Chronos Horde Capital
**Location: Mt. Arnios**
Chronos, the leader of the Olympus rebellion, sat on his throne, fully recovered. Before him stood the remaining eight Titan generals. Since the start of the war, they had not been deployed, knowing it was a quick death sentence. Instead, they commanded from the capital. Now, they committed to a grueling guerrilla warfare strategy, with the Great Alier Forest acting as a natural barrier protecting the desolate lands around the capital.
Chronos turned his gaze outside, seeing his once-great city now reduced to rubble by Draconian bombers.
"My lord, the mercenaries and my men have completed the construction, and the conscripts are fully trained and armed," said one general, clad in hardened prism armor with large metal plates protecting his vital spots, a large mace at his side.
"We have given them confidence that no death shall occur in the next level of this war," Chronos spoke with authority, looking down at the map of the war in the heartlands. Two colors represented each party: the Anti-Chronos Pact in black and his forces in red.
"We are being supported by another continent in hopes of draining resources and capturing their technology and resources," said another general.
"We must do this to equip our soldiers. Let's capture one of them, take their weapons, and earn more resources."
"I received a report that an isolated Draconian division is currently occupying a port and is besieged by Chieftain Uruk," a general spoke, and the others turned to him.
"Then send more soldiers. Make sure there is no escape for them," ordered Chronos. The generals nodded. At that moment, Chronos felt a surge of pain, grabbing his right shoulder as a surge of power emanated from his body. He muttered the name he hated so much, "Alex Luker Draco." The generals ended their conversation and looked at Chronos with slight fear, then returned to their strategic map to place troops.
Of the 10 million soldiers deployed, only 4 million died, and the rest were pulled back to the forest, trained with weapons given by the Tiamat and Tyrell elves, along with mercenary companies sent by them.
### North of the Outskirts of the Draconian Capital
Three transport helicopters flew in the sky, one carrying Zeus, along with a few selected gods and Zarina with Axe and their retinue. As they entered the airspace of the floating fortress, they saw a massive tower emitting a green beam, Draconian banners, and anti-aircraft weapons on hidden towers. Below were artillery and more anti-aircraft weapons supporting ground forces.
Upon arriving at the hangar, they saw runways where fighter planes were about to take off, powered by the fortress's core energy, with backup sources in case of shutdown. An officer greeted their arrival, along with a few dozen imperial guards. Soldiers gave them wary looks, as it was the first time someone outside the Draconian Empire had been brought to the fortress. They were assured by Axe's silent nod, allowing others to continue their tasks.
"So, guys, welcome to the floating fortress of Azeroth," Axe said to the guests. The hallways were vast and lavishly decorated, minimizing luxury items on display. Soldiers wearing different combat gear moved in groups or alone.
"So, how many of these are there across the empire?" Weiss asked, feeling tense under the soldiers' stares.
"Six are spread across, with five more under construction," Axe replied as they arrived at the first checkpoint.
"I'm Corporal Johnson. I'm in charge of the first checkpoint for guests or visitors entering the fort. Please surrender all weapons and magical items into this box," the officer said, gesturing towards a box.
"I'm not parting with my weapon!" shouted a Muscovy guard, causing everyone to tense up. Axe intervened.
"Better put it in. If not, you cannot follow your queen through," Axe said, handing his weapons inside the box, followed by Zarina and Zeus. The guards reluctantly placed their weapons inside, and the box was locked. They went through a scanner, checked for any curses or trackers, and proceeded.
After passing a few more checkpoints, they entered the conference hall, where a large circular table displayed a 3D map of the continent. Alex, the Emperor of the Draconian Empire, and Grand Marshal Dimitri, the strategic officer of the Anti-Chronos Coalition, were present.
"Your Majesty, High King of Olympus Zeus, God of War Ares, Vice Supreme Commander of the Olympus Army, and Aphrodite, Minister of Foreign Affairs, with Spymaster Axe, and High Queen of Muscovy Zarina," the introductions were made. They felt a sudden tension as they sat in the soft chairs.
"Since everyone involved in this war is present, we shall begin our revision of the current strategy to conduct a final offensive against the Chronos Horde," Alex loudly stated. Papers were distributed to outline the offensive.
"This is called Operation Chaos. In the first phase, we shall conduct aerial and artillery bombardments, followed by a chemical barrage. Engineers will create a path for tanks and APCs. We expect a ferocious fight," Alex explained, showing reconnaissance photos of long trenches, hidden traps, and kill zones set up by the enemy.
