Chapter II
Rotana Vesh, who had been sitting in his office reading through important letters and documents that related to upcoming assault on Harunhein, didn’t immediately process what was said to him when Velanor Kinrono burst through the door, out of breath as he placed his hand against the frame and gazed at the other man with wide, panicked eyes. Vesh furrowed his brow, allowing the man’s words to properly digest within his mind, and the conclusion he came to was that Velanor must be mistaken.
“Excuse me? What are you talking about, Mr. Kinrono? The Ijirians couldn’t have possibly found us.”
Velanor scoffed, barely catching his breath as he stood up straighter and snapped, “Well by all means, Captain, go tell that to King Markreas yourself! He and a force of roughly a hundred mages just appeared outside the walls. Riko and I saw it! One second, everything was normal, and the next, it was as if three massive distortions just dropped. You can doubt me all you want, but there’s no denying what’s going! Ijiria is here, and so is Markreas.”
“But…no,” Vesh grumbled, heavily thrown off by the detail in Velanor’s story and the terror causing his voice to tremble. “They couldn’t be. Lady Firrik predicted—”
“For fuck’s sake, Vesh!” the other man roared. “Riko told me to come tell you, so I did, but if you’re not gonna take me seriously then so be it! Stay here for all I care, but I’m going back to rendezvous with my husband and figure out what the hell we’re supposed to do! So are you coming with me or not?!”
He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Not only was it impossible for the Citadel to have located Ankalla given how carefully it was hidden, but it made no sense that they could have ever reached the fortress with a force as big as Velanor described without their watchers taking notice of it. Even if they were distorted, the sound of their march would have been audible for a large distance, so he was confident somebody would have managed to hear them and rush back to Ankalla to alert them. On top of that, Markreas’s presence among them was utterly ridiculous, for the King of Ijiria hadn’t gone to battle since before his coronation, especially given the regulations the Council of Elders, and Kloras Glaus specifically, put in place to prevent such raw power from being put to use.
But in the end, the true thing that makes no sense is how Lady Firrik never foresaw this. She assured us that Harunhein would go off without a hitch, but how could we possibly pull that off if King Markreas is here? I don’t want to doubt Lady Firrik, and subsequently the Goddess, but if Velanor is giving me a real report then something isn’t adding up…
Clenching his jaw with frustration, Vesh gave a gruff nod and hopped to his feet just as Velanor turned and bolted from the room. The large former captain of Aquesen sprinted after him, the two men reaching the nearest lift within a minute so they could ride down to the first floor where, upon their arrival, Vesh found utter chaos as the non-combatant pastors were panicking and the Teeth were arming themselves and prepping for battle. All eyes turned to them, seeking both assurance that they were going to be alright and a plan for how to handle this sudden threat to their existence. Barking a quick order for everybody to obey the line of command, he continued pursuing Velanor through the ground level and towards the front doors that were wide open to reveal the large courtyard that stood between them and the walls. There were mainly Teeth beyond the fortress’s interior, and in the middle of it all was Rickori Keskivaara, shouting out his own orders before noting the approach of Velanor and Vesh.
“Keskivaara, what the living hell is happening out there?!” Vesh snarled, to which the People’s Mind, whose face was pale, merely motioned towards the walls behind him and grunted,
“Go see for yourself.”
Scowling, Vesh took off for the ladder that was carved into the wall and would enable him to climb up and get a better view. As he ran, he uttered, “Custou”, beginning the process of forming his rock armor so that he couldn’t be sniped by anything once his body was in such a vulnerable position. By the time he pulled his large form up over the side, he was fully encased in stone, and the second he rose to full height and gazed out at the rocky plains that sprawled out between the fortress and the hills beyond, Vesh’s eyes went wide with complete and total disbelief.
It was exactly as Velanor described.
Roughly a hundred mages were standing around a few hundred yards beyond Ankalla’s walls, both on horseback and on foot. From that distance, he couldn't quite identify anybody aside from the large man with the crown atop his head whose horse had split off from the force and was beginning to approach Ankalla. Not far behind him were two smaller figures, and as they got closer, their emerald hair identified them as Iijis as well. Clenching his fists, knowing that they were approaching without the rest of the force as a means of mocking him, Vesh mentally prepared for the conversation that was clearly about to take place.
