Central Calendar Year 1639, Month 11, Day 1. Doors of the World, Northeastern of the Topa Kingdom
The Topa Kingdom is one of the oldest nations in the New World. The country is connected by two continents, Philades and Grameus. Despite being the oldest nation, Topa Kingdom became a subject of the Parpaldia Empire for a very long time and would send tributes in the form of slaves for shares of technology, notably weapons, from the Empire.
Still, the kingdom remained independent, because the nation once played an important role in the New World, and as a result, its strength grew over time at a slow pace. Compared to the nations in Rodenius, Topa had an edge as it possessed various weapons that were more advanced than the ones used by the Rodenius nations which, aside from Louria, were disconnected from the Parpaldian sphere of influence.
Here, in the northeastern region of the Kingdom, was a tough fortification called the 'Doors of The World'. There was a natural bridge that was only 200 meters wide, but 30 kilometres long that connected the kingdom, and to the northeast of Topa was another bridge, this one 100 meters wide and 40 kilometres long that joined them with the Grameus continent.
This fortress was located in the 'Isthmus', which connected the Philades and Grameus continent and was built in ancient times. No one figured out when it was exactly built, but sources from libraries around the world say it was built after the Alliance of The Races and the Mythical Warriors fended off the Demon Lord's invasion.
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Demonic Beast Observation Tower, Doors of the World
"For the last ten years, the highest number of demonic beasts sighted from the fortress' observation tower is only four... even if it's a hundred, the doors won't fall, you know?" said Gai, the young and handsome-looking half-elf with brown hair, who's wearing a piece of leather armour on his chest alongside a white fur on both of his soldiers, while the clothes he wore under his armour was rather thick.
"Uh... That's if those hundred that you mentioned are goblins. Orcs are the hazardous ones if you look at the record that dated back about ten decades ago," said Moah, an elf that wore steel armour that had a red cape, much like the armour of the other Topan knights. He had long blonde hair that went down to his shoulders and a beautiful face that one could even mistake for a woman.
Knight Moah and Mercenary Gai were both in one of the watchtowers that the fortress had. The two of them were childhood friends who took the path as fighters. While Moah managed to secure a rank as a knight, Gai on the other hand ended up as a highly skilled and professional mercenary. Even though the two were different in their roles, the two of them remained friends regardless of this fact.
For roughly 30 seconds, a silence ensued as the two of them kept watching the boring grassland plains outside. However, Gai noticed a bunch of tiny black dots that kept getting numerous as more appeared from around the hill.
"Hmm? What are those?" asked Gai as he lengthened his view further.
"What?" asked Moah.
"Look... above the white plain, black dots are spreading," said Gai as he pointed out towards the scenery.
Moah look in the direction where the dots were coming from. As it kept getting closer, it didn't take a long time for the two to realize that the black dots were a horde of goblins numbering at an insane amount.
"Those are goblins! That's one hell of a swarm!" said Gai.
At that moment, the two caught a herd of Orcs marching along the goblins while they were holding their clubs.
"There are a bunch of Orcs as well... I'm not feeling good about this..." said Moah.
Just then, two gigantic humanoid monsters appeared among the mobs, having 2 different colours of hair. One of them had red coloured hair, while the other had hair coloured blue. These two monsters were the legendary Red and Blue ogres who were sealed a very long time ago alongside the Demon Lord.
"There's no way this many would gather for an attack unless there's a powerful demon who gathered them!" replied Moah.
That's when Gai saw behind the two Demons, a black coloured Demon with a pair of large wings and eyes where the right side had been blinded and a black spiral horn, sitting on top of a wooden throne on top of a giant ugly, red land dragon, known as the Scarlet Dragon. This demon's name frightened those who lived outside the civilized area; Nosgorath.
"T-That... That's the Demon lord Nosgorath!" Gai shouted with a face filled with desperation.
"Quickly! Ring the bell and inform everyone of the Demon Lord's revival!" Moah ordered Gai.
As Gai did what Moah requested, the snow all of a sudden started to fall. The unified demonic beasts, through the Doors of the World, begin their march to the South. The legends repeated themselves and brought the once unprecedented calamity.
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Central Calendar Year 1639, Month 11, Day 1. Amanoki, Fenn Kingdom, Third Civilisation Area
In Amanoki, the capital city of the Fenn Kingdom stood a large castle known by its locals as the 'Castle of the Tree of Heaven'. It is located at a hilltop complex situated in the capital and constructed primarily of wood and stone. Somehow, the castle's design resembled a lot of Japanese castle architecture.
