The capital had fallen... Conquered, seized, and taken over by the same enemies who had recently risen as one of their greatest threats as of late...
To the far, southern outskirts of the empire, in one of the many vassalized states under the firm grasp of the empire, the Kingdom of Gresia, the noteworthy remnants of the imperial forces who hadn't taken part in the capital's defence, had chosen to rally themselves faraway from their now-fallen capital city in order to prepare their next actions of striking back against their unforeseen enemies.
"We must gather our forces and retake the capital! We have to fight against those bastards with every ounce of strength we can hope to muster!"
"Are you blind?! Those monsters easily neutralized the 100,000 thousand strong army that sought to protect the Capital! What would we even achieve there if we choose to charge in recklessly?!"
"Then would you rather allow our pride to be sullied by these insufferable barbarians?! This is complete travesty on our Imperial Honour, and we cannot just choose to sit by idly!"
"You utter buffoon! What worth does pride have if we all end up getting annihilated by attacking so carelessly?!"
Alas, within the voice-echoing chambers of their meeting hall, the remaining imperial officers bickered against each other without end, as they continued to argue about the method of action that they were supposed to take next after Vishnal had been seized so suddenly by the enemies they were supposed to drive away.
In the capital of Gresia, which was Athenia, where their meeting was currently taking place, both panic and disorder had already risen and bubbled up within their ranks, as the impossibility of the triumph that had been made against them continued to drive them into an excessive state of denial, shock and disbelief: while their forces still possessed a great number, it was the mere fact that their foes possessed such an unprecedented strength, that they had all devolved into an endless squabbling amongst each other as they failed to even come up with at least a single step for the plans they needed to enact as soon as possible.
Fortunately however, there was still another member of the Imperial Family who managed to survive the carnage- amidst the chaos that erupted within Vishnal's domain, he had already chosen to make haste with an escape through an arcane gateway casted by his personal mages, and this action had quickly guaranteed the safety of both his life as well the lives of his subordinates... Or at least, most of them anyway...
"I believe that it's true though... There's no point in deploying all our forces to the capital, as they will only get rapidly annihilated in an instant." the voice stated, and as he did, all of the other echoing voices throughout the room would cease without delay. "Instead, it is most advisable to proceed with another course of action..."
Prince Triston von Neugomia, the sole remaining member of the Imperial Bloodline, with his 2 other siblings now missing due to mysterious circumstances, and their father who had lost his life after being killed by the intruders who made their way into the palace: after the proclamation of the new 'empress' who had unrightfully taken the throne after the loss of the capital, they all knew too well that the reason they were able to do so was that because the emperor had already been eliminated by their horrific adversaries.
On the other hand however, there was a small minority among the imperial assembly that thought of the prince's survival as a bit suspicious and cowardly- after all, it was already quite a surprise that only he and a few of his vassals had managed to escape the chaos that engulfed Vishnal, and the egoistic pride and honor that swelled in most of these blind fools sightlessly made them believe that the prince should have fought until the very end...
... Nevertheless though, the desperate times they had all been forced into would ultimately silence such valid suspicions, as the necessity of a leading figure that could command and lead their remaining forces was absolutely essential to their goals, and the 1st prince was definitely the most suitable individual for such a chief, monumental task.
"Your Highness... We weren't expecting your arrival... Please forgive us for our impudence..."
Without a moment's delay, the imperial officers rose up from their chairs, facing towards the prince's direction as they gave a deep bow- the 1st Prince was the highest form of authority they had left, and the respect they had for the imperial family and its kin would never truly fade even after all the chaos that they were deeply embroiled in.
"At ease, loyal subjects of the Empire. No need for too much honorifics. After all, we have a much more important... topic to discuss right now."
"We understand, your highness... Although..." one of the men voiced out. "When you were speaking of 'another course of action'... May we know what you meant exactly?"
The 1st prince's face suddenly turned serious. "Ah... About that..." the words trailed off from his lips as he paused for a moment.
"..."
"... I strongly believe that we must gather all the help we can get..." he finally spoke after what seemed to be a noteworthy couple of seconds. "The barbarians from the Southern Lands... As well as those sea-bandits of the Terimedean Sea... They sent messengers who spoke of important matters with me... And according to them, they're willing to form an alliance with us against those monsters who seized the capital..."
It appeared that a significant portion of the men within the assembly didn't like what the prince had uttered: almost instantly, a myriad of outcries would echo throughout the chambers, as noise began to fill up and permeate throughout the air once more.