Markreas really is here… Not only him, but I can already recognize Princess Ilirianna, and my best conclusion on the identity of the other woman is that she is Queen Toranei. On top of that, if Ilirianna’s here, I can only imagine that Nigreos Noctis, Album Luz, and Ryokumo Caeli are within that force as well… What in the fuck is going on? A group like this is utterly unprecedented, and there’s no doubt Markreas came here personally because he wants this to be the end of the Kosah-Rei… This is an extermination party…
Hearing movement behind him, Vesh tore his eyes away from the attackers to watch Keskivaara climb up over the side and move to stand beside him. The People’s Mind grimaced when he noticed the three approaching Iijis, though to his credit, he held his ground and stood up straighter.
“Should you really be standing in the open,” Vesh growled.
Keskivaara shrugged. “Maybe not…but I wanted to see it myself as well, or at least with a clearer image. If the Iijis are here then I’d be shocked if they didn’t have at least a Master or two with them. Vesh, what the hell are we supposed to do? I thought Lady Firrik assured us that we were safe, but this…” He gestured widely towards the sight before them. “There’s no shot in hell we can survive a battle like this.”
Logically, Keskivaara’s words were sound, but Vesh forced himself to shake his head. “Have faith in Lady Firrik, and have faith in the Goddess. If we’ve been told we aren’t going to die, then we aren’t going to die. That means this is a good thing. If we can’t lose, then they can’t win. Somehow, someway, this is going to be a victory for the Kosah-Rei…” A maddened smile turned Vesh’s bearded features as his eyes shifted towards Ilirianna. “And perhaps the reason for our victory is already riding towards us…”
“Ilirianna?” Keskivaara muttered. “You think this is it? You think she’s going to turn against Ijiria now? Today?”
Vesh nodded. “It’s the only thing that makes sense. Yes, this has to be the promised day, so just prepare yourself for battle and fight like you’re invincible…because with Rei’s blessing, you are…” The man then paused, a thought occurring to him as he added, “Have you seen the others, by the way?”
“I haven’t,” the People’s Mind whispered. “We have no idea where any of the other five are right now, but I’ve sent people to go and locate them. With any luck, we can touch base with them once we’re done up here…”
As Keskivaara went silent, Markreas, Toranei, and Ilirianna came to a stop roughly twenty yards away from the gates. The King was grinning smugly as he regarded them, the Queen was gazing at them with an uninhibited disgust, and Ilirianna was wholly unreadable, something Vesh considered a good indicator of what was to come.
“Good morning, Gentleman!” Markreas called out, his voice booming across the otherwise silent morning. “Rickori Keskivaara and Rotana Vesh, I presume? It’s good to finally put faces to the names, though I see you, Vesh, have already taken to hiding yours. A pity.”
The rock mage narrowed his eyes and gave a mocking laugh that was partially muffled beneath his armor. It was more surreal than he could articulate not only being in the presence of the Ijirian King, but also having an opportunity to speak with him directly. Before this moment, he had never met Markreas Iiji and only knew what he looked like based on artistic depictions he’d occasionally seen in newspapers and books. However, nothing could ever properly convey the powerful presence and overwhelming magical aura that this man exuded, causing Vesh to shiver with fear despite knowing as an absolute fact that he couldn’t be killed. There was no doubt in his mind that if Markreas chose to, he could probably snuff Vesh’s life out right then and there, regardless of how reinforced his rock armor was.
And now, I wonder if even Keskivaara is outmatched. We believed he’d be a perfect counter to Markreas, but this power is beyond anything we ever expected. The People’s Mind stands a chance against Ilirianna, and perhaps even Toranei, but I now realize that there isn’t a soul in this fortress that could defeat this man and live to tell the tale.
“Forgive me if I don’t bow, Markreas,” Vesh said with a calm, composed tone. “And I can’t say it’s a pleasure to meet you, or your wife there.” He shot the silent Toranei a glare before settling his eyes on Ilirianna, who was gazing back at him with a cold, merciless gaze. “Though it’s nice to see you again, Ilirianna. We parted under such terrible circumstances the last time, and I hope you’ve given plenty of consideration to our discussions.”
The fake princess scoffed up at him. “There’s nothing to consider.”
“Is that so?”
Strange… Ilirianna doesn’t seem much different from how she was in Stellareid, but I just can’t imagine the Kosah-Rei surviving without her aid. Does something happen in the battle to come that shifts her opinion? Maybe…
Vesh gave a casual shrug then motioned with his thick hand towards the large force of mages behind them. “Well, I see you’ve come with quite the entourage, and I do have to wonder what brings you here to our humble home. Don’t tell me you think you could possibly defeat us on our own turf? Not even you Iijis could possibly be that arrogant.”
