Whereas our the faux-Malam gamble has worked in confirming the exact measure of how we are found, Malam leads the counter-attack upon us. The SIS is moving in mass, basic precautions are being taken to stop capture and assimilation, they run tests on themselves twice a day, in the morning and the evening. With no way to fake the change of cellular structure, they are effectively a fortress that cannot be infiltrated and must be sieged down.

Additionally, Ashana (Target: Benoit Deferre) has been eliminated. We now have full confirmation that the Empire understands that our own skill in shapeshifting has advanced over the millennia, we can assume that they will be even more aggressive. Male disguises are no longer off limits, every infiltrator should be made aware to change for the situation. We can work under the assumption that they will be testing every single soul.

We may as well try to overwhelm their systems with pure paranoia, rather than trying to maintain our standard rules of operations.

– Princess Belili’s Arseille Orders.

Iliyal Tremali once again looked over the sheer disaster that was the map of southern Epa. The Ashfront had extended to cover more than half of the Western Eparika sea at this point, it clung to Rilia, Esberia half of that land was already lost too. It was only through the fact that a million men had been deployed to that entire region, with hundreds of minor Divines and mages streaming in constantly, along with Fortia, Maisara, Anassa and Irinika that the front was holding. Offensives were being repelled, land lost was retaken, and then lost again, and then retaken.

They had grown reliant on the modern radio, there was no way to pretend that they weren’t. A front like this would not have been so mobile in the Great War. Land would be fortified and held and counteroffensives would retake entire provinces, not just singular towns. Yet doctrine had adapted to instant communication and now, with it cut out, it was a slaughter and a meat-grinder for the troops. Fortia and Maisara gave their reports, already casualties in Esberia were approaching fifty-thousand.

The fleets were under threat. Khmet was evacuating its entire population to the east. Atny still had time but Arseille was estimated to be submerged in a month if they did not find the huge spewer that Olonia had talked about. The airforce still did not fly. The Star-Missiles had another week on them. A red marker on the map indicated where Legion was approaching Rancais, it was still on a flat line to cross the border, where it would turn from there, no one knew.

At least Rilia was holding stable. Olephia would make daily raids, her location could be tracked through space, Ashen Skies would light up whenever she spoke and incinerated another section of demons. Rilia universities and radar stations were reporting that the ash which was now falling onto the country was tinged with radiation. And they were reporting less daylight. Southern Rancais too.

And the worst news of the day had come. Malam’s Arseille investigation confirmed succubi could turn into men. And they confirmed that the local mayor had been successfully replaced. The Imperial Bureaucracy, or at least sections of it, were compromised. And if it was the bureaucracy, then there would be no reason as to why it wasn’t the army either.

Iliyal started making his phonecalls. This information would only be given out to the commanders at first so that they could take pre-emptive manoeuvres of preparation. Test protocol would have to be established, whether through blood, through beastman smell or through clerical healing. How it was done wasn’t important but every last commander would have to be tested. They would start with the officers at first, and then move down until even the sergeants were being monitored.

The Rilian front was far smaller and centralized, they operated more in line with the Legion-model armies of the Great War. General Aryon got his orders and answered with a heavy sigh. “And if we find one?” He asked.

“They are left up to you, can you capture them?” Iliyal thought for a moment. “Do you have dedicated cages or holding cells?”

“We don’t even have a camp.” Aryon replied over the phone. “Riff-raff get sent off to the local jails and prisons for a night or two.” That obviously would not do. It was risky enough to keep succubi shapeshifters imprisoned but with civilians?

“Execute them then.” It was a dry answer, there was no glory in it.

“Understood Grand Marshal.” Aryon said. “The beastmen will be used to assist with that.”

“I’m going to be taking most of them off you.” Iliyal said. “Pick out four in five or tell them to sit themselves.”

At that, Aryon did have more of a response. “Sir…” He stopped for a moment, then held his tongue. “Very well, it will be done.”

