Strongest Kingdom: My Op Kingdom Got Transported Along With Me

The spear drives through his armor as if it were paper, the explosion of shadow punching through his chest and smashing him against the far wall. Stone cracks. Blood sprays across the glowing formation.

But he is Tier 6. He does not fall so easily.

With a roar that rattles the runes, the guardian grips the shaft of shadow still impaled in him, his aura igniting in an inferno of scarlet flame. His eyes blaze, teeth bared.

"You think… you can end me… in silence?!"

The pressure of his unleashed power slams into the chamber, rattling Grell and Tarven back a step. The shadows recoil, hissing against the sudden blaze of fire aura.

Tarven snarls, claws spreading as he prepares to finish it.

"Strike again—before he calls—"

But the guardian's free hand slams against the rune-inscribed pedestal. His blood smears across the glowing stone, and the formation flares violently.

BOOM!

A thunderous gong echoes across Ember City. The alarm.

----

Not far from Ember City, the night trembles with a different kind of weight.

A million strong gather under the pale moon—humans and monsters alike, their banners fluttering, their weapons gleaming. The sound of marching feet and snorting beasts has long since quieted; now they wait, coiled like a single beast ready to strike.

At the center of this vast host sits a massive, luxurious carriage carved from dark ironwood and reinforced with plates of blacksteel. It is less a carriage and more a moving fortress, drawn by six colossal scaled beasts, their breath steaming in the night.

Inside, the air hums with authority. Alix sits at the head, his presence alone bending the space. Around him are the five newly loyal rulers—Ravok, Selira, Gorvak, Malrik, and Kaelen—and standing next to Aliz is Mhazul, his aura is overwhelming.

The sudden toll of the alarm bell from Ember City rolls through the night, low and heavy, reaching even this distant host. The rulers tense, exchanging wary looks.

Mhazul bows his head, his voice steady.

"They rang the alarm, my lord."

King Malrik's cold eyes narrow, a hint of frost clinging to his breath.

"Did… Grell and Tarven fail?"

For a moment, silence reigns. All eyes shift to Alix. His expression doesn't change, but his crimson gaze flicks toward the city in the distance, as though piercing through walls, through stone, through blood.

When he speaks, his tone is calm, cutting through the tension like a blade.

"They didn't fail."

The rulers straighten, surprised.

Alix leans back against the dark cushions, voice steady, absolute.

"The alarm rings… but the shield does not rise. That means the core is broken."

His lips curl faintly, almost a smile.

"They succeeded."

The rulers exchange looks again, this time with awe—and fear.

Gorvak lets out a low, tusked chuckle. "Efficient killers. Worthy as his majesty's subordinates."

Alix raises a hand, his presence suddenly surging like a tidal wave, pressing down on all of them. His words are simple, undeniable.

"Go. Attack Ember City now."

The command cracks through the carriage like thunder.

The five rulers rise at once, voices uniting as they bow.

"As His Majesty commands!"

Outside, horns blare. War drums pound. The million-strong host begins to move, a wave of steel, claw, and scale rolling toward the city. The ground trembles beneath their march, the moon swallowed by banners and dust.

From his carriage, Alix watches silently, eyes glinting like twin embers.

The night belongs to him.

-----

The Ember City burns with restless light. Torches blaze along the walls, the glow of fire mana humming through the streets as warriors rush to their posts. The alarm still echoes like a heartbeat through the night, beating fear into the hearts of civilians and urgency into the veins of soldiers.

From the highest terrace of the Ember Lord's manor, a figure descends in a streak of crimson flame. His cloak of burning embers trails behind him as he lands in the central square with a heavy impact that cracks the stones beneath his boots. His aura erupts like a volcano—Brarth, Clan Leader of the Red Ember Clan, peak Tier 6. His fiery gaze scans the chaos, searching.

Almost instantly, another streak of flame cuts through the night sky. A warrior clad in scarlet armor lands beside him, his aura fierce and steady—a peak Tier 6 battle-hardened warrior of the clan.

