Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix

After cleaning themselves and filling their bellies, the soldiers began to rest on their tents that they had set… before long, they began to relax and fall asleep. The smell of blood and death began to fade away for some reason, and war and the gentle wind began to cross over the camp, making all of them fall asleep.

Rain didn't say to them that they needed to set a perimeter and watch their surroundings, so they felt relaxed enough for a while. Once that happened, Rain froze the ground of the entire area and began to make it levitate… he didn't say when they were going to fight again, so they should rest enough in a couple of hours.

"I hope that they won't have a heart attack when they suddenly find themselves in the middle of the next battlefield," Roan said while frowning.

"You need to rest too, Dad," Rain said. "My contingency plan should slow down the enemies for a couple of hours in the capital. We have time. That is why I am going slowly and because we can't wake up everyone."

"How can I go to sleep when you are the one who needs the most to rest?" Roan asked. "I will be here to avoid letting you collapse. I can do that much at the very least."

Everyone else was also having a hard time falling asleep since Rain was awake, but they eventually realized that they had some hours to rest… they needed that.

Unlike normal wars, the enemies weren't trying to save their forces and attack at the best moments… they only wanted to wear down Rain, his friends, and family, and the Raging Phoenix's strength to the limits, and then they would probably send their big guns… With that in mind, they began to rest.

— —

Around midnight, a lot of people in the capital were still awake and working since they were helping prepare for the war… everyone knew that the capital was the most obvious target. So, it was only natural that they would be worried about that…

Half of the city was asleep already since they didn't imagine that the enemies would reach them so soon… they had no idea that this army they were going to face was like nothing else that they had even heard of. It was like an undead army but even more fearsome.

Before long, an ominous aura began to take over the capital. It was as though the very air had thickened with a sense of danger, casting a dark and heavy shadow over the place. The streets, once bustling with life and activity, now lay shrouded in an eerie silence as people looked around.

The flickering torches and lamplights that usually illuminated the city's pathways seemed dimmer, unable to dispel the encroaching darkness. People who ventured outside to carry out their nightly tasks walked with hushed tones and wary eyes since they could tell that something was off…

The city's structures, once symbols of strength and stability, now appeared vulnerable and fragile in the unsettling atmosphere. In the midst of this unnerving ambiance, the people of the capital moved together to their homes, praying for safety and protection, knowing that they faced an impending threat that loomed larger and larger.

Eventually, the soldiers on the walls began to hear an ominous sound approaching, and before long, they saw a giant shadow coming from the south. They were particularly wary of that direction since the enemies were coming from there, and they eventually confirmed that some creatures were flying in their direction and a large army was coming from the ground as well…n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

The enemies in the sky were a force of one thousand avian beast people, men, and women.. their bodies were bustling with power, and their muscles were bulging almost as if they were ready to explode. At the same time, the branded wounds in their heads were pulsating with blood as it was gushing from the wounds as well…

The enemies on the ground were the magic people on the backline and monsters on the front… the monsters this time were salamanders… one could tell the intention of the enemies when they sent a group of five thousand of those to the capital… burn everything to the ground.

The salamanders were quite the weird variation from what Rain knew. They possessed slender limbs that made them incredibly light on their feet, capable of swift and agile maneuvers. These lithe creatures had adapted to their environment with their agility and grace, allowing them to navigate various terrains with ease.

Their most remarkable feature was the presence of a sturdy carapace-like armor that encased their torsos. This armor served as both protection and camouflage, blending seamlessly with their surroundings. The intricately patterned plates resembled the texture of natural elements such as tree bark, rock formations, or even the forest floor, allowing them to hide themselves from potential predators.

Despite their light-footedness, the salamanders were well-equipped for defense. When faced with danger, they could tuck themselves into their armored shells, providing a formidable shield against threats. Their adaptable nature, a combination of speed and protective armor, made them both hard to catch and resilient in most terrains.

The soldiers in the walls didn't know what they were going to face, but they knew that what is bad can always become worse… while they were looking around, they eventually found two other clouds of flying enemies approaching them from the Southwest…. they also found two other armies approaching them.

Usually, they would be alerted of those things by the people in the towns and villages along the way in the direction the enemies came from, but that didn't happen, and that wasn't a good sign…

The soldiers in the walls began to ring the bells of all towers in the city to alert everyone and all able-bodied soldiers on their side to prepare for the siege… but they only had one thousand… and the enemies had more than twenty-five thousand…