The Fallen Argonaut

Rated; M (Blood/Gore)

Disclaimer; I do not own Danmachi or anything created by the author Fujino Ōmori, all rights go to him. This chapter may also include dark themes such as rape, torture, extreme gore, and suffering.

Authors: Eli-er01 & ViceroyChalister

Patreon: Elier01

Chapters 73 (Assault) and Chapter 74 (Lunar Wolf) are already available on my Patreon

Summary: The will of a hero is strong, yet unwavering but all good things must come to an end, even at the cost of one's Heroic Will. Imprisoned and blamed for a crime he hadn't committed, Bell seeks a way out of his predicament so that he can live without fear of being hunted by the people he once looked up to.

72: Plans and Traps

=Northern Front=

Finn tapped his spear on his shoulder as he bit his thumb, gnawing his nail as he looked over the map in deep thought.

While the other fronts had received detailed, but flexible orders, he was focused solely on where he needed to strike best.

According to Bete who he had sent out to scout, Kaius had managed to finish the defenses on the strategic points near the border. Bell Cranel seemingly stopped his rampage had an adverse effect on his original plan which he was embarrassed he had not anticipated.

It was so simple. The reason they had not managed to build up their defenses, was due to his disruptions of their entire logistics division, breaking apart their entire makeshift supply structure built quickly after they seized the capital.

If he stopped, then the logistics would logically reaffirm its resources and get them to their desired location in time in order to hastily build the defenses.

That was the part that had him at least somewhat placated.

Their defenses consisted of some newly built wooden lookout posts and hastily erected stone walls. It was… frail to say the least, and he doubted that it would take much, if any effort at all to breach it.

The issue, lies with that they do not know how many troops, or of what quality are stationed within the fort on the hill.

"Oi, you just going to stare at the map, or what, Finn?" Bete asked, putting his hands on the table, looking straight at him as the prum smiled softly at him, thanking him silently with the gesture of trying in his own way to snap him out of it.

"Right, while it is unexpected they have managed to erect the defenses, they are shoddy at best and will not take much effort to crumble" He stated, pointing at the walls on the map with the tip of his spear, looking around at those present, that being Bete, Lefiya, Annakitty, Raul and Hedin alongside the Rakian advisor, Martinus Rakia and Ares himself of all people…

Yes… that musclehead snuck in alongside his advisor and the king of Rakia because, as Finn quotes here 'How can I stay behind and not watch you kick their butts!'

Yeah… that… that gave him a headache… or two. Honestly, he wouldn't be surprised if that itch in the back of his head is due to a third building at the memory.

Said musclehead as well, just happened to at this very moment, slam his fist down on the table with that infuriating confident grin on his face, as if he had just come up with the best idea in the world (Yeah, he did not)

"Then we just smash them to pieces and take the fort!" He called out, well, more like shouted at the top of his lungs as his advisor pinched the bridge of his nose.

'Me too, me too…' Finn thought in exasperation before turning to address his 'Idea'

"I appreciate the confidence, Ares, but it is not that simple. For one, we do not know how many troops are stationed here, or of what quality they are. We could be looking at only levels one's and two's, which I highly doubt given its strategic positioning for forming supply routes as well as the empire's military structure from reports, but we could also be looking at a level six or two with a couple more level fives alongside a plethora of those below." Finn stated.

"You do make a valid point, but do we not possess the necessary forces to completely offset such possibilities? We do have multiple level sixes and fives alongside three level sevens" The advisor standing next to Rakia pointed out as Finn shook his head.

"During normal circumstances, I would agree with that assessment, but the Empire has been known to hoard ancient artifacts such as the Veil of Obscurity and more recently, the sword of oath. These artifacts are extremely dangerous and not to be taken lightly, even for us level sevens, and as such, we have to stay vigilant at all times. What would you do if we launched an attack on the presumption that we have a superior force, only to be met with something such as the Veil of immortality?" The man blinked for a moment before slowly paling as he put the name to an object spoken in myths.

"T-that thing is real!?" He stuttered out, his shock and slight fear at the thought evident, and he could understand why. Most didn't believe that the objects depicted in the hero stories were real, but people often forget.

Those stories were depicted from real events.

"Without a doubt, it does, and so we must take the possibility of the empire possessing them into consideration" Finn finished as the advisor looked down at the map in deep contemplation while Ares, for once actually did look calm.

Finn could understand why though, no matter a god's personality or… intelligence in this case, they all knew of the objects depicted throughout history, and while the Veil of Immortality was… not mentioned often, and only by word in the stories, it's potential if a nation came into possession of it could be… well, catastrophic.

As it's the name suggests, the Veil is supposed to grant its wearer immortality as long as it is on them… but logically, Finn believes that is not what it actually does, otherwise, the story of the great sage would not have occurred as it did.

His guess is that it gives the appearance of immortality, such as rapid regeneration of body parts and limbs, allowing them to keep fighting no matter the wound they take.

And if something such as a level six has that kind of tool, if only hypothetical, at their disposal…

Finn's frown deepened before he looked down at the map as he pondered silently if he'd rather pincer-attack the fort to split attention or if he wanted to-

"Finn-san, I think that we should attempt to siege the fort using our mages from the rear" Everyone turned their attention to the person who spoke as Bete seemed surprised at who spoke.

"Oh? Could you elaborate, Lefiya?" Finn asked, smiling slightly and a bit pleased at her taking part and sharing her ideas.

'Did Riveria finally manage to instill some confidence in her to speak up?' He thought.

"Well, if they possess powerful artifacts, then should we not attempt to draw them out? I was imagining that we gather all the mages somewhere in the rear, and use their magic to siege it." Finn contemplated the idea… it has holes in it, but those could be rectified as a small smile played on his lips.

Not bad…

"Though that would leave the enemy open to pincer us-" Lefiya's ears drooped as her confidence visibly deflated, though Finn pressed on "-but, if we position the rest of our troops in a defensive formation that encompasses the fort as well at a distance where a counterattack would be difficult… the idea has merit" Lefiya seemed to perk up at that, glad that her idea had helped.