"We could use napalm and turn it into a scorching hell, but I wish to prevent an ecological disaster. Instead, we will draw firepower from my vassals," Alex said, showing the flag of the Duchy of Novoros. Videos displayed battles with elves, showcasing their adeptness in forest warfare.
"They are the Duchy of Novoros, one of the human nations in the supercontinent of Tyrell. They became a powerhouse after my intervention. Many elven and dwarven nations bullied other human nations, blaming them for their problems. The Duchy of Novoros defended themselves without my interference," Alex paused.
Everyone was shocked to hear about this unknown country.
"So, for years, you have a puppet state or a vassal state with a lower technological level, and they are equipped with advanced weapons?" Zarina asked in one breath.
"Yes, the first army is en route to Pangea to join the offensive. I'm pulling out the 4th Legion from the Cossack front and replacing them with the 1st Novoros Army. The 4th Legion will be assigned to Olympus for recuperation, while the 3rd Legion is pulled back to the empire for recuperation," Alex finished. The screen showed Draconian symbols moving.
"I, Queen of Muscovy, pull back half of my army once the Novoros Army arrives to allow my men to see their loved ones. When the offensive begins, my men will be present," Zarina pledged.
"Alright, Axe, prepare an advisory group to train them in jungle and forest warfare," Alex instructed. Axe and Zarina nodded in agreement.
The discussion continued, covering international scenarios, logistics, special unit deployments, and weapons purchases. After a while, they announced a break. Alex observed the situation while others chatted. Thirty minutes later, they resumed.
"We will discuss the post-war aftermath of the territory to avoid being clueless after the war," Alex stated, showing a map where Chronos's territory was divided, with the heartlands shaded gray.
"The eastern territory of the Chronos Horde shall be granted to the High Kingdom of Muscovy, including the ports and cities," Alex announced. Aphrodite questioned the decision.
"Why are we given such a small territory while the Muscovy Kingdom gets the entire eastern territory?" she protested. Ares and Zeus remained silent, knowing Hera could use the territory for her own unstable power.
"For the first year, Olympus will be granted the territory presented on the map. Once the political turmoil calms down, Olympus can slowly gain the promised territories. I will deploy the majority of Olympus soldiers as peacekeepers while the rest remain in Olympus. In the event of a civil war, they shall take no side," Alex declared. No one spoke up. Zeus knew a civil war would likely spark after the war, but Olympus was already under Draconian control. Special forces had seized assets covertly, leaving even Demeter's agricultural guilds under Draconian oversight.
Aphrodite, considering herself neutral, decided to withdraw her knights from Olympus lands and possibly exile herself to avoid interfering post-war.
"For the Chronos heartlands, we shall create a puppet government for the remaining Titans and some prisoners, governed by the firstborn of the gods, Arthur Chronos," Alex concluded. Everyone was shocked, and Alex waited for them to calm down.
### Meanwhile
Arthur scratched his ear during a battle, facing one of Chronos's lower generals who committed a counter-offensive despite being surrounded.
"Die, traitor!" shouted the general, swinging a giant longsword.
Woosh!
Arthur evaded swiftly, throwing his sword directly, cutting the general's left leg. Blue blood spurted out as the Titan released his weapon, screaming in pain. Arthur grabbed his sword and pierced the Titan's forehead, killing him instantly. The general muttered his last words, "For Ch-ro-nos."
Arthur saw his army tearing through enemy ranks with Draconian soldiers, ending the battle in ten minutes.
"Come, cut off their retreat!" shouted the commander, firing his assault rifle. Draconian soldiers followed, quickly flanking the enemy and tearing through their ranks.
"Have our soldiers slowly fall back. I don't want any more lives wasted," Arthur ordered as they passed a certain line.
"Activate it now!" he shouted, triggering a large explosion, blowing the Titans to bits. Draconian soldiers retook their positions, burning the bodies and dealing with enemy snipers.
The battlefield changed constantly, with soldiers adapting to the chaotic environment. One soldier asked his comrade, who was firing a 50-caliber machine gun, "Hey, what's your kill count?"
"Thirty," he replied, continuing to fire in short bursts.
All around, Titan soldiers' corpses were left to rot while Draconian soldiers began to burn the bodies. On the rooftops, enemy snipers targeted officers. Major General Adam sighed; this was an everyday occurrence. However, he felt the pressure mounting as Draconian scouts reported that enemy reinforcements were arriving en masse. He knew he must prepare for the worst.
"Come on, soldiers, stand and fight," he muttered as he gripped the walls.
To be continued...