Civilization: Beyond Two Worlds - Chapter 380
380 The War Is Over
Reversing space.
He used the power of the Fire Thief to cut off the foundation of the building.
Small shattering sounds kept coming from the bottom of the building. It was the soft sound of an object being extracted. The power of the Fire Thief was like an invisible and sharp knife cutting through everything tangible in the world.
Even if the bottom of the building was broken at the waist, in a special environment like the white fog world where there was no wind or even the image of a planet rotating, coupled with the weight of more than 30 floors, this building would not easily collapse on its own. However, if space twisted like this, it would be a different story in the world.
The crackling sound became louder and louder.
Then, there was a bang.
It left the heavy foundation and restrained ground.
A huge creature more than 30 floors tall fell into the sky.
The spatial door opened.
Ten thousand meters in the sky of Red Maple City, this was already the stratosphere. Below was an endless sea of clouds. More than 30 meters tall and hundreds of square meters of residential buildings rushed out of the dark spatial door and whistled down with a violent vibration and friction with the air, breaking through the dense sea of clouds.
It fell.
The vibration, explosion, and friction caused the entire building to tremble. As the heat and strength accumulated from friction with the airflow were countered, the surface of the building continuously peeled off and floated in the air. The shock waves that surged back and forth continuously shattered the glass. Fragments of various sizes continuously flew out of the building, causing this building to look like a space station that had fallen to the ground after being abandoned.
It fell.
It broke through the bottom of the troposphere, the sea of clouds, and rushed to the stratosphere.
The world was instantly empty. Amidst the thin clouds, the ground below was clearly visible.
There was a chaotic airflow and an even more violent elemental reaction here. The 24-hour spell attack of the Elven Expeditionary Force changed the color of the sky here. The dense and chaotic elemental torrent above Red Maple City was created by the elf mages, but now, it had become a weapon that was about to kill them.
Element Extraction.
Attach.
Violent elemental power spread along the surface of the building. With just a primer, it could trigger a chain reaction. Flames suddenly surged and whistled as they spread to the entire building, covering its original appearance, making it look like a huge meteor burning violently, bringing the end of death and extinction.
It fell in the direction of the vast expeditionary army camp outside the city.
The atmosphere rumbled.
It was impossible not to notice such a phenomenon and sound.
In fact, when the building crossed the troposphere and whistled over, the elves saw it.
The phenomenon in the sky. Amidst the spinning red blood cloud, a huge flaming meteor whistled down. It was like the end of the world recorded in a forbidden curse, bringing an unstoppable end.
In dozens of seconds.
The most fanatical and violent elf soldiers stopped.
Everything was meaningless now. The slogans of the officers, the glory of the soldiers, loyalty, the motherland, the Empress, justice, all of them became insignificant. At this moment, they thought of their relatives in their hometown, their parents, wives, and children. This was about to be an eternity, and they would sleep in a foreign land.
They only looked at the sky in a daze.
Apart from that, there was nothing else he could do.
Even the Goethe people in the city understood what a forbidden spell was.
“Thirty seconds!”
Horus transformed into a mechanical form. The four additional vector vents installed behind him were activated with all their might, pushing the burning building and adjusting the landing point. The ground approached.
They would be reduced to ashes.
This would raise huge dust and cause a violent impact. This dust and air wave would devour these pitiful elves and more, placing the two countries of Goethe and Twilight in the shadow of war. This was because, after this battle, the Twilight Dynasty would definitely carry out full revenge. The large blood debt meant that this matter could no longer be salvaged. It no longer had anything to do with right and wrong, only the interests and face of the country.
They would do everything they could to take revenge on Goethe. This meant that more and more mass projections would appear on the various battlefields and the elves’ homeland until the last drop of blood flowed out of Twilight, until they painfully admitted defeat, and until the overlord of the world finally declined.
Then, he would face the malice, fear, and panic of the various countries.
An eternal war until everything was reduced to ruins and countless living beings disappeared.
However, so what if he did not do this?
The elite experts of the expeditionary army were carrying out operations and killing in Red Maple City. These crazy elf armies outside would also rush into the city. No one knew what the other choice would lead to.
Just as no one knew what would have happened if the button was pressed.
Therefore, Kang De said that everything could only be judged by history.
