Velvet Abyss

Nausea overtook Mari but she stifled the urge to vomit as they landed in the North District of Edelgard it was the primary residential district for the lower class and it was already crawling with enemies.

They were infantry heavily armoured and their swords thick with the blood of their victims, the city guard was heavily engaged but they were overwhelmed and cut down with a ruthless sense of efficiency.

“So these are Hyogo Soldiers huh?” Mari said

“No, they’re worse, far worse.” Hideto sighed

“Black and Gold armour, they couldn’t be, Albatross?”

“Um, Albawhat?”

“One of the top mercenary corps in the world, they rival Virgo.”

“So pops had the same idea huh, oh well no matter.”

Though they fought valiantly the city guards were mowed down until only one in the area remained he was a trembling boy, a teenager no older than Mari dropping his blade he fell to his need and scrambled against a wall.

One of Albatross mercenaries nonchalantly strolled towards the boy raising his enormous blade high above his head as the boy assumed the fetal position desperately trying to protect himself, even a novice like her could tell they were seasoned professionals they moved slowly and with purpose like a well-oiled machine.

“No please don’t, spare me!” The boy begged

“Sorry kid, For what it’s worth this ain’t personal.”

The soldier's voice roared like thunder from beneath his helmet his voice was almost as intimidating as that giant blade of his, while we were paralyzed with fear and indecision Hideto showed us how he earned the title War God.

“Crumble To Dust! Chrono Magic: Vetus Mors

In a flash before they could scream the Albatross soldiers had aged so much that their bones literally crumbled and fell away to dust, leaving only a chorus of steel hitting the ground as their weapons fell.

“What you girls doing! Get your shit together!” Hideto yelled

“This is a war, get your head in the damn game.”

Hideto helped the traumatized boy back to his feet and told him he had two choices to either run and cower and wait for death to find or to rejoin the city guard else were and struggle through the shit.

“I need to go find my family so here are your orders Mari and Lilith, there a safe area underground funnel the fleeing citizens and protect them, once that’s done try and reunite with your classmates and await further command.”

“Yes Sir!” Mari and Lilith acknowledged

And like a flash of lightning Hideto had vanished he was like a force of nature and Mari had never been more glad to have him on their side. “Hold on Mari something isn’t right here?” Lili stated with a quizzical look in her eye.

“What are you talking about Lili?”

“The sudden monster attacks the other day and now all of Virgo are attacking the city, what if the monster summoning was a test run for a mass teleportation spell?”

“Oh shit you’re right the bulk of the Imperial army left to face the Hyogo Forces in a pitched battle on and the Emperor was so sure that they’d never reach us but what if that was their plan from the beginning?” Mari proposed.

“Then that would mean that it’s not the full army it’s just Albatross and...”

“Shit the royal family their all here!”

“This was their plan from the start, we need to tell everyone!” Mari stammered.

She was furious that they’d all been blindsided and caught off guard mustering their entire army and sending it to carve a path of destruction was all to bate us into meeting them in an open field miles away, it was a red herring from the start those cunning bastards.

The city guard is a complete right off so really it’s just the Imperial Guard, the instructors of the academy and  things were beginning to look grim, “We need to move Lili” “Hmm I’m right behind you.”