A Wolf's Howl, A Fairy's Wing

At first glance, the battle appeared very reminiscent of the one Erik participated in.

Enkai, Ankhur, Sophia, and Ethan had all found their own battlefield a little off the side, Naeku was commanding the first- and second ranked troops with uncanny precision, and the clashing Runebounds and Arcanists were vastly different to their counterparts.

But, upon closer inspection, you'd quickly find the differences. For starters, Runa was fighting by Naeku's side and reaping lives like a bloodthirsty draugr out of Norse Hel. Her twin axes were a whirlwind of blood and death, even as an excited grin played on her lips.

A whirlwind of icy-white metal shards surged around her, tearing through the branded shapeshifters and vampires. Her affinity was glintfrost, a third rank affinity created by fusing frost and metalwind.

Despite her rampage, however, she did somewhat feel for these branded shapeshifters. Yet, she knew there was nothing she could do for them except grant them a quick death. That said, she'd much prefer to wade into the line of Arcanists in the back.

A second difference was that Naeku's side was the attacker this time. At this point, it hadn't been long since the Humanitas Sangh invaded Djibouti, and this was their attempt to drive them out before they'd entrench themselves.

And, as a consequence of the second difference, came the third point, which was that Naeku and her people were being far more aggressive. There was no waiting for reinforcements this time. This was us or them. They'd wipe out the Runebound and charge the Arcanists, no matter the cost.

Naturally, the same went for fight between third rankers. Currently, Enkai was clashing with Ethan, and Ankhur with Sophia, but they were going hard straight from the bat, heavily surprising the two Arcanists.

Unlike his daughter, Ankhur did not fight with a spear and shield, but by wielding a khopesh in each hand, showing his Egyptian heritage. His affinity appeared to be desert, just like one Naeku's affinities, which meant his attack and abilities were boosted by scorching hot sand, and significantly strengthened in their current environment.

For a short time, roaring, screaming, and the clashing of arms echoed across this patch of desert as the yellow sand was slowly soaked in blood. Explosions went off everywhere, as the Humanitas Sangh Arcanists flung their spells, which the attackers tried desperately to defend against as best they could.

Naeku's tactical insights were once again key, as her emotional roaring emboldened her troops. "My people!" she roared over their heads. "I know you want vengeance for the slaughter of Djibouti! I know you won't tolerate these monsters living on our land! Well, neither will I!"

"So, fight!" she continued while stabbing her spear in a vampire's chest making it blast apart with a sand explosion. "And fight hard! Drive these invaders out, and show the world that we will not tolerate barbarity! That we fight for peace, equality, and prosperity! For our future, and against hatred!!"

Cries and roars of agreement went up all along the attackers ranks as they began to fight even harder. To the side, Ankhur and Enkai couldn't help but smile fondly, even as they continued fighting their opponents. They couldn't help but be proud at the way Naeku commanded their people.

Yet, this state of affairs did not last long. The two third ranked Arcanists were holding up quite well against Ankhur and Enkai's aggressiveness, but that all changed very suddenly.

With Naeku's aggressive tactics, the casualties were mounting on both sides, but mainly on the side of the Humanitas Sangh. The combination of Naeku's tactics and the troop's discipline was quickly tearing apart the half-crazed, branded army they fought against. Even the massive Arcanist support couldn't stop it.

At the same time, Ankhur and Enkai suddenly began to overload their runes and ramp up their fighting. Instantly, the Arcanists they were up against began to panic. Suddenly, they had to choose between overloading their magic core, or fleeing.
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But any time they thought of fleeing, they remembered the woman in that palanquin and realized they didn't really have a choice. Currently, their choices only varied in the exact likelihood of death, so they chose the best option and quickly matched their opponent's actions.

Thus, despite having lasted only a very short time, the battle was quickly escalating. Inside the palanquin, a beautiful woman was peeking at the battle through the covers, and scowling in annoyance.

"Damn beasts…" she scoffed to herself. "Why show a spine? Just lay down and accept your inevitable defeat already."

"I think you might have to get involved in this one, dear Lilith," an gentle, but undetermined voice suddenly said next to her. "Use those powers granted to you by your ascension."

Lilith sighed in frustration, and turned to the side. There, a mass of shadows was projected from a sigil stone, hiding all but the speaker's dangerous, crimson eyes. "Do we have to call it ascension, even in private?" she rolled her eyes with ridicule.

No answer came. Yet, despite that, Lilith felt pressured, as if being stared at by an ancient evil. Finally, she groaned and nodded, "Fine, fine. I'll solve this mess, then."

"Good," the voice said softly. "Don't disappoint me, Lilith. And remember, Keeping Djibouti City is more important than crushing these insects. Slow expansion and consolidation are how you keep an empire intact, so don't chase them into the forest."

"Yes, Primarch," she grumbled slightly, clearly trying to show her defiance, while still obeying.

Without another word, the projection disappeared, and Lilith stepped out of the palanquin while lazily stretching her body. "Alright, let's see what we're dealing with here," she muttered as a sadistic grin began to spread on her full lips. At the same time, small dark flames began to dance on her fingertips.

Naturally, her ingress into the battlefield didn't go unnoticed. Enkai and Ankhur instantly cursed when their suspicions were verified, particularly because they felt the terrifying power thrumming around this woman.

Now, they were forced to keep an eye on her, while ramping up their aggression in an effort to take down the first two third rankers as quickly as possible.

But the most exaggerated reaction came from Runa. The white-furred werewolf halted her axes, and looked into the distance with shock and blinking eyes. Then, realization set in.

"Edda!" she roared into the sky, her grey eyes showing some level of obsession and insanity, as everything else around her disappeared. "To think I would find you here! Are you prepared to die?!"

If she was surprised by Edda's current power, she didn't show it. She'd been searching for this woman for years, and she wasn't about to give up this chance. Yet, whether she realized or not, she howled madly, with fury, loneliness, and despair.

Then, shiny, icy white runes appeared on her fur, and began to shine brightly, clearly showing she was overcharging them. Then, a strange, blood-red tattoo also appeared on her furry chest. Instantly, her power skyrocketed, and everyone felt like a fourth third-ranked had joined the battle.

Naeku, Enkai, and Ankhur looked at the display with confusion, fear, and hope. They feared for Runa's life, but they knew they needed someone to keep Lilith busy.

Speaking of Lilith, she blinked in surprise as her eyes turned towards the roaring werewolf. "Oh?" she mumbled as her sadistic grin gained a lot of excitement. "That I did not expect…"

Then, an empowered, enraged, and roaring Runa launched into the air on a trail of glintfrost, straight at Lilith. The pale, dark-haired woman watched her approach with curiosity, confidence, and sadism.