The Conflict Between North and South

"I... just wanted to win this war," Wien said cautiously.

"Oh?" The Sandworm Menos Grande hesitated, then gave a contemptuous snort. "Is running away your way of winning? And here I overlooked your unrestrained feeding when I summoned you. You've truly disappointed me!" As he spoke, the Sandworm Menos Grande swung his thick tail straight at Wien. "Since you're of no more use, become my food!"

"My lord, wait! Please hear me out!" Wien tried to explain himself. But the Sandworm Menos Grande gave him no chance, and the enormous tail continued flying toward him.

"An ant is still an ant. No matter how interesting you are, you can't escape your nature. Die!" The Sandworm Menos Grande had lost interest in Wien. After all, Wien was still only a Gillian, and to a high-level Adjuchas like him, a Gillian was no different from an ant.

Clang!!!

But just as the Sandworm Menos Grande's tail came down, before it could touch Wien, the enormous tail struck a wall of yellow light with a deafening crash.

"This is... Negación?" Feeling the lingering recoil, the Sandworm Menos Grande showed no displeasure. Instead, he waved his tail back and forth with great interest.

"Interesting... You actually used Negación on me to protect yourself from attack. What an interesting Gillian, hahaha. But little ant, do you think you can trap me like this?!"

"My lord, I meant no offense." With that, Wien immediately dispelled the Negación. "My lord, I only want to survive this war. I had no intention of running away. After all, before hundreds of Pseudo-Adjuchas powerhouses, my strength is practically nonexistent. That's why I resorted to this desperate measure and made my way to the rear of the battlefield. It wasn't to escape, but to find a way to win this war and give myself a chance to survive."

"Insolence!" The Sandworm Menos Grande lashed out with his tail, instantly reducing several unfortunate Gillians passing by him to a bloody mess and killing them.

"A newly evolved Gillian thinks he can sway the battlefield? What arrogant nonsense! Do you know that I have led the Northern Forest in battle for years? For all these years, the wars between the three Forests of Menos have always ended in a devastating stalemate. That has never changed. You little ant, how dare you make such a boast? Do you truly have no regard for me?!"

"My lord, please forgive my bluntness." Wien stepped back, as if to withstand the onslaught of that overwhelming Spiritual Pressure. "The way both sides are fighting now involves no tactics whatsoever. It's nothing more than the most basic tactic of throwing troops in bit by bit. Such a tactic only consumes each side's cannon fodder and cannot possibly bring victory. The final result will inevitably be another stalemate after grievous losses."

"Tactics? Cannon fodder? What are those? I don't understand!" As the master of a Forest of Menos, the Sandworm Menos Grande perhaps possessed considerable Spiritual Pressure and intelligence, but using tactics in a group battle was another matter entirely.

The greatest difference between Hollows suited to combat and those that were not lay in their experience with one-on-one battles and their ability to command group battles. For a Hollow unsuited to combat, who could only remain in the Forest of Menos and grow step by step, a one-on-one fight might still be manageable. But when it came to a battlefield with tens of thousands of combatants, he was far, far inferior to Wien in terms of tactics.

"Great Lord of the Forest North, please believe your servant. If you are willing to give me a chance, my lord, I am willing to bring you victory in this war!" Seeing that the Sandworm Menos Grande's killing intent toward him had diminished, Wien immediately adopted a respectful manner and offered his plan.

A wise man knew when to yield. As he was now, Wien could not possibly escape from so many Pseudo-Adjuchas. The difference in strength was like that between a mantis and a chariot. Thus, Wien decided to submit for the time being and help the Sandworm Menos Grande devise a strategy. At the very least, he had to survive first. If the Sandworm Menos Grande killed him with a single swipe of his tail, Wien's death would be far too unfair.

"Hmph. Arrogant little bug, what makes you worthy of my trust?" The Sandworm Menos Grande still had his pride and could not simply trust Wien without reason.

"Because of how I just used Negación." Wien's thoughts raced. "May I ask, my lord, in all your past campaigns, have you ever seen a Gillian use Negación as I did?"

"Hmm..." The Sandworm Menos Grande hesitated for a moment. "Indeed, in all these hundreds of years, you are the first Gillian I've seen use Negación that way. But that is no reason for me to trust you."

