– Era of the Wastes, Cycle 215, Season of the Setting Sun, Day 57 –

“Thanks for the escort,” said Megumi.

“Our pleasure,” replied Ying.

“Olivienne and I will go back to patrol anyway,” said Yancey.

Terry observed a specific dune of red sand. A moment later, Olivienne flew out from the sand.

“Nothing to worry about in the vicinity,” said Olivienne. “You can safely enter the Bulwark.”

“Thanks,” said Megumi. “Then we should not dawdle.”

“About the report,” started Ying with hesitation in his voice.

“It will be sent.” Megumi looked into Ying’s eyes. “But I will keep a close watch on the reaction. I understand your concerns, but that bridge would have to be crossed sooner or later.”

“Don’t worry too much about it,” said Lizzy. “I doubt the Tiv Empire desires to make more enemies. We have our hands full as it is.”

Yancey snorted. “You have to forgive me if I don’t share your optimism. It seems to me that the Tiv Empire always finds resources as long as it’s for the wrong ends. No soldiers for patrols in the Wasted Zone, but there will always be a few soldiers to go on mage hunts.”

“Those are independent decisions,” retorted Lizzy. “Not done by the same people. That’s—”

“That’s kind of the point,” interjected Megumi. “I get it. A single person in a position of authority can be enough to cause problems. Even if the majority is sensible—”

“Big if,” sneered Yancey.

Megumi sighed. “If problems arise, we’ll try to intercede.”

“‘Intercede’ – ain’t that a nice and non-committal term?” snarked Yancey. “What happened to ‘won’t stay idly by when innocents get harmed’?”

“That’s enough, Yancey,” said Ying.

“I stand by what I said,” stressed Megumi.

“Thank you, Captain,” said Ying.

“““Farewell.”””

***

“With those numbers…” Lizzy hesitated. “It could be that the Wasteguard has dispatched troops to deal with something urgent.”

“Possible,” murmured Megumi. “We’ll see.” She glanced at Terry.

After the group had left the Black Sand desert behind, Terry noticed a group of mana signatures. Habitually, they tried to circumnavigate the unknown signatures.

“They have changed direction with us,” said Terry worriedly.

The Captain remained composed. “I doubt the Wasteguard would find us that fascinating.”

“Thanatos?” speculated Lizzy.

Terry stopped. “New signatures from the front.”

Lizzy frowned.

“If they’re looking to sell a fight, I won’t ask for change,” said Megumi. She unbuttoned some of the leather strips that secured her blades.

Lizzy enlarged a few pieces of her prepared miniature metal equipment. Additionally, she channeled mana into her helmet. Soon after, the facial area was covered by a translucent grey layer of condensed metal-aspected mana.

While the visor required some mana to maintain, it had the benefit of providing better visibility than metal by itself and in contrast to crystal-based equipment, the mana layer did not collect condensation from Lizzy’s breath.

“Terry, move up and keep your distance,” ordered the Captain. “Stay out of range for their sensors if possible. You can feel free to add to the fight but avoid getting in harm’s way.”

“Yeah, I would rather face twice the number of these pests than to explain to the Divine Hammer how we got her nephew injured,” quipped Lizzy.

“If they’re Thanatos, they know you, right?” interjected Terry. “Wouldn’t they come prepared? We could try to make a run for it.”

“I need to make my report and I do not intend to lead them to the Chara Settlement,” said Megumi. She checked some of the wind crystals attached to her push daggers.

Wind crystals were a special type of mana crystal that could be moved with air-aspected mana. Since Megumi’s mana was aspected, she relied on the wind crystals as a substitute for the lack of a Move Object spell.

Megumi looked up and caught Terry’s eye. “Besides, just because someone is prepared does not mean they have prepared well. Arrogance and rage are bad advisors when planning ahead. Now, up you go. No time to dawdle.”

Terry took comfort in the Captain’s composure. He threw an octavum needle and used the transfixed needle to pull himself up into the air.

***

The Captain focused on the sensation of the air around her. She repeatedly emitted pulses of her own air-aspected mana and sensed for changes.

Megumi opened her eyes and threw out a Wind Blade. “Stop right there.” Without a moment’s delay, she threw out a second Wind Blade to her back. “Not a single step closer.”

Both blades had carved a deep gash into the earth.