"Well, if that is the case, then I would suggest using our Rakian siege formation. While it was originally intended to be used with the crozzo magic swords, we have adapted it to be replaced by mages instead. Here-" The advisor spoke up, leaning forward before pointing his finger on the map.

"If we form three separate forces, each of varying strengths with the front one being the weakest and the back one the strongest, it should be able to tear through the fort with ease, especially if the thousand elf is in the rear" He spoke as Finn hummed, listening and pondering on it.

"I understand that you have your own formations, but from my understanding, they are made primarily for dungeon exploration and large-scale battles. Our Rakian formation is built specifically for this kind of scenario where one needs to siege a castle, while holding our ground to not allow any leeway for the enemy to recover"

"It is a valid point. Orario rarely sets out to fight other people. The last time that occurred was over a decade ago" Finn conceded.

"That is correct from my understanding as well"

"But why am I in the back though?" Lefiya piped in as Bete crossed his arms.

"Lefiya is right. Why'd ya put her in the back? Seems a waste to me" He asked, his white first moving slightly as his ears stood up straight at attention with his eyes speaking volumes of how skeptical he was.

"I understand the confusion, Thousand Elf, Vanargand. The reason is to whittle down the enemy's defenses, weakening it for a final blow to crumble it completely" The advisor explained.

"Indeed, Rakia has employed this method for over a thousand years, and while Orario has stood tall, it has served us well. It proved its worth when the Crozo swords were still in our possession, and even after those times passed, it held strong" He finished.

"I believe Marvo is correct, Braver. We understand that these are your people, and that you are risking much to assist us, but it is what I believe is the best course of action as well." Martinus spoke up for the first time as Finn mentally noted the name of the advisor.

Honestly, Finn was already convinced. Their walls may be weak, and the first barrage from their mages should be able to lay it low, but the idea of a barrage of building strength was more appealing as he thought about it.

He bit his thumb as he thought deeper on it. Given standard procedures, at least during wartime, they would attempt to reinforce the breach in the walls, which would flock most manpower towards it… and if the barrages kept getting stronger and covering a larger area, it meant they could take out a large amount of the enemy forces in one go.

"I still think it's a bit risky" Lefiya began right before Finn spoke.

"We will use the Rakian formation for the mages" He cut off any other words that were about to come out of her mouth as she let out a small confused noise, blinking at him.

"As for the rest, we should attempt a pincer attack once the forces are suitably diverted…" Finally, Finn moved his eyes to the end of the table to the one person who had yet to speak as he simply stood there, staff in hand as he had listened.

"Now… what is your opinion on this, Hedin?"

"..." The elf was silent for a while before nodding. "Though as much as I loathe to admit it, the plan has merit beyond the usual idiocy I have to deal with" He admitted. Hedin was honestly pleased. Compared to the usual antics of his familia, running headfirst into situations with no plan or logical thought to it, this was a nice change of pace.

"Good, because I will need to borrow your magic for the pincer attack. While Lefiya and the mages draw the attention, your magic will be able to surprise any stragglers while simultaneously annihilating anything in the way" Hedin simply nodded at Finn's words.

Under regular circumstances, he may have protested, but how could he? Lady Freya had personally requested him to follow any order Braver gave him. He did not know why, and it was not his place to either, but he would fulfill her request to the fullest.

"Now, we would relay our plan to the others. Hedin, can I trust you to inform Heith as well? I think her capabilities would best be used with our group" With another nod, Hedin exited the tent as Finn was satisfied.

Heith was a blessing in and of herself merely to have her here with them, while Dea Saint was deployed to the central front, every other healer was exclusively deployed to the south. It spoke volumes of how effective these two healers are, and while Dea Saint is considered stronger than Heith in pure healing potential, it is undisputed that Heiths mind reserves were bordering on monstrous, being a level six herself while Dea Saint was a level three.

With her here, it would basically ensure they could keep going for as long as she could sustain her mind reserves. Turning towards Raul, he smiled at him.

"So, Raul, what do you think?" Finn's question gave the ravenette pause as Annakitty glanced at him with a soft encouraging smile. Bete simply shook his head before leaving, figuring the conversation was moving somewhere he wasn't needed.

"I'll tell the others" Was all he said as he left, leaving the rest in there as the focus slowly returned to the human man as he gulped.

"I… I think the entire plan is good. T-the Empire definitely does have its tricks, at least according to the reports Riveria-san gave me front, the guild suggested as such, so the caution sits well with me. But…" He stopped as Finn smiled, nodding at him and waiting patiently. He had been trying for so long to teach Raul to lead, and while the progress was very slow, it was steady. He had issues with taking charge during meetings like these, similarly to Lefiya, but in battle… he had matured into a capable leader. Which is why he was so interested in his opinion.

"Should we not think about keeping the damage to buildings and structures to a minimum? We are going to occupy the fort and reinforce it after, right? So shouldn't that be the smartest thing to do?" Finn blinked before his smile widened.

"You do have a point… do you have any suggestions on how we would manage this?"

Raul slowly reached forward before pointing at a spot on the map, straight at the eastern side of the fort walls.

"We cloud strike here… there are fewer buildings close by and the watchtowers are the furthest from it compared to anywhere else… and the opposite end is large enough that Hildrsleif can create a small breach without any worries of collateral damage"

"Hmm, the boy's got a good eye. I for one agree with him, those points are where we should strike. The mages should be deployed here, right at the edge of the cliff to give optimal distance and maximum protection, while Braver and his force perform a pincer move from the west" Martinus spoke up as Marvo nodded while simultaneously smacking his hand against Ares' mouth to stop him from shouting whatever he was about to say.

"Indeed, it is perfect. Good work everyone. Raul, Annakity, help Bete inform everyone, Lefiya, you are in charge of organizing all the mages from the familia and positioning them into a formation as you see fit. Martinus, Marvo, will you organize the Rakian forces to work alongside ours to entrap the fort to disallow any potential escape route?" He was met with a nod from both.

"It will be done. When do you anticipate we will launch our siege?" Marvo's question sounded as Lefiya, Raula, and Annakitty stopped moving, listening for Finn's answer.

