A general born to rule

The battle begins

The battle raged across the seas and skies, a brutal clash of technology, magic, and raw military might. Warships from the Freehold Republic and Valorcrest lined the coastline, their massive cannons roaring to life as they launched salvos of artillery toward the incoming enemy fleet. Laser fire crisscrossed the air, streaking from enemy ships and bouncing off magical shields, while missiles arced through the sky, leaving trails of smoke in their wake. The sound was deafening—a symphony of war, drowning out any other thoughts.

Yet, despite their best efforts, Marcus and his forces were struggling. Zarlos, the Imperial warlord from their past, had brought the full might of Imperial technology to bear on this new world. Advanced warships, armored blimps, and monstrous tanks rolled out in force, and even the naval battle was tipping in Zarlos’s favor. His ships, equipped with both dark magic and technological superiority, outmaneuvered and outgunned the Freehold and Valorcrest fleets, hammering their defenses from all angles. The air battle above was equally fierce. Fighter jets from the allied forces engaged the Imperial aircraft, but the enemy's laser-armed ships proved difficult to counter.

"We’re holding," Marcus muttered as he watched the screens inside the command bunker, which showed the battle unfolding in real-time, "but just barely." The relentless assault was pushing their forces to the brink, and Zarlos had them locked in a brutal stalemate.

Sam stood beside him, her brow furrowed in concentration as she monitored the troop movements. "We underestimated him. He’s brought everything from the Imperial Empire, just like we feared. Our allies are struggling to keep pace."

Valdrianna, Empress of the Dragonkin, leaned over the tactical map, her fierce golden eyes scanning the battlefield. "Zarlos has superior technology, but we still have the advantage of numbers. Our forces are stretched thin, but we can hit him where it hurts if we find the right opening."

Queen Elandra of the dark elves, draped in her mystical cloak, spoke next. "His ships and tanks are formidable, but they have weak spots. His technology may be advanced, but it’s still based on the same principles we fought in the past. We need to exploit that."

The room was tense as Marcus, Sam, and their gathered allies—Alara, Aislin, Seraphine, and others—poured over the battlefield reports. Casualties were mounting fast on both sides, with the first day of the war already seeing over a hundred thousand dead. The beaches were a bloodbath. Valorcrest and its allies had managed to hold the line, but Zarlos’s forces were relentless, and they were gaining ground. Dark magic, coupled with the sheer firepower of the Imperial technology, was proving to be a deadly combination.

Marcus spoke up, his voice steady despite the chaos. "Zarlos’s technology has weak points. We know how to beat it. The Cold War tech we have might not match up to his advanced gear, but we can target his power cores and communication lines. If we cripple his ability to coordinate, we might turn this around."

Sam nodded. "We’ll need precision strikes. Targeting key nodes will force him to spread his forces thin, giving us a chance to hit harder. But it’ll be risky."

As they mapped out their plan, Valdrianna turned to Marcus. "You know Zarlos better than anyone. If he’s leading this, he’ll be overconfident. He’ll think he’s untouchable."

"That’s his weakness," Marcus replied with a grim smile. "His arrogance. We’ll exploit it."

---

Out on the battlefield, Daniel, a soldier of Valorcrest and husband to Empress Selene of the Abyssal Dominion, received a message in the midst of the chaos. He opened the letter with blood-stained hands, his armor battered from the day’s brutal fighting. It was from Selene herself.