Reincarnated In The World Of The Last Game I Played - Chapter 62

Tarna was the largest city on the floating islands and as such its population was huge, over five million people, and almost half of which were soldiers.

The emperor prided himself on having the largest city, perhaps in the world, as the capital of his empire. He also prided himself on having the greatest military power of all islands and that no one would set foot in imperial territory with an army.

Until that day, when Athena crushed that pride with her little army.

To achieve this feat, Athena ordered the best to go ahead, splitting into regions that could detect their locomotion, and destroy everything and kill them all.

This might even be part of the territory she planned to reclaim, but for the moment they were enemies and as such, they would die.

Serien protested in favor of the civilians, but Athena couldn’t risk it. Besides, she didn’t have a reputation to cherish.

Athena was determined to kill everyone, however, after the princess complained so much and Mifa begged, Athena let them spare pregnant women, children under six and old people.

*Serien and Mifa, spoils pleasure…*

The groups were formed by the vultures that disbanded and joined Athena’s army, the Valkyries and a small platoon that Athena personally trained.

That was Trigan’s decision. The man didn’t want to fight a war against Athena or spend the rest of his thousand years in Basilian’s dungeons.

The Valkyries, led by their leaders Oliana, Lobana and Koria.

Oliana was an exuberant and tall woman, with her 434cm tall. Too big to be called a human, but too small to be called a giant.

Koria was a dark elf with long black hair and gray eyes. A beautiful woman with a chilling psychotic smile.

The platoon Athena trained consisted of forty three soldiers. Men and women soldiers, who stood out from the others and managed to become a superior version of the class Athena desired.

In the world there were two types of knights before Athena.

The knight who was stronger than a common soldier and had some skills for melee fighting and the holy knight who was stronger than a simple knight and could infuse mana with holy element to his skills.

But now, after Athena trained that platoon, the magic knight and the dragon knight had emerged.

While the magic knight in terms of strength was equal to a holy knight, their range of skills and proficiency in magic and effinity in up to three elements made them better.

The dragon knight was a class completely focused on brute strength. They had a very varied range of reinforcement and protection skills and their physical strength was comparable to a troll.

In Athena’s platoon there were twenty holy knights, twelve magic knights and eleven dragon knights and they were all eager to test their new powers for real.

These three groups spread out between east, west, and north, slaughtering every small town, village, outpost, and encampment they encountered.

This became known in the history as “The March of Death” and many came to hate Athena for this cruel and inhuman act.

***

The empire’s flag was a black lion on a blood red background.

This was the symbol of pride for the nation of Elsna and the soldiers on the wall could not believe their eyes as they saw flags with the head of a black lion impaled by a sword on a white background.

Those flags were an insult to the empire and no one knew who they belonged to.

Which kingdom was brave enough to rise up against the empire?

Until recently, the flag of Basilica was a crowned star, representing faith and crown together, side by side.

But not anymore. Athena changed the flag and burned the old one on the army’s departure day.

This was to show the way for the new kingdom age. Or rather, the new eternity. Athena was immortal, she would be queen forever or until she got tired.

The soldiers of the empire who guarded the walls sounded the trumpets that echoed and repeated throughout Tarna.

The troll hybrids locked the city gates when they heard the first trumpet, standing in front of Basilica’s army like guard dogs.

“Identify yourselves!” shouted a soldier from above the wall.

The Basilican army was at a distance of three hundred meters from the wall, but the man’s voice reached Athena’s ears.

Athena smiled, wrote something on a piece of parchment and tied it to an arrow.

“Koria, can you hit that man near the guardhouse at the top of the gate?”

The Valkyrie looked at Athena with a mocking expression. “Is obvious.” She responded by catching the arrow, aiming and releasing.

The arrow flew in a howling whistle and hit the screaming soldier in the eye. Athena laughed with satisfaction and the army cheered.

One of the soldiers next to the one who was shot, plucked the arrow from the dead man and untied the piece of parchment from the arrow. On it was written “We will enter.” And the soldiers laughed at hearing.

