"Leave us..." Evelyn instructed.
In an orderly manner, the soldiers went back to their legions.
Adhara approached with slow steps once she let go of the Elf and gestured for her to go back, too.
"I thought the plan was for to occupy Sven while you take over the kingdom," She said—stopping a few steps away from Evelyn. "Considering their forces, it shouldn’t take that hard, but sothing has to happen to Kyran..."
"I wasn’t expecting that, too," Evelyn massaged her temple.
A visit from Vivian, Gelmar, and Iris ca out of nowhere.
Not to ntion, the news that they brought was also even more bizarre.
Evelyn wouldn’t be able to begin to guess that soone disturbed Naela again.
"Naela got visited in her bedroom by a Human pretending to be an Angel," Evelyn sighed—needing to focus on two fronts like this is extrely hard to do. "He wanted to make the empire directly involved in the battle against the Angels. Kyran got a wind of it, even though he’s within enemy territory, so I had to even save him."
"An Angel wounded Naela," Adhara frowned. "And now an Angel pretend visited her?"
"Yes, I know what you’re thinking. It could be the sa person," Evelyn nodded. "It should be the sa person."
Considering both attacks were done by a random Angel, chances are those two instances were done by the exact sa person, Richard. But the question was the reason why he ca back to attack Naela for the second ti.
Even going as far as to brand her, it was completely out of the ordinary.
"He might co for the second ti since Kyran isn’t reacting as much as he intended," Adhara added.
"Hmm?" Evelyn’s brows dipped into a frown. "Doesn’t that an he’s watching Kyran?"
That realization was worrying.
It seed there would be a need for more defensive updates within Dargena City, and to do that, Rex would need to be involved. Most defensive chanisms were focused on external attacks; none were tailored for an internal attack.
Of course, that’s mainly because Dargena City’s location is secured.
No enemies could enter that easily.
However, with this problem, the ti for that to change has arrived.
"Anyway, what’s the situation with Sven?"
"No need to worry about him. I’ve dealt with him."
"Dealt him?"
Evelyn looked at Adhara in surprise, expecting that soone she managed to defeat Sven.
But that wasn’t entirely the case.
"No, not like that," Adhara cackled as that would be simply impossible for her to do, since Sven is far stronger than any werewolf. Only Rex could be a match. "I forced him to fight two Order Beasts. It’ll take ti for him to win that."
It ca to her out of nowhere.
Since the area she was in was far from civilization, with Sven fully imrsing in the thrill of the hunt— thanks to the abundance of strong mutated animals, the area was filled with powerful foes. Adhara only needed to lure him to those foes’ nests.
Let monsters battle one another.
"Judging from how he fights, more Order Beasts would appear, I bet," Adhara shrugged. "In any case, we shouldn’t need to worry about him."
"Good," Evelyn exhaled lightly in relief. "That’s really good."
Boom—!
Roar!
Just as she said that, explosions and roars resounded.
It ca from the canyon below.
Evelyn and Adhara watched as a collision of energies sparked from within the dense pallid blue mist.
"What’s going on down there?" Adhara placed a hand over her brows and squinted—trying to see through the thick mist, but couldn’t. "Now that I look at it, where are we, anyway? Is it another city to conquer before the main course?"
"This IS the main course," Evelyn replied and pointed at where the castle ahead—that was about half a mile away. "Princess Selene is sowhere in there, along with his trusted Alpha Pris. If we won this, we won the kingdom."
"Oh..." Adhara stared at the castle. "Then why not leap instantly to that castle?"
Even though the air was now denser due to the elevated energy in the air, half a mile is still more than plausible. One leap is more than enough to reach the castle, and doing that would also catch Princess Selene off guard.
"Don’t be reckless," Evelyn turned around. "Let’s wait for them to finish."
"Alright," Adhara shrugged. "It doesn’t matter to either way."
...
Inside the cathedral.
Rumble—!
Kuruk entered the cathedral and instantly t Princess Selene’s gaze.
Just like when he left her earlier to prepare for the invasion, she was still sitting there completely still, which was quite unnerving to see. It was especially so since her King Mark kept on being active, almost like she couldn’t turn it off.
She also sat directly on the spot where the moonlight managed to reach from the window.
"Doesn’t the moonlight feel good tonight, Kuruk?" She asked.
"Ekhm..." Kuruk cleared his throat—and closed the door behind him. "Yes, Your Highness. It’s a good night for a war."
He approached with careful steps and knelt down about ten ters away.
"I’m here to inform you the battle is starting," He continued as the roars and explosions resounded in the distance. "Not the main army. I believe the empress is still probing us and sees what we’ve prepared for her."
"Then everything is fine," Princess Selene smiled. "Gather the forces. Let’s prepare a warm welco."
"As you wish..." Kuruk bowed deeper and turned to leave.
...
One or maybe one and a half days until the Blood Moon arrives, that’s what Sintra said.
It was a prediction by an ancient Shaman, so it must be accurate.
That’s more than enough ti for the Great Army to rend the Verrathen Canyon to dust.
Achieving a win here would an that Rex could rest safely under the Blood Moon.
Naturally, the Blood Moon was his birth moon, so the effect he suffered from it would be more intense.
He would most certainly appreciate one day of relaxing with no worry.
Aaoouuu!
It was the signal from Fenrik.
Evelyn looked to the left outer rim of the canyon, which was where the howl ca from.
