Chapter 127: Eldoris Will Not Kneel

The battlefield shifted once again. Rhazek issued his orders. Tanaka heard the distant roar of Varkesh. The battlefields no longer required their guidance. They moved on their own. Tanaka observed the conflict from his position in the smoke and rubble. Raishin was advancing. Raveana was cackling as she mowed down another Monster Lord-class beast. Ryuken’s blade was still slicing precise lines through the enemies.

Rogan was an unstoppable force of muscle and wrath, hurling whatever was in his path. Raizen and Raxolf were pushing the western front forward. Razer and the Orcs were doing the same on the eastern front. Drakar had the skies covered. Torga’s defenses shielded the rear. Grok and Sartel had broken the forest into a killing ground. Zephyr was guiding the Mana Birds above it. Tanaka surveyed the battlefield. They were not waiting for his orders. It was not like the beginning of the war. Tanaka felt something unexpected.

They did not need to be told where to stand. They did not need to be ordered to advance. They did not need to be told who to protect. The battlefield itself knew the rules. Tanaka slowly tightened his fists. "Keep fighting." That was the only order he would issue. And then, without another word, he left them fighting.

A corrupted beast was charging through the battlefield. Tanaka met it head on. Stone Body reinforced itself as the beast crashed into it. Tanaka was forced to fall back. The warrior planted his claws into the earth. Pain lanced up his arms, but his Magic Core did not waver. His Corruption Resistance fought against the black energy that poured from the beast. Tanaka gripped its neck and opened Endless Abyss. The corrupted screamed as Tanaka consumed it. Tanaka turned to find another waiting for him. And another.

The king was no longer a commander. Rhazek observed the field from his vantage point. He, too, had stopped issuing specific orders. The Demon Lord was used to commanding vast bodies of troops. Strength had gotten him this far. It was not enough any longer. Rhazek was watching a different kind of battle unfold before his eyes. One that he did not approve of. Eldoris was winning.

A formation of Varkesh broke in the center of the field. The broken creatures were scrambling to regroup when Raveana arrived to meet them. She grinned as she slammed into the mass. Battle Trance turned their wounds into fuel. "Come on!" She shouted. "Keep coming!" A monster of the Monster Lord-class crashed into her, but Raveana caught its horns with both hands. She planted her feet and launched herself into the air. Titan Breaker lashed out, tossing the beast aside. Raveana pursued it. Ryuken ducked beneath her and sliced off its injured arm. Raveana landed at his side.

"Nice!" Ryuken gave her a thumbs-up and moved on to the next opponent. Raishin was already there. The warrior spread his aura across the battlefield. A few Varkesh monsters collapsed before they could reach him. The Monster Lord-class beast that Raishin faced screamed and lunged, but Raishin vanished with Lightning Step. A bolt of thunder followed, sending the monster stumbling backward. Raishin reappear in front of it and delivered the killing blow. He moved on without saying a word. Rogan was in the thick of another group of monsters. He seized a hulking Varkesh creature and hurled it at two of its friends.

The three crashed into each other and fell. Rogan picked up another and tossed it as well. The battlefield rumbled. Razer was watching from the eastern front. He was laughing. "Keep moving." The Orcs roared in response. They surged forward. The Varkesh formation met them head-on. The two sides butted against each other. The Varkesh creatures had expected the move, but this time the Eldoris warriors did not falter. The battlefield was not pushing them back — it was driving into the enemy.

Corrupting tendrils lashed at an Orc’s leg. The warrior staggered. Another Orc grabbed him and hauled him back. A third Orc filled the gap left by the first. "Get him back!" The wounded Orc was pulled to the rear, but he was still alive. Varkesh had hoped that corruption would cause chaos within Eldoris. It had the opposite effect. The warriors of Eldoris gathered their injured. Again and again and again. It was the first time all war that Varkesh’s enemies had not retreated when the corruption spread.

Tanaka saw it happening all over the field. A Star Wolf was dragging another Star Wolf away from the front lines. An Orc was covering a fallen comrade. A Serpentkin was buying time for Grok to leap forward and kill a Varkesh monster. A Mana Bird was weaving through enemy fire to warn Zephyr of an approaching formation. No one was alone on the battlefield. Drakar swooped down once again. His wings spread wide. A group of flying Varkesh monsters attacked, but Drakar opened his jaw and roared. The sky trembled. He accelerated and swiped at the nearest creature. Another monster tried to escape, but Drakar twisted in the air and grabbed it. He dropped the pair into a cluster of Varkesh on the battlefield below. The ground exploded where they landed.

