3 days later

The various powers of Mainland waited anxiously for the reports of the aligned expedition to come.

Citizens of the powers which sent their soldiers out to destroy another evil for Mankind and Helios were waiting desperately for their loved ones -- their family, friends, and heroes of the second Great War -- to come back. The average person in Mainland wouldn't doubt the victory of the aligned army, however the higher ranked individuals of the various powers knew better. This one wasn't going to be an easy victory for Mainland.

Before the expedition started, many spells were cast in order for high ranked officials to be able to see the entirety of the expedition as it progressed. A few days after the aligned army of Mainland marched onward to Prehg however, all of the spells were interfered with by an outside force which rendered the spells useless. No one knew at that time what the enemy would be like, but all the higher powers of Mainland knew they were against an enemy much more than the average foe.

Head Commander Jolstein's Quarters, Eastern Empire

Jolstein had worked to ensure the protection of the Eastern Empire and Mainland as a whole for a little more than 37 years. His intuitive mind had, too many times to count, saved the army of the Eastern Empire and gave them multiple wins in terms of battles and wars overall for the aligned army as well.

He too had a bad feeling about the Immortals. Right when the war with the demons and finally come to an end, another enemy had seemed to appear out of thin air, right under the noses of humanity.

He was sure that the expedition would be a success at first, but with the king of Carthage's refusal of participating and his own doubts, he knew that there was something more to the Immortals than a small faction that would be crushed easily. He felt that if the aligned army won, it would come at a price.

The door to his quarters opened and slammed shut rapidly as an informant ran through with ragged breath. The unnamed informant quickly struggled to gather it.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"C-Commander, the transmissions from the spy spells are picking back up!"

"What?!"

The door to the transmissions room was kicked open hurriedly by the Head Commander. This was something that they shouldn’t miss, lest the signal is disrupted again.

All of the workers within the transmissions room quickly saluted at the sight of Jolstein. He roared into the room, unbefitting of his normally calm demeanor, but this was a too important matter for any lack of professionalism.

”I want those transmissions into the main systems, NOW!”

The workers hurriedly powered up the fluctuation receiver, a large mirror which would render the perspective of the spells used for reconnaissance visible on it.

All present focused their eyes on the mirror as its reflectiveness faded and was replaced with a view other than a simple reflection.

The first thing seen on the receiver was a barren land filled with a black snow. Flames lighted the area around the spell’s perspective, giving light to the ash which covered everywhere the watchers could see. After a few minutes of nothing but the sound of flames flickering from the torches which lit the area, a deep voice, seemingly filled with malice, spoke. 

"Mortals of Mainland, we are the Immortals. We are unkillable, our forces unstoppable, and our might unparalleled throughout Torathul.

Your kind and its foolish band of weaklings have plagued the world for far too long. You have only hastened your painful deaths from your futile attempt to destroy us with a pathetic excuse for an army.

Look around you and see what's left of your mighty aligned army, sent to destroy us. Burn the image into your minds. Imagine their screams and faces as their bodies turned to ash. They were given mercy.

You won't."

 The audio turned silent and the live feed on the mirror stopped as the transmission signal abruptly ended. Jolstein's breath quickened and his fingers occassionally twitched as the room went silent for a few minutes, waiting for his further orders.

"We have this transmission in the database, correct?"

"Y-yes, commander."

"...send this to His Highness immediately, he must know of this."

Jolstein unceremonially fell back on his chair in the back center of the room, facing the mirror. As he stared at the last image burned onto the mirror, he contemplated retiring early. Red, flaming eyes stared back at him.