Chapter 31:
Shadow at the Eastern
The Conqueror
Chapter 31 – Shadows at the Eastern Gate
The morning that had begun in peace was shattered.
The sun was still warm, the sky still clear, but suddenly the ground itself trembled as if some giant had stirred beneath the earth.
BOOOOM!An explosion roared from the eastern side of Guard Village. The shockwave rattled windows, overturned stalls, and sent birds shrieking into the sky.
The peaceful hum of a marketplace turned into screams and chaos.
Villagers stumbled, clutching their children. Smoke, dark and thick, curled upward like claws tearing at the morning light.
Shinra froze. His body trembled, but his spirit self—pulled by the thread of his father's memory—stood rooted as if forced to watch the past unfold.
He could feel the villagers' fear pressing on his chest like a weight.
---
Hiroshi's head snapped eastward. His sword hand twitched. He didn't waste a breath.
"Sofia! Get the children back to their parents!"
His voice cut through the panic like a blade.Sofia gasped, then nodded quickly, ushering the little ones toward their families.
"Go—don't scatter, stay together!" Her voice shook but didn't break.
Hiroshi was already moving, his feet pounding against the dirt.
Ahead of him, two figures were running through the smoke: Lucas and Thomas. Their guild cloaks flared behind them.
Their eyes weren't wild with panic like the villagers—they were sharp, focused.
From the haze, a man stumbled into view. His armor was dented, his arm crimson with blood. An officer. His breathing was ragged as if fire filled his lungs.
He nearly collapsed into Lucas's arms."T-they attacked last night…" His voice cracked between coughs.
"A surprise… we couldn't… defend. They crushed us—every line—every barricade… Our village is lost. Now… they're marching here…"
Lucas's jaw clenched. His voice stayed calm. "We understand. Go. Get yourself treated."
The officer gave a weak nod, staggering back toward the square. His armor dripped with blood and dust.
Hiroshi caught up, his sword gleaming faintly in the smoky light.
Anthony came from the other side of the street, cloak swaying as he sprinted.
In the next breath, the four men stood together—Hiroshi, Lucas, Thomas, and Anthony.
---
Anthony's voice was harsh. "What happened?!"Lucas's reply was grim. "The Governor's army. They struck without warning. The neighboring villages fell in a single night."
Anthony's eyes widened. His teeth ground audibly. "How? Why was there no word? No messenger?!"
Thomas's answer was like steel. "Because before they could send word, they were already defeated."
The four exchanged a glance. The silence said more than words—this was worse than anyone had feared.
Shinra, standing unseen among them, felt his chest tighten.
These men were giants in his eyes. Yet even they looked grim, their expressions weighed down by the reality of war.
---
The wind shifted. Dust began to roll through the street like fog.
From the east, a sound came—steady, deliberate.
Step. Step. Step.
Hundreds of boots striking the earth in perfect rhythm.
A flag came into view first, tall and white. A peace flag, its cloth rippling like a cruel joke.
Behind it marched rows of armored soldiers—one hundred fifty men in blackened steel. Their helmets glinted under the sun. Their formation was sharp, disciplined, oppressive.
At their head strode four figures.
The man in the center carried himself with mocking grace, his vice admiral's cloak snapping behind him.
His smile was sharp, his eyes gleamed like a predator's. Vice Admiral Ming.
Flanking him were three Admirals, each carrying their own aura of menace.
The air seemed to bend slightly around them, as if their very presence warped the atmosphere.
The army halted in perfect unison. Dust swirled, silence pressing heavy.Ming spread his arms as though greeting honored guests. His voice was smooth, almost playful.
"Oooh… look at this. The guild's little heroes, here to welcome us. What an honor."
---
Thomas's sword scraped against its sheath as he stepped forward, glare like fire. "We're not here to welcome you. Turn back. Now."
Ming chuckled, tilting his head. "Ahhh… the fire of youth. So quick to bare your fangs."
Lucus's voice was cold, controlled. "Say what you came for."
Ming smirked. "Simple. Surrender. Hand over the land.
We already occupy forty percent of it. Give us the rest, and I swear not a single drop of blood shall fall."
The villagers behind the guild gasped.
But Hiroshi stepped forward, sword raised. His voice rang with steel."We don't bend to tyrants. We don't surrender to evil."
