Chapter 382: The siege of Alexandria!!!

Chapter 382: The siege of Alexandria!!!

Before the colossal gates of Alexandria, an awe-inspiring sight unfolded: a vast army stood in immaculate formation, unmoving, as if time itself had paused to behold their grandeur. Clad in armor of radiant gold and crimson red, every soldier bore the unmistakable crest of the Roman Empire upon their chests, while fluttering banners held high above them shimmered with the imperial insignia. The sun’s rays bounced off their polished helmets, turning the battlefield into a sea of gleaming metal.

These were not ordinary troops. They were the elite Legions of the Roman Empire—more specifically, the personal legionnaires of Julius Caesar himself. Each man a veteran, each blade honed not only by steel but by unwavering discipline and the weight of centuries-old tradition. The air was thick with tension, yet none moved. A solemn silence hung heavy, as if the gods themselves watched in anticipation.

Then came the thunder.

The rhythmic pounding of hooves cracked through the stillness like a war drum. Out from the ranks rode a singular figure—majestic and commanding atop a powerful white steed. Julius Caesar had arrived. His golden armor, a masterpiece of craftsmanship, shone like a beacon, etched with fine engravings and ancient symbols. A closer look revealed its striking resemblance to the armor once worn by Alexander the Great, a deliberate homage to the legendary conqueror whom Caesar revered deeply.

Flanking him were two of Rome’s greatest generals—Marcus Antoinus and Octavius. Both bore expressions carved from stone, fierce and resolute, yet even their commanding presences faded beneath Caesar’s overwhelming aura. He was more than a man. In that moment, he was Rome incarnate.

Caesar raised his hand, and his voice, powerful and resonant, rolled across the ranks like a divine decree.

“Today,” he began, his tone thunderous, reaching even the soldiers farthest back, “today we remind the world of Rome’s indomitable might! Today we raise our banner against the gates of the Amun-Ra Empire!”

A roar erupted from the legionaries, deafening in its unity. Swords were raised high, shields rattled in response, and the earth itself seemed to tremble beneath the weight of their conviction. Pride surged in every heart—pride not just in Rome, but in following the man who had led them to glory time and time again.

“Today!!” Caesar cried again, drawing his blade in one swift, graceful motion. Its edge caught the light like a bolt of divine fire. He turned in his saddle, pointing his sword toward the towering city beyond—the grand capital of Alexandria, its defenders lined along the battlements, watching with wary eyes.

“Today, we conquer Alexandria!!”

“HOOO!!!”

“ATTACK!!!”

“WOOOO!!!”

The charge began.

Caesar spurred his horse forward, galloping at the head of his army like a blazing comet hurtling toward destiny. Behind him surged the tide of Roman steel, a living storm of discipline and fury. Most would have deemed it madness to ride headlong at such a fortified gate—but this was no ordinary general, and these were no ordinary men.

Yet Caesar did not need to shatter the gates himself. He merely raised an eyebrow and gave a slight nod.

“I’ll take care of it,” Marcus Antoinus said with a smirk, his deep voice tinged with excitement. He broke formation and surged ahead, his cloak billowing behind him like the wings of a vengeful god.

As he ran, his body ignited—not with flame, but with golden light. The sheer pressure of the mana erupting from him warped the air around him. Soldiers stationed behind Alexandria’s gates felt the weight of it instantly. It pressed upon their chests like an invisible hand, their breath catching in their throats. Fear crept into their eyes.

They were witnessing something beyond mortal comprehension.

Marcus Antoinus, the Lion of Rome, raised his massive sword. A hum filled the air, the whisper of an unstoppable force moments before impact.

The gates of Alexandria, long thought to be impregnable, were reinforced with ancient spells and mighty enchantments—woven by the most gifted mages of the Amun-Ra Empire. Layers upon layers of protective magic shimmered faintly, unseen by the naked eye but palpable to anyone who could sense mana. It was a defense that had stood for centuries. A defense the empire believed unbreakable.

But today, belief would shatter like glass.

Marcus Antoinus stepped forward, no longer a mere general but a force of divine wrath clad in golden light. In his hands he held not just a sword—but a relic, an ancient weapon forged by the gods themselves in an age long forgotten. Its blade pulsed with raw celestial energy, its runes glowing ever brighter as he raised it high.

With a roar that echoed like a thunderclap, he shouted, “Take this!”

He brought the blade down in a single mighty swing, carving a radiant arc of golden energy through the air. The wave of power surged forward, splitting the atmosphere with a shriek that made the earth tremble. It was as if the heavens themselves had opened and screamed.

BADOOOOMMM!!!

The golden wave struck the gates with cataclysmic force. The sound of impact was deafening—a thunderous explosion that tore through stone, steel, and spell alike. The reinforced gates didn’t merely break—they were annihilated, reduced to nothing in an instant. Magic shattered like fragile glass, and the protective spells woven by generations of mages crumbled beneath the onslaught.

