Night had fallen, and as a brilliant moon illuminated the world below, most within the Rebel Army's position had already surrendered to sleep.
Even with the presence of stalls serving alcohol and the company of prostitutes, it was only natural that once midnight passed, nearly everyone was in bed—save for those on sentry duty or those with urgent business.
Wood used for fires was not an infinite resource, and Light Magic Items were quite expensive. More importantly, because this was the Rebel Army's position, rigorous training was a daily requirement. No one wanted to face the next day's drills while suffering from sleep deprivation.
Rei and Set were currently absent from the camp, but that did not mean the intensity of the training had lessened. If anything, it was the opposite.
Lately, Rei’s training had focused primarily on the Mobile Unit, but many others in the Rebel Army oversaw equally brutal sessions. Chief among them was Gurgast, a man from the Former Second Princess Faction. A true battle maniac, his training was notoriously severe. Injuries like broken bones and deep bruises were expected; it was the kind of environment where no one would have been surprised if a trainee had actually died.
Theoreme occasionally led the drills himself, as did his lieutenant, Siance. Other figures like Vihera and the various nobles participating in the rebellion would often hold mock battles among themselves. The adventurers and mercenaries, in particular, were expected to be combat-ready assets, and thus their training was far more practical and lethal.
This was why everyone tried to rest as early as possible—to prepare for the hardships of the coming day. Yet, within that silent darkness, figures were moving through the camp.
It was not just one or two people. A group exceeding 10 people moved stealthily, keeping to the shadows to avoid the light cast by the camp's bonfires.
"Good grief, why is the moon so bright tonight? I wish it would stay hidden behind the clouds a little longer."
"Don't complain. It might increase the risk of the sentry soldiers spotting us, but it’s a blessing for the dolls. At least they won’t be tripping over themselves in the dark."
"Honestly... we were supposed to take our time to increase the number of dolls and improve their quality. Really, whether Crimson is here or not, he always manages to be a nuisance."
Mura muttered resentfully, casting a glance back at the figures trailing behind her.
They were dolls—individuals whose consciousness had been stripped away by Mura’s specialized brainwashing. Ideally, she would have preferred to guide their minds while leaving them enough self-awareness for basic judgment. However, that required time, and right now, time was their greatest enemy.
Consequently, these puppets had been adjusted to follow her commands with almost zero self-will. Because they lacked the ability to make their own decisions, they were prone to stumbling over random stones on the ground— a side effect of the forceful adjustments made to ensure their total obedience.
The reason they had moved so hastily was the discovery that Crimson was not currently in the camp. Furthermore, Mura—who rarely ventured to the front lines—was present specifically to provide detailed instructions to the dolls.
She had heard from the cooperator man that Crimson might be away, and now that it was confirmed, they couldn't pass up the chance for Sobul's abduction.
If given the choice between rescuing the target Sobul from Crimson alone or from a hundred ordinary soldiers, both Mura and Shistoi would have chosen the hundred soldiers without a second thought. They understood exactly what kind of monster Crimson was, having crossed blades with him and barely escaped with their lives after a humiliating defeat.
"Stop. It's in sight," Shistoi, who was leading the way, spoke sharply.
Mura halted and signaled the dolls to stop as well. If these had been dolls with proper self-awareness, they would have stopped on their own without needing a command. She cast a slightly irritated look at them before turning to Shistoi.
"So? Do they seem to have noticed us? In this moonlight, we could be spotted easily if we’re unlucky."
"No problem. they're completely off-guard."
"They certainly are slack, aren't they?" Mura agreed, peering past Shistoi toward the cluster of tents.
She spotted two soldiers talking. The wind carried the faint sound of their laughter; they clearly weren't taking their sentry duty seriously.
It was perhaps understandable. The Rebel Army had repelled the Subjugation Army twice in a row with overwhelming force. Since there were no reports of enemies approaching their position, maintaining high tension during a night watch was difficult. In the period immediately following the capture, they had been vigilant, fearing an attempt to reclaim the prisoner, but they had eventually grown accustomed to the quiet.
When that happened, laxity was inevitable.
"Don't be so annoyed. From our perspective, isn't this exactly what we wanted? It puts us at an advantage, so be grateful rather than angry."
"I know that... but it still grates on me. It feels like we're being underestimated."
"...Are you saying you'd rather fight Crimson, then?"
"No thank you," Mura replied without a moment's hesitation.
Shistoi couldn't help but let out a wry smile. "Then no more complaining. We have work to...!? Get back!"
At Shistoi’s sudden, sharp whisper, Mura reflexively made a leap backward.
A split second later, the dolls followed her lead, but several were too slow. Sharp objects suddenly sprouted from the earth, piercing their legs and pinning them to the ground.
"What!?"
"Hahaha. I didn't think you'd actually come. I was bored, so I welcome the distraction."
A voice echoed from nowhere. As they searched for the source, it spoke again.
"Over here."
Realizing the voice was coming from beneath the ground, Mura leaped again to put distance between herself and the spot. Simultaneously, more sharp points burst from the soil.
"Tentacles!?"
Up close, she could see them clearly: white, slimy appendages coated in a slick mucus, their tips tapered to lethal points. Their raw, organic appearance filled Mura with visceral disgust.
