Phloria sidestepped and quickly jabbed with her left, producing a flurry of fists fast and strong enough to scatter the orange mist at its passage.
"There it is." She said, revealing the position of the floating heart.
The undead had yet to recover his stance when Phloria's blade locked his own in place while her left hand grabbed the vital organ, squashing it, like grape.
"We're dead if we stay here. Do you trust me?" A Ghoul asked her Mage Slayer partner as the tide of the battle turned grimmer with each passing second.
The silent undead just shook his head, making her curse.
"Well, too bad!" She grabbed both the blade and the heart before throwing herself against the nearest wall while keeping them close to her chest. Her earth magic made it crumble and sunlight made her burn.
The Ghoul used her body's regenerative abilities to survive and protect her partner long enough to plunge into the ground again, leaving the other undead in even hotter waters.
"Thanks for the assist, sis. Now, for my next trick…" Friya spread her hands, opening a dimensional door in front of each hole in the walls and capturing the sunlight. She also placed their exit points so to light the entirety of the caves.
Sunlight was the only thing that could make undead experience pain as if they were still alive. All the spells the Ghouls had prepared were lost due to the sudden agony breaking their focus.
At the same time, the orange mist that comprised the bodies of the Mage Slayers dissipated, revealing their weak spot.
What followed was a slaughter that ended so fast that the Prospectors never got to complete their earth blocking array.
"You're amazing!" Quylla said while looking at Friya in awe.
Many nodded in agreement like parrots. The battle had been so desperate and chaotic that its abrupt ending made the survivor feel as if Friya had turned the tables all by herself.
"Well, that's true," She accepted the compliment but she also didn't like to hog all the glory. Both her sisters needed a victory. "Dimensional magic is amazing. That's why it's usually sealed first, but don't forget that it does no damage by itself.
"It's all about exploiting opportunities and without the two of you, everyone here would be dead. It was you Quylla, who discovered the existence of the Mage Slayers' second weak point and saved our lives.
"Without you, the best I could've done was to get you guys to safety outside. Also, without Phoria bringing reinforcements and breaking down the walls, I wouldn't have had the sunlight my spell needed to be effective."
At her words, soldiers and Prospectors burst into applause, making Quylla blush while Phloria only looked sterner.
"I hate to ruin the mood, but we'll have the time to pat ourselves in the back after we take care of the wounded and the fallen. Prospectors, take care of the camp first and then fix this mess later. We need some way to keep today's events from repeating.
"Soldiers, leave no man behind. I want everyone present and accounted for. I'll call for backup and report our situation." She pointed at the bodies lying on the floor, belonging to those too slow to react to the surprise attack.
Some were covered in blood and it was too late for them, but others were still begging for help. Her words swept away the smiles of the survivors who now cursed themselves for forgetting about their fallen comrades.
After making sure that there was nothing for which she could make the difference, Phloria turned around and took her army amulet out of her lily-shaped dimensional pendant.
'Was that really Lith's doing?' She thought while caressing the golden necklace. 'Did he really find a way to uphold the promise he made me the day of Mom's birthday and to fight by my side despite the distance separating us?'
She had no idea that what she had experienced wasn't a miracle, but a sign of her self-Awakening process.
"Captain Ernas, why the emergency call?" General Berion replied immediately, eager to offer his help
After Lith had become an Archmage despite the opposition of the head of the Mage Association, the already shaky ground had become shakier for the Association, tipping the power scale in favor of the army again.
If Berion managed to keep Captain Ernas from quitting and restored her reputation, he would also clean the only stain that the army bore to the Royals' eyes. Berion still longed to take over the Association and obtain the authority to convert merits into noble titles.
That way, soldiers could finally receive the award they deserved and all mages would become subordinates of the army. On top of that, gaining the favor of the Ernas household, a leading figure in both organizations, would be a priceless asset to his career.
Phloria explained everything to him, from the lack of vegetation she had noticed to the ambush they had suffered.
Hearing so many crucial details for the first time snapped him out of his reverie and pissed him off to the point that a lesser man would have Warped there to kill Kortus with his bare hands.
"Excellent work, Captain Ernas." Berion's face was a stone mask and his tone was unchanged, but Phloria could notice the throbbing vein on his neck. "Where is Captain Kortus now?"
"He's still unconscious, Sir. I gave priority to securing the camp and treating the wounded. After that, I'll secure the caves, give you a precise number of the casualties, and only then do I plan to wake him up.
"Conflicting orders would slow us down and leave us vulnerable to further attacks." She said.
"There will be no such thing." Berion's smile reached his ears, yet it held no joy. "Please, fix Captain Kortus's wounds and put him through. I want you both to listen."
Phloria shivered at those words. The way Berion spoke reminded her of the times when Phloria was still a child and Orion reassured her that an abusive well-renewed teacher or instructor wouldn't bother her anymore.
Usually, those people disappeared and no one heard from them ever again. There were even rumors saying that, after amputating their limbs, Orion kept them alive inside barrels filled with nutrients, condemning them to a lifetime of agony.
During quiet nights, sometimes, it was possible to hear groans of pain coming from the walls of house Ernas, making the domestic staff very respectful of their masters and wary of the children.
Actually, Orion didn't like keeping pets and the groans were due to Jirni bringing her work home, but that's a story for another day.
"How dare you assaulting a fellow officer?" Kortus said the moment he regained consciousness, even before his vision cleared enough to recognize Phloria.
"I'll report everything and have you court-martialled. I will-"
"You will shut up and listen. That's an order, Captain." Berion cut him short with a voice so cold that it turned the fire of Kortus's rage into chilling fear.
Berion then repeated Phloria's report with his own words, asking Kortus to confirm or deny its single parts with just a yes or no. It left the hapless Captain no time to make up excuses nor a way to justify his actions.
Lies would be easily exposed, digging him a deeper grave. None of the witnesses would lie to a General to protect a Captain, and after how Phloria had brilliantly resolved the crisis, Kortus doubted there was a single person in the camp on his side.
