LIGHTNOVELONLINE Arc 1: Early Encounters Part 1
Disclaimer: I don't own Gate or Nihonkoku Shoukan as it belongs to its rightful owners.
Arc 1: Lands of Rodenius
Chapter 1: Early Encounters
Farmlands, Qua-Toyne Principality
Central Calendar Year 1639 8:00 Morning
The Darkness began to fade away as the sun rose over the horizon. It slowly revealed the different colors of the flowers that swayed gently in the breeze along with the grass and trees. Among the vast countryside, lies the farmlands of the Principality. Numerous Medieval-like windmills stood along with certain spots of the land, if it weren't for them, one would actually be convinced that the whole scene is part of a picturesque view of a North American or European field. Though the scenery would soon change as a Wyvern could be seen traversing across the land.
As the lone Wyvern knight made his third round of attempt into inspecting the whole farmlands. Even though He knew that everything was going well so far, he still had no choice but to follow the protocols, which apparently had now become stricter than ever. The recent rumors regarding the so called ambitious campaign of the Saderan Empire had spread out rapidly across the kingdom. It also had instilled more fear for the people of the Principality, knowing that the Empire itself was considered a superpower in the whole continent and had a reputation of having a Human-only supremacist mindset.
"All clear in Borderland's Farmlands." The Knight thought to himself, almost finishing his patrol.
"Looks like another good harvest for this season."
Finally finishing his morning patrol, the Wyvern Knight headed back to the main headquarters, as his thoughts began to entertain him once more. The recent string of good news for the nation, be it in the economic side, military side, or just the normal life in general, had placed some doubts or rather personal suspicions for himself. It was just too good to be true. Never in centuries should the Principality be experiencing continuous success and progress, despite being not part of the Civilized kingdoms from the north and at risk of being invaded by hostile nations. Personally, he felt that this was only punishment in disguise, when after all of this that catastrophe would then soon struck.
Only time will tell for now.
Work began in the early hours of the morning, for a young blonde elf lady named Anna, this was the main source of livelihood. Her family had been part of the farming community for centuries, one of the first to settle in the land blessed by the Goddess.
She walked along a small path carrying a basket containing several pieces of bread, and a couple of water leather flasks. She was on her way to the area where her a certain human friend had been currently collecting the harvested crops when she saw the Wyvern knight going about the usual inspections.
She took the time to observe the flying beast as it patrolled the land. The Wyvern knights of the Principality were very well-respected and looked up to. They were the eyes from above and were the first ones to eventually know of an ongoing situation.
Thanks to them, the Principality's main economy had been kept safe for thousands of years.
When she arrived at her destination, she chose the usual spot for a small picnic area, placing the basket on a rocky surface and briefly resting herself under the shade of a large tree..
She turned her attention to her friend, who was still harvesting the crops, and invited him to join her for a quick snack. It didn't take long for him to arrive, and he quickly grabbed the leather flask to take a drink.
"Thank you so much Anna!" The man said with a smile, placing his pitchfork on the ground and took the time to replenish his thirst.
Anna didn't say anything but smiled in response. At the same time, her attention was drawn back to the Wyvern, which was still in the area, and the atmosphere began to shift for a moment as a result of the sudden powerful gush of wind.
"Talk about seeing those Wyvern Knights more often nowadays. "Her friend had commented as he too had noticed the odd behaviors of the patrols so far.
As if they were to expect something unusual to arrive.
"Frightening." Anna let out a word to describe the situation.
"Have you heard of the recent rumors regarding the Empire's invasion? " Her Human friend asked." A friend of mine from the Guild informed me about this, though I'm not sure whether to believe this or not."
He only received silence from his elf friend and he understood the fact that this was a very unsettling topic to discuss. Though, He can't help himself but wonder if his homeland's days were now numbered.
He was afraid and there was no way to escape the fact that the whole continent could be under the banner of that cruel empire. So far many towns and cities have already suffered because of their so-called conquest.
He sighed as he cleared his own thoughts. Focusing now on the elf girl, who was now kneeling and praying to the gods.
As much he wanted to forget this and just satisfy his stomach. He couldn't help himself but wonder if their lives were still going to be the same for the next months ahead.