Looking at the town from the balcony of the castle was the Sword King of the Fenn Kingdom, His Majesty King Shihan. The mound on which the castle stood gave anyone within it, including the king himself, a great view of the capital city. Behind King Shihan were none other than his aides.
"That Parpaldia Empire told me to present our southern forestland to seal an alliance and bring us their protection... when in reality, their interest is our greatest threat. What in the world are they trying to protect us?" Shihan opened up after he scrutinized the medium-sized vessels arriving at the port of Amanoki as they brought a load of technology, raw materials, and goods being exported to the Fenn Kingdom by the FPDA. The materials being exported were being used for the rapid development of infrastructures that would improve the daily style of life of the Fennesse citizens.
"And what did you give them in answer, Your Majesty?" asked one of his aides.
"The answer? Nay! That is the answer... Thus, they rambled on leasing our land to them for 498 years... and I politely disagreed with it and turned down their offer to prevent any further conflict..." said Shihan.
"To such country, if you gave them the eaves of our sacred buildings, to the inner sanctum they will take... They must decide this beforehand," a female aide spoke up.
"To be the people of the Fenn Kingdom - to live and die by the sword. Even to the other powerful countries, we must let 'em know that our soul will not easily bend in such subordination. It seems like we have no other choices except to prepare for an open war... I've asked for help from our neighbouring friend, the Gahara Thearchy, and written a formal request for reinforcement to the divine King Minakanushi," said Shihan.
Then, Motam, King Shihan's most trusted aide, who also now works as an ambassador to the FPDA, enters the balcony where the King stands.
"Your Majesty. I am sorry for the disturbance at a time like this. The envoys from the FPDA have arrived and they are now awaiting you at the waiting hall," said Motam.
Hearing that, Shihan's eyes lit up.
"Oh, the five nations of the defence arrangements! The ones that helped the Qua-Toyne Principality and the Quila Kingdom from the tyrants of the Louria Kingdom. It's been seven months since we established diplomatic relations with them... I wonder how my dear friend Mr. Adil has been doing throughout the vast space of time. How intriguing! Let's meet them right away!" said Shihan.
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The waiting hall
The representatives from the five nations were in the waiting hall within the castle compound. The room was floored by tatami mats while on the walls were many sliding doors and moveable screens that were made with materials that allow light to pass through, and it looked like one of those traditional Japanese rooms one would see or imagine.
While waiting for the arrival of King Shihan, they were served by the palace a light banquet in the form of tea and cakes. The tea sets, plates and even the cakes appeared to be the same ones the Japanese had back on Earth.
"I almost mistook this place as Japan's historic period drama background. It's true what Mr. Adil says; strictness and discipline are seeping through the air," said Mr. Ashok Mirpuri, Singapore's ambassador to the Fenn Kingdom.
"Like when they were a shogunate or some period before that? It does really," said Mr Arthur Sinodios, Australia's ambassador to the Fenn Kingdom.
"It's bizarre to see something similar to our world exist in another world disconnected from ours," said Mrs Karen Pierce, the United Kingdom's ambassador to the Fenn Kingdom.
Just then, one of the doors slid open to reveal King Shihan himself. He walked into the room with a calm pace and sat in front of the representatives with a calm but wise look.
"I begged your pardons if I have made all of you wait long enough. Perhaps it's not that bad if I decided to reintroduce myself to all of you, for I am King Shihan of the Fenn Kingdom," said Shihan.
"It's a pleasure to meet you again, Your Majesty," said Mrs. Rosemary Banks, New Zealand's ambassador to the Fenn Kingdom.
"It's been a while since the last time I met all of you. I heard that all of your nations were bringing back your old weapons. Is it true?" asked Shihan.
"Indeed, Your Majesty," said Adil.
"Perhaps we can skip that matter. As for now, we need to proceed with trade talks. I have a yet important matter to discuss with all of you because this is for the future of our good relationship," said Shihan.
"What is it, Your Majesty?" asked Ms Pierce.
"As all of you might have acknowledged, the Fenn Kingdom established diplomatic relations with the Parpaldia Empire many years ago. However, problems always arose. Recently, they demanded the southern forestland of the Fenn Kingdom or leased our nation for 498 years so that they could bring us their protection and seal an alliance; I rejected both because I knew that it would endanger our trade. Our country may soon be in a state of war with them, and as you can see, we will likely lose," said Shihan.
"I am deeply concerned about the potential for war in the situation, Your Majesty. War would have significant humanitarian, economic, and security consequences, including loss of life, displacement of civilians, economic damage, and regional instability," said Mrs Banks.
