I FLY OVER THE FLOURISHING FLATLANDS.

I unleash death and destruction upon the Zombies plaguing this domain. Their numbers seem like it is infinite, yet I still press on. I have lifted their siege over Thornthistle. I broke the unending ranks of these creatures from another world, and now I pursue them, hunting them down until they are gone.

They are like pests. They need to be exterminated entirely. If not, they will keep spreading in number. So I move to destroy them entirely. I am not alone, of course. Kalmat and the Keepers of the Grove accompany me in my quest to remove this plague from this world.

We move as a single unit, not splitting up due to the dangers of these Zombies. It is their very nature to grow in number by overwhelming solitary targets. So we do not fall for it. I fly ahead of the rest of my friends, sending waves of destruction over the landscape. Hundreds and thousands of these twisted creatures die by my hands from afar.

I act as a shepherd. I herd them together, forming a large cluster of their numbers. Meanwhile, Kalmat, Nindran, and a few other members of the Keepers cut down those that somehow manage to avoid my path of destruction. The azure-haired woman is especially effective at taking out large swathes of the Zombies that I unfortunately leave behind.

With the Mark of the Elocunive, her combat ability rivals even Kalmat. And it really complements her own magic as an Elementalist.

Meanwhile, Kalmat specializes most in single combat since he is a Bladewielder. He leads the bulk of the Keepers of the Grove to ensure they are protected with his Aspect. While he does have the Mark of the Elocunive too, it only helps him fight single opponents better. Nevertheless, he works as a good leader.

Beihal and Seiled actually do not join this group. Instead, they stick close with me along with Nelrel and… Galgom. Yes, the tyrant who threatened all of Utana accompanies us. Not out of his own willingness, of course.

Nelrel forces him to come along, and he has no choice but to comply. He does not offer much assistance on his own, rather Beihal and Seiled prod him to help them create improve weaponry with his advanced knowledge. And through his— coerced— assistance, they manage to create something out of the remnants of the technology of Galgom’s Esh and En.

A superweapon, as they call it. One with a powerful blast radius that sends tremors and shockwaves throughout the Flourishing Flatlands.

I finish herding together a huge group of these Zombies before flying off. I land next to Beihal, panting and shaking my head.

“Are you ready?” I ask, and he nods.

“We are more than ready.” He grins back at me. “Oi, boy, let’s get firin’!”

Seiled nods in response and runs over to a nearby machine. Some sort of fish-shaped chunk of metal. But I know this is what he is talking about. It is a missile, but it carries within it a load of explosives that can vaporize the horde of Zombies in an instant.

As they load their superweapon, I sit down and meditate, recovering my QI and preparing myself once again for another round of fighting. I close my eyes, not even noticing the ground shaking as the missile streaks out and wipes out tens of thousands of the Zombies.

When I am finished meditating and fully recovered, I get to my feet and turn to the two. They give me a thumbs-up as I stare at the large crater left behind.

“Good job,” I say.

Seiled beams. “It’s no problem.”

And we continue. This repeats over and over again until for a while. As we eradicate these Zombies off the face of the Flourishing Flatlands, I cannot help but feel a sense of dread. Worry. Fear. I constantly glance up towards the sky. I look at the purple heavens of Utana— with its two suns and its true and false days— worried that another fissure may appear.

But there are no cracks in the sky. No rifts in space. The Void Pirates do not come, leaving the Zombies to continue and whittle away at this world’s defenses.

I know their plan. I know what they hope to do. I cannot allow it to come into fruition. Galgom says that this world may as well be doomed. But if I can help it, I will ensure that Idu is defeated and the Pishitim does not fall into his hands.

I send a wave of flames over the last of the Zombies in the Flourishing Flatlands. Finally, these pests have been completely eradicated in this domain. Kalmat calls up to me as I descend, waving a hand.

“Are you certain that’s the last of them?” he asks as I land next to him.

“I have checked every part of the Flourishing Flatlands,” I respond simply. “Unless the School of Divination has failed me, I believe Thornthistle shall remain safe…”

“For now,” the leader of the Keepers of the Grove corrects me.

I nod, and Nindran runs up to us. I look over the small army gathered. Everyone looks tired. We have been relentless in our extermination-quest.

“So we’re done?” Nindran questions me.

I shake my head. “We are not. Because, now, we need to liberate the other domains of Utana.”

The azure-haired woman sighs. “I really, really, really hate this Idu…”

“As do all of us, I’m sure,” I snort in response.

And we continue on to the Blazing Desert.