"What now?"
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Fort Alnus, Special Region
Location: Unknown
He could only feel the somewhat freezing cold temperatures around his surroundings.
He'd been locked in this very strange room for quite some time. For all he knew, he was about to be brought in for some sort of sentencing. Though, he wondered why in a small area much like this?
Titus Habitus was a once-great general of his own battalion who served the Empire and was a vital part of its numerous campaigns across the continent. Along with his comrades and fellow generals, he witnessed many victories in battle. He was also a member of the expedition army sent to the other side of the gate, as well as one of the few survivors of a one-sided massacre. He was a man that greatly cared for his soldiers and friends, and that is one of the reasons why he ended up in this kind of situation.
As one of those who witnessed the terrors of the other world firsthand, he also witnessed many of his comrades being surrounded and captured by the otherworldly beings. Guilt had caught up with him because he had never had the chance to fight and save them. He cursed the other generals of the expeditionary army who had forced him to retreat back to the gate as they claimed that he was a valuable piece in the main conquest. What he wished he could have said to them. Despite the fact that those Generals were already dead, their actions fueled his rage.
Upon his return, he testified and pleaded to the Imperial Senate that not a lot of soldiers were killed during the expedition and that more of them were captured and taken as prisoners. Though he didn't have enough substantial evidence for his claims, He tried everything he could to persuade the other soldiers, who had also witnessed what they really saw, to testify at the imperial court. Unfortunately, the majority of the imperial senate had to disregard much of it due to their decision to classify the case and the Empire's need to focus on preparations to invade the two remaining nations.
That's when he realized the Empire had become blinded by its desire for power. Incompetence and self-centeredness had most likely taken over the rest of them before he realized it.
Thinking that neither of the Senate or Imperial Commanders would support his rescue campaign, the former general took matters into his own hands as he instead secretly formed his own group, which consists of former soldiers who were left leaderless after the expedition. Their main mission was simple, return to Alnus Hill, enter the gate, search for their comrades and rescue them. It may sound simple but they had just signed their death warrants. It was only their drive and motivation that fueled them to make this mission possible even though how ridiculous it was.
About a hundred men traveled the plains in their horses towards the sacred hill, they were full of optimism and determined to reclaim what they had lost before, but when they arrived, they were greeted by a scene that they had never seen before in their lives.
Alnus Hill had undergone a complete transformation in a matter of weeks.
The majority of the remaining forest had vanished, with strange moving metallic contraptions occupying the majority of the vacant spots, and flying beasts in strange ships flying all around the hill. What surprised them the most was that the Gate was nowhere to be found, as a massive iron fortress stood in their path, covering the majority of the hill.
They were rendered speechless and frozen, unsure of what to do. At first, they intended to charge straight into the main area to engage in what would be a dangerous battle, but fortunately, his memories reminded him of the horrors he had witnessed from beyond the gate, and it was enough to make him realize that these were the same beasts that had destroyed the expedition army.
He could only think of one solution because all other options for fighting the enemy were out.
It was at that moment when the door had finally opened and an unfamiliar man dressed in the same dark green clothing entered the room.
Titus looked up, his gaze fixed on the man, attempting to decipher the contents of the tray he was currently carrying.
Not long after, he finally had the chance to get a good view of the tray, which was placed on the table right in front of him. To his surprise, they were not torturing tools but a weird meat dish along with a familiar commoner's drink.
The man in front of him gave a smile." I guess you haven't eaten your lunch yet." He said, breaking the silence of the room.
Titus was amused because he didn't expect the man to take such a gentle and nice approach. Normally, brutal torture techniques were used to extract answers from interrogators, but for the first time, food was used as a tool.
He stared at his meal for a few moments before giving the man a confused look." What is this?" He asked the man.
"Well, it's a nice juicy steak." He simply said, bringing more confusion to the man.
"Steak? What's in this steak?" Titus asked again, this trying to examine the meat seriously as if it was some artifact from the Gods.
The man gave a little laugh." Don't worry, it's not gonna poison you or anything." He explained." It's normal food and it's cow."
Titus gave another puzzled look.
