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If you spill dye, the entire surroundings change color.

Lucella sensed that something similar to that was happening.

“…Huh?” Christophe’s voice, usually composed, sounded frantic as he questioned what was going on. Even he seemed to have felt the unusual change.

Leaving the warm room where the fireplace flickered, they suddenly felt exposed to the cold wind, experiencing a chilling and merciless feeling of vulnerability.

It was the sensation of their lives being threatened.

Something deadly was spreading like ripples from the battlefield, rewriting the world.

“The atmosphere has changed! This is…”
“…The ‘worst-case scenario.’ He’s done it. He’s really done it,” Christophe frowned, gritting his teeth like a beast baring its fangs.

“That b̲a̲s̲t̲a̲r̲d̲! Does he truly intend to destroy everything?!”

Lucella grasped the truth of the situation.

The lands that had lost control of the Regalia would eventually reclaim their true power, becoming wild and uninhabitable. Setulev was losing the restraining force of the Wisdom Eye Vortex and slowly heading toward disaster.

However, Julian was now accelerating that destruction. He manipulated the world to break the constraints imposed by the Wisdom Eye Vortex.

If he desired to cause a calamity on the battlefield, he could easily do that by unleashing the power of Regalia. Julian’s objective was to put all of Setulev at risk, compelling them to deal with the crisis and disrupting their footing.

It was an atrocious act of invasion, akin to forming an alliance with demons.

Maltgartz’s excuse that it was all ‘Julian’s rampage’ would no longer be sufficient. Even if they blamed Julian, there would be consequences to face. But such a resolution might not be advantageous for Setulev or any other nation hostile to Maltgartz.

A stone thrown into the water would sink, but the ripples would spread. Similarly, it would bring chaos to the human world.

The world had already forgotten about the Human-Dragon War and was starting to stabilize, yet he was attempting to throw it into chaos again.

However, those present in this place had no time to worry about the future of the international order. Their immediate concern was whether they could survive, as well as the fate of Setulev as a nation and the lives of all its people.

During peaceful times, Regalia continuously drew upon the chains of seals to maintain world stability. These firmly layered seals were not easily broken, even with an equal force applied in the opposite direction, at least in theory.

However, the suppressed power of the world was now pushing for the release of the seals. Furthermore, Setulev’s seal had already begun to show cracks since the loss of the Wisdom Eye Vortex a few days ago. In such a precarious situation, it was impossible to predict how long it could hold, presenting an unprecedented scenario that demanded caution.

“Grrrrrrrr…”
“Mom!”

Kafal, who had been soaring overhead, let out a low growl and flew southward over the mountain.

The once clear sky started to spread with heavy, dense clouds. The clouds that formed over the battlefield gradually expanded southward. It was as if drops of ink had been spilled into clear water, creating a foreboding sight.

Aiming for those rain clouds, Kafal let out a mighty roar.

“Groaaaaar!!”

And unleashed her fiery breath.

The sky brightened as if there were two suns, and her Fire Breath scorched the rain clouds. However, it wasn’t just about clearing the rain clouds with a flamethrower.

Dragons were inherently intertwined with the world, and their power was akin to that of Regalia. …No, it was Regalia that emulated the power of dragons, created to be controlled by human will.

At this moment, Kafal was countering and disrupting the power emitted by the Wisdom Eye Vortex.

Even if it was just a measure to gain some time, they had no other choice. Otherwise, the city of Kugutfulm, the closest to Mount Kuguse, would soon be engulfed by the storm, resulting in the loss of hundreds, if not thousands, of lives.

“Even the Regalia’s power should take time to propagate throughout the land… How much time can we buy with this?”
“I don’t know either…!”

Christophe had also considered this scenario and prepared a response in advance. It was the worst-case scenario they hoped would never happen.

Only Kafal could stall for time by neutralizing the power of the Regalia. In other words, they had to reclaim the Wisdom Eye Vortex without Kafal’s assistance.

“Press on! The enemy can’t retreat any further. Seize the advantage of higher ground! Don’t make mistakes in guiding the Variants.”

Christophe’s expression as he issued orders through distant communication was not one of despair, but rather resolute.

His decisions could determine the fate of many lives, even extending beyond the battlefield. The weight of such responsibility was palpable, and any person with a sound mind would feel the pressure.

“…Even if we have to sacrifice all our lives, we must stop the Regalia. However, to achieve that…”
“I understand.”

Christophe’s words were heavy with gravity.

As the situation became increasingly dire, they found themselves with no choice but to resort to drastic measures to protect the nation of Setulev. What was the simplest way to stop the Regalia?

“Before that, please allow me to try one thing. I don’t want it to end like this.”

Despite everything, Lucella had not given up.

Maltgartz’s vast territory was governed by the power of four Regalia, bending the wild forces of nature to create habitable lands for humans.

Julian now stood just outside the effective range of Maltgartz’s Regalia. In other words, this was a place normally within the Wisdom Eye Vortex’s effective range. The tips of the so-called veins that were laid like wires to spread its power.

