The Demise Of The Northern Regions

"Now, the Eyeseeking Region's people have double the time intended to speak. You can say as much as you want. Just make your objective and requests clear, if there's any." After the meeting room became silent for a couple minutes, the buffy, bulky man said, gesturing towards the man whose sweat was only getting colder now. The man nodded in gratitude before placing his arms on the table to support his shaky mental state. "I don't want to try to fool you all. I will be blunt."

“My Region was orchestrated against, and we’ve suffered terribly from just the first days,” the man said. Continuing with a low, somber tone. “We had originally thought they intended to establish a connection with us after they… defeated the Undermudmusk Region. They talked and promised peace, and we thought it was just the ‘greeting gift’ of many. When we received a declaration of war from the Blauw Empire’s Fourth fleet, we knew it was too late.”

“Our mightiest stronghold was half-destroyed as soon as everything started, and our land has been taken around our ruling organization’s individual territory. They are purposely ignoring us, forcing our main force to follow, but we can only watch them destroy our organizations, and they are even putting settlements under tight lockdown, with not a person able to move in between.” The man said but was suddenly interrupted by a question from another Region’s people.

“Something isn’t right about what you’re saying. How come- why don’t you just send your troops to the territories conquered by the Empire then? Why are you only chasing?”

“We tried… but it just wasn’t worth it. Not even after the Blauw Empire’s troops evacuated them,” the man looked at the person and shook his head gravely. He slowly blinked before elaborating, “We have tried, but after our troops broke the defenses down. They were already gone and placed too many array formations for self-exploding, reducing more of our numbers. Those array formations were exquisitely inscribed. Our people couldn’t decipher them quick enough. Only after our efforts were ‘successful’ in various territories but became like moths to the flames did we finally pull back.”

“Our Cities are still in their control, especially the only one leading to the sea at our western borders. Right now, our ruling organization has recognized the threat, and we’re losing territory with every day as the goddamned Empire keeps pushing through!” The man paused, becoming aware of the sudden rise in his volume. He closed his eyes to calm down as another Region’s people asked him.

“Heng, you just don’t learn. Even after wrestling with the Undermudmusk Region for Eras, your Region still believes in strengthening the ways in which you’re the weakest. This aberrant decision has been your doom all this long. Only now do you see its problem? A generational organization has decided to bite a chunk of your land, and you decide to listen to past advice? Heh. You haven’t even said what your Region wants. Go ahead. Before we laugh to death here!”

“You could be the next, too,” the man suddenly said. The entire meeting room thundered silently, with the other Regions’ people, except for the bulky fella and the majestic beauty. Their eyes widened, and the man became slightly nervous after realizing his out-of-line words. He slammed his hands against the table and hurriedly added, “The Blauw Empire had nothing to do with us. They were only going to attack the Undermudmusk. It was only a matter of time!”

“But how long was that time supposed to be?! Years! A decade even! The Blauw Empire has a strong ‘bloodline’! They can fight against the Undermudmusk Region’s ruling organization and win! Their ‘special’ people can be that powerful, and even their Empire, as a whole, can slaughter them! But they aren’t the whole Undermudmusk Region, and that’s something they cannot change in a year! A year!”

“They recuperated from the rulership war within a year and a half. How can that be any normal?! What’s more important is their actions. They speak of evident ambition! If they can reunite… 100 million troops in less than 2 years, what can they do if their hand extends over another Region?! How about 2 of them?! Isn’t it clear? Isn’t it tremendous enough?!” The man spoke until finding a moment to stop and compose himself.

The bulk man revealed a thoughtful expression while the blonde’s eyes narrowed, and her face turned more beautifully solemnly, not losing her fairness. The others fell silent and depressed, slowly taking in the information they already knew and the new. Even if some were exaggerated by this man, most of what he said was authentic and could be proven by checking the time between then and now.

