Eastern Border of the Heiner Empire

"Hold the line!"

"Charge!"

Leo’s powerful command rallied the soldiers, who tightened their grips on their weapons and let out a resounding battle cry. The battlefield was nothing short of hell. Enemies poured in endlessly, while comrades fell all around.

There was no time to mourn the dead, no time to identify whose bodies littered the blood-soaked ground. Soldiers could only trample over them, swinging their weapons with every ounce of strength they had left. For every foe they cut down, another emerged, and before they could deal with that one, yet another would strike from behind. It was a relentless, unyielding chaos.

Amid the clamor of battle cries, screams, and explosions of magic, the true horrors of war unfolded. The clash of swords and the sound of flesh being torn apart filled the air. Blood sprayed across the earth, painting it red as Theo surged forward through the carnage.

The Mambern soldiers and the monsters fighting alongside them were a force unlike anything the empire had faced before. While Mambern’s human forces were familiar opponents, the monsters made the battle significantly more taxing. Among them were hulking humanoid creatures, grotesque in appearance and towering over most humans. These mid-level monsters were common in terms of classification, but their sheer destructive power made them far more dangerous than usual.

Theo, though large and imposing by human standards, was dwarfed by these monsters. Yet he showed no hesitation. His blade sliced through the air, infused with magic, as he struck at the massive beast before him.

A bloodcurdling scream drew Theo’s attention. He turned to see one of his soldiers collapsed on the ground, paralyzed with fear, as a monster loomed over him with a massive fist raised to strike. Without a moment’s hesitation, Theo hurled his sword, embedding it in the creature’s forehead.

Muttering a quick incantation, he channeled fire magic through the blade, causing flames to erupt and engulf the monster. With a deafening crash, the beast crumbled into ash, scattering across the battlefield.

"Are you alright?" Theo asked as he extended a hand to the fallen soldier.

"Th-thank you, Captain!"

"If you want to stay alive, keep your wits about you!"

"Yes, sir!"

Satisfied with the soldier’s response, Theo retrieved his sword and launched himself back into the fray.

***

Eastern Branch of the Imperial Army

The battle that had raged all afternoon finally came to a halt after the sun had fully set. But this was merely a temporary reprieve—a brief step back for both sides to prepare for the next clash. The war was far from over.

In war, stamina was paramount. Using this moment to rest was crucial. Exhausted soldiers sat sprawled across the barracks, catching their breath and trying to recover. However, the captains had no such luxury.

"Theo, what’s your assessment?"

Leo, Myles, and Theo were gathered for a strategy meeting.

"Mambern’s soldiers aren’t a significant threat, but the monsters are the real problem," Theo said bluntly.

"Exactly. These aren’t just low-tier monsters—they’re mid-tier. And their numbers are far higher than we expected," Myles added with a heavy sigh.

Theo scanned their surroundings. The soldiers were visibly drained, their energy sapped after just a single day of fighting. Combatting monsters wasn’t just physically taxing; it also required the extensive use of magic to efficiently take them down. The combination of physical and magical exertion had pushed everyone to their limits.

"If we keep going like this, we’ll be at a disadvantage," Theo noted grimly.

Leo nodded in agreement. "I feel the same way. As Myles mentioned, the sheer number of monsters is overwhelming. They must have pulled some kind of trick to get so many under their control. If we don’t find a way to deal with them, we’ll be in serious trouble."

"Myles, what’s the status of the 5th Division?" Theo asked, his tone sharp.

The fact that Mambern had such control over mid-tier monsters meant they had someone with extraordinary magical capabilities orchestrating this. If that was the case, taking out their command center was critical.

"They’ve entered the Uric Mountains, but that’s the extent of the report. The terrain is so treacherous that they’re having a hard time making progress," Myles replied.

"If it were Luke, he might have finished the job already," Leo remarked casually, eliciting a subtle flinch from Theo.

"Captain Luke is under suspension," Theo said firmly, brushing off the comment. "Let’s focus on discussing our next plan of attack."

Determined to clear his mind of thoughts about Luke, Theo spread out the map and steered the discussion back to strategy.

***

Uric Mountains, Eastern Border

The rugged and treacherous paths of Uric Mountain were shrouded in darkness as a lone figure, cloaked and hooded, moved swiftly along its winding trails. Neither the tangled underbrush nor the uneven terrain slowed their pace. Every step was purposeful, the path ahead seemingly clear in their mind.

A crow, perched atop a tree, suddenly swooped downward, flapping its wings near the figure. Whether out of mischief or instinct, the bird clipped the figure’s hood, causing it to fall back.

"Ugh… that damned bird," Luke muttered irritably, glaring daggers at the crow as it flapped away into the night sky. He tugged the hood back over his head with a sigh. "I’ll let it slide since I’m in a hurry."

Luke had made his way to the infamous Uric Mountains. Escaping unnoticed from the barracks with a quick warp spell had been a trivial task. With the entire imperial army preoccupied with the war, no one had the bandwidth to pay attention to him.

