The entirety of Acroniya was engulfed in chaos and flames. Nearly three to four days had passed since the initial attack.
Andeer finally regained consciousness. He quickly stood up, but the sudden movement reopened his wound. The bandages covering it were turning red, but he ignored the pain and stepped out of the tent.
"Where am I?" he muttered as he walked. After wandering for a few minutes and seeing many tents, he heard a voice. Without turning around, he asked the man approaching him, "Where are we, Ilar?"
Ilar simply told him the name of the place and guided him back into the tent. "We are currently at a temporary camp set up by the royal army. Don't move too much, Vice Captain..." He paused, then continued after covering Andeer with a blanket, "Rest."
He began to leave the tent. Before he could exit, a low voice reached his ears, "Ilar, what did they say...?" Andeer deliberately left his sentence incomplete, but Ilar understood the question.
Ilar replied, "They told you to rest, a lot of rest, and eventually, you'll be back to your former self. Okay, I'll leave now. Please take care."
Andeer replied with a simple, "Okay," and turned away. After a moment, Ilar left.
Once Andeer was sure Ilar was gone, a tear fell from his eye, but he quickly controlled his emotions and said, "I will recover before this battle ends."
*Meanwhile, Zellto and his fellow Kazos were heading towards the outskirts of the northwest region. Zellto, riding his Kazo beast, muttered, "Please be safe."
A few moments earlier, one of the Kazos was entrusted with taking a beast back to camp. That Kazo, looking back at a wind beast carrying a large, tightly bandaged item, said, "If nothing goes wrong, we should reach there in two to three hours."
*Meanwhile, on Mount Ascartiya, Neil finally began moving towards the source of the waterfall. As time passed, his expression changed. After traveling for nearly an hour, he realized he had made little progress.
Another hour passed, and he finally stopped. His face held a strange and confused expression as he sat on a nearby rock. "This feeling... it's just like before. Something is wrong." He looked towards the path ahead and began to doubt his decision. "Have I made a mistake, or is it just like before?"
He remained there for a few minutes, and when he couldn't reach a conclusion, he simply nodded. "Well, I have to do something." He paused and stared at the water flowing downstream. "I must go back."
Neil turned and started walking, but after a few steps, his pace slowed, and he stopped. Covered in confusion and doubt, he turned back, seeing only endless darkness. He turned to the other side and saw the same darkness from where he had come.
In confusion, he took a step. Still filled with confusion and self-doubt, he began moving into the darkness leading to the source of the water. Neil's doubts began to fade as his pace increased. He started muttering, motivating himself, "There is something wrong with this water. I must find my answer there..."
*Meanwhile, the royal army began their strike against the beasts. Soon, the area was completely covered in the blood of fallen soldiers and beasts. After a while, an order echoed with an emotionless voice, "Soldiers, move forward!"
The Julicious army retreated from the battlefield. "Where are we going, Vice Commander?" Captain Malge Cestor asked. "The outskirts need help. I'm sure none of them can hold on much longer."
He raised his hand, and everyone stopped their ride. He looked at the golden map for a few minutes. "Everyone, northeast. The north region is filled with beasts, but no one is there. East region... beasts from the east region are running towards the northeast region."
He paused, gathering his strength and will. "Remember, we cannot save everyone and everything. This land will face casualties; that is a harsh truth. The majority of us may also not see the next day; that is also true."
"WHAT WILL YOU DO?!" "FIGHT, VICE COMMANDER!" everyone replied in a single voice. "NO!" the Vice Commander replied. Everyone was shocked and confused for a moment, and one of them asked, "Then what should we do, Vice Commander?"
"Make your heart strong, if it is already strong, then make it even stronger because today, tomorrow, or the day after, we will witness the most painful and brutal deaths of our people, our friends, and our commander.
This area is on the outskirts of Acroniya, lacking the protection of the army, untouched by warriors, and a place where war never broke out. We are strong, they are helpless, but they are not cowards."
"So remember what you will see, try to forget it if you can, and move forward. Run if you can't. Because once you enter there, your death is mine, and your life is mine. Is that clear?"
"YESSSS!!! SIR!!!" everyone screamed at once.
"Okay, then our destination is the Fallen town of legendary Arciyan YavaViskan."
As time passed, they drew closer to their destination. After traveling for half an hour or more, an unpleasant smell reached their noses. The area was flooded with blood, but no bodies were to be found. After walking further, they saw the victims of the war.
Barely recognizable bodies were scattered across the area. Missing limbs were rare, but the most disturbing thing was that the area was completely destroyed. Human body parts were scattered across the area. The blood on the bodies had solidified.
Soldiers lowered their heads and began moving across the area. Partially eaten limbs, bodies with various cuts and wounds, were not the worst part, but none of the bodies seemed complete. Those poor lives were torn apart, but for those beasts, the screams were just another form of enjoyment.