June 10, 2019

Washington D.C.

President Lee twirled a pen around his fingers as he listened to Steven's report.

"... and with the approval of the HHS and CDC, we've issued the green light for our companies to start sending construction workers and surveyors over to Mallowvine and Sahren."

President Lee smiled. "That's great. We can finally begin our economic recovery… say, did Senator Greene get my message? I need her committee to increase the funds available to construction companies. A lot of them are still wary about the circumstances, and we need to be able to reassure them with our wallets."

"Yes, she's agreed to help out and is currently working to push for additional funding, but her committee is struggling to justify the partitioning of funds. Everyone else is fighting for the money, declaring their plans to be the most important."

"What, two trillion ain't enough? We're not even spending anything on foreign countries anymore. Why can't they just siphon the money from that category?"

Steven scratched his head. "Err… Senator Jensen already removed anything related to foreign policy, since he thought we needed to maintain isolationism and focus on redeveloping our economy first."

"What?! Doesn't he realize that that's exactly what we're trying to do? Oh, goodness. Remind me to give him a call later. Now, anything else?"

Steven flipped through the reports. "Hmmm Ambassador Hendricks was turned away by Manhaven. Something about us already having relations with Mallowvine and Sahren."

"Huh. Why's that?"

"They didn't say. According to the Pentagon though, Manhaven seems to be massing troops along the borders of Mallowvine. They might be planning to go to war."

Lee folded his hands. "I see… so that's why they were so desperate for a defense treaty. In any case, we can't lose our only trade partners in this world. We especially cannot lose the metals and fuels! Have Director Klein see me again. I think we may have to expand our operations…"

"Of course, sir. Also, the emergency reactivation of the Missouri and New Jersey was approved. They should be up and running in about a couple years. About a year if we entirely focus on one of them."

"Good, good!" Lee exclaimed, excited as he was also a battleship enthusiast. "We probably could've just made a few more Burke's, but man this was a pretty good excuse to get them back up and running, huh?"

"Indeed it was, sir. The military budget was expanded by a hundred billion this year, so we have a bit more freedom. NASA and the DoD also want to use some of this to put up new satellites. Because this world is larger, we need more satellites to compensate for the increased surface area. We also still don't know where we are in the universe, or if we're even in the same universe at all!"

"Troubling," Lee reflected, putting his pen down. "See to it that they get the resources they need."

—

U.S. Embassy, Mallowvine Kingdom

Ambassador Anders looked out a window, admiring the beautiful gardens outside. Truly, Mallowvine was an agriculturally blessed land. Colorful blossoms decorated the embassy, creating a dichotomy of Elven architecture and modern infrastructure. Already, fluorescent lighting was installed in the building, making it shine brighter than any other local structures.

Anders' peaceful day was cut short when one of his assistants approached him. "Ambassador Anders, the Mallowvine diplomat, Sir Tosh, wishes to speak with you. It is urgent."

"Alright."

Anders walked into the lobby and greeted Tosh, who seemed frantic. "Sir Tosh, this is… unexpected."

Tosh bowed. "My apologies, Ambassador Anders. I have come to inform you of an urgent development along our borders: Manhaven is beginning to amass troops. We've spotted a rapidly growing city of tents near one of our cities, Ashmoore. The skies have become full with wyverns. I fear that we may be attacked soon."

Anders' eyes widened. "Damn. What happened?"

"Manhaven has been known to persecute demihumans, particularly beastmen. For the past two decades, they have relentlessly expanded, consuming the once numerous nations of Cassius, until only we, the Kingdom of Mallowvine, and the Kingdom of Sahren were left." Tosh buried his face in his hands. His tone darkened, reflecting the helplessness of Mallowvine. "Their armies are massive, dwarfing ours tenfold. We may have to surrender many of our cities…"

"Damn. Our economy will take a severe hit if things go south."

"The spectacles in the United States have forever been imprinted into my mind. Ambassador Anders, please send assistance! The iron dragons… The islands of steel!"

"Don't you worry," Anders placed a hand on Tosh's shoulder. "The Seventh Fleet is but a few days away. I'll contact my superiors immediately and inform them of the situation."

—

Grissmond, Kingdom of Manhaven

"So, tell me about the war preparations," a kingly man ordered. Griss Manhaven, the 34th king of the Kingdom of Manhaven, was a man who, more than his forefathers, wished to carry out the Manhaven dream of conquest. His ancestors helped expand Manhaven to such an extent that only three major powers were left on Cassius.

"King Manhaven," a muscular knight in silver armor kneeled. "Lieutenant General Adem is nigh ready to commence his assault. 20,000 of our vanguard force are stationed by the borders of Ashmoore, ready to annihilate the Mallowvinian defenders."