From here, they could channel the Wisdom Eye Vortex’s power into the entire Setulev.

Removing the seas with the Regalia would naturally spread throughout Setulev, provided there was no interference from dragons.

The immediate impact, however, seemed to affect the very spot where Julian stood, as cold rain started falling from the overcast skies, shrouded by rain clouds.

“The Red Dragon flew south!”
“Well, that’s their only option, I suppose… Having everything go so perfectly according to plan feels strangely dull.”

Earlier, Julian and his guards had been at the forefront, but now the rest of the soldiers caught up and began organizing their formation.

The spear infantry created spear walls, the heavy infantry lined up with large shields, and the archers readied themselves for counter-fire against the enemy archers. The mech operators stood by, prepared to deploy barriers to protect against enemy cannons or large-scale magic attacks. The mages used earth elemental magic to construct walls and trenches, ready to fend off any enemy assaults.

At present, the Setulev’s Mount Kuguse Defence Unit had their entire kingdom held hostage. There was no option but to face the enemy on the battlefield and seek a swift resolution. As a result, Marquis Angus’ forces adopted a defensive posture, planning to confront the enemy.

If the Red Dragon was withdrawing from the battlefield and Setulev’s army was going to be lured out, it was far more advantageous for them to do this over climbing the mountain.

Should Setulev stubbornly choose to defend itself in a siege, the nation would eventually fall, leaving Maltgartz unstoppable. It would put a stop to the avoidance of battle in hopes of the goodwill or whims of other nations, a peace-loving sentiment Julian couldn’t even understand. He could return the world to its rightful state.

To Julian, the outcome of the situation was inconsequential. Whichever way it went, he would retain personal control over his own piece of the Regalia.

Incidentally, Julian had not consulted anyone about this plan to directly target Setulev’s land. In fact, Julian had not consulted anyone about this battle from start to finish. He saw no need to seek opinions from fools.

The majority of the army remained unaware of the unfolding events, as only Julian himself and those closest to him were privy to the situation.

Although some of his retainers had staunchly opposed the idea of launching a direct attack on Setulev’s territory, Julian swiftly dealt with them, decisively removing about three particularly stubborn (and foolish) individuals from the equation.

“The aerial threat is no more. All aerial units, take off immediately. Should any flying enemies appear, I’ll take them down myself.”

Upon receiving Julian’s orders, the cavalry swiftly took flight on their Hippogriffs through the rainy skies. These skilled aerial knights deftly navigated the three-dimensional battlefield, causing havoc in the enemy’s formations and dealing significant blows. With their loss of air superiority, the besieged ground forces could only hope and pray that their archers and mages could somehow manage to shoot down their foes.

The powerful magical assaults from the Regalia were not suitable for direct support on the ground due to the risk of collateral damage to their own forces. Therefore, targeting the airborne adversaries proved to be a more viable approach, given the unparalleled range and potency of its attacks.

And once the enemy’s aerial power was stolen, the victory would be all but guaranteed.

However, Julian’s initial optimism waned as he observed the enemy’s response. His attention was immediately sharpened as he noticed the appearance of magical projectile cannons, discreetly placed on a distant ridge just within their firing range. These cannons had most likely been transported using advanced storage magic items capable of holding entire cannons. Through his Magic Binoculars, Julian could discern both the mechanics operating the cannons and the mages protecting their position.

They responded too fast. There’s no hesitation in their movements… Did they anticipate even this type of battle? How impudent! However, knowing about it changes nothing!

Supposing his thoughts were seen through, it felt like his wisdom was being denied, making Julian feel a little irritated. Nevertheless, he quickly brushed aside such concerns, knowing that true strength and wisdom would ultimately be proven by the victor.

Soon, a thunderous sound echoed from the higher grounds, and a torrent of arrows rained down like black rain upon them. In response, the allied archers unleashed their own volley and promptly erected a shimmering canopy of light for defense. Most of the incoming arrows were deflected by the magical shield, but some arrows unluckily fell on the same spot, piercing the hole in it, and those below it fell victim to the arrows.

However, the arrow barrage wasn’t aimed at causing casualties; its purpose was to suppress counterattacks by forcing the deployment of protective barriers. Almost simultaneously with the hail of arrows, the battle cry resounded through Mount Kuguse.

Charging down the gentle slope towards the forces of Angus Marquis were the mounted knights, led by a small, fiery red figure, sprinting faster than any horse.

—To think she can disturb the dragon aura… No, perhaps it is to be expected given she’s the source. What an intense presence!

Julian felt an overwhelming surge of ‘aura’ bearing down on him, causing even nausea to well up inside. Such an intense presence from a distant location was highly unusual.

“My Lord!”
“I’m aware… She’s here.”

Julian could half Setulev’s destruction and resume the battle using the power of the Regalia at any moment. Having the army charge at him would only lead to vain deaths.

Thus they had prepared something for it.

A pseudo-dragon girl, who, though overwhelmingly inferior to the Red Dragon, could manipulate the power of nature.