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INVASION (I)

A massive cleave raptured the open void, forming a gash within it, as a massive, island-sized molten rock splintered into bits and pieces before trailing into vanishing ash . A figure, clad in shadows, darted immediately sideways, sweeping a massive sword horizontally, boring dozens of holes in a single swipe, destroying over six molten boulders the size of a massive tower .

Lino paused momentarily, just for less than a second, glancing toward One; the man stood simply, unlike Lino, his eyes closed . A single movement of his hand seemed to drag the dregs of the universe toward him, pulling over a hundred burning boulders toward a singularity, eating them all up into nothingness . There wasn’t even a trace of Qi to be found, confounding Lino temporarily .

Discarding the distractions, Lino heaved back over himself, turning into a trailing shadow and spearing straight through an array of rocks, his shadowy trail visible like a falling star in the nightly sky .

From down below, all people saw were brilliant flashes of explosions, like fireworks booming off in the cosmos . They lit up the sky even more so than the formation, so much so actually that the night had turned to day in many of the corners of the world . It was a marvelous sight, one that would remain imprinted in billions until the candles of their lives expired .

"Send the Second to the Eastern perimeter," Hannah bellowed, her eyes, instead of focusing on the skies, turned toward the battlefield map on the desk . There was a sense of urgency in her gaze as she commanded in a spitfire fashion . "Bundle Eight through Thirteenth to make up for the losses and toss them South to contain the breach . Move the First to the Mountain Pass to try and establish the footing," as each one of her commands echoed in the tent, one figure in the shadows vanished to relay her orders where they needed to be relayed .

"Fifth Regime was forced to retreat," a raspy voice reported as a shadow manifested on the other end of the table . "Eighteenth is on the brink of collapse as well . "

Hannah quickly glanced over the battlefield, frowning, trying to figure out how to move the army to fill the gaps . The battlefield stretched on the far-eastern end of the Western Continent, a stretch of flatland bordered by high mountains and rocked cliffsides . To her knowledge, there were currently eight fronts altogether that were open; five in the flatlands, three in the rough terrain of the mountains, hills, forests, and coastal cliffs .

"Move Twentieth from the reserves and have them cut the southern plains," she commanded, moving a wooden figure down the flat slope, to where the Fifth Regime was fighting . "They don’t have to regain footing, just ensure they don’t give more grounds . Reroute Second and divide them, three quarters moving to the Eastern perimeter, one reinforcing the twentieth . " the shadow nodded and rapidly vanished .

Hannah was currently alone in the tent, moving about the wooden figures on the detailed map . The source of light came from the overhead, cyan gem, and save for the table and a bed in the corner, small-sized tent otherwise remained empty .

"What’s the status?" a voice broke through the void before a figure appeared next to her . Lucky manifested as a temporal shadow before her figure obtained her features .

"We’re being pushed back on the majority of the fronts," Hannah replied . "Most of our primary divisions are still being regrouped from the Western Fronts . It should take two-three days before we can call them over . "

" . . . they knew . " Lucky said, frowning .

"Yeah," Hannah nodded . "Though, I don’t find it surprising . It’s impossible not to have spies, no matter how thorough we are with examinations . "

"Losses?"

"Hard to estimate, the news is too splintered," Hannah said, sighing and rubbing her temples . She felt a headache overwhelm her for a moment before using Qi to disperse it . "How many Shadows can you summon within an hour? The ones that can confidently breach past the frontlines and attempt to assassinate their Generals?"

" . . . not many," Lucky frowned . "Possibly around thirty . "

"It’s enough; they just need to focus on the most bleak-looking fronts -- mostly to the south . Open valley doesn’t suit us as we are severely under-leveled, not to mention the Cultivation arts are too . . . uniform . "

"Where are the rest?" Lucky asked .

"Some are ensuring no leaks occur due to the chaos," Hannah replied . "Others are gathering their forces, and some have been shuffled to a counter-attack . I’ve ordered them to go and begin conquering the allied Empires on the Holy Continent . "

"Is it a good idea to split our forces so much?" Lucky quizzed, frowning . "It sounds like we’re already stretched out thin . "

"It’s fine . This is just a probing attack; they won’t dare move too deep beyond the bordered regions," Hannah explained . "At least I think so . The War Council is on its way, but because we had to activate the Restrictive Formations, it will take them a while, probably a few hours at the very least . In the meantime, I’m just hoping to hold them back as much as possible . "

"Alright, I’ll go and gather the Shadows," Lucky nodded, beginning to warp into shadow once more . "Don’t overexert yourself . "

Hannah dismissed Lucky’s advice immediately; she had to . After all, as luck, or misfortune better yet, would have it, she was the only high-ranking Army Official present when the invasion began . She wasn’t supposed to be here either -- Aaria’s request for a specific brand of leather-bounding for books led her to a small, nearby city, which is where she was at when they invaded .

