RISE OF EROS-Chapter 677 - 576

Lugia led a group of soldiers toward where the invaders were attempting to consolidate their position. He faced the attackers with unmatched ferocity with a curved sword in each hand.

Lugia’s movements were as precise as they were deadly, and his every blow seemed dictated by an invisible rhythm. Under his command, the detachment drove the insurgents away, temporarily regaining control of that critical area.

However, the dragoness could not ignore what she saw: Purgatory was not a disorganized band. Their tactics were methodical, and their leaders were clearly trained. This suggested a much deeper threat than they had anticipated.

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While Lugia held off the advance and Zaros organized the overall defense, a third pillar of leadership stepped into action: Lucian, the master strategist and chief advisor to Zaros.

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Lucian was a reserved man, more given to reflection than direct combat, but his intellect was a weapon as sharp as Lugia’s sword. From a tower in the center of the city, Lucían watched the invaders’ movements.

His mind worked like a perfectly tuned gear, analyzing patterns, weak points, and possible strategies. It was he who discovered that the attacks were not a mere attempt at looting; Purgatorio was seeking something deeper: to sow chaos and destroy the morale of the population.

"Zaros," Lucían said as he drew an improvised map on the command table, saying seriously "If we continue to play defense, we will lose. We need to take the initiative."

With Zaros’ permission, Lucían sent small groups of guerrillas to cut off Purgatorio’s supply lines. These tactics not only slowed the enemy’s advance but also instilled fear in their ranks, showing that Cannes was not an easy target.

The critical point of the confrontation came at nightfall when Purgatorio’s leaders decided to launch a frontal attack on Cannes’ central square, where Zaros and his main forces were entrenched.

Among the enemy ranks stood figures of power who radiated an intimidating presence, especially a tall, masked man who seemed to command the operation.

Zaros, aware that the confrontation would decide the fate of the city, gathered Lugia and Lucian together. "This is the time," he said, his gaze fixed on the horizon. "We do not fight for ourselves alone. We fight for those who will come after us."

The battle that followed was fierce. Lugia led the charge, engaging the masked man in a duel that seemed to stop time. Their swords clashed with an intensity that lit up the darkness, as the soldiers around them fought desperately.

At the same time, Lucian used his knowledge of the terrain to ambush enemy reinforcements, destabilizing their lines. Zaros, for his part, fought side by side with his men, proving why he was such a respected leader. With each swing of his sword, he inspired his soldiers to resist.

After hours of combat, it was clear that the defenders of Cannes would not be easily defeated. The masked man, visibly wounded, gave the order to retreat. Although Cannes had resisted, the losses were significant, and the city had changed forever. "This is not over," Zaros warned as he watched the enemies retreat into the forest. "We have only bought time."

Purgatory’s attack on Cannes not only marked the beginning of a war but also the beginning of a new era, only they did not know it yet, as it was something that future generations would see.

The first attack was repelled, but Zaros and the others were not so foolish as to think that everything was over. They were clear that Purgatory’s target was Andrew and the powerful among the enemies had not yet appeared.

It is true that many demigods had appeared, including the one who seemed to be the leader of the enemy army who was masked, but they had not yet seen any of the leaders of the organization.

Since they knew Lortad, Zaros’ former sworn brother and former leader of Purgatory, they knew that the other leaders must have similar strength and although the masked man was powerful, he was not at that level.

Although he was a dangerous enemy, the masked man was not really a threat to Zaros and Lugia, perhaps part of Lucian who was weaker than them, but, even so, he was not an extreme danger.

They had already fought Lortad and had in fact managed to kill him, but that is why they know the strength of the leaders of Purgatory and so far no character of that caliber had made their move.

Zaros, Lugia, and Lucian gathered at Cannes Palace alongside Andrew, his guardians, and the rest of the Pixoy family. Andrew’s protection was certainly vital, but Zaros would not allow his family to be attacked.

Because of that, he had asked Andrew to allow them to be at Cannes Palace where they could protect everyone. Not only could they concentrate their forces there, but Andrew within Cannes Palace was a force to be reckoned with.

Andrew did not refuse to let them take Cannes Palace as their base of operations. Zaros and the others had protected and treated it like family, so it would be very ungrateful not to help them at this time.

Especially since this situation arose because of him. If Andrew were not in Cannes, the city would not be attacked, so Andrew cooperated as much as he could, even though his forces were not considerable.

His guardians could be of use in battle, but they did not come out. Their mission is to protect Andrew, and even though against enemies of this caliber, they were unnecessary, they preferred not to stray far.

Zaros understood this thought, so he didn’t demand them to help with the city’s defense. Damon and Abigale, on the other hand, did take part in the battle, as they are the rulers of the city.

Their forces may not be demigod-level, but no soldier would fight for a coward, so their presence on the battlefield was significant. Zaros is the ancestor and protector, which gives a boost to morale, but Damon and Abigale’s presence is not negligible.

Their children, on the other hand, did not participate. They may not be weak, but they were not needed on the battlefield, where they could suffer an accident. Now that everyone was gathered in Andrew’s office, they were discussing the plan of action.

The Purgatory troops had retreated, but they were not far away. Experts even at the level of Aki and Erick who are the weakest, could see them in the distance where they set up camp.

In this world where there are such powerful warriors, this is a bad move, but Zaros, being a brilliant strategist, immediately understood their intentions. Attacking them would not be difficult and would even give them an advantage, but Zaros knew that this was what Purgatory wanted.

This was not a war of conquest or defense, but a war to kill and prevent being killed. The only target was Andrew, so his allies had to protect him. If they made an attack on the enemy camp, it would give the enemies the opportunity to infiltrate and attack Andrew, so Zaros maintained his position of remaining on the defensive.

This put them at a disadvantage, as they would not only lose soldiers but also inhabitants and suffer material damage, as the battles destroyed houses, businesses, and other buildings in the city.

No one went against Zaros’ proposal, as they understood that this was their city and that their strategy, although disadvantageous, was not wrong. Still, he knew that if they continued like this, they would eventually lose.

There may not be enemies of Lugia and Zaros’ level, but the number was not small. There were many demigods and that would drain the energy of the two powerful elders and that was what Purgatorio was after.

If once they got tired, Purgatorio brought out their heavy weapons, it would be a defeat without a doubt. Despite that, they decided to continue with the defense strategy.

The reason was simple. Lugia and Vaelyra had notified that Crhono would send several dragons to fortify Andrew’s protection, so they were betting everything on these dragons arriving before exhaustion overcame them.

Although it seemed like a risky strategy, since it was unknown if the dragons would arrive in time, they had no other choice. Meanwhile, in the Purgatorio members’ camp, the three hooded men were gathering.

Just as Zaros had thought, they were waiting for Lugia or Zaros to come out to attack, to charge at Andrew, and complete the assassination. They were not ignorant of the fact that the dragons might support them.

That is why they also attacked the dragons, but none of them went there. Their main target was Andrew, the others could be taken care of later, but they still sent many members to the dragons’ territory.

There were also many powerful demigods there, but none that could threaten the dragons, especially Crhono who is a bigger anomaly than Andrew in this world. He is a divine beast in this mortal world, something that should not exist. He may have his restrictions, but he is still the most powerful being in the world currently.

That is why the leaders of Purgatory had instructed their men not to be reckless. Their mission is not to defeat the dragons, but to prevent them from sending reinforcements. Unfortunately, a group of dragons had already left for Cannes before this operation began.

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This weekend only one chapter per day will be posted, due to some personal matters, but I will be back with two chapters per day next week.