The Kingdom of Gaia had several objectives in this invasion of the Kingdom of Asura.
Of course, an operation of that scale was subject to change, but, overall, there was a concrete plan to follow.
The simplest of the objectives was to massacre the Asuran nobility.
Ever since Rygar reincarnated in this world, the stories Verdia and her mother told him about the rot of that Kingdom had never left his mind.
The Kingdom of Asura was known as the largest kingdom in the human world, the most powerful among them, surpassing even the Holy Kingdom of Milis in influence, economy, and military might.
Although Rygar was almost certain that the demons would be stronger if they were truly united, the strength of the Kingdom of Asura was nonetheless undeniable.
But that strength was relative.
After all, power came in many forms. Political power. Economic power. Physical power. Magical power.
Among them, physical and magical power could exert a much more direct and immediate influence on the outcome of a battle. A single powerful individual could turn the course of a war, destroy cities or crush entire armies.
Of course, that did not mean the other two types of power were irrelevant. On the contrary. In everyday life, in the actual functioning of society, political and economic power were even more important.
For example: what would happen if in the War of Milis, Rygar simply massacred all of Milis's superiors with his army and then returned to live in the Great Forest, completely ignoring the consequences?
The Kingdom would fall into chaos and disorder in a few weeks — or months, at most.
Removing the ruling power of a region completely and suddenly without replacing it was more than enough to throw any society into a state of anarchy.
Armed bands would arise, hunger would spread, internal revolts would multiply.
Of course, at that time, Rygar already had the Iron Legion as an established power. A disciplined army, a functional hierarchy and leaders capable of administering conquered territories.
That was how he founded a new Kingdom.
In any case, Rygar knew that, specifically in the case of the Kingdom of Asura, politics, economy and, above all, the nobility were even more critical pillars.
Their nobles might be rotten, but they were the ones who sustained the fragile balance and the superficial prosperity of which the Asuran Kingdom was so proud before the world.
Therefore, the Iron Legion did its research.
With members infiltrated in the Kingdom of Asura for several years, they gradually approached the high society of the Kingdom.
They frequented halls, served as mercenaries, servants, guards, merchants, intermediaries. And, little by little, they began to catalog the nobles.
Slowly, but steadily, they created a list. From the most disgusting to those who had nothing serious against their name.
In that "small" operation, the only target would be the Asuran Capital: Ars.
That was because most of the truly important nobles would be gathered there during the commotion caused by Princess Ariel and her troupe. It was the perfect opportunity.
And so, the nobles who committed the most heinous and abominable acts were systematically exterminated that day.
After all, it wasn't only Eris, Jino and Ghislaine who accompanied Rygar on that mission.
On that specific day, Ars was not safe for anyone.
Obviously, amid the fighting and the killings, there would be innocent collateral damage. That was an unavoidable reality of wars.
Often, soldiers and generals fought to the death because of conflicts started by kings who would never set foot on the battlefield.
The Kingdom of Milis, before it fell, and even after its fall, called the Beast God a tyrant and bloodthirsty. And that was not far from the truth.
The number of lives Rygar had taken was already in the many thousands. Maybe tens of thousands. He also knew that not everyone was evil.
It was impossible for someone like that to be seen purely as a people's hero.
To his enemies in the war, he was a ruthless butcher. It was no wonder he was given the moniker Apocalypse Beast.
In view of that, all they could do was minimize collateral damage as much as possible.
Rygar was willing to accept that collateral damage to eliminate every kind of rot that existed in Asura. To him, it was worth it.
But, after all… who was Rygar to decide what was right or wrong? Well, that did not matter to him.
After all, that was the culture of that world. It was rooted in people's minds. The nobility held absolute power. Slaves were no more than pigs in their owners' eyes.
Even the royal crimes of that world could be hidden with money and influence.
If an important noble were a cannibal and wanted to buy slaves of different races to taste… who could stop him?
Who could stop Minister Darius from turning young noble girls into his sexual slaves?
You stepped on my shoe? Then I will hang your children's heads on a stake while I rape your wife, forcing you to watch the whole process.
That was how power corrupted and rotted that Kingdom to the roots.
Rygar made a promise to himself when he was still young. He wanted to leave this world a little better while he lived.
He might not be sure about many decisions. He might lack discernment at times.
But, regarding the nobility of the Kingdom of Asura, he and the entire high command of the Kingdom of Gaia agreed.
They did not need to live in this world any longer.
Princess Ariel would have a big surprise when she returned to rule her Kingdom.
With seventy percent of her nobility exterminated in a single day.
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In the skies above the Kingdom of Asura. The Flying Fortress, Chaos Breaker.
A young red-haired teenage girl walked along a huge tiled path toward a castle. Her hair moved slightly with the constant wind at that altitude.
She had green eyes and wore a silver armor fitted to her body, carrying a sword strapped to her waist.
In her hands she held a map, watching it carefully as she walked, appearing to follow a specific route.
Beside her was a tall man, appearing to be in his twenties. He did not wear armor, only fur clothes covering his body simply.
