We had around ten people standing in two lines behind a defensive wall that had been made last minute. It wasn't even a real wall, just some dirt piled in front of Core to provide minor cover.

Stares and looks floated as everyone checked on each other. Everyone was anxious and shaky, but at the same time thirsting to get some blood on their hands.

And they would get blood, but I'd be surprised if it was none other than theirs.

The soldiers on top of Core were a bit more inspiring. The training of the last few days had already paid off, and while they weren't anywhere near the level of the Fourth, they would be able to hurt them.

From outside, the sea of colors and diverse clothes gave the impression that we were just a bunch of adventurers going on an expedition, as if it were a game and we were trying to tackle an area boss.

Reality was much harsher. If we died here, there would be no second life.

Having seen with my eyes what my brains already thought—that we stood no chance—I pulled Charlotte to a side. I didn't want anyone to hear anything about what I was about to say.

“You also know, right?” I opened the conversation strongly.

“What I know is that there is only one way to win this. You have to let me do the talking, and you have to use the opportunity to sneak in. We’ll keep them busy; strike when they are not expecting it.”

“And if that fails?”

“If that fails, we’ll have to use my class,” she said without daring to face me. “If that moment comes, you will understand.”

I had absolutely no clue what she meant. She was purposely keeping it mysterious and secret, and in my world, that couldn’t mean anything good. As much as I wanted to pull it out of her, we didn’t have the luxury of time.

enshrouded in a tension that foreshadows to a fatal outcome, we shook our hands and said our goodbyes. It felt too much as a last goodbye as opposed to simply wishing luck for the incoming battle.

I watched as everything was double- and triple-checked. The orders were clear: obey Charlotte and do as she says. In her absence, Yasmin would give orders while I was not there.

The time had come for me to start sneaking out. The enemy troops were visible in the distance, and our scouts had all come back. There was nothing else to do.

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“Monster!” The magically augmented voice boomed everywhere. “Voluntarily give yourself in, and you will have a quick death!”

I shook my head. Calling me a monster, even if it was technically true, was a sure-fire way to achieve the exact opposite of what they demanded. And perhaps that was precisely what they wanted.

“That won’t happen, Gabriel!” Charlotte answered in a similarly magical way. “The Sanctum’s reign will soon reach its end, Darian wi-”

“So the rumors were true? You have allied with that monster,” he interrupted. “Then, you shall die holding hands with it. Onward!”

There wasn’t any dialogue whatsoever. Neither of the sides ever had the intention of reaching an agreement, and it had been made clear. The Fourth was running along the plains for the few hundred meters that still separated them from Nova.

I was sprinting in their opposite direction, parallel to them from the west.

Our soldiers were already casting magic at the enemies. With our advantage in terrain, they were using their high grounds to pelt them with all kinds of spells. Clouds of purple-looking poison, rains of acid that melted on touch, and even the typical fireball.

They went down with full force on the enemy’s head, but before they could even touch them, an invisible barrier whisked them out of existence. It lightened and solidified as our magic tried to go through. And in some places, it did, but rarely did anything hit.

The occasional attack had managed to draw blood, such as one big chunk of ice that pierced through a patch of the shield after it failed to completely stop the previous assault.

I was glad to see that Charlotte acted quickly and adapted our strategy. Our soldiers stopped casting magic at will and, instead, focused on single points of the enemy defenses. Ice, fire, thunder—everything was hurled at the exact same spot on the formation's front-most line.

The Fourth didn’t just stand and watch. As soon as our attacks became a serious threat, their lines split. About one-third of their units started chanting together and weaving a defensive spell. Our magic was penetrating the first shield, but it was then met with a spiderweb of mana that stopped all of it.

They didn’t just defend, though. The second third started casting spells on their own, coordinating so that a constant barrage of magic rammed against our walls. Each time one of their attacks hit—and they always hit—a portion of Nova's structure was chipped off.

Craters were accumulating, and so were the injuries on our long-range units. Before it was too late, Charlotte gave our melee squad the order to charge forward. With a roar, six people glowing with diverse auras and effects rushed towards our enemies.

Soon, when they clash together and their focus is split, it will be my turn. I have to use the confusion and surprise to take as many of them as I can.

One of the six fell on her way to battle, pierced by an arrow masterfully aimed at his temple. The other five didn’t care at all and didn't even slow down a notch. They were blinded by anger and blood; nothing else mattered to them.

They went through the shield as if it had never existed in the first place. It was magic specialized to fight magic; thus, it failed to prevent five muscle heads from entering inside.

The Fourth didn’t look worried or stressed. Their frontline simply drew their own weapons and prepared for impact. Both parties locked weapons; the fury of metal hitting other metal dominated the battlefield. Our magic, even if nullified under their shields, never stopped.

It was time that I jumped in.

Preemptively invoking a grand total of six energy-made arms, I exploded forward towards the enemy formation.

“It’s time to show them!”