One after another, five more descend, their auras ranging from low to high Tier 6. Each bears the mark of the Ember bloodline: flame woven into their very flesh, sparks leaking from their eyes, skin glowing faintly with fire essence.

But even with all of them gathered, tension coils tight in the air.

Brarth's voice erupts like a volcano.

"Why is the shield not activated?!"

At the edge of the square, a group of mages kneels hurriedly, their robes drenched in sweat. The head mage, a peak Tier 5, bows so low his forehead nearly touches the scorched stones. His voice trembles.

"S-Sir! The shield cannot be raised… the core has been destroyed!"

A silence falls, heavy and disbelieving.

The peak Tier 6 snarls, stepping forward, his fiery aura flaring in fury.

"What happened to Tikani?!"

The head mage swallows hard, his eyes filled with shame.

"He… he is dead, my lord. But before he fell, he managed to ring the alarm."

The revelation hangs like smoke.

For a breath, none speak. Then Brarth's jaw tightens, his aura burning hotter, his voice a guttural roar.

"Tikani… your sacrifice will not be in vain."

Before anyone can respond—

ROOOAAAR!

The sound rips through the night, a bestial cry that shakes the walls themselves. In the distance, beyond the gates, the dark horizon erupts in fire and light. Spells arc through the sky like falling stars—bolts of lightning, torrents of frost, blazing orbs of destruction. Skills clash midair in a storm of color, and the sound of ten thousand marching feet thunders closer and closer.

Then—impact.

The first wave of projectiles slams against Ember City's walls. The explosions shake the stone foundations, dust raining down as flames lick the battlements. Screams rise from the guards scrambling to hold position.

Brarth's eyes ignite with fury. He raises his arm high, flame surging from his body in a tidal wave. His voice is a command that leaves no room for hesitation.

"Defensive formations! Mages, fortify the walls! Warriors—use your defensive skills now!"

The gathered Tier 6 warriors obey instantly, their voices uniting in a battle cry.

Scarlet shields of fire blossom across the walls, layers of flaming barriers roaring into existence. Spells of molten stone and burning wards surge upward, weaving together into a blazing dome over the city. The night itself turns red, the fire of the Ember Clan pushing back the shadows that close in around them.

The monsters and humans do not falter.

Through the rain of fire barriers, their combined host surges forward like a living tide—an endless mass of claw, steel, and spell. From the walls, the Ember warriors gape in disbelief.

"Humans… marching with monsters?! Who would have thought." one soldier said, voice breaking.

But reality crashes down with every step of the advancing army. The impossible stands before their eyes: human banners and monstrous roars intertwined, united under one banner—the Monster King's.

The captain of the Ember Clan glares down from the battlements, fire burning in his eyes. He lifts his sword, wreathed in flame, and bellows across the walls:

"Kill the traitors! Burn these monsters that dare set foot on our continent!"

A deafening roar of agreement surges from the Red Ember warriors. Fear hardens into rage, despair into resolve. Their blood ignites at the thought of betrayal. The clang of blades and the rumble of fire-spells intensify as the defenders prepare to strike back with everything they have.

Then—five shadows streak across the sky.

Gorvak, Malrik, Kaelen, Selira, and Ravok descend from the heavens, their auras splitting the air as they land in a burning arc before Brarth. The air quakes from their presence, the fire-lit night bending under the pressure of five peak tier 6, freshly risen to their new heights.

Gorvak grin glints in the firelight. His voice rumbles like stone grinding against stone.

"Long time no see, Brarth."

Brarth's fiery cloak whips around him, his eyes narrowing to burning slits.

"You traitors… You five actually bowed your heads to a monster? Just for power?"

Selira laughs, cold and sharp, her silver hair flowing with violet flame.

"What do you know? We gave the empire our loyalty for centuries, yet they starved us, gave us scraps while they fattened you rank tens. His Majesty gave us what we needed—what we deserved."