Chapter 322: A War of Attrition

Massive boulders and ballista bolts raced towards the city walls, only to shatter against an ice blue barrier that flickered into existence around the entire city.

The barrier resembled ice crystals with its interlocked fractal design, the enchanted siege weapons, despite their power, were unable to do more than cause the barrier to flair with power at the various impact points.

The ponderous trebuchets were being fired in a staggered time frame, so that one boulder slammed into the defensive barrier every few seconds.

The ballista bolts on the other hand were firing in grouped sections spread around the rear of the army. They fired in groups of 5, each grouping targeting a singular point of the wall, with 10 such ballistas targeting the barrier section protecting the main eastern gate leading into the city.

Or at least the point where the gate used to be. However, with the aid of powerful magics the gate had been entirely enclosed in stone walls grown up from the very ground to entirely block off that section of the wall and prevent any entry into the city.

However, the human army was not the only side with mass weapons of their own to utilise.

Syan was equipped with defensive weapons of their own.

Massive ballistas installed atop the various towers along the walls all aimed their sights at the human army. The operators loaded, aimed and fired their own bolts back.

Cracking snaps rang out as the giant bolts were sent speeding towards the army down below. Yet the humans were not without their own defenses to protect against attacks.

Thousands of mages joined together in a communal defensive barrier, formed with the aid of powerful magical artifacts and filled by the mana of the countless mages. It snapped into place above the army, protecting it from the hail of deadly bolts decending down upon them.

The two sides exchanged attacks like this for several minutes, close to half an hour before the next stage in the battle progressed.

Now it was the time for the individuals on both sides to contribute to the assult.

The first to strike was a lone man atop the walls. One of the many commanders of the Syan Army, granted that rank for being a high stage Lord.

A ball of intense fire formed above him, half a dozen mages joining together to further empower the magical attack. The ball of fire grew in size rapidly, going from a ball the size of a head to one that matched most normal buildings in size.

Then the size hit a plateau, Its brilliant orange flames crystallising and changing as the temperature of the fire ball refined itself. The orange gained a blue tint, then as the orange bled away the blue took over, only to in turn be hightened into pure immolating white flames that scorched the very air itself.

Some of the supporting mages sagged as the spell finally completed, their mana momentarily spent, yet the spell was complete.

The heat was such that those soldiers on the walls nearby were forced to take several steps back.

Still the high stage Lord stood tall under the immollating flames as his gaze hardened and his aim was locked in.

With a gesture of his hands the ball descended.

It moved deceptively slow for a ball of flames the size of a house. Still in only a few seconds the attack had reached the defensive barriers of the human army on the ground below.

A cacophonous explosion of white flames erupted along the barrier, the flames entirely obscuring those soldiers below the barrier from those atop the walls for several seconds.

Yet some the flames died down, and the barrier remained intact.

From that point on the sky became a rainbow of colours as countless magics were cast by the various soldiers on either side, whilst a hail of arrows hid the sun, their stat increased strength of the atchers able to fire the arrows over grand distances.

Brilliant blasts of lightning seared through the sky, burning retinas with their brilliance. Miniature hurricanes of wind, ice, fire and lightning raged.

Then came the more esoteric forms of magic, lances of shadow, radiant beams of condensed sunlight, ephemeral pillars of pure mental force.

The world was lit up by the multitude of magics. Each barrier was impacted with the combined might of thousands of mages, the brilliant ice blue of the city barrier lit up with thousands of impacts, the fractal patterns straining against the concentrated barrage.

Meanwhile the transparent orange barrier above the human army flashed with shades of red and purple where the barrier strained against the onslaught.

The battle began to settle into a furious stalemate, each side not so much focused on killing their foes but to be the first to drain the barrier protecting the respective army.

Time dragged on as the soldiers of both armies rained down attacks on their foes. Yet the sovereigns on both sides remained inactive. They did not join in on the bombardment, knowing that their strength would be better suited for later on in the battle.

So as a result of the Sovereigns restraint, it was the Lords that acted as the forfront of the battle.

They set the pace, filled in the gaps in the barrage and ensured that no part of the opponents shields remained undamaged.

Hours passed by like this, the sun passing mid day and edging towards early evening. All the while a steady and constant barrage of attacks rained down and up on the two armies.

However, no barrier could last forever.

It was the City of Syan that was the first to falter.

The shear number of soldiers that were arrayed against the defending city simply overwhelmed them. Their mages were unable to keep the barriers charged whilst also maintaining their own assult.

The ice fractal barrier fractured, a sound like breaking glass rang out as the barrier broke apart, each fractal of power separating from one another. Falling down to the ground as they dissolved into mana.

A cheer rose up from the human army, the flag of Eldor held high by the banner men in celebration for winning the first true battle of the war.

Yet as the defenders of Syan let out shouts of despair as they watched the barrier break down, the siege engineers of Eldor did not delay in shooting their targets.

A rain of enchanted boulders barrelled into the stone covered gate of the city. Each boulder impacting with the wall with a thunderclap of force that sent those standing atop the wall rocking in place as the very foundations of the wall shuddered.

Seeing this some of the sovereigns of Syan became slightly worried, they had hoped that they would be able to destroy the Kingdoms shields first, then they could at least deal some damage to the main army before their walls took damage.

Yet apparently that was not in the books for them this day, they gritted their teeth, preparing themselves to act and take down the enemy’s shields so that their army could act. However, before they could make a move another figure on the Cities side made a move of their own.

A short girl leapt up onto the parapets of the wall, her body moving effortlessly with any shaking that may occur from the repeated impacts of the wall.

Arrows and magical attacks honed in on her position, yet barriers of water formed before her to redirect those attacks.

Then the girls throat began to glow blue as all present nearby to the woman felt their hair stand up straight. A low piercing growl rang out from the woman, its reverberations cutting through the constant explosions of magic against walls.

Then, even as the world was bathed in a multitude of colours from the innumerable magics being cast, all of their colours seemed to desaturate as an electric blue shone bright.

As Rhyana exhaled, lightning of profound potency was sent flying down with unstoppable force.

Her dragon breath best resembled a massive laser of concentrated lightning. It reached the defensive barrier down below in less than a heartbeat.

The already pulsing red barrier instantly turned a deep bruised purple, then a crack formed. Still Rhyana breathed and her breath continued to ravish the barrier.

That singular crack rapidly expanded before the barrier around the impact point better resembled cracked glass than anything capable of protecting others.

Then, finally, the barrier broke, chatting into thousands of pieces as the last dregs of Rhyana’s breath impacted the soldiers on the ground with a booming explosion.

A moment of silence seemed to descend over the battlefield as the defenders watched with wide eyes as the seemingly impenetrable barrier shattered under the concentrated attack of a single young girl.

Meanwhile the Humans down below looked up in panic as their protection from the bombardment vanished in an instant.

That moment of hesitation did not last for long before General Masin bellowed it his orders to attack once again.

The defenders of the city finally able to unleash their attacks aimed at not just a barrier but at the actual people that dared to invade their home.