In seconds, they had their gear in hand and emerged from the tent. Around them, other soldiers were spilling out of their shelters, some still fastening their belts or grabbing weapons.
Beyond the camp, the protective barrier shimmered faintly, its usual stability disrupted.
The air was thick with tension as shadowy figures darted just beyond the barrier's edge, disappearing into the darkness almost as quickly as they appeared.
The creatures were like living shadows, their glowing green eyes the only feature distinguishing them from the darkness. They moved too quickly to get a clear view, but the occasional flicker revealed that there were at least a dozen—maybe more.
"Nightshades," Cedar muttered, his hand tightening around the hilt of his staff.
"They're testing the barrier," Lugh said, his tone sharp. "They'll keep prodding until they find a weak spot."
A soldier's voice boomed through a loudspeaker, cutting through the tension. "Nightshades! We're under attack! Code red!"
Before the echo of the announcement faded, Captain Orlan's commanding voice rang out, steady and resolute. "Soldiers, return to your squads! Prepare for engagement! We fight back—no one panics!"
Following their training, the soldiers quickly formed into small five-man squads. Those assigned to night guard duty maintained the barrier, their focus unwavering despite the growing threat outside.
Captain Orlan surveyed the chaos with precision, issuing orders with practiced efficiency. "Three lines! Squads 1 to 7 to the east, squads 8 to 14 to the west, squads 15 to 21 to the south, squads 22 to 28 to the north!"
The barrier shimmered again, and the Nightshades began concentrating in larger numbers along multiple sections of its edge. Their movements were coordinated, testing for weaknesses.
Orlan didn't miss a beat.
"They want to overwhelm us, but we'll turn this against them," Orlan barked. "Human cannon strategy! Prepare to fire on my mark!"
The tension was palpable as the soldiers braced themselves.
"Shrink the barrier in 10 seconds!" Orlan commanded. "Mages, prepare to fire!"
The countdown began, each number falling like a hammer blow.
"Ten!"
"Nine!"
"Eight!"
Mana surged in the air, crackling as the mages in the first line charged their spells, their concentration unbroken.
"Three!"
"Two!"
"One!"
The barrier contracted abruptly, creating narrow openings along its edges.
"Fire!"
A synchronized barrage of magic exploded from the first line of mages, their spells lighting up the night in a spectacular cascade of fire, ice, and lightning.
The blasts slammed into the Nightshades, consuming them in an inferno of destruction.
The assault was relentless. As the first line retreated to recharge, the second line stepped forward and unleashed another volley. The third line followed immediately after, creating a seamless wave of devastation.
The battlefield was engulfed in apocalyptic energy, the sheer power of the military's coordination leaving the Nightshades no room to escape. The combined forces of magic and discipline reduced the area beyond the barrier to scorched earth, dissipating the shadowy figures into nothingness.
For a moment, silence fell over the camp. The air hummed with the residual energy of the spells, thick with tension and the acrid scent of burnt earth.
"Scouts!" Orlan shouted, breaking the silence.
Specialized mages stepped forward, casting tracking spells that sent faint glowing skull marks floating over any remaining Nightshades.
Specialized mages stepped forward, casting tracking spells that sent faint glowing skull marks floating over any remaining Nightshades.
"Captain, no additional enemies detected nearby," one of the scouts reported.
"Good," Orlan said, his tone measured. "Soldiers, press forward carefully. Stay in formation."
This time, the barrier didn't shrink but expanded outward in a sweeping motion, driving the scattered Nightshades into the open. The squads split off, methodically hunting down the remaining creatures.
Cedar's squad advanced with precision, their movements coordinated and deliberate. Three Nightshades snarled ahead, their twisted forms pulsing with dark energy, seemingly feeding on the lingering magic in the air.
"Stay sharp," Cedar ordered, his voice calm but firm. He reinforced the barrier around their squad, his mana flaring briefly. Anabelle mirrored him, her own shield glowing faintly golden.
The creatures lunged at them with outrageous speed.
"Now!" Cedar shouted.
Lugh's staff sparked to life as he released a lightning spell, crackling bolts striking one of the Nightshades. Ivan followed with an ice shard attack, sharp fragments tearing into the creatures' forms.
Campell, less experienced but determined, conjured a large fireball. It was slightly delayed but hit all three enemies with devastating force, scorching their shadowy forms.
But one Nightshade, though injured, broke through their assault, leaping forward with a feral snarl.
Before anyone could react, Cedar unleashed the spell he had been silently preparing, his voice rising as he completed the chant.
"Nacht Tempestas!"
A storm of thunder and lightning erupted from Cedar's staff, striking the creature with overwhelming force. The Nightshade disintegrated into ash, the spell's power reverberating through the air.
The squad paused briefly, catching their breath before falling back into formation with the other soldiers.
As they rejoined the larger group, Captain Orlan's commanding voice cut through the residual tension in the air. "Reinforce the defense lines! Get that barrier back up immediately!"
The shimmering protective barrier was swiftly reestablished, providing the convoy a renewed sense of security.
Meanwhile, smaller teams of mages were dispatched to gather the remains of the Nightshades. Their twisted, shadowy corpses were piled into a massive heap before being incinerated in a controlled blaze, the acrid smoke curling into the night sky.
A ring of mages encircled the fire, their focus unwavering as they kept the blaze under control.
Careful adjustments ensured the flames wouldn't spread to the surrounding forest, their magic dampening stray sparks and containing the heat.
Captain Orlan approached Cedar's squad, his sharp eyes scanning each of them before settling on Cedar for a moment longer than the others.
His tone was firm but measured. "Good work out there, squad. But don't let your guard down. This ambush felt... off. Stay vigilant."
"Yes, sir!" Cedar replied, his voice steady and resolute.
As the squad moved on, Lugh couldn't resist breaking the silence.
"Captain Orlan singled you out, Cedar," he teased with a wide grin. "Looks like someone's getting special treatment!"
"It makes sense," Anabelle interjected, her tone pragmatic. "We've confirmed there's someone capable of using complex magic—or at least, some of it—among us."
"Still, that was incredible! You completely obliterated that Nightshade—it was total overkill!" Campell exclaimed, his excitement unabashed.
"Cedar's close to his fourth circle," Ivan said, smiling as he praised him.
"We're close to our fourth circle," Cedar corrected, his tone serious. "But when it happens, it means we won't have much time left together. A few months, maybe—not like the veterans who spend years building trust."
Ivan groaned dramatically. "Can we get back to bed now? I'm exhausted, and my sleeping bag's cold again!"
"Don't sleep too soundly," Anabelle warned, smirking. "There might be another ambush."
As they passed by the camp, Cedar noticed Rogan in the distance, still on night guard. He seemed to be holding a small water bottle, a detail that made Cedar pause.
Did he have that before? Cedar wondered but couldn't recall clearly.
Far from the group, unnoticed by anyone, a shadow slithered from the pile of Nightshade corpses. It slipped into the shadow of an unsuspecting soldier, blending seamlessly into the camp.