Following Renar's plan, they were about five hours deep into demon territory.
They were close to the first town, Hollow re, a ruined settlent left in decay.
The dark red sky made the scene feel even worse than it should have.
No one spoke during the entire trip.
Both human and half-blood alike felt the danger in what they were doing.
This was a place without reinforcents, where no one would co to save them.
Even Roland questioned if this was a trap or if the vampire's words had been true.
But he held on to hope.
It was the only thing keeping Stella from breaking.
She had already spent many nights crying herself to sleep, her eyes tired and hollow from the strain.
He rembered the fits of hysteria she suffered after waking up from nightmares, monts that tore at his heart.
They didn't bother entering the town, choosing instead to circle around it.
Every few minutes, they scouted to avoid detection and to search for any human survivors, though it was hard to find either enemy or allies.
The forest path was already difficult to navigate, and at tis, Roland had to cut a path through dead trees sothing he could easily manage with a swing of his sword and so light magic.
Half the trees were already withered and close to collapse, making the job easier but also slowing them down in certain sections.
They continued through the morning, occasionally clashing with small camps of demons placed as scouts.
None of these encounters were serious threats, as the enemy numbers never exceeded fifty.
Morning, however, was no different inside demon lands.
The sky remained dark, the sun obscured by a thick red mist that kept its light at bay.
It was the perfect environnt for vampires, who thrived in the absence of sunlight.
Roland, though, couldn't help but wonder how they managed to produce such a vast miasma that stretched across the entire territory.
None of the humans on his side knew the answer.
As for the half-bloods, they were demons but not vampires.
They were just as clueless about the inner workings of vampire society as Roland himself.
"Renar… please tell that's where we were supposed to stop," Roland said, referring to the beginning of a large mountain chain further west.
A little to the north of that, he had seen the concentration of what he'd begun calling the blood fog.
That area was dyed an especially deep red and was likely where the castle of Elris stood.
"Yes," Renar confird. "We'll split off there, while the main force begins moving toward the capital. I originally planned to bring half our number with us, but after what we faced coming here, so many spies and hidden threats I think we should only take ten to twelve at most."
Roland nodded at his best commander's assessnt, it would be far better to leave a fourth of the army they brought to hide.
"Right and without mounts, if possible. They kick up too much dust. For a covert operation, that could be deadly."
Now it was Renar's turn to nod.
The two of them began directing the soldiers toward a mountain pass they could use as cover.
The area lay nestled between three large hills, forming a narrow canyon at the center perfect for hiding the bulk of their army, along with the many creatures they had brought.
"Alright, Zavar, gather your best. Renar, you as well. Split it fifty-fifty six each," Roland ordered. "I'll scout ahead with Stephon. His skills as an assassin will be useful."
He pointed to the far distance. "Watch for my signal lights three quick flashes ans it's safe. One long flash signals danger. Two spaced five seconds apart ans retreat."
Without another word, Roland moved ahead, taking the darkest path the one choked with the most trees.
As with any land in these demon-infested regions, just a few steps were enough to send up small clouds of dust.
"Roland, slide your feet when walking don't lift them high. You keep going ahead, I'll stay back to help the others figure out how to move properly. If we're not careful, we'll end up creating a sandstorm just trying to walk to our destination."
Roland nodded and continued forward, doing his best to follow the assassin's advice. He moved carefully, dragging his feet instead of lifting them.
He had plenty of ti to adjust, but there was little room for error.
Fortunately, the sandy stretch only covered about a hundred ters. It was likely an old lakebed, now dried out and leaving behind loose sand and light dust.
Once he crossed into firr terrain, Roland turned back and flashed a hand signal three tis indicating all was clear. He couldn't see any demons nearby, at least for now.
Within half an hour, both teams had assembled and were ready to advance. Everyone had made it across the dried lake safely, though most were covered in dust and dirt.
"Well then, let's move. The castle is what… like a few hours away? We need to take that into consideration for when they notice that we are sowhere around here?" They had eliminated countless spy units already, and it was only a matter of ti before the demons noticed and began a full-scale search for the ones responsible.
"Yes, about three hours," Renar replied. "The real issue will be how we signal the prince. I wonder if—"
He paused mid-sentence as sothing caught Roland's attention.
A bat had erged from the back of his plated armor and crept up to his shoulder.
[Follow my lead. Rember, I said I'd help. In exchange, I'll be using this ti to take control of the volcano up north. I need you to cause just enough of a scene to lure out the commanders running that base and draw them toward Elris. Only then can I secure the volcano and the precious resources I need for my own experints.]
Norelli's voice called out to him. Roland was having second thoughts about following the bat's request, but so far, it had only proven helpful.
"What kind of distraction should I create? I don't want to lead my team into a suicide mission."
[Easy. Give this bat three mana stones filled with light mana. Have that spirit of yours make them explode in radiant light. I'll place each one in a different direction, far enough from you to avoid suspicion. It should serve as both a distraction and a signal for that girl's brother to know you're nearby.]
Roland nodded at the explanation.
[How about it, Elios? Sound like a good plan?]
The spirit grumbled but complied. He infused the three stones with enough power to trigger large-scale radiant explosions.
[Put them in a magical storage container. I can't touch those gems directly. Also, set them on a hour tir. That's about how long I'll need to get them in position.]
"How about the prince, Lucien? Where is he?"
Roland asked, hoping to at least get that much figured out. He had already been told the prince's general whereabouts, so it should've been a simple matter.
[Fine, fine, let work my magic a little more... A few bats will find him and lead you there while I set the traps. Just rember, everything needs to be in sync with . I'll be doing my own thing during all of this. And just like , the demons and vampires are paying close attention now that their scouts haven't returned. So don't ss this up. If they suspect anything, they'll think I'm working with you and I'm only using you.]
The vampire's bat then flew off, carrying a ring that held the light-elental bombs. Roland, anwhile, waited for another bat to arrive and guide him toward the prince's location. He thought it might take longer, but before long, a new bat fluttered in.
"Say… if you've got this kind of help, why didn't you just assist the demons in setting a trap for the prince and have co save him?"
Roland wanted to run one last test before fully committing to the plan.
[Simple. It's annoying to rely on brutes who only know how to bark orders. I can't handle all of them but you can. All I want is to conduct my research. Whether humans or demons end up on top, I don't care… just as long as they leave alone.]
"I see… so taking Elris and making sure no one attacks you is part of the plan, huh?"
Roland sighed. He didn't have many choices, leading a reckless charge with only forty n against millions wasn't exactly a bright strategy.
"Fine, let's go. I'll follow you and hopefully find the prince."
Roland moved quickly, with the team of twelve close behind. Each one remained sharp, scanning for any sign of danger as they entered deeper into the demon's territory.
It was about half an hour before the bat spoke out.
[He should be around here. Use your light magic to draw him out. But be careful—he's not alone.]
They had reached a ruined section of what appeared to be an old grain plant. Roland glanced at the scorched and trampled fields, wondering if anyone other than the prince might see the signal. Still, he raised his hand and flashed two quick bursts of light.
Monts later, a signal ca in return.
"There. I see soone using magic," Renar whispered.
Roland gave one more flash—and soon after, two figures ca running toward them.
One was familiar. It was the sa man he had seen on the first day—the one who had allowed him through the portal and stayed behind.
The other… was a demon.
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