Two figures faded into view. In the first location, a man dropped his light-aspected Camouflage. In the second, a woman stepped out of the shadows. They were dressed in crimson armor.

“No need to continue hiding the others,” said Megumi with a stern expression. “I know how to count.”

“With all due respect to your mathematical prowess, I see no need to voluntarily yield an advantage,” said the man. “You may be able to sense them, but I doubt it’s as efficient as vision.”

“No need to waste time talking to a dead person, Platoon Leader,” taunted the woman. “Let me settle the debt.”

“If you piss off now, I can pretend that I never heard that,” said Megumi calmly.

“No need to waste time talking to a dead person, Captain,” said Lizzy and glared at the woman. “If they’re looking for blood, we can drown them in their own.”

The woman snarled and exposed her teeth.

“I have heard that Castellans are famous for displaying resolve in disadvantageous situations,” remarked the man. “Or is it that your mathematical prowess pales compared to the Captain’s? Are you not able to recognize your disadvantage?”

His expression hardened. “The blood debt is with the Captain. If you have useful information to share with Thanatos, we can think about sparing your life, Castellan.”

“I have heard that Thanatos soldiers come with an extra arsehole for spewing shit,” retorted Lizzy. “If you keep it shut, I can think about not ripping you a third one.”

The man’s eyes grew cold.

“The Arcanians aren’t here,” said the woman. She started casting a spell.

“Hold it!” commanded the man. “Do not put private grievances over public duty. You’ll get your chance, but Thanatos comes first.”

The man observed Lizzy intently. “Why would a Castellan travel with Arcanians?”

“None of your business,” spat Lizzy.

The man moved his gaze to Megumi. “Or should I ask when the people of the Tiv Empire started to masquerade as Arcanians?”

Megumi kept her expression blank without any reaction.

“I heard Damian’s report and I find it quite difficult to believe that a student of the renowned Arcana Academy would be incapable of casting a simple directed Magelight spell.”

He raised his head and looked down at Megumi with narrowed eyes. “Or why he should prefer moving a light-aspected rod to attract the attention of ghouls.”

The man raised his eyebrows and smirked. “That wasn’t really an Academy student, was it?”

Megumi showed no reaction.

“Although I have to admit the hellfire and netherfrost sounded quite convincing. Or did the Tiv Empire find a way to fake aspects like it found a way to forge an abnormal mana signature?”

The man opened his arms and grinned. “Nothing? No comment?”

Megumi watched him with calm eyes.

“Stop fishing for intel, you boorish git,” sneered Lizzy.

“Some people don’t know how to appreciate the kindness of others,” said the man. He signaled with his hand.

“Ffuumm!” The first to react was not anyone among the Thanatos soldiers but the Captain. A wind blade went for the man’s hand.

The wind blade collided with a body barrier that weakened the attack but was insufficient to block the blade completely. The blade cut through half of the man’s arm.

The man gritted his teeth and jumped back. He cast a light-aspected variant of the Cure Wounds spell and reactivated his camouflage.

The blood-relative of the deceased Fernanda moved back into the shadows.

The Captain snorted and retrieved a pouch from her storage item. She threw the powdery contents into the air and cast Raging Winds.

The raging winds blocked a number of ice spikes that had been aimed at them. Additionally, the sticky, glittery, powder clung to the soldiers and turned the enemies’ camouflage useless.

An intense blinding flash illuminated the entire area. The Captain and Lizzy both reacted in time to protect their eyes. Unfortunately, the bright light did not relent or go away.

*Crack!* The sound of breaking ice could be heard. One of the Thanatos soldiers had attempted to attack Lizzy with a Raise Icicles spell. The spell broke against the metal-aspected barrier that Lizzy was maintaining below her feet.

Megumi was livid and she stormed forward into the direction of the densest cluster of Thanatos soldiers. While the blinding light prevented her from using her eyes, she still had her mana sense and the ability to make rough guesses based on sound and air disturbances.

In Megumi’s mind, the only signature she needed to really keep track of was Lizzy’s. Every other place was a target to be eradicated.

The wind raged around the Captain and she unleashed the push daggers from their sheaths. Her air-aspected mana pulled and pushed the wind crystals and soon the Captain was surrounded by a storm of blades.

“AHHHRG!” The blood of Thanatos soldiers soaked the earth and painted it crimson.

