The first punch hit his chest, Diamond Skin took most of the pressure, but Lian took one step back.
The second attack came from the right and hit his shoulder, the golden flame spread across his skin.
Maelor created a short root from the palm of his hand and sent it toward Lian’s side like a spear.
Lian turned his body, the tip of the root only cut through the surface of his skin.
The fourth attack moved toward his face.
Predator’s Instincts warned him, and he moved his head to the side.
The fist passed in front of his eyes.
The city lord’s hand had not fully moved back yet when Thunder Calamity gathered around Lian’s fist.
The punch hit the Rootwarden’s chest directly, the golden Barrier around his body resisted for a moment.
Then it broke with a loud sound.
The lightning wave entered Maelor’s body, he was thrown backward, but before he could fall, Thunder Step activated and Lian appeared behind him.
[Iron Fortress Charge.]
There was not enough distance for a full Charge, but the raw Power and the compressed pressure of the Skill were enough.
Lian’s shoulder hit Maelor’s back, the Rootwarden was slammed directly into the ground and the bridge under his body cracked.
The white and golden flame shook for a moment.
The city lord placed his hand on the ground and tried to stand up, but deep cold formed beside his neck.
Glacial Reaper Claw was only a few centimeters away from his skin.
The claw had not entered his body, but the cold was close enough to burn the skin of his neck and part of his face.
«It’s over.» Lian said.
Maelor stared at the surface of the bridge with heavy breaths, he moved his hand to summon the roots.
Nothing responded.
He tried again.
Only a few weak golden lines under the ice moved slightly and then went dark.
Vhalaris no longer responded to his command.
He raised his head, the Guardian had been destroyed, and huge pieces of its body were scattered across the bridge.
Kael was still lying motionless among the ruins, most of the army was frozen, injured, or disarmed.
And Lian still did not even look like he had become truly serious.
Maelor said nothing for several seconds, then placed his hand on the ground.
Not to attack, not to summon the city, but to admit his defeat, he was not stupid, first of all, he had no strength left to continue and he knew that if he continued, he might make this human angry.
He did not want to watch all of his people get killed...
The Cindari saw the scene, when Maelor arrived, hope had returned to their faces.
When the Guardian of the First City appeared, even the soldiers who had dropped their weapons became ready to fight again.
They were sure that no creature inside Vhalaris could defeat the Rootwarden.
But the Guardian was now nothing more than a mass of frozen roots and broken stones.
Maelor was lying on the ground under Lian’s Glacial Reaper Claw.
One young soldier dropped his shield, the sound of metal hitting the frozen surface spread through the silence of the battlefield.
Another soldier only looked at Maelor, as if he was still waiting for his commander to stand up and say that everything had been part of his plan.
«Rootwarden...» an injured officer said in a shaking voice.
Maelor turned his head slightly, his voice was weak, but clear.
«Put your weapons down.»
«But Vhalaris—» The officer resisted for a moment.
«It’s over.» Maelor said more firmly this time.
The officer’s sword lowered, then fell to the ground, and one after another, weapons were dropped.
Shields.
Spears.
Bows.
Swords.
There was no other commander left who could give them hope.
Kael had been defeated, Maelor had surrendered.
And the human who had defeated both of them still did not look tired, and on the Awakener side, there was silence for several seconds.
Many still could not believe that the battle was really over, then one of the Awakeners raised his sword and shouted in victory.
His voice spread across the battlefield and several others joined him.
«Vhalaris is ours!»
More cheers rose.
«Keep the formation!» But Rindo immediately stepped forward, his voice was spread across all of Ashfall with Mana.
«Nothing is over yet.» He pointed toward the groups near the bridge.
«Disarm all the soldiers.»
«No one attacks those who have surrendered.» Then he looked at the Healers.
«Check our wounded.» He paused for a moment.
«Treat the Cindari who are in danger of dying too.»
Several Awakeners looked at him in surprise, and the Student Council President made his voice harder.
«We are not going to become the thing we hate, every soldier who has surrendered is a prisoner of war.»
«Anyone who attacks a prisoner or a civilian will be punished by me.»
Orders were given one after another.
Marcus became responsible for the defense of the western bridge.
Despite his injured shoulder, he sent a group of Tanks and Warriors toward the entrance to prevent a sudden attack by fresh forces.
Seraphina and Liana returned to the center of Ashfall.
Seraphina strengthened the defensive Barriers around the infirmary and the council building.
Liana moved Shadow Wolf through the side paths to find hidden soldiers or forces that were still resisting.
«First Rootspire and then the Archive, no document should be destroyed, check all of them.» Cassian gathered the Awakeners.
«If there is anything about the Forgotten Tree, other cities, or the Black Silence corruption, find it.» Rindo nodded.
Ethan became responsible for moving the prisoners.
This choice seemed strange at first, but Rindo sent two organized groups of Warriors with him and repeated several times.
«Don’t hit anyone without a reason.»
«I’m not that unreliable.» Ethan said with annoyance.
«You are.» Marcus answered from a distance.
Seris stayed near Lian and Maelor.
Every time the Rootwarden made the smallest movement, her cold eyes remained fixed on his hands and the golden lines on his body.
The Mages went toward the remaining Ballistas.
Most of the equipment on the main bridge had been destroyed, but several Ballistas at the other entrances were still intact.
They tried to understand the Cindari control system and turn the weapons toward the outside of the city.
The Healers moved across the entire bridge, first the injured Awakeners were treated.
Then the Cindari who had deadly wounds.
Some soldiers moved back in fear when the human Healers approached them, but after seeing that they truly did not intend to kill them, their resistance became weaker.
The Cindari civilians remained inside their homes, watching the change in control of the city from behind windows, half-open doors, and the upper bridges.
There was no official flag for the humans, but the Ashfall guards were now standing on the towers.
The military entrances were under the control of the Awakeners, and the Vhalaris soldiers were taken with their hands tied toward the empty prisons.
By sunset, Ashfall Ward was no longer an area that the Cindari had given to the Outsiders for temporary shelter.
It had become a human fortress.
Maelor, Kael, Tharos, and several other surviving commanders were placed in separate cells.
Several layers of Suppression chains were used for Maelor, the main seals were attached around his wrists, neck, and chest.
The same seals that had been used to suppress the power of humans were now being used to suppress their own power.
Several human Mages also created an independent Barrier around the room so that even if the city’s roots became active again, Maelor would not be able to directly reach them.
After Ashfall was secured at first, Maelor was brought to the council building for interrogation.
Night had not fully arrived yet, the red light of the city’s roots entered through the window and fell across the maps spread over the table.
The city lord sat on a metal chair, Suppression chains were wrapped around his body.
Part of his neck and face had been burned by Glacial Reaper Claw, and the marks of lightning could be seen on his chest and arms.
Even so, he was conscious, and unlike Kael, he did not turn the loss of his pride into open anger.
There were four people in the room.
Lian.
Rindo.
Seraphina.
And Cassian.
The rest of the group were outside as well, listening to this interrogation, an interrogation that was extremely important to them.
«How many cities do you have?» Rindo asked without any introduction.
Maelor was silent for a while, his eyes moved across the map of Emberroot, but he said nothing.
Lian placed his right hand on the table.
[Glacial Reaper Claw.]
The full claw formed and cold gathered around his fingers, a layer of white ice moved across the surface of the table from under his hand.
"For every question you refuse to answer, ten of your soldiers will die, and if you stay silent until all of them are dead, I’ll go after your people next." He then said in a cold tone.