After we awoke, we checked our gear and headed out. We found the remaining Enforcers along with a still very-serious Michael.
"Oh, good. They're here now," Dante said.
"Right as I was about to report in. Excellent. So here's the deal: Sector 7-E has already prepared its defenses. They've mobilized troops to defend the forest around it and they have guns aimed in our direction. They sent a few spys our way, but they weren't a problem for me," Michael said.
"Good report. Now then, do you have an idea on how to tackle this?" Dante asked.
"Obviously, the seven of us could just walk over and obliterate everything. That's what they're expecting. But I have a better idea. I want to demoralize them even further than we have already. Mizik destroyed the Port and Leiso killed Overlord Davis. I want Mizik to walk over and take down Sector 7-E by himself," Michael said.
"Why me? And shouldn't I have backup?" I said.
Michael looked at me and furrowed his brow.
"Mizik...you have two Ultra Aspects. Have some faith in your abilities. Dante alone would be more than enough for what I saw over there and he only has one. Besides, we'll be nearby if you need anything. I also have to admit, after seeing The Archmage in action, I'm curious about The Warlord. Isn't it good to know our allies strengths?" Michael said.
"Fair enough. Alright, I'll go," I said.
"Good luck, Mizik! I'll be supporting you in any way I can from the side lines!" Isabella said happily.
"Nope. He needs to do this himself. I've been worried that he doesn't have enough experience fighting alone with that power yet, so this is necessary. Don't worry, we won't let him die or anything," Michael said.
"Oh...okay... But if anything happens to my husband..." Isabella began as she glared at Michael.
"Yeah, I know. You'll tear me limb from limb. I'm already prepared to let that happen. Now let's go, Warmage."
I reluctantly followed Michael and the other Enforcers came along as well. We were surrounded by an escort of soldiers as we walked and as soon as we left, the entire camp went on high alert.
* * *
Once we reached an area where the trees began to thin out, everyone ducked down and Michael pointed me towards the heavily guarded complex surrounding the impoverished city.
The goal here was simple: neutralize the enemy Attendants with as few human casualties as possible.
I walked slowly towards the complex and stood far off.
I closed my eyes for a moment and tried to awaken The Warlord.
I hadn't used this particular power as much as I should have so far, so I needed to understand it.
When I opened my eyes, I could feel the battlefield. I felt a calm readiness to destroy everyone that stood in my way.
At the same time, I felt eyes on me.
My body reacted and I stepped to the side...just barely dodging a bullet aimed at my head.
Then again...and again...
After three shots, I readied Justice and unleashed the chains.
I shot forward and the gunfire began.
I threw my chains ahead and latched onto a turret. Instead of tearing it apart, I pulled myself up to it and killed the gunner.
I manifested several balls of pure exploding magic and shot them in every direction at the nearby troops.
The disoriented troops scrambled to ready their weapons, but before they could shoot, I had already skewered them with my chains.
I manifested the guillotine blade and destroyed several of the turrets just before they could shoot at me.
I leaped into the air as several rockets were fired at me and pulled myself to the men who fired them. The more the troops tried to shoot me, the more they saw how futile it was.
My body reacted on its own. It would likely take an attack of incredible precision and speed to actually hit me right now.
I dodged and weaved between the enemies as I cut then down with Justice, my chains, and the guillotine blades. All the while casting magic passively.
I weaved my magic into the chains of Justice and used them to shoot lightning all over the place.
At the same time, I shot fireballs and set everything ablaze as I slew everyone around me.
Several tanks finally showed up, but I redirected their guns at one another with magic. They shot each other just before I dropped several javelins of chaotic fire magic down on them. They exploded without any further issue.
Then I had an idea.
As I dodged and weaved through enemy fire, both their Aspects and ranged weaponry. I also thought about how interesting it would be to use Kazuma's trick...
I didn't have to look deep to find it.
Psychokinesis.
I quickly crafted the spell and began throwing wreckage around and destroying everything.
I grabbed a troop transport and crushed it with psychic power before filling it with exploding javelins.
Then I activated the lethal strikes ability of The Warlord.
I charged through the burning battlefield slaying soldiers, throwing chains, guillotine blades, and vehicles. I came face to face with a tank and threw it into the air.
Then I sliced it completely in half with a massive blade made of black fire. The wreckage fell to the ground and destroyed a second tank behind it.
This is actually kind of fun.
I felt myself smile as I continued my rampage. The more troops they sent after me, the more people I killed.
Eventually, they surrounded me.
"IDENTIFY YOURSELF! WH-WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU!?" One of them said.
I smiled widely.
"ENFORCER SEAT 8, SPECIAL FORCES MIZIK IRATUS! THE WARMAGE!!!" I roared.
I saw the look of terror on their faces just before I engulfed the area in swirling either particles.
Several people choked on the toxic magic and fell over as others tried to run away.
I threw my chains out and slaughtered the soldiers with ease.
Damn...I'm gonna miss these chains when I get Vengeance back...
[Don't worry. Vengeance can replicate them easily. The Overseer is truly a powerful blade...as you will soon learn. Even so, you could easily replicate my chains with your magic. But that is a topic for another day. Now...MAKE THESE SINNERS PAY FOR THEIR CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY!]
