Sometimes I forgot I was living in a fantasy world filled with magic. Of course, there were mages like Colonel Cameron and Deryk, but truth be told, they felt less like mages and more like snipers or walking siege weapons.

  Maybe that was because they were part of the military, restricted to specific spells and bound by regulations that dictated exactly how their power could be used.

  Because of that, I had also forgotten about the existence of Wild Magic. I had never truly seen it in action. Not that anyone could blame me, as Deryk once explained, mages who possessed Wild Magic rarely fought for any one nation. Instead, they pursued their own paths, chasing magic itself rather than politics or war.

  But now, facing it head-on, I finally understood why people said a Wild Magic user could turn the tide of a battle alone.

  Major General Caelen was no joke. He shattered giant trees with a single punch. The ground cracked just from him launching himself at me. And worst of all, every weapon I picked up broke on contact with him.

  "Damn it," I muttered, tossing aside what was left of my spear and grabbing a shield instead, though I already doubted it would do much good.

  I was right. Caelen punched straight through it. I threw the broken half at him out of desperation. He shattered that too.

  "Fight me, you coward!" Caelen roared, swinging his fist. I barely dodged as I kept retreating.

  A wide circle had formed around us. Caelen had ordered his troops not to interfere. Our side wasn't joining in either, though that wasn't exactly my decision.

  "Keep them back and stay out of the way!" Colonel Cameron shouted from somewhere behind me. "Mages, focus fire on their mages!"

  You could've sent some help! I wanted to scream back. But the truth was, nobody here could really help against a Wild Magic user, except maybe General Cedric, who also had Wild Magic of his own. Though he showed absolutely no interest in using it.

  "I wouldn't be a coward," I grunted, sidestepping and stabbing his stomach with an arrow, which shattered on impact like it had hit solid rock. "If I had Wild Magic!"

  "It's a shame you don't!" Caelen grinned. "I've had my fun. Let's finish this!"

  He started moving faster and faster, my eyes barely keeping up as I tracked his movements. There had to be a weakness somewhere, or I was done. I didn't know much about Wild Magic, but I knew it required mana, and if I could outlast him, he would eventually run dry.

  "Gulp." That plan died instantly as he produced some kind of vial and downed it in one shot. "Ah, mana potions taste disgusting, don't they?"

  I could have tried to stop him, but he drank it so fast I never had the chance. So I moved on to other options.

  I kept fighting, dodging, counterattacking, trying to tire him out, occasionally risking my own body to strike at his vital points. But no matter what I tried, it didn’t work. Though I was learning one thing: Caelen's Wild Magic was closely tied to combat. The longer he fought, the stronger he became, physically, mentally, in every way.

  But I also noticed something else. Despite the mana potion, he was growing desperate when he realized he still couldn't finish me off.

  "Getting scared?" I taunted, noticing his punches were becoming more frantic. "For someone with Wild Magic, you're not looking so impressive right now. What's wrong? Can't finish off one girl without throwing a tantrum?"

  Caelen's face flushed red. I barely dodged a kick that would take my head off. But I had been proven right. Something was getting to him.

  I grinned and shifted into full defensive mode, occasionally darting in with quick strikes before pulling back, keeping him chasing shadows. Around us, the larger battle raged on, but I had no idea how either side was faring. All that mattered was that we were deadlocked.

  Then something changed.

  Caelen's face turned red again, but this time it wasn't anger or frustration. His entire body began to flush crimson, veins rising visibly beneath his skin. His expression flickered between shock and fear.

  "Protect me!" Caelen shouted. Then he dropped into a full boxer's stance.

  Every instinct I had screamed at once. His presence exploded outward, washing over everything around us like a physical wave. My legs were already moving before my mind caught up, running, putting as much distance between us as I possibly could.

  Caelen threw his punch.

  A blinding flash erupted. A deafening crack split the air. Then an invisible force, something I had no name for, tore toward me like the world itself was being ripped apart.

  "Well, fuc—"

  The world turned white as I was blinded. Instinct took over. Before I knew it, I was throwing myself sideways. There, I watched the force tear through the ranks of the 9th Corps, punching clean through and leaving trails of blood in its wake.

  It kept going. Even past where I stood, even toward the 9th Corps main command post, it just kept going. Then the force finally exploded as trees flew everywhere. Another blinding flash of light erupted, then quickly died down.

  "This is the worst day of my life..." I muttered.

  And because the battlefield had gone deathly quiet, my voice rang out clear as a bell.

  But as I stared at Caelen in fear, I noticed something strange. He looked weakened. His skin had paled to the color of a sheet, and his entire body was trembling violently. Nearby Imperial soldiers rushed to support him as they began retreating.

