"Based on our analysis of the Alliance, we've obtained at least some basic information on the nation. To begin, this nation is located in the Southern area of the human realm, and this nation borders all three human nations. Bordering both the Empire in the East and the Kingdom in the West, there are ranges of mountains which act as an effective boundary for their respective areas, however in between these two ranges, there are no such natural barriers separating the Alliance and the Sultinate."
Trevor begun to explain his own findings as he sieved through the data obtained through the spider cameras which had at this point spread all across the world.
"However, the Dwarven and Elven Alliance is an isolationist nation. To put it simply, they have never gotten along perfectly well with humans. Therefore they built a wall on their Northern border to completely seal the nation off from humans and monsters alike. It would seem that historically, the Dwarven and Elven Alliance have had no intention to lurk beyond their own borders, though they do not take kindly to those who invade their own borders."
"Wasn't there that one guy from the Empire who spent a lot of time attacking the dwarves?", Samantha inquired.
"Ah, Oraguth killed him and Bella slaughtered his legion at my orders.", Claire stated.
"Indeed.", Trevor nodded. "He was a fool who believed he could lay his hands on property which we will own in the near future. It is best that his armies lay dead."
The six present all nodded in agreement, aware of the disturbing actions of Larios, the Commander of Cruelty.
"And he performed these actions under the orders of that man.", Claire stated with distaste, clearly disturbed.
"So back to the Alliance, does the fact that he was able to attack the dwarves so easily mean they're weak?", Garett asked.
"Of course, everyone in this world is weak beyond measure. However, to go as far as to claim that the dwarves are weak when compared to the armies of the Empire would be a stretch. I believe the dwarves are highly skilled in both combat and the creation of weaponry, therefore it would likely not have been an easy task for Larios to attack such forces. Which would imply that he used other means to defeat the dwarves.", Trevor replied.
"Other means?", Garett questioned, leaning forward with interest.
"I believe he used deception and trickery to lure the dwarves from their mountainous abodes into ambushes. The use of hostages, spies, false information, and the like.", Trevor stated. "But we've gone off on a tangent. The Alliance is split into two halves. The Eastern half, and most particularly the Eastern mountain range, is the most prominent location of dwarven settlement. It would seem that there exists a mountainous fortress in which a council of elders rules from. Although, many of these fortresses within said mountains have been raided and destroyed by Larios."
With the motions of his hand, a map appeared before the four, allowing them to see exactly what Trevor referred to.
"The dwarven 'Capital' is located right here. Aside from this mountain range here, dwarves are not excessively prominent within the Alliance. Furthermore, the wall does not Extend beyond the borders with the Sultinate. The mountain range here acts as a natural barrier, and the dwarven people have historically been able to use the terrain to defend against attackers, so building a wall was not seen as necessary.", Trevor explained as he drew a line across the map with his finger, at which a wall formed.
"Although I'm sure that in recent times they regret that decision.", Ashley commented with a croak.
"The remaining land of the Alliance is inhabited by elves.", Trevor continued. "The Alliance is ruled by a two party system, with a council of elders for both the dwarves and the elves. Based on the information I've obtained, in order for a law to be passed, a majority vote must be gained by both parties. If one party agrees and the other doesn't, the law or decree will not be passed, even if an overall majority is formed."
"So there's no King?", Ashley asked. "That's kinda boring. Nobody really has the power to do anything."
"Yes well in most societies in the modern day, there is no such thing as a ruler who holds ultimate power.", Trevor commented.
"Sure would suck not to be a dictator.", Ashley stated as she stretched her arms forward.
"Having to deal with political opponents would indeed be extremely troublesome. It is very fortunate that your goals align in such a manner.", Avarco added.
"Wasn't it the same with you and Envidia?", Garett questioned.
With a light grin, Avarco chuckled to himself.
