Struggling as a Villain

"Artilleries? Are you sure?" Lena, during one of the meetings, asked Richard as they sat in the conference hall with Bellarine and Jennifer.

Richard nodded, "Yup, they are not aware of the firepower of our weapons, and considering they won't be in perfect coordination to defend against us, we can use the weapons to slow them down and take out a huge chunk of their army?" Experience tales at My Virtual Library Empire

Richard's concern remained with their quality soldiers who have fought all their lives with ether. Unlike the earthlings who gained magical abilities later and still were far from the point of total command over their magic, ether was like a body part for Clion's residents.

He couldn't hope to deal with the Apostles using modern weapons but surely, the foot soldiers would be hindered with tanks and gunships.

"If…we are talking about weapons…how about we launch a nuclear missile?" Jennifer suggested, which caused Lena to frown,

"That…is foolish. It would cause immense destruction and will harm our soldiers more than the enemy forces."

Bellarine had a different opinion, "We can launch the nuclear weapon only when Baby is on the other side. Richard can simply evacuate on time, while the other side won't know what hit them."

The suggestion was plausible and surprisingly seemed quite effective, but, "They have formed their fortress not far away from the Capital….and the radiation from nuclear warhead would kill thousands of innocent people."

The radiation from the missile would be too much for the citizens. And it wasn't like the radiation would disappear after a few minutes. So the earthlings would surely suffer, any moment they decide to show up.

Too much risk.

"That's why, let's stick to warships and artilleries for now. That would be enough to throw them off balance."

°°°°°°

And just as Richard planned, the appearance of modern weapons and heavy ammunition threw them into turmoils.

The burst of fire from the warships was keeping the soldiers at bay.

Those who could defend themselves were targeted by the spells from the Phoenix force, and those who dared to tank the firepower were taken down by Richard's spell.

Eleanor had her fists clenched, her expression ugly.

Even though the other side wasn't putting themselves at offense the forces of Light couldn't reach them either.

'At this rate, they will make us spend all our soldiers without receiving any significant damage.'

Gritting her teeth, Eleanor turned toward the bald man.

Theodore saw the signal and launched himself into the air.

With both fists raised, he hurled a punch at the nearest warship—

BOOOOOM!

The ship burst apart instantly, its shattered blade spinning through the air before slamming into a nearby war tank—

KAA-BOOM!

Flames and debris are scattered in every direction.

Before the smoke even settled, Theodore crashed back down, slamming his fist into the earth. The ground groaned and trembled—then it collapsed. Artilleries and war tanks sank like stones, swallowed by the crumbling battlefield.

Screams erupted as soldiers scrambled, their footing vanishing beneath them. Metal groaned, war machines tipping, tumbling into the sinking ground like helpless prey.

Theodore straightened, his breath steady. His eyes locked onto the next target.

From the smoke, another warship veered toward him, cannons glowing with energy. BOOM! BOOM! Explosions ripped through the ground around him, but he didn't flinch.

He shot forward—faster than a bullet.

CRACK!

His fist tore through the warship's hull like paper. Flames erupted from within. The pilots barely had time to scream before the entire ship detonated mid-air.

Theodore landed in the middle of the battlefield, smoke swirling around him.

Sensing the incoming presence, he raised his face and prepared to attack—when suddenly,

**BOOOOOOM**

A fist landed on his face faster than he could have reacted, sending Theodore hurtling back toward the fortress.

The soldiers instantly formed a barrier and stopped Theodore mid-track.

*TING*

His back collided against the barrier, making Theodore groan, before he landed on his feet and looked at the person who punched him.

It was a long black-haired man with blood-red eyes who stood there. His shadow flared like a living organism, and the whole person radiated with an ominous energy.

Richard looked at his General—the man who had fought against the church while his mother and sister battled death itself.

His gaze hardened. "Axon... I nearly forgot about you."

At those words, the man flinched. A flicker of emotion crossed his face—his Lord had forgotten him.

"I apologize for not being in touch, my lord," Axon said, lowering his head in respect.

It was then—

DHAK!

Without looking up, he raised a hand, blocking a brutal kick aimed straight at his skull.

Theodore's eyes burned with intensity as his leg trembled against Axon's unmoving palm. Gritting his teeth, he exploded into motion, launching a storm of attacks.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Each strike crashed like thunder, shaking the ground beneath them. Shockwaves rolled through the battlefield, making the air tremble. Soldiers watching were frozen in place—petrified.

And yet, Axon stood firm, deflecting each blow with terrifying ease.

"DAMN YOU!" Coating his arm with stones, Theodore launched the punch.

Axon moved, his body turning a blur and before Theodore's punch could have reached its destination, a massive vortex of darkness engulfed the battlefield.

Soldiers on both sides had to step back because of a hurricane of intense Aembr which swallowed Theodore and moved rapidly towards the forces of Light.

Theodore tried to punch his way out, but the overwhelming Aembr was making it nearly impossible to think straight.

Axon raised his, ready to converge the hurricane and let it explode—when suddenly,

**BOOOOOM**

A heavy explosion pushed away Axon and the other soldiers—finally giving Theodore the opportunity to breathe.

On the battlefield, a certain black-haired woman landed with grace.

Wearing her battle suit, Ruby gave an enchanting but deadly vibe as she looked at her opponent.

Richard's eyes turned cold, however, before he could move forward,

"Let me handle her, my Lord." Surprisingly, Jasmine appeared out of nowhere, her appearance different than usual with her long black wings protruding from her back.

Richard raised his brows, seeing the two followers of Thalvorn standing side by side and facing the two Apostles.

The battle between the Generals—begin!

°°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading. Your comments and support are the only fuel that has brought me this far.