He would still make a choice without hesitation.
“20 seconds!”
It was close enough, so close that this huge creature that fell from the sky pressed down on everyone’s souls.
At this moment, a line of fire rushed out of the distant clouds. The sound of a phoenix resounded through the world.
“Father!” The auxiliary helmet transmitted the scene. Through Horus’s perception module, Kang De saw the phoenix rushing over, or rather, the elf riding it.
The violent wind blew her long hair back.
Her body was wrapped in glorious armor, and her face was covered by the phoenix-winged helmet. The king’s cloak rolled with blazing flames. It was unknown what she looked like.
However, Kang De knew who she was.
Duke Tagris of Tiling… or rather, the Phoenix King who was pretending to be him.
She pretended to be her brother and came to Valentine to negotiate with Kang De. Some stories happened and they formed something that seemed to be called friendship.
She said that she had come with good intentions and brought information about visitors from outer space. She had taught him something. She had been drunk, cried, and caused trouble in front of him. Kang De knew her identity very well. It seemed that the Phoenix King also knew that Kang De knew her identity, but everyone tacitly maintained this layer of secrecy.
Delilah enjoyed her unrestrained relaxation. Kang De also found this interesting.
However, their harmonious interaction ended with the bad news brought about by Sword Saint Snowfall.
At that time, Kang De could have gone to confront her because he vaguely felt that Delilah might not know about the second surprise attack of the expeditionary army. However, at that time, his father had also lost his way in Africa. The two sides were extremely urgent, so Kang De did not dare to bet at all. This was because if he made a mistake, the war that had happened in Valentine might make him stay there forever. Neither side could save him, and everything would end.
Therefore, at this point.
Perhaps it was fate, but the two sides were destined not to be friends.
In fact, they even met and killed more than a hundred thousand of her citizens in front of her, allowing the war to continue.
Kang De looked at the image on the visor in a daze. The phoenix that had flown over the battlefield sped over as if she had sensed something. Delilah stared over as if she could see Kang De.
The gazes of humans and elves collided at the intersection of illusion and reality.
In more than ten seconds, destruction would descend from the sky.
It was too late to beg, negotiate, convince, and negotiate.
This short period of time was fleeting and was not even enough for Delilah to rush over.
Like the cry of a phoenix, the Empress’s voice was heard by Kang De for the first time. Or rather, it was restrained by Horus’s perception module and shook in Kang De’s ear.
“Kang—De—”
However, it was unknown how many words, sorrow, and emotions this call contained.
“Ten seconds!”
Horus roared, “Father!”
Dark light flashed.
The elves who stopped and waited quietly for destruction were stunned to see a dark light unfold. Space ripples were like a lake, trembling. The terrifying star of destruction was enveloped, retracted, and shattered by an invisible force. The intense explosion blurred the boundary of matter and was devoured and exiled by an invisible force. In the sky above them, the shadow of death had even been projected. Then, it disappeared.
The world was empty.
The burning Star of Destruction had already disappeared.
The boundary between destruction and new life, life and death, was only an instant.
The mass projection that was enough to cover the entire expeditionary army array had already ended.
After escaping death, life and death were already on the line for the elf soldiers. They had once fought to the death fanatically and were disheartened, regretful, and longing in the face of this power that destroyed everything. Now, they seemed to be able to survive.
The sounds of weapons falling sounded one after another.
Weapons that symbolized honor and life fell into the bloody mud.
Many elves looked at the sky in a daze and did not move. Many elves hugged the comrades beside them and cried. They either hugged the warhorse under them or panted heavily.
No one spoke.
No one mentioned continuing to fight.
Even the Goethe soldiers on the city wall stopped shooting. The elves under the city all threw away their weapons. For some reason, the Goethe people were also disinterested. They also saw that terrifying power blast toward the ground and everything in the end. Everything stopped. After a 24-hour battle, for some reason, they lost the mood to continue fighting and pursue the elves.
They only felt very, very tired.
However, they felt peaceful too.
In the white fog world, a terrifying falling object roared and struck the ground.
He snapped his fingers.
He turned off the light.
Endless darkness surged. Immediately, dazzling lines drew the world again.
Nothing happened in the white fog world today.
In the driver’s seat, Kang De let out a long breath and said calmly, “Tell the time.”
