The black sun hangs high

Chapter 441 Death Howl
Within Watchtower today, the situation Felix described is extremely common.

Dramatic changes in living environment, fear of the unknown and death, and extreme distrust of rulers and administrators... such factors combined and mixed together, ultimately contributing to the sensitive and fragile nerves of the residents of Watchtower.

Under these circumstances, the residents showed strong resistance and opposition to the relocation proposal put forward by the Dawn Society. In addition, the deliberate instigation by some remaining members of the Black Sun Society who were hiding in the city made Felix and his team's work even more difficult.

In some urban areas, there have even been malicious rumors that "the so-called relocation is actually a way to lure people to the outskirts of the city for centralized processing." If the Dawn Society only deals with the residents who further spread these rumors without actually finding the source of these rumors, the situation will only get worse.

"However, there has been some new progress on Mr. Darthwell's side... Several local guerrilla groups that used to roam around Watchtower have contacted him. It is said that many members of these groups are from Rocklake Mine, miners there, and were also residents of Watchtower in the past."

Felix smiled and said, "If the Dawn Society can establish stable contact with them, or even cooperate with them, then our persuasiveness towards the city's residents will naturally increase. After all, the locals are closely related by blood, and explanations from relatives and friends are more likely to convince them."

"Ha, I knew you guys could always find a way."

Meyer nodded happily: "By the way, Felix, how's the statistic on those homeless orphans in Watchtower coming along?"

Felix replied, "It's mostly done, but the numbers keep going up. Yesterday morning, we found more than a dozen children in an abandoned sewer."

"All alive?"

"Three of them are sick and have been handed over to the healing doctors... The rest are fine, but it's too cold in the sewers, and their frostbite is quite severe."

Felix has always been extremely caring towards children. Many people within the Akatsuki have witnessed Felix's behavior when caring for children, and his gentle and patient demeanor makes it impossible to associate him with the identity of the leader of the Akatsuki.

“These children have had it tough. Most of their parents and families disappeared during the Black Sun Society’s purges. The one who has been missing the longest has been hiding there for more than two months.”

Mayer raised an eyebrow with interest: "Sounds like that kid's become a little leader?"

"maybe."

Felix put down his water glass: "A boy who's not quite grown up, cautious and clever. Although he's come back to the camp with us now, his trust in us is still limited... Kids like this are always more willing to believe what they see."

Meyer shrugged: "Then let's do our own thing and let him figure out the rest. Once the kids have recovered a bit, they can help us out."

"Help? A group of kids?"

The elven mage Hetra pursed his lips. Unlike Felix, he was most afraid of children, especially teenagers: "By Mel, I think it would be good enough if they didn't cause any trouble."

"Don't forget the problem we're facing, Mr. Advisor. These kids are far more persuasive than those miners' guerrillas!"

Meyer chuckled, then his gaze returned to the metal cane before him.

As an ordinary person who cannot cast spells, this was the first time that Mayer had felt the call of magic so clearly.

Those flowing lights, those light and shadow like flowing water... strange sounds seemed to emanate from them, a wondrous rhythm appeared, constantly echoing in Mayer's consciousness.

However, when Mayer tried to capture this wonderful rhythm and cadence, it slipped away at an extremely fast speed.

After that, no matter how hard Mayer tried, the sound was like the sound of tides coming from a distant place, difficult to identify, and its existence could only be vaguely sensed.

The elven mage keenly sensed Meyer's situation and explained, "I guess you heard it just now, Professor? That was the tide of the Sea of ​​Sinar, a phenomenon that only exists in magical theory. Only when magic is pure enough and highly concentrated can it resonate with any living being, regardless of how much magic it possesses."

He breathed a sigh of relief: "From the perspective of the Dawn Society, I fully agree with Mr. Felix's proposal, because this cane itself is already enough to be called a miracle."

"But what if you were to put yourself in their shoes?"

Mayer broke free from that peculiar "rhythm" and asked earnestly, "Or rather, from the perspective of a Vajra Master?"

"Then I would hope that more people can see it, or even touch it."

At this point, the elven mage gave a wry smile: "A blind thirst for magic and knowledge can easily lead spellcasters astray, which is extremely dangerous these days. Although I personally do not approve of the fanaticism of the Sword Hermitage, it is more acceptable to believe in miracles than to be lost or bewitched."

"Yes, I understand what you're thinking."

Meyer nodded, and just as he was about to ask something else, a piercing alarm suddenly ripped through the night sky.

That was a warning signal for an air raid, which had been used frequently ever since the Akatsuki army began making contact with dangerous creatures like the Azur Bird.

The Black Sun Society did not waste the fighting power of these giant birds. After the initial setbacks on the front lines, the society transformed these large flocks of birds into nighttime harassers and attackers, specifically used to harass the outer defenses or launch surprise attacks under the cover of night.

Of course, thanks to their own defensive measures and weapons specifically designed to counter aerial enemies, this level of harassment was not enough to cause substantial damage to the Akatsuki. At most, it would only bring more fatigue and tension, which was hardly a challenge for the Akatsuki, who were full of fighting spirit.

Amidst the piercing air raid siren, the three people in the room simultaneously looked up at the night sky. They saw the flocks of giant Azhar birds rapidly disintegrating under the barrage of anti-aircraft fire. Yet this time, these undisciplined birds seemed to have overcome their fear, continuing their descent into Watchtower despite the heavy casualties. Soon, the Dawn Soldiers stationed along the Watchtower's walls and outposts also noticed the birds' anomaly. As more artillery fire roared into the sky, the violent magical explosions successfully dispelled the darkness, revealing the scattered shadows of the remaining giant Azhar birds.

