A battalion of more than a thousand traversed the hilly landscape at a swift pace.
The constant horse hooves beating the ground made them appear intimidating, but if one looked closer, they'd realize that these soldiers were actually the defectors of the Pride army.
At the top of the formation, with a much more impressive steed, was another defector, but not just any defector. This one was much more impressive in the eyes of his fellow deserters. He'd bagged the queen herself, after all.
Though he had another secret identity as a spy, the fact that he was the new commander of this traitor army was quite ironic.
Beside the human battalion ran the main army of the demi-humans.
It was composed of multiple races but dominated by the fox folk that brought up the rear of the massive formation.
On the frontlines, ogres took the spot, while on the flanks, elves could be seen with their bows at the ready. Scouts were mostly composed of wolf kin and other races that had racial skills more suited for the task.
Finally, at the head of the massive million-strong army, the queen herself rode on a decorated steed that marched ahead.
Behind her, two ogres pulled a large container. It was on the queen's order. No one knew the contents, and no matter how curious about the mysteries inside the box, no one dared to ask during this sensitive time.
"My Queen!" A scout came with a report, and with Alice's gesture, he promptly delivered. "We've had sightings of Pride army soldiers right ahead. Judging by the numbers, they seem to be a detached force."
"Good work." Alice merely nodded and then ordered, "Forward!"
Flags were raised one by one until every last soldier got the word. Now, the terrain was traversed with an even more accelerated pace.
When the army reached an elevated hill, they finally saw them. The human force didn't surpass a couple thousand.
Alice gestured for the army to stop, and the corresponding signals were raised, making everyone halt in formation.
Then, she moved ahead, and two eight-tailed fox folk flanked both her sides, acting as guards. Ashen mirrored her from the other side with two guards of his own representing the human side of their alliance.
Many thought that if it wasn't for their new commander's charm allowing him to woo the queen, they'd be treated as fodder, so Ashen was actually well respected among them, even though he was new to the post.
The two groups descended the hill and met in the valley between.
The sorry state of the human soldiers was obvious. Armor dented and cracked, uniforms soaked in dried blood, some missing pieces of equipment entirely. But their eyes held pure, unfiltered ferocity.
They looked like awakened beasts, an injured lion that still stood proud despite its wounds. Even standing in small numbers before a million-strong force, they didn't flinch.
The fox guards beside Alice shifted uncomfortably. The two human defectors behind Ashen tensed.
It was absurd. The demi-human army outnumbered them five hundred to one, and that wasn't accounting for the quality difference. The average demi-human soldier could match four humans easily, more depending on race and environment. That disparity was why the Pride army had struggled despite initially fielding double the demihuman numbers.
And yet, the pressure came from the humans.
Two figures stepped forward from the Pride army remnant.
General Rowan Vance and his deputy, Morikawa.
Ashen's eyes widened slightly. Rowan should have been at the fortress by now, not here. What happened?
Alice recovered first, raising a hand in a gesture of peace. "General Rowan Vance, I presume. I am Queen Alice of the Tailed Fox Clan. We come not as enemies but as reinforcements against the Narkal threat."
Her regal voice carried clearly. Then her expression softened just slightly as she glanced at Ashen. "My... companion informed me of the situation. I could not stand by while brave soldiers faced extinction alone."
The shift was subtle but intentional—just enough affection visible to support their cover story without diminishing her authority.
Ashen stepped forward, tone respectful but addressing Rowan as an equal. "General. I didn't expect to find you here. The plan was to rendezvous at the fortress."
"Queen Alice, your benevolence is as rumors suggested. To be able to set aside our differences and ally in the face of a common enemy is not as easy as it sounds, I'm sure." Rowan spoke with faint appreciation behind his numb face.
Then, he veered his gaze to Ashen, "Barricading ourselves in the fortress had proven unwise, so we fought in open terrain." Rowan's expression didn't change as he delivered the news. "This is what remains of the Pride army."