"Tomorrow, In the morning at the earliest light" The moment it came, the three frozen Loki familia members moved, exiting the tents to begin their task at hand. They didn't have much time, but they'd managed worse before.

Both Marvo and Martinus left as well, leaving only Finn and Ares. The boisterous god's grin slowly lowered before he sighed, catching Finn's attention.

"Something the matter, Ares?"

…

For a moment, long enough to make Finn question it, he didn't answer, his eyes holding a melancholic expression one would not expect of a deity such as him.

But before Finn could ponder on it, it disappeared, replaced by that usual cocky grin of his.

"Nope, now I can't wait to see you all kick their butts tomorrow!" He cheered before leaving while laughing boisterously as Finn stood there, blinking at where he had gone. One would think he would be used to strange behavior by now…

'Guess I'll never get used to it' he chuckled to himself before he turned back to the map.

Well… better get to work. He had more plans to go over… then he would sleep. With a deep sigh, he prepared himself for the hours of work that was to come.

=Far East of Orario=

"Are you truly sure about this, Kami-sama?" Cecil asked, clearly still skeptical about this whole ordeal.

"I am, Cecil. It is something I have to do for more than one reason… your sister, the one I have talked about. I believe it is time for me to visit her, as I have left things be for far too long… and I have one other personal curiosity to sate" The goddess answered with a soft smile. She understood why she was skeptical of her leaving to go to Orario. Raising her arm and putting a hand on Cecil's shoulder, she squeezed it lightly in reassurance.

"Do not worry, I will have Selna with me. In the meantime, I leave our home for you to defend" The goddess continued trying to reassure her.

"Oh come on, just let her Cecil. You know that this is important to her, and that it is her choice, or have you forgotten?" Iselina piped up seemingly exasperated with the situation.

"I am just trying to make sure she is safe"

"And she will be just fine! She's not alone!" The two continued to bicker as the goddess shook her head, a fond look in her eyes as she raised her hand, the two instantly freezing as she could feel the amused looks from the rest of her girls, including Selna who stood beside her.

"While I do find your bickering amusing, I do have to leave if I want to arrive by next week" She smirked before Cecil gave her a long look, her intention evident.

"Fine… just tell me. What is this curiosity you have?" The question sparked a plethora of interested looks.

"Let's just say that it relates to a secret I have held for some time here in the lower world. Twenty-two years to be exact" She answered vaguely as Cecil blinked alongside Iselina, her fluffy ears twitching as her eyes widened.

"Wait, from the dark times? When Evilus attacked Orario?" A nod was the goddess' answer, and that instantly shut them all up. They knew that she was tight-lipped about those events, to the point of it being one of the very few things that could actually get her angry with them if they pushed it.

And the anger of their goddess was something to behold. Figuring the conversation was done, the goddess headed towards the exit, Selna following suit as she tightened her hold on her backpack. Giving one last look back, she smiled at everyone before leaving through the door.

She did not know how long it would take for her to return, but she was determined to walk back through that door eventually… she just hoped it wouldn't be too long.

"Kami-sama, will it really take a week to reach Orario?" Selna asked as she put a finger on her chin, looking up as her dog ears flapped slightly from the motion.

"It took me a day and a half" She stated as the goddess turned and stared… before blinking once, and then again.

"Wait, truly? What, did you run at the speed of a level four? Did you climb the mountain?" She asked incredilously, honestly unsure of how she had accomplished that- "Wait, why did it take you an entire week to get back?"

"Ah, well, that was because the guild was so packed the line went on forever. They gave out reserve numbers and it was in the tens of thousands. It took days for me to finally be able to get the document you wanted" The chienthrope complained as her goddess slowly pieced it together… and it made sense. If Rakia had been invaded and Ares alongside his men and the population had been ejected, Orario would be their safest bet to not only find a safe haven, but potentially find some support to reclaim their homeland, which they did find in the end.

"I see, but that does not explain how you managed to get to Orario so quickly"

"How else? I used the mountain passage" Selna spoke as if it was common knowledge.

…

"The what?" This was news to her! When had there been a mountain passage!?

"They made it a year before Apollyon-sama saved me. Have you really not heard of it?" She asked as the goddess slowly shook her head. How much time would they have saved from going around the mountain every time they needed to pass it if they'd known? Dear heavens.

Sighing before shaking her head, the goddess began the journey, allowing Selna to take the lead, the goddess idly wondered how her dear elven child was doing.

Oh, how she looked forward to seeing her again… even if she knew that, that it would be hard… she had no doubt in her heart that it would be worth it.

=Southern Front, Midday, Thirty Hours Earlier=

"Come, crimson flames, the ruthless inferno. You are the avatar of hellfire" Riveria chanted as the clashing of swords echoed around them. Casually, she brought her staff up as a sword slammed against it, recoiling backward as her arm didn't even twitch. Level two at best…

Before she could even so much as utter another word, Allen flew past her as the midsection of the soldier severed and splattered on the ground before another received a kick, hard enough to launch them far as one could see their entire body fold and bend unnaturally from the force before slamming into a stray tree in the plains, disappearing amongst the mass of chaotic fighting.

"Sweep completely, bring a close to the great war"

"Bache-sama! Reinforce the left flank! A level four has appeared! Tiona-sama, incoming from the north!" Lili's voice could be heard echoing across the field as she continued to pile out orders one after the other.

"Nine Hell-sama! The left flank needs a push!" Riveria smiled slightly as she continued chanting, she knew that of course, she could tell just from her senses alone, but she left it be. The prum had plenty of experience and was clearly doing much better than she or anyone else could have anticipated. She supposed her title of Taliye was well-earned.

Of course, that did not mean there weren't… issues.

"Burn them through, Sword of Surtr - my name is Alf!" Riveria raised her staff, towards her left, opening her eyes as the magic circle underneath her lit up considerably as the spell was prepared.

"Left flank! Fall back!" Lili called out, which to everyone else was more like the sound of a thunderous order in sheer volume.

