***

--- Western Sewer Entrance, Thaluilas ---

Date: August 2nd, 2026

The pitter-patter of rats scurrying along, the drip-drops of droplets, and the sound of running water echoed throughout the tunnels. The dark passages of the sewers, though not a place someone would consider safe, harbored a small group. SAS, Rose Knights, Clanless waited, impatiently, for the all-clear sign from the little fairy that was sent to scout ahead.

“Is she okay? She’s been gone a while,” Albert asked.

Kryuune watched on, hoping to see her companion soon. “Sebille will be fine, she is well-trained, and she’s done this before. She’ll be fine.”

“What if she got lost?” Pina asked.

“She-,” the siren thought to herself before placing her hand on her mouth to think. “No, she is fine, I hope.”

“This would be much easier if we have a communication device that fits her tiny size,” Panache complained.

“I know that would be easier if she had something to connect to our FIST or your NETT system so we can see what she is scouting but creating a communication device the size of a microchip is not an easy feat,” Albert stated. “If it was not for the fact that they can tell the difference between a Black Hornet and a fairy I wouldn’t be relying on her.”

“Besides, why don’t you act as our scout, Nelia?” Sergeant Filip Walsh asked. “You have the agility and stealthiness of a cat, shouldn’t it be easy for you?”

“We use Sebille for this role all the time so she knows what she’s doing,” Nelia responded. “With her small size, it is extremely difficult for the guards to detect her. If the guards see or smell me, they will know I am out of place but if they caught her, it would not be too suspicious as fairies tend to wander into many places out of curiosity. Besides, I am Neko, remember. I might be able to see wider than humans but not clearly at a distance.”

Following the statement, a small dim-lighted, shimmer of light quickly headed in their direction as Kryuune breathed a sigh of relief. Going from cover to cover, the fairy discreetly dove straight into the tunnel.

“The path is open so far,” Sebille reported.

“What was with the hold-up?” Pina asked.

Sebille flew to Pina and hovered. “Sorry, I went far ahead to make sure I didn’t miss anything because of the lack of guards, but security seems really light for some reason.”

“That’s peculiar. You would think there would be more with who they have locked up in here,” Bozes said.

“We can worry about that later, how about we get going,” Albert ordered.

Once exiting the sewer system, the group saw the devastation of Thaluilas. While Pina never visited this city, it was once considered one of the most beautiful of them all, thanks to its elvish design.

As the group moved through what remained of the market, some of them commented on the destruction. The Rose Knights even compared it to Rondel after the demon was summoned.

Stopping, Pina moved toward Lartia and asked, "Where are we going?"

"Well," Lartia looked around as she responded. She then pointed toward the palace. "I was thrown by my husband and fell from there so I could escape."

"Bloody hell," Sergeant Walsh commented.

"We are Nekos," Nelia responded. “See those bricks pointing out of the wall? We are able to use those to break our fall. We might not be as physically strong as you and other races but we always used our agility to counter it.”

“But still, you just said your beloved husband just yeeted you out the window,” Albert said.

“ ‘Yeeted?’ ” Lartia asked, confused.

“Ignore him,” Kryuune interjected. “What that means does not matter right now. Let’s get going.”

Moving through the empty market, one of Pina’s knights commented on the three dead Thaluilas Knights that were torn apart by the Clanless members who went ahead to neutralize any guards passing by. One with his head sliced off, another’s face, an elf, seemed to be deprived of air while the last had his eyes gouged out.

To help maintain a quick pace, Albert ordered the Clanless and the SAS bunny Aleisold ahead of them to clear out any potential threats. Speed was the key and he wanted to use their species’ abilities to the max.

“What happened to him?” Corporal Julian Barrett asked, staring at the deprived elf.

“Sirens control wind, remember,” Pina said. “If one is skilled enough they can block the air around someone.”

“Holy shit,” Barrett said. “That is brutal. It reminds me of my childhood show Avatar, where an air-bending bald guy sucks the air of a person to suffocate them.”

Advancing forward, the group was forced to stop again as a group of Ticerat and Thaluilas soldiers passed. Albert ordered his men to put on the dark robes to help blend into the community; however, it showed Pina's problem. The group is too large to effectively move stealthily throughout the city at a fast pace.

