Finn's eyes widened as he took in the scene outside the tent. "They are in the camp."

The words hung in the air for a moment, heavy with disbelief. How the hell had this happened? The camp was supposed to be secure, wrapped up tighter than a mummy with Drew's patrols and defenses. Yet here they were, bandits popping up like daisies in spring, wreaking havoc left and right.

Finn's mind raced, trying to make sense of it all. Had they tunneled in? Sprouted wings and flown over the defenses? Used some weird Astral Tapestry mojo to teleport? Whatever it was, it was working, and now they had a serious problem on their hands.

The sounds of battle grew closer, the singing of clashing steel, guttural war cries, and the unsettling squelch of flesh meeting weapon. Finn watched, half fascinated and half horrified, as a bandit with glowing green hands touched a creation, causing it to wither and crumble like a sandcastle in the tide. Nearby, another attacker seemed to be controlling shadows, using them to strangle and suffocate his opponents.

"My lord," Gloria's urgent voice cut through Finn's daze. "We need to move. Now."

A group of creations had materialized around them, forming a protective circle. They were eyeing the approaching carnage with the kind of calm that comes from either extreme training or a complete lack of self-preservation instinct. Knowing his creations, Finn figured it was probably a bit of both.

"We must get you to safety," one of the guards insisted, already moving to usher Finn away from the fray.

Finn hesitated, his eyes still locked on the battle. The creations were putting up one hell of a fight, but those "Astral Tapestry" powers were no joke. For every bandit that fell, it seemed like two more popped up, each with some new freaky ability.

"No," Finn said, surprising himself with the firmness in his voice. "We're not running."

Gloria's eyes widened. "My lord, surely you don't mean to-"

"Fight? Hell yeah, I do," Finn cut her off. He turned to the guards, his face set with determination. "We're taking the remaining forces here to defend the camp. They need more manpower, and last I checked, I'm basically a one-man army factory."

The guards exchanged glances, clearly torn between their duty to protect Finn and their instinct to obey his orders. Gloria, on the other hand, looked like she was about to have an aneurysm.

"Finn," she said, dropping the 'my lord' in her agitation, "have you lost your mind? You can't go out there! It's too dangerous!"

Finn met her gaze, his expression softening slightly. "I appreciate the concern, G, I really do. But I need to this to increase our chance of keeping the camp while Drew gets here. I can keep our camp alive by pumping out more manpower."

Gloria opened her mouth to object further, but Finn held up a hand. "That's an order, Gloria. We're fighting."

The finality in his tone left no room for argument. Gloria could only swallow her protest.

Finn turned to the gathered creations. "Alright, folks, status report. What are we working with here?"

One of the guards stepped forward. "We still have a vast number of forces, my lord. Approximately 3,000 armed creations stationed at the camp."

Another creation chimed in. "We have more weapons, but they're scattered all over the camp."

Finn nodded, his mind working overtime. "Okay, not ideal, but we can work with that. What about those creations affected by Roran? Are any of them here?"

As if on cue, three hulking figures emerged from the crowd. They were all built like brick walls, though not quite as massive as Drew. The first had a shaved head and a scar running down his left cheek. The second sported a mess of curly hair and a nose that looked like it had been broken. The third was bald like the first, but with multiple cuts covering his scalp.

They dropped to their knees before Finn, their faces a mix of reverence and barely contained aggression. "Drew informed us of the situation with the rage-induced thoughts, my lord," the tattooed one growled.

Finn eyed them thoughtfully. "Alright, here's the deal. If what Roran said is true, you guys might have access to Calamitas. That means you could potentially develop baneskills."

The three exchanged nodded as Finn continued. "I want you on the front lines, engaging as many of those powered-up bandits as you can. You've been training hard, right? Time to put it to the test."

The creations nodded eagerly, they were eager to serve their lord. Finn pointed to each in turn. "You're Ed, you're Edd, and you're Eddy. Don't ask me why, it just feels right."

With that settled, Finn closed his eyes and concentrated. That familiar rush of power flowed through him, and when he opened his eyes again, 500 new creations stood before him, ready for action.

"Grab whatever weapons you can find," Finn ordered. "We're going in hot."

As the newly created forces dispersed to arm themselves, Finn picked up a wicked-looking knife. It was larger than he was used to, but it felt good in his hand. Solid. Reassuring.