"Rea Laeventeinn!" The infernos of flames burst from the ground, the blood-soaked grassy ground, cracking and pushing upwards as their troops managed just in time to get away, only to witness the absolute carnage brought by a level seven's magic.

"Holy…" One of the Rakian soldiers breathed out in awe and fear with many shivering at the thought of that one day being aimed at them. They had heard of it before, the legendary strength of the high elven princess' magic, but to see it was something else.

'This… is still nothing compared to her' Riveria mused as she watched some wounded being dragged back towards the healers stationed far in the rear.

She idly watched as she smacked another soldier away as one upcoming healer, Hygiea of the Asclepidos Familia executed her mass healing spell, spreading it across the entire backline, their wounds healing, but as for the unlucky few who lost limbs without being able to recover it… they were kept back while the others moved back into the fray.

To think that so many third-class adventurers were being injured. It only solidified what she had found out over time…

"Nine Hell, we need something to halt right flank! They are losing ground!" The high elf sighed softly as she readied her staff.

No rest until it's finished, she supposed.

Meanwhile, a bit further up, Bache tore through an entire group of soldiers like minced meat, virtually appearing in front of them a split second before they were either slammed into the ground hard enough to shatter all their bones and reduce their innards to mush or had multiple limbs or neck broken.

The Amazon was all too familiar with the need to kill, after all, she grew up in it, and as much as she loathed it, she understood that she had to bite down that feeling and push onwards. She had to… they had to end this as quickly as possible. The sooner this was done… the sooner they got to Kaius, the sooner Bell would return.

As much as she was furious, bordering on resentment, she missed him… and she knew the kids did too, even Adrienne, behind all that pent-up anger she was showing on her sleeve.

A large hammer on the back of her head hit her hard as it bounced off of her as if it had hit a solid adamantium wall. She recoiled slightly from the force before turning around, tilting her head, honestly baffled as to why she hadn't sensed them.

"W-what?" The soldier whimpered as he stared at his weapon, cracked and damaged- then his eyes met hers, and they instantly filled with fear as his face paled, even underneath that helmet of his.

'Sorry… but I have to do this' She thought to herself before sending a roundhouse kick straight against his neck as she watched the bones shatter in what was essentially slow motion alongside the life in his eyes.

'I really wish there was another way'

"Wynn Fimbulvetr!" Bache's head instinctively turned to watch as the mass wall of ice froze a large portion of the enemy line in one go right before another barrage of magic struck the remaining ones on the right flank. Elora was right, Magicians are terrifying in war…

A second explosion of enormous flames traveled and blew apart lines of people as she smirked, recognizing those flames. At the source of it all, her eyes found long red hair and a wide grin right as she blocked a spear thrust, snapping the weapon in half and thrusting it into her assailant's throat.

'Seems Welf is doing just fine as well… though' Twisting and flipping over an enemy, she turned her gaze while moving through the air in slow motion, finding the golden fur in the back healing some injured soldiers. Lili seems to be keeping Haruhime's power a secret for now, though one wondered for how long that would be possible.

Reaching up with her arms, her fingers wrapped around the pauldrons of a soldier, level three judging by what she felt, before forcefully twisting her body to the side as her target let out a scream right as his entire vision shifted, turned and was suddenly sent far enough into the air that one could see the entire battlefield, thought that swiftly ended as a mass of the projectile, tearing him apart, piece by piece, blood and guts spraying up into the air in a giant mess. The split moment before death, the soldier gave a good look at the amazoness, her figure in the air, leg high on the right side of her head with her arms both pulled to the right.

As she landed, Bache couldn't help but smile at the effectiveness. Mikoto sure has some good ideas.

"Raghhh!" Her eyes turned in time to see Tiona ram herself through enemy after enemy, her Urga cleaving them in two with such ease that it looked like child's play while said woman grinned and giggled like said child. Right, it's Tiona, even in situations such as that, she never ceases to smile like that. It is a bit baffling, and honestly slightly disturbing… not that Bache could say anything.

Shaking her head from those thoughts, she figured she might as well try to start putting an end to this ambush… honestly, they weren't even supposed to be fighting yet, though war is unpredictable she supposed.

"Di Asla" She uttered before her legs tightened and sprung forth, the air around her straining against her frame as if it was on the verge of breaking as she simply held out and traced her fingers against the gaps of the armor of any soldier she passed, only for them to suddenly scream out in agony and collapse onto the ground twitching and shaking as the poison did its work.

It wasn't a reaction she was used to so she had to do a double take. Had her poison really gotten this powerful? The last time she'd actually used it on someone to kill, had been back in Telskryura, and the only ones it affected like this were level ones, but many of the ones she was doing this to were level two, maybe one level three.

'No, I have just gotten used to Bell shrugging it off like nothing' She chuckled internally before focusing back on what she was doing.

Every soldier had their purpose, focusing on one thing at a time, all she had to do was to find the odd one out…

…

And there they were, one whose eyes she could see were moving between evert flank, analyzing every little detail… with narrowed eyes, she sped up, smashing through anyone that was in her way, and just as the person beneath that helmet turned his gaze to her, he just barely managed to pull up his sword as her poison clad fist smashed into it, his entire frame buckling as is sword shattered.

The moment before her fist hit him, she could see a flash of recognition in his eyes, as her own widened as well, feeling the resistance he was putting up to her blow, then-

*BOOM!*

The ground completely caved in, cracking and opening as pieces bent upwards, sending any soldier nearby off balance, leaving the two in silence, only the somewhat muted clashing of blades disrupting them.

"Ah… fuuuuuck! Of course, it's you… Veregeina- no, Terata!" Bache blinked at the word as she noticed that her poison was working much slower on him.

"Amazonian- no… Empiric, you people borrowed that word from the Amazonian language" Bache stated before turning her gaze away at the protruding pieces of debris and rocks, blocking her view of the battle, though from that she could hear, the empire's forces were beginning to retreat, probably due to the morale loss of seeing their leader being taken down. Turning back towards the man underneath her, trying to get onto his knees but shaking like a leaf from pain, she leaned down, her gaze hard.

"So, you're one of the empire's precious level fives? How many of you were there? Twenty?"

