"Detonating that kind of weapon in the middle of the battlefield isn't great. They don't distinguish between allies and enemies the way Aura can be made to do. That means they would also deplete their own shield. "
"Still, many of our soldiers would be annihilated. Besides, they could just throw them in our ship's direction. It's thousands of kilometers away."
Arimiar chuckled, but Liam could detect his growing irritation.
"That won't work for as long as I'm here. I'd be able to intercept anything they might have before it even got close to reaching us, and we still have our forcefield. It's part of the reason why we can't just use that kind of weapon against Cinzolia; that kingly bastard inside would just do the same. There are also risks to using weapons of mass destruction."
Liam furrowed his brow.
"Risks? What risks?"
"Think of it like this. What do you think would happen if a species started mass-producing and using weapons capable of decimating all life on a planet, or destroying the planet itself?"
"Well, they would win."
The Commander sighed.
"No, they would be targeted. There are beings far stronger than any weapon of mass destruction. There are those among them who despise that kind of weapon; others fear their potential. They eliminate any species with developed militaristic technology. Long story short, the usage of WMDs makes a species a target marked for destruction. No species would be so foolish as to blatantly reveal them."
"So it's just that powerful creatures don't like them? So they kill anyone who uses them?"
"It's more that they are afraid of what those weapons can eventually turn into. Don't be naïve, however: most species do have weapons of mass destruction, even if hidden away. It's why it is very dangerous to be the attacker in a war."
Liam lowered his gaze, deep in thought.
'Then why is the Kingdom of Luweth attacking the Empire?'
He wanted to ask further questions but knew it was better to no longer test his luck. Arimiar answered them because of the respect he had for Varlian, not because of Liam. The Commander simply didn't want to harm the alliance between their species, and the youth was very aware of this. It was time to stop.
"If you're done with the questions, I shall leave. Go to Cinzolia and fight."
Arimiar's voice sounded almost relieved.
The connection was cut off and Liam placed the Communicator inside his inventory. The Squad had remained silent throughout the conversation, but he had still felt their glances. Expectedly, they didn't trust him and were analyzing his words carefully. He didn't really care, but it could prove to be a problem later on.
"Next time you want to bother the Commander, go through me first. I'll be sure to answer any nonsensical, stupid questions you might have."
One spoke to Liam, his voice containing traces of rage. Deciding against responding, Liam remained silent.
It was only a while later that they got within a few hundred kilometers of Cinzolia. Lights flashed in the sky and on the ground as hundreds of thousands of soldiers used their skills at the same time, all smashing at the green barrier surrounding the walls of the Fortress. From inside the translucid shield, a wave of Aura came, extending for kilometers. Over ten soldiers grouped together and swung their weapons at once, creating a comparable attack that nullified the wave of Aura. Both sides' teamwork was impeccable. The warriors coordinated their attacks as much as possible, focusing their blows on a single point. Despite their teamwork, the Empire had already sustained thousands of casualties, while very few of Luweth's soldiers had perished.
"Our goal is to stay back and wait for the forcefield to be worn down, only attacking in rotation. Then, once the shield is down, our special operation will begin: we are to eliminate the leaders of their army. Remember that."
One spoke to the entire Squad. The other numbers nodded, as did Liam. However, his plans were a little different.
"Let's get started with those attacks, then."
By now, they were already only a few tens of kilometers away from the Fortress' shield. Liam circulated his Aura at top speed, rushing forward. Of course, the rest of the Squad casually caught up to him less than a second later. Once they were less than three kilometers away, Liam brought out his spear and swung it. Or at least, he tried to.
His weapon stopped dead in its tracks mid-air. An armored hand tightly gripped its shaft. It belonged to One, whose voice sounded dangerously calm, with barely contained killing intent.
"Insubordination will not be tolerated, ally to His Highness or not. As long as you're part of my Squad, you will answer to my orders and them alone. Never act before you're ordered to."
Liam frowned under his mask, immediately understanding how he'd overstepped his boundaries. Used to being the strongest and the leader back on the Tutorial, he took action naturally, before thinking it through. He had to remedy this mistake while he still could. He relaxed his body, making One release his spear.