Gloria's eyes scanned the ground, landing on a wicked-looking longsword half-buried in the dirt. In one fluid motion, she scooped it up, testing its weight with a few expert swings. The blade whistled through the air, and Finn couldn't help but gulp. The way she handled that sword, it was clear she could lop off heads like a kid popping dandelions.

"Remind me never to get on your bad side," Finn muttered, eyeing the blade warily.

Gloria's lips curved into a small, dangerous smile. "I don't have a bad side, my lord. But our enemies might wish I did."

When did Gloria get so witty...?

A creation approached, he was one of the commanders. "My lord," he said, bowing slightly. "I have a plan for our defense, if you'd like to hear it."

Finn nodded. "Let's hear it...uh, what's your name?"

Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

"I have no name, my lord," the creation replied. He was tall and lean, with sharp features and eyes that seemed to take in everything at once.

"Well, that won't do," Finn mused. "How about...Hamlyn? Yeah, Hamlyn works. Alright, Hamlyn, lay it on me."

Hamlyn nodded and began outlining his strategy. "We'll divide our forces into three main groups. The first will form a defensive line here," he gestured to a spot on a the dirt, "creating a bottleneck to funnel the attackers. The second group will split into smaller units, using the layout of the camp to ambush and flank the enemy."

Finn nodded, impressed. "And the third group?"

"They'll be our mobile reserve," Hamlyn explained. "Ready to reinforce any area that's struggling or to counterattack if we spot an opening. We'll also need to consider the possibility of more enemies arriving. Our scouts report that there's still a force of about 2,200 unaccounted for. There most likely position is from behind our position, so we will prepare for this too. We will go all out, if Drew and all of the other patrols get back we can and will win this."

"Smart," Finn agreed. "What about Ed, Edd, and Eddy? Where do they fit in?"

Hamlyn's eyes gleamed with something almost like excitement. "They'll be our shock troops. We'll use them to target the most powerful enemies, hopefully disrupting their ability to coordinate their attacks. If they fail in using their "newfound" powers, then that's alright, our plan will remain steady. They will be useful anyway as they are some of our most powerful soldiers."

Finn grinned. "I like it. Simple, flexible, and it plays to our strengths. Good work, Hamlyn."

As the creations began to move into position, Finn turned to Gloria. She still looked unhappy about the whole situation, but there was a glint of determination in her eyes now.

"You ready for this, G?" Finn asked, trying to sound more confident than he felt.

Gloria's lips quirked in a small smile. "Always, my lord. Someone has to keep you from doing anything too reckless."

Finn laughed, feeling some of the tension ease from his shoulders. "Wouldn't have it any other way. Now, let's go kick some bandit ass."

The chaos of battle engulfed them as Finn and Gloria stepped out of the tent. The night air was thick with smoke and the metallic tang of blood, punctuated by the clash of steel and cries of pain. Somewhere in the distance, Alyssa's voice rang out, barking orders that carried over the din of combat.

Finn's eyes darted around, taking in the scene.

"Well," Finn muttered, tightening his grip on his knife, "this is gonna be fun." He lied.

He closed his eyes, focusing on that familiar wellspring of power within him. With each pulse of energy, more creations sprang into existence around him. It was like watching a time-lapse video of a garden growing, if the garden was full of buff, naked warriors instead of flowers.

Gloria stood beside him, her longsword at the ready. "My lord," she said, her voice tight with tension, "perhaps we should move to a more defensible position?"

Finn nodded, his eyes still closed as he continued to pump out more creations. "Good call, G. Lead the way."

As they moved through the camp, Finn couldn't help but marvel at the effectiveness of Hamlyn's plan. The first group of creations had formed a solid wall, funneling the attacking bandits into a narrow corridor where they could be picked off more easily. It was a game of human Tetris, if Tetris was way more violent and had a lot more screaming.

The second group was living up to their role as ambush experts. Finn watched as a squad of creations dropped from the top of a tent onto a group of unsuspecting bandits. They were gaining momentum. They were just surprised at first.

"Holy crap," Finn muttered, "remind me to give Hamlyn a raise. Do we do raises? We should totally do raises."

Never mind, its better if they work for me for free!

Gloria's response was cut short as a bandit with glowing blue hands came charging at them. Without missing a beat, she stepped forward, her sword flashing in the firelight. The bandit's head hit the ground before his body realized it should stop running.

