A trident pierced straight through the scales of the ravenous serpent before him. The Zeldritch beast unleashed a harsh screech, short-lived as a tidal wave cleaved through its head. The monster plummeted to the floor, only to have others of its kind shriek bloody at the fall of their breathen.

"Commander Dagon, our forces are ready to drive back the Venolisks."

Dagon ripped his trident from the depleting monsters flesh, but his gaze remained on the plethora of Venolisks writhing in the distance. He knew that this battle would not be easily won, but he also knew that his warriors were strong and resilient.

"Prepare the troops," Dagon commanded. "We will not rest until every last Venolisk is driven back to the depths from which they came."

The soldiers around him nodded in agreement, their determination evident in their eyes. They knew that they were fighting for their homes, their families, and their way of life. And with Commander Dagon leading them, they were confident that they would emerge victorious.

The adjutant at Dagon's right furrowed his wrinkled face, he spoke without removing his eye from the sea of Venolisks before them, "Commander, the Venolisks seem to be regrouping and preparing for a counterattack. We must act swiftly."

Dagon nodded grimly, his grip tightening on his trident. He scanned the battlefield, taking note of the strategic positions of both his troops and the enemy. Every soldier here equaled a Dominant-staged Zeldritch in power, few in the Crescent, which included himself and his adjutant. Despite the fighting prowess of his forces, the Venolisk were not to be underestimated. They were a hazardous foe, they were of the higher tier of the Dominant-stage, and they outnumbered them by far.

He gave careful consideration to the Crescents out.

"Prepare the marksmen and mages," Dagon ordered. "We need to weaken their ranks before we engage in hand-to-hand combat."

The soldiers quickly obeyed, lining up their abyssalguns and readying their spells.

"Fire!"

Dagon watched as the first volley of artillery and bolts flew towards the Venolisks, striking several of them down. But the enemy quickly retaliated, charging towards the defenders with incredible speed, the wave converging toward the center. At the centermost they trailed several Crescent to defend themselves as the lead Venolisk absorbed the brunt of their attacks.

And as the Venolisks drew closer, Dagon pointed his trident, his eyes scanning the battlefield for any sign of weakness in the enemy's formation.

Upon recognizing a flaw in the Venolisks' strategy, he raised his weapon high in the air, signaling his troops to regroup and form a defensive line. The marksmen and mages shuffled higher on the hills before continuing to rain down attacks on the advancing Venolisks, weakening their numbers as they closed in. The sound of gunfire, hissing, and spells being cast filled the air. "Brace yourselves!"

The voice rang simultaneously from Adjutant Yorje and Lieutenant Nodriah.

Dagon, too, could see the bloodlust in their enemy's eyes, the hunger for conquest driving them forward. But he was not about to let them have their way. With a roar that sent shivers down the spines of his troops, he ordered them to brace themselves for impact as well.

The clash of steel against scales echoed across the battlefield, a cacophony of battle cries and screams of pain. Without another word, Dagon bolted as a blur into the thick of the battle, his trident slicing through the air as he fought off the oncoming horde.

His adjutant, Yorje, fought by his side, his own weapon and shield striking true with every swing. They were surrounded by the Venolisks, but the pair fought fearlessly, their years of training and experience serving them well. Yet, despite their efforts, the number of enemies seemed endless, and soon both men were exhausted, their bodies battered and bruised.

"Fall back, Yorje. I will take them from here."

The elder warrior nodded and stepped back, allowing the commander to take the lead. Dagon raised his trident and concentrated on the power within him.

The avatar of a giant crustacean with bladed pincers rose out of the sea surging from Dagon's trident in the form of an intense pillar of water. It surrounded Dagon in an intimidating cloak of oceanic rage as he focused on his attack. His face grew stern as he drew back his trident, ready to launch it forward. And as a bloody hiss resounded from all sides…

He slammed his trident forth, sending a powerful blast of water towards the enemy. The force was immense, like that of a raging river. It knocked the slithering Venolisks off their feet, sending them flying. But one in particular swam in the blast's wake with great speed, avoiding it as if he were an expert surfer.

