The Legend of the ruthless Empress Freya

– POV General –

< A few hours before sunset >

"You want to go there alone ? When we'll all be with our sections ? Out of the question. Even if you're the only one who can break the chain, it's too risky a gamble, we'll have to find another solution."

In the Commanders' tent, Caipy had risen from her seat after young Alayna had explained the beginning of her plan. Opposed to the idea of sending her to the front, the dark elf had been the first to speak, deeming it far too dangerous. And for good reason, simulating a frontal attack that was to end in a right side was complicated to pull off, especially if the move relied on the success of just one person. 

"Let's say we accept, tell me, during the charge what are we supposed to do ? Bypass their army ? And do what ? Attacking on the right side and...forcing the right flank in the first few minutes isn't a bad idea, it might force them to..."

"No, we won't have to attack, Commander !"

Reflecting on the plan, Ralph theorized about where the young blond woman was going with it, and despite her intelligence she'd been wrong. She loved to charge into the thick of things, adept at close combat without magic, just like the section she commanded. The Commander had been wrong, and Alayna was quick to explain what she felt was the only plan at the moment, capable of turning the situation around. 

"M-My brother will be expecting this: either we go straight for the slaves, or we pass to the side...he prepared himself. What we need to do is...is draw the attention of their entire army while staying at a safe distance to keep the pressure on and force them to use their resources."

"Keep going"

"For the first 5 to 10 minutes we'll need to break the chain, rescue the slaves and destroy the watchtower and its load-bearing wall"

The more she spoke, the more the women in the tent realized that her plan required very good coordination and speed, but to what extent ? Attracting the army's attention was already a huge job, but on top of that, putting pressure on them from a perfect distance was tiring. 5 to 10 minutes was the only time the army could hold out before they exhausted themselves unnecessarily, which would be disastrous for the hours to come. 

Everyone was analyzing this strategy from top to bottom, but a few details were still missing, the ones that would link the puzzle together. They lacked a clear picture, because for the moment, although interesting, it was mostly confusing. Why destroy the watchtower and its load-bearing wall now, and why not before ? It was Persea the dryad who came up with the answer, gently caressing the flowers in her hair. 

"I see. After putting pressure on one and only one point, our army is supposed to overwhelm them from all sides without giving them time to understand. The element of surprise you're looking for can only be done under these conditions, can't it ?"

"Y-Yes"

"But why on earth ?"

Squinting in curiosity, the Commander wearing a leaf-shaped ice brooch was silent, eager to know the answer. No one spoke, everyone listened to what Alayna had to say, slowly beginning to understand that this plan could be THE solution. Taking a deep breath, the former Princess of Zal spoke again, this time without stammering, in a confident, determined tone...she was sure of herself.

"The purpose of the first maneuver is to give me enough time to free the prisoners, but also to give Commander Luna time to strike from the inside. In the chaos or just confusion, it would be very easy for her section to slip in amongst them and poison them to get rid of as many as possible effortlessly."

"..."

"Commander Caipy, by the way, I'd need poison needles to sneak up to the tower without having to fight head-on. I could easily make my way when attention is focused on the main Elysium army."

Eyes had widened, some mouths had even opened while under the tent brains began to boil. It could work. Yes, but what was the next step ? Everyone remained silent, waiting for the young woman to continue her explanation, which she soon did. So it was with a pride rarely shown that Alayna straightened up to utter the words that would change everything.

"Once the chain is broken, someone powerful enough could take charge of destroying the tower and its wall. Suddenly attacked from all sides after long minutes without any real action, Zal's army, caught off guard, will have no choice but to take refuge..."

"...inside the city's walls"

"Yes t-that's right but we also need to get inside at some point, at all costs. That way, whatever happens, we'll have the upper hand from the very first hour, and no matter when the dragon riders arrive, it'll be hard for them to act without destroying the Capital."

What the former Princess had said came as a bolt from the blue: everything was clear and now seemed so simple. Some of the steps were perhaps a little questionable, but the result was there and from their expressions, appeared to be all they needed. An excited, almost sadistic smile was slowly forming on the faces of the Commanders and Lieutenants, who finally felt as if they'd broken the deadlock. 