"It's also the same dish served to your friends, and don't get me wrong, they're still alive and well." Before adding, the man explained. "No one is brutally tortured here."
Titus looked at the man suspiciously before nodding slowly and returning his gaze to the dish, where he cautiously examined the utensil in place with the ceramic-like plate. He recognized the knife and spoon but was surprised to see a fork. Forks were a very expensive utensil back in the Empire.
Soon after, his stomach grumbled, and he was forced to eat his dish, despite his desire to refuse whatever food these people served him. He took the knife and started slicing the steak; instead of using a fork, he used his hands, picking a piece of meat and taking his first bite. His eyes widened as he noticed how juicy the meat was and how delicious it tasted.
The man in front of him smiled. "See, I told you Romans would like it." He made a comment. "Wait a minute...Should I call you guys Romans or Saderans?" He added to his own perplexity, the resemblance of the dress and style was very uncanny. Furthermore, He did not received a response from him.
The man sighed as he began his interrogation.
"So let's go straight to the introductions, I am Derek, what's your name?" He said this as he straightened his back and his face became solemn.
Titus stopped eating as reality came to knock once more. The sudden change in atmosphere gave him the sign that it has begun.
"Titus Habitus." He firmly said.
The man returned his nod. "Pleased to meet you, Mr. Titus, as you should know you're here for a reason." He said this while reaching into his pockets to draw something. "I guess what happened out there before was a misunderstanding, I wanna know why you and a bunch of your soldier friends headed here?"
"What's your purpose?" He asked." Did the Empire sent you?"
Titus kept silent for a moment, he knew this kind of question would be asked.
"I am no longer a servant of the Empire." He responded by looking down. "I came here of my own free will to look for and rescue my men who had been captured beyond the Gate." As he narrowed his gaze on the man, he explained.
"What has happened to them?" He asked." Are they alright?"
The man in front of him nodded in understanding." I see..." He muttered as he drew out a certain piece of paper, which was revealed to be a map of the Rodenius continent"If you want to know how your soldiers are doing, you may have to cooperate with me at first." He went on to explain as politely as possible.
Silence befell the former general, as he gave a slight hesitant face. Though in the end, he agreed with the man's terms.
"What do you want to know?"
The man grinned. " Well...all that's you know about the Empire's current activities." He clarified his point by raising his hand. "But, first and foremost, what is your position in the Empire?" He inquired." According to your soldier friends, you were quite a big one."
"Yes, I commanded my own Legion throughout the Empire's battles before and I have a connection to the Senate, specifically Marquis Palesti, but not the Emperor himself." He explained.
"Interesting! Who's this Marquis Palesti exactly?" The man asked.
"Senator Marquis is a member of the Senate's small opposition faction." Titus elaborated. " He is one of those who fought against the Empire's conquest beyond the gate and the invasion of the two remaining nations of Rodenius.
"Ahh, I see." Derek nodded." We'll get into that soon, but first, what do you know about these specific locations marked here?" He asked, pointing at a certain area on the map.
Titus took a deep breath, knowing that as a general, he had access to the Imperial Militaries' key bases across the continent. "Supply bases, a troop fort, and two Wyvern camps." He went on to explain. "These locations were intended to facilitate the transportation of supplies and reinforcements if the battle dragged on..."As the memories began to flood into his mind, he trailed off, his face turning pale. Images of the expeditionary force being blown up, soldiers being mowed down by a metallic beast, and many more. "But, unfortunately, we didn't have much of a chance."
He remembered the green-clad men carrying iron staves, horseless wagons, and flying beasts far deadlier than any flying dragons on the continent.
By reliving those memories, he could feel his hands shaking and his body trembling in fear.
The man in front of him was left amazed and lost for words. He didn't expect that the latter would be this cooperative." Thank you for answering the questions." He chuckled a little." Usually, people would act violent and we had no choice but chained them up or worst..." He trailed off." But I can see that you're telling the truth." He said." I guess we don't need a lie-detector machine."
Titus was confused." A lie-detector machine? These people have the ability to detect lies?" He thought, with his eyes widened.
"What do you mean?" He asked.
