6 Ignius Lux Draconus

Through the blinding haze, Mathias's eyes found the source of the destruction. A golden Armatus hovered in mid-air, its backpack thrusters exhausting a blue flame that held it steady. The machine exuded both elegance and menace, gleaming with deadly precision.

Behind it, an overwhelming fleet of Armatus suits filled the sky, tens of thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands, all poised in combat formation.

Ionised weapons hummed with energy, and plasma cannons glowed, their barrels aimed squarely at the shattered remains of the chamber, ready to unleash total annihilation.

"Mathias III of Germund!" The voice boomed from the golden Armatus, stern and commanding.

"It is I, Queen Charlotte, Arch Monarch of the Agrian Continent, Cruiser of the Red Sea, and Usher of the Dunkelheit Empire!"

"I~I, um, I…" Mathias stammered, his trembling lips failing to produce a coherent sound. Fear gripped him as he scrambled on all fours, bowing low before the towering steel giant.

Catching sight of the terrified women huddled near the wall, Queen Charlotte's gaze narrowed. "Tsk!" She clicked her tongue in contempt at the sight of their arcane collars.

With a motion of her hand, she gestured for them to flee. Though hardened by war, the queen had a soft spot for her fellow women, even for the Arcanii of the Osten Empire.

"Ah?! Wha—?!" Mathias exclaimed, his eyes darting wildly as the women hurried out through the double doors. He hesitated, unsure if he too was permitted to leave, and made a fumbling attempt to rise.

"Not you, fleabag!" Queen Charlotte snapped, her tone like a lash.

"Ah! Sorry!" Mathias yelped, sweat dripping from his nose as his legs quivered.

"I shall claim your head and end your reign of terror!" she declared.

The thrusters of her Armatus roared as it launched forward, intending to deliver a swift, merciful death.

Mathias threw himself flat to the ground, his belly slamming against the cold floor. "No! Please~please!" he screamed, tears streaming down his face.

Yet, no death came.

An invisible barrier materialised between them.

"What?!" Queen Charlotte gasped, her dark eyes widening in shock. She pushed with the mechanical arms of her Armatus, but the wall was rigid and unyielding.

A tall, broad figure strode into the chamber with regal purpose. Clad in an intricate white cloak, his presence exuded mystery and power.

A pristine wizard's hat obscured his face, the fabric shimmering in white and gold hues. His Celestius cape fluttered behind him, bearing the golden sigil of Ares, marking him as one of the most elite arcanists in the Osten Empire.

"Ignius Lux Draconus, Celestius of the Ares Division… You!" Queen Charlotte snarled through gritted teeth.

As the man raised his head, his features came into view. A well-groomed white beard framed his face, his golden eyes gleamed with wisdom and authority, and his milky white hair glistened in the light.

Mathias scrambled to Ignius's feet, clinging desperately to the polished leather boots and smothering them with frantic kisses.

This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

"Thank you, thank you, Celestius Ignius!" he wailed, his gratitude spilling out in incoherent sobs.

Ignius remained silent, gazing down at Mathias with an expression that bordered on pity. With a faint sigh, he stepped aside, his focus shifting to the queen.

"Please, Celestius, kill the bitch!" Mathias barked, his voice high-pitched and desperate as saliva sprayed from his lips. "How dare she disturb my slumber?"

Ignius gave him a sideways glance of pure disdain but offered no words.

Queen Charlotte drew back her Armatus to a safe distance, her voice rising in command. "Artillery!"

Thousands of high-yield missiles launched in unison.

The air erupted in a cacophony of explosions as flames and debris spilled outwards.

Yet, as the dust settled, the invisible barrier remained unscathed, an impenetrable bulwark shielding the castle.

After a brief pause, Ignius finally broke the silence. "Tell me, Mathias… You swear a binding oath to Gaia and pledge your allegiance to the Osten Empire, did you not?" His voice was deep, deliberate, and calculated.

"Huh?" Mathias was momentarily taken aback, but he quickly regained his composure. "Yes, sir! Yes, yes! Of course!" he blurted, his response frantic and unconvincing.

Not a shred of nobility remained in the King of Germund.

After a thoughtful moment, Ignius raised his hands with precision, each movement elegant and commanding.

Glowing red runes and sigils materialised in the air, twirling and hovering around him like ethereal butterflies.

"D'Arcane!" His chant reverberated through the ground.

A sudden gust of wind swirled around him, causing his cloak to ripple dramatically.

Realising the gravity of the situation, Mathias scrambled to his feet in a panic. "Celestius! You can't possibly…" he stammered, his voice trailing off into sheer terror as the runes dispersed, flying in all directions.

One sigil darted towards Mathias, embedding itself in his sternum.

"Sir! You're going to sacrifice every bound citizen of Germund... and me!" he cried out, his voice a mix of desperation and disbelief. "Even your own life! Please, do not do this! It's forbidden! FORBIDDEN!"

"You do not command a Celestius, pest." Ignius's response was frigid, his tone razor-sharp.

He closed his eyes briefly before reopening them, red and gold light spilling forth from his sockets like molten fire.

"Apolison Ten Dynamin!"

The ancient words resonated without sound, transmitted telepathically to every bound citizen of Germund, including the king himself.

"Nooooo!..." Mathias shrieked as his body began to wither. His stomach caved in, his limbs shrivelled into brittle, ashen sticks, and his cries were abruptly silenced.

The mana and life essence of every bound soul in Germund converged, forming colossal runes that illuminated the sky with an ominous glow.

Far away, Queen Charlotte grasped the grim reality.

"RETREAT! RETREAT!" She shouted for her Armatus knights.

"Phos Timorias!" (Light of Punishment)

The celestial ray fractured into countless serpentine beams, slithering through the air to seek out their targets.

Each strand struck a fleeing mobile suit with perfect precision. The resulting explosions sent shockwaves through the battlefield as the arcanite engines detonated, triggering microbombs visible from distant horizons.

In the neighbouring country of Porand, children pointed excitedly at the fiery display. To them, it seemed like a grand celebration. Little did they know, it was the harrowing spectacle of genocide: a catastrophic ritual that claimed the lives of 70 million people and annihilated half the Armatus fleet in existence.

Meanwhile, Rhok recoiled in horror as the nun was drained of her soul, reduced to a lifeless husk before his very eyes. The weight of his misdeed bore down on him, but it was too late.

His act had created a conduit for the life-draining magic, and a surge of horrifying arcane energy crept up his rod, spreading menacingly towards its base.

Screaming in agony, Rhok felt the relentless force consuming him.

Without hesitation, he mustered every ounce of strength, gritted his teeth, and made the harrowing decision.

He severed the infected rod with his gloved hand.

"AHH!" He grunted, tossing it to the ground.

The rod visibly coiled and withered.

However, the creeping hex halted before it overtook his entire body.

"Bloody fuck!" he roared in agony, his eyes fixed on the bloody mess between his legs. "This is why I fucking hate mages!"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.