"Your Highness! We shouldn't rely on such untrustworthy bastards! We can't be certain if they're actually true to their intentions!"
"Precisely, Your Highness! What if they're all simply planning backstab us?!
"... I understand your concerns. They're all barbarians who aren't worth even an iota of trust after all... However..." the 1st prince sighed deeply. "Based on the reports made by our scrying mages, as well as some of the scouts I sent over to monitor any potential movements by our enemy's forces..."
"It appears that they already sent a large contingent of forces, and they're currently making their way to Gresia as we speak."
Silence ensued as the faces of every single imperial officer within the room turned into solemn expressions... It seemed that the 1st prince's point was absolutely irrefutable: they had barely even been allowed to rally their forces, and yet their adversaries have already began making their moves against them. How were they moving so fast, when they had only just managed to take hold of Vishnal just a few short days ago?
By now, it was apparent that allying with those barbarians they had once waged countless wars against was the most preferable option they had to take- after all, many of the men within the assembly knew that, even with the vast amount of forces they still had left, it was obvious that, given how powerful those demons truly were, the remaining imperial forces wouldn't even be able to last for a week the moment those monsters chose to launch another form of attack against them.
"Furthermore... By now, we are absolutely certain that the forces we sent to reconquer Polonia have truly been wiped off the map by these enemies of ours... And the leader of the Hundred Seats, Arnus von Arslan, along with several of the top members of the Hundred Seats who accompanied their march, have most likely lost their lives as well..."
"... D-does that mean that... the Arslan's Hand won't be able to help us?"
Their faces became even more sunken as the realization immediately kicked into their minds- the Arslan's Hand, and their famed warriors of the Hundred Seats... They had always been reliable allies when it came to dealing with the countless threats that constantly endangered Xathra...
Now however, after the loss of their leader, as well as the loss of several of their strongest warriors, the severity of the dire predicament they were in only became more apparent to all of them even further...
"... Indeed. As such, we have no choice but to accept their offer. We need to gather all the help we can." the 1st prince responded with a heavy tone. "Notify our men of this new advantage we've gained, and make haste with our preparations for as much as we can afford to. Our enemies will be arriving at an estimated time of 3 days, and we'll do everything we can to deter their advance."
"S-still, your highness... How can we be certain that those savages are actually willing to help us? Especially those damned pirates... Their words can rarely ever be trusted..."
Triston's eyes then shifted towards him. "Your concern is valid, my friend, and I will not deny it. But, as you can see..." he stated bluntly.
"Our enemies are powerful... Too strong, in fact, that even our old rivals have become wary of them, and it's the reason why they're willing to ally with us right now." Triston continued. "So let's not waste this opportunity and seize it by the throat. Our lives are at stake here after all, and we can't afford to lose the upcoming battle that will be happening soon enough."
________________________________________
The sea-waves coursed to-and-fro as the vessel made its journey through the deep, blue waters: it was like no other ship that belonged to the people of this age however, as the very technologies that supported its cause appeared to possess sufficiently advanced mechanisms, sciences that clearly didn't belong to the primitive era that had persisted after hundreds of years.
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It was a single ship accompanied by no other water vessels, a grey, metal construct of steel that dauntlessly cruised through the chaotic waters- a massive, imposing ship armed with multiple weapon systems, turrets that could strike at targets from hundreds of miles away with a firepower that could sink entire islands with but a single unleashed salvo...
It was a technological terror that no other entity of this era, save for a specific few, could ever hope to build, and its design had primarily been facilitated by one of the most capable beings in this world when it came to
the aspects of technology.
Within the massive headquarters room that laid within its impressive interior however, the one who had built this vessel, along with several other people who were accompany her, were silently residing within the room as they conversed each other and observed the rising sun's light that shined upon the endless blue horizon beyond...
...
...
"And that's how this plan is going to happen. Do you need any further clarifications?"
A hologram of the one known as Whitlea came from the small, disc-shaped device on Thurien's palm, with its projection speaking audibly enough for the medicae to hear: it had only been 20 minutes since their brief conversation first began, and by now, it was all finally coming to a conclusion.
In truth though, the main point of their discussion had only been about a single, yet dire topic: after conquering the Neugomian Empire by successfully seizing their capital city, the only task that they had to do left in order to fully make the empire as their own, was to force the capitulation of the remaining 6 hundred thousand or so Neugomian forces who had rallied themselves within one of the vassal states that lied to the far outskirts of their territories.