“Is there a problem with it?”

“They’re our melee troops, crucial in line-holding.”

“Tell Olephia she has more three-syllable authorization.” Iliyal gave where he took. “Don’t let them even get close at this point, has Fer confirmed presence of princes?”

“No.”

“Retreat her back through the Ashfront. She will stay in Rilia for the meantime, but we may need her for the more pressing front.” The one which no one saw and that was fought between the SIS and the rot slowly contaminating the Empire.

“Understood.”

“Will she be a loss?” The Star Missiles would be done soon. Arascus reported successful testing of the O-Bomb. Combined, those two would be able to secure the landbridges. Apparently the Stars could not track moving target, but there was no issue of a mass of land running away, was there? The Eparika would be made into a glowing sea at the rate this was happening, but it was better than Epa become a grey continent.

“No Sir.” Aryon replied. “Amongst the troops maybe, she’s a morale-raiser.” Of course she was. “But with Goddess Olephia…” He trailed off. “Well Sir, I’m sure you know them better than I do.” Iliyal gave a wry smile and shook his head. Olephia single-handedly locked down the Rilian landbridge. If they had two of her, another could be transported to the Esberian one and cut Tartarus off.

“You’ll be given melee support when the Dwarven automata are moved up to the surface, hold with Olephia until then.” Where it not for that ocean, Epa would have fallen already. That was the sole saving grace they had. That single ocean.

“Thank you Grand Marshal.” Aryon said. “Is there anything else?”

“There isn’t.”

“Then I will inform Fer and start reorganising the beastmen. General Aryon out. Empire bless.” The phone switched off. That was the last man done. Iliyal looked over at the papers. The locals, he would have to deal with himself. That could be done in a meeting though, and he had suspicions about any local garrison commander. They would have to be recalled, tested, and then the orders could be given.

Then onto the Esberian front. Iliyal scrolled through his phone to General Menith. The elf answered almost immediately. “Grand Marshal.” He answered. First, as had been done with Aryon, a report would have to be given. To especially whether Menith himself wasn’t an infiltrator.

“I have orders but I want your report on the war first.”

“I sent one off yesterday Grand Marshal.” Menith said. “Nothing has changed since then, the front is relatively stable, they’re advancing on the eastern section. Fortia reports that her troops are stretched thin. The coastline is lost. Of Peace gave the order to Irinika to search for the spewer in Esberia and return within two days if she doesn’t find it.” There was a pause and the sound of movement. The pulling back of a cloth, then rumbling thunder and winds that made the phone scream. “Considering it’s still there, I doubt she’s found it.”

“Is it pushing though?” Iliyal asked.

“No.” Menith replied. “In regards to that, I assume there’s multiple spewers in Esberia. It’s still advancing towards in the east, but it’s stable near the west where Anassa and Maisara are.” He trailed off. “In regards to that Grand Marshal, it’s in the report, but I’d like you to read the analysis. In my view, they’re trying to reach Rancais and then swing west to encircle us.”

“Goddess Kassandora and Kavaa are there, Elassa is in the area, you may see Fer and Arascus too, you won’t be cut off.”

“I didn’t think I would.” Menith replied. “It’s just an analysis of what is happening. Otherwise Elassa has six large cities left, she’s going to be assigned to the towns after.” He trailed off.

“Is there a problem?”

“I had to ring Goddess Kassandora again when dealing with Elassa.” Of course he did.

“Don’t worry about it, ring her again if you need to.”

“And Maisara came to visit in the morning.” That changed Iliyal’s calm mood immediately. The elf was speaking too easily and not asking enough questions to be an infiltrator, but this was something else entirely. Maisara? Maisara leaving the front? One might as well ask Fer to stop eating meat.

Iliyal stood there in silence. “You saw Maisara?”

“I did, yesterday.”

“Why Maisara and not Anassa?”

