At noon, under a cloudy gray sky, the muddy open field stretched out before Emel, the leading commander of this war. His short brown hair blew in the wind. He contorted his face to look confident as he stood tall at the helm of his troops, his gray eyes scanning the group of knights lined up in front of him, with their captains standing before them.

Among them was Lisenda, Emel's blood-related younger sister who had risen to the rank of captain in just a few years. Beside her stood a young teenage boy wearing leather armor, holding a basic iron sword, Feyt. He stared at them for a while before turning his attention away and refocusing on the group. Behind them stood the line of drafted villagers, all with no choice but to participate in the war. They stood still, disorganized and scared, yet controlled.

In that clearing, every knight squad was ready. Infantry, archers, mages, and the newly formed Tamer squad. Out of all of them, the one most restless would be the new squad, as it was their first experience using their Talents in a real battle.

The Tamer squad had around ten large cages containing an animal, and each of them was cloaked. The cages were carried by an iron cart pulled by dozens of horses. These horses were meant to be used in the war, but due to the muddy terrain, they wouldn't be able to be utilized properly. Thus, the horses were used for transportation instead.

The cavalry squad had been stationed at the camp instead of being on the front lines, along with a few groups of infantry, mages, and a single group of drafted villagers for added measure.

Then, the group stopped and stood still, waiting to hear their commander, Emel, officially start the war.

"Soldiers of Ortensia! Today, we face a grave threat to our kingdom, a threat that seeks to trample upon our pride and peace! Denta dares to challenge us, but they shall know that we will not yield!"

He tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword. The veins on his forehead pulsed with anger as he continued. "I, Emel, vow to crush them beneath our righteous might, to sweep them from this land and leave not a single speck of their existence."

"Today, we fight for Ortensia, our families, and our kingdom! Prepare yourselves, Bears of Ortensia! Show them the ferocity and valor that has defined us throughout history! Let them bear witness to the might of Ortensia as we drive our enemies to ruin!"

With a single united war cry from the group, the war officially starts with Ortensia making the first move.

Deep in the forests of Leri, the Denta main camp stood hidden among the trees. Inside, the king and his loyal confidants gathered, discussing their moves for the war. The King watched silently on his throne as his strategist explained his plans to the knights. The throne looked out of place in that tent. It was brought by carriage at the request of the King, it was single-handedly the most luxurious item in the camp.

"--And then, your troops will circle the lake, flanking the Ortensian camps from behind. "

"Got it!"

The strategist enthusiastically explained the plan to the knights while they listened tentatively. However, the organized meeting was disrupted when one knight entered the tent bearing some news.

"Your Majesty! We have confirmed the presence of Ortensian troops heading towards one of our frontline camps!"

The King smirked as he rose from his throne.

"Finally! Didn't expect them to make the first move, but alright! Commander! Ready the troops!"

"Yes! Your Majesty!"

Ahhhh... Things got serious...

Feyt walked with at the front with Lisenda following beside her at a steady pace. Behind him were hundreds of soldiers following Lisenda's orders, the muddy terrain squelched beneath every step of their metallic boots.

I'm really charging head-first into war... How did it come to this?!

I'm only 13 dammit! Gimme a break!

"Ugh..." Feyt groaned silently out of despair, his feet still walking.

Lisenda noticed Feyt's groan but didn't think much of it, focusing more on leading her troops. While maintaining her steady pace, Lisenda turned her head towards the troops behind her.

"Don't slip and fall!" Lisenda shouted. "Take every step with caution! It'll be even more hectic during battle!"

"Yes, Captain!" The knights shouted in unison.

The field ahead seemed to stretch endlessly, with only grunts from the soldiers behind and the mud's squelch being audible. Lisenda's eyes were only focused on the field ahead, determined to be the first one to encounter the enemy.

Feyt, still trying to keep pace, glanced around at the diverse assembly of soldiers behind him. They were a mix of experienced knights, apprehensive villagers, and a few mages and archers at the back.

Decked out, huh?

After the meeting, every squad spread out to cover as much land as possible, led by their own Captains. Feyt had naturally followed Lisenda's squad, as per her orders.

As they neared the front lines, the mud became thicker, slowing most of the soldiers considerably. Lisenda, with her physical power, wasn't bothered by the mud at all. However, Feyt and the others weren't so fortunate; the muck grabbed at their boots with each step and careless steps would cause them to slip and fall, making progress extremely slow and energy-consuming.

Are we going to fight like this?

Whilst walking, Lisenda asked a question to Feyt.

"Are you ready?"

"How am I ready?!" Feyt shouted in retaliation. "I'm just 13! How am I supposed to fight in a war?!"

"...Tell me, besides sparring, is this your first real battle?"

"N-no, I've fought bandits and my sword instructor before."

Lisenda scoffed. "Hmph, then you're fine. You can think of those knights as bandits; they certainly fight like one."

"What do you mean?"

"Denta prioritizes physical strength above all else. It's stupid, but they believe that it works. They train muscles first, Talents second, and techniques third. Thus, their fighting styles are basic, slightly advanced at best. If you've truly been trained by a family of sword wielders, you shouldn't have any trouble blocking them."

"But I'm just a kid! Even if I blocked them, they would send me flying!"

Lisenda nodded. "Hmm, I guess that's true."

"You won't even deny it?!"

Before the two could argue further, one of the knights spotted something on the horizon.

"Captain! Enemy camp in sight!"

Far in front of Feyt and the others stood a small camp of tents and knights belonging to Denta. The knights of Denta were charging ahead straight at them.

"Archers and mages!" Lisenda shouted to her troops. "Fire!"

Responding swiftly, a volley of arrows and fireballs rained upon the charging Denta knights. They hoisted their shields to ward off the onslaught whilst still keeping up their pace. Some succumbed to the attack, others stumbled in the mud, only to be trampled by their comrades.

"Rushing endlessly, Denta's bread and butter." Lisenda cracked her fists with an emotionless face as she turned her gaze towards Feyt. "Prepare your sword, make sure you stick close to me."

"Y-yes!"

I have no time to argue with her right now. I need to focus on survival first!

"Charge!"

Zinless

Hello! Sorry for the long hiatus... again... Anyway, the new chapter's here! Yay me.

Now, I have one question. Do you all think Fait's name is hard to read due to how similar it is to Feyt? If yes, can you suggest some names I could change it to? I gave her the name Fait without thinking much and now that I think about it, that was a mistake. If any of you have any ideas, please let me know! 

See ya'll next chapter!