Chapter 43: A War For The Land
"The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way."
— Marcus Aurelius
At the border of Haven City, an army stood firm.
Not Adrian's.
Not one from the Crimson Peak.
Rather—Uthean's army.
"That was quite fast." Adrian appeared at the border, his newly acquired golden earring glittering in the sun.
"Surrender." Maxim rode a scaled horse to the front of his army.
_Swoosh_
An army appeared behind Adrian, an army of golden-skinned Gyn.
Gyn enhanced in the same way the ghosts were.
"I didn't think you were this naïve," Adrian said as the ghosts and his summons phased to his side.
"Of course not." As Maxim said this, several Gyn rose from the highlands, raising the Useran Duchy banner high.
"Did you think the Duke would stand by and watch Uthean fall into your hands?"
"Men fear what they can't control," Adrian smiled. "This is the accumulation of two years of planning… thank you for the experience." Then he turned to Tobey.
"Finish it."
"Yes." Tobey walked forward, raising his hand, signaling the mages to get ready to fire.
_Crackle_
The sky above crackled with white lightning.
They all looked up, confused.
_Boom_
Lightning shot down towards Adrian.
_Phase_
Adrian moved away, wiping the blood from the cut on his face.
"What do we have here?" He looked at his previous location.
The figure covered in lightning rose, her white eyes staring at him.
_Pah-pah-rah_
The trumpets blew.
Three airships bearing the sigil of the Temple of the Divine Court came into view.
"You are the Oracle," Adrian said, clarity kicking in.
Marleen didn't reply.
She shot forward, kicking Adrian into the sky.
"Now you are far from them." She closed in on him in the sky.
Adrian stabilized, coughing out blood.
<
Adrian nodded, quietly scrutinizing this new foe.
"I'm Marleen Valera." She said, the lightning turning into a spear.
"And I'm here for the sake of continuity."
_Boom_
Her spear flew, but it didn't hit him directly, it was blocked by a wall of silver energy, though it still sent him flying.
_ _ _
"Archers!" Tobey called, raising his hand toward the air blimps.
_Swoosh_
Hundreds of long range spells were fired at the blimp.
The dust settled.
Not a scratch or dent in sight.
"I'll handle it." Ignis said, stance lowered. "Hurry and go aid master."
_Boom_
He thrust into the sky.
Maxim observed on his horse.
He wasn't responsible for it, and he hadn't spoken with any other faction in Uthean, only slowly eradicating all other noble lords.
What had to be done.
"Attack!" He beckoned at their army to move in.
"You are an annoying fellow." Tobey said, his attention slowly returned to Maxim and his personal infantry.
The air around him went still.
Then—
_Flaming Sword Crescent_
A burning arc tore through the battlefield.
Maxim didn't flinch.
"Shield formation—third layer."
Instantly, the Uthean front responded.
A triple-layered earth barrier rose.
The crescent struck.
BOOM—
The first layer shattered.
The second cracked.
The third held—but trembled under pressure.
Tobey stepped forward.
_Undisputed Sword Pierce_
Mana coated the blade of his sword,
The air compressed into a single killing vector.
A soldier raised his barrier—
He was too slow.
_CRACK_
The point of impact imploded inward.
But Maxim's forces had already shifted.
Ground behind them detonated instead, carving a deep scar through the earth.
Maxim's eyes narrowed.
He finally assessed Tobey properly.
"Never thought you were such a dangerous man." Maxim said.
Tobey exhaled once.
Then—
The atmosphere changed.
_Slice and Dice_
Nothing happened.
At least, nothing visible.
But Maxim's instincts screamed.
"Reinforce—NOW!"
Too late.
The battlefield fractured.
Invisible slashes manifested across the battlefield.
The soldiers turned to bloody mist
Their barrier cracked without impact.
Maxim's formation tightened instantly.
"Don't rely on sight."
Tobey's gaze lowered slightly.
_ Terror _
The world slowed.
Sound drained.
Color dimmed.
And then reality shifted.
The soldiers saw it.
Their comrades falling.
Their banners burning.
Their formations collapsing from within.
Maxim himself—turning away from them.
The army hesitated.
Some screamed.
For the first time.
There was a fracture in the will of his men.
But then—
Maxim spoke.
"Hold."
One word.
The soldiers gritted their teeth, forcing themselves to push through the deception. Training overriding fear.
Tobey clicked his tongue.
"Always heard about how tight The Axel personal guard was."
Maxim finally moved his horse forward.
Just one step.
Enough to make him visible across the field.
"Then is this satisfactory?" Maxim asked.
Tobey raised his blade again.
"Not yet… I want to see you break." At this point, it was obvious, this wasn't a fight of dominance, the victor had already been decided –
It was one meant to speak terror in the hearts of enemies.
_Starry Odyssey_
Mana converged above the raised blade, forming –
Stars.
Dozens of them.
"Personally, I'd like to speak into the depths of your souls the consequences of contending with my master."
_Boom_
The balls crushed down,
Dust rising into the sky.
When it cleared,
Only the mangled bodies of soldiers remained.
Maxim coughed blood.
"That's the just it, what I am… a ghost of judgment." He stabbed his sword into the man with the missing torso.
'Will you win?'
In his dying breath, he remembered.
A promise he wasn't able to keep.