The man just smiled. "Let's just say you and my people have a history." He said this while placing a small black recorder on the table in secret. "Now I'd like to ask why the Empire is so obsessed with so-called conquest. What exactly is it all about?"
Silence befell between them for a brief moment. Titus knew that this was going to be a very long story, but he might as well tell the man, as he gratefully regretted himself for supporting the Empire's goals.
"The Conquest is a long-overdue campaign of the Empire in uniting the whole continent in one banner and it's almost at an end."
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"How do you like it so far Mr. Takamori?"
It was a question that had been ringing in his ears for half a day already. Yuji couldn't believe they'd managed to plan this itinerary specifically for him. It was unlike any other military facility tour he had ever taken. He describes the experience as being similar to one of those VIP interactive tours where you get to see everything, including the little secrets behind the scenes.
He found himself currently, in the observation room watching the ongoing interrogation between Derek, the interrogator, and a middle-aged man, who was revealed to be a general from the Empire.
A former general to which the latter had claimed to be.
As far as his knowledge goes, the sole purpose of this tour was to let him know that there weren't any controversial things happening around the base. So far they had shown him most of everything, and this interrogation sequence happening in front of him was supposed to be the last one. The Japanese-American adjusted his glasses as he wrote various takeaways on his notepad before turning to his guide.
"It's fine; my main takeaway from this interrogation is that there is no sign of any language barrier." He went on to explain. "Or am I having hallucinations?" He asked.
His guide, a beautiful pony-tailed blonde woman dressed in official military attire and wearing glasses, nodded in response.
"Apparently, we've been trying to investigate the phenomenon." She explained." It seemed that the majority of the soldiers that had been interrogated so far, could understand what we were saying, despite any language thrown to them." She paused, gathering the last of her sentence."However, it is very different in terms of written communication, so written communication in this world is impossible without a dictionary."
Yuji gave a slight nod, as he took note of what his guide had said." Interesting, though does this apply to everyone else in this continent or whatsoever." He asked, wanting to clarify his concern on the rural side of things. Some places where the dialect or accent could be much different.
"According to the current study, it's safe to say that you won't have any trouble understanding the local population when the recon operations begin." She elaborated." Moreover, It's been suggested that learning this New World's Common Language is more important." The blonde woman added as she stood up from her seat, and gazed at her own wristwatch.
"Alright, I guess this section is over, let's proceed to the last destination." She announced, giving the man confusion.
Yuji raised both his eyebrows in surprise as he gazed at his guide." Wait, I thought this was the last part of the tour?" He asked.
The blonde woman could only sigh, apparently, she too was a bit exhausted from being the guide for the duration of the tour. She woke up around 6 am, hardly had breakfast except for crackers and a hot tea, and went on about her usual job of preparing for a grueling schedule.
"I couldn't agree more Mr. Takamori." She simply smiled.
The man immediately grasped what his guide was attempting to convey. He, too, had the same experience. Worse, he awoke a little late because he had stayed up late finishing a chapter for his draft novel. He only ate a slice of bread before going about his morning routine. He could safely say that he was more looking forward to the wonders of lunchtime than the tour itself, though he was not the type of person to be tempted or give up so easily.
He returned the smile back." I understand." He replied." But please just call me Yuji for short."
"Very well Mr. Yuji." The blonde woman slightly nodded before turning back as she headed towards the exit door.
As for the Japanese-American, He could only sigh as he placed back his notepad and pen inside his strap bag. The man did not expect that he would be spending the rest of this day exploring the majority of the Fort. The whole place was larger than the largest shopping mall in the world or maybe that walled city from a certain . If one is unfamiliar with the surroundings, it is easy to become lost. Yuji reluctantly accepted it as he followed his guide to the next destination of the tour, realizing that it would benefit him in the long run.
The only thing that bothered him so far was that the blonde woman had not yet told him her name since the tour began.
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A month had passed since the combined American and Japanese coalition forces first set foot in the new world. During those 30 days, they were able to establish a presence almost immediately as a large portion of the Imperial Military Garrisons stationed in the surrounding hills were neutralized one by one by the combined efforts of scouts, army rangers, and special forces. They also had valuable information from the numerous surviving Imperial Legates and Cohorts from the successful counterattack at Ginza months before.