"The same thing that also happened to the Topa Kingdom. Until the time they initiated diplomatic ties with Singapore, they were still being subjected to the Parpaldia Empire. According to the Topan Ambassador to Singapore, until now, the Kingdom must send tributes in the form of slaves for shares of outdated technology from the Empire," said Mr Mirpuri.
"It seems like the Parpaldia Empire do possess a threat to not just the Fenn Kingdom, but also us as well..." said Mr Sinodios.
"Still, I am interested in your five nations' military prowess. The defeat of the Louria Kingdom seven months ago with no losses suffered on your side at first baffled me, but I realized that the best way to understand a country is to understand its ways of arms. Therefore, I'd like to invite one of your five countries to attend an upcoming military festival scheduled this Saturday in favour of decommissioning four old wooden warships, assuming the Parpaldians do not invade by then. So, which nation will it be then?" said Shihan.
"Perhaps the country of Malaysia can heed your call, Your Majesty, even though my government might insist on it," said Adil.
Hearing this, King Shihan chuckled to see the way his favourite ambassador responded to his offer.
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Central Calendar Year 1639, Month 11, Day 1. 3rd Foreign Affairs Department, outer gardens of the Paradis Palace, Parpaldia Empire
"What happened to our punitive force in the Fenn Kingdom!?!" an angry shout came from an officer of the 3rd Foreign Affairs Department towards his subordinate.
"And what happened as well with the Altaras Kingdom!? I wanted to hear the results! I don't care how it was done! Push it to the officers there dominate the opposing negotiation party and bring up open war as a topic!" he yelled.
"Err... Y-Yes, sir..." his subordinate stammered.
"Huh! Listen, okay? If you're affiliated with the 3rd Foreign Affairs Department, carve this in your heart; We are the 3rd Foreign Affairs whose job is to ridicule and wrung our barbarian enemy until they're dry. Be it land, wealth or people. We present it all under the name of His Majesty Emperor Ludius. For that sole purpose, we should utilise the Imperial Oversight Army and give the authority to send punitive forces! Never do something that will make these profane and insolent barbarians undervalue us!" he said at length.
"Tell this to the on-site officers!" he ordered.
"Yes, sir!" said his subordinate swiftly.
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Reception Table
"Err... Excuse me, Ms Raita. If the bureau director isn't available, I would like to ask for an audience with another person of authority," said Ms Zulaika Ilyana, Malaysia's ambassador to the Parpaldia Empire.
"I'm very sorry, Ms. Zulaika. Even if you say so, there's the order of everything to be followed," said Raita before she closed the documents containing important pieces of information.
"So far, I've read the summary of your diplomatic negotiation and I found... It was impassable..." said Raita.
"Eh? Why is that so?" asked Zulaika.
"So... you are the people of the country of Malaysia... a part of the defence alliance known as the FPDA. For the people of the FPDA to not allow the entrance of Parpaldia Empire's extraterritoriality as one of your clauses is simply..."
"Simply?"
"Simply discourteous..." said Raita.
"But, from an equal standing... that was-" Before Zulaika could finish her words, Raita cut her off.
"Of an equal standing you say? What an absurd thought," said Raita before she pulled the map of the New World from her drawer.
"You see... the world has three civilized zones. Anything unaffiliated can hardly be said to have equal standing. This is international common knowledge! And your nation, I mean, your defence alliance, is here! Outside of the civilised zone!" tell her more.
"Okay... so, what does that simply mean?" asked Zulaika.
"It means that you're rather among a bunch of far east barbarians that formed some sort of coalition that has no point at all..." said Raita.
Zulaika scratched her with surprise and curiosity, whereas deep in her heart, this perhaps could be the first time she met a rude person in her life. To say that Malaysia and its friendlies were considered to be barbarians... hasn't Raita noticed her clothing? It's completely different from what she's referring to.
"This is pretty problematic..." thought her.
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Central Calendar Year 1639, Month 11, Day 1. Doors of the World, Northeastern of the Topa Kingdom
Every single Topan soldier stationed in the fortress withdrew their weapons consisting of bows and arrows, musket rifles, and flintlock pistols the moment the emergency bell rang by Gai following the arrival of the Demon Lord Nosgorath and his army.
Simultaneously, after fixing themselves in their positions, the Topan soldiers engaged their weapons towards the hoard of monsters. The archers were the first to hit them, followed by the synchronised firepower of the musket rifles and the flintlock pistols.
In addition, a row of Magical Cannons that were installed beneath the walls of the Doors of the World let out their might as they rained the enemy with their powerful cannonballs.
