The Royals were amazed by Lith ordering around two Council elders just like Ajatar couldn't believe his own ears. "Why is your disciple throwing our plan into the gutter?" The Drake asked the moment that he and Faluel were alone. "He's not." The Hydra chuckled while picturing Ajatar's shocked expression if he were to discover the truth about Solus. "It was a coded message. He's saying that he has found a way to locate the enemy base and doesn't want us to blow our cover." "I see. Plausible deniability." The Drake nodded. "How do you think Lith is planning to do that?" "Probably with his Demons." The Hydra lied through her teeth. "One of them will hide in the shadow of a monster or something." "Remarkable." Ajatar said while paranoia made him devise several ways to check that his own shadow was empty whenever he deactivated the security measures of his home. After that, it was only a matter of waiting. The cities of the Kingdom dealt with the groups of monsters just for more to pop out. Yet according to the reports, the creatures possessed no special abilities and their numbers despite great could still be managed by the local forces. Then, while the defenders were busy repelling the assault from the front, a much bigger group of monsters with uncanny magical powers attacked the cities from the back. "Cunning critters." Meron started, dispatching troops according to the gravity of each situation but keeping the Archmages off the field. "Send scouts to cast life sensing arrays from a safe distance. "I want to make sure of the number of enemies before committing our strongest troops." His hesitation cost dearly to a few cities. The moment the monsters stepped over the mana geyser they were built upon, the creatures would grow in size and power, taking down the city gates with their collective bloodline abilities. "You Majesty, we should-" "Shut up and wait." Meron dismissed General Asai's worries, making him question the King's fitness to rule. The battle became bloodier, more soldiers and civilians died by the second but Meron waited on the arrays' report. "You were right, Your Majesty. There are a few more monsters hidden, but they amount just to a few hundred. They can either join the frontlines and fight or attempt to sneak past them and plunder, but they pose little threat to-" It was at that moment that the Royal Army was flooded with distress calls. More cities were now under siege and none of them had reported earlier sightings. Their guards had gone from bored to death from the routine daily checks to fighting for their lives in a matter of seconds. The children of Glemos had learned from their past mistakes and worked smart to not give their prey the time to summon their champions. "My King, how did you know?" General Asai was flabbergasted and was now questioning his own fitness to lead the troops. "When a smart enemy makes a dumb move, usually it's a feint." Meron replied. "A two-pronged surprise attack is hardly a dumb move." Asai said. "I was talking about sending advance scouts to the massacre." The King said. "Sure, it drew our attention in a single direction, but it also gave us the time to prepare for the assault and call for reinforcements." "Indeed." The general nodded. "These monsters are as smart as they are determined. Sacrificing their lives for their comrades is the proof of true warrior spirit." "Or maybe it's just desperation." Meron shrugged. "Or worse, our real enemies are even smarter than we thought. After all, monsters look all the same to us. We have no way to distinguish between this new breed and regular fallen races until they use their abilities. "What if the first waves of the assault were comprised of regular monsters, captured and bred by their superior 'cousins' just to test our defenses? Once starved, those creatures would become desperate enough to attack our settlements even though they have no chance of success." "That would be an abominable act!" The general said in outrage. "No more than dressing the war prisoners like soldiers and sending them unarmed on the frontlines to act as meat shields as our ancestors did and some of the so-called free countries still do." Meron's lips were curled up in disgust. "Enough chatting. Supreme Magus Verhen, the moment I receive the final report I'll send you to the most desperate battlefield. Are you ready?" "In this case, I'm going to need my weapon." Lith opened his Magus robe, revealing War's absence. "Your Majesty, I need you to open the Gate to the Constable Headquarters." "Do it." The King nodded to the clerk in charge of the dimensional coordinates. The fissure in space brought them close enough for the angry blade to heed the call of its master. War bolted through the air like a bullet, dodging clerks and guards until it found Lith's extended hand. "Now I'm ready." "Me too." Solus said, slightly annoyed by the fact that everyone seemed to have forgotten about her. "Excellent. Your destination is the city of Ne'sra. It seems those monsters are really determined to capture it." The King said. "Again? I hate that place." Solus blurted out, obtaining a reproachful look from the Royals. 'Do you want me to prioritize killing the enemies instead of saving the civilians? Battles are always chaotic and no one could blame me if I "fail" to save those who mistreated you.' Lith asked with the same tone he would have used to request fries with his order. 'By my Mom, no! They deserve a solid kick in the ass, not a sword through their chest. What's the plan?' She replied. 'The moment we step through the Gate, fight just long enough for people to recognize you and then get back in the ring. I need you to save your strength and focus on finding a ride while I take care of the mission.' Lith said. Only a few minutes had passed since the sighting of the monsters yet Ne'sra was already overrun by enemies. The local branch of the army was still safe, but Lith and Solus could hear the screams of the wounded and the buzzing of flying spells. The many windows on the ground floor were open, letting the soldiers shoot down the monsters with their wands. The arrays protecting the building blocked the enemy fire but they also trapped the soldiers inside. "Supreme Magus Verhen, thank the gods you are here- You!" Captain Neforce became as pale as a ghost as she recognized the woman he had banished from the city just a few weeks ago. "Me, you jackass. Guess the first lesson wasn't enough for you. Do you need an encore?" "Yes. I mean, no. I mean we need help. The monsters bust through the city gates like they were paper and…" Lith ignored Neforce's ramblings, opening his seven eyes and unfolding his wings before draping them around his shoulders like a mantle. His shadow and those of everyone in the room came to life, assuming the form of dozens of six-eyed Demons of the Darkness. The powerful mana geyser under the capital of the Kingdom had provided him with all the mana he needed to summon them while he waited and without using Invigoration.