A shockwave erupted outward, a concussive blast of golden energy that swept across the front lines. Soldiers stationed along the walls were hurled through the air like ragdolls. Screams and cries filled the sky as bodies tumbled, broken and scorched. Dust and smoke mushroomed upward, obscuring everything in a chaotic swirl.

Octavius, ever calm amidst chaos, unsheathed his own blade and slashed through the air. Wind coiled around his weapon and burst outward like a tempest. In seconds, the dust was swept aside, revealing the aftermath of Marcus’s strike.

The once-mighty gates were gone.

In their place stood a jagged, gaping hole—smoldering and cracked, leading directly into the heart of Alexandria. Beyond it, soldiers of the Amun-Ra Empire stood frozen in terror, their formations disrupted, their courage crumbling beneath the weight of what they had just witnessed. Their eyes widened as they looked into the face of inevitability.

Julius Caesar leaned forward slightly, a cold smirk playing at his lips as his gaze locked onto the now-exposed city. He raised his hand.

“NOW!!” he commanded, his voice slicing through the air like the swing of a blade.

The Roman legions roared in response, an avalanche of sound and steel surging forward. Caesar’s horse galloped ahead, and the tide of crimson and gold followed. The first defenders who dared to move were struck down in an instant—cut, stabbed, and trampled beneath the relentless advance. Heads rolled. Shields shattered. The battlefield was painted red.

The city of Alexandria, untouched and unconquered for thousands of years, fell to the thunder of Rome.

But not all entered the city with the same fire in their eyes.

Among the advancing army moved a lone figure—quiet, calculating, his steps steady and deliberate. It was Nathan. While the others charged with bloodlust and glory in their hearts, Nathan’s attention was drawn elsewhere.

He paused, lifting his eyes toward the towering marvel in the distance.

The Pharos of Alexandria.

There it stood, tall and defiant, its flame already burning atop the summit like a signal to the heavens. A symbol of resistance. A beacon of warning.

They had already lit it.

Nathan narrowed his gaze. That flame—meant to rally, to alert, to protect—also signaled something else to him. Its ignition meant the outermost magical barriers surrounding the lighthouse were now weakened. A defense system triggered too early, revealing vulnerability in their haste.

Good.

With a flick of his heel, Nathan launched into the air. The ground cracked beneath him as he took off, rocketing skyward like a missile, golden light trailing behind him. He soared above the chaos below, ignoring the clang of steel and the cries of war, his focus singular and unbroken.

As Nathan ascended through the smoky skies, soaring high above the battlefield, a strange sensation crept into his chest—a tightness, like a hand slowly squeezing his lungs. He narrowed his eyes, pushing past the discomfort, eyes locked onto the towering silhouette of the Pharos of Alexandria. The ancient lighthouse loomed like a sentinel of old, its eternal flame burning defiantly at its summit.

But the fire wasn’t what drew his attention.

No… it was something beneath it.

A pulse.

A pressure.

A presence.

Nathan’s brows furrowed as he slowed mid-flight, his cloak fluttering behind him in the air. The higher he rose, the closer he got to the Pharos, the denser the atmosphere became. It was like swimming through invisible water—every movement demanded more effort than the last. The air felt thick, almost suffocating, charged with something far beyond mere elemental magic.

“What is this feeling…?” he muttered under his breath, his voice lost to the wind.

His crimson eyes glinted with a sharper light, the edge of wariness creeping into them. He wasn’t just feeling mana. This wasn’t arcane. This wasn’t even spiritual.

It was divine.

And not just faint remnants or ambient echoes—this was divine energy in its rawest, most potent form, thick like molten gold and rising steadily from deep below the structure.

It coiled around the lighthouse like a serpent of light, invisible to ordinary eyes, but Nathan had seen too much—felt too much—to be fooled. He could see its shape in his mind’s eye. He could hear its subtle hum like a sacred chant vibrating through the stone.

Nathan had been touched by gods, cursed by them, hunted by them—and in turn, he had hunted them back. He knew the flavor of divinity. He had tasted its poison and its power.

But this?

This was growing.

Swelling.

A divine storm ready to burst from within the lighthouse itself.

His eyes sharpened into slits. “Tch… So that’s what you’re hiding.”

Without hesitation, he reached behind his back and drew forth his sword—a weapon that screamed defiance against all things divine. Its blackened steel shimmered with crimson veins of corrupted energy, pulsing like a living thing. The demonic sword, forged in the Abyss and quenched in the blood of monsters, was a stark contradiction to the sacred energy oozing from the lighthouse.

The two forces clashed just by existing in proximity—his sword humming hungrily, reacting to the divine presence ahead, eager to strike.

Nathan raised it.

“I don’t have time to play guessing games.”

He pointed the blade straight toward the Pharos, its dark aura expanding outward, curling like smoke around his arm. A swirling vortex of mana formed around him, the winds howling in a frenzy as if the heavens themselves recoiled from what he was about to do.

“If something divine is hiding in there…”

His voice turned into a low growl, his grip tightening on the hilt of his blade.

“…Then I’ll bury it with the rubble.”

Nathan’s sword arm twitched slightly.

He was done waiting.

He was going to blow the entire lighthouse to pieces.