---
The camp buzzed with grim efficiency.
Blacksmiths hammered fresh steel into blades, their forges roaring through the night. Alchemists brewed frost-resistant potions and combat stimulants, the acrid scent of boiling herbs thick in the air. Soldiers sharpened weapons, checked armor, and murmured prayers to gods who had long since stopped listening.
And in the midst of it all, the chosen trainees stood like shadows—too young for this war, too strong to be left behind.
Kaito leaned against a supply cart, watching as Aiko drilled with her new squad. Her spear flashed silver in the morning light, cutting through training dummies with brutal precision.
"You're hesitating," came a voice beside him.
Ren stood there, his staff resting against his shoulder. His usual calm had sharpened—something darker lurking beneath the surface.
Kaito didn't look at him. "She's not."
Aiko's next strike split a dummy clean in half.
Ren exhaled. "That's the problem."
---
They found Ryn sharpening his knives behind the armory.
Ryn, the only Westerner in their ranks, didn't pause, his whetstone moving in smooth, practiced strokes. "You're late."
Aiko rolled her eyes. "We're not the ones hiding."
Ryn's blade stilled. "I'm not hiding. I'm preparing."
Kaito crossed his arms. "For what?"
Ryn met his gaze. "The moment the plans fail."
Silence.
Then—
"Well, this is depressing," Taigo announced, strolling up with a roasted meat skewer in hand. The Sunspark mage grinned, though it didn't reach his eyes. "Anyone else feel like we're being sent to die?"
Aiko snorted. "Speak for yourself."
Ren's fingers tightened around his staff. "We're not dying. Not yet."
Kaito said nothing.
But his hand drifted to his sword.
---
At dusk, the horns sounded as the scouts returned—half of them.
Their armor was splattered with black ichor. One man clutched a bleeding shoulder, his face pale. The lead ranger—a grizzled veteran with a missing ear—strode straight to General Ryunosuke's tent.
General Ryunosuke summoned the all unit leaders immediately.
The trainees weren't invited.
Inside the command tent, maps were spread across the table, marked with fresh ink and splatters of blood.
"The monsters aren't scattered. They're organized. There's a central nest deep in the Drakthar region—fortified. And something's leading them. A Dragon"
Silence.
The planning began.
"—dragon's nest is here," the ranger rasped, likely pointing at a map. "Surrounded by cliffs. Only one approach."
A growl—Ryunosuke. "A bottleneck."
"A slaughterhouse," the ranger corrected. "It's herding monsters into the pass. Letting the terrain do the work."
"We go at dawn."
---
The Night Before
They gathered one last time.
No speeches. No grand vows.
Just a shared fire and the weight of what was coming.
Aiko polished her spear, the metal gleaming like a sliver of moonlight.
Ren traced runes into his staff, each stroke deliberate.
Ryn tested the edge of his knife against his thumb. A thin line of blood welled up.
Taigo poked at the flames, his usual grin absent.
And Kaito?
He watched the mountains.
Waiting.
---
By first light, the vanguard squads were assembled at the gates.
Kaito adjusted his grip on his sword, feeling the weight of it—familiar, comforting. Beside him, Aiko spun her spear in a quick flourish, her earlier bravado replaced by focused intensity. Yuriko stood motionless, her breath not fogging in the cold.
General Ryunosuke addressed them with uncharacteristic brevity:
"Scouts will guide you to the edge of the nest. Your job is to break their front lines. Hold until reinforcements arrive."
Aiko smirked. "Just hold? We could wipe them out ourselves."
The general's gaze didn't waver. "Don't die stupidly until reinforcements arrive, Or I'll kill you myself."
Kaito exhaled, watching his breath curl in the dawn light.
Showtime.
---
The gates creaked open.
The vanguard moved first—soldiers in scaled armor, their swords unsheathed. Behind them, the trainees fell into formation.
Kaito tightened his grip on his blade.
Somewhere ahead, the dragon waited.
Somewhere ahead, the war would begin.
Kaito watched the snow fall, wondering if it would bury them all by morning.
----
End Chapter 15