“Anassa was busy apparently.” Menith replied slowly, his tone careful. “And I did not…” He trailed off.

“Did not what?” Iliyal snapped.

“Did not think it proper to question her, she was in a poor mood.” Of course she was, because who would question.

“Do you know even Maisara?” Iliyal shouted, standing up to get some of the tension that was building up in his stomach finally out. “The woman would rather die than break her vows, you told her to stay in the Ashfront, didn’t you? Was it urgent at least?” That would be a different thing. It was Maisara! She would not report to Menith! Even if Anassa was busy then how long could Anassa even remain busy for? Of Sorcery tore armies apart in a matter of hours, even if she faced a Prince, then both sides would eventually retreat? And Maisara supposedly had taken the time to report to Menith herself?

“I…” Menith began, through the phone. “No, not really.”

Iliyal stopped moving and turned towards the window. The sky outside was entirely grey here. There was no pretending it wasn’t, sometimes a ray of sun would get through but everyone knew that the greyness was not clouds up there. “Then let me explain something to you General.” Iliyal began slowly, another convoy of trucks bringing more ammunition to the front was in the distance. Better ammunition than men at least. “Maisara is the Goddess of Order, do you know what that fucking means?”

Menith remained silent for a few moments, then realised he was supposed to reply. “No Sir.”

“She is the most fucking stubborn, the most fucking fanatical and the most fucking obnoxious Divine to deal with. She has never lied, not once in her whole fucking life and do you know how old she is?”

“No Sir.”

“At least fucking three thousand years. She’s survived Worldbreaking, Reconstruction, Heroism, she’s from the fucking Age of Tyranny General. And not once, not one time, has ever anyone heard her lie. She swore to the White Pantheon and she had to die to be released from it. The reason I assigned you Maisara is because she personally said to myself, with Arascus in the room, that as long as this Surface War was going on, she would fight for the Empire. Her honesty is so fucking unquestionable it is like gravity, jump General, and you will see you fall back down onto your sorry feet. And what did you tell Maisara. I know, because I wrote the Order out to you.”

Menith repeated the order perfectly, of course he did. The man was not stupid, just cretinous. “To stay within Ashen Skies unless there was an existential threat, retreat was called, the lines were so overwhelmed that the best tactical decision was to retreat, or she needed personal healing from the likes of Kavaa.”

“Why do you think it’s phrased like that?”

“I don’t know Sir.”

“Because if you told her to stay under Ashen Skies until we won, then she would die before breaking her word.” Iliyal said calmly. “And now you tell me that Maisara came to visit you because of nothing important.”

“I see the issue Grand Marshal.” Menith replied, his voice slow and quivering. Iliyal turned back around, the phone was set onto the table, elven ears did not need the loudspeaker to be turned on.

“Maisara, Fortia, Anassa and Irinika follow your fucking orders, you don’t follow theirs. This is how it is. They are not Kavaa who will say nothing during meetings and they’re not Fer who will pretend to be your friend. They’re Divines, arrogant, loud, crass, hot-headed, everything that you think a Divine should be, that is what they are. And they still follow your fucking orders.”

“I understand Grand Marshal.”

Iliyal didn’t think the elf did. He was useful and talented though, but sometimes a dog needed to be broken. Too much petting made men soft just as they made dogs forget who they were supposed to listen to. “Irinika, Anassa, Maisara or Fortia will not kill you General. The worst they will do is taunt.”

“I understand.”

“No.” Iliyal stared over the map of Epa. “Do you know who will kill you?” Menith remained silent. “I will.” Iliyal said flatly as he leaned over the table. The strings that marked out where the Ashfront had spread to marked a line from western Esberia, then slightly north as they hit the nation’s eastern coast, then cover and back down over the Western Eparika. Then straight down to Rilia, where the southern part was submerged yet stable because none would get past Olephia. Arika was entirely consumed, Khmet was evacuation east to its neighbours. “You will be recalled and court-martialled and I will put a bullet in your head if you do not do it first Menith. That is a promise. Do not be afraid of Divinity when men still walk this world.” That was one of Malam’s lines Iliyal had overheard from the Great War.