"If only it were that simple. I respected Envidia, and as Hosts we were bonded beyond all doubt. However, her own motivations and reasoning differed very significantly from my own. She wished nothing more than for none to hold more than herself, while I instead wished to continue to gain more and more. Our goals were opposing, and so I was forced to limit my own greed to a level where she would not have less than myself."
"Hmm..... interesting."
The room quieted at this, and then after slicking his hair back, Trevor continued.
"Now, we are already aware that criminals within the Alliance have been set free into the Empire. This is a recent practice which I believe begun out of spite for the Empire, whose legions- and most particularly the fourth legion- continuously led attacks on the dwarven people.", Trevor noted.
"Hahaha! That's kinda funny actually.", Ashley giggled. "You let your trash overflow into my nation, so I'll dispose of mine in yours."
"It is something which the Emperor of the time was unaware of. From what I know of him, he likely would have brought a stop to the whole matter, yet it was due to the political power which Brutus held that stopped word of Larios from reaching the ears of the Emperor, Percius IV."
"Ehh..... this is getting really complicated."
Twirling her messy hair in her hand, Ashley appeared to be contemplating things as her brain was jumbled back and forth.
"That old man I killed? He wasn't very interesting, but it was pretty fun to hear him scream. I guess there really are shitty people all over this world, eh?"
With a disturbed tone, Ashley let out a light whisper.
"Just like the last one."
"Aren't we included among those shitty people?", Garett said with a laugh.
To which Ashley grinned maliciously.
"I guess so. Heh... though we're not people anymore, so does that really matter?"
The ease with which the girl threw away any pride in her own humanity was disturbing.
"We've strayed once more. Could we please keep focused on the task at hand?", Trevor asked.
"It's kinda boring to listen to you rant about this."
With snide remark, Ashley made a comment which should by all means have irritated Trevor, yet instead it provoked a laugh out of him.
"I greatly apologize for being BORING, and not adhering to your particular interests as I disclose the information to you. However we must get through this."
This reaction provoked a laugh in Garett and Samantha as well, lightening the mood.
"It would seem that at my own expense, the somber atmosphere has been lifted. Now then, continuing on where I left off, the fact of the matter remains that we must act before the Indeterminant does. I have run a number of simulations, and it would seem due to the vast amount of problems associated with ruling a large domain, he will be extremely occupied for the immediate future- meaning this is our chance to strike. As the Determined has previously proposed, we will prepare for semi-long term infiltration of the Alliance by enrolling within Yulen Academy, a prestigious magical academy which is based in Yulen, the elven capital."
With a confident grin, Trevor pushed up his own perfectly rectangular glasses.
"Our goal is twofold. The first is to prevent the Indeterminant from locating the hero of the Alliance through our presence. Locating the hero and killing them would be quite the stretch, therefore instead of searching for said hero we will prevent the Indeterminant from entering the Alliance altogether."
"How?"
Samantha looked over to Trevor with quick response, demanding that he explain his plan further.
"Fighting the Indeterminant directly will likely not bear much fruit in terms of defeating him. It is only the Determined who even holds a chance at fighting him, however we likely will be able to halt the movements of the Indeterminant at least for a time. To begin, the Indeterminant is the hero of humanity. If the people of the Alliance were to reject his assistance, what do you believe he would do?"
Turning to Claire, Trevor passed the ball to the angelic figure who knew the man better than anyone.
"He can't kill anyone without a name. Theoretically he could attempt to fight them using the power of the hero who serves him, but that would likely go against his own goals. After all, his first priority would be convincing the elven girls of his own magnificence. Therefore, he would likely try to make his way into the Alliance in a way that makes him look good."
Thinning her eyes with a serious expression, Claire spoke with irritation in her voice.
"He'd try to provoke the other side into attacking first so he could wrap it into a story where he was the victim of 'savages who rejected him, forcing him to fight back against his will.' Then, he would likely claim that he was liberating the elven people from their 'oppressive rulers.' He'd incorporate the Alliance into his own nation, include them in another census, and then turn his attention to fighting the monsters."