Prior to that, a series of operations were carried out to survey the area surrounding the gate. As a result, they were able to carefully plan how the Coalition would set up the current Fort, which stood in the heart of the hill.
The surrounding area was designated and dubbed as Special Region. This area would be considered coalition territory for many months ahead.
The coalition forces' current base of operations in the new world is Fort Alnus. Surprisingly, for a variety of reasons, the fort's design was based on a 19th-century Bastion Fort, and if one were to ride a helicopter or fly above the hill, one would see this massive star-shaped structure that covered the majority of the hill. the whole appearance can be described as something that came from the movies. That's how Yuji exactly felt when he saw the drone footage overseeing the entirety of the base. Moreover, the airfield section was nearing completion and soon the coalition can now use the various military planes and jets for upcoming operations.
There were numerous activities going on throughout the base. It was only a matter of time before he found out which operation he would be a part of.
The cafeteria was half-empty when the man arrived, just in time for his lunch.
Apparently, the tour had ended in the early afternoon, which meant that he had already missed lunch as the day progressed. As much as he was irritated, he chose to look on the bright side of the situation, because there were a lot of things he could benefit from eating in an almost empty cafeteria.
The area was almost silent, which he considered was an advantage.
Yuji found himself in the midst of that silence, eating his meal peacefully, which turned out to be a nice juicy steak filled with nice mushroom gravy, with butter corn and mashed potatoes as side dishes and a box of cold orange juice.
He let out a small smile as he had to admit that the steak dish which was served a while ago to the captured Saderan General, was legitimately appetizing. As much as like the dish in front of him now.
He even assumed it was prepared by the great Gordon Ramsay, who had mysteriously vanished years before.
As the man continued to eat, he also brought his small laptop along with him.
This was why the silence worked to his advantage, as it allowed him to begin working on the next chapter of his draft novel. To begin with, he considered himself a novice writer. In fact, he believed that his current situation could serve as the main inspiration for his story.
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The rest of the time, the man spent brainstorming ideas for any scenes he could write about. A difficult task because it may take some time to develop the various themes and journeys of the story's main characters. At that point, the man closed his eyes for a few moments to better visualize it. Though, by the time he was fully capable of doing it, a specific memory flashed before his eyes.
"Please hold on to me!"
"Nii-chan, please don't let go!"
It was a brief nightmare to be exact, as he opened his eyes seconds later when a familiar voice called out his name.
"Yuji?"
The man looked up only to face a familiar face to which he hadn't seen in a while.
"Itami is that you?" He muttered aloud in surprise, he thought he has seen a ghost.
An old friend, Itami Youji, stood directly in front of him. As he sat down in front of the latter, the 33-year-old man gave a small smile. "It's me, of course." He said something in response. "Is everything okay? You looked really tired."
Yuji sighed as he removed his glasses and rubbed his tired eyes, realizing what was going on. "Sorry about that, the tour just finished." With a chuckle, he explained. "My mind is a bit jumbled right now."
Itami nodded, indicating that he understood. It was a crazy idea for the higher-ups to take his friend on a massive tour of the fort. He was well aware that all of that activity was solely for the benefit of the just man.
"How was the tour by the way?" He asked as he took a sip of his orange juice.
"Oh, you don't wanna ask." Yuji jokingly said, causing his friend to chuckle.
"Well if that's the case, care to explain why would they gave you that kind of tour like you're the President or something?" Itami said, never really had understood why the man got involved here in the first place.
Yuji gave a slight shrug. "I don't know, but I guess it's their way of showing me that there hasn't been anything controversial going on for the past couple of months." He elaborated. "I mean, you know, The Media can be a real pain in the butt, if you know what I mean." Pointing directly at the nearby TV which was displayed on a wall.
"I see," Itami stated before agreeing with him. "Well, it makes sense because you're the only person I know who's mostly honest." He remarked.
Yuji smiled. "Thank you for the compliment." With a slight motion, he said.
Both men had known each other since middle school. While Itami was more familiar with Otaku culture, Yuji was, at best, a normal person who spent his time reading books, drawing doodles, and listening to music. Despite this, both men shared one goal: to protect their loved ones. Their motivation stemmed from specific events that had occurred in their lives.