The plan was simple: their ground forces, which mainly consisted of an entire army of combat automata commanded by Whitlea, Speranza, as well as their their newly joined associate, the saintess, will be responsible for making the push into the final stronghold where the remaining Neugomian forces had chosen to rally: Gresia, a small nation where, unlike most of its Xathran neighbors, consisted of many islands and archipelagos that were of close proximity to each other, which was why the use of a naval presence was absolutely necessary in defeating the last-standing remnants of their enemies.
In truth though, Aldyth and the others were supposed to have been part of their assault on Gresia, but each of them had reasons why they weren't a part of the plan: Anastasia was still supposed to be recovering after having just been brought back to life, while Aldyth and the others were busy in dealing with the myriad of threats that were being dealt with by the combined efforts of the Neugomian Empire and the Arslan's Hand, both of whom were now currently unable to perform such duties.
"Hmm... I do have one thing that I want clarified though." the pink-haired lady would ask curiously in response.
"Go ahead. Ask away."
"Do we really have to act so quickly right now? Even if they mustered every ounce of strength they could, the remaining Neugomians wouldn't even be a threat to us in the slightest. Is there a reason why Novus wants them dealt with as soon as possible?"
Thurien had a point there when it came to that regard: it had only been a week since they took control of the Neugomian Empire's seat of power, and with all the power that was available to them, even the massive remnants of the imperial army that hadn't reached the capital in time would still be nothing but fodder for them to deal with. After all, even the weakest of them in combat, Thurien herself, was already capable of leveling entire armies with even the most basic abilities at her disposal, and as such, the remaining Neugomian forces wouldn't even prove to be a match for their combined might at all.
And so, immediately within the medicae's mind rose a question that quickly became apparent to her: why make haste with their annihilation, when they could simply use their time to focus on more important matters, such as reorganizing the very integral foundations of the empire so that they could rule over them more easily?
"You have a point, but there's one issue that you forgot to mention." Whitlea uttered, pausing for a moment as she recognized her point- even so however, in her point of view, this was a task they needed to wrap up as quickly as they could.
"The remaining imperial forces still have a large number of soldiers on their hands. We can't risk them instigating a counterattack, because allowing them to do so carries a notable amount of risks... And also..."
"... And also?"
Whitlea's expression would seemingly grow a bit cold all of a sudden. "... They're intolerable nuisances. We can't let them have any time to breathe, which is why we shouldn't relent when it comes to giving them what they truly deserve." she said sternly. "Strike first. Strike hard... Or else you'll live to regret it. It's something I've learned a long time ago, and I'm quite unwilling to not apply that anytime soon."
"... Are you alright, Whitlea?" as Thurien noticed the drastic change in even her very speech, she quickly became worried about whatever may have happened to her friend. "You seem more... Grim that usual... Did Novus leave all the work to you again, like usual?"
Immediately, the cold, unflinching expression that had formed on Whitlea's face quickly disappeared, replaced by a new, faux emotion she made to dissuade the medicae's concern- truthfully though, for a moment, a million thoughts had sparked within the esper's mind, and at first she thought that Thurien had found out about those secrets she meant to keep hidden for a while...
Thankfully though, a series of quick deductions swiftly put her at ease, as the quick realization that dawned upon her after a short while immediately calmed down her panicking nerves: Thurien hadn't found out at all, as she was simply worried about what she thought of as fatigue that she thought was heavily plaguing Whitlea's body as of late.
"I guess being the newly designated ruler of such a massive empire must have been a pain, hm? Seriously, that man... Even I would have had trouble with all those internal matters you had to handle..."
"... D-don't mind it at all... I-it's nothing. I'm just a bit... Tired... And yes, he DID leave everything to me, as always..." Whitlea faked a sigh as she said this. "Hmph. Maybe it's because I'm still part organic, that I can still become fatigued and tired like any normal human... Now I've become a bit jealous of that purely synthetic body of yours..."
The medical android then responded with a faint giggle. "Hmm, not really. In fact, it should be the other way around: I should be the one who's envious of you. I've always wanted to know what it feels to be like one of my creators... At least you get to experience a portion of that experience, since you're technically part-human..."
"... Would it really be nice to become one, though? Aren't they, you know..." Whitlea asked all of a sudden. "... Fragile, soft, and helpless? Human lives break and change so easily... I'd hate to become as weak and brittle as them..."