With a nod, Trevor folded his hands.
"It is exactly as the Determined has said. Oddly enough, the Indeterminant has become strangely predictable as a result of his own despicable habits. Now, if we were to be present for such an interaction, do you not believe we would be able to stall for time in such a way where things would not go the way the Indeterminant wished them to go?"
"Ah, I see. So that's where I come in?", Samantha said with a mature smile.
"Indeed. You are the critical component to this operation. We will fight manipulation with manipulation, and deny the Indeterminant of his own desired outcome."
Nodding in agreement, Samantha ran her hand through her hair, which was now tied into a ponytail using a ring of twisted fingers.
"What if Ally just creates a black hole and kills him there?", Garett asked.
With a nod, Trevor put his hand to his chin.
"If our enemy were anyone else, I would rely on such a plan without a second thought. Yet...."
"I don't think that's gonna work.", Ashley muttered while leaning behind her chair lazily.
"There you have it. To think that our opponent is one in which even a black hole cannot kill.... hahaha..... we truly have gotten ourselves involved in something far beyond the realm of reality.", Trevor sighed.
"Now, as I said, our first goal is to prevent the Indeterminant from obtaining a second hero to fight alongside him. While the heroes hold strength that is incomparable to us, I believe we should not take any chances. After all.... there exists the possibility that after promoting the final hero, that something strange will happen. Perhaps the other heroes will be revived and empowered. Such a thing would mean our own doom. Even so, there is a secondary goal to this infiltration- namely that by distracting the Indeterminant and preventing him from moving forward, we will allow time for an assault on the human realm to occur while he is absent from his throne."
Folding his hands with a grin, Trevor looked around to his comrades.
"The Determined will lead our forces, and after destroying everything which the Indeterminant has built, she will kill him herself."
Trevor begun to laugh to himself, imagining the scenario in his mind.
"Ha.... heh..... hahaha..... can you imagine his expression when he learns of the truth? When he learns that all the people of this world.... all the women of this world..... have been slain? Hahaha.. HAHAHA!!!!"
Trevor's eyes widened as he delved into madness, cackling at his own plan.
As Trevor laughed, the Determined too begun to smile.
"Oh..... so that is your plan..... heh....."
The angelic figure begun to laugh herself, her own eyes thinning as a mocking expression overcame her.
"Hahaha..... so we will use his very debauchery against him..... very well."
With horrible grin, the angel chuckled to herself along the elf.
"I will show him..... the suffering he has brought to this world, to myself, to the people around him..... to those who have had their loved ones ripped from them, to those who have gone through immense pain because of him....."
Holding a hand to her own head, peeking out of the gaps between her demonic fingertips with eyes of madness, Claire spoke out with excessive laughter.
"I'll show him exactly what it means to have everything you treasure ripped away from you."
----
An elven man sat within an extravagant office which gave off a gothic atmosphere, almost like a cathedral.
This elf had skin which was excessively pale, and long pointed ears which were more than twice the length of a normal human ear.
Wearing a high class suit, he diligently worked at his desk, signing documents and stamping his seal onto them.
This man was Ingran Lerandi, the principal of the prestigious Yulen Academy, a school in which many high class magic users were produced from young age.
Within the Alliance, this Academy was of the utmost class- producing soldiers who could be considered nothing less than humanized weapons.
Each and every successful product would be promoted through the rankings of the elven military, however this military existed for one sole purpose.
To defend the border.
The Alliance was a nation which never took a side in war, and with every intent of keeping things this way, they built up their armies, prepared to defend their own neutrality.
Producing magicians of the 4th and 5th tier were common among this academy. The top scorers of each class would likely reach the 6th tier, and every few years there would even be a genius who would reach the 7th tier.
However within this Academy, one time in it's history had a magician of the 8th tier been produced.
Said magician was the current Commander of the 1st Division, Velphis Gersta.
'Haha..... if only there were more students who were as talented as that one. We would be able to reach even greater heights as a nation if we were to begin producing soldiers of that level more often.'