“I wouldn’t call it arrogance,” Markreas retorted with a broad smirk. “We’ve learned from our mistakes and do not intend to let any of you slip away. You’ve managed to elude retribution for far too long and today is the day your luck will finally run short. You’re outnumbered and you’re compromised. Tell me, how do you think we found you? How do you think we knew to come to Ankalla?”
He was thankful that his armor was up, for he was unable to suppress the widening of his eyes in response to Markreas’s comment.
We were compromised?
He wanted to immediately write that off as the King’s method of rattling him and shaking his confidence, but logic kicked in fast enough to overwrite the knee-jerk reaction. Loath as he was to consider the possibility that somebody Tali so graciously allowed into her castle had betrayed them, he also couldn’t fathom how the Citadel would have located the fortress otherwise without pure dumb luck resulting in them accidentally stumbling upon it.
But no… While that’s possible, it’s so unlikely that I can only conclude Markreas is telling the truth. And if there’s a traitor in our midst, then we need to weed them out right this very minute. If we don’t, then who knows what damage they could do in the middle of the coming chaos. Vesh furrowed his brow. But who was it? One of the Pastors? A rogue Tooth? I doubt any of the upper ranks could have done it, but what about…? Even though the last thing he needed was to doubt one of their greatest assets, he couldn’t help turning his eyes towards the silent man at his side. Keskivaara? He always was a moral man, and he never hid his disapproval of our methods nor his reluctance to join us. He was strong-armed into it by his allies. Since coming to Ankalla, he’s kept a distance between himself and us, so could he have finally had enough? Could he have turned us over to Erika in exchange for a pardon?
Forcefully reminding himself that Tali always assured them of Keskivaara’s loyalty, he shoved those dark thoughts from his mind, though not without keeping his senses somewhat attuned to Keskivaara on the off-chance he turned his sword upon him.
“Your attempts to shatter my faith fall on deaf ears,” he asserted, returning his full attention back to the Iijis below him. “I do not know how you really located us, and I do not care. It isn’t important, for you cannot win this battle. I know it…” Vesh then shifted his head directly towards Ilirianna, for this claim would only be understood by her. “It’s an undeniable fact.”
Ilirianna glared back at him, her lips tightening in what might have been frustration. If she believed any of Tali’s words back in Stellareid, then Vesh’s statement would have an effect on her. Of course, she might conclude that he was simply saying that to coerce her into backing down, in which case combat truly was unavoidable.
“My, you’re confident,” Markreas sneered. “And here I thought I’d come over and offer an olive branch before wrecking your beautiful castle and dragging you kicking and screaming into the dirt. But it seems I’m wasting my time on you, so I’ll instead address our dear doctor.” The King glanced over to the People’s Mind, who tensed up as the discussion shifted towards him. “Keskivaara, you should be intelligent enough to know you’re screwed. You can see the Iijis, but might I add that all eight Masters of Ijiria accompany us. Tell me, do you really think you stand a chance of survival?”
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All eight Masters? That thought flashed through Vesh’s mind at the same time that Keskivaara’s fists clenched tightly at his sides. I mean, I deduced the likelihood of Noctis and Luz being here, but did Markreas seriously get permission to march all eight Masters to war? I can’t fathom that Kloras Glaus would ever concede such a thing unless… He cocked an eyebrow with intrigue. Well, unless Rennigan Glaus is here, too. That would explain it… They really have pulled out all the stops.
“I can see the fear in your eyes, Keskivaara,” Markreas went on, his smugness only increasing as he witnessed his words sink into them. “So spread this message to the rest of Ankalla’s denizens. Surrender, and you live. Fight us, and we will kill you without mercy. The choice is yours.”
“Is it though?” Vesh instantly intervened. “I’m sure you would let us live if we surrender, but our lives would be wasted in some cold, moldy cell. Is that really living?”
Markreas chuckled. “Not particularly, but you should have thought about that before declaring war on my country. I don’t really care what you decide to do, for it’s not my business. You have ten minutes to make your choice before I rip these gates down and Ankalla gets stained with your blood.”
With that, the King of Ijiria motioned for his wife and perceived daughter to follow him as he turned his steed around and began heading back the way they had come to reunite with the attack force. Vesh watched them depart for a few seconds before turning back to regard Keskivaara, whose face was pale with pure and utter terror. Yet again, Vesh couldn’t help wondering whether or not the People’s Mind was the traitor Markreas alluded to, but like he had been doing since finding out about this sudden assault, he had to force himself to trust in Tali Firrik.