“Calculating and analyzing… Calculating. Time lag shortened. Three minutes.”
He opened the door, closed the door, and turned off the light.
Horus said, “Father, did we profit?”
“Perhaps.”
A dark light flashed as he returned to the other world.
Through the cockpit cover of the driver’s seat, he saw the king riding the phoenix looking around in panic. When she saw the outline of the Transformer, she was clearly relieved. She drove the phoenix and rushed over.
She took off the phoenix-winged helmet and revealed her true appearance.
She was a little similar to Tagris. The gentleness and heroism of a woman coexisted, but her shocking beauty was covered by an even more dazzling temperament. The dignity of a king, noble and proud, and a firm will, the duty and mission to guide all the citizens forward… She was the most powerful monarch in the world. This was her identity above that of a woman. Weakness, loneliness, and beauty were covered by the realization of a king.
Only now did it reveal a true temperament that did not match her identity.
Worry, guilt, sorrow, helplessness, lingering fear, gratitude… Many words were waiting to be poured out.
She must have a lot to say.
“Stop.”
What replied to her was the sound of an engine that had been warmed up and the autocannon set up.
Kang De’s voice sounded, “Keep a distance from me and don’t do anything threatening. Elf, this is the last time I trust you. If anything happens next, I’ll completely erase your capital from the map. At that time, these elves won’t be the only ones to die.”
The cold words made Delilah stop.
She clenched her fists tightly, bit her lip, and lowered her head. In the sky, there was only each other. Others could not see it. Tears gathered in her eyes. Only he had seen her cry.
However, the barrier had already been drawn deeply.
Although the final destruction did not descend, the countless deaths, hatred, and blood debts caused by the restarted battle could not be eliminated. What she saw along the way was also Red Maple City’s on the battlefield.
She wanted to say something, but she discovered that she had nothing to say.
I didn’t know? I just rushed over? What’s the point of saying this?
“I’ve already defeated you once and ordered them to surrender. Your generals pretended to surrender, but they attacked again and chased away the soldiers outside to attack the city wall in vain. The gathered elites have already rushed into the city. You have to stop them immediately and order them to put down their weapons and end this war and give me an explanation. This is the condition for me to end the mass projection.”
Kang De said calmly, “I’ve already made my choice. It’s your turn.”
Horus began to change shape and prepare to return to Red Maple City.
At this moment, Delilah suddenly said, “Kang De, why did you stop?”
“From the beginning to the end, my goal was to end the war, not let it end everything.”
Kang De’s answer was cold and decisive.
At this moment, he was sitting in the internal cockpit of Horus and talking through the loudspeaker.
At this moment, the loudspeaker was turned off by his iron son.
The Transformer floating in the air glanced at the Phoenix King and said indifferently, “Father doesn’t want to say this, but I can tell you that he promised you that he won’t use what you taught him to deal with the elves. He did this earlier after you broke your promise.”
Delilah’s body shook, and her eyes turned red at a visible speed.
Horus the Transformer turned around and flew away.
“…What are you doing?!”
“We wasted three minutes. My heart aches so I’ll help you recover this bit.”
“No, when did I f*cking use the Phoenix Vision?”
“She doesn’t know anyway.”
“So why are you saying this?”
“Father, you don’t understand.”
As they argued, the phoenix’s line of fire had already swept toward Red Maple City.
“Loyal soldiers of the Royal Army! I’m your king!”
Phoenix flames curled around it and the holy sword was raised high. A brilliant light flashed, and eternal flames soared into the sky. The light was bright. All the weakness and sorrow had already been restrained. Only one person could see the appearance of the king.
At this moment, Delilah was like an eternal flame, shining and illuminating the confused and helpless subjects.
“The war has already ended! Or rather, it was a mistake to begin with! I’ve never given any order to attack again! This is a shameful betrayal and conspiracy! The culprit who caused all of this will definitely be punished, but you’re innocent!”
The king’s voice echoed in the sky and was transmitted to the ears of every elf.
“I’m here… to bring you home!”
The phoenix rushed into the city.
In fact, when they saw that terrifying quality weapon blast toward the ground, the elves in the city also stopped fighting. From the appearance of the Star of Destruction to its disappearance, the ups and downs of their mood were enough to make them doubt the righteousness and necessity of this operation… They no longer wanted to fight.