  "No you don't!" I shouted, seeing the chance to end him for good.

  I charged, but the moment I did, dozens of Imperial soldiers threw themselves in my path, forcing me to clash with them instead.

  "Somebody kill him!" I screamed, snatching up a spear and swinging wildly. "This is our chance!"

  But nobody could help me. Not because it was too dangerous, but because we didn't have the forces left to do it. Cameron was shouting orders as he tried desperately to organize what remained. Hundreds had been killed in an instant. Another hundred were injured. He was doing his best to hold the line, but it was clear we were breaking.

  I did everything I could to push forward, but without proper equipment, without the strength to break through, it was futile.

  "Ma'am!" Nora came running toward me, her MPA armor scorched and dented. "Orders from General Cedric have arrived that we're to retreat!"

  "...Fine," I said, finally accepting that pushing any further would only get us killed.

  I gave one final stab at the nearest Imperial soldier, then pulled back with the others as we retreated.

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  [(0)]

  General Cedric watched the battle unfold as reports flooded in. Colonel Devon was doing his best to sort through them all, relaying information to Cedric in rapid succession.

  "My lord, it appears we've successfully encircled the enemy," Devon reported. "Forces led by Major General Claudius and Brigadier General Lily have moved into the rear and are attacking their supply lines."

  "I see." Cedric nodded, though his attention was fixed elsewhere, specifically on the large clearing where Major General Caelen and First Lieutenant Aria were fighting.

  They had hoped the MPA units would give Aria a meaningful edge against Caelen, but the armor had done little more than make her a slightly sturdier punching bag. That said, the other MPA units were performing well, holding their own against the Iron Fist on equal terms. Combined with close mage support, they were eliminating the Iron Fist soldiers one by one.

  "Order our troops to begin pulling back as we tighten the encirclement," Cedric ordered. "And ready the soldiers to att—"

  A sudden chill ran down Cedric's spine.

  He stopped mid-sentence and turned toward where Caelen stood. Devon felt it too. They both looked. And it wasn't just them, every officer, every soldier, every mages on the field instinctively turned to stare at Caelen, who was sinking into a stance, coiling back his fist.

  "Tell the troops to retreat!" Cedric ordered, and for the first time in a long time, his voice carried genuine panic. "Everyone get away from hi—"

  BOOM.

  A colossal force tore through the air, passing directly alongside where Cedric was standing. Devon barely had time to gasp. Officers, soldiers, and messengers who were caught in its path simply ceased to exist. One moment they were there. The next, there was nothing left, only a fine mist of red that hung in the air before raining down.

  "M-my lord, are you alright?" Devon managed, his face pale with shock.

  "Don't mind me," Cedric said sharply, scanning the battlefield.

  A massive trench had been carved into the earth in a straight line, as though something enormous had been dragged through the ground at impossible speed. But most of what filled that path had been 9th Corps soldiers.

  It wasn't difficult to understand what had happened to them. Body parts were scattered across the surrounding area. The air reeked of blood. And for a long, terrible moment, nobody on either side said a word.

  The Imperials seized the momentum, roaring in triumph as they surged forward toward the panicked 9th Corps soldiers.

  "Damn it." Cedric turned to Devon. "Send word to both Major General Claudius and Brigadier General Lily. Tell them to move up and support the front when they're done."

  "Yes, my lord!" Devon shouted. Instead of messengers, multiple Wind Birds were dispatched as most of the messengers were still too shaken by what they had just witnessed to be of any use.

  Cedric scanned the battlefield. Caelen, after throwing that punch, could no longer stand. Imperial soldiers had closed around him in a protective ring, carrying him back from the front line. If Cedric used his own Wild Magic now, he could swing the momentum back in their favor.

  But he only had two spears left. And something told him he needed to save them.

  Instead, he turned his attention to Aria. She was alive, fortunately, though not without injuries. She was trying to push through toward Caelen, but a wall of Imperial soldiers blocked her path, forcing her into combat with them.

  "I believe we've found a weakness," Cedric murmured with a slight smile. But his expression darkened immediately as Devon reported the casualty count, at least 500 men killed from Caelen's single strike alone.

  By the end of the first day of the Battle of the Forest of Jade, the Imperials had lost over 2,000 troops.

  The 9th Corps had lost 5,000.

  [(0)]

  I could only stare at the empty space around me as the memories of the battle replayed in my head. I was still struggling to understand how Major General Caelen's single punch had wiped out hundreds of troops in under a second.