"I have nothing… guh… nothing to say to you, Terata" With a small noise as the only evidence of the attempt, he tried to spit on the Amazon above him only for it to end up with her grabbing his face roughly before smashing it back into the ground.

"I don't think so, you see, I that word, Terata, it isn't the insult you think it is. In fact, I honestly feel honored to be called that. It just means I have gotten strong enough for you all to think of me as such, and for an Amazon, that is the highest praise" Moving her grip down to his throat, she stood up, dragging him up and away as he attempted to hit her arm with little to no avail, not even flinching at what was essentially lovetaps to her.

After all, he was two levels below her, weakened from her poison and injured to boot. She should retire if something like that could hurt her.

The moment she got a good view of the battlefield, she could tell it was over… but the sight was anything but pretty.

Just this unexpected ambush had led to the once lush scenery of the plains being stained red with blood and the entire vegetation ruined, either burned or withered from extreme cold… essentially, the once beautiful area had been reduced to nothing but an ash field.

"Hey, watcha' got there, Bache?" Welf's voice entered her eardrum as she turned and smiled at the approaching redhead, his magic sword slung over his shoulder.

"Nothing much, just their commander" She answered, pulling him up for Welf to see better as he widened his eyes.

"Damn, come on, I bet you Lil'lili knows what to do with him" With a nod, she followed as they walked through the battlefield where bodies were already being dragged around, either to be buried or burned.

Back at the rear, Lili was frowning as she rubbed her chin in through, Riveria standing next to her as she inspected the surroundings

Their entire force consisted of a bit over one thousand adventurers and Rakian soldiers, they had not come out of the ambush unscathed.

While the empire lost a considerable amount, they too lost over a hundred adventurers and soldiers. Their force had been reduced from an estimate of one thousand three hundred adventurers and soldiers, down to one thousand two hundred.

In a single day…

It was a blow to be sure, and while most of the ones that had perished were Rakian soldiers or the weakest amongst them, they had lost two level threes.

"I understand what you are thinking, and I will give you some advice, Taliye. Don't" Riveria spoke softly, hardening her voice at the last statement as she ground it out as clearly as possible.

"W-what?" The prums eyes blinked, surprised and a bit confused.

"You're wondering what you could have done different if more people could have been saved. I understand, and see why Finn gave you the responsibility to lead this front instead of me. You have knowledge, experience, and a strategic mind, but most of all, you have the potential to be as great as Finn is" 'And maybe one day surpass him', she added silently.

"But I will be blunt. You aren't ready" Lili flinched "This battle made it clear, and it also revealed what Finn is trying to do. He wants for you to grow from this, to learn and improve. You are used to leading expeditions into the dungeon with your familia, as well as your party, but that is where your experience ends. What you need is to learn and adapt to the harsh reality of war with other people, to accept that casualties are inevitable, no matter how hard you try"

"B-but-"

"No buts, it is simply the truth, a fact. When you manage to accept that, then, perhaps you will be ready" Riveria finished as she began walking towards where the healers were working and Airmid was downing mana potions one after another.

"And I am simply supposed to let people die!?" Lili finally managed to get out as the high elf stopped, looking over her shoulder, her green eyes remaining serious.

"Whoever said that you need to let them die?" With that, she took her leave as the prum stood there, utterly confused and frustrated.

'What the hell is that supposed to mean!?' She fumed internally as she tried to rack her brain around the high elf's words to no avail.

Right as she was about ready to stomp away to demand answers, she felt a hand on her shoulder which was all too familiar.

"Lili-sama… are you okay?" Haruhime spoke softly, her golden fur slightly stained with blood from all the injuries she had to heal and close.

"L-lili is fine, Haruhime-sama… Just… frustrated" Honestly, Lili was more than merely frustrated, but to put her feelings into words was… it felt like a task that just wasn't possible.

"Okay… if I may, how long do I need to hide my magic?" Lili's head instantly snapped around, in case anyone heard her before hissing at the Renard.

"Quiet! If Lili has her say, then you don't have to use it even once! If everyone found out what you can do, Orario would be plunged into war game hell!" Lili stomped, and for a moment, Haruhime swore she heard her mutter something about other potential nefarious motives.

"R-right…" The Renard sweatdropped.

"Haruhime-dono, Lili-dono. How is everything faring here?" Mikoto appeared out of nowhere, causing Haruhime to let out a loud squeak in surprise as Lili gave Mikoto a dead stare.

"Lili hates it when you do that… so Lili wants you to stop"

"But I did not do anything!"

"Oy, Lil'lili! We got something for you!" All three heads turned towards the voice, watching as both Bache and Welf walked up to them, right before Lili spotted the additional tag along, being dragged by the Amazon.

"I found him in the rear, giving instructions and leading the soldiers" Bache spoke, before throwing him roughly onto the ground as both Haruhime and Mikoto took a step back after seeing Lili's expression level before hardening.

"Lili sees. Have you found out how they knew our movements?" She asked, inciting a shake of the Amazon's head. The question was understandable, it was something all of them wanted to know. After all, their original goal was to reach the southernmost village of Loris, where they hoped to set up a supply line, but this ambush had stopped them on their path, and it was too perfect to have been a random encounter, especially given the sheer numbers they had fought.

Over five hundred soldiers had been present, though the vast majority had been level one, they had plenty of level twos among them and a couple of level threes, two level fours, and one confirmed level five now, with their commander, included.

"Lili finds it beyond odd. Given the lengths Braver-sama went to keep our departure date from being known beforehand, Lili finds it too much of a coincidence the empire was waiting…" She spoke evenly in a statement in response to Bache's words before turning towards the commander on his knees, still shaking.

"He is surprisingly uninjured… poison?" Lili asked, her eyes turning back towards Bache at the question.

With a nod, the amazon spoke "Yes, though I did hit him hard enough that he should have broken at least half his ribs… though I felt surprising resistance, far beyond what he should have given his level" She finished, causing the prum to frown and stare down at him.

"Your name," Lili stated, not even asking and instead pretty much demanding the answer from the shaking man that was between them.

