Ludwig stared at the Tholarian forces with a mixture of shock and anger. Sweeping his gaze around the men, he noticed some of them holding explosives launchers. He didn't need to think much to know that they were the ones responsible for the explosions in the Haven.
Song and Gohnn emerged a few steps behind Ludwig, and when they saw the forces assembled before them they both sucked in cold breaths, a slight feeling of dread washed over them as they took in the scene.
"Gohnn, what happened to our jammers? There shouldn't be any way a warp gate spell can penetrate this space, even if a means had been prepared beforehand." Ludwig asked with a stern expression.
Gohnn flinched nervously at the question, cold sweat trickling down his forehead. "Your grace, the jammers were working just fine this morning just like any other time. The maintenance crew should have been monitoring them in shifts constantly." Gohnn answerd to the best of his ability, afterall he wasn't part of the maintenance team or had anything to do with them, but he dared not voice this out, especially in the current situation.
Ludwig listened, his gaze never leaving the scarred figure leading the Tholarian forces. The man stared back with an equally serious expression.
"I'm assuming you are the leader here. Ludwig asked," his gaze focused on the scarred man.
The scarred man stepped forward, his presence imposing. "I am General Lingaard, and I am indeed the designated leader here." He replied, his thick voice strolling effortlessly into Ludwig's ears.
Ludwig's eye twitched as he heard the voice, perhaps irked by the sound of it or maybe by the casualness with which Lingaard answered him.
"So I'm assuming you and your so-called 'honoured usurper, Simon' know what your presence and actions here signify. And I'm sure you're all well aware of the consequences." Ludwig shot back, his voice laced with cold fury.
"Of course," Lingaard replied without missing a beat. "We're here under the orders of the Supreme Leader, who is officially declaring war against Tasvill, it doesn't matter whether it's done formally or not."
"With this lot?" Ludwig asked with a slight anger in his tone. "You came into my land to invade, with this lot?" He asked again, his voice raising in volume. A thick vein was throbbing on Ludwid's forehead as he clenched his teeth in anger. At a casual glance he could tell that the men Tholaria had here weren't up to two thousand, but they had brazenly declared war on them while invading with this amount of men.
This was an insult to Ludwig and Tasvill and he had taken their provocation very seriously and he was very pissed, hence heightening his poise to deal with them.
Ignoring Ludwig's question Lingaard just raised his hand, signalling the men behind him.
"SCATTER!" A voice roared among the Tholarian forces
Immediately, the soldiers responded with practised movements. They dispersed immediately, with some of them moving into the streets of Tasvill, while the rest made their move towards the gates of the Haven, making their way inside.
"Let's do as much damage as possible before those magic-loving bastards come," Lingaard murmured to himself softly as he began to move into the Haven, his aura rising sharply.
Ludwig stood still, his anger already reaching a boiling point as he saw the Tholarian forces brazenly storm around on his turf, their act of hostility igniting something deep inside him causing lightning to crackle furiously on his body.
"John Ludwig Tasvill! Come show me what you have." Lingaard roared with laughter, as he charged ferociously at Ludwig, hot air billowing off his rushing figure.
Song was about to make a move to intercept Lingaard when Ludwig's raised hand stopped him. Song knew better than to insist because he could feel Ludwig's aura. He didn't need to see his face to know that he was beyond pissed.
"You both, rally the men available and go take care of the others," Ludwig instructed without even looking back.
"This is war, and once this is all over, Tholaria will feel the weight of the consequences of their actions today."
Ludwig then took a step forward. As soon as his foot hit the ground, he blasted In front of Lingaard in the blink of an eye, his crackling body shining like a beacon under the dim sky.
Lingaard flinched for a second when he saw Ludwig reach him so quickly, but he quickly composed himself, true to an experienced soldier.
Lingaard threw out a punch, the hot steam coming off him condensing around his fist before blasting off towards Ludwig. Ludwig twisted his body mid-approach, evading the air strike effortlessly before unleashing his attack on Lingaard.
Lingaard half expected Ludwig to dodge his attack, but what he did not expect was a thick bolt of lightning that sent him flying into the sky. Before he could recover from the shock, Ludwig's figure was already above him, his body crackling with energy as he delivered another blow to the unsuspecting Lingaard.
Lingaard's body crashed back to the ground like a meteor, leaving a crater where he landed. Lingaard coughed out blood.
