Ch. 40 — The Great Encirclement
The air was thick—moist and electric—with the residue of mana left behind by thousands of spells. The forest breathed like a wounded beast, its roots pulsing with life and death at once. From above, the jungles of Central looked almost serene, but within them, chaos was blooming.
Noah stood on the forward observation platform of the Atonement. His left hand clutched the railing, his right tapping lightly against the cane resting beside him. Every knock was deliberate—a tempo of war. The Chrome Hearts were moving exactly according to plan, their formations weaving through the dense canopy below like silver threads across a dark tapestry.
He had drawn the map himself.
"Status," he murmured.
"Colonel Ren reports the east flank has set up the anchors. Illusion wards are stable. Wolf's shock unit has reached the western ridge."