"I'm really sorry, Captain, sir. I am not used to belonging to someone else's Squad. However, I do believe that having me start the attack would be for the best. As I am the weakest, it wouldn't draw much attention from the defenders."
His voice was firm but clearly more subservient than moments ago. He hated it, but for as long as he remained weaker, he had to act accordingly. He had to endure. One gazed at him silently for a long while. One could hear a pin drop. Then, the Drakkhan nodded.
"Proceed, and remember: never do this again."
Liam nodded, looked forward, and swung his spear, this time executing the entire movement.
'Crescent Moon Wave.'
The hundreds of meters long blade of Aura flew out, dividing the arid atmosphere and almost touching the blue sky. The response was immediate. Three soldiers inside the barrier gathered their Aura into a single mass, shooting it forward. The Aura sphere slammed into the Wave, breaking it in half and continuing in Liam's direction. The young man pierced the air, shooting out a beam that expanded as it collided with the sphere, making it lose some energy. Nonetheless, it continued on. Surprised, Liam hurriedly shot out more Droughts, finally managing to destroy the Aura sphere as it got within a few hundred meters of them.
"Pathetic. I gave you a chance and you squandered it. Your attack did not even reach the shield. Stand back."
One pulled out his weapon's mysterious handle from his inventory as he spoke.
"Show this animal the power of our Squad. Attack together, all at once."
In an instant, all of the Squad members pulled out their weapons, rushing in different directions. Only Liam remained beside the Captain. One's mysterious handle-like weapon glowed as light coalesced on top of it into the blade of a greatsword, shining like a star. Then, in a single, brutal movement, he slashed the air. Orange light flashed. The absurd wave of Aura crashed against the forcefield, shaking it slightly. Immediately, a great amount of the attention of the soldiers on the wall had been drawn to their location. Aura blades and projectiles were sent in their direction, but One cut through them all with a single swing. The attack once more hit the forcefield like a meteor.
A second after that, eleven more attacks rang out simultaneously. Some of the Squad members had remained at range, firing their Aura, while others had rushed to the forcefield with blinding speed and hit it directly. The shield visibly rippled as the Squad continued their attacks, One being the main contributor. By now, all of the soldiers on the wall had noticed them, but they couldn't stop fighting the millions of Drakkhan remaining on the battlefield. As such, only a few of the soldiers moved against the Squad members, their attacks being easily shattered like glass.
It was the difference a single Elite Squad could make. As Liam observed it all, One's voice reached his ears.
"Attack as you might. I will remain at your side and protect you from the enemies."
Liam clenched the shaft of his spear tightly. He was so far beneath them that he couldn't even be mentioned in the same breath. Varlian hadn't been joking when he said Liam might die. Making him Zero wasn't an act of mercy, it was a necessity. He wouldn't survive otherwise. As this realization hit him, Liam slashed the air with his spear, sending Crescent Moon Wave after Crescent Moon Wave. The defenders tried to target him, but their attacks were easily blocked by One's casual movements, as was the Aura they fired to intercept Liam's Skills. As such, Liam managed to get a clear line of attack to the forcefield, his blows slamming into the green energy barrier through the path the Captain created. The damage on the shield, mostly dealt by the other members of the Squad and One himself, started to accumulate.
It was then.
Liam's eyes widened. His body tensed up, his heartbeat increasing. The world turned red. One's movements became less than a blur, the world exploding with orange Aura for kilometers on end. Yet, it wasn't enough. Less than a second later, a beam pierced the orange domain and hit him square in the chest.
BANG
He was thrown backwards, sliding on the earth and sand for over two hundred meters. In an instant, he grasped his situation.
'I'm ruined.'
The armor had been destroyed, the impact and power being enough to disintegrate his insides. The reason why he had been thrown back only so far was because most of the energy had invaded his body, wreaking havoc inside it. His lungs and heart had completely disappeared, as had his stomach and kidney. his intestines were half-destroyed, and his neck barely hung on. Most of his upper body had been turned to dust. Liam was sure that death would be the only alternative for the majority of living creatures.