"I'm not telling you jack shit, you who-" He never got to finish the sentence as a blade was shoved into his mouth and a hand grabbed his hair.

"You do not insult Lili-dono in such a vulgar manner, or you will regret it, dearly." Her eyes burned into him as Bache blinked in surprise at the sheer venom in her words that were unbecoming of the usual kind and mannered woman. Not that she could actually blame her, from what she understood, she was fiercely loyal and would defend her friend's and family's honor ferociously.

The group was silent for a little bit before the far easterner pulled the blade back as the soldier let out a mix between a huff and a chuckle.

"You got some spirit, easterner, I'll give you that." He laughed it off softly before turning towards the prum, mouth closing and remaining so.

"Lili will ask one more time. Name?" She asked once more, waiting, but as no response came, she looked conflicted for a few seconds before turning towards Mikoto again and nodding.

For a split second, Bache wondered what the easterner was about to do, given the way Haruhime turned away and Welf's eyes looked anywhere but at the man.

The glint of a small dagger made itself known, twirling from Mikoto's belt as she grabbed it before slamming it hard right between the patella and quadriceps tendon on his right leg.

It took a split second for the pain to set in, and then a guttural scream that honestly shocked Bache escaped his mouth as Mikoto twisted the blade, only eliciting him to thrash and attempt to kick in a wild effort to escape.

The noise drew attention from all around, especially from the healers and Riveria, who had looked up from what she was doing.

'Are they…?' she wondered silently as the screams slowly died out as she saw Lili move her face closer, a mask of indifference on her face that she was putting on, clear as day to the high elf.

"Name?" Lili asked one more time as the enemy commander gritted his teeth, shuddering as he looked down at his leg.

"W-what the… what did-" he breathed out as Mikoto looked away for one moment, composing herself. She hated doing this but… Takemikazucki-sama had drilled into her the importance of extracting information, as the slightest bit of information, could be key between victory and defeat.

"An art form front my home country… unless you want to be introduced to more variations, I would suggest answering our commander's questions." She forced out the words, feeling vile and dirty, but pushed through.

A samurai, or Kensei in this case, had to know when to put their morals to the side, and become an Oni.

Her eyes fell back to the enemy commander's eyes as hers bore into them cold enough that it put the glacier zone to shame. She saw him involuntarily shudder.

"Shit…" he cursed as his eyes averted down to the ground, showing a form of submission, though his mouth remained shut.

"Lili-dono, I would suggest setting up a temporary camp, and thoroughly interrogating him. Doing so in the open…" She trailed off as the prum nodded.

"-would be unwise. Lili knows… as much as Lili hates it, she understands" She answered before turning towards Riveria, motioning her to come over.

"Damn, Mikoto. What do you have planned for the guy?" Welf asked as the far easterner looked at him for a long moment.

"It's best if I do not say. It is an art I learned, and hoped I'd never have to use…" She stopped, silently thinking to herself, that there was no use in wallowing over spilled milk.

"Taliye, have you got something?" Riveria's voice broke off whatever Welf was about to respond with as Lili shook her head.

"Nothing so far, Nine Hell-sama. Lili suggests setting up a temporary camp to interrogate him. We need to know why, and how they knew where we were coming from" Riveria thought on it for a moment before nodding.

"I agree, the entire ordeal is very odd. I'll begin preparations to set up camp. The bodies are already being handled, so we should be ready in an hour or so… and I take it Kensei will handle interrogations?" She asked.

"Indeed I will, Riveria-dono" Mikoto gave a polite nod at the elf princess who hummed.

"If you need… assistance, feel free to ask" She didn't even need to elaborate as Mikoto could easily read between the lines. If she needs assistance keeping him alive, then ask.

"I will"

"Good, now you should probably bandage that wound. I would heal him but… as he is under your jurisdiction at the moment, Kensei, I will not do so unless explicitly asked"

Waiting a moment, Riveria finally turned and left, heading towards Alicia before Haruhime gave a soft whimper.

She didn't like this at all, but she too understood they needed to do this… but she still didn't like it.

"Bache-sama, could you take him and wrap the wound? Lili and Mikoto-sama will set up the tent. Welf-sama, Haruhime-sama, please help setting up the rest of the tents" Lili asked as no more words were spoken as everyone split up.

The only thing said as they had gotten a distance away, was Welf whispering that he almost felt sorry for the guy.

Almost

=Central Front, Twelve Hours before the ambush=

Epsilon knew she was taking a risk… she hated it and every single second of her standing here, waiting for her contact to arrive was making the hair on the back of her neck stand out. She swore that someone was watching her… but she had no proof. It could after all simply be her paranoia, she had accepted that was something that she had an issue with… but that paranoia had saved her so many times before…

'Why am I doing this again' She silently wondered, before she felt a shiver down her spine, her head shooting around into the thick vegetation of the forest. She was lucky she was deployed on this front. The trees gave plenty of opportunity to hide and meet up with the contacts Nakul-sama sends.

Her eyes darted back and forth, trying to discern whatever it was she felt, because she knew she felt it. Her senses were going haywire… but whatever it was, either was not real and a figment of her imagination, or they were deliberately toying with her.

Focusing her eyesight in the direction she felt the feeling coming from, one of her two skills activated as her perception slowed down and her ability to take in and analyze information multiplied. A skill she'd earned from the sheer fear she'd felt that had shaken her down to her soul when she'd first laid eyes on the monster rex, Remorhaz. She hated dungeon diving, but it was her duty to do it in order to be an effective spy.

The skill she had, Dearcadh, enhanced her perception and analytical abilities in times of great strife, fear, or paranoia. Essentially, as long as she felt that emotion, the skill remained active, and the stronger the fear, the stronger the effect. However, the aftereffects were anything but pleasant.

It could cause sensory sensitivity and migraines if used too long, so she tried her best to make sure that didn't happen, though that was a bit hard at times.

Just as she thought she was seeing something, a ruffle of leaves sounded behind her as she instinctively drew her sword, shifting her body around and getting into a stance right after leaping further away from the sound.