The words fell like stones.
Alice's composure cracked. Behind her, whispers started among the demi-human escorts. Two million soldiers reduced to a few thousand?
Rowan continued in the same flat tone. "The Narkal army's numbers exceed our combined forces significantly. They also deployed Great Beasts. Those creatures are over a hundred meters tall and capable of demolishing fortress walls with ease. Holding a static position would have been suicide."
Faces grew darker with each word. Even the eight-tailed foxes looked shaken.
The contrast with the human soldiers was stark. They just stood there, accepting Rowan's words without reaction, as if he were discussing the weather.
Rowan paused, then added, "I contacted the inner domains for reinforcements two days ago. They should arrive soon. We only need to hold until then."
The demi-human side visibly brightened at that.
But Alice and Ashen exchanged a glance.
Both of them were too observant not to see it. The lie was paper-thin—Rowan's tone too even, his timing too convenient, the timeline impossible. Two days weren't enough for word to reach the inner domains and for armies to mobilize across that distance.
Neither contradicted him. What would be the point? They had no escape routes. Breaking morale would only ensure faster deaths.
Before anyone could respond, a wolf kin scout sprinted down from the rear hill, breathing hard.
"Your Majesty!" He skidded to a stop before Alice. "Massive Narkal force approaching from behind! Millions—maybe more! There's no end in sight!"
"..."
"..."
One of Alice's guards started shaking. "We're dead... we're dead..."
The other guard grabbed his arm but looked just as pale.
Ashen's own guards—former Pride army soldiers—only showed grim expressions. The taste of despair wasn't unfamiliar to them, after all.
Even Ashen himself felt something cold settle in his stomach. 'After everything... it wasn't enough?'
He'd thought he could change history… Thought his knowledge would be enough to break destiny… How arrogant. This was a turning point that shaped centuries—did he really believe he could alter it so easily? What hubris!
Rowan didn't react. His soldiers didn't react.
Morikawa just sighed, looking annoyed. "Here we go again."
For them, it was simple. They'd already accepted death. Now they just had to figure out how to kill one more Narkal before it came.
Rowan turned to Alice. "The forest. The terrain favors smaller numbers and demi-human agility. We fight there."
Alice nodded without hesitation.
"I'll take your defectors," Rowan continued, glancing at Ashen's battalion. "They can integrate into my formation. I'll act as a detached force for harassment and kiting while your main army holds the line."
It was the optimal strategy given their situation. Alice and Ashen both knew it.
"Agreed," Alice said.
Rowan nodded once. "Then we move now. The Narkals won't wait."
As the groups separated to return to their armies, Alice guided her horse close to Ashen's, out of earshot of the others.
"How?" she asked quietly. "How did humanity preserve their domains all the way to Wrath in reality? They couldn't have done it with just this."
Ashen shook his head. "All I know is that every human army gathered at Paradise. There was something else at play, but I couldn't find records of what it was."
Alice was quiet for a moment. Then, "We're not dying here."
"No," Ashen agreed. "We're not."
No one knew if either believed it… But saying it helped.
⛧
The combined force gathered at the forest's edge.
Over a million demi-humans, four hundred thousand human survivors, and one thousand defectors now returned to the fold. They formed up in coordinated silence, the Riven Formation already glowing faintly as Rowan integrated the new units.
Ashen sat on his horse at the formation's rear, hand resting on his spear shaft.
From the hills behind, the sound reached them. Grunts, screams, and the rhythmic rumble of countless feet.
Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.
The Narkals were coming.
His mother's face flickered through his mind, followed by his father, his sister… and finally Seraphine. What would they think if he simply died here?
'Alice would fall with me if I faltered now…'
And beyond that… who would save the world if he collapsed here?
'I will survive. I will drag Alice out of this alive. I don't care what history demands. I don't care what destiny expects.'
Ashen let his eyes fall shut and drew in a single breath. When he opened them again, his gaze had hardened into steel.