The effectiveness of the Parpaldian weapons used by the Topans was apparent as they easily took down many of the goblins, which were tightly packed, and orcs of Nosgorath's troops. The orcs on the other hand were more resistant to the cannons, though they were still easily destroyed by them.
In response to the dense assault, the orcs throw away giant rocks and boulders towards the place where the cannons were placed, causing the shooting hole to be blocked or punctured by sheer force, which also caused the whole place to shake.
At the same time, the goblin hoards rushed towards the wall of the fortress, trying to climb it with a huge effort despite they were easily brought down by the muskets and the Magic Cannons that were still functioning.
"Whoa!" a Topan soldier exclaimed as he withstands the impact.
"Damn it! Those boulders might have jabbed the wall!" another Topan soldier added.
"Bad news! Those goblins are climbing the walls!" a Topan soldier yelled.
"That's it! Buy us some time to chant our magical spells!" a Topan soldier, who also doubled as a mage, responded.
Within moments, the Doors of the World were crowded by Nosgorath's army. Still, it shows no sign of falling apart due to the formidable structure of the walls even though the orcs, as well as the Blue and Red ogres, tried to break it with everything they have. This had made Nosgorath clench his fist in anger.
"Tch! Those humans... I never knew that they were getting stronger! How many years have I been gone to slumber? Whatever it is, overwhelm them with sheer numbers and breach the walls! Keep hitting them! Double all of your efforts!" Nosgorath said after letting out his fuss.
Back at Moah and Gai, the two were busy observing the ensuing battle with anticipation before a Topan captain approached them from behind.
"Moah! I want you to fall back to the city of Tormis! At this rate, we will be annihilated! Your knowledge concerning demonic beasts will surely be of use! You have to live on!" the Topan captain ordered.
"Leaving everyone from the order, and going by myself, that I cannot do! I will continue to fight! No matter the cost!" exclaimed Moah, who seemed to not agree with the Captain's order.
"Gai, as a mercenary... I have a job for you..."
"What is it, Captain?" asked Gai.
"I want you to evacuate Moah out of here. Save yourselves. We'll hold the wall, even though we know that it will fall..." said the Topan captain.
The two exchanged looks before Gai nodded and forcefully grabbed Moah and brought him away to safety.
"Moah, we have to go!" yelled Gai.
"Gai, NO! STOP! CAPTAIN!!!" Moah shrieked as he was pulled away.
The two later rushed down the stairs towards the horse stable where snow started to accumulate in their path. As the two mounted themselves on their horses, Moah can be seen holding back his tears. He realized that the hope of his other comrades to continue fighting to defend the fort was low, and so did the chances to meet them again after the battle.
As they made it towards the exit that would lead them to the city of Tormis, every single Topan soldier gathered behind the Doors of the World that was about to collapse at any rate to hold back the demons at all cost. The captain then roared a speech at his remaining troopers who were equipped with everything they had.
"Gentlemen! The demon lord will soon breach this gate and overrun this fortress. However, we, the brave soldiers of the Topa Kingdom that defends this very fortress, the Doors of the World, shall hold them back at all costs to buy time for reinforcements! All odds are against us, lads! But let us die with the honour of glory for the people of the Topa Kingdom and the world!" said the Captain.
The captain's speech made the soldiers rise and cheered. Their morale was now high and they were ready to take on the demons even if it meant losing in the end. After the loud shouts of the soldiers ended, a loud sound was heard from the gates as the ogres smashed their weapons at it. The formidable wall of the Doors of the World held for a while until it burst open, letting the horrors surge into.
The first to pop up was the Demon Lord's Scarlet Dragon, followed by the Red and Blue ogres, as well as the hoards of goblins and orcs armed with stones, maces and swords in their hands. The Scarlet Dragon itself was a huge quadruple wingless dragon with thick red-blood scales covering its whole body with six horns around the back of its head. It has a total length of 20 meters and a total height of 10 meters.
Just before the Topan soldiers could fire at the march of the monsters with their Magic Cannons, the Scarlet Dragon blasted them like a mile-long flamethrower, torching everything in its path with ease, resulting in massive explosions that could be heard from far away due to the chain reaction when the flame ignites the gunpowder of the Magic Cannons.
After a while, the remaining Topan soldiers were annihilated without any mercy. The whole area was now pitch black followed by the crackling noises of fires burning down the trees. Seeing their enemies defeated, the Demon Lord's army erupted into cheers and hurrahs.
"Tch Tch Tch... Humans... never learned... Never learned," said Nosgorath while glaring at the horrifying scene.