Will do.
The thought of being able to fight like this using Vengeance filled me with joy.
I continued my rampage until I came to the slave dwelling area. I was careful to only slay the guards and not blow everything up here.
The starving people looked at me with hope in their eyes.
Since I couldn't afford to stop and chat, I smiled at them and gave a quick salute.
They cheered as several more soldiers arrived and were subsequently wiped out. I continued my rampage after that.
I didn't know how long I fought, but the more I did, the better I felt. It was natural. Perfectly normal for me to be on the field of battle like this. Instead of the rush of adrenaline, I felt nothing. As if this was the same as any other daily task.
I moved with the flow of battle as a master.
My precision was near perfect.
As I thought about these things, my body continued to move on its own. I slaughtered the enemy soldiers, destroyed military buildings with magic, and even knocked down the now-useless, Abyss Engine tower.
I spent a couple of hours doing this all around Sector 7-E until I was no longer being attacked.
"Okay, I think that should be it," I said as I put Justice away and wiped my forehead.
I worked up quite the sweat today.
I purposely allowed several troops to escape so that they could spread the message, then I walked back to where the others were.
Everyone, including Isabella, just stared in awe.
"What? You could all probably have done the same thing, right?" I said.
"I mean...maybe? But with that much enemy fire on us? Absolutely not. That was a work of art," Michael said.
"Isabella could. She's pretty much bulletproof. Right Isabella?" I said.
She looked somewhat uneasy.
"I'm not sure if I could deflect bullets with my bare skin. I don't intend to try either."
"Mizik, how the hell did you not get shot over there? Isabella was freaking out the entire time!" Michael said.
"My body reacts on its own to attacks aimed at me. I don't have to try to dodge, it just...does it for me, I guess."
"Hm...Mizik attacks and Isabella defends... Together they're unstoppable. Michael, it might be better to deploy them together. Mizik could seriously have gotten killed out there if something had gone wrong, you know?" Leiso said.
"Yeah...I agree. But still, that was pretty incredible to witness. Leiso, I'll let you take it from here," Michael said.
After that, Leiso led her troops into Sector 7-E and the medics began seeing to the needs of the slaves. At the same time, the military started preparing a larger base of operations for the advance forces.
Eventually, they had me speak on the communications line. They began broadcasting messages to other sectors and hacking their systems. They sent video footage of me destroying Sector 7-E to intimidate everyone.
Additionally, they managed to find an intact database detailing the whereabouts of several important military leaders...including Professor Samuel Krane. The man responsible for using mind control on the newly created Attendants and Overlords.
He was located in an indoctrination facility not too far from here, actually...
The same one Jallah mentioned preiously.
Leiso's next plan of attack involved killing him as soon as possible to disrupt the control he had over the Nexian soldiers.
And that's exactly where we headed.
* * *
The next couple of days were a blur of chaos, death, and destruction.
I hardly even had to do anything as we razed several military outposts and bases to the ground. Eventually, we reached the facility where Professor Samuel Krane was located.
As soon as we arrived, we saw a helicopter nearby getting ready for take-off.
Leiso waved her hand and the entire thing warped until it was just an angular hunk of metal.
A moment later, the doors of the facility opened.
An overweight, bald man in a lab coat came out surrounded by Nexian Attendants.
"Right this way, sir. The helicopter is right out here," one of the Attendants said.
"It's about damn time! I'm too important to just be left our here and- WHAT!?"
The man in the lab coat froze in shock as we all stepped out and looked at the group.
The Attendant soldiers raised their weapons, but...
They looked afraid.
"I-IRON TSUNAMI LEISO!? W-WAIT! PLEASE!" Samuel said fearfully.
Without hesitation, Leiso snapped her fingers and an iron spear shot out of the ground into the man's skull. Killing him instantly and destroying his head.
Faster than even I would have acted...
Leiso was merciless.
As soon as it happened, the Attendant soldiers fell to the ground clutching their heads in agony.
After a few minutes, they got up and looked around.
"What's...going on here? Are we free...?" One of the soldiers said.
"Yes. You're free from his control now. How will you respond? Will you attack us, or will you run away peacefully?" Leiso said as another spear appeared in her hand.
"Ehm...against seven Enforcers? We're not stupid, ma'am. Besides, this country is a festering shithole. It's a good thing you arrived when you did. Can you help us liberate it?" One of the men said.
Leiso smiled.
"Yes. We can do just that. We're already spreading the message around Nexus. Soon, this land will be free," Leiso said.
The soldiers smiled and saluted Leiso.
As happy as I was, I couldn't shake the feeling that things were going a little too well for us, so far...
We made our way back to the nearest captured sector and rested while the soldiers we brought spoke over the communication lines.
They were actually telling everyone to rise up against Novak's tyranny.
And over the next several days, we had reports of infighting all over the country.
The entire country erupted into a massive uprising. Every day, more Nexian soldiers arrived to pledge loyalty to us.
Nexus would soon fall...and this blasted war would end along with it...