Ri stood silently with the army at her back.

In the distance, the oncoming army was scrambling to reorganize themselves. Dyon had not only halved their numbers, he had also bought the Lotus alliance some time.

Taking a deep breath, Ri's eyes flashed a cold blue, her features steeling as a concealment array manifested around her.

Moments later, Ri's demeanor had completely changed as she stepped out of the array. Her tears had dried and her tails rested calmly on the grey ground.

She was once again wearing her silver armor and her mother's sword had appeared in her hand. "We take vanguard."

Her words were short and poignant. A raging blaze of blue appeared beneath her feet as she leaped into the air, hovering above the army.

"Campaign head Akash and Evelyn. Our tactics are the best chance we have in this battle, but it's impossible to win this with tactics alone. So, Dyon implemented a plan for this specific situation.

"It's best you put aside your grudges now if you want to live. If it makes you feel better, assume my fianc is dead."

Ri turned a sharp gaze toward Evelyn the rest of the Niveus sect members.

Visit . for a better_user experience

In reality, much of their numbers were made up by the Elves. The Niveus Sect women were maybe about 30% of them. In fact, much of the reason they even chose to defend this tower was because it was the most out of the way of where the perceived 'action' would be. Normally, Rod and Looming Tower were the first to be attacked because they were much closer to Guatama and the other towers of the opposing universe. The fact Lotus Tower was being attacked before word of an attack on Rod and Looming was truly baffling.

Evelyn said nothing to Ri's words because they were true. Evelyn had no way of knowing Dyon was still alive because she didn't have the celestial will in her Ri did, all she knew was that hundreds of thousands had died in a blaze of death qi and Dyon was likely one of them. But, she hadn't even gotten an opportunity to feel happy about it because her life was now in danger.

Ri looked away. Evelyn's attitude wasn't the best, but it would have to do for now. But, an itching feeling was gripping at her heart. Whether she knew Dyon was alive or not was irrelevant Whether she'd ever see him again was a completely different question. Ri had heard of Arios' story. What if Dyon got lost in time like he did?...

'Wait'

Ri's eyebrows shot up in a faint shock when she noticed Delia walk standing on the front lines along with the rest of the army. Ri wanted to say something, but when she noticed Delia's trembling hands being clenched so tightly that blood fell to the ground, she held back. Some decisions were left up to the individual. Ri was burying her pain by throwing all of her emotions into this coming battle, what right did she have to say Delia couldn't do the same?

"Defensive Formation Variation 4: Gorilla's Den."

The army led by demon generals burst into action.

In the human world, the power dynamics between people were much more balanced by intelligence than it was in the martial world. As such, wars weren't always decided by who was the bigger country or who had the larger army. In fact, it often wasn't even decided by who had the best technology. Why else would countries as large as America spend years with no clear victories against supposedly third world countries?

Although Dyon didn't study military tactics, he ingrained very specific philosophies within himself. It wasn't that human world tactics were useless or that his felt his thoughts were so far above that of veterans, it was that he knew human world tactics wouldn't take into account the nuanced differences between it and the martial world.

Visit . for a better_user experience

Dyon knew that trying to win solely based on tactics was impossible. Why else would he evenly spread his demon generals as he did? He was fully aware that without enough power, everything would crumble.

Why did his formations work so well? Because of power. Why did he crush the scaled elephants? Because of power. What was going to get the Lotus alliance out of this situation? Power.

Weeks earlier Dyon had said something to the army that made their eyes flow with passion.

"If you follow me, you'll never lose.

"I don't claim to want to overhaul the philosophies of the martial world, but I want you to know, here and now, that it's not enough.

"If you want to protect your families. If you want to leave this universe and go home. If you want to move on to better and brighter things. I'm telling you that the way you think isn't enough.

"Forget everything you know. Forget everything you think you know. Listen to my words and I'll show you the path.

"The human and martial world have always been together, yet separate. Close, yet so far apart.

"But. Under me? They'll be one in the same.

Visit ., for the best no_vel_read_ing experience

"There is no victory without intelligence. There is no victory with power. There is only death in defeat. And there is no glory in death."

The nine hundred Elvin Orphans rushed forward. Endless streaks of gold colored the dark skies as endless defensive formations appeared.

Hundreds of thousands of array plates crumbled to dust as layers of peak manifestation layer formations appeared in a maze of concealment formations. Dyon's army moved in odd patterns, and yet were also symbiotic as they weaved a labyrinth of endless complexities.

In an instant, Lotus Tower, the Lotus Alliance, and even the sounds of their existences were completely wiped.

In front of the beast army now stood an endless grey field. Everything had disappeared but the landscape and the relentless death qi.

The beast army froze amidst their reorganization. What was going on? Why had everyone disappeared? Concealment arrays?

Bas and Liska stood in the skies. They had been directing their reorganization and were just about to charge, but this change of events was really too shocking.

Suddenly, the seemingly normal space rippled, and out stepped just over a hundred warriors.

Delia. Aeson. Akash. Evelyn. Erea. Zaltarish. The demon generals.

Visit . for a better_user experience

One hundred stood against four hundred thousand.

Ri slowly stood out herself, prepared to battle. The face of a handsome and fearless young man flashed in her mind as she took a deep breath, gripping her sword. 'Let me carry half.'

And went that last thought, Ri and her allies charged.