"My lord, my own strength is insignificant. But you have dozens of powerful Pseudo-Adjuchas Menos Grande under your command. If their abilities and Negación are used properly, along with tactics, we can..."

"Are you trying to command me?!" The Sandworm Menos Grande's Intelligence had already awakened, but his combat intelligence was not particularly high, nor was his fighting ability among the best. After all, he was a Hollow Beast unsuited to combat. That was perhaps why he had never dared enter the Inner Circle, instead spending hundreds or even thousands of years in the outer circle to reach his current level.

Even so, that long accumulation had made him powerful to a certain degree. Wien did not dare act rashly in his presence at all; he could kill several Gillians with one swipe of his tail. Wien was simply no match for him.

"I wouldn't dare, my lord. I only want to tell you my idea, and I hope you'll give me a chance." To protect himself, Wien had no choice but to bow and scrape. "If you find my plan unsuitable, it won't be too late to kill me then."

"Speak!" With a cold snort, the Sandworm Menos Grande slammed his tail heavily against the ground.

"Yes, my lord. Please hear me out." Wien cautiously took a few steps closer to the Sandworm Menos Grande, then quietly explained his plan. A moment later, the expression beneath the Sandworm Menos Grande's mask grew hesitant. He began considering every word Wien had said and whether the plan could be carried out smoothly.

"...Riate!" After a while longer, the Sandworm Menos Grande looked at the Gillians fighting at the very front, then called toward the rear. Soon, an enormous beetle-type Pseudo-Adjuchas Menos Grande flew over from behind.

"My lord, your orders?" the beetle Hollow asked humbly after landing.

"Bring this Gillian. We're going to the rear."

"Yes, my lord." With that, the wings on the beetle Hollow's back beat once more, and he rose into the air, hovering above Wien's head. "Ant, grab my antenna."

Wien breathed an inward sigh of relief. At least for now, his life was safe. After taking a breath, he reached out and grabbed the beetle Hollow's barbed appendage. Fortunately, the barbs were spaced far enough apart, or Wien would have been injured.

After following the beetle Hollow back behind the Gillian horde, Wien finally got a clear look at the strongest fighters who had come to wage war. More than sixty Pseudo-Adjuchas Menos Grande stood before him. A little over half were insect-shaped Menos Grande. Most of the rest were half-human, half-beast, including Niji, the snake-man Hollow. From his appearance, his Spiritual Pressure seemed higher than when Wien had last seen him. He had probably devoured Kaslanine and then been taken into the Lord of the Forest North's service.

There were relatively few Mutant Hollows and Humanoid Hollows in this force, only a scattered handful. The balance of power was clear at a glance.

Wien did not know whether it had to do with compatibility, but this Forest of Menos seemed to be controlled by insect-type Pseudo-Adjuchas. If that really was the case and compatibility had to be considered, then Nel would probably still retain some antelope features after becoming a Pseudo-Adjuchas. But it would be difficult for him. He was a Humanoid Hollow through and through, and that strengthened his resolve to leave the Forest.

"Is this the strength of the Northern Forest?" As soon as he landed, Wien felt indescribably uncomfortable under the Spiritual Pressure bearing down on him from every direction, but he could only grit his teeth and resist being overwhelmed by the waves of pressure.

"Strength? This is only about a third of it," the beetle Hollow said contemptuously. "Every ten years, two of the three Forests of Menos hold a holy war, giving Pseudo-Adjuchas who struggle to survive in the Inner Circle and newly born Pseudo-Adjuchas a chance to grow stronger. Our war with the Southern Forest this time is no different."

"Thank you for explaining, my lord." Wien hurriedly thanked him. Though his own strength was insignificant, that did not stop him from slowly gleaning information from these powerful Pseudo-Adjuchas.

First was the Northern Forest's strength. It was occupied by approximately two to three hundred Pseudo-Adjuchas Menos Grande in total. Most were Menos Grande unsuited to combat who did not dare enter the Inner Circle. Only by remaining in a gathering place like the Forest of Menos, where Gillians predominated, did they have a greater chance of survival.

Second was the origin and purpose of this war. Perhaps ten years from now, Wien could take part in another massive hunt like this one.

Boom!

With a tremendous crash, the Sandworm Menos Grande landed heavily, and every Pseudo-Adjuchas Menos Grande present turned to look at him.