Compared to the treacherous path the Great Army had taken to reach the canyon, the outer rim appeared smoother. No massive cracks on the ground, or extrely dense forest. Yet its surface was deceptively uneven, veined with hidden gaps and fractures invisible from Evelyn’s vantage point.
Nor could she see Fenrik—the view was blocked entirely by the sloping ground and rocks.
"Fenrik found enemies?" Evelyn muttered.
Aooouu!
Another howl resounded; this ti, it ca from the complete opposite rim from Fenrik.
It seed Fenrik was correct to check the outer rim of the canyon.
Evelyn turned to Gistella and Mavok, giving them a nod.
Both led a few thousand-strong legion and went to where the distress howls ca from.
Since Adhara was present, Evelyn could afford to send Mavok and Gistella to deal with the enemies on the outer rim. "Werewolves are naturally ambush predators," She muttered—glad that she asked for the opinion of others. "Princess Selene is going to lose today."
"You sure that many is fine?" Adhara asked. "I could hear their breaths, and I put their number around two thousand."
"It’s fine," Evelyn answered nonchalantly. "Our soldiers’ morale is high."
Just as expected, the battle on the outer rim didn’t last more than fifteen minutes.
Gistella and Fenrik annihilated their side first before Mavok’s side followed only a few minutes later.
It took another ten minutes for the Elves to place the wards.
Once Fenrik’s moves were made, an Elven warrior handed Evelyn a large leather parchnt. It was a ward map of the canyon, marked with twelve active sigils. Each one pulsed—with a rhythmic energy on the page like a living radar display on leather.
"If there are hostile enemies, the ward will turn from green to red," the Elven Warrior explained.
"Simple enough," Evelyn lowered the parchnt and gazed ahead.
Valkis’ side was also going smoothly.
Even though the scouts were annihilated save for the strong group sneaking through the dry riverbed, he had managed to pinpoint the rough location of the hidden packs across the path to the city, ones that the Great Army would certainly cross.
And more importantly, he also managed to capture one that was a notable Alpha.
Just his power at the early ninth-rank realm alone showed that he was one of the bigshots.
Evelyn looked down at this Alpha, her gaze neutral—a calm that felt like blatant contempt in his eyes. "Tell ," she began; her voice honeyed with the subtle persuasion of her Luna energy. "Are there any talks of surrender? Does the princess truly believe she can win this?"
"Kill ," the Alpha cackled sinisterly. "There’s nothing you can do to make talk."
"You..." Evelyn’s voice dragged, but there was no change in her gaze. "You’re sorely going to regret— saying that."
She didn’t doubt the Alpha’s determination.
For a werewolf with imnse regeneration, pain was less an ordeal and more a familiar sensation.
A lingering flavor they’d long grown accustod to.
Any race gifted with a strong regeneration ability knew this truth intimately: regenerations’ essence was a transaction, trading imdiate agony for swift recovery. But the Alpha was directing his full bravado toward the wrong audience, and he would learn that distinction the hard way.
"Adhara..." Evelyn turned her head to the side, calling for the bane of werewolves.
Hearing the na, the Alpha raised a brow and shifted his body to the side.
He wanted to know who would be foolish enough to try intimidating him with sothing as aningless as pain.
"You shouldn’t have said that," Valkis chuckled sinisterly from behind, laughing at the strong front the Alpha was showing them. "If I were you, I’d retract what I say and answer the empress’ questions. That is a far better deal than what’s about to happen."
"What?" the Alpha looked at Valkis in confusion.
Soone like Valkis should know that any pain is beneath a werewolf like him.
Pain was a constant in a werewolf’s life—a battle about turf, a brawl from a simple misunderstanding, or even a battle for a Luna—most end up bloody and even near-death. It’s a familiar companion. From those experiences alone, he was certain that he could endure anything.
It was especially so with Princess Selene at stake.
Even if Evelyn skinned him alive, not a single word of betrayal would leave his lips.
Just then, a woman appeared.
Her fra was riddled with scratches, and her eyes were steadily sharp, the opposite of Evelyn’s.
"Are you still trying to show them rcy?" Adhara asked, sighing deeply. "I am not against giving soone a choice, but we’re dealing with the head of the opposing side here. Better for us to annihilate them so nothing like this would occur again."
"Even so, I still want to try," Evelyn closed her eyes. "It lessened the guilt."
Since that was the case, Adhara had no other choice.
She approached the Alpha and stopped right before him.
"One last warning," She said, bending forward to stare directly into the Alpha’s eyes. "Answer all of her questions, or I’ll force you to answer."
"In your dreams!" the Alpha cackled maniacally. "You’re wasting your ti! Just kill !"
Adhara shook her head and raised a single finger.
Before the alpha’s eyes, a pristine white energy began to glow at her fingertip.
It was slight, but the re sensation coming from it caused the Alpha’s eyes to widen in realization.
"W-White Omicron...?" He swallowed harshly. "You’re an Anti-Werewolf?!"
"What’s with the face? Where is the confidence you had earlier?" Adhara smiled cheekily as she placed her fingertip against the Alpha’s forehead.
Naturally, the Alpha struggled to run, but Valkis kept him in place.
"Don’t back out now—I’ve already given you a chance to do that earlier. For now..." Adhara shot her energy into the Alpha’s forehead. "Grit your teeth and take it like a real man."
"RAARGGHKK—!"
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