The Castle in the middle of nowhere.

Eight days after the summit, Nar'verna's forces crossed the border with Aclium and, simultaneously, attacked the Southern Alliance. Their deception included some forces pretending to be Breonian pikemen formations while the remaining army appeared to be pursuing them. It was fairly convincing unless you realised that Breonians would have to cross a hundred kilometres to reach any passable valley in the mountains between Aclium and land controlled by Nar'verna. From Hector's point of view, it might have appeared like Nar'verna's army was joining forces with Aclium under the pretext of help, but no one believed the Ibrevellian envoy. I, especially, enjoyed the part when Hector almost declared war on Ibrevell for suggesting that Arcadia instigated the war in the region. It seemed as if the Elves had learnt nothing. They were more careful but they used the same old tricks that had failed them previously. Despite that, for a full day, everything went according to Ibrevell's and Nar'verna's plans.

However, when Aclium invoked Article Five of the North Aderon Treaty Organisation, I could almost hear the collective gasp of disbelief among the Nar'vernans and Ibrevellians. The subsequent response of the Organisation was devastating. The Metakan Navy, which was returning from my southern border, changed course for Nar'verna's capital and moved, essentially, uncontested. Hector, who previously had obtained a situation update from the passing Metakans demanding a ceasefire between the forces of Southern Alliance and NATO, started crying in delight as he ordered a full-scale assault against Nar'verna's army. The final nail in Nar'verna's coffin was Aclium's fleet decimating Nar'verna's army which had invaded their country. The fifty thousand Aclium's soldiers following their Navy and their absolutely unexpected appearance on Nar'verna's southern flank caused a total collapse of their forces.

The Elves tried to intervene, sending letters to all remaining countries of Aderon, but they all fell on deaf ears. The entire continent was observing the total deconstruction of Ibrevellian dominance with glee. I wasn't especially shocked when it became obvious that most Ibrevellian supporters were forced into compliance from absurd economic pressure. However, for the first time in history, time wasn't in favour of the Elves. The countries forced to support them consulted and debated on whether their involvement would bring a military response from the new northern Organisation or, not supporting, further undermine Ibrevell's authority in the region. In a final act of desperation, the Elves had the audacity to demand my intervention; however, knowing the content of the envoy's message, I requested his personal visit to Avalon. Given that they had to travel by land and only use roads, the envoy would need, nearly, three weeks to reach the capital of Arcadia. The sheer panic when they realised it was priceless.

The ensuing despair among Nar'verna's forces when they saw they were abandoned by their lords promptly plunged the entire country into chaos. The King and his supporters fled the country with all the gold they could grab. They tried to use normal sailships, but their whereabouts were well known to NATO forces, and they were covertly intercepted by Aclians. The nobles who decided to stay struggled with maintaining any semblance of authority and control, all the while Metakan and Aclian forces moved uncontested. The Southern Alliance pushed as well, but it was obvious they weren't keen to die against cells of organised defence. Hector's forces would rather besiege and cut off a problematic stronghold rather than risk losses. It was a reasonable course of action since Nar'vernans wouldn't receive any reinforcements.

I would have been amused by the absolute devastation of the Ibrevellian reputation if not for the news I received this morning.

It seemed that Vestargo was tired of our little waiting game. He attacked four points evenly spread across the battlefront. His massive forces, consisting of balanced types of bugs, were methodically moving forward. The timing of his attack was, surprisingly, aligned with Nar'verna's offensive but I really couldn't find a sane connection between the two. I couldn't imagine the Elves contacting Vestargo so either he managed to sneak his bugs and observe the events across Aderon, or it was a simple coincidence. Still, the timing could have been worse if I had actually committed more significant forces than just a couple of Faé capable of casting barriers. Instead, three of my fleets were waiting in standby and instantly responded. While the Second Fleet was composed only of destroyers, it was bolstered by the frigates from the First and Third Fleets. With my Navy and Immortal Legions fully engaged in defending against the bug onslaught, the fourth vector of the enemy incursion had the least amount of defenders.