"All Pseudo-Adjuchas Menos Grande, hear my orders." The moment he landed, the Sandworm Menos Grande began issuing commands. "In half a quarter-hour, all Pseudo-Adjuchas Menos Grande are to proceed to the front. Each of you will select ten Gillians and take control of them. Wude, Kabuno, each of you will lead a group of Pseudo-Adjuchas out to the left and right, taking your controlled Gillians with you. Move sideways and stay behind them. Be careful not to get hurt.

"Riate, bring this Gillian and follow me as we break through the center. When you see the Bala signal I fire into the sky, all Pseudo-Adjuchas are to use Negación on a row of Gillians in the center. When you see me fire a Cero at the enemy, all Pseudo-Adjuchas must combine your strongest Ceros and blast the enemy Pseudo-Adjuchas with everything you've got. Understood?!"

"Yes, my lord!" The Adjuchas accepted their orders, quickly assembled their groups, and flashed off toward their respective battle zones. Moments later, only the Lord of the Forest North, Riate the beetle, and Wien remained in the rear.

"Ant," the Lord of the Forest North said once everyone had dispersed. "I'll trust you this once. If I discover you have any improper intentions, don't blame me for showing no mercy!" Along with his threatening words, the Sandworm Menos Grande slammed his tail down beside Wien as a warning.

"I would never dare deceive you, great Lord of the Forest North." Wien hurriedly took two steps back to show his respect. At the same time, he reflected that weakness was the original sin. In this world where the strong preyed on the weak, only by striving to become stronger could he avoid groveling like this.

"I've fought that ugly thing from the Southern Forest for decades. By now, neither of us is far from Vasto Lorde-level. If I can defeat and devour it in this battle, I may become a Vasto Lorde in one leap. If that happens, I believe I'll have no equal in this outer circle." The Sandworm Menos Grande raised his head and sighed deeply, his words full of longing.

"Great Lord of the Forest North, you are certain to win a resounding victory in this battle!" Wien took the opportunity to offer a compliment, though his own words made him want to vomit.

"Hmph, spare me the flattery. Riate, let's go." As soon as he finished speaking, the Sandworm Menos Grande's enormous, dozens-of-meters-long body suddenly vanished before Wien's eyes.

Sonído allowed one to move instantly tens or even hundreds of meters, no matter how enormous one's body was.

"Yes, my lord." Riate's back armor opened, and the wings beneath it slowly beat. Wien grabbed one of his appendages just in time. Then Riate rose into the air and flew toward the battlefield.

After roughly a quarter-hour, Wien reached the front of the battlefield, and the Lord of the Forest North landed there at the same time. Before them, more than ten Gillians were exchanging Ceros. In another two or three rounds, the Gillians' Spiritual Pressure would probably be exhausted. Then they would be swallowed up by the Ceros of the Gillians following behind them.

The greatest pitfall of throwing troops in bit by bit was precisely this sort of mindless attrition. Yet most Hollows knew nothing of tactics. That was true of these Pseudo-Adjuchas unsuited to combat, and even more so of Gillians.

Those Pseudo-Adjuchas suited to combat also preferred to fight on their own. The occasional group hunt involved only a few or a dozen of them. In a war involving tens of thousands like this, they had no tactics to speak of.

So Wien chose the simplest method: a pocket battle. They would surround all the disorganized enemy Gillians and slowly wipe them out. Of course, that was assuming the enemy's main force did not appear.

The Lord of the Forest North's subordinates quickly set about carrying out his orders. More than a hundred Gillians began moving sideways and soon surrounded the opposing Gillians. At the orders of the Pseudo-Adjuchas behind them, they began firing volley after volley of Ceros at the enemies inside the partial encirclement.

It was an extremely simple formation, yet it effectively left the disorganized enemy unable to fight back. It was not that Wien could not use more sophisticated tactics, but even if he did, these Gillians would not know how to execute them. They only knew how to charge straight ahead, and the Pseudo-Adjuchas present could not control every Gillian. That left Wien no choice but to use this crude encirclement.

Even so, the results were obvious.

What had been a battle with balanced offense and defense had now become one where each Gillian faced two or three opponents. The opposing Gillian horde was quickly swallowed up by the ceaseless offensive. For a time, the enemy Gillians suffered heavy losses, and those steadily mounting losses gradually began to heat up and escalate the battle.