General Menith took ten seconds to respond. “I understand Grand Marshal.”

“Next time you see a Divine enter your tent, no matter whether it’s Goddess Kassandora or Emperor Arascus, you ask them for a test. If you think we’re children here who will be offended, you are wrong. The rest will understand too.”

“I…” Menith began and trailed off. “I will.”

“Succubi in Arseille have been confirmed by Helenna to impersonate Divinity, Malam has confirmed they impersonate men. We are adding new restrictions, you are to start testing your officers.” Iliyal said. “Because if they impersonate Maisara, I assume you’ve lost a good amount of your cadre already and you don’t even know it.”

Menith stammered out a formless words before he managed to form something coherent. “They? Divinity?”

“Helenna has confirmed that they impersonated Malam before her.” Iliyal said. “That is why your Maisara hiccup is serious.” Iliyal said. “I will send you a plan within the next few hours on testing procedure. Tell all your officers, everyone within your headquarters to line up on the yard. And get twice that number in soldiers ready to surround them. You know Blood-Cell testing procedure?”

“Yes of course.”

“Twice a day, in the morning and in the evening. I’ll send the rest for you today. You’re going to be receiving beastmen within the week. Let them operate in packs, they’re under my jurisdiction, not yours. They know what to do.”

“Of course.”

“And…” Iliyal sighed. “What did Maisara ask you about?”

“She…” Menith trailed off. “Nothing really. She reported the scenario, asked about logistics and when the next shipment of troops will come in.” The usual. That wasn’t anything impressive. Iliyal didn’t even breathe out his anger, he had been prepared for it, what else could a spy try to find? “She didn’t mention Arseille or Succubi or anything like that.” Of course she wouldn’t, she wasn’t stupid. “She asked for assistance with the fleet and when the Esberian Landbridge would be shut off.”

“Did she now?” Iliyal’s eyes turned to Arseille, and then to the western Eparika. “What did you tell her?”

“I told her I don’t know. That the fleet was being equipped with FSS shielding but I have no more information than that.” That was true, there had been no reason for Menith to know the fine intricacies and the equipping of the fleets was being broadcast on public news to raise morale.

“Did she want anything else?”

“She wanted a specific date for it and how long.”

“What did you tell her?”

“That I couldn’t it imagine it being within the next week but maybe within the month. That was all. She left after that.” Iliyal took a deep breath as he thought.

“Keep your phone close by, I may ring again.” Iliyal said. “And remember what I told you.” He shut off the line and stared back down at the map. Why would a succubi ask about the fleet? And for what reason even? He looked over the map with its lines, a hundred pins that were rearranged almost every day to follow the coming of the ash.

From western Esberia, north, north towards Arseille, then almost straight down along the Rilian coastline. And another section which obscured the Rilian landbridge, there, it stretched maybe eighty miles wide. And she had asked about the fleet. That protrusion in the Western Eparika had always been baffling, it was across one of the widest parts of the sea itself, the theory went that Tartarus could not be pushing there because water displacement would cause tidal waves and flooding.

But then a succubi had asked about the timescale. Menith had given her a week. Iliyal turned back to the map. He looked over the smaller map of all Epa, updated now to include the Central Arikan Sea that Elassa had made during continent cracking. He looked back down at the map. Then back at that sea. Then back at the map. Then the sea.

And if as they pulled up ground, why could they not dig out a basin?

Why did Ashen Skies reach so far north over the Eparika?

Why would a spy ask about fleet movements?

…

..

.

Iliyal tried to convince himself the answer wasn’t what it was. He could not find a single reason as to argue against him. The nail in the coffin was the final question he always asked himself. In their situation, what would he do?

Exactly the same thing.

There was a landbridge heading to Rancais.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep