The Eve of War

Alili shook off her hand, stood up, and said calmly, "I'm not interested in you. I'm only cooperating with you because you've done me a favor."

"What a heartless man..."

The woman smiled, stood up, gathered her long, beautiful black hair, and turned her expressive, peach-blossom eyes to the large virtual screen. She said softly, "It won't be long before it awakens."

"What's the use of awakening? With the complete annihilation of the Flames of Life and Death, the Shadow Skull are no longer capable of serving as a member of the three major alliances." Alili said calmly, "If the war breaks out in full force, we will only suffer a complete defeat. It's laughable that Xien still dares to dream of competing with the Grimoire Heart."

The woman chuckled, "After all, the profits he's made from the core over the years have made him lose sight of the reality. But that's fine too. Since that's the case, our plan should be launched now."

"That was your plan, not mine." Alili then turned his gaze to the woman who had driven countless Shadow Skull men mad, and said calmly, "I am somewhat aware of your influence in the Northern Kingdoms, but don't forget, that guy exists in the Northern Kingdoms. Don't play with fire."

"Of course I know that. After all, that guy is someone even the Ten Wizard Saints are extremely wary of." The woman smiled gently, then asked, "And what about you?"

"Me?" Alili sneered. "That's none of your business."

"Do you know that man from earlier?" Tianna asked softly, breaking the silence as she helped Chiba walk back.

Chiba was somewhat surprised. He had noticed that the girl had been absent-minded the whole way, so he hadn't said a word. He hadn't expected her to take the initiative to ask him about Alili.

Chiba nodded slightly and replied, "We were friends before, but we parted ways because of some things."

Tianna fell silent for a moment, then said, "Could it be that he let us go because of you?"

Chiba paused, sensing a hint of dejection in the girl's tone.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

Tianna shook her head, her hair flying, and whispered, "Am I too weak? I was the one who led you on the mission, but you were the one protecting me the whole time. I... I could only fight some minor enemies. I didn't even see how that guy drew his sword. Even at the end, the enemy only let us go because of you."

Chiba smiled slightly, reached out and ruffled the girl's hair, saying, "It's alright, isn't it only natural for a boy to protect a girl? Besides, letting us go is a good thing..."

"It's not good at all!" Tianna suddenly became agitated and said, "I don't need it, I don't need their charity!"

Chiba paused, his hand on her head stopping, at a loss for what to do.

"But... I... I... all these years, I can only survive by relying on other people's charity. I also want to protect you. I've tried so hard, but I'm still so weak..." The girl squatted down, buried her pretty face between her legs, and sobbed softly.

Chiba remained silent.

This seemingly carefree and cheerful girl actually has a sensitive side and a strong sense of self-respect. She doesn't want to always be protected; she wants to protect others and use her own strength to uphold the justice she believes in.

Chiba didn't know how hard she worked, and they hadn't known each other for very long. But seeing this usually cheerful girl crying like this, he figured that the so-called genius title was just the result of countless times more effort put in behind the scenes...

She's already very strong. She's about the same age as Chiba, and if we disregard any special abilities, her strength is only slightly inferior to Chiba's.

Despite her strength, she suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Alili in just one exchange.

Chiba also knelt down and patted Tianna's head, offering no words of comfort. Sometimes, quiet companionship speaks louder than words.

After crying for a while, Tianna calmed down, wiped away her tears, and said, "I'm sorry, I got a little emotional."

Chiba patted her shoulder, smiled silently, and said, "It's alright, once you've cried it out, we'll continue on our way."

Tianna stopped crying and smiled, nodding emphatically.

×××

It was late when they returned; night had fallen over the frost-covered land, and the other side of the position was desolate, unseen by anyone. The heavy snow had stopped early, but the wind was still biting. The Magic Council's position was brightly lit, and the large tents provided much-needed protection from the cold wind. Magic soldiers patrolled back and forth, occasionally greeting acquaintances before returning to their duties. Some magic soldiers put down their long-time magic staffs and gathered around the campfire, eating, drinking, playing, and laughing loudly.

The atmosphere was unexpectedly relaxed. They talked about the cherry blossoms of their hometown, the intoxicating wine, and the beautiful girls who made wine. They sang as if they were having a bonfire party. The men huddled together, arms around each other, spitting as they talked, while the women sat on Taiseki not far away, watching the noisy men with tender eyes.

Normally, as soldiers, they would almost never show this side of themselves. They usually execute orders and tasks from their superiors efficiently without the slightest delay. But now, they are singing cheerful songs, dancing and talking about topics they would only dare to discuss in private.

No matter how cheerful the atmosphere, it couldn't hide the anxiety and heaviness between their brows. Just like some young soldiers, they would hide in a cold, dim corner, clutching a yellowed photograph, tears streaming down their faces.

Soon, they dispersed. The men's laughter subsided, and the young men wiped away their tears, regaining their seriousness. If it weren't for the still-burning campfire, everything that had just happened would seem like a dream.

The wind suddenly picked up, and the tiny sparks hidden in the charcoal shone brightly for a moment, but quickly lost their last bit of heat and turned into complete darkness.

Everyone knew this might be the last night.

All-out war is about to break out!

Tianna returned to her position; she needed to report the death of the Throne of Water to boost morale. After Chiba escorted her back, he lingered for a long time watching the others before returning to Nuolin's side.

There was no light in the room; perhaps Nuolin had gone to bed early. Chiba gently pushed open the door and tiptoed inside.

"Who?!" The girl's cold, low voice rang out the moment the door was touched. Chiba helplessly, conjuring high-temperature molten lava in his palm, flames flickering on it. Instantly, the CD player dispelled the darkness from the room.

"You..." Nuolin looked at Chiba in front of her.

Not knowing when Chiba would return, she went to bed early. If it weren't for that swordsman's intuition, she wouldn't have reacted so quickly when Chiba opened the door.

However, the senior sister in front of Chiba at this moment was very different from her usual temperament. If the senior sister who usually tied her hair in a high ponytail was cold and unapproachable, then the senior sister who now had her hair loose and slightly messy, wearing a loose beige nightgown that revealed a pair of slender and straight snow legs, had some girlish beauty and fragility.