He would be stationed near the teleporter, at the core of the stronghold.
It wasn’t a position that saw action, not unless something catastrophic happened.
But Isaac understood what it meant.
They were trying to protect him.
He didn’t feel insulted.
If anything, he agreed with the reasoning.
He could fight, yes, but losing him would be too big a risk.
So, they gave him a key location that allowed for immediate retreat if the situation worsened.
He made his way to the observation platform near the transparent dome that encased the teleportation pad.
Civilians moved in and out of nearby supply shops, many with anxious eyes. Whispers floated in the air. Fear was growing. Rumors were spreading faster than announcements could keep up with them.
Behind him, the team assigned to guard the area shifted uneasily.
One of the guards stepped forward suddenly and pointed toward the sky.
"Something’s approaching."
Isaac raised his head.
A pale blue ghost bird fluttered toward the dome’s barrier.
"Tirra?"
He blinked. That couldn’t be right.
He had give then Soulbind Pendant to Emily, since she could use it take her summons with her.
Tirra should be within that Soulbind Pendant, not here.
’No, this isn’t Emily’s Tirra’.
It was his.
The ghost bird he had copied when he used the system’s mimicry function. He hadn’t seen her in a while. With Professor Catherine around nearly every moment, Tirra hadn’t had a chance to approach.
But today, Catherine wasn’t here.
The guards beside him were already raising their weapons.
"Wait," Isaac said quickly. "Don’t shoot. I know that summon. It’s not hostile."
They hesitated but lowered their rifles.
The bird floated gently downward, her ghostly wings fluttering against the shield. A moment later, she slipped through the gap in the barrier and landed on the finger Isaac raised instinctively.
She nuzzled up to his thumb.
’Tirra missed you, Master!’
Her telepathic voice echoed in his mind, cheerful and affectionate.
Isaac smiled and rubbed the top of her head with his other hand. "I missed you too."
The guards exchanged looks but said nothing more.
Elsewhere, inside the governor’s office, Vale stood across from Governor Marcus. The office was quiet save for the occasional rustle of paper as the governor flipped through the report in front of him.
Vale had not stepped onto the battlefield yet. That had been decided after a long discussion with General Magnus.
Preserving strength.
It made sense. If the strongest humanity had threw themselves into battles with summoned beasts, what would happen when the Naga attacked directly instead of just sending summons?
They needed at least a few top awakeners still fresh when that happened.
Vale’s job, for now, was to observe and report.
He tapped the document with one finger. "The Sword Empress has returned to the Master of Sanctum’s stronghold. She’s recovering but should be back on the field within the next hour."
Marcus nodded without looking up. "Good."
He continued flipping through the document. But then his hand paused.
"These requests here," he said, pointing at the page. "They’re asking for reinforcements from the other top guilds?"
"Yes," Vale replied. "The Master of Sanctum has promised significant rewards. Enough to mobilize them quickly."
Marcus reached for his stamp and pressed it down on the request page.
"Send the reinforcements to both Aeternum University and Master of Sanctum’s stronghold."
Vale hesitated. "Governor... this—"
"Yes?"
"If we send this many people, too many will die from both sides."
Marcus took off his glasses and set them aside. Then he interlocked his fingers and looked at Vale with a polite smile.
"What are you trying to say?"
Vale took a deep breath. "Shouldn’t this be enough already? You should tell the Nagas to fall back."
The governor’s smile didn’t waver.
"You’re worried about the N’theris Serpent waking up, aren’t you?"
Vale nodded.
He remembered it clearly. Years ago, during their escape from Hell, he and Celia had been followed by a fully grown N’theris Serpent.
It had been an ancient being that fed on the souls of the dead.
The guard who escorted Vale and Celia gave his life to stop it. Celia had cried then. It was the moment Vale had sworn to protect her, no matter the cost.
But recently, Vale had learned something terrifying.
The N’theris Serpent they’d seen had been about to lay an egg. The one the Nagas had found here—beneath Fortified City 89—was the offspring born from that egg.
It was still young, and weak by N’theris Serpent standards.
But even a child N’theris Serpent was a catastrophe waiting to happen.
It hadn’t fed properly, so it had remained dormant, waiting.
The Nagas had found it. They thought they it would wake up if they prayed to it.
Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise they didn’t know how to wake it up.
"If that thing wakes up," Vale said slowly, "even the Vice Principal wouldn’t be enough."
Marcus’s smile never faltered. "My forces are returning tomorrow."
Vale’s eyes widened.
He understood now.
The plan wasn’t just about holding ground.
It was about letting the Serpent wake up.
Let it kill the Nagas.
Let it destroy the strongholds.
Let it weaken the Sword Empress and cripple the Master of Sanctum.
Then, when everything lay in ruins, Marcus’s fresh troops would arrive.
They’d clean up the weakened Serpent. They’d save what remained.
And Isaac—watching all this—would realize the Master of Sanctum couldn’t protect him. He’d drift toward the governor.
But that wasn’t all.
The Serpent would devour everything. It would destroy all the Nagas nearby, erasing every trace of any deals Marcus might have made with them.
No witnesses.
No evidence.
No survivors.
Vale looked at Marcus in silence, a cold weight settling in his chest.
Even now, the governor sat there, calm and composed, as if he hadn’t just sentenced thousands to death with a casual stamp.
"I hope your reports stay accurate," Marcus said, reaching for his glasses again. "Otherwise, we’ll all have to adjust."
Vale gave a quiet nod.