The story has reached 100 favorites, something I haven't expected at all, so I decided it is only fair that I post something at least. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all of the people who took interest and liked this story. I hope you will all continue to enjoy the ride as we continue moving forward.

This arc's progress had been slow, but it's getting there bit by bit. Once the rest is finished, the uploads should come like the first arc, I can only ask for your understanding and patience.

I do not own Arknights or type moon content.

Ursus empire's capital city of Sankt Grypherburg / year 1090 / clear skies

The royal palace loomed over the impressive metropolis that was Ursus's capital. The citizens went about their business, news about the visit of a grand duke caused no small amount of discussion among the vast majority of the inhabitants.

If there is one person that wasn't as interested or excited about the matter, it was grand duke Baikal himself. The imposing ursus man's bulky frame, standing at six feet three, towered over his escort as they walked through the hallway.

Baikal's expression was set in a permanent frown as he subtly loosened his tie a bit, none privy to the sheer amount of nervousness and terror that increased with every step that brought him closer to the throne room.

Three years had passed since duke Kaschey was murdered, and in that timeframe, the emperor showed no mercy in stamping out the members of the old aristocracy such as himself with impunity.

Without the ageless pythia's wisdom and cunning, they found themselves to be the plaything of the emperor's machinations, the sheer amount of destruction wrought upon them had been hard to overestimate.

Many in Ursus believe that ever since the great rebellion, the political side of things had turned into a free for all between the new and old aristocrats, the emperor and the military. But the truth couldn't be any more different, even now the emperor had completely tamed the military and the new aristocrats to his ambitions.

Stepping into the throne room, the old man could practically feel the emperor's gaze on him, the weight of his stare bearing down on him and bringing him to sweat, his loose tie feeling uncomfortably tight despite all his prior efforts.

Baikal bowed, gritting his teeth as the man before him continued to look at him in silence, his head leaning on his fist as he tapped on the armrest of the throne with his free hand's finger.

"Grand duke Baikal bows before your imperial majesty, glory be to Ursus and its emperor."

Emperor Fyodor's dark eyes silently glanced at the grand duke's entourage, bowing behind him. He picked up his glass, and calmly drank his wine. Baikal noted that it was one of the wines commonly sought after by the commoners rather than nobles.

He still can't begin to understand his passion from such a low grade drink, chances are he inherited it from his late father.

"I come bearing gifts to your majesty, my territory's most exquisite of wines, I am confident that you'll find them to be much more to your liking than the mundane wine of the commoners."

Fyodor's expression did not change, his eyes trailed to the wine in his glass. A knowing smile graced his face at a certain recollection.

"Witte."

"I am at your service, your majesty."

The emperor's minister of finance, Islam Witte, bowed from his position on Fyodor's right. The emperor didn't spare him a glance, simply moving his gaze back to the petrified Baikal.

"Escort the grand duke's entourage out and see to it that they are received in their assigned residence. You may begin to look into the arrangements we have discussed."

"As you command, your majesty."

Witte escorted the grand duke's bodyguards out of the throne room, leaving the two of them in the great hall.

Or so Baikal deeply wished.

"Grand duke."

A hissing sound echoed from behind the emperor's throne as hulking form in dark armor, adorned with a crimson mantle decorated with the symbol of the empire, stepping out of the shadows.

The entire throne room was instantly enveloped in complete darkness, the world engulfed in a dark abyss, as if the sun's light had been extinguished in an instant.

Standing at seven feet two, the monster stood on Fyodor's left, his mere presence almost caused Baikal to hyperventilate as his breath quickened, his entire body trembling like a leaf in the wind. Incomprehensible whispers gnawed at his mind, a certain madness threatening to take over his mind and corrupt his very soul.

He could not move so much as a finger, he doubted he could even muster the effort to kill himself if it came down to it.

"On what basis do you dare to continue this pathetic act of ignorance, going so far as to bring your escort in the throne room and acting as if nothing has happened?"

"I-I'm-"

The soldier's steady steps echoed akin to sledgehammers striking the floor, the grand duke could almost swear his body grew smaller with each passing moment.

"Do you believe I would shy away from cutting through you and your men to my heart's desire for such an impudent act simply because of your rank?"

As the shadow of the emperor's blade loomed over him, his own body betrayed him as he could naught but struggle for breath. He was completely unable to utter so much as a syllable as sweat marred the carpet he bowed on.

"Grand."

Fyodor's voice cut through the increasing tension, the grand sword of the emperor returning to his ruler's side without a word, the encompassing darkness receding like a fleeting illusion.

Baikal's erratic breathing began to calm down, his eyes fearfully looking at the devastating catastrophe of a monster dutifully standing on Fyodor's left, the reports about him decimating a force of a thousand soldiers on his lonesome years ago still as fresh as the day he read them.

This generation's grand sword was even more terrifying than his predecessors.

"Baikal, I have received reports that spoke of unauthorized movements of your third army, movements that have been reluctantly confirmed by viscount Kerque. And so I find myself with a small question on my mind…"

Fyodor slowly stood up from his throne, his eyes narrowing as the pristine marble underneath his feet cracked.

