"Don't apologize. I've wasted too many years listening to your excuses. I've grieved your loss long before your deaths. If you want to give your presence here today meaning, fight like you've never fought before.

"For someone else. Give me something to remember you by aside from your mistakes. Give me something to be proud of."

In her heart, Fyrwal still loved and hated them all.

She loved them because they were still her children. She hated them for the way they had lived and died. Wasting untold potential and all the resources that the Hydra bloodline had poured onto them in the attempt to correct their ways.

"You've heard the Lady, maggots." Paax waved his hand and conjured a shadow staff resembling his old weapon, Ravenhold. "We are not here to chat, but to fight. Whoever you were, whatever you did, now is your chance to make a difference!"

He planted his toe talons in the ground, draining the world energy of the Fringe to increase his power and the number of his eyes.

"This is not a betrothal gift, it's a weapon." The Grandmaster held the black chain that stuck out of his chest high for everyone to see. "Use it. Like this!"

Through the chain, Paax had access to all of Lith's spells and mastery of magic. He used Spirit Magic, Light Mastery, and Creation Magic to shape the soil rich in magical metals into an armor.

He encased it with a hard light construct and then used Spirit and Creation Magic to imbue his staff and armor with basic enchantments Paax could sustain by himself.

'Who is this guy?' Varegrave, Valia, Locrias, and Trion were stunned. 'How can he do that?'

The rest of the Demons were similarly equipping themselves under the dead Professor's guidance, each choosing their best weapon. Knives, bats, swords, scythes, and hammers took form in their hands as Paax instructed his pupils to use tools they were already accustomed to.

There was a constant stream of information from Lith to Paax and from the Grandmaster to his improvised class.

'I'm not that special. It's you guys who suck.' The dead Professor replied through the telepathic link. 'These people are lost. They don't remember who they are and have no idea how to use their powers.

'You are too used to leading trained soldiers who only need orders. These people aren't soldiers but civilians. What they need is a teacher. Someone who can show them the ropes and select for them a few spells according to the mission at hand.

'Most of them aren't mages and never practiced magic. Even with Lith's knowledge as a base, knowing and doing are completely different things.'

Like during one of his lessons, first Paax had given a demonstration of the spell and then he had his class follow through, using the chains to correct and guide those who stumbled.

There was no time or reason to wait for the Demons to understand the flow of magic since they would be gone after the mission. The Grandmaster pointed out the Demons' mistakes and gave them the solution right away.

'I see.' Locrias nodded, watching the sea of Demons expand as their numbers exceeded one thousand. 'But this wouldn't be possible if not for our allies drawing attention from us and buying us time. This is an abnormal situation.'

'There's nothing normal about this, kid.' Paax replied.

He pointed at the Dark Phoenixes soaring the skies above the decoy team. Their bodies had become living Origin Flames that ignored the defensive arrays and wore them out with a mix of fire and darkness.

While the white cores slowly advanced on the ground, the Phoenixes drew the power of the magical formations away by forcing the World Tree to repair them constantly. The Yggdrasill was so busy dealing with the Divine Beasts and in so much pain due to Jirni that they had yet to notice Lith's absence from the battlefield.

Locrias and the others followed the dead Professor's lead to reduce his burden and bring the rest of the new-spawned Demons up to speed.

'But that doesn't mean we shouldn't exploit it.' To not waste time, Lith gave the Demons just enough power to have one eye for regular people and two eyes for those who already knew how to use magic. The rest they had to draw from the Fringe.

The vast plain was akin to a massive mana geyser, providing the Demons with a constant flow of power that they absorbed with their Abomination Touch.

"Shit!" Tessa the Titania had just recovered from the shock of summoning the Demons yet another problem had presented itself. "I hope that getting your sword back is worth it, Lith, because things aren't looking good."

With Ragnarök out of Ra'ntar body, the pain inflicted on the World Tree and his Chroniclers lessened. The array field's rotation speed increased, countering every move and spell of the white cores, and the Wood Golems fought more fiercely than before.

Without the influence of the angry blade, the Yggdrasill had regained their focus and the decoy strike team was getting pushed back.

"It's not just Ragnarök. Look around" Fyrwal waved her hand in a circle. "Everyone has gotten in, the Liches have come out of Baba Yaga's hut, and you've conjured your demons yet no new Fringe.

"We are still no match for the Yggdrasill. My estimate is that we have the time for one, maybe two attempts before we are overwhelmed."

"Also, not to pile up on the bad news and jinx it, but what's that?" Orion pointed at a single black chain that extended from Lith's chest to the World Tree.

It was as taut as a bowstring and unlike the others, it extended deep inside the Yggdrasill's domain without showing any sign of coming back.

"I have no idea." Lith replied.

***

Back in the Desert, Ragnarök hadn't cared for finesse while leaving and had left a gaping hole in Ra'ntar's innards. The lack of darkness fusion and the extended wound almost sent the elf into shock, pushing Quylla to her limits to keep him alive.

'Finally!' The World Tree rejoiced as the pain faded and their Chronicler regained their focus. 'Ra'ntar, the effect of the blade is gone and soon you'll be able to numb part of your pain with fusion magic.

'Those idiots think Jirni Ernas is skilled enough to seal your movements, but that's going to be their undoing. Pretend that nothing has changed and strike at the first opening. Kill them, kill yourself, I don't care.

'It's your fault if the enemy found my Fringe. It's only because of the pain you transmit to me that I can't focus on the battle and the other Chroniclers fight as if they are on their deathbed.

'Remember, if I die, all the elven villages in the Fringe will be destroyed and my knowledge lost. If it wasn't for you, I would have already killed the invaders.'

Ra'ntar cursed his own incompetence, using his rage to mask his improving conditions. He gritted his teeth and struggled, but it was now out of rage, not pain.

With Quylla healing his wounds and darkness fusion partially restored, he checked his body condition and which parts of his body he was now able to move.