If they could break through the city walls, not only would Vancesia's squad be unable to attack blindly from the air, but the Princes would get a taste of their own strategy. This time, it would be the civilians' turn to be hostages, almost fatally immobilizing the opposing army. This was the solution, no matter what had to be done, they had very little time: on the very first night, the Elysium army would enter the Capital.

"Let's work out the details, but I'm all for it"

"So am I."

"Mmmh"

"Let's go"

One by one, the Commandantes then raised their hands, voting as always fairly but everyone agreed, it had to be tried. Even the Lieutenants nodded their heads, and Ash at the door prepared to go back and explain everything to his superior once everything had been revised. Not having forgotten this, with a gentle mocking air Ralph, ever so delicate, turned to the young woman who had just unblocked the situation. 

"Heh, so you'd better not die or Luna will kill us~"

It was true, but they would do everything to succeed without a single death, although in wartime this desire was always impossible. Alayna was courageous enough to place herself at the center of the chessboard, and despite being a beginner she had still demonstrated a particular flair for strategy. There were only a few hours left, but everyone had agreed to rely on the one who had left her royal life a few months ago, dreaming of another.

_________

- POV Luna -

< Back in the present > 

That was it, I was finally face to face with the murderer responsible for my parents' disappearance eight years earlier, the one who had made me suffer for so long. He looked a lot like Alli, but all I could see was a monster, incapable of forgetting the ugliness of his deeds. No matter how hard I looked, I couldn't control the feeling of disgust and intense anger that mixed in my beating heart. 

"ERZIAN ZAL, first Prince of the Kingdom...I will be your last opponent."

I trembled, the call of vengeance was like a poison running slowly through my veins anesthetizing all reason, but I must not give in. The woman I loved had done her best to secure our first victory, so I had to live up to her expectations. I wanted to take Erzian's life with my own hands and I would do so once my mission here was over, just a few more seconds...patience.

"But before that..."

Without finishing my sentence, ignoring the Prince who was on guard, I leapt as fast as I could towards the watchtower and its wall. Conjuring the lightning in my hand screaming like a thousand birds, I didn't hesitate and placed it on the cold bricks of the building looming before me. The next thing I knew, the black sky and its surroundings were lit up as my lightning bolts grew stronger, bigger and bigger. 

Like a lightning cloak, my element soon covered almost the entire building, which crackled with a deafening noise. The next second, in a tremor that shook even the ground, everything collapsed, sending a cloud of dust and dirt sweeping across the entire valley. After that, there was complete silence, for a very short time that seemed infinite, no sound could be heard rising in the night. 

The silence lasted only a few seconds, and the first to react was Trioa, who had seen everything from the air with her squad. Without wasting any time, just as Alayna had done before, she blew a horn to give everyone the long-awaited signal. The same wave that had swept over the humans a short time before was separating, and our army could at last attack from all sides. Things were getting serious.

"At last"

"..."

While I could hear the thud of the warriors coming in my direction and see the total confusion of the Knights, only one person had my attention. I had done my duty, now I could concentrate on this vengeance that made my whole being tremble. Erzian Zal was still standing in front of me, knowing perfectly well who I was and why I wasn't going to let him go without spilling his warm blood on the cold ground. 

"Let's get this over with."

Those were probably the only sensible words I was going to hear coming from his mouth, he was right, it was time to get it over with, right here, right now. Ignoring the crowd around me, I drew my daggers with hands trembling with excitement. I couldn't take my animal form to avoid damage, but with my strength, speed and element, I knew I could win...I was far more powerful than before. 

The adrenalin was pumping as I launched myself at my opponent without further ado, using lightning to boost my speed right from the start. The fight was bound to be a tough one, so I had to think and not let my emotions guide me, or just a little. Finally arriving in front of him, I pretended to attack from the front before turning my foot to the left to slide to the side...Erzian was slow. 

"Too slow."

Without giving him time to turn around, I plunged one of my blades into his shoulder blade, eliciting a hoarse cry from him. Without stopping, I slid to his left in an attempt to slice his arm, but the Prince was already sending his sword at my position. Using my element, I had no difficulty in jumping over him upside down before sending my lightning all over his body, causing uncontrollable spasms. 

