— CONTESTED BORDER, NAAH’MI MOUNTAINS, YEAR: 7298. SEASON: NEW BEGINNING.

  “Alexandria Indrius.”

  “My Chosen!”

  “I hereby promote you to the Citizen Rank of Seven ! You shall be the Southern Border General , establishing Her Might and the might of my Edryani! Where you go, a million Edryan soldiers shall follow! Your commands, they execute! You are to take the southernmost state, Farya!”

  “This Subordinate heeds your command!”

  “Alexander Indrius. Temi Drrow. Ja’Jarrah Jarrah.”

  “My Chosen!”

  “By the authority of the Monarchy, Judiciary, and Templum entrusted to Me—“

  “I hereby designate you a Provisionally Recognized Sovereign Asset.

  “Your Authority shall mirror Tier Eight Citizen operational authority so long as you command the land, sea, and air forces of the Edryan State.

  “Your power is not inherent.

  “It is state-bound.

  “You are to cooperate and take the northernmost state, Az’Dawn!”

  “This Subordinate heeds your command!”

  “The responsibility is heavy, but you four are suited to bear it! Where you go, Edryan follows!”

  — Excerpt from Edryan Newspaper, authored by Karla Kansun.

  ? “The Proclamation of the Chosen”

  *****

  Mojo’s body vibrated, the cannon’s next to him roaring to life. Giant, blue, and black cracked orbs of magma erupted, roaring forth with vigor as they flashed through the sky, long trails of smoke marking their paths.

  This was Mojo’s answer to the Chosen of Madris. This was the Federation’s answer to Edryan.

  “All who come… die!”

  Mojo’s words resonated in the hearts of the Asigbonle next to him. A hot, stinging passion erupted in their chest as his aura spread over the third Battle Terrance. A surge of energy entered his body as his armor activated into a battle-ready state. His weapon remained equipped on his back, a large golden hammer that matched his set. It lacked the hint of divinity Asan’s bow held, but in terms of mortal weapons, it was at the peak of craftsmanship and ability.

  He folded his arms, calling out in a loud, clear voice.

  “Second Volley…!?”

  Mojo partially questioned, eyes still tracing the falling first volley. The Edryans hadn’t reacted to it yet, but Mojo didn’t plan on allowing them room to breathe.

  “READY!”

  “Fire.”

  Mojo’s body flashed a bright blue, and heat hot enough to melt a man’s skin washed over his body, yet he did not feel it. Mojo glanced up away from the Edryan army as he sensed a powerful observation spell being cast. A large eyeball conjured itself into existence somewhat behind Forger’s Keep. Mojo scoffed, ignoring it. This was Ninjaro spying on the situation.

  As his gaze returned to the battlefield, he caught sight of a large barrier appearing over the army. A single person flew from their ranks and projected a shield that blocked most of the incoming cannons. Mojo’s eyes widen. These cannon balls were able to deal nearly five thousand damage per shot, and when exploding, they could cover a range of ten meters. A single person blocking it was…

  “Looks like a golem,” Asan’s voice rang in his ears. “I think this is the mana source that was detected. If so… where is the Chosen?”

  Mojo turned to the communications wizard and nodded in thanks. It wasn’t just Asan and he connected, but all the commanders, including their lieutenants. A node-like structure appeared in his mind, allowing him to talk to one or all of the members present. Only he, Asan, and the Communications Officer possessed such privileges. It was imperative that communication didn’t disrupt his officers through constant chattering.

  Mojo squinted, making out the shape of a feminine golem. He frowned; there was little knowledge of what this thing was in his mind.

  “What exactly is it?”

  Mojo’s question was quickly answered by a lieutenant.

  “Reporting to Theater Commander, that is Nubia, a Calamity-level Hero Golem built by the Chosen of Madris.”

  “Do we know its properties, skills, weaknesses… speak!”

  Another voice answered. “Reporting to Theater Commander, little is known about Hero Golem Nubia. It has been confirmed that her materials were sourced from the Island Nation of Lorde, but no skills or abilities have been confirmed.

  “Hmm, are there any detections of the remaining three Hero Golems? I don’t want surprises anymore.”

  “Reporting to Theater Commander, Hero Golem Nubia is the only extreme mana signature detected. It was once thought that it was the Chosen of Madris due to the target being close.”

  “Asan, can you shoot it down?”

  “I can, but it’s a Calamity… I would have to use one of my God-Slaying arrows.”

  Mojo frowned, his thick brows tightly furrowed, not yet responding to Asan. The God-Slaying arrows were to be a surprise for the Chosen of Madris. To use them now would be a massive loss and likely cause them to lose the element of surprise when attempting to kill Lawruthian. He studied the golem, it was dark with a wavy scaled battle skirt. It held a spear and shield while a short sword remained strapped to its waist. The creature was dangerous and Mojo was certain he couldn’t fight it one on one without several supporting team members. Here it was just a causal card used by the Imperius Army, preventing them from using their soldiers resources.