“Do you think he was telling the truth?” Keskivaara uttered under his breath. “About the Masters all being here?”
Vesh shook his head. “Who knows really? But given the fact that this attack was permitted at all, I have to assume that they found a way to bypass Kloras Glaus’s regulations, which means anything is possible. For now, we’re better off operating under the assumption that Markreas did not lie and that the entire roster of Masters is on our doorstep.”
“B-but then…?” Keskivaara stuttered. “It’s over, right? The only ones among us that could maybe defeat a Master are myself, Tyrus, you…and perhaps Kristoff… That’s only four, Vesh, when they’ve got eight in addition to the Iijis. How could we hope to stand against this, especially given how easily they snuck up on us?! And…if there’s a traitor in the castle…?”
The man trailed off, and while everything he said was absolutely logical, Vesh was not afraid, rather he was comforted, for Keskivaara’s panic did not feel like a performance and if the People’s Mind was truly terrified, then he wasn’t the one who sold them out. Vesh was certain he could make his plans to counterattack with the assurance that Rickori Keskivaara could be relied upon. And as he came to this final conclusion, he noticed something out of the corner of his eye, only to find both Tali and Leiolai standing down in the courtyard below, the former beckoning him down with a wave of her hand.
Vesh laughed. “I suppose we’ll simply have to ask her,” he told the other man before jumping off the wall and allowing gravity to carry his rock-enforced body down to the grass below. Landing with perfect balance, Vesh took long strides over to where the Voice awaited before asking, “Lady Firrik, I imagine you’re filled in on the state of things?”
“I am, yes,” she answered softly, her tone betraying nothing of what she felt on the matter. “And I’ll admit, I’m a tad confused. I’ve never seen any visions of this assault, so I’m in a rare state of surprise. I’m quite curious to see how things unfold.”
“But…we are going to survive, right?” Keskivaara pressed once he, too, had jumped from the wall and reached where the three cultists were standing. “I mean, you’ve said that the attack on Harunhein will be successful, so this shouldn't be a problem…”
Tali nodded. “Exactly. So just fight your hearts out and don’t worry about it. Somehow, we’re going to win, though I highly doubt it’ll be quite as decisive as our past battles. After all, I simply don’t see us beating King Markreas, so we may have to just abandon Ankalla and flee through the tunnels. That being said, it’s a last resort. Since all of us are destined to survive, there’s no reason not to use this to our advantage and try to eliminate a Master or two.”
Vesh agreed with her wholeheartedly, as it was something he had already been thinking about since confirming that the Citadel was, in fact, attacking them. Keskivaara, however, was understandably less convinced.
“Y-yes, but you should know that all of the Masters are here,” he told her. “I don’t…think we should even try.”
“No, we should,” Tali said without a second’s hesitation. “We’d be stupid not to. Think about it. If we kill even one Master here today, then Harunhein and our subsequent attack on Erika becomes even easier. In fact, this makes perfect sense as to why my visions are the way that they are. This is an opportunity, not anything to be scared of.”
“She’s right,” Leiolai chimed in. “We might have been surprised, but Tali’s visions don’t make this any different than all the other battle’s we’ve waged. Her confirmation of our survival makes us invincible, so we can go all out and take risks we wouldn’t otherwise take.”
Tali smiled warmly. “That being said, Keskivaara, feel free to take Kinrono through the tunnels if you really don’t trust this. I can understand doubting me in what appears like a hopeless situation, so I’m okay with you leaving, for it means that when my predictions come true and the Kosah-Rei turns this around, you will have irrefutable proof that I am Rei’s Voice.”
Keskivaara bit his lip, his eyes shifting from Tali to Leiolai to Vesh as he desperately tried to steel his resolve. While Vesh certainly believed that Tali was far too lenient on him, especially given how powerful of an asset he was, he also knew that her visions meant it really didn’t matter what Rickori Keskivaara opted to do. With or without him, the Citadel would lose.
And I can’t wait to see the look on King Markreas’s face when that happens.
Finally, Keskivaara closed his eyes, took a deep breath, then said, “Very well then. I’ll trust you, Lady Firrik, and I’ll fight for you. Tell me what you need, and I’ll do it.”
