Following on from their meeting in the new Gobtopia, the commanders began making their way to the points of conflict in the western caverns

The fighting had been intense on the frontline. Waves of projectiles and aerial attacks were sent back and forth between the Cultists and the Gobhead military. For every Gobhead that was struck down, another ten would take its place. The lesser members of the cult fought and pushed forward, supported by the blessings of their master. Premature cheers rang out as the highly trained Gobheads began to roll out with their new, vastly upgraded weaponry.

Affilan had made her way under orders from Maelos. Gobheads that had managed to break free from ranks and go off on their own were met with an untimely end via her blade.

"Bastards need to know their place in the world." Affilan stared down into the caverns leading underground and analysed to figure out her next steps.

Raising a finger to her ear, she called out to an officer in the field, but the sounds of static drowned out her attempts to reach her fellow believers. "You vile non-believers, I'll fucking slay the lot of you cunts!" Affilan had picked her first targets, a group that was healing comrades from afar, being bombarded with Arts from behind a metal wall the Gobheads had built up.

The leader of this push back descended downwards, darting between platforms and swiftly executing the unfortunate foes that stood in her way. A Gobhead wielding a shield far beyond his worth managed to block a single attack of hers, and his confidence turned into a grin that would be his mistake soon enough. She readied her blade, shaking from fury that such a non-entity had the gall to even try to be near her.

A group of Gobheads tried to join up with their shielding comrade, only to be sent to the next life, scattering as dust to the winds, as a searing chain of Raiton strikes fired through them toward the formidable metal wall hiding so many cowards from her blade. Its connecting sent shocks out to those nearby, taking out several hundred Gobheads in a single move.

Affilan's appearance on the battlefield triggered a newfound boost to morale and valor. One of Kaiser's children fighting alongside devotees was something they could only dream of, and now it had become a reality. The freedom fighters desperately began to flee from the scene in droves. Speeches of victories and rapid training were not enough to face a foe like this.

"It appears that it is time for us to make our appearance also," Anton spoke for Hixxius, Garfisk and Colt, standing far back from the fighting. The four were eager to learn more of the foe they were sent to face.

"Look at the bitch. Rallying the purple-robed bastards from one measly wall breaking down. Is this what the cultists send to try to claim back their supposed territory? Any one of us could have done what she just did. Consider me unimpressed." Garfisk was disinterested in what he had seen so far and wanted the others to know it.

The four locked eyes with Affilan, who had noticed them long before they saw her. The followers that had their group numbers reduced flocked to her for support, falling to their knees trying to reach for her blessings. An officer among the ranks bowed to her and spoke up, "Affilan, bringer of righteousness. Permit us to bask in your glory and follow you in the name of Kaiser."

With eyes still locked on her foes, Affilan raised her blade to the sky and spoke so all could hear her, "By his will, send them all to the next, as the last flake falls!" Her screams filled the cultists with a frenzied bloodlust, and they charged alongside her in the fight once more. The wave of power was so loud, so intense, that it caused the four watching her to stagger as it reached them. Colt's Barrier Art activated, stopping it from passing further along, though this was not easy for them and they had to pour a considerable amount of luth in to sustain it.

"Well done for opening your mouth, Garfisk. Do you still think the same of this one's worthlessness now?!" Enraged by the thoughtless words of their comrade, Colt drank several potions in succession, ready to face a second move of the foe down below.

Garfisk was nonchalant about the whole thing, waving his hand at them. "It's nothing we need to worry about. The four of us have attacks as strong as that."

Anton and Hixxius gasped at the words they just heard, causing Hixxius to speak up, "You fool of a Scaq, that was a debuff skill. And it was able to nearly break up a barrier made by one of the strongest caster types on Maliterr. Are you blind?"

"I must agree with Hixxius. Garfisk, I think we need to call Guido here and quickly."

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Garfisk laughed. The words he heard tickled in all the right places. He expected more from high rankers. "Fucking cowards the lot of you. Here, I'll show you, there's nothing to be afraid of!" Taking a suspiciously odd, shifting colored bottle from his bag, he sliced the lid off with his bare hands and drank the thing. Colt responded to his actions, "You call us cowards, and yet you seemingly drink enhancers before diving in solo, against an unknown foe. It's going to be your death day, Garfisk, mark my words."

"Heh. We'll see." He leapt into the battle below and charged his way toward the foe in the distance. Firing off blasts of kaha into the groups that had rejoined the fight against the Gobheads, Garfisk thought this would cause a distraction in the fight. He was sorely mistaken. For Maelos had already decreed, sacrifices must be made.

