In a hidden, dimly lit dungeon, a man sits, shadowed by darkness, yet a part of his face is visible. Barely noticeable through the eeriness of the room, there is a recognizable scar strewn across his left eye.
Leaned forward, almost falling from his chair, he stares intently at a projection on the dungeon wall depicting the battlefield outside of Estrelia City.
To his side, another shadowed figure stands, very poised. The standing silhouette comments,
"The preparations are going according to plan, sire."
The sitting figure grasps his hands together and shouts,
"Yes... Yes... Yes! It's all coming together! The stage is set! The time has come! Send them! Send them all! The intermission is over and the second act has begun! Entertain me well, puppets!"
Echoing through the dungeon, he cackles as we return to the battlefield. On one knee, Alvard struggles to get up. With parts of his get-up charred and scorched, he looks around him, mumbling,
"Ow, ow, ow... That hurt... What the hell was that thing, anyway!?"
Standing firmly beside him, Rigurd shouts,
"Is everyone alright!?"
He examines the situation. Many soldiers have been injured, some to the extent of being put in critical conditions.
On the opposite side of the city, Lazaro stands, looking beat-up and panting heavily. He uses some of his Water Skills to cool the vicinity, along with himself.
In contrast, Lily stands near him, looking practically unharmed. She glows like a lighthouse in a misty sea of flame. Lazaro mutters to Lily,
"What just happened!?"
Lily answers,
"It looks like we got attacked."
Lazaro responds,
"Yeah, I can tell! You don't seem to be fazed at all!"
Lily mumbles,
"I-I just got lucky... Okay!"
From an overlooking cliff, various members of the 4th Division scramble around, gathering information on the current situation. A little on-edge, Alizandria questions,
"What's the next plan of action, Freidrich?"
Back with his stone-cold expression, Freidrich answers,
"Those who can fight will stay out in the field. Those who can't will be brought back to the city by members of the 5th Division. Tell them to keep the recovery groups small. It seems they want to gather us into large groups. Keep the 3rd Division on standby as well."
Alizandria relays the information to the 4th Division as they prepare to inform the ones in battle.
Together, members of the 4th Division carry out fluffy, white doves perched on each of their arms. The members tie a roll of paper onto each of the doves' right legs as Alizandria holds a hand out and commands,
"Take flight!"
All at once, the doves spread their wings and ascend into the sky, towards the battlefield. Reaching their destinations, each of the doves hovers around specific soldiers from every group.
A dove circles Rigurd as he holds an arm out, letting the bird land. He takes the note and unravels the thread that was binding it. He reads it quickly and mutters,
"Freidrich must know something if we're being kept here..."
Watching Rigurd, Alvard shouts,
"Hey! Old man! What does it say?!"
Rigurd answers,
"We're staying on the battlefield. It would be best if you returned to your platoon."
Begrudgingly, Alvard replies,
"Fine! The bad guys there are probably stronger anyway!"
Without wasting any time, he leaps into the air leaving a smoking burn mark on the ground. Arriving back at the outskirts of the 1st District, Alvard lands with a grand impact.
Someone wearing very similar clothing to Alvard approaches him and reports,
"Commander Alvard! We've given orders by Commander Alizandria! The able combatants are to stay here and those that are injured are to be taken back to the city!"
Staring towards a cliff in the distance, Alvard replies,
"Yeah, yeah. I heard."
Back in the city, Sylvie has just received the message. Standing up, she begins dishing out orders, shouting,
"Everyone in the 5th Division! Listen closely! We have some more patients coming in, so let's get to work, okay?"
The members of the 5th Division turn toward Sylvie and salute, replying,
"Yes ma'am!"
They get to work as Alizandria and Freidrich continue watching from atop the cliff. Alizandria mutters,
"It looks like everything is under control once again."
Freidrich nods and says,
"If only it could remain this way for longer."
Turning her gaze towards Freidrich, Alizandria questions,
"What do you mean?"
Freidrich explains,
"Something is coming. I have an idea on what it may be, but I'm unsure as to whether or not our forces can handle it."
Alizandria wears an expression of slight unease as Freidrich clears his throat and adds,
"I apologize. That was disrespectful of me. I have faith in the Royal Army's abilities. They will surely be able to handle this matter."
The two watch intently from above as the Army carries out Freidrich's impromptu plan.