Dimensional Descent

Thilly seemed to have appeared from thin air. Clearly, he had just teleported into BLACKSTAR's top floor as they all had the right to do.

Without knowing when they Milky Way Guild, or more accurately, its lackies, would take action, some of them had been sent to continuously monitor the situation. Of course, that fell on the shoulders of the other members of the former Polished Glass Faction. After all, Allan and the others, not to mention most definitely not Elthor, couldn't casually stroll around Valiant City.

By this point, the organization had been on high alert for a very long while. They weren't caught off guard by this sudden attack, but this didn't mean that their nerves weren't fried. Many of those tasked with the first line of defense hadn't had proper rest in weeks, and those on the backline weren't much better.

"A first wave? They've grown impatient, they should have waited at least another week." Keira spoke based on Leonel's analysis once again. "If they had waited that long, Valiant Heart would collapse in a day or two at most. Whoever is commanding them is either pressed for time or immature.

"Do you know what the first wave is wearing?"

"They seem to be a cluster from all three organizations. But, they're all in the Fourth Dimension. The strongest amongst them is at the Quasi Fifth Dimension. They're still holding back."

Keira shook her head.

Leonel had left behind several archetypes for what sort of commander might be leading this charge and he had ranked them all from most dangerous to least dangerous… Or, as Keira liked to put it, smartest to dumbest.

The most dangerous Commander they could face was one that not only waited an extra week like Keira had expected, but said Commander would also swarm Valiant Heart with its full power immediately, not holding anything back and claiming the city in one sweep.

As for the least dangerous and dumbest Commander… They would not only be impatient, but they would also be wishy washy in their impatience, choosing to balance their early attack with probing strikes.

In Leonel's opinion, such a commander was a fool. Sending out probing strikes would give their enemy a chance to solidify and reaffirm their resolve. Without sending out a group that could immediately crush them, you would allow the light of hope to burn. By the time your enemy realized they should be despairing, you would have suffered casualties just as great as they did.

Of course, these were all based on Leonel's simulations, simulations that were only growing better and more accurate by the day. And, this was only one thing to consider.

The commander was Gretta, she was the one directing the three organizations. As such, not only did she not care about casualties, the more of them they suffered, the better.

The importance of a merchant Guild's neutrality wasn't lost on her. In Gretta's mind, she was killing two birds with one stone. Not only would she take out an enemy, but she would also weaken four organizations who had seen their teeth being bared. Wasn't this the perfect result?

Unfortunately for Gretta, Leonel still thought she was a fool. Though her actions would indeed weaken the three organizations, she had not only missed a golden opportunity, but she had brought the Milky Way Guild back to square one.

Those observing this battle from the sidelines weren't fools. They knew who the mastermind behind it all was. They could turn a blind eye to it if it was just the Milky Way Guild 'observing' things, but if it was the Milky Way Guild forcing four organizations to suffer such resounding losses, what was the difference between this and the Milky Way Guild acting personally?

Of course, there was still a small difference and the Guild might have slightly more leeway taking this action. But, it would still result in some pushback the Guild would have to take delicate steps to resolve. And, it was all caused by Gretta outsmarting herself.

What even Leonel didn't know, though, was that Gretta wouldn't usually be so foggy minded despite her abrasive personality. She hadn't climbed out a heap of Augustus' children just because of her fists, she had her mind as well.

The trouble was just a couple months ago, after suffering a terrible punishment from the Guild, she was finally sent out on another mission. During this mission, though, she suffered another resounding loss, this time at the hands of a troop of Oryx, creatures she had never personally laid eyes on before.

The result of that loss was the scar that now ran down her face. Even now it continued to throb, filling her with an endless rage.

After suffering two losses back to back, Gretta was on the verge of collapsing. She didn't care about the future of the Guild, she just needed results right now, no matter what the cost. Even if the Guild suffered pushback later, it would still be difficult to pin all the blame on her.

This win…. She needed it. She had crawled up so far through a bed of needles. She refused to cough back up the rewards of her labor so easily.

…

"Should we go and fight?" Rum suddenly spoke up for the firs time, his large frame sitting up.

Though he was so massive, he was basically an enormous teddy bear. Let alone fighting, he didn't even like to raise his voice.

"No. We've done our job as Force Crafters. All the frontline men and women are equipped with the best we can give them. How long they survive is up to them." Keira said with a heavy tone.

The group fell into silence.

In truth, they all had complicated emotions. Somewhere deep inside, they knew that Valiant Heart Mountain was finished even as the first wave charged up the mountain pass. It was hard to tell how they should feel. Before Leonel, they had experienced nothing but bullying at the hands of the Valiant Heart system. But… It had still been their home for several decades. Should they rejoice? Or should they feel sad?

"What are you all moping around for?"

The sudden voice cut through all their thoughts.

"Leonel!"