It was an Elite-variant. A Venolisk in the Crescent-stage with colossal fins protruding from its head like saw blades. The creature charged, its mouth full of razor sharp fangs aimed straight at Dagon.

The trident pierced the skin of the monster's head. The resulting shockwave made Dagon groan and grimace, but he pulled back and thrusted the trident once more, this time piercing through its flesh and exiting from its neck. The creature struggled, its long tongue trying to grasp the shaft of the weapon stuck in its flesh. The Wanderan leader held his stance as his strength allowed him to wrestle the beast, though its writhing caused Dagon's body to drag against the ground.

Enough!

Dagon's left hand clenched into a fist. He concentrated his abyss mana into it, his skin blackening with dark blue sparks. The young warrior struck his fist, hitting the creature squarely on the jaw. The monster's neck snapped and its head cracked open like an egg. It exploded into particles of mana.

Dagon panted, wiping the sweat and blood from his face as he tried to catch his breath. He turned to see his adjutant and Nodriah battling the rest of the horde with a few dozen soldiers.

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"One last push… let us take them all!" he called.

The Wanderan forces cheered and charged into battle, their energy renewed. They fought ferociously, slaying the Venolisks and clearing the plain of the creatures.

Dagon surfed atop a tidal wave, sweeping enemies away with the force of a battering ram. His comrades rode with him, cutting down any monsters that escaped his attack. They made short work of the rest of the enemy forces. Eventually the remaining Venolisks retreated toward the UvoSath border. Dagon knew that their next attack would not be long in coming, but he was confident that the Wanderan would be able to defend themselves.

"Well done, men! We have pushed the Venolisk back and claimed our territory once again!"

"Shall we make chase, sire?" his lieutenant, a young woman named Nodriah, asked.

"Not yet, Nodriah, not yet," Dagon said, shaking his head. "Our forces have been through much and are weary. We will regroup and prepare for another battle, should it come."

"Into the UvoSath..." Old Yorje stroked his beard in contemplation. "You think they would risk going back to our homeland, commander?"

Dagon turned to the adjutant who served as his mentor, "I cannot say, old friend. I do know that this is but the first of many battles we must fight against the Venolisk. They will not be easily defeated, and we must be prepared to fight them wherever they choose to attack."

The adjutant nodded, his wrinkled face lined with concern. "Indeed, Commander."

Dagon recognized that concern and he indeed acknowledged his error. By pushing the Venolisk into a zone where they weren't native, the commander risked them meeting up with reinforcements and gathering their forces. This could ultimately result in their failure. However, he cared not for the wildlife, they were all monsters to him. He only cared about protecting his people and defending their homeland from any threat, no matter how dangerous.

"Yorje, how's the situation to our rear?" Dagon asked.

The elder Wanderan man considered, then answered, "Not too good, Commander. I'm afraid the Venolisks had destroyed a majority of our forces back there, too."

Dagon cursed. They were stuck between a rock and a hard place. Their situation wasn't ideal, but he had to make the best of it. "Then we need to split up and divide our forces. That way we can still cover all sides and protect ourselves from the Venolisks. If we don't, they'll come in through our flank."

Old Yorje frowned and shook his head. "Splitting our forces won't do much good. It'll only make us weaker and more vulnerable. We…" he hesitated, "we may need to contact General Crimnox for reinforcements. With his powers, we might be able to push the Venolisk back and keep them out of our lands for good."

Dagon stiffened. It would take weeks, months maybe, before the general could come and help. The Borziok Zone where he had been stationed would fall before reinforcements could arrive. And what then? If the Venolisk invaded his lands, he wouldn't have enough men to fight them.

He thought over the problem carefully. There were only two options open to them at the moment: retreat or stay and defend. Retreating was not a viable option. He would lose face and the morale of his troops. Not to mention they'd have to abandon their territory, which they had spent years defending. He couldn't allow that to happen.

Dagon bit his lip in thought. He wasn't sure what else they could do.

He took a deep breath and said, "Prepare the troops. We'll fight on until we die if necessary."

"Hey, uh, Commander Dagon, ain't that Commander ShoYumi's banner?" asked Nodriah with a point of her index.

Dagon and Old Yorje looked behind them. They spotted the standard of ShoYumi on a nearby mountain. It waved with the wind and was illuminated by the setting sun.

