5 days later
"You want us to surrender to you guys? What kind of joke is this? When did humans start having the power to command us?"
"So you object against our negotiations, do I see that right? Are you loyal to your God no matter what? In your place, I would give this offer one last thought.
"Tsk, I will never take a human's offer! Consider yourself lucky that we don't kill you on the spot and have mercy!"
"Mercy? Such thing is wasted to this world..."
All of a sudden they heard raging battle cries coming from the forest behind them. In the next moment the leader approached the man with a sword, the man did not move from the spot. Before the blade could touch him three top warriors shot out of the bushes beside him and disarmed his attacker.
" So this is your decision. Then live with the guilt that will come to you from now on until it is over."
The battle cries grew louder as the four headed in their direction. After that, the man's words would quickly find their meaning.
It wasn't long before their camp was ablaze. Flames and blood followed them on all sides. The cries of their comrades and the prayers to their God echoed in the air. Unrelenting, the enemy continued their merciless massacre with no words. Out of the midst of their opponents stepped an elf woman, dressed in white, towards their leader.
" You see the fault that devoured you. Peace was in sight yet you chose foolishness. Less than an hour has passed with half of your people now lying on the ground drenched in blood. All could have been prevented if not for tradition being your main motivation. So where is he when you need him? Why doesn't he help you? It's simple: you are all worthless replaceable parts in his eyes."
Their opponent was barely able to answer as he continued to watch his brothers being slaughtered away from their own race. Amidst this chaos, another person stepped up behind him, this time it was the human he wanted to murder.
"Your eyes are filled with hopelessness along with the realization of your own arrogance and failure. However, there is a chance to stop this. Now, better waste a thought before you say anything: Who is your ruler right now?"
Once again he watched his comrades fall and witnessed their pitiful situation.
"Yrasil...Yrasil is our ruler."
The man sighed and held his hand in front of his forehead while looking annoyed into his eyes.
" It seems you can't be taught...disappointing."
Within the next moment, the woman's blade severed the head from the victim's body. She cleaned the blood from her sword and tucked it away.
" Even in the eye of death, they won't be their own masters. Blind faith combined with lost prayers...a pointless cause to die."
"Hmph, I really thought that his hopelessness would bring out his own thoughts. It is the best way to break the enemy's soul, after all. Yet again I was mistaken...time to end it all."
During the conversation, the battle kept going on. After another few minutes, everything was over. A mere 500 men had defeated a total of 2000 without losing a single casualty. This was the first of many wonders that these two would perform.
"Men, make sure they have all met their deaths. The injured are to be taken care of as soon as possible. Afterwards we will move on, this was just the beginning. More dangers and potential threats are lurking in this area."
After carrying out their leader's orders, everyone readied themselves as quickly as possible.
" By the looks of their camp, we should find several more just to the north. Our forces are mobilized and far more capable than others of their kind."
"We have been very efficient and at our speed we should have the way cleared soon enough. Till then we can proceed with these operations."
Then one of the masked warriors came up to talk to them.
"You don't need to keep that thing on all the time Connor. The danger is gone and your identity is known to everyone as well."
"Still, I want to get used to it as soon as possible. They still haven't fully accepted me."
"Your abilities are almost on par with theirs. This unit is made up entirely of humans so it shouldn't be long before everyone understands each other despite your short time with us. Now, why did you come here?"
"We found this document near their supplies. It highly indicates that they have additional allies. Plus, given how long this list of goods is, the area should just be swarming with enemies. What exactly do we do?
"So it' not just to the north that we have more targets. There is a mountain range to the west of us and more woodlands to the east. I think we will have to engage to the west, the others should be capable of handling the east."
"Are we really sure they can defeat these enemies? I mean, who knows how large the number of enemies there is?"
"If they fail at that then there is no hope of prevailing. Besides, they have a leader with years of experience, warriors with extraordinary talents and abilities, and a being who could quickly end everything. You regret your decision to go over to this side?"
"No, I don't. Ultimately, it was clear that humans didn't fit in their resistance. Getting nasty looks or behind-the-back conversations is the last thing I would have wanted."
" Good, so you understand. The progress you've made in the last few days has proven your exceptional talent. It won't be long before you can consider this a second home. Now, if there is nothing else to discuss then I suggest you pass on our order: we will be marching west to meet the enemy there. The terrain is going to be different, everyone should keep that in mind!"
Connor left the two and relayed the message. There was little questioning of his authority. Based on his tremendous growth in learning, determination, and skill, he had proven himself many times during this period.
" All right, that settles most of it. All that' s left now is to decide how exactly we're going to do things there."
" First of all, two scouts should investigate the area. We should take supplies from here and store them in a safe place. In addition, the camp should be positioned in a place just below a hill."
