The war had already begun.
Smoke covered the sky above God Valley.
Explosions of magic echoed through the mountains as soldiers from both sides clashed violently. Flames burned across the battlefield while wounded soldiers were dragged back to temporary camps.
Bodies covered parts of the valley floor.
The invasion had been sudden.
The army of The Obsidian Dominion had launched a full-scale attack before the Kingdom of Flowers could fully prepare.
Yet they had not taken the entire valley.
A large defensive area near the northern cliffs was still under the control of the Kingdom of Flowers.
That was where Leo's strategist unit had established their command camp.
Inside the command tent, a large battlefield map covered the central table.
Leo, Elias, Alison, and Carl studied it carefully.
"The enemy already controls half the valley," Alison said quietly.
Carl clenched his fists.
"And we only have 10,000 soldiers here."
Elias frowned.
"The remaining troops were supposed to arrive yesterday."
Leo nodded.
"They were intercepted."
The room fell silent.
Their reinforcements had been attacked on the road.
Meaning the army currently defending God Valley was far smaller than planned.
Just then footsteps approached outside the tent.
A group of armored warriors entered.
These were the Elite Warriors assigned to this battlefield.
Ten of the kingdom's strongest fighters.
Leo stood up as they entered.
At the center of them stood someone familiar.
Sam.
Sam wore polished silver armor and carried his sword across his back. His presence alone radiated confidence.
Among the warriors present, Sam was the only S-Rank Warrior.
He smiled when he saw Leo.
"Well look at that," Sam said.
"The genius strategist himself."
Leo crossed his arms with a smirk.
"And the kingdom's strongest warrior finally decided to show up."
The other warriors laughed quietly.
Sam walked over and placed a hand on Leo's shoulder.
"We'll win this war."
Leo replied calmly.
"You better survive first."
Sam chuckled.
"Relax. I'm not dying here."
Behind Sam stood the rest of the Elite Warriors.
Each of them possessed immense power.
Kael Draven, a tall warrior with long dark hair, carried a massive greatsword covered in flames. His Fire Magic allowed him to burn through enemy lines with explosive power.
Lyra Vensari, a calm archer dressed in dark green armor, possessed Wind Magic. Her arrows could travel faster than the eye could see and strike enemies hundreds of meters away.
Magnus Stoneheart, a giant warrior covered in heavy armor, wielded Earth Magic. He could raise massive stone walls and shields from the ground to defend entire units.
Seraphine Vale, a silent assassin wielding twin daggers, controlled Shadow Magic, allowing her to move through darkness and eliminate enemies without being seen.
Roderick Ashfall, a fierce spearman, used Lightning Magic, delivering devastating electric strikes capable of paralyzing enemies instantly.
Darius Ironclad, a heavily armored knight, possessed Iron Body Magic, turning his body as strong as steel and making him nearly impossible to injure.
Valen Frostwind, a quiet warrior with pale blue armor, wielded Ice Magic, freezing parts of the battlefield and trapping enemies in solid frost.
Arlen Stormbreaker, carrying a massive war hammer crackling with energy, commanded Storm Magic, summoning thunder strikes that shattered enemy formations.
And finally Celeste Thornweaver, a graceful warrior who controlled Nature Magic, summoning poisonous vines and thorns from the earth to restrain enemies.
These ten warriors were the strongest fighters the Kingdom of Flowers could send to God Valley.
And now they stood ready for war.
War horns echoed across the valley.
Enemy forces were advancing.
Scouts rushed into the camp.
"The Obsidian Dominion army is moving!"
Leo stepped outside the command tent.
Across the battlefield thousands of enemy soldiers marched forward.
Black banners with burning chains covered the horizon.
Carl stared in shock.
"They brought 25,000 soldiers…"
Elias turned to Leo.
"And we only have 10,000."
Leo stayed calm.
"Then we hold the line."
The Elite Warriors stepped forward.
Sam unsheathed his sword.
"Leave the front line to us."
The battlefield erupted.
Magic exploded across the valley as both armies collided.
Firestorms clashed against ice.
Earth shields shattered under iron weapons.
Soldiers screamed as steel met steel.
At the center of the battlefield a powerful figure stepped forward.
The Commander-in-Chief of the Obsidian Dominion Army.
His body was covered in dark armor infused with magic.
Cold air spread around him.
"I am General Varkhan," he announced.
"Commander of the Dominion Army."
"Send me your strongest warrior."
Sam stepped forward.
"That would be me."
The Duel
Ice spread across the battlefield instantly.
Massive frozen spikes erupted from the ground.
Varkhan's Ice and Iron Magic controlled the battlefield itself.
Sam shattered the ice with a single swing of his blade.
Then iron spikes shot from the ground like spears.
Their weapons clashed violently.
The shockwave alone knocked nearby soldiers off their feet.
Minutes passed as the duel continued.
Neither warrior backed down.
Finally Sam broke through Varkhan's defenses.
With one powerful strike—
Varkhan collapsed.
The Kingdom soldiers cheered.
But the victory was short lived.
Dark figures began walking through the enemy army.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five.
New commanders appeared.
Each one radiated immense power.
Then the enemy army suddenly split apart.
A path opened.
Heavy footsteps echoed across the battlefield.
A man wearing black royal armor walked forward.
The King of the Obsidian Dominion.
An S+ Rank Warrior.
Sam now stood alone.
Facing five commanders… and their king.
The Strategists
Inside the command tent Leo and Elias stared at the battlefield.
"This is bad," Carl said.
"We can't win this fight."
Elias clenched his fists.
"If Sam falls, the front line collapses."
Leo remained silent.
His mind raced through strategies.
None of them worked.
Every possible outcome ended in defeat.
Then suddenly—
Leo heard something.
A voice.
Soft.
Whispering.
"So… you finally arrived."
Leo froze.
He looked around the tent.
"What…?"
The voice spoke again.
"I've been waiting for you."
Leo stepped outside.
The battlefield roared around him.
But the voice felt close.
Too close.
"…Who are you?" Leo whispered.
But there was no answer.
Only the wind moving through God Valley.
To be continued…
Next Chapter — The war