As dusk manifested over the horizon of the Northeastern region of the Topa Kingdom, the Demon Lord Nosgorath and his army took the chance to rest and refuel themselves with everything they had brought from the Grameus Continent.
Most of their food stocks were wild animals consisting of deer, foxes, bears, wolves, hares, fishes and even wyverns. They were hunted by themselves, and the dead bodies of the Topan soldiers despite most of them having been charred by the Scarlet Dragon even became their tonight's feast.
As the orcs and goblins gathered around their campfires with their foods, the Red Ogre brought along a large pot that contained wyvern and elves stew with him for Nosgorath, who was resting next to the Scarlet Dragon with the Blue Ogre to eat.
"Demon Lord! Oh, Demon Lord! I've brought the food to eat together!" said the Red Ogre.
"Ah... about the time," said Nosgorath after he chatted with the Blue Ogre.
"There's plenty of food here, plus the one we brought from Grameus. This is the mana recovery stew made using wyvern and elves' meat," said the Red Ogre as he placed the pot in front of the Blue Ogre to scoop it for the Demon Lord.
"If you eat such a good meal, I'm sure your power will return to its former glory!" said the Blue Ogre as he poured the stew into a container that was made out of bone.
"Hehe... It seems like those human scums have multiplied a lot than what I used to expect," said Nosgorath before he greedily slurped the stew.
"They thought that the whole land belonged to them. We should teach these lower lifeforms by exterminating them for good! This world belongs to us! They're nothing but merely live stocks for us for hundreds of years... No, centuries!" said Nosgorath.
"However... Demon Lord, the moment we reached our hands to the Sacred Forest of the Southern Continent, The Mythical Warlords were summoned with their steel monsters and behemoths and..."
Before the Red Ogre could finish his assertions, a sudden flashback of how The Mythical Warlords drove him and his army back to the Grameus Continent hits Nosgorath in the form of painful, headache-like flashes of psychic powers. The Demon Lord screamed in agony while the ground around him and the two Ogres grumbled as he clutched his already blinded three right eyes.
"Demon Lord! Demon Lord!" the Red Ogre called out in fear.
"Oh, my Lord! Are you alright!?" asked the Blue Ogre before he got up and tried to calm his master.
"Ugh... You two... Leave me alone!" Nosgorath thundered as he walked away before another series of painful, headache-like flashes of psychic powers hit him again, causing the Demon Lord to grab his head with both of his hands and roar in agony.
His blood-curdling scream causes a huge silence among the goblins and the orcs who are busy finishing their meals.
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Central Calendar Year 1639, Month 11, Day 3. Fortress City of Tormis, Topa Kingdom
Snow heavily rains in the northeastern portion of the Topa Kingdom, where the renowned Fortress City of Tormis, has a proud history of guarding the world against the demons of the Grameus Continent.
Just like the Doors of the World, which had been breached by the Demon Lord and his army yesterday, the Fortress City of Tormis has rows of Magic Cannons coupled with ballistas and several Magical Gatling Guns.
Although the Demon Lord's invasion had been delayed, the citizens of the Topa Kingdom were still anxious and wary as they hid in their houses for their safety. In front of the southern gate of the Fortress city of Tormis, Topan soldiers stood in lines on the side of the road with their artilleries side by side when they noticed Moah and Gai, who were riding on their horses while wearing thick jackets. Their arrival was warmly greeted despite the bad weather.
Without wasting any time, Moah and Gai quickly reported the breach of the Doors of the World to the headquarters of the Fortress City of Tormis.
"Report! Demonic beasts are marching from the Grameus Continent on an unprecedented scale. Estimation of their scale is twenty thousand!" said Gai.
"Most of their ranks consisted of goblins alongside orcs. The one at the helm is the Demon Lord Nosgorath and the legendary Demonic beasts; the Red and the Blue Ogre!" added Moah.
"May... Maybe there's a chance that you're wrong..." a Topan elven soldier said.
"There's no mistake! It has the same appearance as the one described by one of the heroes in the Kenshiva's slate of memories!" said Moah.
"So... the Demon Lord Nosgorath has regained consciousness," said the Topan Commander, who's in charge of the Northern Reserve Force of the Topa Kingdom.
"Plus, I've also seen it. By the way, this one here has studied ancient manuscripts at the academy and graduated as a valedictorian. Since his strength is relatively so-so, I thought he actually could be a real scholar," joked Gai, referring to Moah.
"Gai, cease your joke, please! There's no time for that!" reprimanded Moah.
Then, an elven Topan soldier burst into the chamber.