Eliminating the guards would not work much either as it would draw suspicion with too many of them going missing. Furthermore, there are also civilians passing by who could alert the guards of the presence by chances

“Captain, I think you guys should get into some high positions by the sewer to act as an overwatch and provide sniper support for us.” Pina saw the reaction from Albert showed he thought negatively of the idea. “We cannot move as fast as we want in such a large group, not to mention the high risk of getting spotted.”

He mulled it over for a quick second until he finally agreed, seeing the reason behind her decision.

“True,” Albert said. “But I do hate separating us. Just don’t make noise, stay as quiet as you can. I rather not have to engage them while we’re split up.”

Recalling the mission report regarding their mission the last time they were in Sadera. They suffered casualties when they fought Taylin.

Agreeing on the change of plans, Pina took command and moved the group forward while Albert and the SAS went to find their vantage points to provide overwatch and sniper support.

Getting to a crossroads, Kryuune and Suissesse noted that there was a large gathering of people.

Confused why there was a large group of people at this hour, Pina rushed over and was amazed by the size of the gathering. Even during the middle of the night, there would still be peasants wandering around.

“What is going on?” Beefeater asked.

“Quiet,” Panache said.

“They are at the theater,” Bozes commented. “I wonder what they are playing?”

“I wonder if it is that knight tale story,” Beefeater replied. “Like the ones we saw when we were kids.”

“Wait,” Panache said, pointing to a man on stage. “He looks more like an officer than a dancer.”

Zooming her visor and to no surprise, Pina saw an Oprichinana on the stage, speaking to the crowd. To her confusion though, a man and three women suddenly walked onto the stage.

“Quiet, they are speaking,” Pina said as she recorded the speech.

“My fellow citizens of the Empire,” the Oprichnina agent yelled. “Our brave warriors continue to fight against the savages, keeping this city free. We must thank the gods for blessing our warriors, giving them the spirit to fight.

We must remain vigilant my comrades because we all know what the price of failure will bring. The Other Worlders have no honor, refusing to fight us in battle but rather attack from afar. What I have here are citizens of this great city, telling their story of the recent assault on this city.”

Then the group listened as those people on stage began telling stories of their loved ones who were killed. Airstrikes and artillery struck key military and economic points within the city. Some mentioned their husbands were killed for just doing this job while others mention children who were at the wrong place and time.

“This was common here,” Lartia said as she listened. “It has become common for the Oprichnina to put up families who lost loved ones on stage and tell the people their pain. My husband told me it has been very effective. Well, at least until the rest of the Elies region began to flourish. That was when the effectiveness began to drop.”

During Pina's time in class, she learned about a topic called psychological operations. In short, you manipulate people's emotions for them to support your goals.

“The effectiveness dropped?” Kryuune asked. “So the Thaluilas people got jealous of the rest of the region who now are supported by the Americans?”

“Yes,” Lartia replied. “When all of Elies was in the Empire’s hand, Thaluilas had more autonomy compared to the rest of us. There has always been a sense of competition between them and Havcristen for trade of foodstuff. Now that Thaluilas was cut off from the rest of the region, those foodstuffs too are now gone. We do have farms of our own, but it could only support so much. And when NATO airstrikes the granary and the fields, all of those foods are gone and people are too afraid to go out to farm in fear of NATO’s airstrikes despite the fact that NATO is only targeting the field itself.”

“What about traders and supplies from the Empire?” Panache asked.

“They still come here. At least, the traders from the west,” Lartia replied. “The traders come here every few weeks. But not only could they not bring enough, but they also raised the price of what they could bring. They reasoned by saying travel distance cost and the routes west of the Thaluilas have now become the new bandit hotspots. The Empire still managed to send supply caravans every now and then by circling NATO through the northern routes. But when we received news that NATO pushed north to Knappnai and past it, my husband knew that they were cut off from the Empire. His only choices were to either surrender or retreat north to the Hunto mountain range. That’s why he wished to surrender to you, Empress. He knew that the war was over in this region for him and his men.”

“And they wonder why so many want to resist their presence,” O'iloiat commented.

Understanding what O'iloiat was saying, Pina replied, “While I agree it is sad seeing our countrymen suffering like this, all we would have done was pillage, rape, and slaughter them. The sooner the war ends the sooner all these atrocities can end.”

