A new day begins in the Midlands, causing the darkness and moons to retreat, giving way to the warm morning sun.
In the southernmost part of what would be the Midlands, more precisely the territories comprising the whole of Necrolimbo, the situation feels like a pressure cooker ready to burst.
The uneven troops under the command of Nepheli Loux begin to gather, while the madmen of the peninsula are stirring, as if they could predict that something was going to happen. On the other hand, but not less important, Caelid's deformed beasts continue their advance, in a sick desire to break through.
"Control yourself a little, woman."
Keeping slightly behind Aldrich, who is in front of the lines of soldiers, Finley who is without a helmet, speaks to Nepheli.
The aforementioned woman, Nepheli, gives little importance to Finley's words, all her attention seems to be on holding her axe, containing her bloodlust and desire for battle.
"Finally, at last... Finley, there is a battle."
Slowly scanning the large ranks of soldiers behind them with her eyes, Nepheli smiles and makes a few of them tremble at that. The brunette's bloodlust is palpable, just like a beast finally unleashed and hungry.
"Are you forgetting that I was the one who led all the battles before? I was even in the defense against the Caelid beasts and the retreat from Peninsula del Llanto."
"Right, truth be told I still don't forgive you for that."
"Next one said to Kenneth. Hey, I'm taking Nepheli to a battlefield, where she'll be doing lady stuff, such as chopping off heads and shredding limbs."
Expressing himself theatrically, Finley lets out his little sarcastic streak he seems to have and mocks Nepheli, who was previously forced to maintain the facade of a noble miss.
"Because you speak as if such things are not ladylike? Nothing is more normal than chopping off heads and limbs, we could even call it an activity fit for the whole family."
"Clearly there's something wrong... No, just forget it."
Sighing at the puzzled look on Nepheli's face, who sees nothing wrong with his explanation, Finley fixes his black hair with fine red strands behind his ear and falls silent.
...Aldrich pov...
Looking at the rather familiar but at the same time unfamiliar spyglass, the one that Bock is close to, I stop walking with a hand in the air and turn my head back.
"It's time to split up, Finley you go west, as your command skills, support and knowledge of Caelid beasts make you perfect for the task."
Fixing my eyes on Finley who accepts my orders without complaint, I give him a thumbs up within myself and continue speaking.
"You will take 80% of the normal troops and 20% of the knights. Remember just hold your position, don't do anything that might make them more aggressive."
It may seem like I'm giving you too much, but normal troops really aren't useful against the Frenzied Flame crazies, they'll just get infected and we'll have to deal with them as well.
Knights are already somewhat useful, having slain beasts and people alike, more runes dwell within them, thus increasing their physical capabilities and resistances to negative states.
That above was what Lansseax was referring to about having incredible potential, basically as long as you gather enough runes inside you, finishing off a dragon in one blow and splitting a mountain in two, those aren't just fantasies.
"I understand, I'll hold current positions and avoid getting into a direct conflict that might reduce our numbers."
"Thank you, Finley. I look forward to fighting together after this campaign on the peninsula"
"Not at all, it is my honor to follow your orders... And I am also looking forward to fighting alongside you."
Giving Finlay a smile, so he knows to hear his little mutter at the end, I notice how Nepheli clicks his tongue and blurts out a "Bootlicker" under his breath towards Finlay.
It really needed to be said... Well, I'd better stay out of their problems, they seem to have a weird dynamic between them, so I'd better leave them alone.
Applying the strategy that formed in my thoughts, I let Nepheli and Finley sort out their problems, until finally it was time to part ways.
...Some time later…
"It has to be a double layer camp, on the Necrolimbo side we will keep supplies and support troops. Towards the Peninsula del Llanto side we'll put up a defensive camp, so they can't take that side of the bridge and strangle our offensive."
Looking towards the bridge linking the Necrolimbo and Peninsula del Llanto territories, I make a rather simple but what I believe to be an effective plan to address the situation.
"Good plan, Aldrich... But there is no bridge."
Stating the obvious, Nepheli shrugs, as if to say "We can't do anything," before guiding his horse back.
"Sellen, can you handle this?"
"Uh, ah... Oh, sure."
Letting out a rather... Interesting noise, Sellen turns his head away from one of the several books he's been reading, and points his academy staff forward.
Such a staff comes from my personal collection, though I certainly offered her some better ones, but she said that one was the most balanced and of which she had the most experience.
Other than that... Since it's not like I'm itching to have that staff out of my collection, Sellen's mana stirs and a bluish flash covers all the ruins in front of us.
"Amazing... I always thought magic was nothing more than some predefined tricks. Who knew magicians could do this too."
"It's just that only useless and purposeful mages are found outside of the academy. The former barely manage to learn the three basic spells, while the latter don't spend time on these things."
Answering Nepheli with utmost calmness, Sellen's bluish mana finishes gathering all the debris from the ruins, and with a flash, the bridge is as good as new in front of us.
I didn't really expect Sellen to be able to do it, I even thought about using the Law of Regression to see if it would work, but who would have thought that magic would actually be so adaptable.
"Sellen, you're in charge of protection on this side of the camp."
"Just the protection?"
"Yes, everything else in the camp will be taken care of by Nepheli's troops."
Noticing that Sellen is satisfied with the arrangement, even going so far as to lift his head from the book for the second time today, I look towards Nepheli and signal for him to follow me.
The bridge was surprisingly stable, almost as if it had never really shattered, leaving me amazed at how incredible that magic was. Still in shock, I continued to look for the strange thing I felt from the other side of the bridge.
"Can you... Can you feel it, Aldrich?"
"Yura, no, Shabriri."
"Lord, oh, our traitor lord."
Dispersing the surrounding darkness, as the march had lasted all day and it was currently night, Yura or rather Shabriri makes an appearance.
He dressed the same as Yura, literally he uses the body of that dead man as a receptacle, so there are no differences between them. The only thing to note is that he covers his eyes with his hands, keeps a smile from ear to ear and a mysterious aura surrounds him.
"So he's Shabriri, the great emissary these freaks worship. Hey, weirdo, how did you know about us?"
"Our great god knows and hears all. The pain of the slave, the fear of the villagers, the desire for power of the great nobles... All trickery that separates man into social classes, that reduces some and raises others... But all are equal before our god, he will burn all that separates and divides!"
Shouting like the mad fanatic he is, Shabriri raises his hands to the sky and lets his empty sockets show, but the worst comes next.
The dark sky lights up in a variety of red, orange and yellow hues, while the heat in the surroundings becomes unbearable, before a huge eye forms in the sky.
This is the incantation/spell used by the followers of the Frenzied Flame in the Tower of the Frenzied Flame near Liurnia. An incantation/spell created to affect all who observe it, a manifestation of their god and serves to awaken madness in people.
"Hahahahahahahahaha... Now die, you filthy traitor and false lord!"