As green wildfire erupted across the river channels and the old city gates, King's Landing descended into complete chaos. The arrival of the Volantis slave coalition, combined with the brutal infighting between the Lannister and Tyrell reinforcements, plunged the city into utter pandemonium. Smoke, arrows, flames, and terrified screams filled the air.
"The power of wildfire truly is terrifying," Tyrion murmured as he witnessed the destruction unfolding before his eyes.
The low clouds above King's Landing glowed with eerie shades of emerald green, as though the heavens themselves had caught fire. It was breathtakingly beautiful—and horrifying at the same time. The emerald flames resembled the dragonfire described in ancient legends. Beneath that ghostly glow, the battle for King's Landing reached its bloody climax.
Outside the eastern walls, the Lannister and Tyrell armies clashed fiercely. Along the southern bank of the Blackwater Rush, the Stormlands army battled the Volantis coalition. Within the city itself, armed Antmen fought the Gold Cloaks, while the waterways became another battlefield where Lannister soldiers struggled against the Myrish fleet.
Every corner of King's Landing had become a battlefield.
---
On the western side of the city, Gendry ordered the reserve forces from the Vale and Crackclaw Point to fire warning shots with their trebuchets toward Mace Tyrell's army.
There was no longer any room for negotiation.
Forced into action, Mace Tyrell watched as the banners of House Rowan and House Florent surged forward, launching isolated attacks against the Lannister lines. Left with no alternative, the Lord of Highgarden finally ordered his entire host to advance.
Meanwhile, near the northern gate of King's Landing, the Antmen assaulted the weakened defenses. Although wildfire had devastated the area, it had also blasted open a massive breach in the city's walls.
"It's almost time," Gendry muttered.
Amid the chaos, his attention remained fixed on the coming confrontation with the Volantis coalition. Positioned close to the front lines, he carefully observed the enemy formations, searching for weaknesses while judging the perfect moment to strike.
The golden banners of the Stormlands fluttered proudly in the wind.
Opposing them stood the banners of Volantis, the cruel Fingers of the Harpy, and the Myrish Goddess of Love.
Army crashed against army.
Every collision left behind blood, broken bodies, and desperate cries.
The soldiers of Volantis wore polished silver armor and tiger-headed helmets. Slave soldiers could be recognized by the green tattooed stripes running across both cheeks beneath their helmets, while the citizen soldiers bore no such markings.
Among them marched companies of Unsullied.
Behind them advanced the Iron Legion of New Ghis, clad in black armor and armed with longspears, short swords, and heavy shields.
Unlike the Unsullied sold in Astapor without armor, these warriors had equipped themselves with armor purchased through Volantis.
"Long live Volantis!" the citizen soldiers roared.
"Long live the Harpy!" shouted the Iron Legion of New Ghis.
"Long live the Storm!" answered the Stormlands shield wall with equal determination.
"Kill!"
The two armies slammed together.
Stormlands longswords hacked through charging Volantis infantry, while warhammers and spears crushed anyone who broke through the shield wall.
The Unsullied calmly exploited every opening, driving their longspears through the gaps with deadly precision.
Yet every time a Stormlands soldier fell, another immediately stepped forward to seal the breach.
No one retreated.
The ground had become a sea of blood.
Bodies from Volantis, Myr, New Ghis, Yunkai, Astapor, and the Stormlands lay piled atop one another as fresh troops climbed over the dead to continue fighting.
Tyene Sand stared silently at the gruesome battlefield.
"Your Highness... are we still waiting?"
She had never witnessed a battle on such a massive scale. Even in Dorne, wars rarely reached this level of destruction.
Gendry remained completely composed.
"Not yet," he answered calmly.
"But soon."
His eyes never left the battlefield.
The armies of New Ghis and Volantis had begun to tire. Unlike the Unsullied, whose brutal training allowed them to fight tirelessly, the citizen soldiers had only received a few years of military training.
Marajo's strategy of launching three consecutive infantry waves had achieved its purpose.
The Stormlands shield wall was beginning to buckle.
The moment had arrived.
"Your Highness!"
Ser Robar Royce galloped back with Harold Hardyng beside him.
"Tyrell has moved!"
"They've begun attacking Tywin's army!"
Through his Myrish telescope, Gendry watched the green banners of the Reach become entangled with the crimson banners of House Lannister.
Everything was proceeding exactly as planned.
"If Mace Tyrell wasn't forced into battle, he might have chosen to negotiate with the Lannisters instead," Gendry said.
"Now neither side can withdraw."
He turned toward his messengers.
"Tell Lord Yohn Royce and Lord Boggs that the Knights of the Vale are to charge only after my cavalry has attacked three times."
"Yes, Your Highness!"
Gendry smiled.
"Now..."
"It's our turn."
The great war horn echoed across the battlefield.
"Woooooo!"
Three deep blasts rolled across the plains.
The waiting knights immediately straightened in their saddles.
Ser Barristan bowed his head.
"Warrior, protect us."
Then he lowered his visor.
"Lothor."
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Take my spare giant-horned helmet and armor. Lead the main force toward Volantis and New Ghis."
"Draw their attention."
