She restrained herself from doing anything rash, but her heart was bleeding. Now, that danger was looming on the horizon, she felt crushed by the monumental pressure. As a Ten Dawn, Nassandra had the responsibility of leading the Arcanists, of becoming a symbol of strength and vast magical prowess. But back when she served in General Gordon's army, she did not participate on the frontlines. She did not actually fight or kill anyone! General Gordon did not feel comfortable sending a child to battle, hence why the two Ten Dawns acted in a supporting role. However, now it was different. Lord Korogin did not share his sentiments. Hence, Nassandra was frightfully stressed and wished to vent her grievances to her brother. However… that was impossible. The only thing she could do now was pray for her brother's safety.
Please be safe, brother. Your little sister might not be coming back… she reflected bitterly.
***
Weeks later, the Alzar fleet landed on the shores of the Xingyuu Empire, creating their encampment. From the time that they crossed the Desterina Ocean, to entering Xingyuu waters, to occupying this area, there was some resistance but nothing out of the ordinary. The losses to the fleet were acceptable. In fact, the officers and generals were in a very good mood and felt optimistic about their chances. By now, it was no secret that the ultimate objective of this campaign was to siege Yongtein and bring about the end of the Second Great Kingdom War. After all, if only Lord Korogin, General Gordon, and the Ten Dawns knew, then it would be impossible to prepare and coordinate the army. The officers and generals had to work out the more specific details and organize the brigades and platoons for the upcoming battles.
Even if the Xingyuu Empire caught wind of their arrival, Lord Korogin was not particularly worried. He expected it. He knew there were spies in their midst, but what could the Xingyuu Empire do? The soldiers and officers heard of their ambitious plan to siege Yongtein when they arrived. How much time passed since then? Less than a day! To muster a force strong enough to contend with their army of ten thousand, was that so easy to do? Not to mention, the logistics of transporting an army from their base over to this remote location… Therefore, Lord Korogin openly expressed his plans through General Gordon. Of course, this meant that the fortifications in Yongtein would only grow stronger with time. Their position was a precarious one. For their plan to succeed, they had to attack within days!
Lord Korogin was somewhat suspicious of their success so far. This was simply his personality as an extremely cautious and careful person. How else could he become the Master of Strategy, overseeing the entire war directly? He might have planned over this strategy with Prince Dannark and General Illion for a long time, but there was always going to be unexpected elements. No plan was a hundred percent fool-proof. Prior to embarking on this journey, he consulted the latest report of enemy movements in the Desterina Ocean to predict the path of least resistance. They avoided any major Xingyuu fleets and chanced upon a few small reconnaissance fleets. Thanks to the combined assault from their aerial units and Arcanists, they were destroyed swiftly. He predicted that they would encounter three to five such fleets, and that was exactly the reality. However, he was unsettled.
They were facing an equivalent power, a civilization that lasted five hundred years of long war! There were so many schemes and strategies used that libraries could be filled with them. From what Korogin knew, the Imperial Council and the Xingyuu War Council were not daft enough to ignore this possibility. Normally speaking, they should have posed more resistance to prevent the Alzar fleet from landing, even if the only forces available were the reserve armies. He could not help but wonder if this was dumb luck or coincidence, but he knew there were no such things. Everything had a reason! Unfortunately, he was too far from the Alzar Kingdom to learn of General Illion's similar experiences in the north. If he had, then he might have realized that… this was a massive trap!
Night descended. Lord Korogin instructed that the scouting range be increased by three times, with the number of scouting parties increased by fivefold. Soldiers wandered the forest in a domineering manner, searching for any intruders. If even a single stray enemy was spotted, they could immediately alarm the main encampment. Like this, every tree, boulder, and shrub were meticulously investigated. Nothing was left unturned! Nothing escaped their search! But… that was not entirely true. For these soldiers, with their low combat standards, in the pitch blackness of night, how could their senses do well? Even for the knights, who acted as captains, famous for their combat standards, did not notice the shadows.
Shifting through the night, moving undetected, were dozens of intruders. Their clothes were dark, their movements were quiet, and their actions were decisive. None of the scouts realized when they were surrounded. The intruders exchanged silent gazes and moved as one, pouncing on their prey. Seconds later, the scouts laid dead at their feet. Their faces were still the same as before. They had no time to even realize they were killed! Shockingly, the intruders were at the strength of Perception Realms or Half-Perception Realms! For these people, the darkness was practically as bright as day. Without speaking, they slinked back into the shadows for more prey. Scenes like these were playing everywhere with the scouting parties silently being assassinated!
It all happened so fast that the commander in charge of the scouts had no clue. He was peacefully sipping on a drink, bored of the monotonous reports when his eyes went wide. He heard a loud horn in the distance and recognized the significance of it! It was an emergency signal warning of an imminent enemy attack! The source came from an unlucky Great Knight who sacrificed his life to send it. Without hesitating, the commander shot out of his chair and rushed to alert the army! Despite that, he was a step too slow. Unbeknownst to him, the sky overhead was filling with Xingyuu aerial squadrons. Against the night sky, they were invisible as they descended.