At least on paper.

I was sitting on the crenellation of the Fireclad Castle watching the sad attempts of bugs trying to breach the outermost fortifications. The earthen fortifications of the outer fortress were manned by Vanlin's Fire Elementals and Chimaeras. Their fire attacks left very few survivors among the attackers and, thanks to the artillery fire from the castle proper, it looked like my presence here was pointless. However, I would rather waste time watching some bugs burn rather than risk losing this place.

"They are testing the defences all across the battlefront, my Liege." Ares's voice was deepened by his Titan. "So far they-"

My eyes opened wide as Ares's voice was cut off and I looked north. I felt it...

"HMS Broadsword was lost with all hands. HMS Dagger and HMS Jian are critically damaged. The Third Fleet is trying to evacuate the survivors." Ares said with an angry voice.

"Bug Titans with ranged weapons..." I clenched my fists as I watched through my Eagles as the remaining ships shred the massive abominations.

"Five of them were needed to destroy Broadsword. They took them by surprise and needed to concentrate their fire, but it was effective." I looked towards Avalon's Wrath hidden behind the outer walls of the Fireclad Castle. "Jian was hit by three enemy Titans and the crew lost all control. Admiral Raviil Gvirael ordered all hands to scuttle the ship. The crew set it to self-destruct in five minutes and they are abandoning the ship. Dagger was also hit by three Titans but the crew remained in control. They lost their shields and most of the prow but the rest of the ship remained operational. They... Dagger just jumped to the Skybound Fortress Dungeon according to their emergency protocols and was quickly moved to the shipyards in the Crystal Forest Dungeon. We don't have any reports about their casualties, my Lord."

"I can't expect easy wins all the time..." I grit my teeth. "How did my Admirals respond?"

"Admiral Sparrow and Admiral Fraser immediately ordered to reduce the altitude of the remaining ships and opened suppressive fire, killing most of the detected Bug Titans. Admiral Gvirael ordered random manoeuvres for his ships which seems to be working." Ares dutifully answered.

"The enemy Titans are coming, Ares," I said, sensing their mana... Wait. I sensed them but they were still hidden from our radars. God! It was so simple... "Inform everyone to switch their radars to Mana Sense. We have our temporary solution for detecting the enemies."

"Affirmative, my Lord." He confirmed with his booming voice. "I can see them..."

"They are close enough. Let them score some hits, Ares, Ra'agier, and Vanlin. I want to see how fortress-class shields hold up." I ordered and immediately received their confirmations.

We waited for another five minutes until the enemy Titans stopped and began charging their weapons.

"It's embarrassing that no one figured out using Mana Sense earlier, my Lord. Not so long ago it was one of the most common detection methods." Ra'agier's voice was apologetic. "It's, additionally, embarrassing for me as one of the engineers of Your Majesty..."

"I'm not that surprised. Mana Sense isn't as precise or covert as other detection methods we employ. I, by my inherent nature, perceive mana, so you can say that I always use Mana Sense." I shook my head. "But we have a starting point... Huh."

The entire castle trembled and its shield erupted in galore of colours when the enemy spells hit it. The continuous nature of the spells strained the shield but the latest changes in the arcane circles seemed to be effective. I watched the enemy fire concentrate on the single point of the shield that started flashing with a warning red light. The ten beams of magic fire lost their potency and died down before the shield failed.

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"Shield at fifteen percent, my Lord. It was held in idle mode, as you wanted, switching to combat mode, now." Vanlin reported with a neutral voice. "Shield recharging..."

Another volley of concentrated fire slammed the shield and this time, the shield flared with a blue light, nigh impervious to the enemy attack. I could nearly hear the mana reactors deep below the central castle humming with arcane power.

"Shield at seventeen percent, my Lord. The enemy is, very slowly, taking down the shield. Ten Bug Titans are not enough to breach the shield in combat mode." Vanlin reported.

"Drop the shield," I ordered without a single emotion.