Especially after seeing their king ride the phoenix over.
Delilah landed on the ground and shouted. The elves who were resisting stubbornly in this area also put down their weapons and walked out. The Goethe army surrounding them received orders and did not attack.
To them, it was more or less difficult to look at the light of the Phoenix King.
Delilah’s sharp gaze swept across their faces.
Sylvan Keller suddenly raised his sword and wiped his neck. In the next moment, flames curled around him. The holy sword attacked, and resplendent golden flames outlined the light of the sun. Blood erupted from the limbs of the Lord of Dawn Light, and magic power leaked out like flowing water. His body fell weakly with a desperate expression.
“You and the elves who led this will pay the price.”
Sword Saint Snowfall, the gorilla, and the experts of Goethe rushed over from all directions. Everyone was facing a great enemy. The Phoenix King’s sword made them feel a huge pressure. If the previous surprise battle was led by this king, Red Maple City would probably have long been in chaos.
The steel wings roared down, and Kang De appeared.
Even if they had never seen him, the Goethe people knew his identity. The crowd automatically parted. Everyone watched in silence, including the elves, while the gorilla and Hillmelia stood protectively to the left and right.
Kang De and Delilah’s eyes met.
There was only calm indifference in each other’s eyes.
The Elven Empress lowered her eyes and said indifferently, “Do you want an explanation now?”
Kang De said, “In the previous war, we each served our own masters and obeyed orders. We had no complaints about life and death, but we pretended to agree to surrender and raided the city to start a massacre. Those elves who were stained with blood in the city have to die.”
Flames burned in Delilah’s eyes. It was a sign that the Phoenix Vision had been activated.
She looked at the city, then said indifferently, “They’re all here.”
The holy sword was unsheathed.
The officers and mages who had already put down their weapons would definitely not be wary of their Empress. Even if they were wary, they would definitely not be able to fight back. Flames erupted, flame blades swept, and a storm of flames swept. These 200 or so high elves withered like fallen leaves swept by the autumn wind.
The Goethe people surrounding this place raised their weapons in unison, but in an instant, the elves had already withered. Even the experts of Goethe could not help but retreat, and their expressions changed.
The gorilla and Sword Saint Snowfall were already in front of Kang De.
At such a distance, if the other party attacked, their chances of protecting Kang De were not 100%.
“I want to take him away. He can’t die yet.”
Delilah grabbed the ashen-faced Sylvan Keller. “Give me some time.”
“Go ahead and gather your soldiers first.”
The Empress jumped onto the phoenix’s back.
Kang De suddenly said, “There’s something you didn’t say.”
Delilah stared at him, then looked at the Goethe people present.
Everyone’s faces were filled with exhaustion and heaviness.
She said softly, “Goethe, the war is over.”
As soon as she said this, there was instant silence.
Then, they cheered.
This happy cheer became louder and louder, spreading in all directions. The commoners, soldiers, and nobles cheered louder and louder, with shouts of joy, and cries of relief.
Kang De was surrounded by them and his ears were filled with happy cheers and sincere faces. He saw people continuously rushing over. He saw familiar faces. He saw the crowd part and Tina run over. The girl was much lighter than he remembered and cried like a tabby cat.
He smiled and opened his arms, so Tina plunged over and hugged him tightly. Then she looked up. Kang De felt a chill on his lips and a soft touch pressed against him.
The phoenix flapped its wings and flew into the sky.
She could see the entire city and the devastation outside the city. Innocent soldiers, a conspiracy of war. Be it humans or elves, many living beings had lost their lives, dreams, love, future, and achievements. Everything had disappeared in blood and fire. Everyone had lost a lot.
Before leaving the city, Delilah subconsciously turned around.
She saw Kang De surrounded by the Goethe people. She saw a blond girl run over, hug him, and kiss him hard.
She saw that all the Goethe people were cheering and clapping. She had guessed the girl’s identity. That noise and joy, that victory and beauty, were divided by the thick city wall and no longer related to her. The loser and the winner, the invader and defender, the conspirator and the saver, were clearly separated and infinitely distant.
She could only cast a bitter and sad glance from afar.
Perhaps at this moment, she really understood what the war had taken away.
…