"AA-AAA-AAARGG !!!"

It was strange, he was weak, how could this be ? I, who had dreamed of this moment every day, a bitter taste remained in my heart. Was this another of his vicious schemes ? His movements were imprecise, slow, shaky, strange, was I dreaming ? I forced myself to think, but my body was moving on its own, all I could hear was his screams as I wielded my daggers in the enormous chaos around us. 

Since I'd destroyed the watchtower and its wall, the Elysium army had surrounded the humans who'd lost their formation on all sides. I could hear swords clashing, cries of pain and incantations as the elements vibrated on all sides. It was hard to say whether all this was controlled, but it was, Alayna's plan was clear, so far everything was going according to plan, even if it was hard to know. 

My mission was over for the moment, so despite the hundreds of living beings around me fighting for their lives and ideals, I concentrated on the Prince. My attention had been diverted for a few seconds by the surrounding chaos, but I knew that Nixia and the others were managing the army, so I trusted them. As I turned my head once more towards the one who had only minutes to live, my heart suddenly stopped. 

*H-Huh ?*

Erzian had disappeared. Impossible. Where had he gone ? I'd only been inattentive for a very brief moment, but how could that be ? It was completely dark, but that wasn't a problem. Squinting angrily, I began to look around before seeing his silhouette in the distance on the back of a horse galloping at full speed. I didn't have time to hurl myself after him before the sound of a horn from the Capital echoed.

"It worked..."

[N/A: So, unlike the other wars, this arc doesn't really focus on tactics or slaughter but on what it will change about the characters, how they'll evolve etc so don't worry if it's quite confusing and fuzzy~]

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FULL STATUS

Names : Freya / Lucifer Nightshade

Age : 0 year old / Mentally : 25 years old 

Sex : Female

Course: Ice Demon Wolf of Chaos - Adult

Race : Imperial Demon

Titles :

- Demon Goddess of Primordial Blood and Death (former - until all powers are recovered) - 35%.

- Wrathful Lucifer (7th Sin) - Master of the uniques Sins Demons (to unlock it, please gather the other 6 - 3/6 - (locked)

- Dragon tamer

- Ruthless slayer

Level : 47/70

Exp needed for next level: 7 000 / 48 000

HP : 170 000 / 170 000 MP : 85 000 / 85 000. BLOOD : 100 / 100

Strength: 660

Defense : 660

Agility : 666

Endurance: 663

Speed : 662

Intelligence: 660

Charisma: 500 (imperial she-wolf)

Attribute points to allocate : 1 600

Married to : Gaya Nightshade

Daughter : Shiro Nightshade

Twins (son & daughter) : Tyle & Altaïs Nightshade

Little sister : Kira Nightshade (Greedy Fox)

Big sister : Kalaa Nightshade

Empire (menu) 

Subordinates: 15 491(keep growing)

Humans killed: 153

Souls: 0/3

Elements: Ice / Chaos (Freya) - Blood / Death (Lucifer)

Skills (all):

Attacks :

- Demon Claws (Lvl 5)

- Bite of hell (Lvl 6)

- Infernal ice spikes (Lvl 6)

- Fighting techniques (Lvl max)

- Mastery of the katana (lvl max)

- Demonic Empress aura (lvl 7)

Défense :

- Ice demon wall (Lvl 6)

- Demonic Cloak (lvl 5)

- Pain Resistance (lvl 6)

Attack/Defense :

- Domain of the Ice Empress "Frozen Wrath" (lvl 4)

- Death Gaze (lvl 1)

Others :

- Humanoid form

- Demonic form (linked to the title so incomplete) - 20%.

- Ice creation (Lvl 6)

- Detection and control of mana (lvl 6)

- Storage of chaos (Lvl 4)

- Devouring Chaos (Lvl 5)

- Master of Souls (lvl 3)

- Lucifer's Threads of Blood (lvl 3)

- Healing Blood (lvl 3)

- Reminiscence (lvl 2)

- Analysis

- Telepathy

Passives :

- Commander (lvl max)

- Natural Aura of the Ice Empress ]