"As you wish, my Lord," Vanlin responded with a vocal equivalent of a nod and the shield protecting the castle dissolved as if it were breached.

The blazing fury of the Titan's spell scorched the walls but the enchanted stone held. The legendary material praised for its nigh indestructibility by the Mortals seemed to devour the mana fueling the fire beams. The enemy attack died down once again and our decoy wall, built just to test Vestargo's potential new weapons, was still standing. The only evidence of the last attack was a thin soot deposit on the wall's surface.

"Shield at fifty percent, once it recharges to seventy-five percent I will be able to use it again," Vanlin reported.

"Very well. Let's see if Vestargo has developed his acid weapon any further." I nodded and, as if on cue, the wall was hit by ten streams of acid-green liquid.

"Ahhh..." Ares's voice was full of a sudden understanding. "This corrosive liquid is their Titan's spit. Quite gross if you ask me."

"I must agree." The liquid splashed the walls but it wasn't a continuous beam like previously. I suddenly gagged when the smell reached me. "God, it stinks!"

"The wall is holding, but the surface starts corroding, my Lord. The coating is working but the acid will eat it anyway."

"Probably..." I shrugged. "Flush the walls, Vanlin."

"Yes, my Lord." I watched as the special hydraulic installation we developed, in hopes of defeating the enemy acid, created a small waterfall. The test wall disappeared behind the curtain of water that quickly flushed the corrosive substance from it. "It's working. The acid was flushed and the corrosion stopped."

"With just water?" I was surprised. "I expected it to be much more aggressive and act like a sort of adhesive gel. Excellent! We have yet to test the neutralising agents but I think we have satisfactory results. Open fire with the artillery."

The lesser bugs were trying to reach the fortress during the test but the Fire Elementals and Chimaeras kept them at bay. One of the enemy Titans charged towards the fortress with an echoing roar. Behind it, more of the towering abominations came running but were welcomed with the relentless fire of artillery. Much more refined and far hotter beams of blue flames fired by my cannons licked their hideous forms. While far less powerful than the Titan's beams, I had many more guns. The closest Titan received the brunt of the attack, slowed down with a painful roar, and dropped to the ground with its front leg shot off. The ground around it turned red from blood and Titan itself froze, most probably, dead.

"Shields up," Vanlin informed as the next Titan smashed into the defensive barrier head-on.

Its comedic outraged roar was amusing on its own but I wasn't in the mood for laughter. I received more reports from my forces about the fortlets we lost and more of my ships were damaged.

"Destroy them." I quietly ordered.

Two warhorns boomed with a low and ominous roar when Avalon's Wrath and Doom Herald moved forward. The massive gates opened for them and the Arcadian Titans went on the hunt. Herald was first to reach an enemy and he grabbed the much smaller bug Titan with his right hand and effortlessly lifted it in the air. His left, a clawed arm, crackled with lightning and Ra'agier punched the abomination, sinking its long spikes into the enemy flesh. A short but loud zap ended the life of the enemy Titan and Doom Herald roared with delight. The remaining bug Titans slowed down, as they were uncertain how to proceed in the face of the two massive walkers that left the safety of the fortress.

"Vanlin, you can use your full force to clean the field," I ordered as Avalon's Wrath raised its runic arm and a blue beam of plasma burned clean through two enemy Titans killing them instantly.

"Yes, my Lord!" Vanlin confirmed eagerly, and all hell broke loose.

CIWS and intermediate cannons opened fire on the lesser bugs swarming the field around the castle's shield. Its actinic fire consumed flesh and burned the very ground on which the bugs were standing. The arcane flames of destruction left no cover or hope for survival. Only the enemy Titans could withstand the immense heat but even they struggled among the scorching flames. Avalon's Wrath and Doom Herald moved forward, repositioning their runic cannons and unleashing another warhorn's blare that made the enemy falter. With precise aiming, the Titans strode forward, firing Titan-sized Arcane Bullets that crushed enemy carapaces and broke legs, killing yet another Titan. The enemy, caught off guard, was in panic, but two of the enemy Titans aimed a gun-like structure on their backs at Avalon's Wrath and fired. The beam weapon hit my Titan and his shield flashed brightly but held. The Titan wasn't an airship and its shields, supported by generators not needing to fly, were much more powerful than those of destroyers.