The most characteristic aspect of his appearance was, without a doubt, the long deer antlers growing from his head. A stag-man of the Beast Race.
The castle ahead of the two must have had at least fifty floors in height, being equally wide. Its form was massive and imposing.
A wide garden stretched out in front of the gigantic structure. There were trees of different sizes and colorful flowers in sufficient quantity to form a true natural maze.
A canal ran before the garden, its water glittering under the light as it flowed quietly on its course.
The two walked along the tiled path with some haste — or, at least, the girl was in a hurry.
She followed the map carefully, looking at several points around, comparing the environment with what was marked.
The young man beside her, on the other hand, seemed distracted, watching the statues scattered through the garden while merely keeping pace with the girl.
Gradually, they entered the castle. For that, the girl had to use some kind of spell to unlock the door.
Inside, there were carpets laid on the floor, adorned with golden embroidery. The walls were painted, and refined ceramics and expensive statues decorated the corridors, evidencing the luxury of the place.
At a certain point in the route, a sound came from the girl's armor. She brought her hand to the spot quickly, removing the communicator, and after reading the message, she said:
"Garrison, it seems we're going to have company."
Without giving any more time for any reaction, a flash of light blinked before her vision.
The stag-man's distracted posture changed instantly. In a quick movement, he drew a silver spear before anyone realized and attacked directly where the flash had appeared.
The flash dissolved and a metallic clink echoed through the corridor, revealing Arumanfi, with his two daggers in hand.
At the same time, the girl raised her hand, casting a spell almost instantly.
"Light Restriction Barrier!"
A blue barrier formed around the flash, enveloping it completely. Still, he seemed prepared, for he escaped the range instantly.
"Tch!"
The girl barely made that sound as she drew her own blade, disappearing from her position while the air around distorted.
Another opponent appeared — an assassin. However, before he reached the girl, he felt a barrier in front of him.
In the next instant, he suffered a violent counterattack from the girl. He blocked with his own blade, but the impact violently threw him against the wall.
A Barrier began to take shape around the girl, while gravity increased gradually, but imperceptibly to her opponents.
She then looked at the two men dressed in white, both masked — one with a fox mask, the other with a goat mask.
"Arumanfi of the Bright… and Paramount of Darkness…"
She smiled.
"So Perugius can really summon you inside the Fortress… is it through a magic circle? By the way, am I the only one who noticed the coincidence? Light and darkness? Seriously?"
Arumanfi was standing a few meters from Garrison. In their last exchange, he had almost been pierced repeatedly by his opponent's spear, and now his arm was injured.
He was shocked, for it had been centuries since he had encountered a skilled warrior with a spear.
Even so, Garrison himself seemed a bit clumsy, a bit goofy, which created a discordant scene.
Arumanfi responded:
"Aisha Greyrat, disciple of the Beast God. If you already know we are here, then retreat immediately. Lord Perugius is magnanimous and will forgive your transgression for now. Leave the Flying Fortress by the way you came."
Aisha smiled.
"In other words, Perugius can't handle the Master, so you're going to let me go so as not to attract his wrath. Cool!"
Gravity increased even more.
"It seems you were prepared not to fall for the same trick twice, Arumanfi, but I also came prepared!"
Aisha raised her hand again toward Arumanfi, gathering mana and concentrating it to bring him down with a single decisive blow.
At the same moment, Paramount of Darkness felt that something was wrong. Without hesitation, he struck.
His body sank into the surrounding shadows, dissolving into them, advancing toward Aisha in a shadowy form.
Arumanfi also tried to attack her at that moment, but Garrison charged at him. The silver spear traced continuous arcs, forcing Arumanfi to respond immediately.
Meanwhile, a purple and bluish light began to form in Aisha's hand.
The mana condensed into the shape of a sphere, its center dark and purple, almost black, while the exterior emitted an unstable bluish glow.
Paramount of Darkness emerged from the shadows, his blade already very close to Aisha, the minimal distance for a fatal strike. However, suddenly, he felt his weight increase several times at once.
In a fraction of a second, he crashed violently into the tiled floor, a crack spreading with the impact.
"Ughhh!"
Aisha turned her gaze to him.
The purple sphere was the source of the gravity. It floated gently above Aisha's hand, spinning slowly.
"Phew!" Aisha exhaled. "You really fell for that! I thought it wouldn't work!"
Arumanfi watched the scene from the corner of his eye while continuing to fight Garrison. His thoughts were troubled.
How can this girl use Gravity Magic so proficiently?
Paramount of Darkness had the same question, but could not voice it. Cracks began to form in the castle floor beneath his feet, spreading rapidly.
He could barely move, let alone fight, and had to concentrate everything just to stay alive.
Shortly after, Aisha used a series of Barrier Magics, one after another, completely trapping Paramount of Darkness.
After that, she clapped her hands casually, as if she had just finished a simple task.
"Who knows, Perugius might even be able to summon you again if you die… so I think I'll just imprison you for now!"
She then turned to Arumanfi, displaying a mischievous smile.
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