Ursa knew the history better than anyone.

Orion had commissioned a custom set of armor forged specifically for his Abyssal Dragon mount. In those days, high-grade alchemical elixirs were as common as daily meals for Lorelia and the dragon, Xalathar.

The squad was subconsciously mimicking Orion's path.

They all harbored ambition. They sought to temper themselves and their mounts, striving to reach the Legendary Realm.

Once they reached that peak, fighting alongside a Legendary beast would make them a force equal to two Lords combined—an elite power within the Legendary ranks.

"By the earth, those Nightwings are fast," Earthshaker grumbled, gazing toward the east.

The arrival of the Stoneheart Horde's various armies had startled the local Nightwing population. If the squad hadn't been mounted on dragons, they never would have caught the winged humanoids.

"Fascinating creatures," Fergus said, nudging a fallen Nightwing with his boot. "The sunlight is a curse to them. It weakens their bodies significantly. But at night? Their flight speed is terrifying."

"If the sun didn't suppress them, their natural gifts would be unfair," Fergus added.

The Nightwings were faster than dragons after sundown. Moreover, they possessed perfect night vision and navigation—they were born for nocturnal raids.

"Lord Gustalon has already sent them the ultimatum to surrender. Do you think they will bend the knee?" Onyx asked.

Everyone understood the situation. The Stoneheart Horde had a glaring weakness in its military formation: no dedicated aerial forces. The Nightwings had clearly caught Orion's eye; he intended to fix that flaw in his ranks.

If the Nightwings joined, Orion's ground forces would be fully supported by air superiority. His dominion would be absolute.

"I hope they surrender," Thundar sighed. "Slaughtering this many potential warriors feels like a waste."

Thundar was the Commander of the Cavalry Regiment. If the Nightwings defected, the Stoneheart Horde would inevitably form an Aerial Cavalry Division. As the man currently leading the mounted troops—and riding a fresh dragon mount—Thundar was the prime candidate to lead that new wing.

"I don't know about surrendering, but don't you think these people are spineless?" Gronthar spat.

He despised the Nightwings. Ever since he and Onyx entered the combat zone, the Nightwings had actively avoided engagement. It was frustrating; he couldn't earn any glory if the enemy kept fleeing.

"It is not cowardice. It is tactics. The momentum is with us, and they know they cannot win a direct confrontation," Onyx corrected.

Onyx was right. The Champions Alliance had already driven the Cult of Four from the realm.

Facing the massive Alliance coalition, their only option was to harass and withdraw. They dared not ignite a full-scale war because they knew if they drew too much attention, the Demigods would descend and annihilate their entire race.

That was why they were fighting a retreating action—testing the Alliance's patience, praying Orion would be satisfied and halt the invasion.

Unfortunately for them, Orion's appetite for conquest was endless.

Alliance Territory, Command Tent.

The massive tent was sparse, occupied only by a magical tactical map and a large desk.

Orion and Leonidas sat opposite each other, looking relaxed.

"Are you truly going to leave the West unattended?" Orion asked, genuinely surprised.

Leonidas was supposed to be clearing the western zone to make room for Kraken. Instead, the Lion had delegated the entire campaign to his subordinates and was resting here in Orion's base.

"What is there to worry about?" Leonidas smirked, leaning back. "There are no Demigods in the West. The few remaining Arch Lords are no match for the Squid or my commanders."

"Let them handle the grind. If I have to micromanage every skirmish, I'll exhaust myself," Leonidas teased. "Unlike some people."

It wasn't a hallucination; Leonidas was definitely mocking him.

"My situation is different. The Stoneheart Horde has a thin foundation," Orion admitted. "Aside from myself and a few beasts, we lack true powerhouses. We have no decisive champions."

"If I don't lead the assault personally, given the Nightwings' natural advantages, conquering the eastern territory would take an eternity."

When Orion spoke of "decisive champions," he meant combatants at the Arch Lord level. The Stoneheart Horde technically didn't have a single standard Arch Lord in its service. If they did, Orion wouldn't have to keep his avatars locked in combat; he could free up his focus for other tasks.

"Hahaha... didn't you send an order for them to submit?" Leonidas laughed, relaxed. "If those Nightwings have any wisdom, they will surrender. The alternative is total annihilation."

For Leonidas, clearing the continent was a simple victory lap compared to the nightmare of fighting the Cult of Four.

"I am worried about pressuring them too hard," Orion said, his brow furrowed. "If we push them too far, we might send them running straight to the Cult of Four."

Orion wanted to recruit them desperately. Intelligence suggested the Nightwings had an Arch Lord among their ranks. Securing such a warrior would be a massive increase in power for the Stoneheart Horde.

Conversely, if the recruitment failed, Orion would have to drop the hammer—a conquest in the style of Alexander.

The risk was that the fleeing Nightwings—including their Arch Lord—would fly across the ocean and join the Cult of Four. That would be handing the enemy free resources.

"Let them try!" Leonidas's eyes flared, his pupils narrowing. "If they side with the Cult, I will personally hunt them down. I loathe those Clowns."

"Why don't we simply crush the eastern islands right now? Just the two of us?" Leonidas suggested.

He meant a joint assault by two Demigods. If two Demigods appeared at the Nightwings' front door, the diplomatic conversation would be very short.

"Wait a bit longer," Orion countered. "I set up camp here and only sent the subordinates to skirmish for a reason. I am giving the Nightwings time to reflect."

"If there are any wise leaders among them, they will know which side to choose."

"I am waiting for them, but I am also judging them," Orion said, his voice dropping deeper.

Leonidas rolled his eyes. The tone was familiar.

"Brother, don't start acting like a brooding tyrant. Stop being so mysterious and grim," Leonidas groaned. "Just be direct. Own it."

"The same applies to women, by the way," Leonidas added, grinning.

Leave it to Leonidas to turn a conversation about geopolitical war strategy into dating advice within three sentences.

Orion chuckled. It was refreshing to discuss strategy and trade insults with his friend at the same time.

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