"Commander! We have just received a bad news! The Doors of the World have been breached! Stationed garrison soldiers were annihilated. Demonic beasts are running rampant,"
"A- Annihilated... you say?" asked the Topan Commander.
"I... I see... My apologies for doubting both of you. I will entrust the fallen soldiers stationed at the garrison and your knowledge. You have done well, you two. Please get some rest," said the Topan Commander after he apologized to Moah and Gai.
"With that... we, the Northern Garrison Soldiers, all five thousand men will bolster the defence of Tormis!" said the Topan Commander before he ordered one of his subordinates to connect the manacom to the Royal Capital of Bergen.
"Warned them about the revival of the Demon Lord Nosgorath!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Then, all of us will depart from Tormis to the Royal Capital of Berngen," said Moah.
"I'm counting on you, then," said the Topan Commander.
With that, nearly everyone inside the room leaves, except for the Topan Commander. After that, he took a book from a bookshelf, written on its front cover was 'The 2nd Volume of the Chronicles of the Topa Kingdom". Then, he flipped through the pages of the thick hardback and stopped at the book's fifth chapter, sixth verse that reads "The Ascends of the Demon Lord".
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Central Calendar Year 1639, Month 11, Day 3. 3rd Foreign Affairs Department, outer gardens of the Paradis Palace, Parpaldia Empire
"Lord Ambassador of the Topa Kingdom, with all due respect from me, can you please state your business with us today? I have a tight schedule to follow. Do forgive me for meeting you while having a meal. Please speak without restraint," said Kaios, the director of the Third Foreign Affairs Department.
Kaios is a middle-aged and patriotic Parpaldian man, who sports a long moustache and wears an outfit that resembles a sort of diplomatic coatee uniform. The Lord Ambassador of the Topa Kingdom, on the other hand, was a Topan gentleman with a fancy curly hairstyle.
"Err... Mr Kaios. It's... about the Doors of the World... It's..." the Topan ambassador stuttered as he began.
"It's?" asked Kaios.
"It's been breached by the Demon Lord Nosgorath and his army yesterday," said the Topan ambassador.
Kaios nearly barfed the food inside of his mouth when he listened to what the Topan ambassador said.
"Nosgorath? The Demon Lord!? I thought it had been put into slumber permanently! So you're telling me that the evil Demon Lord had breached the Doors of the World!? This is bad..." said Kaios before he took a sip of water.
Kaios knows a lot about the Demon Lord Nosgorath. Since he was young, the story of the Demon Lord wasn't just told by his parents, but it was also taught at his school about the evil lord and his army, how they terrorized the Rodenius Continent and how they were repelled.
"Yes. With that matter, the Topa Kingdom would like to request aid from the Parpaldian Empire to push back Nosgorath and his army. We believe that with your help, we can push the monsters to where they came from," said the Topan ambassador.
Hearing the statement made by the Topan ambassador, it became crystal clear that if the Demon Lord and his army do not stop at once, then it is not just the Topa Kingdom will be in danger, the Parpaldia Empire will also be receiving the same consequences. Yet, the director of the 3rd Foreign Affairs Department couldn't help but shake his head in disagreement.
The Topan Ambassador's expression went from distressed to alarm as he learned that Kaios was addressed by the head gesture.
"Mr Kaios! I beg you! Should our country fall into the hand of the Demon Lord, the Philades Continent will-"
"I'm sorry, but the Parpaldia Empire yesterday decided to not spare any more resources to aid your kingdom. There will be a time to deal with it, but we are currently stretched thin and have our hands tied on another matter," explained Kaios.
"Why is that so?" asked the Topan ambassador.
"Hmm... it's regarding a nation which had offended the Empire for decades and we are sending an oversight army to deal with them, while the other one is not one, but five countries that His Majesty Emperor Ludius is very much interested in investigating," said Kaios.
"I see..." The Topan ambassador looked down in disappointment after hearing his answer.
"I'm sorry... in this Empire... there are many hot-blooded ones compared to me and those who were the moderate ones. You should be very careful and with that... You may use the carriage in the front of this building to leave," said Kaios before he took a sip of water.
The Topan ambassador stood up and left the room with a sad face. For his nation, acquiring help from the Parpaldian Empire was of extreme importance as it was the nearest major power as the nations of the 1st and 2nd Civilizations were unlikely to lend a hand.
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Central Calendar Year 1639, Month 11, Day 4. Topa Kingdom Embassy, 27 Napier Road, Singapore
Due to the event of the mass transportation to the New World, the embassies of countries from Earth shrunk, closed and eventually handed back the embassy facilities to each nation's government the last seven months ago.