She suspected, had she not been here, their frontlines would have already been pushed further inland . Even still, she was merely a patchwork; someone with far more experience and knowledge was needed to counter a full-on assault .

Why did our early alarm systems fail? She pondered inwardly as she got a moment of respite . We should have been notified the moment large numbers moved off the Holy Continent . There were plenty of explanations for it, in theory, but at this point, all she would be doing was guessing -- which was a pointless waste of time .

"All coastal defenses have been pushed back," a report came in . "We are trying to regroup at the Mountain Pass to prevent a direct breakthrough inland . "

"We are lacking manpower south-wise," another report came right after the first as two shadows manifested on the other side of the table . These weren’t Shadows, but a different branch used exclusively for rapid information gathering and transferring in case Talismans didn’t work -- like now . "They are bounding the mountains, razing all they encounter on the shoreline . With the current pace, we’ll be pushed inland in six hours, give or take . "

"North is secured," Finally, Hannah sighed inwardly, a good piece of news . "Their numbers were weak, and they seemed unaccustomed to the terrain . "

"Immediately splinter the forces in North," Hannah commanded . "Reorient three quarters from it, two of those going South to help stave off the advance, while one will join the central region . "

She could withdraw slightly and go back into a major city -- City of Sun, the former capital of the Divine Dynasty -- but it wasn’t time yet . The city was incredibly fortified, virtually impossible to besiege, but was of little comfort if they gave up all the surrounding land .

"You shouldn’t stretch the forces so much," a calm voice immediately pulled the burden off her shoulders as she glanced toward the entrance of the tent; an elderly man, seeming in his late sixties, walked in . He wore a simple, military garb, dull browns hidden beneath the black cloak . White hair fell back, ending just beneath his neck, a pair of glimmering, green eyes seeming amused at Hannah’s predicament . "Why are you trying to just patch the gaps?"

" . . . you jest, Master Rynnone," Hannah chuckled, clasping her hands toward the old man . "I’m merely doing the best I can with my limited knowledge . "

"You could still do better, little one," the old man chuckled, walking over to the table . "What do you think they are trying to achieve by the sudden invasion? Especially one with such heavy numbers which will, definitely, result in massive casualties?"

" . . . " Hannah was stumped for the answer; though she was certain she knew, when the question was asked . . . she found herself doubting . Why exactly?

"They are trying to gain a foothold," Rynnone said, pointing at the eastern shoreline that ran in a sharp curve, almost triangle-shaped, a ripped peninsula just a stretch of sand beneath a massive, looming cliff . "Anywhere they can . Overseas invasions are a difficult thing to achieve, especially considering our major port cities are impossible to siege . They are trying to establish the line here, on the continent itself, that they can freely supply and grow from there . Like a virus . "

"--ah!" Hannah exclaimed . "Seems . . . so obvious . "

"Because it is," the old man shrugged . "And you are feeding into it . Hold the line, don’t let them get inland . Hell, girl, they don’t want to get inland . "

" . . . " very few people in the Empire would dare talk to Hannah like that, yet she didn’t mind . Rynnone was a retired General from her own Sect, one who had prevented many-a-fall in his heyday . He’d picked up his duties once more when the Empyrion got established, largely because the young Empire lacked experienced Generals and Commanders of their own . "So, what to do?"

"Pull all your forces at the center," Rynnone said, pointing at the Mountain Pass . "And have them shove their invasion back . Don’t stop . Split army into two massive Legions, and rush in intervals . Don’t let them get a footing on the continent and eventually push them off the shore back onto the damned sea . "

" . . . you heard the man," Hannah glanced at Lucky who had returned not too long ago . "Orchestrate it . "

"Will do, will do," Lucky chuckled . "You’ve a long way to go, Hannah . A shame, such a shame . . . "

"Oh, bite me . "

"They chose a rather opportune time to strike," Rynnone said, stroking his beard . "I wonder who is commanding them . Iona? No, last I heard she fell out and became a hermit . Syvon? No, no, he’s too hotheaded . He would never split his army . Islash? Oh, possibly, yes . He was always like an annoying flea . You kill ’im, but you’d swear an identical one is bugging you three seconds later . "

Right as his voice faded, three more figures walked through the entrance to the tent, followed by another stream . Familiar and unfamiliar faces joined around the table as Hannah withdrew, her role over, sitting down on the bed . She took a deep breath and calmed herself down, glancing up at the figures surrounding the table as they broke out into a heated discussion . The war had begun at last, yet it seemed rather . . . anti-climactic, at least to her . For now, it was at best a distant noise; yet, she feared to walk over to where it was fought . There, she was certain, the war was felt beyond simply being talked about as in this small room isolated from the dregs of conflict that will swallow the world in the following months .