"Excellent," King Manhaven responded as he allowed several maids to tend to him. "And of the mysterious new allies of Mallowvine?"

"From what our spies have heard, the United States is a nation as large as Cassius, potentially larger. I do not think this is reasonable, since it would be impossible for anyone to have missed such a large landmass so close to us. It is much more likely that the United States is an island country, situated on several island chains to the northeast of Mallowvine. They are a land without wyverns, so I doubt they pose any threat to our goals."

"Then, do you think we can win?"

General Patagene flashed a confident grin. "My King, Mallowvine is a nation full of farmers and demihumans. Their military is at most a tenth of the strength of our military. This doesn't even factor in the wyvern reinforcements we have received from our generous benefactor. Sahren is most likely the poorest nation in the world. They will yield after we seize Seacrest and cut them from their vital food supplies."

"Good. Soon, our long-planned unification of Cassius will see reality!"

—

Outskirts of Ashmoore

Manhaven Second Assault Army

Lieutenant General Adem stood upon a hill, admiring the vastness of his army. With the order to attack scheduled in just a few moments, he wanted to take one last savory look at the amassing soldiers and wyverns.

"Beautiful, aren't they?" A voice said behind him.

"Yes, yes. What will be even more beautiful is the scene after the battle, where we rip the demihumans to shreds!"

"Hoho, then please, use our gifts to fulfill your carnal desires!"

Adem smiled sinisterly as he pulled a magical communication device to his mouth. "General Pandour, it is time."

"Indeed it is, Lord Adem. All units, commence the attack!"

"General Pandour, what shall we do with the citizens of the town?" He asked.

"Hm, I will leave it to your discretion."

"Excellent." He turned to the benefactor with a smile. "All men, you are free to do as you please to the town's citizens. But be sure to allow some of them to escape. After all, we want to strike fear into the hearts of our enemies. Now, go forth and annihilate!"

With guttural roars, the Manhaven soldiers marched toward Ashmoore, shadowed by hundreds of wyverns flying above.

—

Ashmoore, Kingdom of Mallowvine

From what Captain Moiji's scouts could determine, Manhaven's forces just outside of Ashmoore consisted of nearly 20,000 men. Most were swordsmen and archers, but what worried him was the number of wyvern knights at their disposal. Boasting the firepower of 150 wyvern knights, the Ashmoore defenders couldn't stand a chance. The best they can possibly do is buy time for the citizens to flee. Upon hearing the horns of the advancing Manhavenns, Moiji felt despair. The evacuations had barely begun, and there was no way all of the citizens of Ashmoore could flee in time, even if Moiji's men fought to the last man.

"So… they aren't responding to any of our communication requests?" Moiji sighed.

"No, Captain," A communications technician responded as he fiddled with the mana communicator.

"Has HQ said anything about our reinforcements?"

"No, sir. They keep telling me that they're in an urgent meeting."

Moiji eyed the approaching flock of wyverns. "Maybe Ejei will be able to send reinforcements, but by the time they get here it will likely be too late…" his ears suddenly perked up. "Wait, I heard that we have a new ally who is building bases in our territory. The United States?"

The technician shook his head. "Sir, they are a magicless country. Even if we could contact them, I don't expect them to be of much help."

"Well then, send a message to the Capital again. It is likely a hopeless endeavor, but we must keep trying."

The technician nodded and returned to his magic equipment.

Moiji then turned to address his men. "Defenders of Ashmoore: today we stand against an overwhelming tide, one that none of us could hope to survive, but this hopelessness does not apply to the townspeople of Ashmoore! Our brothers, sisters, sons, and daughters have yet to escape the hell to come, and it is up to us to give them as much time as possible! For each of us that fights valiantly, we grant a vital minute to our countrymen! Wyvern knights, wait for the enemy assault."

Moiji wanted to launch his wyverns the moment the enemies were above them; if he launched them early, they could be overwhelmed by the sheer number of Manhavenn wyverns. If he timed it right, however, he could turn the aerial battle into a brutal melee, where Manhaven's wyverns lose their effectiveness. By sowing such disorder in their ranks, Manhaven will have a difficult time trying to avoid friendly fire.

The enemies charged into his defenses, unleashing volleys of arrows and fireballs into the hastily erected barricades. Now that the wyverns had entered the airspace above, Moiji gave the order for his own wyvern knights to launch. 24 wyverns from Ashmoore's First and Second Wyvern Squadrons took off, catching Manhaven's troops by surprise. Several fireballs found their mark on the bellies of hostile wyverns, taking them down.

