Caterpillar War

Several days later, in the wastelands, for some unknown reason, a terrifying Magic Tide gathered madly, forming a blue-black vortex in midair like a deep-sea abyssal eye.

"An Ideal Homeland no longer reachable—Lordless Camelot!"

In an instant, the dense clouds exploded as holy lances woven from aether plunged from the sky with the force of thunder.

Beneath the slashing arcs of wild light, the earth split into spiderweb cracks. Grass, trees, sand, and stones turned to dust. Everything within a hundred meters became a barren white expanse, littered with thumb-sized strips of charred carbonized matter.

The bombardment continued for a full four or five minutes before the biting Aether Tide finally began to fade.

As the dust settled, the graceful figure standing atop a jutting bedrock at the heart of the storm gripped her wand. Her imposing presence radiated majesty, like a Queen ruling the land as she toured her kingdom.

"Hmph, weak! Far too weak! I finally got fired up, and it's already over? How boring..."

The Queen's murmur echoed across the devastated wilderness, her disdain plain to hear.

"Yes, yes, you're right..."

After that perfunctory reply, the listless voice turned plaintive.

"So, can you open your eyes now, employer?"

At that moment, the tightly shut eyes beneath the veil struggled open by the faintest slit, stealing a tiny glance at the scene.

Only after confirming that none of those monsters remained nearby did Morgan reluctantly open her eyes fully. Her gaze fell upon her two dirt-covered companions below, and an unnatural flicker passed through her eyes.

"They were just some magic insects. There was no need to use a large-scale ritual spell."

Samael shook the dust from himself, caught somewhere between laughter and tears.

Just moments ago, as they passed through this wasteland, they had happened to encounter