Ludwig's figure descended rapidly, aiming for Lingaard's body. Recognising the imminent danger, Lingaard rolled away from the spot as Ludwig landed with a thunderous impact, sending chunks of earth flying in all directions.
Quickly regaining his footing, Lingaard made a hand movement, summoning a long spear from thin air. The spear materialised In his grip, its dark blue shaft gleaming ominously under the dim light. The weapon was adorned with silver runes that pulsed with a faint glow. The blade was razor-sharp, and its surface was also filled with runic inscriptions.
Brandishing the spear with practised ease, Lingaard's presence seemed to magnify, his aura becoming more menacing as if blending with that of the spear. He pointed the spear at Ludwig, a serious expression on his face.
Ludwig did not seem bothered about the change in his opponent, the lightning on his body instead crackling more furiously around him.
Lingaard lunged forward, the spear releasing a searing heat as it cut through the air with a high-pitched whine. Ludwig was about to make a sidestep to evade the thrust when a burst of heat suddenly erupted from the tip of the blade pushing Ludwig back a few inches. The glow on the blade of the spear dimmed considerably after the attack.
Seizing the opportunity, Lingaard stepped forward again, ready to take advantage of his surprise attack. He then thrust the spear towards Ludwig with remarkable speed. Another burst of heat escaped the tip of the spear washing over Ludwig in waves.
This time, Ludwig was ready for the wave. He braced himself, channelling his lightning into a barrier that shimmered around him. The heat waves clashed against the electric shield, causing it to crackle and spark but ultimately holding firm.
After Lingaard's second attack, the glow on the runes of his blade dimmed down further, this did not escape Ludwig's notice, but he had little time to focus on such things for now. He pushed against the heat, forcing it back towards Lingaard. After repelling Lingaard's attack, Ludwig quickly sent out a charge of lightning at Lingaard.
Lingaard, seeing the incoming bolt of lightning, spun his spear expertly. The spear absorbed the impact of the lightning, and the dim runes on the blade flared up sharply as they channelled the energy from the attack. The spin created a shield of heat and energy, causing the air around him to shimmer from the heat.
Lingaard quickly pressed forward, his spear becoming a blur of motion as he aimed for Ludwig with a series of rapid thrusts. Each movement of the spear sent small bursts of steam and heat, creating an oppressive atmosphere.
Ludwig dodged the spear thrust easily due to his lightning-quick reflexes, but he was finding it hard to escape the bursts of heat as they covered a wide area. He noticed how the spear absorbed his lightning charging up the dim runes on the spear. Now seeing that the spear was probably a custom-made weapon meant to deal with his lightning, Ludwig decided to shift his attack focus. But first, he needed to escape the barrage of scalding heat-filled attacks that left his skin tingling.
Lingaard kept pressing on with his relentless thrusts and swipes of his spear as he maintained a certain distance from Ludwig.
"Fine spear you have there," Ludwig said, his movements still a blur as he dodged The thrusts and slashes. Its runes seem to be fueled by lightning. Suitable for fighting me, but…"
A strong gust of wind followed Ludwig's words, sweeping across the field. The wind interrupted Lingaard's attacks causing his balance to fumble. Not giving Lingaard a moment, Ludwig was already upon Lingaard with only his fist coated in lightning, his intentions clear.
Lingaard tried desperately to raise his spear to block the attack, but he was too slow. In the next moment, a powerful blow hit Lingaard on his midsection. The impact was immediate, sending a jolt of electricity through Lingaard's body and causing him to stagger back.
Ludwig pressed his advantage, unleashing a flurry of electrified strikes, each one crackling with energy, hitting Lingaard squarely on different parts of his body. Unlike his spear, Lingaard could not absorb the shocks from the impact causing his body to go numb with each hit. After a few hits, Lingaard was brought down, arcs of electricity running through his body.
Ludwig didn't waste a single moment and changed the lightning coating his hand to resemble a claw. He then slashed at Lingaard's paralysed body, poised to reap his life with the strike. Before Ludwig's attack could reach its mark…
"Void sphere." A frail voice suddenly rang out.
Upon hearing the voice, goosebumps appeared all over Ludwig's skin. Without a moment's hesitation, he quickly bolted away from the spot he was. Ludwig's hair stood on end as he stared at the spot where he had been.
Everything still looked to be normal but Ludwig knew that was not the case. Everything within a sphere in the air where he stood had been erased; from the air itself to the particles and the elements present there, erased. Had Ludwig hesitated for even a second more, his head would have been erased too.