The chaotic frenzy above helped Moiji's men, as Manhaven's wyverns were too distracted to continue their unrelenting bombardment. For a time, the enemy forces were left with minimal air support, incurring heavy losses among their front lines as they tried to break through the Mallowvinian defenses.

"Shit!" Moiji yelled as a wyvern came crashing down next to him. He looked up and noticed the wyverns' change in formations, then looked back at the dead wyvern next to him. "We shall not waste a single second of time that they've bought us…" Brandishing his sword, he charged at an oncoming group of Manhavenn swordsmen, cutting them down with relative ease, thanks to his enhanced beast-like agility.

The impact of Moiji's incredible feat soon passed, as the Mallowvinian defenders were scorched by a barrage of fireballs. With their own wyvern knights gone, the Mallowvinians attempted to fire arrows at Manhaven's beasts to no avail; Manhaven's wyverns were simply too fast, numerous, and well-armored. In just under half an hour, Moiji's knights were reduced to nothing but ashes. Smoke billowed from the battlefield and nearby homes as Moiji was pushed to his knees, hands tied.

A smiling man approached him, laughing. "What a pitiful attempt! The great tactician, Moiji, is kneeling before me! It seems that even a mind of your caliber cannot overcome impossible odds. What a shame…"

"You goddamn bastard!" Moiji hissed. "What the hell are you smiling for?!"

"Oh? Do you really want to know? Well, if that's the case," Adem said, beckoning one of his men over. "I am planning on putting on a show!" Adem walked up to a wheeled contraption and ripped the cover from it, revealing a cage.

Moiji's eyes widened. "No, no, no! What the fuck are you planning on?!"

Aden's impossibly wide smile seemed to grow even wider as he gloated. "I think… if the lady here can take some punishment without making a noise, then I'll let your daughter go!"

Moiji roared, "You demon!" He stood up to lunge at Adem but was beat down by a Manhavenn knight.

"Oh, please. As a member of the audience, you must show some manners!" Adem tilted his head. "Although, I guess I don't expect a filthy demihuman to have manners. Oh well, enjoy the show!"

"NOO! I'll rip you apart!"

Manhaven's army pillaged Ashmoore as some of its captured citizens watched in horror, subjected to rape and torture. Like savages, Manhaven's soldiers spared no female from their desires, even targeting some of the younger demihumans. Those who resisted were beaten into submission. Some of the men who had tried to defend their families were executed on the spot or tortured to death. Eventually, the Ashmoore survivors ceased to rebel, depressingly accepting their fates.

—

Kingdom of Mallowvine, Capital

The atmosphere of the meeting was cold, filled with tension as the attendees awaited the next report. Everyone leaned toward the mana communicator set on the table.

"Ashmoore has fallen to Manhaven's Second Assault Army. They are now occupying Ashmoore and are in the midst of establishing a base there. Our garrison forces were completely annihilated. Several thousand refugees have fled the town, but over half of Ashmoore's population could not escape in time. We do not know their fate."

Prime Minister Moreph sighed deeply. The other Mallowvinian leaders around him shared similar exasperated faces.

"The remainder of Manhaven's five hundred thousand strong army are currently mobilizing. Additionally, over four thousand Manhavenn warships have left their home port, skirting along the northern coasts of Cassius. They are likely headed to Seacrest."

The report ended and the attendees fell into despair. Moreph hid his feelings of hopelessness as best he could; he had to display a strong front or else his subordinates would crumble. How could he reassure his people? How could he defend against the coming storm? While he struggled to develop a strong speech, someone called out to him.

"Mister Prime Minister," Foreign Minister Josenn raised his hand. "If I may?"

"Yes, go ahead."

"Shortly before this report, I was told by Sir Tosh that the American Embassy sent us a response."

Moreph's eyes sparkled with hope. "Oh? What was their response?"

"In compliance with the recently established defense treaty, they will be sending their 'Seventh Fleet' to render assistance."

Moreph's heart jumped. "The one we saw off the coast of Seacrest?"

"Yes. They also regret that the construction of their bases has progressed slowly. They had to ensure the safety of their citizens from unknown diseases before permitting any development. The good news though, as they have stated, is that the Seventh Fleet will arrive within a few days."

The meeting attendees looked at each other, smiles growing on their faces.

"Salvation!" Moreph declared with glee. "Work with the Americans; we must expedite their arrival. Clear our ports and have supplies ready for their men! Tell all of our knights to work together with the American forces, and authorize full freedom of navigation through our territory until the last of the invaders have been driven out! The Kingdom of Mallowvine shall not fall!"

Cheers erupted amongst the attendees as they each hurried to their duties.