The nobles would not allow such losses to go unanswered, and Juri knew the rebellion had forced their hand. Now, with their supply lines disrupted and their garrisons in disarray, the nobles would consolidate their forces for one final, decisive strike.
Inside Ironclad Bastion, Juri stood in the war room with his core leadership. The air was tense as scouts delivered their latest reports.
“They’re mobilizing,” Garrick said, laying a map on the table. “Lorian Vehr’s consolidating troops from every stronghold in the region. They’re forming an army to retake everything we’ve taken from them.”
Halrick leaned over the table, his expression grim. “How big are we talking?”
“Big,” Garrick replied. “At least five thousand soldiers, dozens of Sentinels, and heavy artillery. They’re pulling out all the stops.”
Kira crossed her arms, her brow furrowed. “And we’re supposed to hold against that?”
Juri’s sharp blue eyes scanned the map, his mind racing. “We don’t hold,” he said finally. “We outmaneuver them.”
Valeria Eldryn raised an eyebrow at Juri’s statement. “Outmaneuver five thousand troops? I hope you have more than blind confidence to back that up.”
Juri nodded, his expression unreadable. “The nobles are overconfident. They think their numbers will guarantee victory. But an army that size is slow, predictable, and dependent on its supply chain. If we strike at the right points, we can disrupt them before they ever reach us.”
He pointed to the map, marking three locations:
- Ashenbridge Pass, a narrow valley the nobles would have to traverse.
- Cinderplain Depot, their main staging ground for supplies.
- Blackreach Crossroads, a vital intersection connecting their reinforcements to the main force.
“We’ll split their army,” Juri continued. “Hit their supply depot first, then bait their forces into Ashenbridge Pass. Once they’re bottlenecked, we’ll strike hard and fast, cutting them off from reinforcements.”
Halrick grinned. “A classic pincer move. I like it.”
“It’s risky,” Valeria said. “If any part of this plan fails, we’ll be surrounded.”
“Every plan is risky,” Juri replied, his sharp blue eyes gleaming with determination. “But if we let them consolidate their forces and march on Ironclad, we’ll lose everything.”
The next two days were a flurry of preparation. Engineers worked tirelessly to reinforce the Dominion-class Mech and other machines. The Arc Pulse Cannon was fine-tuned, and the mech’s armor was reinforced with salvaged plating from the nobles’ War Sentinels.
Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.
Eren Vas unveiled a new experimental device: Mimic Mines, mana-infused explosives that could project illusions to confuse the enemy.
“These will create phantom units,” Eren explained, demonstrating the device in the workshop. “The illusions aren’t solid, but they’ll draw fire and create chaos on the battlefield.”
“Perfect,” Juri said. “Set them up at Ashenbridge Pass.”
Meanwhile, Kira drilled the new recruits, ensuring they were prepared for the intensity of the coming battle.
“This isn’t just another skirmish,” she told them. “This is the fight that decides everything. Stick to your training, watch each other’s backs, and trust in the plan.”
The rebellion’s offensive began at night. Juri led a strike team to Cinderplain Depot, the nobles’ main staging ground for their supplies. The Dominion moved silently through the darkness, flanked by Adaptive Drones and a squad of Bastion Walkers.
The depot was heavily guarded, with patrols of soldiers and mages circling the perimeter. Juri scanned the area from the Dominion’s cockpit, his sharp blue eyes narrowing.
“Drones, take out the sentries. Walkers, prepare to breach the gates,” he ordered through the comms.
The attack was swift and devastating. The drones eliminated the sentries with silenced Repeaters, clearing the way for the Bastion Walkers to smash through the gates. Inside, the rebels planted explosives on the supply caches, targeting the nobles’ stockpiles of food, weapons, and mana cores.
As the first explosions lit up the night, Juri guided the Dominion into the depot’s main storage facility. The Arc Pulse Cannon fired in rapid bursts, disabling the magical defenses and allowing the rebels to finish their work.
By the time the nobles’ reinforcements arrived, the depot was in flames, and the rebels were already gone.
The destruction of the depot forced the nobles to alter their plans, redirecting their forces to secure alternate supply routes. Juri anticipated this and positioned his forces at Ashenbridge Pass, a narrow valley perfect for an ambush.
Eren and his engineers had rigged the pass with Mimic Mines and traps, creating a web of illusions and hidden explosives. Garrick’s sharpshooters took up positions on the cliffs, while Kira led a ground team stationed at the choke point.
As the nobles’ column entered the pass, the mines activated, projecting phantom units of rebel soldiers and mechs. Confused by the illusions, the nobles hesitated, firing wildly at non-existent targets.
“Now!” Juri shouted through the comms.
The rebels unleashed their attack, the Dominion’s railgun firing into the tightly packed formation. Explosives detonated along the cliffs, sending rocks crashing down and cutting off the nobles’ retreat.
Kira’s ground team charged into the fray, using the chaos to dismantle the nobles’ ranks. Halrick led a flanking maneuver, cutting off their vanguard and trapping them in the pass.
The nobles fought back fiercely, their mages unleashing powerful spells. But the Dominion’s mana barriers absorbed the brunt of the attacks, and the rebels’ coordination outmatched the disorganized nobles.
By nightfall, the battle at Ashenbridge Pass was over. The nobles’ forces were decimated, their supply lines severed, and their morale shattered.
As the rebels regrouped, Juri climbed out of the Dominion’s cockpit, his body aching from the strain of the battle. Kira approached, her face streaked with dirt and sweat.
“We did it,” she said, her voice a mix of exhaustion and relief.
“For now,” Juri replied, his sharp blue eyes scanning the battlefield. “But this isn’t the end. The nobles still have reinforcements. We need to stay ahead of them.”
Halrick joined them, his sword resting on his shoulder. “What’s next, boss?”
Juri smirked faintly. “We keep hitting them until they can’t get back up.”
In the capital, Lorian Vehr stood before the council, his face pale with anger. The defeat at Ashenbridge Pass had left their forces in disarray, and reports of rebellion spread like wildfire.
“They’re dismantling our control piece by piece,” Lorian growled. “We need to end this now.”
Lady Alarice Vorell’s green eyes glinted coldly. “Then it’s time to play our final card. Deploy Project Ascendant.”
The room fell silent.
“Are you certain, my lady?” an officer asked hesitantly.
“Yes,” Alarice said. “If Winkler wants a war, we’ll give him one. And this time, he won’t survive.”