The group stopped by an artificial waterfall that led to the palace. In the pool below, stood a statue that was broken into three pieces. With a closer look, Pina could make out a female elf head. A large, deep crack crossed the right eye that appeared to be filled with water. Gazing at the broken head, she could only think of what it represented.

“Pina?”

Hearing a voice, Pina snapped back to the current situation and saw her best friend Bozes trying to get her attention. “Sorry. Now Lartia, is there a backdoor you know of? Anything? I rather not have to take the direct approach.”

“There usually is a second path,” O'iloiat said. “At Sadera, there is always another way in.”

“I am sorry but I am a woman and a Neko,” Lartia said. “I was not allowed to move around much unless my husband was by my side or gave the order to allow me. However, I think they would keep him alive, at least until they can interrogate him properly and secure their power. My husband was very popular in the Army so they would keep him in a secure location.”

“She is right,” Bozes said.

“She is also right about her husband,” Panache said. “Good chance they wouldn’t throw them in the dungeon as one of his men would find out easily.”

“Based on what is going on, I can assume that Katsuo and Gagnog are still in the stage of fabricating Albon’s demise to suit their agenda to control the Seckin Sanctum. But, most of all, making sure Fabius “disappears” in the most convenient way possible to take control of his army without hindrance. The most plausible way to do that is either faking his suicide or making look like he is killed by NATO’s assassin,” Albert spoke through FIST network.

“Cruel but effective. That would certainly rally those who served under him to fight to the end,” Kryuune commented.

Lartia opened her mouth to say something before closing it once more, eyes filled with dread as she imagined the thought of her husband being a martyr to serve the Empire.

“Don’t worry,” Nelia reassured her friend as she picked up on her movements. “We won’t let that happen.”

“That is why we are here. So, the only place where they can hide those two must be somewhere inside that palace,” Pina said. “Looks like we have to sneak in.”

“How? The palace is literally on the hill slope,” Beefeater stated. “One entranceway and the place is tightly crawled with guards at the ground level and in the balconies. Even if we use a grappling hook to climb through the window, we can still be seen.”

The Rose Knights and the Clanless sneakily crawled toward the entrance of the palace to initiate their plan.

“Shit! They found us,” Bozes stated

Seeing a dozen Knights, Imperials, and Ticaret soldiers blocking their path to the palace, the knights and the Clanless stood up from their position.

An elf knight approached, pulled out his sword, and said, “You thought we would not notice you crawling your way over?”

“Apparently not,” Pina said, stepping forward. “Listen to me Knight, we do not have to fight. The war needs to end, the Empire and the rest of the League are in the wrong. Look around you, this is no longer about honor.”

“You are correct, traitor,” the elf commander said. “This war stopped being about honor a long time ago. Your allies killed my brothers with their cowardly assaults. So, this war is about bleeding and seeking revenge until the last of us die.”

“That is madness! You gain nothing from dying pointlessly like that,” Panache stated, baffled by the rhetoric.

“Please stop this,” Lartia yelled as she approached. “I am the wife of Legatus Fabius and he was betrayed. Your leaders are using you. They killed your brothers so please help us.”

One of the Ticaret lizardmen confirmed that Neko was Lartia.

“Why are you with the enemy Lartia?” One of the Imperials, a Centurion demanded. “What would your husband say about this treachery?”

"No, you misunderstand!" Lartia yelled back in response in hope that all the Empire’s men heard her. “Fabius sent me to save myself in NATO’s hands! He wanted to surrender to NATO when he was captured by Katsuo who wanted to throw all of you into continuous slaughter. He knew the war was over for us! He doesn’t want to see you and any of his men suffer for a futile war! Please, listen to me! NATO’s words are true! They don’t wish to slaughter us! I met a Centurion called Varro at Legrath. He is being kept under arrest, but the Americans are treating him and his men well! General Albon is also going through with Fabius’s plan too so all you Ticaret can go home peacefully.”

The Imperial soldiers, save for the Thaluilas knights and Ticaret soldiers, looked at each other. Processing what Lartia said. They then began to ask one another, it was clear to everyone that the Imperial ranks were seeded with doubt and confusion.

"The Legatus and General Albon want to surrender?" a legionnaire asked.

"Fabius was arrested? But I thought-"

"And did she say he was betrayed? What does that mean?"