With a light smile, this man merely shook his own thoughts off as nothing more than a pipe dream.
'Haha.... however, I suppose I shouldn't be so harsh on the students. After all, they do all give their sincere efforts to become great.'
Looking into the courtyard outside a window as he pushed aside a curtain, the man glanced downward with a horrid frown.
'Aside from the failures.'
Turning back to the paperwork before him, the man glanced through a list of newly accepted applicants to the school.
'Let's see.... It would seem that a number of new students have been accepted for this new term. 224 in total.'
Sitting back in his seat, the man let out an exasperated sigh.
'If I were to take a guess.... I would say around 5% will survive. Perhaps 10, maybe 20 students.'
With a smirk, the man tapped his own finger on the paper before him.
'But the ones who do will become elites.... the pride of this school.'
Looking down at the paper, the lips of the man curled downward as he blinked his eyes multiple times.
Grabbing the paper and holding it closer to himself, he stared in confusion, flipping it around while he scratched his head.
'Hm? That's strange..... very strange.....'
Placing the paper down again gently, the man slid his finger down the list of names, eventually reaching the end.
'Did I misread something? Why are there 228 names now?'
----
As she flew above the streets of the Alliance, Claire watched as the elven people below her took note of the angel who soared above them.
'What.... is that?'
'Is that.... an angel?'
'Why is it.... above the city?'
Struck with awe and fear, the people were frozen in place at the sight of the being, yet Claire merely flew by without a care.
'These people will not remember me. It doesn't matter if I fly past them now, for the only thing which will remain after the reset will be that which I have Determined.'
'Claire, don't you think you're being a bit too stiff?'
'Stiff? Is that how I'm acting?'
'Yeah. It's pretty annoying.'
'I see. Ah! Look, there's the school.'
Coming across an enormous gothic building, Claire smiled as she looked upon the impressive structure.
'The antiheroes are pretty lucky. It'll only be temporary, but they get to attend classes at a place like this. I always wondered what it would be like to attend a prestigious university.'
'Claire, they're literally attending a school for magic. They aren't going to learn anything here. They're literally demon lords.'
'Ah. I guess that's right.'
'And it's gonna be a pain in the ass for them to keep their powers hidden. Do you think Ally will be alright?'
'She'll.....'
Claire frowned lightly, her own face puckering as if she had eaten a lemon.
'Maybe she'll be fine?'
Looking around the city with worry, Claire lightly smiled.
'Maybe this city will get destroyed after all....'
'Hahaha! That would be pretty funny.'
'It wouldn't be funny at all. We wouldn't be able to get back at that man if that happened.'
'I don't know about that. Things will still probably go as intended even if that does happen.'
'Don't talk like it's going to.'
With a sigh, Claire entered a tower, opening a window to enter.
"Greetings, principal. I've come to register a few new students. This will take only a moment of your time."
Before Claire was an elven figure who sat at a desk, watching in surprise as Claire stepped in through the window.
"What.... who are you? What do you think you're doing entering my window like that? We're on the 5th floor, you know. And what is with those wing-"
"You're quite talkative for a mere mortal."
Teleporting behind the man, Claire whispered into his ear, sending a shiver down his spine.
"What..... what are you?"
The man gasped for breath, unable to speak upon realizing the magnificent presence that had entered the room.
"I'm just trying to register some students. Let's see here...."
Leaning over to the desk, Claire helped herself to a pen and begun to write in perfect cursive, adding four names to the list of students before the man.
"There we go. All registered. Now I just touch this paper..... and it's been determined. Ah, it was nice meeting you, principal. Please take care of my comrades."
And with that, Claire used her demonic claw to prick her right hand, drawing blood for just an instant before a glitchy mess replaced the hand.
The world reset, and everything returned to as it was.
As if nothing had happened, the man merely looked around, a strange feeling having overcome him.
'Did I misread something? Why are there 228 names now?'