Affilan's heartbeat was pounding frantically. Not from fear. From the thrill of a fight ahead. Darting ahead, stomping on all who were in the path, she found a battle frenzy just like her fellows. Delighting in the joy of ending the lives of miserable non-believers, her aura began to overflow out of her as the excitement increased. Garfisk, still quickly trying to reach his foe, began to feel that same aura the closer he became to her.

Beginning to falter from fear, Garfisk tried to understand what exactly he was coming up against. "What is this energy? It's unlike anything I've encountered before, it's just evil. Nothing but pure evil." Feeling the pressure rising before the fight even began, Garfisk roared, activating several abilities in quick succession. His physique expanded, the vascularity of his muscles bulging, seemingly appearing as if they were going to tear straight through his skin.

He fired back his own aura toward Affilan. Luckily nothing but debris was close as the initial blast spread out and turned it to dust; those further away toppled over from the force. The wave travelled rapidly toward Affilan, who met the force with an aura-covered hand. She gracefully manipulated it, shifting it around and condensing it into a ball of energy between her palms. The energy distorted in the air, as if it was taking the form of a Chasm entrance. Affilan clapped her hands together, dissipating the orb in a quiet, gentle motion.

Garfisk and his comrades were stunned at this display of power. Garfisk stood frozen in place, unable to process what had just happened.

The others stood watching from afar, commenting on the situation. Anton spoke up first, "Hells bells, her combat skills are second to none. Her movements are gentle, yet full of potential energy. The way she dances with her sword, hypnotic. Whatever she is, she is a master of it."

Hixxius, whilst not anywhere near the level of power the two people next to him had, could feel the fear emanating from the pair. Colt struggled to find the words, stuttering continuously, "We must let Guido know the situation, Anton."

Fearing that Garfisk was about to face an untimely end, Hixxius took it upon himself to do the deed, "Allow me to find Guido, you both are far more capable than I in a fight." Colt was unable to process the information. Anton took it upon himself to lead the way, "Come now Colt, lest we find ourselves with one less worthwhile among the ranks." Taking their hand and jumping down, Colt staggered behind Anton as they tried to reach Garfisk.

Trying to gain some composure from the events, Garfisk slapped himself back to his senses. "Damn it all, this bitch has more to reveal I can tell. She's not going down by me alone." Kaha overflowed from him as he activated 'Pain Train' and once more began to charge at her. His comrades, still trying to make their way across, were minutes away. Their quick thinking and experience began to take form as they launched attack projectiles at Affilan and sought to aid Garfisk with Arts. The ground exploded at Affilan's feet, yet she continued forward. Boons that reached Garfisk increased his reflexes and speed as the two foes were only meters away.

Affilan's fellow followers returned to their positions enhanced by the Kaiser's boon and tore apart the Gobheads they clashed against. No longer were they simply trading blows, they overwhelmed them. But the Gobheads had also come prepared. The frontlines were filled with combatants with older equipment. Now entering the fray were those fighting with things that only adventurers would normally obtain

Hurrying into the Palace of the Peoples, Hixxius rushed to find Guido, shouting his name through the hallways, the name echoing as it did so, "Guido, where are you? We need you urgently!"

There seemed to be no sign of him anywhere, nor the queen for that matter. Skelter met him as he ran along toward the training center, the stench of blood and flesh was carried in the air from the bodies burning in the generator rooms.

"Why are you screaming for Guido so desperately, brother?" Skelter seemed dismissive of the cries for aid.

"Skelter, you must tell me where the man is or take me to him immediately. The rankers have requested his assistance!"

"I'm afraid that's not going to be possible. He is the last line of defense should the fighting cease to hold back the foes."

"I implore you to speak with him. The foe they face back there, I do not think victory can even be a thought without Guido joining in the fray, Skelter."

Awkward tension hung in the air. The Gobgenerals were of equal standing among the hierarchy, yet Hixxius felt as if he had suddenly become a stepping stone for others to climb to the top.

"Since when did the Gobheads gain the trait of arrogance? We would still be nothing but dirt on the soles of those cultists had outside help not intervened. Wake up, Skelter. Do not think you're free from being cast aside if necessary."

Hixxius grabbed the great hammer from his back and ran from the palace toward the battlefield. The voice of Solin came from Skelter, whose glamour faded to that of the Invørsår, cackling quietly to himself.

"Fool of a Gobhead, yahaha."

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