In the absence of the forger king at the heart of the fortress, the chain of command fell to his two most trusted underlings Brokk and Eitri who were veterans in the dwarven army, responsible for initiating the countermeasures from here on forward.
They began activating the fortress's defence mechanisms, hidden beneath the mountainous terrain. Gates carved out of the bedrock closed off sections of the fortress, forcing the invading army into a narrower battlefield that favoured the stout dwarves.
Inside the fortress, the atmosphere was tense and electrified. The darkened tunnels resonated with the clanging of weapons and the guttural cries of the warriors. The dwarves, their bodies sculpted by a lifetime in the mines, fought with a relentless ferocity, their axes cutting through the enemy ranks. The intruders found themselves not only up against the resilient dwarves but also the inhospitable environment. Choking dust filled the air, blinding them and clogging their lungs. Despite the odds, the battle raged on, with neither side giving an inch.
Outside, the monumental clash between the Forger King, Kane and Memphidos raged on.
[Mountain Shattering Hammer] met [Stormbringer Spear] and [Spectral Chains]
The impacts reverberated across the battlefield as little by little, the Forger King was continued to be guided away from the fortress, lured by the dance of battle.
In the sky, the dwarven air force were all but decimated. Kane's forces, having achieved aerial superiority through sheer numbers as their legion of 2 million strong eventually overpowered the 500,000 fighter units of the dwarves.
Without the constant aerial support, the ground dwarven forces found themselves under increasing pressure, their lines slowly beginning to falter.
Back at the fortress, Eitri's eyes were glued to the battle between the forger king and the other monarchs when she realised a critical piece of information - the location of the Forger King.
With a sinking feeling, she noticed the steady movement of their leader moving away from the fortress.
"By the ancient runes...they're luring him away," she muttered, horror creeping into her voice as Brokk turned to follow her gaze and cursed under his breath.
Just as the forger king managed to barely push back Kane, he saw Memphidos gathering a frightening amount of divine essence as if preparing to launch a big move.
" Bring it! " He said, welcoming the challenge as he began gathering the divine essence of his own, ready to neutralise whatever attack was coming his way to oblivion.
[Void Tempest]
Memphidos announced, his voice echoing ominously across the battlefield. But instead of directing it towards the Forger King, at the last second he turned 60° to his left and aimed it straight at the fortress.
"No!" the Forger King bellowed, horror etched in his eyes. He attempted to rush back to his fortress, but Kane was already in his way, spear poised to strike. The last thing he saw before the tier7 attack hit the surface of the mountain was the horrifying smile on Memphidos's face.
It was only now that the realisation hit him, that he was knowingly lured too far away. And that the real target was never him. It was always the fortress.
***********
( Rudra's POV )
Rudra sighed in defeat.
Just a few moments ago he felt hopeful that the forger king was much stronger than he thought he would be, fully capable of going toe to toe against two monarchs, yet his happiness was short lived.
Rudra could smell the ploy of the two dark faction god's from thousands of miles away, yet apparently the simple minded forger king never realised it until the very end.
Rudra looked on as with a deafening roar, the [Void Tempest] spell was unleashed.
It was a force to be reckoned with, a genuine tier7 attack spell which was a reality-breaking phenomena that could wipe out mountains and rivers in an instant.
As the unleashed tempest approached the fortress, Rudra pinched the top of his nose and shook his head.
There was an eerie stillness, a moment of dreadful anticipation as the destructive force raced towards its target.
And then it hit.
*KABOOM*
The impact was beyond comprehension, beyond the scope of any mortal understanding. A sudden, blinding light exploded from the point of impact, engulfing the fortress in its entirety. The mighty mountain that housed the fortress shook violently under the onslaught. Massive chunks of rock disintegrated, turning into deadly projectiles that rained down upon the battlefield.
Although Rudra was many miles away he could still hear the rumbling explosion as the sight of the blinding light created by the attack was visible even from his position from a normal human's naked eye.
The fortress, a marvel of dwarven craftsmanship and engineering, stood no chance against such an overwhelming force. The walls that had held strong against countless invaders of Kane's army and the assault of many giants trying to enter crumbled to dust. The intricate network of tunnels and caves inside the mountain collapsed, crushing the soldiers inside.
The spell didn't discriminate between friend and foe. It mowed down everything in its path, obliterating dwarven defenders and Kane's soldiers alike. Those unfortunate enough to be near the epicentre were annihilated instantly, their bodies turned to ash by the monstrous energy.
The battlefield was filled with screams of agony and despair. Soldiers, regardless of the side they were fighting for, were swept away like leaves in a storm. The once-bustling battlefield was turned into a desolate, apocalyptic landscape, littered with the bodies of the fallen.
" This was a cruel move ….. he sacrificed millions from his side just to fool the forger king " Rudra commented as disgust filled every inch of his body.
This must have been Kane and Memphidos's plan from the very start, but just to fool the forger king into believing that they would not unleash a big spell just because their own troops were nearby, they let their forces swarm the dwarven tunnels as if the gods were vying for a sensible combat.
Rudra watched with a disgusted expression as the immediate vicinity of the fortress was plunged into a maelstrom of destruction. Fiery whirlwinds spun across the plains, the ground beneath cracked open, revealing molten lava.
The fortress, once a symbol of dwarven resilience and ingenuity, was reduced to a smouldering, blasted ruin.
Even after the initial devastation, the effects of [Void Tempest] lingered. The very air seemed to sizzle with the residual energy, making it hard to breathe. The once clear sky was shrouded in a cloud of dust and debris, casting an ominous gloom over the battlefield.
But despite the attack that destroyed everything, two heavily bleeding dwarven god's stood tall with a golden protective barrier at their backs as the dwarven disc remained protected from the blast.
The two god's had sacrificed everything, including their vitality to stave off the effects of this attack, just to allow the dwarves a glimmer of hope that they could still win this war.
A quick scan of the area revealed to Rudra that there were some 2 million able bodied dwarves left to fight, while Kane's forces, his real forces meant to fight this war till the bitter end were 22 million in number.
They marched over the ruins of the now destroyed dwarven fortress towards the two weak gods who did not have much left in themselves to keep fighting.
Rudra couldn't help but turn away as he could not make himself watch the next part of the battle.
The bastard Kane had sacrificed close to half his army just to obliterate the dwarves in one shot.
But with that cruel move, he had all but sealed his grip on victory.
The dwarves could stall this fight now, but they could never hope to win it from this point onwards.
—------
/// A/N - Chapter 19/20, almost done ///