"Do you take me for a fool, grand duke?"

Baikal stuttered as he tried his best to maintain his composure, his eyes fearfully darting between the grand next to the throne and Fyodor himself.

"I assure you, I'm the least of your worries right now."

The sword spoke with mirth, his hands lazily lax as his masked gaze couldn't hide his mockery of the noble.

"Your majesty, I-"

"You will not speak another word, the third army shall contribute seven hundred men and fifty artillery units to the next hunting unit destined to venture into the tundras to deal with the guerrilla forces there. You are also commanded to surrender a third of your territory's income to the national treasury for the next year."

Baikal could only grit his teeth and silently nod. The patriot's guerrilla forces had been quite an efficient grinder the emperor made use of to severely weaken the armies under the old aristocracy, the third army included. The loss of income was more concerning loss he sustained.

Then again, as long as he remained alive, it was sufficient to safeguard their plan's continued progress.

Fyodor once again took his seat, and calmly drank his wine.

"That would be all, you are dismissed."

Not wasting a single second, Baikal almost couldn't resist running out of the throne room. The grand sword simply snorted at the traitorous coward's behavior. He reached out and grabbed a wine bottle on a table nearby, before filling the now empty glass of the ruler.

"Your mastery over your demon has improved greatly since last you've been here, you must have acquired quite the foresight in your pilgrimage, grand."

"My elders' have aided me greatly in my training, although it is regrettable that I wasn't able to meet the ones in Iberia due to their duties."

"Do not be despondent, their burden is much heavier than the others, especially after the great silence. I'm very proud of what you all have become, keep up your good work."

"I shall continue to push my dominion forward for you, your majesty."

Fyodor closed his eyes as he took in the rich fragrance of the aged wine. The scent brought back many pleasant memories of the past. Even as he sat on his throne, he could faintly see an old friend laughing and throwing loquats like an idiot.

The intentions of that youth were certainly most innocent.

'Had he been here, he would have probably yelled and whined about how they don't make wine like they used to.'

Fyodor smiled, the thought causing him to chuckle at the possibility. The grand sword nodded at the sight, his own smile hidden behind his mask.

"So, what is our schedule today, grand?"

"Where do you wish to begin, your majesty?"

The emperor commenced his daily duties with some vigor, the lingering memories giving just a miniscule extra stride in his step.

'No rest for the wicked.'

Ursus empire's northwestern tundras / year 1090 / snowy

Talulah swung her sword and cut through her foe's neck, the Ursus soldier's head falling to the ground. Her arts flared up and flames swept through the four other enemies trying to surround her.

She felt someone tackling her to the side and out of the way of the crossbow bolts. She rolled with the momentum and jumped to cover with Zack, a member of the Yeti squadron.

"Petrova, Nickolai, the crossbowmen here are trying to pin us down, can you help us out a bit?"

"Sure, give us a second."

Talulah watched as the Yeti casters guided their drones and gunned down the snipers. Nickolai, crossbow in hand, soon joined them behind their cover with a smirk on his face.

"FrostNova and Viktor are ready to end this. We need to get away from here."

The unnatural coldness in the wind was the signal they were waiting for, immediately retreating to the side as the soldiers approaching them were frozen to the bone in an instant.

Crossbow bolts sailed through the air above them, impaling the snipers at the rear and the retreating soldiers, Talulah's eyes narrowed as she got the time to take a closer look at the weapons the yetis were wielding.

'They're of great quality and in excellent condition to boot, I had no idea the guerrilla forces had access to such an arsenal in these wastes.'

"We're all clear here."

"Finally! I thought they'd never end!"

"Stop your whining and let's get to cleaning this place."

Some of the yetis began to patrol the battlefield, killing off the soldiers playing dead or scavenging whatever good equipment they could find.

Meanwhile, Talulah accompanied Zack as they walked towards a frowning white haired cautus, garbed in clothing somewhat similar to a soldier, and donning a peculiar red mantle along with a tattered cloak. The young woman stared at the draco and her companion with a good deal of scrutiny, the obvious question of who she was went unspoken.

"FrostNova! This is the person that helped us back there."

FrostNova raised her hand, and immediately Talulah found herself the target of multiple crossbows and casters ready to fire. Talulah clearly felt the decrease in temperature, causing her to take in a deep breath as she resisted the urge to shiver.

She smiled and attempted to appear as amicable as she could, but judging by FrostNova's neutral face, it's not working as well as she hoped.

"You yetis are just like the rumors say, swords of fire and coldness that outstrips even the tundra itself. Are you their commander?"

"Infected?"

"Yes."

"Explain the military uniform then."

Well, if appearing friendly didn't work, maybe a little joke or two would help her break the ice.

"I've got a lot of lies for that, any preference?"

"Fire."

Wrong, mistakes were made. Thankfully, Zack was charitable enough to help her avoid turning into a pincushion, The man moving between her and her would be executioners.

"Wait! sister, she really helped us, promise!"

FrostNova simply stared at Zack for a good few seconds, before she shook her head and simply ordered the others to stand down. Talulah sighed in relief, glad that she could finally have an actual conversation.