"How come I didn't hear about any of this? What the hell is going on?!"

“Enough!” the elf commander ordered, stopping any response. As he spoke, an arrow snuck passed everyone.

“Arro-,” Pina tried to yell as her visor detected the incoming projectile.

Kryuune blasted a burst of wind, stopping the arrow. Nelia dragged her friend to safety in the back of the group.

“Shields!” Bozes ordered.

Pina was hoping that she could have convinced them to lay their swords down; however, the hatred in their eyes showed it would not be as easy as she expected. “You fool! You might have just doomed your city.”

“Kill them all!” the elf commander ordered. “I want their heads for our Emper-...” His ears suddenly perked as he turned around.

To Pina's amazement, the Imperial soldier who spoke sliced the archer who fired the arrow. The Thaluilas Knights and Ticaret turned to face the Imperial with the elf commander stunned and furious but his life soon ended from a 7.62 mm from Albert team

Seeing an opening and deciding it would be impossible to negotiate with some of these men, Pina ordered an attack to take advantage of the distraction. The fight only took moments, slaying the majority of them while some who managed to avoid the melee battle and ran towards the palace were quickly dispatched by SAS snipers.

Wiping off the blood from her Blade, Pina saw Bozes point her blade at the three Imperial soldiers. One, clearly the leader of the group with the other holding up a wounded one. That was before Lartia grabbed her arm, trying to prevent any further death.

"We cannot trust them," Bozes said. "Just a moment ago he called you a traitor Lartia."

"Hold on," Nelia said. "I saw him kill the archer."

"It is true," Pina said "The question is why?" She approached the soldier, looking into his eyes. "Speak up, soldier."

The soldier looked around as he was surrounded. The Centurion finally said, "Regardless if she is a traitor it is up to our leader to decide her fate, not us."

"Smart man," Pina said.

She then had Lartia explain the situation. That their leader planned to surrender to end the war on this front, that the Oprichinana, Thaluilas force and the Ticaret force under Sasax Ironskin betrayed him and the Seckin Sanctum.

The Imperial Centurion stood there with a confused look in his eyes. “Are you saying the Legatus was plotting to surrender to the enemy?”

“Ahh… yes,” Lartia replied with a concerned tone.

Watching the Imperial Centurion turn to his two comrades. None of them said a word, communicating in shrugs and hand gestures to Pina's confusion. From the sight of the other two, they seem exhausted. “Do we have a problem, legionnaires?”

The leader turned back to her and said, “Not at all Princess Pina. If the Legatus wants to end the war then I am fine with that. We just want to go home.”

The tension of the situation eased as everyone realized they were no longer enemies. Margarita Boro Auspex rushed over to give the wounded soldier treatment.

"You already know who I am. I am Empress Pina Co Lada of the new Saderan Republic."

The Centurion eyed her up, partly confused by how she framed her introduction. He then said, “Empress of the new Sadern Republic? Why not Hardy pit? I am Centurion Primus Severlinus.”

“Where is the rest of your unit?” Beefeater asked. “I noticed how few of our kind are here guarding the city.”

“There always was a small Imperial presence however Legatus Fabius has been transferring us out of the city,” Severlinus said. “Over the past week, we have been getting strange orders.”

“Impossible,” Lartia said. “Around that time is when they betrayed my husband. They must be using the weight of his name to possibly cause their coup.”

“Another coup?” The wounded Legionary angrily said. “By the gods, we are already fighting an unstoppable enemy. Why do our leaders do everything they can to make it worse?”

“Because all they care about is maintaining their power,” Panache stated. “If two million legionaries die tomorrow but they get to keep their status, then they see it as worth it.”

A brutal point from Pina's long friend. The one who struggled the most with cutting ties from the Empire. Being forced to kill her father was the final nail in the coffin as the Americans say it.

Staring at the Imperial's reaction to Panache's statement, Pina could see the anger radiating from their eyes. There was no shock in their eyes, more like finally accepting a truth that they have been avoiding.

“We don’t have time for this,” Nelia said. “You Imperials can catch up at the tavern but we need to save her husband. Where are they?”

"We don't know where Fabius is," Severlinus said. "We thought you two were safe at the palace.

Lartia raised her finger, "Excuse me, I think I know who we can ask. All we have to do is talk with the maids.”