“Indeed, and the Blauw Empire had taken days to do what they could in months before,” the blonde spoke again, attracting everyone’s eyes. The bulky man’s eyes suddenly darted towards her while scratching his beard beneath the chin with his chin lifted. She looked at the man as the latter turned to look at her again, and she continued. “The Blauw Empire is not what it was 10 years ago, as we were. But while they evolved and keep evolving, the other Regions, including mine, remain the same. Not only as of some years ago or before the 10 year war. But for many Ages. Is that normal?”

“I dare to say it is Heian Ciemnosc the reason the Blauw Empire is fighting. Not only for saving their face and increasing their honor, pride, and fame. But for power. Direct, pure, and blatant power. If he wasn’t here, the Blauw Empire would’ve remained as the lost puppy it was. Even though they have an ample leader, they wouldn’t have the Wrath Nihility Academy. And even if they had sent someone else, at most, the Blauw Empire would take hundreds to tens of thousands of years to prepare.”

“Now that they aren’t being slow anymore… it’s a problem?” The majestic beauty stood up slowly and at a regular pace. She looked at everyone and fearlessly placed her eyes on the bulky man before continuing. “Who was it that initiated trading with them? Who supported the idea of the Blauw Empire’s Empress and accepted her enterprises into our seas? But then again, who was it that suddenly raised their prices, lowered their standards, and begged for a smaller price?”

“Yet, the Blauw Empire continued trading with us even after the northern Regions started actively targeting their enterprises and confiscating their goods. That is until thousands of Fighters came knocking on their doors. And those slightly more cowards who blatantly lowered their gains while increasing a few percentages of their coins and Stones? Let me ask you, to those from the latter, so as not to say ‘everyone’ but me… Is the Blauw Empire still trading with you? Have their goods dwindled on the last exchange you had with it? Have you not experienced strange disappearances from some of your less important soldier units? Citizens perhaps? Civilians…?”

“How about… have the neutral and antagonizing organizations made any move recently, or have they stayed quiet and well-behaved these past 2 months?” The blonde finished her speech and looked at everyone’s faces. They were a sight to behold, especially those that blushed earlier. I recommend everyone thinks of their Region’s past actions and start thinking about how to deal with any situation.”

“See?” The blonde looked at the man from the Eyeseeking Region, who was left with a gaping mouth, and smiled with crescent eyes before adding, “You’re not the only one who is seemingly so ‘open’ to invite your could’ve-been-an-ally in. You’re not so alone now, are you?”

“...” After the blonde said that, she sat on her seat and watched as the silence was slowly dissipated by the buffy fella’s exasperated sigh. The man in a suit shook his head off and blinked to recompose himself. He looked up at everyone and finally said, “The Blauw Empire is a threat that cannot be left unresolved. The Matriarch has said so herself. Now, I’m asking. Begging you. Would you help my Eyeseeking Region defend against it?”

“... My Crustaceous Defense Faction won’t help you,” the bulky fella said. The suited man looked at the former and nodded, bowing as he commented. “I understand, Chairman. Thank you for listening to my Region’s pleas.”

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“Uh,” the Chairman gruntled as he waved his back, unbothered by the man’s words. The man then looked at the rest and waited for their response. One by one, his face fell. “The Lightglassed Region cannot help you. It’s been only 2 centuries since we warred against you. You cannot possibly think this is enough to become… friends, right?” - “The Eclushisk Contrail Region won’t intervene.” - “I follow the Matriarch’s advice, and my Wheel of Presence Region will remain low.”

“I concord with that notion. Our Dragon’s Tail Region’s troops will remain where they’re supposed to be. Good luck, though. It is your home to defend. Only one can wonder why you let such a foreign force enter your territory like that as if it’s worth nothing.” The second last person to speak their decision made the man’s back bend, losing nearly all hope. Only 1 person remained. But he couldn’t tell whether it was a good or bad thing.