Ares shrugged off the attack and continued his hunt. The six remaining enemy Titans turned to retreat towards the forest. They were actually running despite their sizes and once they reached the tree line, they turned around and aimed their guns at Doom Herald. The red vortex of igniting mana swirled at the ends of their barrels but before they managed to fire, two blue beams hit and killed two of them. Avalon's Wrath and Doom Herald were slightly hunched forward as they jogged towards the Vestargo's minions. The bug Titans were so focused on these closest enemies that they forgot about the fortress which was a grave mistake. Another enemy Titan fell when a chain of explosions dotted its carapace and concentrated artillery fire turned it into mush. The remaining three Titans panicked and fired their weapons. Only one of them hit Doom Herald while the remaining two completely missed.

With a deafening crash, my Titans stomped the bug abominations and crushed them under their weight. The nimble and relatively light organic Titans couldn't withstand the mass of adamantine armour. The sickening and wet crack of crunching bugs reached the fortress and made me smile while the last enemy Titan, again, attempted to flee the battle. It was caught by two crossing beams of the blue fire that set ablaze the nearby trees and cut it in half. With that, the enemy assault ended in crushing defeat. My Titans froze, looking toward the burning forest in absolute silence interrupted only by crackling flames. They roared ominously and their warhorns echoed across the Ancient Forest. Slowly, they turn around and return to the Castle, unbothered by the destruction and hundreds of bodies littering the ground.

"The enemy weapon is crude but quite dangerous, my Lord," Ares reported with a calm voice.

"Meow." The Doom Herald declared through the external speakers and somehow it was much more ominous than the previously menacing warhorns. "No Loafie! Stay!"

Ra'agier's begging voice rolled across the silent plain before he managed to turn off the speakers. I shook my head wondering who truly was a pilot of Doom Herald.

"How much damage did they inflict on you?" I asked, pretending not to hear Loafie's furious meowing on the radio.

"Not enough to deal damage but, if we get caught by ten of them, they could probably pierce our shields before we could react," Ares responded professionally, ignoring the cat and his owner fighting over ownership of the coms.

Suddenly, Doom Herald turned around and raised its runic cannon towards the Ancient Forest and released another blue beam that carved a straight path into the woods. I was surprised when I realised that it, truly, was Loafie who, somehow, took control of the Titan. However, that wasn't as shocking as the sight of what he hit. Deep in the forest was another Bug Titan, hunched to the ground and waiting. It was much bigger than the smaller versions killed by my forces just now. It painfully roared and straightened. It was a massive beetle-like creature without any hideous mutations like its smaller predecessors. Its shining green armour opalised in the sun and reflected the flames consuming the forest but, then, the beast stood up and took on a more human form than a bug. Despite being clearly based on some kind of beetle, it had four limbs. Whether Loafie was somehow more intelligent than I gave him credit for, the cat hit the enemy Titan square on its carapace and left a massive hole which was bleeding profusely.

Ares and Ra'agier started turning around but the enemy was fast. It unfolded its wings and propelled itself even faster towards my walkers. Vanlin didn't wait for any orders and opened fire from the artillery. The beetle Titan roared viciously as the fire bit deep into its flesh but it continued dashing forward. My Titans, seeing the enemy closing on them, raised their runic arms and, with an audible metallic clang, turned their bracelets as they cycled their available spells. Ares fired a powerful frost beam that hit the overgrown beetle, considerably slowing it, while Ra'agier braced himself for impact and projected a huge aegis, protecting himself and Avalon's Wrath. The two colossi crashed together. Vestargo's newest abomination cried painfully but it was stopped by Doom Herald's shields.

The Forest erupted in cries as Vestargo's minions resumed the assault we thought was over.