"So I heard that recon operations would begin soon?" Yuji changed the topic and asked.
Itami nodded. "According to recent reports, most of the enemy military garrisons surrounding the hill had been eliminated." He informed. "However, the possibility of an invasion or attack from the Empire is high."
Yuji gave a surprised reaction.
During the first few months of Fort Alnus' existence, the coalition forces were the ones doing all of the action. In a matter of weeks, they had taken control of the hill. It was safe to say that the Imperial presence that had surrounded the hill had faded. It was the only thought of possible retaliation that remained, which is why recon operations had yet to begin. Furthermore, Yuji and Itami had been spending the rest of their time inside the fort for over a month now, with no set date or time for them to venture out with the rest of the recon teams because the situation hadn't been stabilized yet.
"I guess we'll have to wait for another month again," Yuji commented.
At the same time, an idea came to the man's mind as he finally figured out the title for his current chapter, and he shifted to his laptop in order to type the title of his current chapter. Something unexpected had interrupted him just as he was about to press the keyboards.
It was the defense sirens that suddenly rang across the halls and cafeteria, breaking the silence and peace that had reigned for so long.
Both men looked around as some of the other military personnel who were eating their meals left their seats as they began evacuating the area. Yuji could only give his friend a stunned expression, and vice versa. It was not long that they also left the area and headed outside to find what was really going on.
It was then they realized that this could only mean one thing.
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Location: Control Building
By the time the sirens went off, the atmosphere in the control room had devolved into chaos. Countless personnel and staff had immediately gone back into their own stations, beginning to contact different defense divisions stationed in various parts of the fort.
It all started with a specific report and several images from a recon drone that has recently finished its daily recon on the surrounding areas.
"How many do you say are heading right towards the base?"
"As far as I can tell, the estimate is between 20,000 and 25,000 soldiers."
General Hazama gasped in shock as he and the other officials went over the current information, which had been provided to them.
He and his American counterpart kept an eye on the monitors in front of them, which showed a massive army marching towards Fort Alnus. It felt a bit surreal as they thought they were watching one of those fictional movie battles.
The army's overview was simply too unbelievable to be believed.
"I am afraid the cameras don't lie General." General Wilkes, commander of the American contingent, replied. As he further studied the ongoing scenario, he quickly took notice of a number of differences from the unknown army approaching, and to his surprise, this was an entirely different situation.
"Somehow, these fellas don't look like they belong to that Saderan Empire." The American General explained, pointing at some key points." They don't possess any flags belonging to any affiliated state or nation, and these uniforms..."
A closer look at the unknown army had given the rest of the group an idea of what these people could be. The uniforms were already a dead giveaway. Men wore a variety of clothing and armor, and their overall appearance was somewhat keen to that of a bandit. The thought of the Empire calling the aid of its allies was out of the picture.
"According to the intel given, The Empire would regularly employ the use of vassal states which now are under their control." One of the officials spoke this time." And if these were armies from the vassal states, they should have an identity or a flag representing them." He added." But unfortunately, from what we are seeing right now, this is a different enemy we are dealing with." He explained.
For a few moments, the room was silent. The situation demonstrates how little they knew about the new world and that more research on these armies will be required in order to prepare for any surprises along the way. So far, no rogue armies that were considered on the same level as a normal kingdom or state had been mentioned in any of the interrogations with the captured Imperial soldiers so far. Most of them admitted that the majority of the continent was already controlled by the Empire.
"So what should be our course of action?" General Wilkes spoke, anticipating the latter's response.
General Hazama could only sigh. He knew this was going to be a bloodbath. A one-sided bloodbath.
The decision was already inevitable.
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It was the tensest atmosphere that the man had ever felt since the Ginza Incident. Along with the strong wind that continued to blow by, He knew he had just entered into some kind of nightmarish scenario.
The whole fort was on lockdown and alert as an unexpected enemy had arrived in front of its doorstep. Most of the coalition personnel had already halted their daily operations and tasks as they headed into the respective zones.
