Later that morning, Dyon stood beside Ri, Delia and Arios in front of his army of a thousand.
On this day, the disparity between the demon generals and the orphans couldn't have been clearer. While the eyes of the demon generals shone with unyielding might and anticipation, the orphans shrunk, many shivering in terror.
There wasn't much Dyon could do. Sure, instilling them with confidence through music will would work, but, constantly relying on others would only be a detriment to them. He would let them sink into this feeling for a bit longer before doing something.
Currently, Dyon stood looking toward the Earth Tower and could see passed it to the pier. They were on the flat lands between the key tower and the mountain range at a place where the ground became decidedly rockier.
But, aside from Dyon's army, there were many questioning gazes being sent toward Dyon.
"What is he planning on doing with only a thousand men? Are the other elves really not helping?"
In the crowd of foot soldiers, familiar members of the big sects stood. They had been stunned to find out that Dyon was not only alive, but also leading the vanguard. But then, they had become secretly happy. After all, vanguard was usually the duty of them as low-ranking sects and clans. In fact, they hadn't even been allowed to participate in any meetings.
To them, the only reason Dyon was leading this charge was because he was being disrespected – something that suited them just fine.
"Serves you right." Hashim and Lehabim seemed to speak at the same time. It seemed they could only come together on mutual ground when it came to their hate of Dyon. Because of him, the big sects had been relegated to little else than footnotes for the upcoming world tournament.
The campaign heads had vastly different reactions to the big sect 'geniuses'. To them, they wouldn't underestimate Dyon again, but they could hardly believe he planned to face ten thousand men with only a thousand. Especially when the Phantus God Clan was known for even thwarting armies in the hundreds of thousands with that very number.
"If he wins, you realize he'll shoot to at least top 20 on the leader boards, right?" Voron Cavositas spoke to Vidar, trying to gauge his opinion.
Vidar shook his head. "The headquarters may nerf some of his points since this is an army already defeated by first in line genius Madeleine Sapientia. The honor is less when there's a blue print already out there."
Voron shook his head in disagreement. "He made it very clear that his music will isn't as effective as hers. Meaning, he'll be using a different method. That's not even mentioning the fact she used an army of hundreds of thousands to face about fifty thousand of the Phantus God Clan and about fifty scaled elephants. He's facing less, but he's also only using a thousand men."
Vidar raised an eyebrow. "Do you really think he won't use the other elves? Don't be ridiculous."
Voron remained silent at this. It was indeed ridiculous for Dyon to use smaller numbers against an army that was already prepared to be severely out numbered.
"Just be ready to clean up his mess. Phantus clan or not, it's clear that they're only here to test something. If not they wouldn't have sent such a small number even if it was the Phantus clan."
Voron nodded. "We still don't know how they brought such large beasts here…"
The jaws of the campaign heads tightened. Something was different about this campaign. They just didn't know what.
**
Dyon's ear twitched, he had been slowly rotating his crystal will around his ears for a while now and had finally picked up faint rumblings.
"It's time."
An array appeared below Dyon and Ri, shooting them up into the air.
'He really does have an innate aurora…' The eyes of the campaign heads narrowed.
But they all agreed on another thing… was it really smart for Dyon to leave the protection of his army like this? Wasn't he just making himself and the princess an easy target?
Dyon's voice suddenly boomed. It felt as though he spoke faintly, but the sound reverberated through the ears of everyone there.
"Checkered Formation: Variation 3."
Dyon's army moved without hesitation. A complex, yet organized movement occurred before the stunned eyes of everyone.
Within seconds, the formation was complete. Three squares of 100-man companies sat in the center of a checkered pattern of platoons.
The platoons were arranged very deliberately, their 50-man units standing in orderly five by ten arrangements. Six were arranged to the left, and six were to the right, checkered off from each other. The remaining two platoons were arranged at the back, prepared to merge into a company if need be.
In the end, the platoons form what looked like a pixilated 'U' around the three squares of companies.
Dyon didn't even look to see if the formation was completely properly, his eyes were completely focused on the growing cloud of dust in distance. "Conceal."
Dyon's voice rang out again, causing another organized movement to occur.
The checkered 50-man platoons collapsed in on each other seamlessly, resulting in a perfect three by three set of 100-main companies with two platoons remaining in the back. Suddenly, a complex formation became nothing more than a stock group of troops. And yet, it was still more organized than the martial world was used to.
Airic Sapientia's eyes shone watching Dyon's army move with absolute synchronicity. He had been researching about ways to war more efficiently. He had always thought the brute strength approach was too crude, but, the Sapientia family spent little time on such things, preferring to focus on cultivation related topics.
But, because of this, he suddenly saw Dyon in an entirely new light. 'Is Elder Ester really right about you? I wonder… Can I learn from you? Or is this nothing but a show?'
Dyon couldn't be bothered with the thoughts of others right now. All he saw was a sight that made his blood boil.
In the distance, beasts so large they shook the very earth they walked on, were rampaging toward them.
The stood thirty meters tall but were at least double that in length. Their tusks were enormous, shining with a sheen only ivory could provide. But, that was nothing compared to their skin.
Dark patterns of grey and green alternated as their scaled armor shone under the high sun's rays.
And yet, everyone's eyes couldn't help but be drawn to ten Phantus clan members that rode on the heads of these scaled elephants. They each held thick rods in their hand as their grey leathered skin trembled with anticipation.
The orphans beneath Dyon and Ri shook under their pressure. The bloodlust and unyielding will for victory coming from the Phantus was something they just weren't ready for.
Suddenly, a deafening roar sounded. It wasn't from the mouth of the grumbling scaled elephants, or their ten vice commaders… Instead, it came from the ground!
BOOM!
The earth shattered before the charging army. And, as though it was planned, they had already moved out of the way.
A massive scaled elephant appeared, standing fifty meters into the air! On its head stood a leader of unmatched aura. He stood five-meters tall and his hand was gripped around a javelin, his thick rod strapped to his back.
Dyon suddenly laughed, causing Ri to look at him questioningly.
"You want play? Alright then. Let's play."
Dyon's demeanor completely changed, an eerie darkness exuding from him as a pagoda dripping with blood red aura manifested itself behind him.
The doors suddenly opened, a blinding white light charging for his hand.
The eyes of Commander Draven sharpened, gripping the javelin in his hand tightly as he stared at Dyon, "You dare accept my challenge?"
The rumbling of the scaled elephants never ceased, they were now within a kilometer of each other, but, this distance was nothing when it came to a javelin's throw.
Dyon said nothing as his wings bloomed from his back.
Writhes of flames coated the javelin in his hand as he stared down at everything with disdain.
Suddenly, crystal will bloomed around him as the spear of flames in his hand lengthened again and again.
Soon, Dyon stood alone above everything, staring down at the charging scaled elephants with a pillar of flames reaching ten meters long in his hand.
Dyon grinned, propping up the javelin to throw as wind and sword will picked up, spiralling violently around it. "It's time this martial world understood my arrogance."