"You're skittish, Epsilon. Guess all these years haven't changed you at all. Always the coward" The voice of a man entered her ears as he walked out, his outfit a mix between black and purple, his dark blue eyes boring into her own as he pulled down his hood and mask, revealing long black hair pulled back into a ponytail, a scar running across his cheek.

"There is a difference between being a coward, and being cautious." Epsilon relaxed, her sword lowering and retreating back into its sheath as she walked up to him.

"It is something you should learn, Kappa" She glared as Kappa chuckled softly before shaking his head.

"Let us agree to disagree… now, why have you in such a hurry to request an emergency rendezvous?" He asked, tilting his head.

"Follow me." There was no need for any more words to be spoken as the two headed in back east.

Eventually, they climbed into a tree, and once she nodded in the direction of the small hill, Kappa cursed. Down where he was looking, was the main camp for where the front was resting before continuing their march.

"Braver played us, he intentionally kept the information of when they were actually departing from anyone but a select few until two days before the march," Epsilon informed with a hard frown, feeling inadequate as Kappa nodded.

"Understood. Kaius has expected that setbacks will occur due to Braver's machinations, this is only one such event. Nakul recently informed us that the main priority for the beginning stages of the war is to buy time. Lady Varede needs time to finish the experiments with that"

"You mean The Flesh Welder? That crazy psycho? She actually managed to make that… that… abomination work!?" She shrieked, though making sure not to be too loud in case anyone was in hearing distance. Could never be too careful with first-class adventurers being here… and two of the Terata.

"Yes… but I do not know the end result, only that she's succeeded. The leftover citizens and soldiers of Rakia that were left behind are being used as fodder for it…" Kappa stopped as Epsilon shivered, turning slightly green in disgust.

"I… I know we do some bad shit, immoral and horrific as they are… that… what Lady Varede is doing…" His mouth shut closed before he could say something he'd regret, but both knew very well what thoughts plagued both of their minds.

Even to them, it was revolting.

They were silent for a long moment before Epsilon turned and looked at Kappa, composing herself as she reminded herself there was still more to report.

"Moving on, Orario is split into three separate fronts. The northern front, led by Braver by the Berum Canyons. This, is the central front inside the Ardian forest heading north, spearheaded by King and Elgram, and lastly, there is the southern front, led by Taliye are set to head to the plains to the southeast" She continued, spewing out the information as Kappa soaked it in.

"What is the estimate of the enemy forces?"

"Four thousand adventurers in total, most coming from the Loki and Freya familia, but the rest are from medium-sized familias" Epsilon answered instantly. That wasn't the largest number, but the sheer difference in the amount of first-class adventurers at their disposal more than evened and surpassed their number advantage.

"That is concerning…" Kappa muttered as he couldn't help but think back on the list they'd read of the adventurers in each familia and their levels, listed from highest to lowest. The sheer amount of second and first-class adventurers in Loki and Freya familias was enough to give him the desire to dry heave in horror.

While they had around a couple of dozen first-class soldiers in total, just the two top familia's alone nearly dwarfed their own, having over sixty in total put together… and that doesn't factor in other familias such as the Takemikazuchi familia which has Kensei.

Even with the artifacts at their disposal, they could not use them frivolously, lest they want them to fall into Orarios hands and doom them, no. What they needed was something that could turn the tide… and unfortunately, that was the only artifact that could do that without endangering themselves to destruction as well.

"Do you know who is posted on each front?" Kappa followed up with another question, wanting to gain as much as possible here.

"The northern front has, as mentioned, Braver, but also High Novice, Thousand Elf, Vanargand, Vana Mardoll, Hildrsleif, and Daemonias. There are others, but those are the most prominent ones." She detailed.

"Keep in mind, there are many other level fives there as well, and a plethora of level fours." Epsilon continued as Kappa nodded. Honestly, that many prominent names on a single front did not make him feel good at all, especially given the rumors of Vana Mardoll's borderline suicidal tactics that defied death.

"The central front where I am posted has Elgram, Jormungand, Sword Princess, Midnight Princess, Cyclops, Perseus, Dea Saint, Dainsleif, the Bringars, Cerberus, and Novae Sanguis"

That… was quite a few big names, but he mentally noted them for reporting later. With a nod, he signaled her to keep going.

"In the southern front, there is Nine Hell, Amazon, Lomowari, Veregina, Hygeia, Vana Freya, Vanir Valfreya, Ignis, Taliye, Kensei, and Enchantoresu" He nodded, content with the information of where the large players were at.

"What of movements? Any particular destinations?"

"I am unsure of the other fronts, but we are headed due west from here, towards Trudid village" He nodded.

"Understood, I will relay the message."

"Though… I do believe the southern front could be heading towards Adelle Village, as it is the most strategically advantageous location close enough to set up a supply route" This was merely a hypothesis and both knew it, but it was better than nothing at all.

"Good, is that all?" He finished as she thought for a second before perking up.

"No, I also wanted to remind you to be mindful of members of the Themis Familia, they all recently achieved level-ups apart from Veregina and Apollyon, and given their status as a potential and active Terata, they are to be dealt with… with extreme caution" Epsilon added before glancing back at Kappa, blinking at the look of horror that crossed his face.

"Potential and active Terata!? Excuse me?" He spoke in a hiss as she blinked. Why was he confused, she'd sent that information a week ago, it should have arrived.

"Did they not inform you? My report should have arrived days ago" She reasoned as he shook his head.

"This is news to us…-!" he stopped, eyes going wide as his body went rigid.

"Did you send it through the information post?" He asked, voice low and fearful as she slowly nodded…

And there was silence, the two stared at each other for a long moment as dread began to fill Epsilon, Kappa's silence only making her paranoia increase further and further as her skill began acting out more and more.

'Did something happen to the post? Did… did someone raid it- did…no…!' She began putting the pieces together.

Bell Cranel went rouge, disrupting supply routes and slowing down their information network though probably unintentionally… had he… had he raided their information post-

Had he found her report?