“My Phoenix’s Cry Region will let you Regions decide what to do. We’ll remain neutral no matter what happens.” The blonde beauty said, still in her seat, and only glanced politely at the man. Then, she looked at the bulky Chairman but directed her words at the suited man. “I’ll recommend something for the last time. I can already tell you won’t appreciate any of my words from now on and the previous. So…”

“Surrender while you can. Others did before you. And now, they’re making a bloodbath out of your Region. I even heard that your Fauna-focused organizations seemingly cut off connection with the rest? Hm, there’s still time. Why are you hesitating?” The majestic beauty shook her head when the stubborn man kept his head low, looking at the table, and added. “Listen, you’re last chance is before the Undermudmusk Region falls.”

“You didn’t say it, but… aren’t more Far East Region cultivators arriving at your shores even as we speak? Can you deal with the enemy with superior numbers when the Blauw Empire’s fantastic navy is being all your people’s inner tribulation? Your face is not worth everyone’s lives.” The majestic beauty said before finally becoming silent, placing brick after brick between each Region’s people to let them think straight and ponder on their actions.

“I suppose this meeting is finished, well. Everyone, you can leave. If there’s nothing more, we’ll see how things go if the Eyeseeking Region can resist another month.” The buffy Chairman said as he stood up and walked to the meeting room’s exit. At the same time, without saying anything, the blonde stood up and made her way here, too, wearing an indifferent expression.

“One thing I have to say, though,” the bulky Chairman arrived before the majestic beauty and blocked the way to the exit, standing on top of it. The blonde remained indifferent and looked majestic, of course. She stared at the man before her, much stronger than anyone else here, and waited for the ape to say something else. Which he did, and calmly. “We all, here, remember the Phoenix’s Cry Region’s poor management just a few years ago. You were truly the worst of all kinds and only second to the Far East Region’s continuous warring nature.”

“Don’t forget that it is with me that change came to my home, my people, and our future.” The blonde interjected, narrowing her phoenix-like eyes and raising her volume with every word. The bulky Chairman kept looking at her and nodded. “Indeed… What a Region couldn’t do in the past million years, you managed to do in less than a decade, and with the previous Kingdomwide wars. Truly commending. Are you interested in eating with me?”

“Move aside, I must return to my Region. I am not hurried to check my military power, but I deem it necessary to plan for bigger plans after attending today’s meeting. Farewell,” the beauty said as she swatted the bulky man with a gesture. The Chairman shrugged her response off and sidestepped to the left, letting her exit the meeting room before looking at the depressed meeting room. Everyone looked down or sent Soul messages to each other. Looking heavily pressured and somewhat disheartened.

… On her way to one of the many main hangars in the Crustaceous Defense Faction’s individual territory, the so-called Matriarch of the Phoenix’s Cry Region did a little detour and entered into an alley near the corridors leading to the main hangar where her Fighter was stationed. She arrived before a dead end, but instead of becoming flustered, she waited there and blinked thrice, slowly.

Whoosh! Tap, tap. A few seconds after the third slow blink, a figure whooshed by and landed before her, making enough noise for her to easily hear. But if a person was just behind her, they wouldn’t be able to hear it. The Matriarch opened her eyes and looked at a hooded person, reflected in her fiery yellow pupils and irises. She tilted her head a little low and waited for the other person to speak.

“Matriarch Zenevella, it’s good we could meet here. I’m the Blauw Empire’s Sand Force’s main Imperial Teacher, and I have come here to thank you.” The hooded person took a box and a letter from their Covert Space bag and presented them to her. “Our assigned supervisor was surprised and very glad to receive your gifts. He was so thankful that he immediately left the battlefield’s command to the Admirals and rushed back to the Palace…”

“He hasn’t bothered to do anything else other than build in the Palace’s workshop. However, Her Majesty has ordered this letter to be delivered to you. I took the opportunity to show you our gratitude and came here myself. Please take it,” the hooded person said, bowed, and extended their arms forward. The Matriarch nodded and took the letter with her left hand while grabbing the box with her right hand.