  “I want to see how long that Calamity can last.”

  “Fire!”

  “Fire!”

  A third, fourth, and fifth volley was launched, but each strike was blocked by the Hero Golem alone. It stood in the air, blue black magma sliding from its shield. The Federation slew all the Calamities in its territory long before Mojo was born. He only held knowledge about them from books and stories passed down. Occasionally, a hunt in the Federation’s seas outskirts would be held to gain unique materials from them.

  “This situation isn’t entirely bad,” Asan stated, breaking the silence. “Remember, we are on the defensive, cousin; there is no need to rush things. Also, remember to let the cannons cool.”

  Mojo’s brows relaxed, and he waved a hand in annoyance to Asan’s reminder. He had somewhat forgotten, as it was usually he who charged to break formations and enemy strongholds. Being on the other side was something he hadn’t gotten used to. Mojo quickly adjusted his state of mind. He did not need to be as proactive as he once was. It was the Edryans who had to figure out how to break Forger’s Keep.

  “You’re right. Do we have eyes on what they’re doing?”

  “Reporting to Theater Commander, it appears the army is removing golems and preparing to deploy them.”

  “Any sight of any War-forged?”

  “Reporting to Theater Commander, there has been no sight above or below ground.”

  “Theater Commander, we’ve just detected 50,000 new mana signatures, and it’s steadily increasing!”

  Mojo grunted a response, his eyes trained on the growing Edryan army.

  I hate magic.

  Mojo truly did. The convenience it provided was something not everyone could experience. The Energy Attribute did its best to mimic Mind, but at most, it allows non-mages to mimic spells. Without a medium, or a focus of some type, you’d be unable to use Energy at all. Entirely different from how Mind was. A medium or focus, like a staff or wand, would enhance Mind, far different from being the controlling object if you used Energy or another Attribute.

  Mojo couldn’t deny he felt a bit antsy. He was the type who preferred to confront the enemy head-on—smashing two armies against one another and calling it a day.

  And that’s why you’re not the Grand Arbitrator.

  Those were the exact words Ninjaro spoke to him on the day he took the stage.

  Fucking bastard, at least I get to draw first blood against the Edryans. I deserve that much.

  By the tenth volley, Mojo could tell the golem was running out of mana, coincidentally coinciding with the cannons overheating. It would take a short five minutes for them to be operational again—a thing Mojo wasn’t supposed to allow to happen if he’d allowed a short minute rest between the volleys. Instead, within a period of five to ten minutes, Mojo had rapidly fired the long-range weaponry of Forger’s Keep.

  “Theater Commander, we’ve detected a total of 100,000 new mana signatures.”

  It was in this moment that the newly assembled Edryan army acted. In the short interlude when no cannon fire erupted, the army moved, a dense black wave of shifting bodies. If not for the greyscale background of the Naah’Mi Mountains, Mojo may have lost sight of them. Yet, even still, each Imperius Soldier and Golem held a bright red emblem on their chest, marking them as men of the Chosen of Madris.

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  “Prepare to be sieged. Ready the short-range cannons—my Wizards, prepare to detonate the minefield. Energy Casters… prepare to cast Rockslide…”

  Mojo barked orders, his arms crossed as he steadily watched from Battle Terrance Three. The lowest layer was characterized by organized chaos, with men moving about in preparation for the upcoming siege. Mojo, who was a head taller than most Asigbonle and grew even more with his imposing armor, stood as a strong figure of radiance and hope. No matter what, so long as the Theater Commander stood, all was well.

  “I see two different types of golems accompanying each soldier. They have one primarily built for defense—I’ll share its notification now. The next is… I’m not certain, perhaps some support unit—this is incredible… I’ve never seen a golem with…,” Asan hesitantly spoke, shaking his head, almost believing he was seeing things. “Both are three stars—quite expensive to produce so many. Is this Chosen just displaying his wealth?”

  “I need those skills analyzed with initial information on what they do. You have two minutes,” Mojo ordered.

  Asan had to admit, he was a bit jealous. As a scion of the Yola clan, he possessed access to some of the top-grade materials and precious items available to his country, but mainly limited to the territory controlled by his clan. The wealth the Imperius Army displayed was something he wasn’t certain his clan could afford. Perhaps it was the plight of those without mana. It wasn’t necessary to possess the Mind Attribute to create products that used mana, but it was costly. Mana crystals, materials of high rarity, these things weren’t cheap.

  “Theater Commander, we estimate Aegis Bastion to be a mana shield with a rarity of Low Rare.”