"Ok?"

Felix frowned.

As the leader of the Dawnblade, Felix is ​​no stranger to the battlefield and knows the enemies the Dawnblade may need to fight like the back of his hand.

Therefore, upon discovering that the giant birds of Yasaru in the sky were unusually persisting in advancing despite heavy casualties, Felix immediately became alert. Before he could even use the communication device in the room to send a warning, the other Dawn officers in Watchtower City had already made the right response.

As clusters of magical signals used for illumination soared into the sky, numerous hidden firing positions within Watchtower City were revealed. The distinctive roar of the long-range guns began to echo throughout the city. Realizing that these giant Azhar birds might be on some special mission, the professional archers immediately began their relentless sniping.

The illumination magic turned the entire city into daylight, under which no bird or beast could survive in the air. These inexplicable invaders seemed to provide the Akatsuki army stationed in the city with an opportunity to demonstrate their abilities. Under the watchful eyes of the sleepless residents, the terrible Azhar were quickly wiped out.

A giant Azhar bird fell onto a building not far away. Its body was pierced by crystal bullets from a far-seeing gun, but it did not die immediately. Instead, it struggled continuously, its huge wings flapping against the bricks and stones. Its dying howl was strange and unpleasant.

"What are they here for? To die? It makes absolutely no sense."

The elven mage stroked his chin in confusion. As an elf, he had an extreme aversion to such strange "unclean things," so he immediately raised his palm, and a dark red flame immediately appeared from his fingertips.

However, before the destructive magic in the hands of the mage Hetra could be fully formed, the giant bird that had fallen onto the opposite roof suddenly struggled to its feet. On its huge and peculiar head, two abnormal cracks suddenly appeared. Then, the flesh and blood in the cracks surged and, under the influence of some kind of ritual, transformed into two rotating eyeballs.

It looked directly at the temporary command post where Mayer and the other two were located.

In the next instant, the spear formed from twisted dark red flames was hurled by the elven mage. The powerful valley-level magic unique to Hetra instantly engulfed the hideous figure, and the blazing magical flames obscured the cold vision, incinerating the writhing flesh on the spot.

Despite this, the mage's expression did not ease in the slightest. After witnessing the strange changes that occurred before the giant bird died, a terrible premonition welled up in his heart. When he turned his gaze elsewhere, he saw that more pieces of Asharu's corpse falling from the sky were undergoing similar changes. Under the influence of some pre-set ritual, even a mere unrecognizable lump of flesh could instantly develop eyes and look towards the temporary command post.

"No, this isn't right..."

Upon witnessing this scene, Hetra couldn't help but cry out. Meyer and Felix reacted accordingly. Meyer ran to the wall, snapped shut on the pre-installed emergency communication device, and ordered all the Dawn Society members stationed nearby to evacuate and take cover immediately. Felix quickly went to the desk, hurriedly picked up the lid of the wooden box, and carefully put away the important metal cane.

After finishing their tasks, the three people inside immediately began to evacuate with the other guards and clerks. At that moment, everyone in Watchtower City and the surrounding area heard a chilling wailing sound. The sound came from the far distance on the horizon, and the source of the sound was moving very fast, closing in almost instantly!

"Saint Steel Snowfield Giant Cannon!"

The name, both terrifying and familiar, came to mind for many residents of Watchtower.

From the moment this giant crystal cannon, imbued with the distinctive style of the northern snowfields, was created, it has borne the important responsibility of protecting the northern border and safeguarding the Kingdom of Saint Steel. For a considerable period of time, the residents of Saint Steel even regarded it as an important symbol of their homeland.

At the beginning of the last great war, the residents of Watchtower had heard this terrifying roar more than once.

They knew that when the shells from the snowfield cannons fell, the protective ritual at the center of the explosion would collapse on the spot, the fortified position would crumble, and the advancing army would be reduced to nothing.

It is no exaggeration to say that the battlefield that was baptized by the giant cannons of the snowfield must be the cleanest battlefield in the world.

Because after the shells fall, all that remains on the battlefield are the chaotic aftershocks of the magical explosion and enormous craters; as for corpses, spoils, and the like, they will all be gone.

Now, the cannonballs that were once used to protect the great "Mother North" are whizzing over the heads of the residents of Watchtower, falling towards the edge of the city and colliding with the defensive rituals set up above this dilapidated city.

After the Night of Miracles, the Watchtower's protective ritual, which had finally been repaired, now bore the burden of things it should not have had to endure.

The people in the city heard no sound. They only saw an unusually cold black light blooming in the sky above Watchtower City. It was like a cloud of mist with life and consciousness, or like the dark dome that had once shrouded the city. The dark waves rolled endlessly, suffocating the people.

The massive ceremony, solidified within the city walls, proved effective, with intricate patterns spreading out in the air.

An explosion then occurred.

The magical runes flickered violently, and the tremors spread throughout the entire city. A section of the city wall, which served as the cornerstone of the Watchtower's permanent protective ritual, collapsed on the spot, and the ancient ritual core buried underground was also completely destroyed at this moment.

Those giant birds of Yasharu that defied death and insisted on charging into the interior of Watchtower City were not there to launch any attack. They were living beacons modified by the magic of the Black Sun Society, used to locate targets and guide the cannons to fire.

Now, the deadly cannonball, which had also been modified by the Black Sun Society, had successfully shattered the hastily repaired city defense ritual, and the aftershocks of the explosion surged toward the city below.

That was precisely where Mayer and the others were located.

(End of this chapter)