The dread slowly morphed into abject horror. If Bell Cranel had read that letter, then he would know there is a traitor within Loki Familia… she-

She was in danger…

Her head snapped back towards the forest, the memory of what she had felt earlier making every hair on her body stand on end, her heart hammering a hundred miles a minute…

Did… did he already figure it out? Was she compromised?

"Kappa… Did… did he-" her throat clogged from the fear as she was unable to voice it. Kappa slowly nodded, cementing her own thoughts as her hands went up, running through her short fiery hair.

"I… I may be compromised. My report detailed that I was a part of the Loki Familia" She whimpered, her comrade next to her slowly letting his mouth open as the words set in, his face flashing with a variety of emotions before his expression slowly evened out into a poker face.

"That… is not ideal. But you cannot abandon your post. If you do, you will all but confirm there was a spy amongst them"

"B-but if Be-" She stopped whatever her protest was about to be, her head turning around rapidly as that sensation returned, and for one split moment, fast enough that if it were not for her skill, she'd truly believe it was a trick of the light, she saw a pair of red eyes, glaring straight at her before disappearing as if it was never there.

And the horror turned into mind-numbing terror.

=Ardian Forest=

Another name, crossed off the list. It wasn't as difficult as Bell had thought. His senses were good enough to tell when someone was putting on a front and lying or trying to deceive someone. The subtle shift in their expression, the way their eyes narrowed from nervousness, how their hearts beat even a millisecond faster than usual when stating something.

Arcs had a conversation with Elfy near the edge of the camp, close enough that he'd been able to analyze and listen to him.

The way he talked and expressed himself, the way they were talking about their goals and dreams… it was all genuine, the smiles real.

Sharon had been similar, her innocence practically radiating off her in waves to the point that he'd drawn parallels with Haruhime at times, a type of purity that could not be faked, and he knew it… besides, his intuition told him it was not them.

And that led him here. It had been a stroke of luck, probably his development ability at work, he'd witnessed Narvi Roll sneaking out of camp, and without hesitation, he followed… only to end up staring at her for a good hour as she just… stood there, waiting.

A tiny part of him wondered if she was just out there to be alone for a moment, but that had been squashed the moment he'd noticed how she was looking around nervously, how her heart was slowly becoming erratic.

She was sensing his stare.

He had been looking at her for an hour now, not averting his eyes for even a moment. He'd be disappointed if she hadn't noticed at all.

Carefully positioning himself behind a tree in a manner that covered him, he listened and waited and when he started hearing a pair of footsteps approach, he had attempted to take a look, nearly getting spotted by Narvi, only for her to turn around, leaping in his direction with her back towards him and getting into a battle stance, her sword drawn.

'Had he been wrong? Was she not the traitor?' he had silently wondered, and when the approaching footsteps walked out into the open, and his words had been spoken, he knew…

"You're skittish, Epsilon. Guess all these years haven't changed you at all. Always the coward"

He had his target-

The two conversed shortly before heading back in the direction they came and Bell had been forced to leap into the tree as silently as he could to avoid them detecting him before he followed.

The talk that followed was informative, but also made him seethe in rage.

They were targeting his family…

They were intentionally trying to deal with them because they saw them as potential threats…

They wanted to kill them.

It took everything he had to suppress Scourge from blowing out with enough malice and force to alert everyone both here, and down at the camp.

Ah… she'd realized he'd found her report- oh well, too bad.

Her stuttering words that escaped her mouth clogged as her head snapped in his direction right as he decided enough was enough.

He had his target… and there was no way he was allowing her to escape.

Shooting to the side, he skidded to a halt before his legs contracted and then exploded forward, straight towards her as he saw the look of terror on her face, right as her eyes turned towards her, he grabbed hold of her face, covering her mouth before kicking himself off the branch soft enough to just flip over them, twisting and grabbing the man, Kappa's face as well before leveling out and smashing them into the ground, careful not to make too much noise.

"Guh!"

"Gah!"

Both grunted and muffled a shout into his hand as Bell loomed between them, practically growling as he let his scourge release enough to terrify the both of them.

Feeling satisfied at how Kappa's hard exterior mask broke, revealing fear, he let go of Narvi, and faster than she could react or even realize he'd let her go, he was moving and breaking both the legs of Kappa, allowing him to scream into his mouth before doing the same to Narvi and grabbing her mouth as well.

Tears stung in her eyes as she grits her teeth, the pain clouding her mind before she finally decides to open her eyes.

"Now, you will not scream. You will not make a sound, or I will make sure you experience a terror that even monsters fear, on that. Am. I. Understood!?" He growled, turning his head between them eyes practically glowing in the moonlight, and after a moment, felt both of them nod their heads slowly against his grip. There was no point in resisting, they both knew and had heard of what he had done to their comrades in the camps…

Slowly letting go, he was prepared to reaffirm his grip at any moment if a single word came out of their mouth without his permission.

"Now… we have much to discuss, Epsilon"

Aaand, Chapter 72 is done! Finn is making plans in the northern front. Southern front is ambushed and Bell has found Narvi alongside a happy surprise. We are moving along, but we are still just in the beginning. Can't wait to show you all what we have in store for you!

Anyway, let's get straight into the reviews!

Ninjafang1331: War is about to begin.

Author: Oh, yes it will! And it will be glorious!

ImmortalChaos0: Another entertaining chapter and all of the players are taking part. I am really looking forward to what you can do with everybody during the final encounter with the one-eyed black dragon as most stories never get far enough to fight him. Also, what happened to Heroic Will? It was my first danmachi fanfic and I'm surprised that it wasn't abandoned in ur profile description.

Author: Right, forgot to correct some things. It is officially abandoned as I see it as a story that has served its purpose. Just need to add that info to the last chapter of the story and description... and my profile, but it is open for adoption. I am sorry if that disappoints, but I just do not have any enthusiasm for writing it anymore as it was so long ago and am just not interested in it anymore.

pix25: Nice one

Author: Thanks!

That's all, but before you go, let's end with a final note from Chalister before you go on your way!

Chalister here, I know it's been a while since I last added my own personal words. Just wanted to let you know that my little ones are closer, I hope you all enjoy them once they make their debut on the front lines. ;)