In the aftermath of the new developments, the war, for the second time, was heightened to a new level, a far more dangerous one. In the beginning, nations around the globe that were participating in the war, including Solaria, were reluctant to unleash their full military might. They held back, predicting a very short and likely victorious war, and also, they wanted to be fresh and kicking for the massive land grab that was sure to follow.

The Empire, though, followed a different belief. For Solaria, it was to keep their true armies fresh and ready for a moment like this. A decisive moment to strike.

From the Empire heartlands, golden filmy portals rose to the sky, dozens of them. And into them marched legions – a million per legion. Their destination? Everywhere.

Aesland, already struggling against the tide of unending self-replenishing abominations, received a sudden hit on their coastal flanks as millions of soldiers from the three — Solaria, Torinia, Hive — poured out, swarming their shocked and less prepared lines and sending them back into fierce retreat.

The great families residing on the continent, not to be undone, retaliated in kind. Aetheris, Tyria, and Rayun, which were all militaristic nations, sent out a force of equivalent size. They punched back, and punched hard. Successful, they began closing back their flanks, but they couldn't do anything more. They were already surrounded.

Winterra, or Winterlands, as it was popularly called, also saw an equal level of invasion. The Teirye, having chosen a passive approach to the war, weren't prepared at all for the legions that poured into the continent, talk less of the abominations. Their continent's coastal kingdoms were overrun in days, forcing a horde of refugees to move into the continent's heartlands. These refugees, only accompanied by a few soldiers, were swarmed in a single day as the abominations increased their numbers, almost doubling in size. The Teirye, having had far fewer casualties than the others during the early battles, immediately sent out their Spirit lords and legions, turning the abominations into ice sculptures and drowning the rest in conjured sea. But still, they were unending.

Greensend saw the worst battles in the war. Most of the smaller nations were already overrun in the early battles as well as fallen to the abomination's first wave. This left only the great nations to stem the tide while simultaneously pushing back the Solarian legions.

To the soldiers who saw more battles than most, Spirit lord appearances became a common thing for them – at least the ones lucky enough to survive through the previous appearances.

Cities were burned to the ground. Forest turned into soot and ash. And rivers emptied into their bedrocks. All in a bid to halt the tide.

***

Distant thunder rattled the troop ship as the fleet finally entered the warzone. The sky was darkened, but lights from millions of techniques flashing in the air lit the horizon like a second sun.

Ymal stood at the front of his division, terrified, yet ready all the same for what was to come. Any soldier worth his weapon would have heard of the new development by now. The defiled, as they called them.

Soldiers died in droves, all in a losing attempt to hold back those things, things which had already swept over twenty percent of the continent in days, swallowing cities and converting their populations into more defiled. Because of this, the war had seen a sharp increase in Spirit lord activities as even the top of the hierarchies began making more appearances. Though they always left a devastated region in their wake.

Despite this all, the swarm seemed unending.

Already, as they approached the battlefield, Ymal could hear the screeches and roars, shrill sounds coming from the unnatural creatures — Creatures of UnLife. This made it all the more terrifying, if he had anything to say about it.

"Alright, listen up!" The Monarch commander of the ship called out. "As you all might know, a new party has joined the war. They are ruthless. They are hungry. They are unending. And worst of all, they are dead, a walking dead. Despite their lack of any conscious thoughts, they are not to be underestimated. It would only take a single grip to bring you down, so I'd be more careful if I were you."

The Monarch's gaze panned the entire deck, his eyes taking in every soldier lined in formation.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"Our mission here is to hinder the swarm before it approaches the Destan Valleys. I hope I don't have to explain to you what would happen if they manage to step into the valleys." A distant rumble, alongside a bright flash of light punctuated his words.

Ymal couldn't help himself, he shivered at that thought. The Destan Valleys was one of the largest trade routes on the continent. It could even be contested as the largest. It was capable of crossing armies, a thousand abreast. Caves dotted the valleys, which made it a frequent den for all sorts of brigands and criminal sorts. If those creatures poured into the valleys, there would be no way to flush them out.

And worst of all, the one which terrified Ymal the most, and probably the higher ups, was that the valleys had a dozen routes leading into the territories of multiple kingdoms. A direct route to the capital of Camlen.

