Time was limited and Korogin knew that, but he did not idly sit by. He was not the Master of Strategy for nothing! The fact that the Alzar Kingdom survived so long without a monarch was testament to his ability to plot and scheme! There were few ways out, but all of them required a huge amount of sacrifices. It would be a naïve dream to believe that they could all escape alive. Even Korogin was unsure if he would survive. However, he knew that surrendering was not an option. When had the Xingyuu Empire granted mercy? If the Alzar army surrendered, then they would be forced into slavery. The officers and generals would be tortured for information before being executed. There was no good ending for anyone!
With that in mind, he had resolved himself. Their path was set in stone. The Alzar Kingdom was… doomed! In that case, he would rather die spectacularly in the field of battle than cowering in fear! He immediately began his plan and the army stirred into action. Orders were shouted out, soldiers were shuffling into position, and everyone's battle spirit was roused. Although some were unwilling, as the saying goes: a cornered animal was the most dangerous. Who had not suffered in this war? Who had not bore grudges against the empire? Everyone had a story to tell! The killing intent soared into the air like a ferocious beast on its last legs, shaking the surroundings to their core.
The Xingyuu army was startled. Everyone had grown complacent and relaxed, believing the battle to be over. After all, the Alzar army was surrounded and heavily outnumbered. But the generals knew something was amiss and quickly alerted everyone to prepare for battle. Whatever it was, they knew it was the Alzar Kingdom's last stand! Cardinal Hui and the other cardinals heard the news and emerged from their tents to watch. Hui had a sharp gaze as he glared at two familiar figures approach the frontlines. It was the Ten Dawns, Tengon and Nassandra, who wielded that terrifying tactical magic earlier!
The generals were shocked that the pair would make another appearance. After all, Torrential Blizzard was just too destructive! It was normal to believe it was a trump card, a one-time use! If it could be used repeatedly, then they would have done so. In the battle hours prior, the Xingyuu Empire decided to advance with the full force of three divisions only after the spell was unleashed. They were that wary of it! No one expected that the Ten Dawns would make such a quick recovery so when the magical circle was constructed again, they immediately commanded for the archers to fire upon the two. Arrows filled the sky as they rained down to kill!
The Alzar Kingdom did not give them a chance. Lord Korogin gave the Ten Dawns a shielded vanguard force, as well as every Perception Realm expert available, for their protection. Together, they negated every attack! The Xingyuu Empire adapted quickly and ordered for the encirclement to loosen up. If the spell was going to be unleashed anyways, they wanted to minimize the potential damage. The radiance of the spell brought chaos to the frontlines! Everyone had seen the power of the Ten Dawns and feared what would happen again.
Cardinal Hui frowned slightly. Deciding not to attack, he released the grip on his longbow. His instincts were telling him that things were not that simple. He unleashed his perception out to inspect the Ten Dawns closer. On the surface, everything looked the same as before. Furthermore, he was not an Arcanist, so he did not understand the spell at all. Whether it was the same as Torrential Blizzard or not was not something he could decide. However, that was not his focus. He narrowed his eyes on Tengon and Nassandra. Tengon was standing strong as though he was in peak condition, but Nassandra… did not look so good. She could not mask her weakness. Seeing this, Cardinal Hui's face turned grim. The other three cardinals came to the same realization a bit slower and surprise decorated their faces. It was a feint!
As the cardinals suspected, Tengon and Nassandra were putting on a show. Their Cores were so severely depleted from the previous Torrential Blizzard that even if, by some miracle, they could create another, it would be one-hundredth its normal strength. It would amount to nothing! Despite that, the Xingyuu Empire remained unaware. Lord Korogin played his hand well, using the brief interlude for the Ten Dawns to recover enough for this convincing show. After all, though it was a ruse, the large radiant magical circle was not fake. It was very real and consumed Magical Energy at a terrifying level!
Tengon could grit his teeth and pretend, but Nassandra was a child. Her body was far weaker in comparison. Her hand holding her wand started tremoring uncontrollably as the Magical Energy in her body began to rampage. If it was a small and simple spell, then she could suppress it. But like a crack in a cup, if the flow of Magical Energy was too large, then she could not stop herself. The spell naturally drew on her entire Core! Furthermore, the previous Torrential Blizzard was simply too taxing. Unable to hold back, she coughed up a mouthful of blood as pain paralyzed her entire body. She instantly fell unconscious and collapsed. Her last thoughts were of her brother, Freon… She regretted not seeing him one last time.
Without his partner to sustain her half of the spell, the balance was thrown into chaos. The spell forcibly blew apart with the bulk of the backlash channelling back towards Tengon. Tengon shrieked. The Magical Energy surged inside his body like a tempest. Blood leaked out of his orifices as he struggled to regain control. But… it was too much. His skin, tendons, blood vessels, and even his bones were shredded. Thankfully, it was not a true attempt at Torrential Blizzard. It limited the damage purely to his wand hand. It crippled one of his arms permanently! The pain was so immense that it threatened to rob him of his sanity. Contrary to Nassandra, his thoughts were clouded with hatred towards one man… Lord Korogin!