Chapter 193: Divide and Conquer [2] (Bonus 7)
The Baron didn’t waste words.
With a sharp gesture, he signaled Zephyr and Lumin toward the snow-choked entrance of the west wing anchor. His spear, Duskpiercer, erupted in living flames, the heat rippling through the blizzard’s bite.
He had to get serious this time.
Looming out of the swirling white were three massive Alpha-rank Mistborns.
The first stood eight feet tall, its elongated limbs ending in jagged, icicle-like claws. Its body constantly shifted between solid and mist, making it nearly impossible to track.
The second moved on six spindly legs, its torso rotating unnaturally as it skittered across the snow like some nightmarish insect. Multiple vortex-mouths dotted its form, each whispering different tormenting phrases.
But the third...
Ten feet of pure terror. Its massive form pulsed with corrupt aura, and its screech tore through the storm, a sound that bypassed ear defenses entirely.
"KAAAAAA-!"
Lumin and Zephyr clutched their heads, teeth gritted against the assault.
The Baron, noticing their momentary vulnerability, quickly slashed his flaming spear in wide, aggressive arcs.
The intense heat and force cleaved through a few of the lesser Mistborns swarming around before reaching the momentarily distracted Alpha trio.
"Go!" the Baron barked, before launching himself at them, his spear a blur of fire and fury. He trusted the two could handle the lesser ranks on their own.
Zephyr and Lumin, shaking off the mental assault, quickly moved towards the anchor’s doors. They were already covered by heavy snow and ice all the way to their upper frames.
Swoosh-!
Just then, a few lesser mistborns, their forms shimmering with malicious intent, tried to sneak up on them.
Clang-!
They were met with the cold, gleaming steel of Zephyr’s saber.
Then he took on the duty of protecting Lumin, moving with quick, efficient slashes, forming a protective perimeter while Lumin quickly shoveled snow and chipped away at the ice, making sure he wouldn’t get blindsided by the swirling enemies.
Zephyr also kept an eye on the surroundings and the alpha mistborns. He couldn’t make a mistake this time.
"Done!" Lumin shouted, his breath misting in the frigid air, barely twenty seconds later.
"Mister!" Zephyr’s voice, strained but urgent, cut through the din, directed at the Baron, who was now a fiery blur amidst the enemy.
Baron Nusayel, locked in a brutal dance of death, managed to nod without breaking his rhythm.
"Dodge!" he bellowed, and with a powerful swing, sent a massive, arcing fire slash directly toward the now-cleared doors. He immediately resumed his furious assault on the Alphas, drawing their attention back to his relentless spear.
Zephyr and Lumin ducked and rolled just in time, allowing the flame spear slash to scorch and clear the doors’ immediate surroundings of any lingering ice or snow.
With a swift movement, Zephyr manifested a shimmering portal directly on the surface of the door. They both plunged through, the portal snapping shut behind them, leaving the roaring blizzard and the monstrous Mistborns outside.
The Baron exhaled, the flames along his spear flaring brighter.
Now?
Now, he could fight properly.
The three Alphas circled him, their forms shifting, their screeches vibrating the air.
The Baron grinned.
"Come on, then."
_____ ___ _
The moment the portal sealed behind them, the howl of the blizzard dulled to a muted roar. Lumin exhaled sharply, his breath fogging in the chamber’s cool air as he took in their surroundings.
The anchor core dominated the room, while the three pylons surrounding it hummed in harmony, their energy streams flowing smoothly.
Zephyr didn’t waste a second. He moved swiftly to one of the three colossal pylon consoles that ringed the anchor core, his fingers already dancing across its intricate controls.
Lumin, on the other hand, knew nothing about operating these complex consoles. He understood their purpose, though.
According to the conductors he recently talked with, each pylon had its own distinct tasks and features.
The first pylon was responsible for temperature regulation within the Keep, maintaining a cool, stable climate throughout the castle, the town, the lower keep buildings, the sprawling underground shelters and chambers. It also performed other minor functions, ensuring livable conditions even during the harshest winters.
The second pylon controlled barriers and light beacons. It was designed to automatically activate defensive shields and illuminate the Keep’s perimeter at night or whenever the fortress was under attack. Its features extended to various emergency protocols and visual signaling.
Finally, the third pylon was dedicated to stabilization and detection. It could send out continuous aura waves, resonance pulses, throughout the Keep’s vast network, constantly checking for ambient corruption or fluctuations in the energy flow.
More critically, it could detect foreign aura signatures (like disguised monsters, corrupted scouts, or unauthorized portals) and trigger containment protocols or alarms as needed.
But for these functions to be properly utilized, someone skilled had to be at the helm, making precise adjustments and commands to ensure the correct functions were employed without inadvertently ruining anything.
Lumin watched Zephyr, whose fingers flew across the console of the third pylon, a faint smile touching his lips.
"You must really know everything, friend Zephyr," he complimented, his voice soft in the quiet chamber.
Zephyr’s lips twitched faintly, a hint of an irritated smile almost breaking through his usual stoicism, but he didn’t react, his full focus on the complex task before him.
After a few tense moments of concentrated effort, the hum from the third pylon deepened, a resonant thrum that seemed to vibrate through Lumin’s very bones. Zephyr pulled his hands back, his gaze fixed on the intricate display.
"I am sending the waves," He stated, his voice low, a note of controlled anticipation in it. He looked briefly at Lumin, his expression unreadable. "I hope it works."
Lumin nodded slowly, his own thoughts already spiraling.
He was pondering, running through the possibilities, the contingencies of their broader strategy. The plan, as Zephyr was undoubtedly recalling as well, was deceptively simple but meticulously thought out.
Zephyr’s eyes flickered back to the console, even as his mind replayed the steps.
Divide and conquer.
That was the core principle.
By splitting their forces and attacking the Lament Shroud’s manifestations in multiple key locations, they aimed to stretch its awareness, dilute its formidable power, and render it as vulnerable as possible.
Each engagement, from Elria’s unit battling the Mistborns in the town to the Baron’s fierce stand against the Alphas outside this very chamber, contributed to that.
And once its focus was sufficiently fragmented, the anchor chambers, now being fully activated and configured, would become their ultimate tool.
They only needed to wait now.