Old Yorje made the comment before Dagon, "Not that insufferable witch."

Dagon and his adjutant's eyes widened in awe of ShoYumi. She was the epitome of feminine beauty with an attractive face. Her hair was black as midnight with hints of deep, dark pink, her skin pale white like an Astranel. She rode on the back of an enormous beast, yet the very sight of her presence brought about a mixture of feelings: awe and anger.

"You losers look like you're completely helpless," the female commander sneered, a smug grin plastered on her face. "So I guess I have to swoop in and save your sorry asses."

"No, thank you, ShoYumi. We do not require assistance from you," Dagon stated as he turned his back to her. "We are perfectly fine."

ShoYumi let out an exaggerated laugh and a mocking smirk, "Well, I was just joking around, but it looks like I struck a nerve in you."

She continued, "What a pathetic display, losing a third of your sorry excuse for a troop to those pathetic Venolisks. And here you are, the ever so mighty Gan Dagon, clueless and floundering to come up with a solution. A solution that, let's face it, could be effortlessly solved with my help."

"You were watching the entire time?"

"Of course, I couldn't resist," she chuckled. "It was so damn hilarious to watch, too! Seeing the mighty commander squirm with his pathetic excuse for forces. It made me wonder, maybe he's not as skilled as everyone thinks."

Yorje sheathed his axe, "That is enough out of you, young one."

Dagon remained quiet for a while before finally saying, "Do what you have to, Commander ShoYumi."

"You heard the man! Come on!" ShoYumi jumped off her mount and into the air with a mighty leap, her form almost graceful like she were a butterfly. Her army rushed out of the mountains.

Gan Dagon had worked with ShoYumi before, and he knew enough about her to understand that she was not someone you wanted on your side, nor against you. She was ruthless and cruel, but he knew he had little choice but to work with her if he wanted to win this war.

He watched as the woman stepped up to him. At least two heads shorter than Dagon, ShoYumi's expression was fierce as always, and it brought a smile to Dagon's face. He respected her fierce attitude.

The woman snarled, "The hell are you smiling for? Do you have something to say about me?"

Dagon shook his head, "No, ma'am. Nothing of the sort."

Her expression was serious as she nodded and continued to march, her army in tow. They were poised to cross into the UvoSath's border.

"That is not the correct approach. That route would lead your army into a dead end," Dagon spoke, causing ShoYumi to come to a halt.

"Are you doubting me and my ability to lead? You think I wouldn't know the correct route?" She questioned. "Who the hell are you to question my ability?"

Dagon stared her down. "A strategist."

"You? A strategist?"

Dagon's expression remained blank and he said nothing in reply.

"So, what is your suggestion?" asked ShoYumi, turning to look at him with an annoyed expression. "Why won't you react to my insults, Dagon boy?"

Gan Dagon smirked as he turned to meet the woman's gaze, "If we move forward, we will encounter an entire Venolisk colony."

"So, you think you are better than me, Dagon?"

"You're a better fighter than me, ShoYumi, that much I admit, but if this were a war of words, I would best you without even breaking a sweat," he said with an honest smile.

"We will see about that. Do tell me your strategy, you smart-alec," ShoYumi replied, rolling her eyes.

"Let's move along and talk."

Gan Dagon began walking and ShoYumi followed closely behind, her army following behind her in formation. Dagon didn't want to argue with her any more than he needed to. The Venolisks were a greater threat than any internal bickering between commanders.

"We need to retreat back to our outpost and regroup. The Venolisks are too strong in numbers, and we cannot defeat them head-on without proper preparation," Dagon said.

ShoYumi considered his words for a moment before nodding in agreement. "If that's what the coward wants, then we shall fallback for now. But we damn well better come up with a plan to crush the Venolisks once we regroup."

She faced her troops.

"Listen up, you useless bunch of idiots! We're heading back to the damn outpost to finally get our act together and rip some throats out. We'll regroup in our territory and figure out how to finally defeat those damn Venolisks once and for all!"

The soldiers nodded in acknowledgement and began to make their way back towards their base. Dagon and ShoYumi walked side by side, discussing their plans for the upcoming battle.