The thought of asking maids baffled Pina. Looking at her fellow Knights she saw the same reaction. "No disrespect but why would we ask them? They are just servants."

"Exactly," Lartia replied. "When I was one, I saw and heard everything. You will be surprised what your maids probably knew about you Empress as you were growing up. No one suspects a submissive servant.”

"Whatever you wish to do, we have to do this fast," Severlinus interjected. "Luckily, we took out everyone here without a single one of them managing to run away to report this. I can buy some time by sending a messenger to give them a false report. But if they send a soldier to do a routine check at the security of the palace, then there will be nothing I can do and your infiltration mission will be uncovered."

With the urge to dismiss Lartia's idea, Pina recalled all the conversations at the Sadera palace she had around her servants, never crossing her mind that they could be listening. Not just with her but everyone at the palace. “Wow, our arrogance really had no bounds. Ok Lartia, we will play your game. Centurion, I think it is best that you send your messenger now.”

"By your will, your hi-... Your majesty." Severlinus corrected. "My apology, your majesty. I just became aware of your coronation."

"It is fine, Centurion." Pina said, waving it off. "To be fair, I haven't been officially crowned yet. And I don't care about it right now. Now before I give you one more order, I want to make sure. Does everyone in Fabius' forces have no idea of his arrest?"

"As far as I understand, no your majesty," Severlinus replied. "I'm a Centurion, and yet I heard about none of it. As for Fabius' advisors and top centurions, we thought that they were still in the command camp outside the city."

"And are you certain that all of his men are loyal to Fabius?" Pina asked.

"Yes, your majesty," Severlinus replied. "Fabius cares about us, and thus we do too. Even if there are dissenters among the ranks, I along with my fellow centurions and some of the soldiers can point them out."

"Then it's settled," Pina said. "Centurion, I want you to send messengers to all of your units in the city. Tell them to head to the western sewer, you will see some British Other Worlders there protecting our exit.”

“Why should we?” Severlinus asked. “If they have betrayed us, then we must fight.”

“We will, however, once we free them this city will hunt every Imperial down and publicly execute all of you,” Bozes pointed out. "Besides, how many men do you have in the city?"

"Only about fifty men, your majesty," Severlinus replied. "We are only supposed to be Legatus' personal guards. Most of the soldiers here are the Thaluilas knights, Oprichnina agents, and Ticaret forces who have had enough staying in our camp in the forest."

"Fifty men?" Pina asked, to which Severlinus replied by simply nodding. “Then it's all the more reason for you to get out of the city. If you have at least three hundred men, then you could at least start a revolt to help us escape. But I can't see you doing that with only fifty men. Best if you and your men get out now. And while you're at it, see if you could bring the men under Albon's command with you as well. The more men we could save, the better.”

"By your will, your majesty!" Severlinus replied with a crisp salute. "But forgive me for being adamant, but it still feels wrong to leave you alone. At the very least, I would like to help you during your escape."

"Why?" Pina asked. "You have something in mind?"

"As a matter of fact I do, your majesty," Severlinus replied. "As you have said, our number is too low to do a revolt but there is still something that we could do to help you escape. You said there are Other Worlders waiting for us. Would it be possible for me to meet their commanding officer and talk to him? I have an idea that could work to our advantage."

***

--- Ticaret, Ticaret Conglomerate ---

Date: August 2nd, 2026

The sand dunes; one of the most natural beauties on Falmart. Although providing a serene view at times, these wonders could prove deadly if taken lightly. However, what set the dunes apart from the forests, mountains, and the sea, which always felt endlessly everlasting, was their erratic behavior. The desert was an open sea of rock and sand. Always in flux, changing every day with the smallest of details.

Every minor aspect of the land gradually changing over time. The trees in forests rooted in a single place, forever. The mountains can only stand in the desert; it stands with the wind. The dunes that stand will eventually blow away with the harsh storms. .

“What do you think they are doing?”

“Nothing yet. It looks like they are getting a look at their surroundings.”

When a scout saw a large metal beast land in this area, he knew it could only be one thing; It was the Other Worlders. This terrified Calo-bol, who was praying to the gods that the war would never reach these lands.

“The only confident thing I can say is that the war has finally arrived here.”

“Do you think they are attacking?” the man asked.