Torga spotted another formation of monsters attempting to reach the rear of the battlefield. He activated his defensive skills. A large barrier appeared in front of the creatures. The barrier held firm, and behind it injured warriors stumbled out of the way. Torga barked an order over his shoulder. "Move!" The wounded soldiers complied. "Keep moving!" Torga turned to face his enemies. The barrier shuddered. Torga’s body shook. "Not one step." The enemy lunged again. "Not one step." The wall cracked beneath the pressure. Torga’s knees bent.

"Not one step." The battlefield behind him was alive. Meanwhile, Grok and Sartel were attacking another formation. The two warriors worked in perfect synchronization. Grok tossed Varkesh monsters toward Sartel. Sartel poisoned the weakened creatures and Grok killed them. Then the process repeated itself from the other side. The Varkesh monsters were not prepared for the shift and were cut down without hesitation.

Above the battlefield Zephyr saw the movement of his enemies. "Western flank advancing." His voice echoed through Telepathy. "Eastern flank advancing." "Central formation advancing." He narrowed his eyes. "Northern formation holding." The Mana Birds moved with him. Varkesh’s winged creatures attacked, but Zephyr expanded his Heavenly Eye.

The battlefield slowed to a crawl. "Three above me." The birds shifted. "Five to the left." They turned. "Now." The flock of birds dove together, bursting through the sky in a storm of feathers, wind, and blood. Zephyr shot forward. Heavenly Eye guided the general through the onslaught. The Varkesh creatures scattered. For the first time in the battle, Eldoris held the skies.

Rhazek observed the field and the smile on his face did not fade, but amusement had left his eyes. He glanced at Raishin and Raveana, who were both pressing forward. Ryuken, Rogan, Raizen, Razer, and Drakar were all victorious. Even the corruption was failing to overwhelm the Eldoris warriors. Rhazek’s claws slowly closed around his weapon. "Why?" He had used his best beasts.

He had corrupted them. He had used their minds against them. He had forced his strongest warriors into the battle again and again. Still, they stood. Still, they advanced. A Varkesh commander rushed up to the Demon Lord. "Your Majesty!" Rhazek turned to face him. "Our center is breaking!" "How many do we have left?" "Enough to fight." Rhazek’s smile tightened. "That wasn’t your answer." The commander hesitated. "We are losing more than anticipated." Rhazek turned back toward the battlefield. He saw an exhausted citizen of Eldoris pick up a fallen spear. The warrior was pale and shaking, but he straightened and stood.

A Varkesh monster lunged at him, but the citizen raised his weapon. Another Eldoris warrior stood beside him, then another, and another. Rhazek’s eyes widened. The wounded citizen and his three friends formed a line of warriors. They were not as strong as the Monster Lord-class beasts, but they were not weak either. The Varkesh monster paused as if weighing its options. The line of warriors lowered their weapons. They surged forward and forced the beast to retreat. Rhazek leaned back against the wall. Now he understood. Eldoris was no longer a kingdom that his power could break.

Tanaka stood near the center of the battlefield. He saw the same thing that Rhazek did. The citizens of Eldoris bled, the soldiers of Eldoris grew tired, and the monsters of Eldoris were ready to run, but still they fought. They fought because Sora was Tanaka’s family. They fought because the Kijin were their home. They fought because Raizen had chosen them. They fought because Razer had dueled Tanaka and lived.

They fought because Drakar had people who needed protection. They fought because Torga had people who needed shelter. Even the smallest warrior on the field had a reason to stand and fight. Tanaka looked over the battlefield. His people were no longer waiting for him to rescue them. They were fighting alongside him. Tanaka smiled. "That’s enough." Rhazek heard nothing, but he understood the words.

The Demon Lord glared at Tanaka across the battlefield. No matter what Tanaka said, there would only be the same reply. Eldoris had not won because its monsters were stronger than Varkesh’s. Every time Varkesh had pushed the forces of Eldoris back, someone had answered and driven them forward again. The battlefield erupted as the army of Eldoris surged forward. Another formation of Varkesh was broken and then another.

The Varkesh army was falling back. Rhazek stood up from his throne. His laughter echoed across the battlefield. "It is good," he said. "So this is your answer." His eyes fixed on Tanaka. "You will not kneel." Tanaka met the Demon Lord’s gaze. The two kings stood motionless for several long seconds. Rhazek’s smile grew.

"Then I will have to break something worth breaking." The Demon Lord turned to the remaining generals and commanders of Varkesh. "Bring me the reserves." The commanders stiffened. Rhazek’s voice grew colder. "All of them." And for the first time since the war had begun, Varkesh prepared to empty its stores of power.