So far, countries in the New World that established diplomatic relationships with the countries of the FPDA have access to those buildings. Their ambassadors took residence here after their kingdom rented it to them.
One would be the one on 27 Napier Road, where the once United States Embassy has now been repurposed for the envoy of the Topa Kingdom. On this day, the Topan Ambassador to Singapore received a letter from his country.
He opens the envelope and reads; his bored eyes growing wider and wider with each line. The letter contains a warning about the revival of the Demon Lord Nosgorath, as well as requesting the FPDA's aid to defeat the Demon Lord. He gaped and seized the phone next to him.
"Get me an appointment with the Singaporean Ministry of Foreign Affairs immediately!"
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Central Calendar Year 1639, Month 11, Day 4. Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 1 Sherwood Road, Singapore
"Understood. Just exactly how much damage has the revival of this... Demon Lord Nosgorath, caused?" asked Lim Kheng Hua, the Singaporean Ambassador to the Topa Kingdom.
"So far, the revival of the Demon Lord had cost dearly the fortification in the Northeastern of our kingdom; the Doors of the World. It was built many centuries ago to protect not just the Topa Kingdom, but also the whole Philades Continent from the attack of demonic beasts. With the Doors of the World obliterated, Nosgorath and his army are unstoppable. Currently, they are marching relentlessly towards the Fortress City of Tormis. It is estimated that they will be arriving in Tormis within three days if nothing stops them," said the Topan ambassador.
"Concluding from your story, is it possible that they're sentient if not intelligent beings like us?" asked Lim Kheng.
"Perhaps I should tell you that Nosgorath and his army of Demonic Beasts are beings that devour every living thing in their paths, including humans! At this rate, the citizens of the Topa Kingdom were facing the threat of being turned into livestock!," said the Topan Ambassador.
"Is that so?" asked Lim Kheng, baffled.
"Indeed. Moreover, according to the records of the past, the Demon Lord and his army had also crossed the ocean from the Philades Continent to the Rodenius Continent," explained the Topan Ambassador.
"Understood... This also means that Singapore, Malaysia, New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom are all exposed to this threat," said Lim Kheng.
"Concerning this matter, we will soon give our answer. Please give us some time," said Lim Kheng.
"Please, if you would..." answered the Topan Ambassador, relieved.
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Similarly, it's not just Singapore, but also the rest four nations where the Topan Ambassadors to each nation had lodged a report about the same issue. The threat possessed by the Demon Lord Nosgorath and his Demonic Beast army was something that came straight out of a sci-fi story or an anime, something that the FPDA had expected after the seven-month-long without any war or conflict. Still, this matter was kept secret from the media to prevent an across-the-board panic among the citizens.
The Defence Chiefs of the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) member-nations are in the United Kingdom to discuss this urgent matter. It's crystal clear it's the time for the Five Power Reaction Forces (FPRF) to commence its first combat mission on international aid to suppress the Demonic Beasts which have been designated as 'destructive wildlife'.
The FPRF will be led by the Singaporean contingent comprising at least 200 Singaporean personnel accompanied by two Leopard 2SGs, nine Bionix II IFVs, eight Terrex AV-81s, and ten Light Strike Vehicle Mk. IIs and several MAN TGM 18.280 twin-axle 4x4 cargo trucks. All of them will be transported to the Topa Kingdom via RSS Endeavour.
At the same time, Malaysia will send KD Kasturi and KD Laksamana Tun Abdul Jamil to conduct an artillery barrage from the sea. The United Kingdom on the other hand will utilise an Avro Vulcan for aerial bombardment missions accompanied by an Airbus Voyager for aerial refueling missions, as well as seven Eurofighter Typhoons that will also join the airstrike.
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Central Calendar Year 1639, Month 11, Day 6. Fort Nybel, Capital City of Bergen, Topa Kingdom
Sitting on the throne was His Majesty King Rados XVI, the leader of the Topa Kingdom. Right now, he can be seen stroking his long beard as he reads the reports about the current situation about the Demon Lord's reawakening, as well as about several developments done in his kingdom for the past seven months by the FPDA in exchange for their fishing area. So far, only Berngen have received such a change, whereas Tormis is still in the process.
That's when the door of the throne chamber opens, revealing one of his advisors coming in before he bows down and speaks.
"Your Majesty, the FPDA's reinforcements have just disembarked in our country. Along with few guides, their army is heading straight to the Fortress City of Tormis," said the Topan advisor to the 16th King Rados of the Topa Kingdom.
"Ah... the FPDA... the armed forces coalition that won against the Louria Kingdom. It's been seven months since we established diplomatic ties with them. Tell the knights in our garrison to politely welcome them," said King Rados XVI.