Ming's laughter cut through the air. "Evil? Hahaha! My, my… you still cling to such childish words. There is no evil, no good. Only perspective.
What you call tyranny, another calls order. What you call freedom, another calls chaos."
His smile thinned, eyes glinting. "But ah, you are far too young to understand that. By the time you do… it will already be too late."Anthony's voice roared like thunder. "Enough! We don't need philosophy from your rotten mouth.
This village, its people, its land—we'll never hand them over! I'd rather die standing free than live crawling under your boots!"
The villagers shouted in agreement, their fear slowly hardening into courage.
Ming's expression dimmed. "So that's your answer." He raised one hand, a signal.The army behind him slammed their weapons against their shields in unison.
BOOM!
The sound shook the ground.
---
More figures began to appear from the streets.Guild members, fighters, villagers who could still wield a blade—all forming lines behind Hiroshi, Lucas, Thomas, and Anthony.
Among them, Sofia arrived, a bow in her hands. Her face was pale but her eyes burned bright. She stood with the fighters, not hiding, not hesitating.
Ming's lips curled. "Ohh? The lambs think themselves lions. Very well. Let's see how brave you remain once the blood starts flowing."
The tension was suffocating.
And then…
---
A sudden chill swept across the square.
The air thickened, heavy as if the sky itself had bent low. Mana rippled through the village like waves crashing against unseen shores.
The soldiers shifted uneasily. Even Ming's smirk faltered for a heartbeat.From the far side of the street, a shadow appeared.Tall. Silver-haired, his long locks catching the sunlight like threads of moonlight. His eyes glowed faintly, inhuman.
A trident rested easily in his grasp, but the weight of his presence alone was like a mountain pressing down on every soul in sight.
Shinra's breath caught. His body trembled, but his heart… it soared.
Grandfather… Eldran.
The legendary elf of silver hair.
The moment he stepped forward, the atmosphere itself shifted. Soldiers stumbled back without realizing it. Villagers straightened, hope sparking in their eyes.
Eldran's gaze swept the field. Calm. Piercing. Unshakable.
The world seemed to hold its breath.
And then he spoke, voice deep as rolling thunder.
"Step one foot further into this village… and you will never step back again."
---
To be continued.
The morning that had begun in peace was shattered.
The sun was still warm, the sky still clear, but suddenly the ground itself trembled as if some giant had stirred beneath the earth.
BOOOOM!An explosion roared from the eastern side of Guard Village. The shockwave rattled windows, overturned stalls, and sent birds shrieking into the sky.
The peaceful hum of a marketplace turned into screams and chaos.
Villagers stumbled, clutching their children. Smoke, dark and thick, curled upward like claws tearing at the morning light.
Shinra froze. His body trembled, but his spirit self—pulled by the thread of his father's memory—stood rooted as if forced to watch the past unfold.
He could feel the villagers' fear pressing on his chest like a weight.
---
Hiroshi's head snapped eastward. His sword hand twitched. He didn't waste a breath.
"Sofia! Get the children back to their parents!"
His voice cut through the panic like a blade.Sofia gasped, then nodded quickly, ushering the little ones toward their families.
"Go—don't scatter, stay together!" Her voice shook but didn't break.
Hiroshi was already moving, his feet pounding against the dirt.
Ahead of him, two figures were running through the smoke: Lucas and Thomas. Their guild cloaks flared behind them.
Their eyes weren't wild with panic like the villagers—they were sharp, focused.
From the haze, a man stumbled into view. His armor was dented, his arm crimson with blood. An officer. His breathing was ragged as if fire filled his lungs.
He nearly collapsed into Lucas's arms."T-they attacked last night…" His voice cracked between coughs.
"A surprise… we couldn't… defend. They crushed us—every line—every barricade… Our village is lost. Now… they're marching here…"
Lucas's jaw clenched. His voice stayed calm. "We understand. Go. Get yourself treated."
The officer gave a weak nod, staggering back toward the square. His armor dripped with blood and dust.
Hiroshi caught up, his sword gleaming faintly in the smoky light.
Anthony came from the other side of the street, cloak swaying as he sprinted.
In the next breath, the four men stood together—Hiroshi, Lucas, Thomas, and Anthony.
---
Anthony's voice was harsh. "What happened?!"Lucas's reply was grim. "The Governor's army. They struck without warning. The neighboring villages fell in a single night."