"But do not overcommit."
"I understand."
The Astapor slave masters relied entirely upon the Unsullied.
Without them, they possessed little courage of their own.
Even the slightest confusion would shatter their confidence.
Then...
The earth began to shake.
Thousands of hooves thundered across the ground.
The battlefield briefly fell silent as soldiers instinctively turned toward the approaching sound.
Golden banners appeared beyond the trees.
They grew larger with every heartbeat.
The gleam of polished armor reflected the sunlight until it seemed an entire wall of gold was charging toward them.
"The Stormlands cavalry!"
"The Baratheon banners!"
"Our prince has arrived!"
The exhausted Stormlands infantry erupted with renewed determination.
Their crumbling shield wall reformed almost instantly.
Again the horn sounded.
"Woooooo!"
"Long live the Storm!"
"For Storm's End!"
"Long live Gendry!"
The knights burst from the forest like a golden tide.
It was as though a great storm had come alive.
Marajo narrowed his eyes.
"They're charging again."
Even so, he remained calm.
His infantry squares were deep and disciplined.
If the Stormlands cavalry attempted to smash straight through them, they would shatter themselves.
"Order the Windblown, the Silver Shields, the Stormcrows, and the reserve forces to prepare."
The first wave crashed forward.
Lothor, wearing Gendry's giant-horned helmet, led the charge.
His sword flashed.
A Volantis commander lost his head before he even realized the cavalry had reached him.
Blood sprayed through the air.
Axes, swords, spears, and warhammers carved open the enemy ranks.
The citizen soldiers of Volantis and New Ghis were driven backward under the relentless assault.
One Iron Legion formation nearly collapsed completely.
The surviving soldiers hastily lowered their spears into dense defensive formations.
Behind them, more ranks prepared javelins.
Meanwhile, the Astapor slave masters panicked.
"Protect us!"
They ordered the Unsullied to abandon their advance and form defensive lines.
Krazz, one of the slave masters, paled with fear.
"I should have stayed behind the lines..."
Then another horn sounded.
A second cavalry force suddenly appeared—not from the front, but from the flank.
"What?"
"There are two Liberators?"
Before anyone understood what was happening, Gendry himself burst from the trees with another group of knights.
"Long live the Storm!"
His cavalry smashed directly into the rear of the Unsullied.
His true objective had never been the Volantis infantry.
He wanted the slave masters.
"They're easy enough to recognize," Gendry thought.
Most of Astapor's masters proudly displayed their elaborately styled hair instead of wearing helmets.
Ser Barristan urged his horse forward.
His mount leaped over a wall of spears.
Several spearheads pierced the horse's belly, but its final leap carried Barristan safely into the enemy ranks.
The old knight landed on his feet.
His white armor was instantly stained with blood as he cut down the nearest defenders.
Jon Snow watched in awe.
This...
This was what true knighthood looked like.
His heart pounded as memories of Robert Baratheon's legendary duel with Prince Rhaegar flashed through his mind.
The Stag defeating the Dragon.
Ahead of him, Gendry charged like a force of nature.
His golden cloak billowed behind him as he rode directly toward Krazz.
"Stop him!"
The slave masters cried out in panic.
Their guards rushed forward.
"The storm is coming!"
Gendry swung his warhammer.
The first guard's helmet crumpled inward as though struck by a falling boulder.
Another blow shattered a slave master's jeweled breastplate.
Bones cracked.
The man flew from his saddle before collapsing lifelessly onto the ground.
Like a blazing golden flame, Gendry carved through the terrified masters.
Soon only Krazz remained.
"Protect me!"
The fat slave master desperately tried to flee.
His guards threw themselves forward.
Gendry swept his hammer from left to right.
Helmets burst apart.
Bodies collapsed into the mud.
Blood splattered across his black armor.
Finally, he reached Krazz.
The slave master trembled.
"Please..."
"I'll give you the Harpy's Fingers!"
Without hesitation, Gendry snatched the ornate whip from his hands.
Then he swung his hammer once more.
The impact crushed half of Krazz's skull.
The slave master collapsed dead.
Gendry raised the bloodstained Fingers of the Harpy high into the air.
Its dragonbone handle gleamed beneath the sunlight.
Every Unsullied turned toward him.
"You belong to no one anymore!"
"You have paid your debt!"
"I grant you your freedom!"
His voice echoed across the battlefield.
"Unsullied!"
"Fight for yourselves!"
"Fight for your freedom!"
"Take up your spears!"
"Take up your swords!"
The Unsullied stood motionless.
For the first time in their lives, someone had offered them freedom instead of commands.
Gendry rode through their ranks.
His armor was drenched in blood.
His giant-horned helmet made him appear like a warrior sent by the gods themselves.
"Kill the Good Masters."
"Kill the Great Masters."
"Kill every slave master."
"Break every slave's chains."
He lifted the Fingers of the Harpy high.
Then, with one powerful swing of Orphan-Maker, he shattered the infamous whip into countless fragments.
The pieces scattered across the muddy battlefield like golden butterflies.
Silence lingered for only a heartbeat.
Then thousands of voices answered as one.
"Freedom!"
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)