“Ting!” The Captain’s ears perked up at the sound of something blocking her dagger. The sound indicated that it was either a shield or a metal-aspected barrier. She cast another spell to direct the blades and reposition the center of the blade storm.

“URGH!” A shield was not much use if the blades came from everywhere.

*Krchk* The Captain recognized the sound of a collision with hardened earth. She focused her mana and pushed on the wind crystal again and again until she could feel the dagger breaking through the obstacle and then through the target behind it.

In her mana sight, Megumi could see a dense net of sizzling mana lines crashing towards her. She instantly drew back her daggers and cast a spell to propel herself to the air.

“Hmph!” uttered Lizzy. She countered with her own disruption discharge that crowded out the one from Thanatos.

For a moment, everything was silent as the combatants could see each other clearly.

*Fuum* *Fuum* Megumi was sending down a barrage of wind blades and wind guillotines.

Two Thanatos soldiers flew up using a spell that was similar to the Captain’s. They engaged her in the air.

Lizzy enlarged a miniature saber to the size of a person. She threw it at the Thanatos soldiers. Then, she accelerated and directed it with a Move Metal Object spell.

Some Thanatos soldiers countered Lizzy’s directing with their own Move Object spells.

Two soldiers charged at Lizzy and grew to twice their original size.

One was a man that had been half-naked before the giantification. He had now surrounded himself with earth-aspected mana. The earth-aspected barrier was combined with a Rock Armor spell that created armor from rocks in the surroundings.

The other was a woman that was protected by a dense layer of rubbery leaves and thick vines. After growing in size, she cast an Armor of Thorns spell on top.

Lizzy growled and finished her own casting. She, too, enlarged herself and her plate armor. However, Lizzy did not stop at twice her original size and empowered the spells until she dwarfed the two giant soldiers from Thanatos.

Without pause, Lizzy used a shape metal spell to equip one of her gauntlets with a large spike. Then, she punched a hole through rocks and through the Thanatos soldier hiding inside the rock armor.

Before Lizzy could turn her attention to the thorny giantess, she found herself entangled with countless roots and vines that pulled at her every limb.

A Thanatos soldier summoned water close to the fettered Lizzy and then moved the water to enclose her head in an attempt to drown her. Next to the water-aspected mage, the other soldiers were preparing a battle construct.

Up in the air, Megumi was occupied with the two air-wielding Thanatos soldiers while blocking offensive spells from below.

The biggest nuisance was that one of her airborne opponents was gifted not only in the air aspect but additionally in the lightning aspect. While the soldier could use his own wind barriers to counter Megumi’s wind attacks, she was unfortunately unable to block his ranged lightning spells. To make it worse, his burst-speed surpassed her own and he maintained his distance.

Lizzy used another Shape Metal spell to create a breathing straw that penetrated the water bubble. She could already see the cannon construct that was aiming at her. She readied herself with metal-aspected barriers and prepared to burst in order to rip apart her fetters.

*WROOM*

The water that had enclosed Lizzy’s head disappeared. Both the mage and the cannon construct had been crushed by a large boulder that fell from the sky.

Lizzy’s eyes opened wide due to the unexpected development. She glanced up and muttered: “Collecting strange items indeed.”

“What the…” The lightning-gifted Thanatos soldier searched for the source of the boulder. He managed to catch a glimpse of something further up in the air.

The soldier soared towards Terry. Megumi burst her mana and obstructed his path. They exchanged several ranged attacks.

Eventually, the soldier became intrigued by the apparent value the Captain attached to whatever or whomever was up there. He threw caution to the wind and burst his mana to quickly reach the target.

The first victim of the soldier’s decision was the second airborne Thanatos soldier. Without the cover provided by the lightning spells, the Captain had split her in half after a few exchanges.

Afterwards, Megumi pursued the lightning-gifted soldier.

A throwing needle met the soldier in his path. The soldier ignored the needle at first and he had to stop himself abruptly when he realized that the needle was not deflected by the winds he had surrounded himself with. He examined the transfixed needle.

Next, the soldier felt himself pulled towards the transfixed needle. Instinctively, he empowered his own movement spell to counteract the attraction force. Additionally, he grabbed the throwing needle to keep the bladed part at a distance. Next, the soldier prepared mana and disrupted the spell inside the needle.

He stared towards Terry’s location and charged up.