“No,” Calo-bol replied. “The force left is too small. Even with their detached unit combined, they are still too small in number. I can only assume that they are setting up a staging area or scouting the city.”

"For a scouting mission, they don't really bother about being inconspicuous with their flying metal beast." The man commented. "Maybe they are going to infiltrate the city?"

"If that is true, then would it not be safer for that flying beast to fly away to not attract attention? Maybe they are trying to infiltrate the city to capture something and return to their flying beast to escape." A Monarch lady pitched her idea before a realization hit her. "Or, don't tell me… They are going to guide their metal dragons here to bombard the city?!"

"That's… a possibility," Calo-bol replied, barely able to hide his uneasiness despite being a veteran within the Sanctum, much to his dismay and shattered pride. But to be fair, his uneasiness was not without reason. A group of unknown warriors had shown up in Ticaret, and they were right in front of him. And with them, came so many possibilities. More of the bad ones, while whatever good possibilities he could think of felt too naive.

Every now and then, the leader of the Sanctum forces, Albon Dac Calv, sent reports regarding their progress, situation updates, enemy tactics, et cetera. Reports that everyone within the Sanctum had access to. Unlike normal armies who were usually known as muscle-heads and glory-seekers, those mentalities were little to none within the Seckin Sanctum. The mentality of 'Know yourself, know your enemy' had been hammered the moment one was initiated into the Sanctum even as a mere soldier and that mentality only grew stronger when one climbed higher in ranks.

Everyone in the Sanctum was horrified when they read reports from Aldon. Flying metal dragons that were able to take out large numbers of their forces and swat wyverns and griffins from the sky with just one quick swoop, flying wagons that we were able to quickly transport enemy soldiers from far away, and iron wagons with weapons that we're able to decimate even giant golems with one shot. Everyone in the Sanctum was baffled, thinking about how to successfully counter the Other Worlder's forces should they make it into Ticaret and bring the fight to them.

Even with guidance from Albon's reports, they couldn't help but wonder if that was enough. Quite a lot of them even came to the conclusion that if all of the guidance works, a single slip up would mean they would lose their lives. And when it came to NATO’s airpower, they accepted the fact that there would be nothing they could do to stop them from decimating their capital city. All of these speculations caused the morale within the Seckin Sanctum to plummet even before they saw the enemy themselves. At one point, the situation got so bad that Azariah Galen and other top-ranking officers of the Sanctum censored Albon’s reports and only gave clearance to the reports to officers with high enough rank; Calo-bol being one of them.

Even what Calo-bol was doing right now was following the information from Albon, taking a scouting position thrice further than usual, and using Hogus boar pelt to cover himself and his men. But even with all these precautions, Calo-bol was cold-sweating from all the anxiety, praying that he wouldn’t get caught by the Other Worlders.

A sand Draconian emerged from the sand dune and reported to Calo-bol, “I was able to get close. There are only a few of them. sixteen humans, one bunny, two elves, however, they have two Apostles. Rory Mercury and Frayen, no less”

“Rory and Frayen?” Calo-bol responded, concerned by that news. “What could those two be doing with them? I guess the rumors are true.”

“We should strike now while they are weak,” the sand draconian demanded.

“Don’t be foolish!” Calo-bol said. “We must report this. There is too much we do not know to strike. Besides, Rory Mercury is one of the top Apostles in terms of fighting prowess. Even Martimus Onur has a difficult time against her. Not to mention, Frayen is one of the top Apostles in spell-casting. And need I remind you there is a bunny among them. Never underestimate their prowess, would get detected before we could strike”

If this was any other world, Calo-bol would have ordered the attack. The Seckin Sanctum always gets the mission done, no matter the cost. However, they were not reckless as facing Apostles without proper numbers and support only led to unnecessary casualties. And if the Other Worlders are here, that would mean the expedition forces had been defeated or they could be here for other means, ones he could not think of yet.

The Seckin Sanctum never wanted to fight this war, knowing how suicidal it would have been. Their leader, Azariah Galen, would want to hear of this regardless.

After writing down a report, Calo-bol looked toward the Monarch and handed her the report. “Get this message to Azariah Galen, fast. Remember, fly low and use the terrains as cover. And circle around to the northern side of the city, we cannot take any chances with the Other Worlders.”

"By your will!" The Monarch gave a quick salute to Calo-bol and took off.