For the time since Yuji felt a wave of fear and uneasiness that engulfed him. While Itami had gone back to report in his station and also to check on his team, the brown-haired man chose to head towards a certain area where he could get a look at the situation. Specifically, the spot was located in a certain watchtower, and by the time he arrived there to gaze at the view, he immediately froze in shock.
"Don't tell me this was one of those scenes from World War Z"
A comment slipped out from his lips as he found himself staring at a massive army of soldiers, or bandits to say at least. From the spot, he was currently witnessing, they all looked like tiny red ants that had banded together to exact their revenge on humanity. A similar scenario began to play in his mind regarding a scary intense scene from a famous zombie movie he had watched before.
As he continued to observe the scene, he took notice of the jumbled-up formations of these so-called armies, as he would then realized that these were not formal armies from the Empire nor any states in this world, to begin with.
He could also hear the countless battle cries radiating across the fields as the army marches towards them.
In the light of his trance, His instincts finally emerged as Yuji drew out a small digital camera as he began to take a number of shots and clips, documenting what would be the first battle of Alnus Hill. Moreover, his thoughts went about the coalition this time.
Particularly, their response to the current situation at hand.
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The march had finally ended.
Victory and glory awaited beyond the iron walls.
The rumors of the Empire's defeat at the sacred hill had spread like wildfire, reaching even to the ears of the unknown leaders of the land.
General Ruga, as he was known by many, rode his horse as he led his legion of soldiers, ogres, and wyverns warriors in a massive march towards Alnus Hill. He was a man who believed that he was fated to wield great power. When word of a Gate leading to unimaginable riches and opportunities reached his lands, he dismissed it as a hoax perpetrated by the Empire to entice him out of his domain as the man had a reputation as a fierce and ruthless warlord that had quite similar success as the Empire in terms of military power and campaigns.
To him, his so-called nation was the Empire's main rival.
When the news was confirmed to be true by various spies, including a former Empire general who had previously visited him, he wasted no time in launching a new campaign, assembling the majority of his force as they ventured out across the lands towards the hill.
He dismissed the claims of the numerous Imperial Soldiers who had spoken of the demons and beings they had encountered on the hill. Furthermore, he believed that the strength of his armies would easily defeat them. He even enlisted the help of some of the most powerful mages to deal with the most powerful beast the hill had to offer. However, by the time he and his armies arrived at their destination, their minds were on the verge of being taken over by bloodlust and desire for glory.
"I never thought these demons of the hill would have their own fortress." One of the General's cohorts said." I must admit, never I have seen a Fortress made of Iron in my life." He stared in awe at the sight. Only a superpower nation of the Civilized areas could have possessed this kind of fortress.
Could it be that one of those nations had secretly established a base in the continent without notice?
"Ridiculous! Even if these beings have Iron Fortresses, they are still no match for us!"Another of the captains stated, causing laughter among the soldiers stationed on the front lines.
It was true because they had defeated certain territories with the strongest of defenses and no matter how skilled their enemies were, they still managed to overcome them effortlessly.
Who were they to be defeated by these worthless beings behind those walls?
Not even these illusions of moving metallic boxes can intimidate them.
Morale was at an all-time high, with the majority of the soldiers eager for blood and glory. Despite being dubbed "Barbarians," they were mostly feared and well-known for their animality throughout the continent.
A smile slipped across General Ruga as the warlord turned to face the thousands of his loyal men. He raised his voice as he called to their attention.
"Men! Don't let any of these illusions fool you! The Empire has abandoned one of their sacred hills due to their Incompetence and their failures! This will be our time at hand! It is our destiny to claim what power Alnus Hill possessed! I tell you, men! Glory is upon us!
The majority of the soldiers let out determined cries as they raised their swords into the air. It was part of their own custom before fighting the enemy or invading a kingdom.
Not long after, General Ruga signaled the battle cry as the man pushed his horse and charged towards the hill along with his cohorts beside him, while The rest of the men and other allied race, followed from behind in great excitement and determination.
Together they will bring hell towards those demons of the hill.
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Alnus Hill Defense Zone
The men in charge of the Defense Zone couldn't have asked for a better day. They were so excited for a long-awaited lunch break after a long day's work that the majority of them had barely eaten their breakfast.