"Today, we, alongside Gandor and the other smaller kingdoms and city-states still remaining in this war, will make our stand here, about seventy miles in proximity to the valleys." The Monarch's face turned grim as he looked at them all. "Let me warm you now: this battlefield is unarguably going to be one of the most bloodiest in this entire war. If we're unlucky, we could continue to see battle in this region for years, a situation which I hope none of you are willing to experience.

"Good, though before you go in, I have been instructed to give you this last warning, a short one. Be aware that there will be Spirit lords on this battlefield, occasionally. They will only appear when the swarm seems to be increasing past our capacity to handle. The warning to you is to be mindful of your position whenever such a time arrives. Nobody wants to be unfortunate enough to fall to friendly fire."

Finished, he nodded, and then turned around, heading back into the ship.

Already knowing what would come next, Ymal, alongside the multitude of soldiers gathered, began stretching their hands, legs, necks, and every part of their bodies they could think of.

"Prepare for Air drop!" A voice called out through the sound enchantment laced throughout the ship. "Griffin Corp, prepare for aerial combat! Ground troop commanders, report to the joint command stations to receive your assignments! You drop in three seconds."

As one, every soldier not on a mystical creature turned to face outward from the ship.

"Three!"

Ymal breathed in.

"Two!"

He breathed out.

"One!"

His blood turned cold.

"Zero! Drop! Drop!! Drop!!!"

And then he jumped.

***

Damien stepped into the bar. Despite the cloudy atmosphere, the mood in the bar was a little brighter than he'd expected.

"Nice to see that some people are still upbeat despite everything going on," Keilan commented, a little smile gracing his lips.

[Yea, well, that's because they haven't seen much of the war, have they, being all secluded and all,] Gray chipped in unhelpfully.

"Gray," Damien sighed, already making his way toward the counter. "Can't you be cheerful for once?"

[Ha! Cheerfulness is for babies. Are you a baby, Damien?]

Ignoring Gray, Damien signaled the attention of a bartender attending to one of the other patrons.

"If it'd get me away from all this mess, I'd like to be a baby, thank you," Keilan said, giving Gray the googly eyes.

The little man then made a disgusted face, [Ewrgh! Stay away, I'm not Damien, that trick won't work on me.]

"Hey!"

Damien's eyes narrowed as he was promptly ignored, the little shit turning back to Keilan. [Though, if after two years you still want to return to being a baby, let me know, I could hook you up with this time wielder I know. She does excellent business.]

"I don't know what's more weird, a grown-up man who wants to return to being a child," Damien said. "Or there being someone who caters to this kind of needs."

[Trust me, Damien,] Gray tapped his shoulder. [When you get out into the real world, you'll see weirder things than this.]

Thankfully, the arrival of the bartender saved him from continuing the conversation.

"Good evening, sir, how may I help you?" The lady smiled.

"Uhhh, go–good evening," Damien said, then shook his head to clear his thoughts, scrunching his eyebrows. "Sorry, would you mind if I ask what singled me out? I mean, this is a bar, I could be here for a drink."

The beautiful lady graced him with an amused smile, waving the almost emptied bottle in her hand around the room. "I know every one of these people sitting here. You, on the other hand, are new. There are only two reasons new people come to this side of the region: one, is for the boss. Two," her eyes panned to Damien and then moved to Keilan, taking them in while seemingly ignoring Gray entirely. "Judging by the appearance of you and your companion over here, I don't think you're number two."

Damien coughed nervously, embarrassment coloring his cheeks pink as they'd been so easily read. Keilan began whistling, shifting his eyes anywhere but the lady's.

"So, what can I do for you, gentlemen!"

Still embarrassed, Damien murmured. "Umm, we're here to see your boss."

The lady smiled. "Figured so. Though I'm sorry to say the boss isn't taking visitors right now. His orders."

Damien, having regained some of his dignity, managed to utter his next words calmly. "Just tell him it's Damien, he'll make an exception."

"Alright, if you say so," she shrugged. "So in the meantime, what would you like to drink?"

Damien smiled. "Do you have Whiska?"

"Yes, and chilled too."

"Yes, thank you. I'd like that."

She nodded, turning towards Keilan. "And you?"

Damien had to elbow-punch Keilan before he finally turned his face around. "Um, I'll have what he's having."

"Alright then. Two Whiskas coming right up!"