"This very camp works as a trap. So long as we make it look as realistic as possible, the enemy should approach by themselves. If they really are deep in the mountains there certainly have been no intruders all this time. In any case, we'll be the first and last they will ever see."
The journey to their destination lasted two days. For once, they expected a fort rather than a simple base camp. This assumption was confirmed when they spotted a wall of stone in the distance. The terrain was not suitable for a fight as the road was very narrow making it difficult for the troops to get into formations. Their discussion on how to approach continued for several hours. Leo recalled his past encounter against the barbarians and how he might bring those tactics to play a part here.
"I propose we take them by surprise by night however only with about 10 men. Our best chance is to lure them to us in case of a fight. Then again, there is the question of whether they are going to let down their defenses."
"You would be taking a big gamble. In case they don't get controlled they will be smart enough to figure out this ploy. I believe we will have to observe them to find a weak spot."
Whilst they were still working out their tactics and strategy, suddenly they heard battle cries from the distance. In the end, it was Vega and Leo who surprisingly had to go on defense. Both of them were experienced and prepared enough to keep a level head and take immediate steps.
"The archers will look for a cover in sight of our camp. All close combatants are to form a shield in front here. Each of you will have the other's back. Stand confident and resolute to our cause. We are doing this not only for the sake of retribution but also for the sake of our future and that of our innocent brothers and sisters. As ever, I have great faith in you and your abilities."
This encouragement boosted the morale and determination of all concerned. Both Vega and Leo placed great emphasis on the state of the soldiers as well as the circumstances around them. Each knew the other by name and there was little arguing within the group. The special troops, however, split off from the rest to focus completely on themselves. It wasn't a coincidence that it consisted entirely of humans. Each of them lost something very important and followed the path that Vega offered them. They did not have any hatred in them and could ignore any disturbance or provocation. Thus, they quickly became a small family that could blindly trust and understand each other. But recently they were joined by a stranger with whom neither of them wanted to build up a relationship. Little did they know, that he, too, had experienced a great loss. The developments between them were to present Connor with the greatest task of his life and determine his future.
After a short time, their opponents were visible from afar. They marched head-on straight at Leo and Vega's squad. Both immediately recognized that there was no green glow, much like their last opponents. However, neither of them wanted to take the chance to talk. Instead, Leo evaluated the situation while looking at the surrounding area.
"They don't want to defeat us in close combat, we better take cover before it gets started."
Both shared the same thought and issued new orders to the troops. Now, they formed a shield over themselves yet faced ahead to the enemies. Not a single one of them anxiously left his post or moved out of formation. It was very important to remain highly concentrated now. Moments later, a loud hissing sound was heard from afar, darkening the sky.
"It's time, how many do you think there will be?"
Hundreds of arrows fired directly at their position. Most of the hail of arrows deflected off the guard formation thus missing its target. Nevertheless, a hundred arrows suddenly found themselves right at their feet. They stuck in the ground announcing the arrival of the infantry.
" They timed things quite good, then. Whoever their leader is must be either confident or crazy. Their short hesitation probably means they didn't expect this to happen. Their numbers are about the same as ours. Based on capabilities we should be way ahead of them."
Abruptly, part of the mob swarmed left and right out of sight. Looking at the masked warriors, Vega gave them a signal. Leo left her side and headed into the woods behind their army.
" Brothers, today will only be victory to us hence fight for our survival on this very day."
Head-on, the enemies charged right into the defending lineup. Although they managed to break through some of the shields, it quickly became clear who had the upper hand. Cries rang out from west and east, fading after a few seconds.
"So predictable. You gave us way too much time."
The enemy suddenly panicked upon realizing their support did not show up. One of them roared loudly into a horn behind him. He waited for a reaction, but nothing happened. Even their last resort gave no sign thus they prepared for a desperate retreat. Vega ordered her soldiers not to chase them and to stay put.
Shortly after, a continuous hail of arrows came from her side, piercing the remaining opponents. Their first move of the enemy would eventually mean their own deaths. Soon after the battle was over, the masked warriors stepped out of the trees. Their armor as well as their masks were smeared with blood. Not one of them was wounded. Apart from five wounded, there was not a single death in their ranks. This was the third time in a few days that they had defeated their enemies with such dominance.
After tending to the injuries, they set up camp and talked about their next move.
"They seemed too sure of themselves. . The enemy bet a lot on one card and lost. In this case, defense was the best attack. However, their number is not yet known yet today they certainly suffered great losses.
"We need to quickly observe their camp for their numbers. Using this information, we may be able to end all of this much faster. I shall go and survey the situation with three of you accompanying me."
Leo indeed behaved as if he had always been their leader. After a moment's hesitation, Connor, as well as two of his fellow members, joined Leo.
"You remember what we agreed on. Taking risks are the last thing we should be doing right now."
