The Order of the Flaming Rose didn't just attack the Royal Academy; they'd also attacked the other academies and several key locations throughout the entire Vermilion Kingdom.
Awakened were slaughtered and crushed like ants, their blood splattering the streets of the Vermilion Kingdom. Fortunately for the citizens, the king placed his revenge plans on hold and quickly deployed the kingdom's military to fight against the intruders.
Even the nobles, who normally relished their rivalries and power struggles, knew that without a kingdom, their wealth and status meant nothing. They mobilized their personal forces, sending knights, mercenaries, and even some of their own family members into battle. But no matter how many reinforcements they sent, the Order of the Flaming Rose was like an unstoppable storm.
Their members weren't just strong—they were incredibly powerful. To defeat a single enemy, at least two Awakened had to fight together, and even then, victory wasn't guaranteed. For every member of the Order that fell, two or more Awakened perished. The battlefield was littered with corpses, and despair began to spread like wildfire.
The worst-hit areas were the central districts, where multiple academies housed the next generation of warriors, the Adventurer's Guild where the highest number of Awakened could be found, and the various guilds scattered across the kingdom.
In the noble districts, mansions burned. The sky was thick with smoke, and the air reeked of blood and fire. A few smaller noble families that were not a part of the Big Four had already fallen, their gates shattered and their guards slaughtered. The nobles who resisted were dragged into the streets, their throats slit before horrified spectators.
It was pure chaos! The southern region, the east, north, and west—no part of the kingdom was left untouched.
At the Adventurer's Guild, with a furious expression on his face, Boris attacked the members of the Order who were trying to break through the walls of his premises.
A single swing of his sword decapitated the heads of several enemies at once. Noticing that he was the most difficult opponent, several enemies targeted him.
That... that was a big mistake, and they paid massively with their lives as Boris effortlessly sent them to the afterlife.
As he cut down yet another enemy, Boris couldn't help but ponder if this was what the king had been preparing for. It was the only thought that came to mind, but after further reflection, he realized that the Order of the Flaming Rose weren't the ones the king was expecting.
The attack was too sudden and coordinated, and they were far too few in number, even though their strength made up for it. From the level of preparation, the king was expecting a massive enemy—most likely an army from an enemy kingdom, not a terrorist organization or whatever this was.
Boris barely dodged a barrage of flaming arrows, twisting his body just enough for them to embed themselves in the stone wall behind him. With a powerful lunge, he impaled another enemy before turning his attention to the chaos around him.
Naturally, like every expert on Eos, Boris knew about the Order of the Flaming Rose, but their goals were something he had no idea of. One thing was clear—the Order had an obsessive nature when it came to killing Awakened.
Though he wasn't entirely sure, he was certain that their goal was tied to the destruction of the Awakened.
"If that's their goal, it's a pretty ambitious one." Boris sucked in a deep breath, parrying magical attacks that were fired his way. What shocked and perplexed him even more was the fervent and determined gleam in the eyes of the Order of the Flaming Rose—and something more.
Boris's eyes flashed sharply.
Even as they fell, their gazes brimmed with certainty... certainty that they would fulfill their goal.
A world with no Awakened!
Perhaps the safest place was the Royal Island, due to the ballistic mana cannon-powered carriages that were flying around in a clockwise manner and the presence of the royal knights.
But even with the heavy security, there were still cracks in the defenses. Some elite members of the Order of the Flaming Rose managed to slip through, bypassing the knights but were eventually struck down by the cannon blasts.
All around the kingdom, the banners of the Flaming Rose fluttered in the wind—a clear declaration of war.
"They're everywhere!" Serena thought as she fired a series of arrows at one of her attackers. She was wielding the Icebound Arcane Bow, the item Nox had gifted her.
A pair of icy arrows exploded outward, slicing through the air as they impaled one of the enemies.
"Dammit!" he cursed in anger. "I dodged it, I'm very sure of it! So why did it change course mid-air?"
Little did he know that the Icebound Arcane Bow was highly responsive to the user's intent. With her mind, Serena could control the direction of the arrow.
Unless one found a way to destroy or intercept it, no matter what, it would still strike the target.
After dealing with the man in front of her, she glanced beside her. Nathan's eyes were burning with intense flames, and the upper half of his clothes had turned to ashes, revealing his well-toned, muscular body, lined with six-pack abs.
Most times, Nathan's eyes were filled with excitement as the battle freak he was. However, today, the only thing that could be seen in his gaze was a murderous, furious glint.
Nathan's flames burned brighter than ever, flickering with an unnatural intensity. The very air around him shimmered from the sheer heat radiating off his body. His breathing was heavy, but his expression was anything but exhausted.
No, Nathan was just getting started.
The enemies surrounding him hesitated, gripping their weapons tighter as the temperature spiked dangerously. The ground beneath his feet began to darken, the stone cracking under the immense heat.
"You bastards!" Nathan growled as he took a step forward. Why wouldn't he be angry? These were the same people who had nearly wiped out his territory and brainwashed Doombringer.
A massive explosion of fire burst outward from him, consuming everything in a ten-meter radius. The screams of his enemies were drowned out by the roar of the inferno as their bodies turned to ash in seconds. Those lucky enough to be outside the blast zone stumbled backward, terror evident in their eyes.
"He's a monster…" one of them muttered.
"We have to run!" another one shouted, taking a step back.
Nathan's lips curled into a savage grin as he lifted his hand. The flames licking at his skin didn't burn him; they obeyed him. He was the Flame Overlord, and these fools were about to learn what that meant.
While the invasion continued, with neither side showing any signs of victory, in Tristan Kingdom... Nox.