“Waste it,” grumbled Terry. “I preferred the mindless beasts.” He looked at the assortment of items on the tertium slab. “I need to buy time for the Captain to catch up or this will become unpleasant.”

Terry threw some more octavum needles and observed the soldier’s reactions.

The soldier was painfully aware that the Captain was close on his heels. He decided against dodging and instead used short disruption discharges and quickened Wind Blade spells to get the throwing needles out of his way.

“Hmm…” Terry grabbed two of the items on the tertium slab. “If he cuts them apart, then this could work.” He rapidly threw them at the approaching Thanatos soldier.

The soldier could vaguely make out that these were not throwing needles. Nevertheless, he chose to proceed as before. He unleashed a short disruption discharge and then released two quickened Wind Blade spells.

*Pufffluummmm* *Pufffluummmm*

Before the soldier knew what had happened, he was already drenched in a sticky liquid.

“Shit!” cursed the soldier. He had noticed that the liquid hardened quickly.

The soldier became enraged. Lightning illuminated his eyes.

“Uh-oh.” Terry stepped into the air above the tertium slab.

Going by Terry’s initial experiments, an immovable object should not conduct electricity. Additionally, Terry’s boots should be insulated as well.

However, Terry was not certain if the insulation was still valid after he had tinkered with them. Terry was also not willing to rely entirely on his early experiment results in a situation like this.

“Maybe I should buy some rubber equipment next time.”

Maybe you should avoid running into hostile soldiers.

“Maybe.”

Lightning bolts impacted on the tertium slab.

The soldier tried to maintain his movement speed, but while he was able to cast hands-free, it was not quite at the same level. The disturbance in the air told him that he had run out of time. The Captain had caught up with him.

Down below, Lizzy was busy fending off attacks from the Thanatos soldiers. Rotating metal-aspected barriers to cut any roots or vines. Floor-level metal-aspected barriers to secure her foothold and to block attacks from below. Airborne metal-aspected barriers to block or to allow her to step into the air. Disruption discharges to disturb any problematic spells.

Lizzy gritted her teeth. She was holding on but barely so. If she wanted to break this stalemate, she would have to cast Haste and go on the offensive – at the risk of walking into any traps the Thanatos soldiers might have prepared. She needed to make up her mind if she should take the gamble or wait for the Captain to join up with her again.

Lizzy was still uncertain when she noticed movement in the distance. She squinted and then exhaled a sharp breath. A corner of her lips moved upward and she muttered under her breath: “You’re screwed.”

“Eeek!” uttered one of the Thanatos soldiers.

The platoon leader moved his gaze. His mana sight reacted first. He could not help but blurt out: “Abomination!”

An angry naked mage sprinted full speed towards the Thanatos soldiers.

An experienced soldier reacted in time and positioned his spear. Devon threw himself on the spear without flinching. A bright red flame of hellfire swallowed the soldier and before the ash had settled, Devon was already jumping the next soldier.

A body fell down from the sky and turned into splatter on the ground.

Black sheets of ice surrounded a group of Thanatos soldiers and they aged until they had breathed their last breath.

A Thanatos soldier in charge of another battle construct was cut in half by a Wind Guillotine. The Captain had returned from the sky.

Lizzy was finally free to take care of the thorny giantess. She enlarged a miniature metal war hammer and crushed the woman into a pulp.

Devon had just incinerated another Thanatos soldier when he noticed a mismatch between his eyesight and his life sense. Something was approaching the Captain from the shadows. Devon glared at the spot and summoned netherfrost.

The mana absorption of the netherfrost disturbed the woman’s spell and she was thrown out of the shadows. She hurriedly retreated from the black ice. Unfortunately for her, she ran right into the path of Megumi’s blade storm.

“Hurgh.” A push dagger penetrated the woman’s throat. The woman glowered hatefully at Megumi.

The Captain channeled more mana and gave another push to the wind crystal on the dagger. The push dagger left the woman’s nape and she collapsed.

The platoon leader was casting spell after spell: Fireball, Lightning Bolt, Brightfire Spear…

Devon kept charging towards him unperturbed.

In his desperation, the platoon leader even tested a light-aspected banishment spell from the upper system but to no avail.

“We can talk!” shouted the platoon leader. “We surrender!”

“““I don’t care.””” Megumi, Lizzy, and Devon growled in unison.

***