Together, the four of them left the camp in the direction of the north. After some time, they were able to view the walls. Much to everyone's surprise, it was neither a fort nor a fortress. The great wall that was there was just a part of ruins. The camp of the enemies did not reside in this place as they had suspected.
"Hm, this is odd. How come there are weapons lying here if there is not a single soul in sight far and wide?"
"I have checked the surroundings, absolutely no one has been hiding here."
" They haven't done this of all things?!
"Calm down, we would have received a signal long ago of they were ambushed. You all know that safety is our top priority. We' re prepared for anything."
"Then how do you explain this situation huh?!Something has to be wrong about it!"
"We will just continue on the path to the north. Right now it's clear enough to view everything."
"The plan was just to observe, not to explore!"
" Do you want to just go back like that with no answers? If there' s still nothing happening after a few minutes, then we'll return!"
Following a brief discussion, they decided to join Leo. The path became wider and more clear till after a short time when they saw the real reason for this situation. At a distance, elves with green glowing eyes were slaughtering their own people. Judging from their armor, Leo knew they were the same warriors whose majority they had killed today. They begged for another chance but got no mercy.
"I didn't want to believe it but it' really happening. They don't even hesitate or even change their expression. That control is really as strong as you said."
"Hm, this time it's a little different. I already knew they were out to fight but not to punish weaklings. It seems they were found to be not strong enough and are now being executed."
" It doesn't make sense... but then again, what does make sense in these times. In terms of numbers we far surpass them, who's to say we won't run into them tomorrow?"
"That is possible however I consider it unlikely. Take a good look at their behavior, it looks like they have accomplished their mission. My guess is that it's the same pattern as the attacks on your fortress. They select those who are just hindrances or are too weak for them. Once this culling is complete, they return to Yrasil. I believe he wants to prevent us from gaining more allies this way. Therefore he lets the possible options be eliminated. He' s sacrificing pieces so his opponent can' t use them."
"This guy is really insane. Heck, even the elves are suffering from the terror of their ruler. Sure, not all of them are exempt from guilt or are filled with hatred but some of them are an exception. He doesn't care about sacrificing in order to be in a favorable position."
All four agreed on their opinion, this was an act of oppression and eradication that went against all sense of regularity in the kingdom. After seeing this, they went back to report to Vega.
"At the end of the day, what I'm saying is that he doesn't want to give us any strength with this. As long as we remain within this number, he is able to plan ahead. He doesn't want the conditions to shift."
"Hmph, a tyrant to the end huh... His strategy is clever if cruel but wasted on us long ago. If he really knew how many times we have been attacked by our own people he would be smart enough to know that we are not looking for reinforcements. We are giving them a chance to escape, but that is all. If there is any violent resistance, we will eliminate those pieces ourselves. I will never accept elves into our ranks at this time. As soon as such changes occur, this whole plan is messed up."
"Focusing on the parts you have huh? This system has to stay in place, and besides, there's that one ally who's actually on our side."
"Ha, who knows for how long? Come to think of it, by now they'll have noticed how exactly we're going about it. I don't think that method is going to please them one bit. Perhaps they will be our enemies in the end. All their talk about protecting and accommodating the weak... this way they'll never make any progress."
"But their resistance does have some of those people. Even with the strong warriors, their forces are limited, they still need every new person they can get."
"That's exactly why their strength will remain limited Connor. If they label themselves as weak all the time, then they' re not fit for battle. The weak were always destined to live and exist beneath the strong. If Elayn, Lynia or Ryu doesn't like that then they should overcome their deficits as soon as possible. Beautiful or reassuring lying words do more harm than good in this world. Even Vega gave a choice to her soldiers. They were allowed to live their lives normally without having to go into battle, however, they had to do it on their own. Do you think Elayn really gave them the same choice Connor? Everyone has their burdens to carry but I have seen once before what this person is truly about when it comes to her people. And for her greater good, there has to be sacrifice whether it's voluntary or not. In the end, she is no better than us and the actions we take. She considers this to be evil but forcing one's good intentions on others by disputable means is no more than an evil act as well."
Vega was aware of the memories that Leo was evoking once again. Still, she was surprised that he was able to turn away from them so quickly despite his long history with them. His intentions appeared to be much more mysterious than she thought. It was precisely this that made Leo far more interesting to her. She simply couldn't see through him even though they were thinking alike.
"As for our next move, we should go on the attack this time. I have a few ideas that are going to help us in the long run. There' s a way to use the elements to push forward. As long as we don't stray from the path, we should reach our destination soon. I think all of us can't wait to put an end to all of this. Almost everything in this region has been cleansed. Anybody who gets in our way by force will be eliminated, no one will endanger our mission!"
Leo became a true leader, a mixture of the old commander of the Yakura squad and the powerful being who carried the darkness: a dangerous combination whose direction is unpredictable.