“This wall is thirty meters wide and the mongrels are guarding the gates. Even if the trolls with them kill the mongrels they won’t be able to break a black iron gate.”

***

The empire’s response time was admirable.

The moment the trumpets blew, people hid as they could, shops and inns closed, and soldiers, fully equipped, marched along all the avenues that led to the city’s south gate.

In the imperial palace things were no different. The nine knights joined the emperor in the throne room.

“I will fight too!” Sued said as he fastened the breastplate to his body.

“There is no need, Your Majesty.” Satur, the emperor’s ninth force, said. “There are just over a hundred thousand enemy soldiers against more than two million of the empire. They don’t stand a chance.”

Satur was a frivolous woman with a fragile but cruel appearance. Her red lips and sick pale skin looked like dead body. However, she had enough power to be there.

“No one asked your opinion, Satur. Anyway, who are these bastards?” The emperor growled at the woman and turned his gaze to Veta.

“The messenger said that the flag is a lion’s head impaled on a sword and it was an army that even has monsters, like minotaurs and basilisks.” Veta said with an analytical look. “I don’t remember any military force like this… But I’m sure of one thing…”

“What?”

“If we underestimate their strength because of our numerical advantage, the empire will fall.”

As an omen, just as Veta said this, a great explosion was heard and soon afterward a tremor shook the ground.

***

The soldiers on the walls could not predict what would happen as they laughed at the enemy army.

The warm, sunny day of early summer days suddenly became warmer and brighter. It looked like the sun had come closer.

Athena pulled a meteor from space and hit the gate that was engulfed in flames, dust and debris from the wall.

“Now, to make way…”

Athena threw her hands up to the sky and black clouds formed and engulfed the summer day with a heavy storm.

“What are you doing?” Athena asked the army behind her when the meteor flames disappeared. “Move forward…” Athena waved her hand as if shooing a dog. “Go, go…”

At that moment, Lobana averted her gaze from Oliana’s eyes and in a scream excited the advance of the army.

“You need to have more manners.” Lobana complained.

Athena frowned not understanding what Lobana meant and walked after her army. That’s because she had spent a fifth of her mana on the meteor and the storm. She wanted time to recover at least some of the spent mana.

(I won’t be taken by surprise.) Athena thought as she walked, followed by Mifa and Serien.

***

From the balcony of the imperial palace, the emperor and the order of knights led by Veta, The Emperor’s Strength, looked to the south of Tarna and then to the stormy sky.

“Is this magic?” The emperor asked dumbfounded.

“Two high-cycle and large-scale spells.” Verio, the sixth force, said while looking up at the black sky. “There are one or more very powerful mages on their side.”

“Why ‘mage’?”

“Because these spells, no other class would be able to cast because of the complexity of the formulas.” Verio said. He was amazed at the sight of such power. “I myself am a sorcerer of the seventh cycle. These spells are impossible for me.” Verio hid his smile behind the long sleeves of his tunic. (I need to meet this person or these people.)

***

Meanwhile, at the beginning of the city there was no one to stop the soldiers from Basilica, who were advancing with fury.

The soldiers of the empire did not stand a chance against the thousands of new soldiers from Basilica, dozens of trolls, hundreds of ogres and orcs, thousands of mercenaries and monsters.

“They may even have numbers, but whoever said numbers win wars was wrong.” Athena said with her arms folded from above the wall. “Serien, when you’re running out of mana, give the order to retreat.”

Serien, who cast healing magic on anyone who gained a serious wound, looked at Athena with confusion on her beautiful face.

“Why? Wouldn’t it be better to move forward even without my heal?”

“On this moment I’m going to take the lead on my own.”

“Athena?” Mifa looked at Athena anxiously.

“Lobana, tell them not to attack unarmed civilians. Those who are armed, they can kill even if they’re holding a spoon.” Athena said and Lobana nodded. “Ah! No one touches the mages’ tower… We don’t want trouble with them.” After giving the orders, Athena sighed and looked at a low-eared worried Mifa. “It’s going to be okay. Once the capital falls, we win.” Athena said while stroking Mifa’s hair.. (After that, if all goes well, just continue a war of attrition.)