She scanned through the box with her Spirit Sense, and her face immediately changed as she looked at the hooded person. Her lips quickly moved, “This is… I can’t accept it! Its value is far beyond what I have gifted. I-”

“Forgive me, Matriarch, but there’s no need for you to question our Empress’s intentions. This is what she decided, and not us. Only she can act without requiring permission or the Empire’s council. This is only a token between both rulers, nothing else. It is not a vow or an agreement. “ the hooded person interrupted and said, bowing a little lower.

“... Thank you very much,” Matriarch Zenevella said in a light tone, whisperingly. The hooded nodded and tensed their muscles about to leave. The Matriarch saw this, and she quickly asked the person, “Won’t you have trouble for coming here yourself? Even if your spies can come and go as they please, it is not difficult even for my Region, which lacks talent like yours.”

“It is of no trouble,” the hooded person answered, stopping in their tracks. “Even if there is an inconvenience, my people just have to choose the alternatives. It’s nothing that can stop me from moving around. Matriarch— if you truly remain neutral, this would be the Blauw Empire’s best outcome. I’m not speaking out of line as I’m telling you the Empire is looking forward to meeting the Phoenix’s Cry Region as our ally, at the very least.”

“Mn, the future is the future, and the present is a stage. Everyone has to do their best if they want their future to remain. Good luck.” The Matriarch said with a polite smile. The hooded person nodded and rushed into the shadows above her head. She didn’t follow the blurry figure, knowing this method was good enough to evade her Spirit Sense despite her vastly superior cultivation base. She turned around and resumed her walk to her Fighter.

When she piloted her Fighter outside the main hangar and left the Indomitable Heartspree Region’s radars, she opened the box still in her right hand and looked down at the little marvel. A navy blue reptile peeked up as it watched the sky return to its tiny eyes, smaller than an already tiniest insect. It looked at her and seemed to poke at her glabella. The Matriarch was astounded to feel the potent Soul this little thing without any cultivation base had.

Matriarch Zenevella rapidly focused her Soul energy and formed a pact with the little draconic Preternatural, one born with a mutation. When she was done forming the pact, the little shit became excited and crazily sniffed the air afterwards. She could feel what it felt and smelled her own blood underneath her skin. She looked at the excited fellow who stopped sniffling the air and rubbed it with her pinky.

“Do you want to nestle? Are you cold? Mm, alright. Just obey me whenever I tell you to move out, okay? Some things might happen, and none of us wants your accidental death, right?” As the little thing heard her words, it became amazed and throbbed excitedly! It rapidly jumped out of the box and entered her right wrist, moving her veins a little but without harming her, not even causing her to bleed.

“Oof,” immediately, she felt her blood cool down as if someone had put the coldest ice shard in her inner being, freezing her body from the inside for a couple seconds before her strange innate capabilities reacted and warmed her body. She immediately felt the little fellow cozy up in her veins and blood. She leaned on her piloting seat, and her eyes became a little helpless as she looked vacantly ahead.

“Hm?” After a few minutes, when she was recuperating her mood, she suddenly noticed another strange and sweet— ? —scent from the box. It came still from the pact with the little fella, invading her nostrils and senses deep inside her brain. What’s more, she felt it was comparing her blood with the one it was entrapped with inside the box. Matriarch Zenevella picked it up with her left hand, bringing it to her nose with the lid open still.

‘Huh?! Who made these array formations? They are… not something any Second Step Craftsmaker can do! Who could have possibly made these? Did Empress Shuna buy them somewhere? I heard a renowned chef in the world once talk about delivering food to this Kingdom. Hmm… Eh?!’ The Matriarch’s attention was suddenly attracted by something else… something that startled her to the point of scaring her.

‘What… is this blood essence? How can this… hmm…? Did someone feed my little thing with it before and left it to nourish it in the box? From whom?! This isn’t the Azure Dragon’s Bloodline. It can’t be, so… where did this come from?!... No wonder it became so picky, huh… Where could something like this originate?!’

…