“Thank you,” Tali replied with a tone of the utmost joy and respect. “Firstly, I want to let you know that Kinrono has begun the process of evacuating the noncombatants through the underground tunnels, leaving only the Teeth and your own mages remaining in Ankalla. Secondly,” she continued despite the anxiety that appeared on Keskivaara’s face at the realization that Velanor had already been sent off. “Uma, Barron, and Quill are still unaccounted for. We have yet to make contact with them.”
Vesh frowned. “That’s peculiar. You don’t think one of them is the traitor, do you?”
“Traitor?” Tali inquired, tilting her head with curiosity and reminding Vesh that he had yet to inform her of what Markreas said. “What do you mean?”
“We were sold out,” he growled. “Somebody in the castle leaked Ankalla’s location to the Citadel. It’s how they found us, so if the other three have been mysteriously held up, it’s not impossible that one of them turned on the others and they’re currently locked in combat with them.”
The Voice’s features turned serious as she processed this new revelation, her hand going to her chin in deep thought. “Hmm… It’s possible, so perhaps we should try to find them as soon as we can. For now, we need to be ready to meet the attack head-on. Leiolai and I will go searching for the others, so can we entrust this to you two in the meantime?”
Keskivaara gave a strong affirmative while Vesh was quick to protest. “Hold on, My Lady. If one of them really did turn traitor, then you could be in danger.”
“Not lethal danger, though,” she pointed out. “And besides, none of my visions indicated that any of the three had been exposed as liars, so I’m prone to believe in them for now. Don’t worry, Rotana…I’m much safer in the castle than out here.”
“I…guess you’re right…”
“Good! Then let the Goddess grant you strength!”
With those parting words, Tali led Leiolai back across the courtyard and into Ankalla, leaving Vesh and Keskivaara gazing after them with varying expressions of confidence and concern. He hated watching her leave his sight, but understanding her reasoning, Vesh forced himself to turn back to the problem at hand and begin the process of stacking the board in their favor.
“Keskivaara, I’m sure you’re already aware of this, but I have a very important job for you, and one only you can handle.”
The People’s Mind glanced up at him, his palid features somehow losing even more blood, indicating to Vesh that he knew exactly what the rock mage was about to say even before he put it to words.
“You have to be the one to kill Markreas.”
***
Ilirianna couldn’t help but allow Vesh’s declaration to crawl its way into her mind, for it was something she had already been agonizing over ever since Koroha first confirmed Ankalla as the Kosah-Rei base of operations.
“It is not important, for you cannot win this battle. I know it… It’s an undeniable fact.”
He had gazed directly at her as he spoke, making it clear that he was trying to tell her, and only her, that somewhere in Tali’s collection of visions, she was able to confirm that this attack would not err in favor of the Citadel. That made sense to the Princess given that it was completely unthinkable that nowhere in her visions had she ever seen such a clearly significant moment, but what was already throwing her off was the clear fact that Keskivaara seemed stunned by them being there, like he had no idea they were coming.
Which means they either lied to Keskivaara and never informed him this was happening, or Firrik hasn’t seen visions of the fight itself. Perhaps Vesh is referencing visions in the future in which he was alive to conclude that he won’t die today? If that’s true, then I’m not sure how comfortable I am sending Album and Kumo after him.
She was torn, for she couldn’t expose Tali’s future vision to the attack force, but she would also appear ridiculously suspicious should she try to direct attention away from Rotana Vesh. The best she could do was rely on Ryokumo, who was the only other person aware of what Tali could do, to use his best judgment when it came to facing the former Head Guard of Aquesen. Ilirianna nodded to herself at that conclusion just as she, Toranei, and Markreas returned to the rest of their allies.
“We got visual confirmation of Vesh and Keskivaara,” the King announced the second they brought their steeds to a halt, clearly wanting to immediately answer the question he was certainly about to be hit with. “This confirms some of the information Masters Taurus and Rhitta sent back to us, so we’ll proceed with the plans immediately. You all have your assignments on who to prioritize so stick to it and don’t take mercy on anybody. Their actions in Hiriech and Stellareid don’t deserve anything more than a swift and brutal death.”
Toranei snorted to herself, though the grin she directed at her husband was sly and knowing. “So you don’t actually intend to give them ten minutes to surrender?”
“Not at all,” Markreas replied with a barking laugh. “We’re butchering every last one of them whether they surrender or not. They’re animals, after all, and deserve nothing less than to be treated as such. I merely said that on the off chance they take me seriously and allow us to get the drop on them. With that said, I do not wish to wait any longer than I already have!”