"Yes, Your Majesty," said the Topan advisor.
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Central Calendar Year 1639, Month 11, Day 6. Southern Gate of the Fortress City of Tormis, Topa Kingdom
In front of the southern gate of the fortress city of Tormis, soldiers stood in lines on the side of the road. They were preparing to welcome the reinforcements from the two nations of the FPDA, which were coming and were instructed to be hospitable to their allies. Moah and Gai were also near the gate as they engaged in a conversation while they waited for the reinforcements.
"Hey Moah, are the troops from the FPDA really that incredible?" asked Gai.
"I'm not sure, but from what I've heard from the words of merchants from the Rodenius Continent, the FPDA won against the Louria Kingdom within a few weeks and rumours even say they suffered little to no casualties. I had also just received the news that the FPDA will be sending in at least 200 ground soldiers accompanied by forty-eight vehicles, three naval vessels and five aircraft to aid us," replied Moah.
"Meh... that seems like more of a fake than a fact, Moah. It could be possibly exaggerated by those people," said Gai in a teasing manner.
"I'll pretend that I won't be hearing that, but please be polite with your words..." said Moah.
As they continued their conversation, a knight then approached the two from one of the towers of the city walls.
"Sir Moah! It seems like the reinforcement troops from the FPDA have arrived," said the knight.
"Understood. Please prepare the welcoming ceremony," said Moah.
The knight later informed the rest soldiers to prepare the welcoming ceremony for the FPDA combatants. Suddenly, they were all met by a loud rumble as if the Earth's about to shake.
"What in the world!? What kind of sound is this!?" exclaimed Gai.
"It's as if the ground's trembling, too!" said Moah.
As both of them looked at the long road in front of them, grey metal carriages and they looked different from each other. These vehicles belong to the Singaporean convoy, led by the Light Strike Vehicle Mk. IIs, followed by the Bionix II IFVs, the Terrex AV-81s, the MAN TGM 18.280 twin-axle 4x4 cargo trucks and finally the Leopard 2SGs.
As the Topan soldiers had their eyes locked onto the weird metal vehicles, there was an unfamiliar ringing sound and a loud unnatural flapping sound followed by a violent wind that began to blow as if it could blow away anything nearby that they even had to cover their face to see the object. When the vehicles had landed, the wind and the sounds gradually abated. It was the Super Lynx 300 helicopter that belonged to the Royal Malaysian Navy.
As the Topan combatants were filled with questions, wonders and terrors, a Singaporean soldier hopped outside, as well as two Malaysian naval officers who came out of the chopper, escorted by other RMN soldiers.
"I thought they were knights in shining armour, but the clothes they're wearing make them look like some fellow travellers..." said Gai while making a disgruntled expression as he dislikes the digital camouflage patterns of their combat uniforms alongside the strange combat gears they are wearing like the helmets, the gloves, the boots and the vests.
"Gai! Mind your manners, please!" whispered Moah as he noticed his friend's rude remark.
The three FPDA soldiers stopped in front of the two and saluted them as they introduced themselves.
"Greetings. I am Lieutenant Colonel Jackie Li Jian Qi of the Singaporean Army,"
"I am Lieutenant Commander Suariff Abdul Ghani of KD Laksamana Tun Abdul Jamil, the Royal Malaysian Navy,"
"And I am Captain Sharum Shaim of KD Kasturi, the Royal Malaysian Navy,"
After the three introduced themselves, a slight shock appeared on Gai's face.
"My eyes aren't deceiving me, right? This man in green just said that he is a Lieutenant Colonel whereas these two men in blue are naval officers that bear the rank of Lieutenant Commander and Captain respectively!?" thought Gai.
"I-I see... Greetings, sirs of the FPDA. I am Moah, Topa Kingdom's knight. I will escort all of you to the Demon Lord's subjugation army headquarters," said Moah after he introduced himself.
After the greetings, the vehicles later enter the Fortress City of Tormis through the Southern Gate, where the Super Lynx 300 takes off and lands inside the Fortress City. The citizens of Tormis are gathering to take a look at the bizarre yet incredible Singaporean convoy, which at least helps them to ease their fear of the Demon Lord as they were too awed by the sight of the Leopard 2Sgs.
The Singaporean troops, as well as the Malaysian navies, that were inside their respective vehicles, were immediately swarmed by the curious townies as they swarmed them like bees and began to flood them with tons of questions. As it happens, both Moah and Gai led the high-ranking soldiers to the Fortress' Headquarters.
[To be Continued]