All that was delayed when the defense sirens had gone off and they had to report back to their stations once more.
Surprisingly, it wasn't fear or alertness that drove their bodies to prepare for an impending onslaught, but rather a minor annoyance that their day had been officially ruined by a gang of fantasy world bandits hellbent on spreading their shenanigans.
Right in the middle of the growing chaos, a small scene transpired in one area located in the heart of the defense zone.
A certain soldier secretly cringed as he could feel his stomach growling. The young man regretted himself for confidently skipping breakfast just to get things done with the daily operations or he could have eaten his brunch altogether in order to save himself from the feeling he was having. He would never see the day, he would radio call the rest of his colleagues for this.
"Permission to speak freely sir!"The young man spoke through his walkie, in hopes for his commander to respond.
He could hear the obvious sigh coming from the small speakers before his commander finally replied.
"What is it, Dennis?" The commander spoke through, his tone of voice obviously not in the mood due to a similar reason.
The young man sensing the annoyance immediately replied.
"Is it okay If I could take a munch of this cracker, sir?" He was referring to a sachet of crackers that had previously been given to the unit as a means of preventing any hunger issues throughout the day.
Unfortunately for him, He wasn't able to have a chance to eat it.
The young man could hear the annoyed groans and reactions of his fellow crew members and gave a little cringed about it. Based on what he's seeing right now, the rest obviously had the same desire as his, though they were able to manage it.
Slowly his hopes eroded by the time he noticed the army of bandits were nearing.
He just waited for his commander's ultimatum.
"Fine! just hurry up and take one but make sure to focus on the field after!"
To his surprise, his commander granted him permission, and he wasted no time in opening the sachet of crackers, taking a piece, quickly shoveling it into his mouth, and munching away.
"Sir, I appreciate it! Thank you very much!" While the cracker was still being crushed in his mouth, he cheerfully snuck in his thanks. He did not receive a verbal response, despite the fact that the silent treatment made him realize that his duty required him immediately.
Looking back through his stabilized sight, the dark brown-haired man widened his eyes at the approaching army. Never in his life had witnessed this kind of situation as he could see men in ancient medieval armor charging maniacally with swords towards the defense zone. What gave him the creeps is the number of ogre and trolls charging alongside them, They were also clad in their giant brown armor, and wielding giant clubs. This was the first he saw these creatures, and how he was amazed that the depiction of them back in his world was eerily accurate.
Just then the radio roared to life once more as the unit leader spoke through the walkies.
"All Tanks! This One Actual, Status Report!"
"One this is Four! We are in position, just waiting for the signal.
"One this is Two! Same answer as Four, waiting for the call!
"One this is Three! Ready to raise hell!"
All tanks This is One Actual! Copies Good on All: Prepare to Load!
Four M1A1 Abram Tanks stood in their formations with the other defense units in the heart of the defense zone. This particular Tank platoon was just one of many defenses that surrounded the base.
If one looked at the entire scene from above, imaginary lines were drawn between the base and the empty lands. The defense division's main focus was on two important lines. From a certain spot, an Artillery spotter radioed his commander.
"Sir, they have crossed phase one."
"Good, let more of them come in."
During that time, warning shots were fired in an attempt to scare attackers away, though it still had no effect as the enemy fearlessly kept charging. The inevitable was approaching as, by the time the second line was breached, everyone knew that the time has come to unleash the might of the defense coalition.
"Overload, This is Fox Trot Center, Fish is in the barrel, I repeat Fish is in the Barrel!"
"Copy that Fox Trot Center! Bringing in the Rain"
When the conversation came to an end, the order was finally given in the form of a single word.
"Execute!"
CHAPTER END
AN: So I finally got the free time to arrange the first chapter, which was quite tough, to be honest. For this chapter, I kept the scenes more small and personal to certain characters to their perspectives. Moreover, I tried my best to provide a better description of what is happening in these scenes, I apologized for any grammar and spelling mistakes since English Is not my main mother tongue. Moreover, I am also not a member of any military organizations so if there are any mistakes regarding military-related matters, please pardon me for any mistakes. With that said, Thank you very much for reading the chapter and your support! I really appreciate it!