Anthony's eyes widened. His teeth ground audibly. "How? Why was there no word? No messenger?!"
Thomas's answer was like steel. "Because before they could send word, they were already defeated."
The four exchanged a glance. The silence said more than words—this was worse than anyone had feared.
Shinra, standing unseen among them, felt his chest tighten.
These men were giants in his eyes. Yet even they looked grim, their expressions weighed down by the reality of war.
---
The wind shifted. Dust began to roll through the street like fog.
From the east, a sound came—steady, deliberate.
Step. Step. Step.
Hundreds of boots striking the earth in perfect rhythm.
A flag came into view first, tall and white. A peace flag, its cloth rippling like a cruel joke.
Behind it marched rows of armored soldiers—one hundred fifty men in blackened steel. Their helmets glinted under the sun. Their formation was sharp, disciplined, oppressive.
At their head strode four figures.
The man in the center carried himself with mocking grace, his vice admiral's cloak snapping behind him.
His smile was sharp, his eyes gleamed like a predator's. Vice Admiral Ming.
Flanking him were three Admirals, each carrying their own aura of menace.
The air seemed to bend slightly around them, as if their very presence warped the atmosphere.
The army halted in perfect unison. Dust swirled, silence pressing heavy.Ming spread his arms as though greeting honored guests. His voice was smooth, almost playful.
"Oooh… look at this. The guild's little heroes, here to welcome us. What an honor."
---
Thomas's sword scraped against its sheath as he stepped forward, glare like fire. "We're not here to welcome you. Turn back. Now."
Ming chuckled, tilting his head. "Ahhh… the fire of youth. So quick to bare your fangs."
Lucus's voice was cold, controlled. "Say what you came for."
Ming smirked. "Simple. Surrender. Hand over the land.
We already occupy forty percent of it. Give us the rest, and I swear not a single drop of blood shall fall."
The villagers behind the guild gasped.
But Hiroshi stepped forward, sword raised. His voice rang with steel."We don't bend to tyrants. We don't surrender to evil."
Ming's laughter cut through the air. "Evil? Hahaha! My, my… you still cling to such childish words. There is no evil, no good. Only perspective.
What you call tyranny, another calls order. What you call freedom, another calls chaos."
His smile thinned, eyes glinting. "But ah, you are far too young to understand that. By the time you do… it will already be too late."Anthony's voice roared like thunder. "Enough! We don't need philosophy from your rotten mouth.
This village, its people, its land—we'll never hand them over! I'd rather die standing free than live crawling under your boots!"
The villagers shouted in agreement, their fear slowly hardening into courage.
Ming's expression dimmed. "So that's your answer." He raised one hand, a signal.The army behind him slammed their weapons against their shields in unison.
BOOM!
The sound shook the ground.
---
More figures began to appear from the streets.Guild members, fighters, villagers who could still wield a blade—all forming lines behind Hiroshi, Lucas, Thomas, and Anthony.
Among them, Sofia arrived, a bow in her hands. Her face was pale but her eyes burned bright. She stood with the fighters, not hiding, not hesitating.
Ming's lips curled. "Ohh? The lambs think themselves lions. Very well. Let's see how brave you remain once the blood starts flowing."
The tension was suffocating.
And then…
---
A sudden chill swept across the square.
The air thickened, heavy as if the sky itself had bent low. Mana rippled through the village like waves crashing against unseen shores.
The soldiers shifted uneasily. Even Ming's smirk faltered for a heartbeat.From the far side of the street, a shadow appeared.Tall. Silver-haired, his long locks catching the sunlight like threads of moonlight. His eyes glowed faintly, inhuman.
A trident rested easily in his grasp, but the weight of his presence alone was like a mountain pressing down on every soul in sight.
Shinra's breath caught. His body trembled, but his heart… it soared.
Grandfather… Eldran.
The legendary elf of silver hair.
The moment he stepped forward, the atmosphere itself shifted. Soldiers stumbled back without realizing it. Villagers straightened, hope sparking in their eyes.
Eldran's gaze swept the field. Calm. Piercing. Unshakable.
The world seemed to hold its breath.
And then he spoke, voice deep as rolling thunder.
"Step one foot further into this village… and you will never step back again."
---
To be continued.
Please sign in to leave a comment.