"Ah, but don't forget though, Whitlea. Those supposed weaknesses they have are what makes them special in the first place. Not to mention, they're also the ones who made our existences possible, so they're not really as weak and fragile as you think."
"Fair point. Although... I suppose we all have our differences... I'm surprised that we all manage to get along together despite that."
"Ahaha, I guess you're right. Anyway, about that 'mole' you mentioned..."
What Thurien mentioned was an integral factor that was heavily involved with the entirety of their plans: a spy, a colluder, a traitor they had planted within the ranks of those imperial remnants. He was of a notably high ranking among them, and he was incredibly valuable in the pacification of the imperial resistance they were meant to quell, because without this person's presence, they definitely wouldn't be able to proceed with all the schemes that they were planning to gradually unfold...
"Don't worry, he's safe within the enemy lines. Nobody would even suspect him as a traitor anyway." Whitlea stated with a smile. "He'll do everything we told him to do: after all, he too wants to put all of this to an end quickly..."
"And soon enough, our battle against those pathetic Neugomians will be nothing more than cake-walk..."
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O'l Blackheart... or so was the name this one-eyed old man earned after his countless decades of terrorizing the Sea of Terimedea with his armada of ships that heralded his legacy of piracy...
Born from the shackles of oppression and slavery at the hands of the Neugomian Empire, Hassan Blackheart, the last remaining survivor of a now-fallen, forgotten country, eventually became the very thing he had once sought to fight against throughout most of his life: alas, in the process of fighting against the cruel despots of the empire, Blackheart himself had become a tyrant who oppressed the weak, a savage, vicious lord of crime and war who ruled the Terimedean Seas with an iron fist, pillaging and sinking countless ships in his wake as his infamy only continued to grow within every sailor as the years continued to pass by...
"Have those damn Neugomians agreed with the deal we proposed to them?"
"... Afraid not, captain. I'm afraid that they've yet to give their answer..."
"Damn land fuckers... Do they not not understand just how urgent this problem we're all in is? Do those idiots have a death wish or something?"
The Dread Corsair, a massive ship-of-the-line that sported multitudes of magick-powered cannons and a dark-painted, nigh-invincible metal-plate hull that had struck fear into the hearts and souls of countless men... Today however, within the quarters of his own behemoth of a ship, Blackheart had become increasingly impatient with the lack of response from the imperials he had previously conversed with just a few short days ago: after all, the pirate captain had heard of the new terrors that emerged within the Xathran Continent, and after hearing how quickly and easily the Neugomian Empire had been brought down to their knees by these monsters immediately warranted a great level of caution within the cunning warlord's heart...
And this reason was exactly what led to him proposing an alliance with his sworn enemies in the first place...
"Cap'n, urgent news! Urgent news, I tell ya!"
It was then one of pirate warlord's men would come barging through the door that led to his quarters, a panicked look enveloped all over his face as sweat trickled from most of the skin on his face: of course however, Hassan immediately understood that what he was about to say was something of incredible importance, as he would waste no time in stopping what he was currently busying himself with in order to set all his attention on this other, more important matter at hand.
"Well, what is it then? Out with it!"
"T-there's been an attack! Several of our ships have been sunk already!" the man warned, the fear in his voice growing increasingly evident with every work he spoke. "According to some of our men, the attacks came from this one ship that appeared out of nowhere... Problem is, that the damn thing is too large, and it's entire body is made of metal!
... Could it be? A myriad of questions born from the pirate captain's curiosity would rise and fall within his mind, though ultimately, a single, major concern had immediately developed within his line of thought...
Steel being used in ways thought to be impossible, with a tremendous amount of firepower accompanying their march...
Within the captain's mind, there was a strong possibility that this mysterious attacker of theirs who had come from out of nowhere was probably connected to those demons who had made even the Empire suffer multitudes of defeats against them...
As such, Hassan immediately rose up from his seat, his body tense and stricken with a rush of fear and anxiety, as the possibility of defeat and... Perhaps the annihilation of all the glory and fame he had accumulated quickly started to become a very real possibility in the current events of his life.
Even though the situation he was currently in seemed to be absolutely impossible, right now, Hassan was absolutely going to take action against this threat, and he was going to do it in the best way he thought to be possible.
"We need your orders now, cap'n! It's now or never!"
"Aye! Deploy the masts! Ready the cannons!" Hassan shouted. "Tell the men to hold their ground against that metal beast... The Corsair'll be setting sail in a few minutes, and that monster they're fighting will become a sinking mess soon enough!"