Clive said nothing, merely touching the Bearer's mark on his face with two fingers.
Seeing no one spoke, the blond man said, "It's time to go."
The group walked out one after another. The black-haired soldier sighed at the sight, condensed water elements in his hand to extinguish the bonfire, and Clive looked up and followed him.
They jumped down from the rocks, sunlight hitting Clive's face. Clive looked at the distant sun without speaking, then walked to the edge of the cliff, gazing at the distant sun.
The blond man saw this and said, "Dragons, don't be careless."
Clive turned to look, and the three men were watching him. The blond man spoke again, "You are key to this mission." He then walked towards the crevice.
"...Understood," Clive replied.
"The battlefield here is very chaotic, so be careful," the blond man warned.
The shouts of two armies came from a distance. The blond man urged, "Hey, hurry up!"
Clive ran, following the blond man in front of him. In the open space of Nysa Canyon, the remaining two soldiers watched the two armies charging at each other. The black-haired soldier murmured, "It's begun."
Clive came from behind to the platform and watched the two armies clash.
The Iron Kingdom was attacking the Dhalmekian Republic.
Swords and blades clashed against bodies. As they charged forward, an axe flew past. On the battlefield, there were not only swords and blades, but also soldiers wielding staves and soldiers on Chocobos, cutting down enemies.
Huge catapults launched elemental magic projectiles. The two armies clashed fiercely, and the four of them watched silently from above.
The brown-haired soldier watched everything below: "The Iron Kingdom's soldiers are too brutal...!"
The black-haired soldier replied, "Before Shiva appears, the Dhalmekian Army better not be wiped out."
The blond soldier, upon hearing the black-haired soldier's words, said coldly, "What!"
The black-haired soldier raised his hand to signal, showing the blond soldier how utterly ruthless the Iron Kingdom's soldiers were, trading injuries for lives.
The three watched the constantly clashing crowds, while Clive looked at the distant structure, Zannilcha Fortress—Nysa Canyon.
"Get to the gate quickly! As fast as possible!" the officer urged the running soldiers.
"What do you mean we can't send reinforcements?" The old man slammed his fist on the table, then stood up and demanded.
"Going back on your word! What's the point of such an alliance!"
The old man pointed at the other party and shouted loudly.
The silver-haired soldier in front of him tightened his grip on the sword at his waist upon hearing this. Swords were drawn on both sides of the table.
This was a confrontation between Dhalmekia and the Kingdom of Waloed.
The old man sitting in the middle said, "Mind your words, this is before His Majesty—the King of Waloed." He pointed at the old man and then at the one opposite him.
The King of Waloed sighed and looked at the silver-haired soldier beside him.
The silver-haired soldier, seeing this, waved his hands: "This is our conclusion."
Dhalmekia's old man, though unwilling, sat back down, letting out a long sigh.
The old man mediating the discussion looked at both sides and couldn't help but rub his forehead. Then he gestured, and a Dhalmekian soldier walked over.
Water condensed from a crystal in his hand and was poured into the cup in front of the mediating old man.
The woman to the left of the King of Waloed spoke: She took out a pipe, lit it with magic, and blew a puff of smoke at the old man across the table: "What's the rush? The war situation is but a temporary matter."
She walked two steps around the table, saying, "Your country also perfectly fended off the enemy in the previous continental war, relying on its own strength." She then leaned on the table, staring at the old man in front of her: "Am I wrong?"
Dhalmekia's old man snorted and turned his head away, but the woman continued regardless: "And—your country still has the Dominant as its trump card." She then looked at the burly, white-haired man behind the old man.
The two exchanged glances. "Our intervention would only be a burden, wouldn't it?"
The two Dhalmekian elders lowered their heads in thought. The impatient elder slammed the table, "According to spy reports, the enemy also seems to have obtained an Eikon."
"The situation is completely different now!"
"We don't need reinforcements," the Dominant behind the old man said.
"What makes you so sure of victory!" The old man turned around and scolded upon hearing this.
The Dominant stepped out from behind the old man: "Even if we get an army now, do you plan to leisurely wait for reinforcements to arrive?" He then used his large hands to press the old man back into his seat.
"If this place falls, the capital, Landella, will be completely exposed to those barbarians." He took a puff from his pipe, leaned over, blew smoke at the old man, and then extinguished the pipe in the old man's water cup.
The old man turned his head and mumbled. The Dominant patted the old man's shoulder: "It seems I must go myself." With that, he walked towards the exit.
The old man, seeing this, quickly shouted, "Lord Kupka!"
The Dominant was unaffected, walking steadily forward. "Let the Iron Kingdom's fellows see clearly..."
He put one hand on the door and turned back to the old man, saying, "...what the difference between us is." Then he opened the door and left.
The woman, seeing this, followed Kupka and called out to him at the corner: "Hugo!"
Hugo turned around, looking at the woman in front of him with a gentle expression: "...Benedikta!"
Benedikta, upon hearing this, eagerly ran to Hugo, finally leaping directly from the stairs into his arms.
Hugo caught Benedikta smoothly. Benedikta began to urge Hugo to be careful and expressed how much she loved him, while Hugo also asserted his strong power.
"Even if it's the Eikon Shiva, I will deal with her immediately."
Nysa Canyon.
The blond soldier watched the two armies below become increasingly chaotic, then turned to look behind him and said, "It's become a free-for-all."
"The timing is perfect. Let's go too."
The other two, upon hearing this, ran off. Clive glanced at the battlefield and followed, then jumped off the rock and saw the three gathered together.
"...And then what?"
"What should we do?"
The two looked at the blond man and asked. The blond man sighed: "We can only keep moving forward." Then he looked at Clive: "You go first."
Clive nodded and walked to the front. After a few steps, Clive slowed down, raising his right hand to signal: "Wait... something's not right..."
As a whooshing sound echoed, the rock wall in front of them shattered, creating a massive cloud of dust. The group quickly half-crouched, raising their hands to shield themselves.
As the smoke cleared, a giant hand appeared before the four. They looked up, and a massive, dark brown, humanoid Eikon appeared before them.
The blond man, seeing this, blurted out, "Titan...!"
"Damn it... those cursed Dhalmekians, sending out an Eikon so quickly!" he said, wiping the dust from his cheek.
Before the Eikon Titan, countless ice crystals began to gather, forming a rhomboid crystal.
The black-haired soldier saw the ice crystals in the air and exclaimed with delight, "It's Shiva of the Iron Kingdom! She's really here!"
The ice crystals in the sky were still gathering. The blond soldier knew time was of the essence and waved his hand: "Let's go."
The group quickly ran along the path. The ice crystals in the air finished gathering, and the originally spiky ice crystals expanded and became smooth. Looking closely, it seemed like a young girl was embracing her legs inside. As the ice crystal shattered, the Eikon Shiva appeared!
The ice crystal shattered into countless small pieces. Shiva's cloak billowed without wind. The Dhalmekian soldiers, seeing this, prepared their giant ballistas. With a shout of "Fire!" elemental orbs flew towards Shiva.
Shiva calmly watched the elemental orbs approaching her. A hexagonal snowflake formed in front of her, then transformed into an ice shield, blocking the elemental orbs. Shiva raised her arm and made a fist, five ice spikes condensed behind her. As she opened her right hand, the five ice spikes shot towards the ballistas. The giant ice spikes landed on the ground, instantly forming sharp protrusions that impaled the Dhalmekian soldiers.
But these still could not stop the two armies from clashing. Countless soldiers, emboldened by their Eikons' appearance, became even more reckless. Titan's massive footfalls on the battlefield could instantly extinguish the lives of these soldiers.