Ilirianna gazed up at the King’s face, seeing the bloodlust and the excitement of battle within his eyes. He truly was ecstatic at the thought of murdering the Kosah-Rei, and while that unnerved Ilirianna to some extent, she also couldn’t try and claim she didn’t understand it. The cult had made a mockery of his reign, turning him into a failed King who lost the entirety of House Malloway, the Fifth Ring of Stellareid, and two Masters all in the span of a handful of years. He was the King who failed to make such dangerous enemies pay, and who had never once claimed a significant victory over them. If this attack succeeded, Markreas would be able to at least begin to return value to his reign, so it was no wonder he was furious, excited, and more than prepared to kill every living being in sight that wasn’t aligned with him.
Ilirianna steeled herself as well as she looked around the party, spotting Rennigan, Sinna and Nyx, Ryokumo and Album, Grunly and his healers, and Nigreos and Miklan beneath the banners of Noctalus. Everybody was prepared for this long-awaited ending to begin, and since Ilirianna had already said everything she wanted to say back before the distortions were dropped, she simply shared a silent good luck to her royal team and Rennigan before she turned her body forward and faced the looming black fortress of Ankalla. Vesh and Keskivaara had already departed the wall, meaning that the fall of the gate would not bring them with it, a predictable yet disappointing realization.
Though, if it were that easy, it wouldn’t have taken this long to find them…
King Markreas’s features twisted into a wide and maddened smile as he, too, turned back to face the looming fortress. “Forgive me for skipping past the heroic speech. I’d have loved to give you one, but every second wasted here is another second they can use to run. Therefore…”
Ilirianna could sense the King’s overwhelming power suddenly flowing through his body and towards his hands as he drew his magic. Naturally, they had already discussed the details of how the battle would begin, but it was one thing to be told what they were going to do and another entirely to witness it. Ilirianna knew the strength of her supposed father, having seen it once or twice over the course of her life, but there would be few within that party that would have. Even the members of her royal team had never truly seen what Markreas could do, but since she certainly didn’t want to miss the spectacle, she would simply have to imagine the expression of shock and awe on Ryokumo’s face when the King cast his spell.
The large, emerald-haired man extended his arms outwards before turning his palms towards each other. A little flicker of orange fire appeared in the meager space between his hands, but it quickly began to grow as energy was pumped into it. By the time the ball of flames had filled his hands, it had shifted to blue, but Ilirianna knew it wasn’t going to stop there. Markreas’s hands trembled violently as he strained himself to continue holding the raw fire magic in place until it was time to let it loose, and as the blue color got brighter and brighter, it gradually became a pure white that was so intense Ilirianna couldn’t help cringing at the heat.
White fire was the most destructive and uncontrollable type of magic in existence, with under one percent of known mages able to use it without obliterating themselves and much of their surroundings in the process. Markreas was one of those mages, but even he was bathed in sweat, with his jaw clenched from the painful exertion it took to hold his mana in place. Only he would know when it was condensed and controlled enough to let loose, so when his smile returned, Ilirianna knew that the time had arrived.
“Solinfernus!” Markreas roared, his voice shaking and raspy as the power he wielded suddenly exploded from his hand and crossed the distance between the attack force and the front gates of Ankalla in the blink of an eye. The white fire tore through the surface of the rocky plains, the ball that had once fit in between Markreas’s palms rapidly expanding as it flew, so that the second it reached the gate, it was about the size of a person.
That gate didn’t stand a chance, and right before Ilirianna’s eyes, the spell ripped through the metal, causing the stone foundations around it to explode as the debris that wasn’t disintegrated on impact flew into the air. Naturally, the gate didn’t stop all of the fire, for parts of the ball split off into separate beams that all collided with various parts of the fortress’s first two levels, smashing apart windows and walls and, ideally, killing a good handful of Kosah-Rei that were hiding within those corridors. It wasn’t enough to knock the castle down, but the places that exploded should be large enough to permit the entire force entry without having to go through the front doors. It was a beautiful spectacle of death and destruction the likes of which could only be accomplished by a bloodline as powerful as the Iijis, a thought that caused a small pang of jealousy to run through her that she quickly suppressed.
And of course, Markreas didn’t want to let the Kosah-Rei have any time to react to what had just happened, so his now free hand shot down to his hip so that he could yank his emerald broadsword from its sheath.
Then, rising the beautiful weapon above his head, King Markreas Iiji bellowed out,
“KILL THEM ALL! LEAVE NO SURVIVORS! CHARGE!”