  But I had also learned something useful. His Wild Magic, from the looks of it, left him completely drained afterward. He couldn't even walk. It was a shame I hadn't been able to go after him, with all my injuries and the wall of Imperial soldiers still trying to kill me.

  "At least you're alive," Deryk said, sitting beside me as he popped a grape into his mouth. "If I'd been where you were, I probably would've fainted. Or died. Honestly, either one."

  Deryk had been at the front too. Cameron had wanted to draw as much enemy attention as possible while a large portion of the army attacked the rear. It had worked. The Imperials had gone absolutely frantic trying to cut through us. But in the end, not a single mage had died.

  Plenty of soldiers had, though. We'd had front-row seats to Caelen's Wild Magic in all its terrifying glory. Hooray. I feel so incredibly lucky.

  It was a miracle I had reacted in time at all, throwing myself sideways just fast enough to get clear of the blast. If I hadn't… I didn't want to think about it.

  "And why are you eating my fruit?" I glared at Deryk.

  He immediately started sweating and wisely placed the grape back into the basket.

  "Um, well, you know... since you looked injured, I was thinking maybe I could help by... reducing the amount you'd need to carry? As a friend. Because that's what friends do." Deryk rambled, his explanation getting increasingly desperate with every word.

  "That's the worst reasoning I've ever heard," I said flatly.

  "...Yeah." He nodded solemnly. "It really was."

  A short silence fell between us. It wasn't uncomfortable, just quiet. The kind of quiet that settled naturally between two people who had seen too much in one day and didn't quite have the words for it yet.

  "Hey, Deryk," I said after a moment.

  "Hmm?"

  "How many mages were in Colonel Cameron's unit today?"

  Deryk paused, thinking. "Seventy. Why?"

  "And none of them died."

  "...None of them died," he confirmed quietly, seeming to understand where I was going. After all, it was obvious.

  I picked up a grape from the basket and stared at it. "Then Cameron did something right today."

  The enemy had swarmed us, but Cameron hadn't let a single mage fall. Sure, they hadn't been in the front line, not really, but that was no excuse to dismiss what he had done. He was trustworthy. Smart even.

  Deryk glanced at me, reading my expression carefully. "You know, you don't need to keep feeling guilty."

  Then, without a word, he reached into the basket and pulled out two grapes, handing one to me and keeping one for himself. He popped his into his mouth and smiled sheepishly.

  "You know, Colonel Cameron was a regular soldier before he became head of the Mage Division. He made a lot of mistakes back then. A lot of lives were lost because of it. But now, he's someone who saves lives."

  "Yeah..."

  It was happening again. I had promised myself I wouldn't dwell on the past, but the harder I tried not to think about it, the more it consumed me. It was frustrating, especially since I needed to be thinking of a way to beat Caelen, not obsessing over the dead.

  "Let's start thinking simple," Deryk said simply, seeing my conflicted expression. "About beating the enemy, I mean."

  I stared at the grape in my hand for a long moment. Then I ate it and smiled slightly. "Fine."

  [(0)]

  Colonel Aylsia, Brigadier General Jack, and the other officers sat in silence as they listened to reports from the recent battle.

  "While we won the battle..." The messenger's voice grew quieter as he finished his report. "Our supplies have been raided... leaving us with only two days' worth remaining..."

  Aylsia pinched the bridge of her nose. Jack trembled badly. The other officers, for the first time, showed genuine fear on their faces as they realized where this was headed.

  "...And the reinforcements?" Aylsia said, her voice cold.

  "..." The messenger froze. After seeing Aylsia's glare, he forced himself to speak. "There will be no reinforcements, ma'am... Major General Ayas has refused..."

  Jack openly wept, tears streaming down his face. "We're doomed!"

  The other officers didn't criticize him outright, but the harsh glares they sent his way shut him up almost instantly. Though nobody could really blame him.

  "We'll retreat to Fort Estonal," Aylsia decided. "Tell all forces to ret—"

  "NO!" A voice boomed, making almost everyone jump.

  Major General Caelen, who looked like he was about to die just an hour ago, looked healthy and refreshed as he stormed into the tent. "We're not leaving until I kill that girl!"

  "But sir..." Aylsia started to speak, then stopped herself. "Very well. We'll tell the troops to prepare for an attack."

  Every officer in the room, even Jack, stared at Aylsia like she had lost her mind. At the same time, though, they understood. Nobody could change Caelen's mind once he was like this.

  "That's more like it!" Caelen grinned. "Tomorrow will be our last battle! We'll crush the 9th Corps for good!"

  At that moment, every officer in the room realized they had an extremely slim chance of surviving and returning to the Empire in one piece. They prayed, prayed to anybody that they would win the battle, and return to their loved ones.