"Hehehe. Correct. But knowing that won't help you against attacks from below. Now, shall we? You're the one pulling the strings of those strange people, right? Standard tactic is to take out the commander first."
Mura clicked her tongue. She understood immediately why she was being targeted instead of Shistoi, who was clearly the stronger combatant. She was the one controlling the dolls; they barely responded to Shistoi’s presence. Ideally, she would have configured them to obey Shistoi as well—much like they had when they attacked Rei in the tournament waiting room—but this was a rush job.
Sensing the shift, Shistoi glanced toward the tent where Sobul was likely being held. They hadn't made much noise yet, and there was still distance between them and the main camp. However, he could tell the laughing sentries were starting to look toward them. The lack of clouds meant the moonlight was working against them.
Shistoi shouted a sharp command to Mura. "Mura, I'll handle this one. You take the dolls and secure the target!"
"Understood!" Mura nodded and led the dolls toward the tents, leaving Shistoi behind.
"Oh my, you even know about us? I thought we were quite the state secret."
"After you were exposed so thoroughly during the Spring War, there are no secrets left. ...Though, honestly, I didn't think you'd be siding with the Rebel Army."
The existence of the Beast Soldiers was indeed highly classified. Even with their exposure in the previous war, details were hard to come by. However, Shistoi and Mura belonged to Requiem Bell, an organization with the finest intelligence-gathering capabilities in the Bestia Empire.
"Hmm, I see. So that's why you stayed behind—you’re more used to individual combat than that woman. ...But still!"
In the middle of the voice's taunt, tentacles sprouted again. Their tips were sharpened to fine points capable of piercing standard armor. Shistoi evaded them effortlessly, and the Beast Soldier clicked his tongue beneath the earth when he realized his attack hadn't connected.
To think he'd dodge like that. Honestly, no one should be able to beat me while I'm submerged...
Rei’s face flashed through the Beast Soldier’s mind for an instant, and he quickly shook the thought away.
I thought there were almost none who could... How is he dodging? It's not like there's a pattern. Is it luck? No way. Fine, I'll just overwhelm him with numbers. I wanted to deal with the group, but this guy is definitely too dangerous to leave at my back.
Having made his decision, over 10 tentacles thrust out from the ground toward Shistoi simultaneously. From the front, back, left, right, and directly beneath—an attack from five directions.
This is it! the Beast Soldier thought. But in the next moment, he writhed in agony underground.
"Aaaaaah! It hurts! Damn you!"
He could tell what had happened from the vibrations. Shistoi had evaded the multi-directional strike by leaping into the only available space: straight up. Because the Beast Soldier was attacking from beneath, his range was fixed. Shistoi had exploited that gap, and while in mid-air, he had severed one of the tentacles with his longsword.
"What's the matter? I'm significantly weaker than I used to be, yet you can't even touch me. I suppose the fearsome reputation of the Beast Soldiers was just a rumor after all."
It was a blatant provocation. The Beast Soldier, blinded by pain and anger, lost his composure. Many Beast Soldiers were former criminals and notoriously lacked patience.
"How dare you! I was going to capture you alive, but now I'm going to kill you!"
With that scream, tentacles burst from the soil in a frenzy. The number was incomparable to before. Where there had been ten, there were now dozens, then nearly a hundred.
Is he trying to field a hundred of them? Shistoi wondered, weaving through the thicket of sharp tips.
Despite the sheer volume of the attack, Shistoi wasn't as cornered as he looked. The tentacles were a threat, but the Beast Soldier’s lack of experience made the movements predictable and monotonous.
Low combat experience?
The raw power was there, but the user hadn't mastered it. Shistoi slashed through the appendages as they closed in.
Actually, it makes sense. The first time Beast Soldiers were used in real combat was the Spring War. There haven't been any major conflicts since then. He might have been sent on a few individual missions, but he hasn't built up the necessary experience. In that case!
Relying on his knowledge of their physiology, Shistoi decided to exploit that greenness. He attempted to dodge a tentacle aimed at his torso—and "failed," allowing it to pierce his side.
"Guaaaaaah!" Shistoi’s scream echoed through the night.
The tentacles stopped moving instantly. The enemy must have heard the cry from below.
Is he coming? Shistoi prayed as he rolled on the ground, clutching his side. He kept his vision sharp, ready to move if the earth shifted. If a follow-up strike came, he would have to dodge for real.
But instead...
The ground bulged, and a face that seemed like a fusion of a human and a mole emerged. It wasn't a natural blend like a beastman, but a distorted, uncanny visage. The creature fixed its eyes on Shistoi as he writhed in the dirt.
"Hmph, my—!"
Before he could finish, Shistoi’s longsword, thrown with perfect precision, crushed the creature's head.
The Beast Soldier collapsed without a sound, and the fight ended as abruptly as it had begun.
"Too bad for you. If you'd actually received a fatal blow, you wouldn't be able to thrash around like that. ...But it was enough to lure you out."
Shistoi checked his side. The wound wasn't deep. He poured a Potion over it and began walking toward the tents, where the sounds of Mura’s battle were already beginning to rise.