Finn blinked. "Okay, that was both awesome and terrifying. You've been holding out on me, G."

Gloria just smiled, that dangerous glint back in her eyes. "A lady never reveals all her secrets, my lord." she lied, she has no secrets.

It was strange that Gloria was becoming wittier and wittier. The disease that is Finn would be making that happen.

On the other side of the camp, Alyssa was starting to feel the pressure. Her bandits were fighting like demons.

"Where the hell are they all coming from?" she growled, decapitating a creation with a vicious swing of her sword. Her eyes scanned the battlefield, finally landing on a familiar figure in the distance. "Finn."

She watched as more naked warriors seemed to materialize around him. Alyssa's eyes widened in disbelief. "What the hell?" she muttered, her voice barely audible over the chaos of battle. "That's not... that's not possible."

Alyssa had seen a lot in her time as a bandit leader, but this? This was something else entirely. It wasn't any skill of the core principals she knew of. No Luminance, no Umbra, no Harmonia, Calamitas, or Anima could explain what she was seeing. It was like Finn was pulling these warriors out of thin air, creating life with nothing but a thought.

Her mind raced, trying to make sense of it. Was this some new, undiscovered aspect of the Astral Tapestry? Or something else entirely? If he could do this, then wouldn't all of this be for nothing?

Alyssa gritted her teeth, forcing herself to focus on the task at hand. Questions could wait. Right now, she needed to survive.

"Fall back!" she shouted, her voice carrying over the din of battle. "Regroup and hold the line!"

Her bandits responded immediately, their movements practiced and efficient despite the chaos around them. They formed a tight defensive formation, their backs to each other as they fought off the seemingly endless wave of creations.

Alyssa found herself in the thick of it, her sword a blur as she cut down creation after creation. But for every one that fell, two more seemed to take its place.

"We can't keep this up," she growled, decapitating another attacker with a vicious swing. "Where the hell is Gus with those reinforcements?"

As if in answer to her question, a war cry rose up from behind the creations' lines. Alyssa's head snapped up, her eyes widening as she saw a familiar figure cresting the hill.

Gus, his massive sword gleaming in the firelight, led the charge of over 1,800 bloodthirsty bandits. They poured over the hill like a tidal wave of steel and fury, crashing into the rear of the creations' forces.

A fierce grin spread across Alyssa's face. "Now that's more like it," she muttered, feeling a surge of renewed energy. "Let's show these freaks what real warriors can do!"

Back near the center of the camp, Finn was still constantly pumping out creations. He didn't really feel tired, he didn't know if he had a limit but it didn't matter.

"You doing okay, my lord?" Gloria asked, concern evident in her voice even as she casually disemboweled another attacker that came up from the ground.

Finn managed a weak grin. "I'm okay, I just need to focus?"

Suddenly, a commotion from behind them caught their attention. Finn turned, his face paling as he saw the new threat emerging.

"Oh, come on!" Finn groaned. "Seriously? I thought we had that area covered!"

Hamlyn appeared at Finn's side, his face a mask of calm determination. "My lord, we need to adjust our strategy. I respectfully suggest you lead everyone to halt that incoming army. I'm not sure how they got through with an even larger army, but if we can halt their advance, we can maintain our current plan and potentially turn the tide."

Finn nodded, already feeling that familiar rush of power building within him. "You got it, Hamlyn. One all-you-can-beat buffet, coming right up."

Just as it seemed like they might be gaining the upper hand, something changed. Alyssa, standing atop a small rise, began to glow. Strange markings appeared on her skin, pulsing with an otherworldly light.

"!"

Finn looked at her with shock.

Alyssa's voice rang out, clear and powerful over the din of battle. Her hands moved in intricate patterns as she chanted:

"The will of a Bane,

The will of chaos,

The will of Fire,

Bring me thy fire."

The air around them grew warmer, shimmering like the surface of a pond on a hot day. Finn watched, his eyes wide with fascination and terror, as a massive ball of fire began to form above Alyssa's head.

"Oh, that's not good," Finn muttered, taking an involuntary step back. "That's really, really not good."

The fireball grew larger, its heat intense enough to feel even from this distance. Alyssa's eyes locked onto Finn, a predatory grin spreading across her face. With a final gesture, she sent the inferno hurtling towards them.

Gloria's eyes widened in alarm. She turned to Finn, her voice urgent. "Run!"