The contingent of Valor soldiers camped for a few hours of rest, while several vehicles containing the Fire Keepers secretly continued forward. They advanced at moderate speed for a few hours, then hid the vehicles between the rusty ruins of massive machines left behind by the Dark Times and continued toward the place of the ambush on foot.
Sunny walked with them, scouting the path ahead with his shadows. As he did, he heard the Fire Keepers talk.
One of them - a tall young man who possessed the Ability to summon two more arms and fought by wielding two greatswords - was speaking in a contemplative tone:
"...It's been a while since I killed a human. Honestly, I sort of assumed that I would never have to do it again after leaving the Forgotten Shore. Should have known better, really."
He sighed, then glanced at the leader of his cohort:
"What about you, Shim?"
Shim, the healer who usually fought where the battle was direst, wielding a shield and a spear, shrugged.
"I don't think I've ever killed a human."
The others looked at him with surprise.
"What are you talking about, you maniac? I personally saw you gut at least half a dozen Guards in the throne room of the Bright Castle. And that was just day one of that mess."
The healer glanced at them evenly.
"Those weren't humans. They didn't qualify."
Even Sunny was given pause by that cold logic.
...Shim was right about something, though. Some humans were worse than Nightmare Creatures.
In any case, the Fire Keepers did not seem too opposed to the idea of fighting against one of the great clans. Perhaps the fact that Clan Song was currently laying a trap to attack their convoy played a part in their nonchalance, but they would have probably followed Nephis even if the situation was reversed.
As for Changing Star herself, she had grown quiet in anticipation of the battle, mentally preparing herself for the strain of using her Aspect.
Sunny did not want to bother her.
Eventually, they neared the spot marked on the map and switched to moving stealthily, slowly getting closer and closer to the ravine where three cohorts of Song Awakened were laying in ambush. Cassie confirmed that they were still there, and helped the Fire Keepers avoid being seen by the hidden watchmen.
The lake where the hundreds of tamed Nightmare Creatures hid was also nearby, separated from the ravine by a few hundred meters of dirt and a weathered cement road.
When they came into view of the ravine, bending low to the ground to remain unnoticed, Nephis stopped and looked at her soldiers. One of them whispered calmly:
"What's the plan, Lady Changing Star?"
She hesitated for a few moments, then said simply:
"Slaughter them all."
Neph sighed, then summoned a Memory that resembled a torch made of polished black wood, with the cage at the top of it forged out of silvery metal. Turning around to shield it from view with her body, she activated the enchantment of the torch, causing a cold blue flame to ignite in the cage.
She raised one hand, drawing the stream of blue fire into it.
"...Cassie, I'll leave the Ascended to you."
The blind girl nodded, then unsheathed the Quiet Dancer. The slender rapier slipped out of her hand, hovered in the air for a moment, and then flew toward the calm lake. It stayed close to the ground, almost unseen.
The blue fire, meanwhile, was flowing into Neph's hand and swirling, slowly coalescing into a sphere. No matter how much fire she drew from the silver torch, it continued to burn with the same intensity. The rippling blue sphere began to collapse onto itself and compress as more and more flame was added to it.
Its heat was growing unbearable.
As the density of the sphere increased, wisps of white flame rose from her skin and mixed into it. Slowly, the color of the blue flames began to lighten, growing from deep blue to light blue.
And, eventually, to pure white.
By that time, the sphere was trembling violently, as if struggling to contain the furious power contained within it, and Neph's face grew pale. Then, she suddenly made a fist, compressing the sphere even further.
At that moment, it was hard not to notice the pale radiance emanating from her figure.
There was some movement in the ravine, but it was too late.
Standing to her full height, Changing Star took a step forward and whipped her arm forward, as if throwing a discus.
The small sphere of white flame pierced the air, leaving a trail of scorched earth in its wake. It disappeared into the ravine a second later, and then, the ground shook. There was a blinding flash, and a deafening boom. A fountain of fire suddenly shot from the ravine into the cold sky, washing the world in white.
...Just like that, the three cohorts of Awakened elites were wiped out.
Nephis looked a little tired.
A few moments later, Cassie turned her head and spoke:
"The Ascended is dead."
Neph nodded, then turned to the Fire Keepers.
"Get ready."
The waters of the calm lake suddenly boiled, and a flood of abominations started to emerge from them, all surging toward the small hill they stood upon.
The young man whom Sunny had overheard speaking to Shim earlier scratched the back of his head with one of his four hands.
"...Well, I guess I won't have to kill any humans today, either."
With that, he shrugged and summoned his greatswords.
The Fire Keepers calmly faced the tide of Nightmare Creatures. (C) content.
...Not too long after that, every last one of the abominations was wiped out.
Not a drop of human blood had been spilled - at least on the Valor side.
Sunny observed it all with a detached expression. From start to finish, he had not moved a finger. It was honestly kind of... anticlimactic.
'Wasn't I complaining about having to wash blood off myself a couple of days earlier, though?'
...It was nice to work with professionals.