  “Theater Commander, we estimate Life Bound to be a second life type of skill, trading the golem’s Health Points instead of your own—possibly extending to Mana Points.”

  Asan knew the Edryan country had focused on using golems and exclusive mana sources called batteries, but he, as well as many others, didn’t know the extent of the usage. He recalled seeing a small force of golems accompanying Alexandria Indrius when she first came as a mercenary, but not much came out of them in terms of battle. The woman only used them less than half a dozen times in clearly exaggerated battles meant for display. He frowned and sent a warning to his cousin.

  “Be careful, these golems… something isn’t right. I’ve never seen a golem or any creature with access to divine mana. How is that possible?”

  Mojo remained silent as he didn’t possess an answer for his cousin. He wondered the same thing himself, but didn’t possess the time to contemplate it.

  “Theater Commander, War’s Embrace is a known Rare-grade solo targeting buff, its properties are to enhance the targets…”

  “Theater Commander, Wisdom’s Enhancement’s properties are to improve the soldier’s combat ability the more they faces an opponent. It is a Low-Rare Grade skill.”

  Mojo’s eyes remained focused on the approaching force, his hand raised and ready to signal his wizards to activate the minefield. The information on the seen spells came in one by one. The approaching army had crossed half the distance from their initial kilometer and a half. With a dozen more breaths, they’d completely enter the minefield. Charges buried more than a meter deep would erupt with enough force to shake a mountain. Mojo silently counted in his heart.

  12.

  …

  10.

  …

  …

  5.

  His fist clenched, and he prepared to swing it downwards. Close to a hundred wizards gathered in the back with every pair of eyes locked onto that arm.

  4.

  3.

  2.

  “Wu—“ Mojo began bringing his arm down.

  “Theater Commander, Thunder Seismic Charge is a Lightning-aligned ability armed at disrupting mana devices or shocking opponents through a bursting charge!”

  The Imperius Celestials grabbed the long handle maces they were equipped with, blue-yellow lightning lip on their tips, as they were heavily slammed into the ground. A surge spread from the Imperius Army, deeply penetrating the ground below and frying anything found below.

  “Un…,” Mojo finished. He nearly snarled as the charges below didn’t set off. Had he known even a few seconds earlier, he would have set them off even if it meant doing a modicum of damage.

  “That mistake cannot happen again— Battle Cognition Officers , you will be faster next time.”

  Forger’s Keep held dedicated Battle Cognition Officers , a new class line specifically developed by Ninjaro. Although soldiers, their only responsibility was to be a walking database of the skills and abilities of their enemies. In recent years, when Mojo was allowed to command them, they nearly always could formulate what a skill did based on its name and other factors. Mojo had tested them personally and knew they had a 90% chance of being exact or close enough to the actual truth.

  They were quick, managing to get what each ability did in less than two minutes, but a battlefield is nothing but variables and instant changes. Unfortunately, the Battle Cognition Officers were a step too slow.

  “Short Barreled Cannons aim—Shatter Shot,” Mojo roared, while simotainously asking, “Status on the keep’s ward shield?”

  “Fully charged Theater Commander—each generator is charged and running cool.”

  Mojo looked at the army less than a hundred meters from his wall. He smirked, he’d like to see them disable 300 short-barreled cannons shooting a spread of molten hot bullets that did no less than 500 damage a pellet.

  “Good,” Mojo mentally responded while yelling. “FIRE!”

  “Energy Casters on my mark…”

  Tens of thousands of red-hot pellets rained from large dark red cannons. Each cannon was shaped like a crab’s claw, and fire spewed from its throat, causing the Keep to tremble.

  The Imperius Argonaut golem raised its shields, and a large blue unified shield spread over the Imperius Army, blocking the rain of pellets. The bright blue shielding dimmed somewhat but didn’t break. Mojo wasn’t worried; battles of this level were a thing of attrition when two forces were of sufficient strength. What was important was the number of cards they kept and which of their methods could break through.

  Mojo’s first method, the minefield, had been disrupted by the army, but it consumed mana from the Imperius Argonauts. Before that, his long-range bombardment had directly removed a large-scale threat, forcing the Hero Golem Nubia to be deployed. The Imperius Army hadn’t suffered losses, but their mana wasn’t indomitable. Mojo didn’t believe they could hold out forever. Once both golems’ magic was consumed, the battlefield would return to a nearly two-versus-one situation. Once he dealt a successful blow to the Imperius Army, General Sokoto would be able to finish them off.

  Mojo showed a grim smile. Forger’s Keep held many cards and mechanisms. It was only a matter of time before the Imperius Army was exhausted and forced to retreat.

  “Show the Edryans why my Asigbonle is beloved by the earth.”