"Should I capture them?"
Evernight asked, watching the retreating figures of the four men.
"No need," Igaris replied coldly, his gaze sharp as blades. "When the time is right, they will know their place."
"Tell our soldiers to be ready. Today, we will move."
As soon as his command was relayed, Commander Undead Mathius stepped forward, taking charge with solemn dignity.
Wielding his massive dark greatsword in one hand, he raised it high into the air. A chilling wind swept across the battlefield as his voice rang out, deep and commanding.
"Today, soldiers, is a day to carve into the bones of history. Today, we become the sword and the shield of the Overlord. We fight not just to defend, but to bring justice and peace to the world.
This is the first step toward that dream. Do not waver. Do not cower.
Because even if you fall, your name will be etched into the heart of the Overlord’s Empire, never to be forgotten."
He paused, his blade catching the rising sun’s light, casting a red gleam over the army.
"So fight. Fight until your last breath. Fight until their bones crack beneath your will. Let the battlefield sing our victory."
Hearing the declaration, from their battleships, the four commanding figures of the enemy forces stood in silence.
Dominic Ecrox squinted his sharp eyes as he watched the 11,000-strong army rise like a tidal wall. His lips curled into a frown.
"They’re not scared," he muttered calmly. "Not a single tremble in their lines."
Zeref Woodinson crossed his arms, his face unreadable. "Fools or fanatics. It’s a thing to wonder how exactly Igaris was able to train them. "
"Either way, they won’t kneel. That speech... I could feel the chill from here."
Behind them, a young soldier from House Vermal, whispered nervously, "Who is that undead general? His words nearly made me drop to my knees. Those aren’t ordinary soldiers."
"They’re monsters," said the bald man, a Mythical-ranked mercenary lord brought from the Eastern Alliance. His voice was flat, but his eyes glowed with cold calculation. "That army is not formed by patriotism or pay. They move under the will of a single man."
Dominic glanced toward the center of the fortress wall, where Igaris stood like a dark sun, light bending around his aura.
"And that man," Dominic muttered, "That... thing is the problem."
Zeref looked at the others. "We cannot afford to fight recklessly. If we lose too many men here, our prestige will collapse. The Four Houses will be mocked across the Empire."
"But why isn’t House Brown here yet?" Dominic growled.
House Ecrox, House Woodinson, and House Vermal were present, but the Browns were still missing.
But then, alarms rang out across the fleets.
"Commanders, look!" a young soldier from House Vermal shouted as he pointed toward the coast.
A massive wave of men and women emerged from behind Igaris like an endless tide.
All of them looked rugged, skinny, and bony, with faces that spoke of surviving through unimaginable torment.
Approximately 30,000 of them reinforced the Overlord’s army, adding to its already formidable presence.
"What the hell is going on? Where did these people come from?" Dominic scowled, his face still twisted with disbelief.
"They look like prisoners who survived hell itself," said the other Mythical Rank expert wearing jade mask, his voice suddenly solemn. "This isn’t going to be as easy as I thought."
Just then, two young men stepped forward with confident strides.
"Oh, come on, Uncles. Why are you all so afraid of that wretch? We literally have 4 times their numbers. Why would we need to wait for the Browns? Our three houses are enough to crush him," said one of the young men with a sneer.
Everyone turned to look. The young men were Adrian Ecrox and Lucius Vermal—once Igaris’ supposed love rivals, now his sworn enemies.
Lucius chuckled and added, "Or perhaps the great Zeref Woodinson has lost his nerve in his old age."
Dominic’s face darkened. "Adrian. Lucius. This is not the place for your childish arrogance. He subjugated 40,000 soldiers by himself. Do you still think he’s weak as he was in the past?"
Adrian sneered, "And what Father? So what if he’s stronger? He’s just one man with a freak show behind him."
Zeref turned slowly toward the boys, his voice low but sharp like a blade. "You think we’re afraid of him? No. We’re afraid of what he represents."
Lucius scoffed. "What, hope? Resistance? Some fairy tale?"
"No," Zeref said, stepping closer until his presence pressed down on both younger men like a boulder. "He represents something far worse. Control. Influence. The kind that infects the hearts of men. You saw his army, did you not? Beasts, ghouls, mechas, criminals. All kneel before him. Not because they are bound, but because they believe."
Adrian’s expression faltered for a moment.
Dominic stepped in, rubbing his temple. "You kids forget the past too quickly. This ’wretch’ crushed the Investigators, laid claim to Stargaze openly, and now has 40,000 battle-hardened prisoners under him. We are not here to play noble war games. We are here to eliminate a threat that could challenge the empire if left unchecked. And we need House Brown’s army to crush him completely."
Zeref looked toward the sea, and muttered,
"But if House Brown is not here by sunset, we will proceed without them. But make no mistake. One misstep, and our names will be buried beneath the ruins of this city."
Lucius and Adrian shared a glance, their earlier confidence now slightly shaken.
Yet pride forced their backs to remain straight.
Adrian muttered, "That bastard. I’ll be the one to kill him."
"You have done enough by crippling him once, Adrian. So this time it will be me who will doing the finishing job," Lucius added with blid confidence.
Zeref said nothing, but the frown deepened on his face.
Above the waves, the sky dimmed slightly, as if the world itself prepared to witness something dreadful.