of most skysoldiers rang out.
I, too, stood stunned by the gruesome sight just meters away from General Wilhelm, torn between an urge to attempt a futile rescue and the glaringly hopeless circumstances. Yet, it quickly became apparent that a wound as severe as this was insufficient to extinguish the indomitable spirit of a man like General Wilhelm.
"Did I fucking stutter!?" he roared with a mighty lion's defiance, undeterred even as his body hung in halves. "Charge, damn it!"
"...You heard the General! Charge, damn it!" My best friend Johnny assumed command, lifting his sword and stepping into the role as if the fighting spirit of our fallen leader had been passed down to him.
I clenched my fists, determination surging through me as I gritted my teeth. My gaze reluctantly shifted away from the General's lifeless form, focusing on the mission at hand. This wasn't the moment for mourning or dwelling on our fallen comrades. The operation took precedence. We had all accepted that this night would likely mark the end for each of us, and it wasn't as if we hadn't confronted this grim reality already.
I followed Johnny, who, like the rest of us, struggled with the abrupt turn of events. However, he maintained his composure and carried the weight of this suicide mission on his shoulders, embodying the same unwavering resolve that General Wilhelm had displayed until the very end.
With only five hundred meters remaining before we reached the unforgiving ground, the radio buzzed with the cries of my allies – agonized pleas for help, desperate longing, and the harrowing screams of pain. A cacophony of grim reports echoed in from the left and right flanks of our descent.
"Erudite Anoushka has fallen! We need immediate support!" came one plea.
"Erudite Gabri is lost! I repeat, Erudite Gabri is gone!" lamented another.
"Erudite Miney is down! Send reinforcement from our side! I repeat–" The last transmission was swallowed by a torrent of static, a grim indication that the skysoldier delivering the report may have met a grisly end. I closed my eyes and mourned for the fallen.
"One hundred meters!" Erudite Lyon, who had taken the frontlines of our charge, announced, breaking through the chaos. He was a tall, dark, and handsome figure with spiky brunette hair, a stalwart presence in the face of our impending doom.
My eyes snapped open, and before me lay the imposing Dragon's Fortress, seemingly within arm's reach. But this fortress was safeguarded by a formidable, magical barrier – a luminous red bubble that stood as an impenetrable shield against any would-be invaders.
"Lysander, you're the fastest Erudite! Once you break through, activate the Regression Magic!" Erudite Lyon directed, his voice resolute.
"What about you!?" I queried.
"I'm going to smash that barrier!"
As we descended to within fifty meters of the ground, Erudite Lyon concentrated all his mana into his feet, momentarily disabling his Wings of Light. With a swift stomp on the magical barrier, he triggered an explosion, shattering the shield like fragile glass, granting us access to the fortress.
A hole, roughly three meters in diameter, had been torn open in the barrier. It threatened to mend itself, but Erudite Lyon stretched out his limbs, determined to keep the opening intact.
"Get in! Quick!" he urged.
Johnny wasted no time and was the first to slip through the breach, followed by me and a handful of skysoldiers. Witnessing Lyon's strength wane, he channeled his mana into his heart, triggering a self-destruct sequence.
"Raaaaaah! Blaze of Glory!"
A thunderous explosion reverberated, obliterating the regenerating shield. A few more skysoldiers managed to squeeze through the hole, but within mere seconds, the barrier sealed itself, closing off the fortress once more. Erudite Lyon's sacrifice had cleared a path for the survivors, securing their entry into the heart of the Dragon's Fortress.
I had finally touched down on the roof of the fortress, deactivating my Wings of Light. But when I cast my gaze upward, all that met my eyes was the grim aftermath of the massacre – the fallen skysoldiers who hadn't made it inside the barrier.
"How many of us made it?" I inquired, my voice laden with sorrow.
"Only twelve," Johnny replied with a grave expression. "And you're the sole Erudite who managed to breach the barrier."