"It is indeed so, Yetis, I came here to seek assistance as well as to assist you."

FrostNova appeared puzzled, giving Talulah an analysing look as she measured her up. The draco could tell she was being underestimated, or does the rabbit have such confidence in her power to behave like this?

"Assist us?"

Talulah nodded, reaching out for a handshake.

"Let's shake on it, captain yeti! When conveying sincerity, I always hope to go with the equal and dignified approach."

"Is that so?"

Talulah quickly searched for the source of the voice coming from atop a ruined building next to them, her grey eyes meeting the brown ones of a young man wearing a thick grey cloak covering his body, his head and face mostly covered by a hood.

The newcomer jumped down, his feet digging slightly into the snow covered ground as he landed in front of them. Talulah caught glimpses of a military uniform underneath the cloak, as well as the brightening expressions of the yeti squad members nearby.

The man pulled back the hood, revealing him to be a young ursus man, with well trimmed brown hair and short beard. His eyes focused completely on her as he approached, a small smile on his face.

"Then, could you answer my question?"

Talulah could feel herself tense as his eyes moved briefly to her sword, before returning to meeting her gaze with a grin. She could tell from FrostNova's smile and relaxed attitude that there's more to this person than meets the eye.

"Of course, what would you like to know?"

"The infected group hiding a good distance east of here, are they with you?"

"Yes, they are."

He nodded, before walking past her towards FrostNova, his hand reaching out and gently patting her head. The cautus girl was quick to push his hand aside indignantly.

"Stop that, Edward."

"Why would I, my cute little star? You always liked it when I patted you."

"You enjoy embarrassing me, don't you?"

"I would never!"

FrostNova frowned as she backed away from his hand, and walked off to her fellow yetis with a huff. Edward smirked playfully at the embarrassed Yelena before turning his attention back to the draco.

"You and yours are welcome to join, we'll be moving out soon to regroup with the old man."

"Understood, I'll tell them the good news as soon as I can."

"A pleasure to be working with you, miss..."

"Talulah, I'll be in your care, Edward."

"Likewise, Talulah."

Giving her a smile, his hand reached out to her. Talulah accepted the handshake and then walked with him, her gaze scrutinized the infamous reaper of the tundras.

'He's different from what I thought he'd be, no weapons on him as far as I can see, even though reports said he was a bowman.'

As Talulah continued her analysis of her newest acquaintance, Edward's calm demeanor hid his own contemplations over the history he discovered through the woman's sword.

'I have confirmed the existence of a seed of consciousness implanted in that woman, current analysis indicates it to be a result of arts rather than magecraft.'

'I'll keep an eye on her then, it appears I'm going to need to delve into sacraments and exorcisms to deal with the snake.'

He casually sat down next to the yetis as they waited for Buldrokkas'tee and his men at the rendez-vous point. He hoped they were doing all right, given the number of imperial strikers and lancers he eliminated on his way here.

Looking at Talulah attempting to converse with Yelena, he couldn't help but laugh as their conversation escalated into a fight to see whose arts was stronger. It's been quite a while since he'd seen someone rile Yelena up so well.

A part of him could tell that things are going to change for them, one way or another. He hoped an opportunity to move out of the tundras would present itself soon, his siblings shouldn't stay in such a place for so long.

'I'll just have to make sure things will change for the better.'

Hui-Chieh:

I finally managed to join the famous guerrilla fighters and met up with the Aegis of the infected himself. I thought I was ready for his scrutiny, but I'm embarrassed to admit that I was lost for words upon being in his presence.

I'm thankful to Edward Akhmatov for his help with easing the tension and vouching for us to stay with them, despite some of the fighters' silent reservations and Patriot's initial refusal.

Although I'm less than happy about his crow pulling my tail out of nowhere. I've realized throughout the rest of the day that this particular misfortune strikes everyone but Edward, Patriot and the armored fighters. The only one to tame the unruly beast was Alina surprisingly, as the fiend took a liking to her for a reason that eludes our collective understanding.

Although something at the back of my mind kept telling me that the infamous reaper was much more mysterious than what I can perceive.

Is this the specter of Kaschey hanging over me and trying to influence me I wonder?

Name: Ahkmatov Edward Viktorovish. (Formerly Edward Miles)

Race: Ursus.

Age: 23 years old.

Element: Fire, Air, Earth.

Originium-Cell Assimilation: 8%.

Originium blood concentration: 0.4 u/L.

Arts: Telekinesis.

Current condition: Healthy.

Inventory:
-" Introduction to the field of Alchemy. "
-" Intricacies of Transmutation. "
-" Advanced Bounded Fields. "

-" Advanced Runes and the engraving process. "

-" The paths of Healing magecraft and Spiritual healing. "

-" Puppets. "

-Ursus weapons and Equipment.

-Food and Rations.

-Flute

-Carbon (20Kg)

-Ammonia(4L)

-Lime(1.5Kg)

-Class card( Archer class heroic spirit designation: "Nameless" )

-Holy shroud.
-5000 LMD.

Points: 13000.

Thank you for reading, have a nice day and stay safe.