Initially, Luke had every intention of staying in his room, as he had told Fale. Being caught in action while under suspension would lead to severe consequences, likely stripping him of his rank or worse. Yet, the longer he stayed idle, the more restless his mind became. Thoughts of the monsters Mambern had unleashed and the 5th Division taking on what should have been his Detached Force's mission plagued him.

The 5th Division’s commander, Seth Yulin, was, to put it bluntly, not the most competent of leaders. Rumors abounded that his noble lineage had secured his position more than his merit. While his notable agility and quick deployment skills made him suited for the mission, this was an unprecedented situation involving monsters and Mambern’s schemes. Luke couldn’t help but question if Seth could handle such a complex and dangerous task.

"Yeah, no chance," Luke muttered as he trudged through the forest. His resolve to ensure the mission’s success was why he now found himself navigating the mountain paths under the cover of night.

Even in the dark, Luke moved efficiently. He could sense faint traces of energy—the residual magical auras of the monsters. Though Mambern’s forces had placed barriers to conceal their movements, subtle remnants still leaked through. Using these traces as a guide, he pressed on.

As he made his way forward, a sudden surge of familiar magic caught his attention from his right. Without hesitation, he veered toward it, sprinting.

"Seth!" Luke called as he emerged into a small clearing. The scene before him was grim. Seth lay collapsed, his breathing labored, surrounded by his equally battered 5th Division soldiers.

"You… what are you… doing here…?" Seth managed to rasp before losing consciousness.

Luke knelt to assess Seth’s condition, but it was clear he had taken severe damage. The others were in no better shape. Before Luke could act, a voice called out hesitantly from nearby.

"Excuse me…"

Luke’s head snapped up, his hand instinctively gripping his sword. He turned to face the source—a young boy draped in a robe. His blade was instantly pointed at the boy.

"Who are you? Mambern’s lackey?" Luke demanded coldly.

"N-no! I swear, I’m not!" the boy stammered, holding up his hands. "I’m just… I live in the village below the mountain. I got separated from my family during the evacuation and got lost. I was hiding here when… I saw something!"

The boy’s frantic explanation gave Luke pause. Though Luke sensed no overt hostility or magical aura from him, he remained wary.

"And what exactly did you see?" Luke asked, lowering his blade slightly.

"I saw someone—someone attacked the soldiers here! They ran off… toward the imperial garrison’s base!" The boy pointed in the direction Luke had come from.

Luke’s eyes narrowed. If what the boy said was true, it was a grave situation. Yet, something about this boy didn’t sit right.

"You seem awfully knowledgeable about what’s happening on this battlefield, especially for a civilian," Luke remarked. He slowly approached the boy, his voice laced with suspicion. "You even know the exact location of the imperial garrison. That’s not normal for someone your age. Thinking of enlisting, perhaps? You’d make a fine recruit."

"I… I don’t understand what you’re talking about," the boy stammered, his voice trembling.

"Ah, but you see, there’s one catch to joining the imperial army," Luke said, unsheathing his blade once more. "We only accept imperial citizens. And someone like you, playing the lapdog for Mambern, doesn’t qualify."

With a swift motion, Luke’s blade was at the boy’s throat. A gust of wind tugged at the boy’s hood, pulling it back to reveal a face half-obscured by grotesque black markings. Luke’s expression hardened.

"Found you. You’re the summoner who handed Mambern their shiny new toys, aren’t you?" Luke growled.

The boy’s demeanor shifted instantly. His voice dropped, cold and menacing. "So, there’s someone in the empire with brains after all."

"Good," Luke said, a smirk creeping across his face. "This saves me the trouble of hunting you down. Now, you’re going to tell me everything about your connection to Mambern. After I’m done breaking you."

Before Luke could strike, the summoner gestured, summoning two hulking monsters that leapt between him and Luke. Their enormous forms radiated malicious energy as they lunged at Luke. Without hesitation, Luke dropped his sword and slammed his palm into the ground, freezing the surrounding terrain. The monsters slipped and stumbled on the icy surface.

"Nighty-night," Luke muttered, slamming his foot down. A surge of electricity coursed through the ice, piercing the monsters with lightning-imbued spikes. Their bodies convulsed before disintegrating into ash.

The summoner scowled, summoning another wave of beasts, but Luke made quick work of them as well. He alternated between ice and lightning, dismantling the creatures with ruthless efficiency.

"Getting tired already?" Luke taunted, watching the summoner’s labored breathing.

"You’re strong, but I don’t have time to waste on you," the summoner spat. He crouched, drawing a complex sigil into the dirt with alarming speed. Luke lunged to stop him, but the summoner activated the sigil just in time.

The ground rumbled violently as a towering figure emerged—a colossal dragon-like monster, its form brimming with dark energy.

Luke chuckled dryly, shaking his head. "Well, this might be a bit much."

Despite his words, Luke’s grin widened. He rolled his shoulders, slipping into a combat stance. "Let’s see what you’ve got."