Inside the "Dawn" barracks, the main courtyard had transformed into a relentless beehive of activity. Thousands of volunteers and conscripts scurried in every direction, while the voices of the "Coup Council" politicians blared over loudspeakers, promising certain victory. Amidst this chaos, the companions found themselves clad in coarse military uniforms that didn't fit, creating an air of dark comedy amidst the terror.
Picus was struggling to understand how to hold the long crystal rifle, but it slipped from his grasp every time.
Picus (frustrated):
"Guys, this rifle weighs more than my copper pots! How do they expect me to hit a target when I can barely lift it without crushing my toes?"
Darius (laughing while adjusting his tilted helmet):
"Look on the bright side, Picus. If we run out of ammo, you can always use it as a rolling pin for dough. Look at me—I look like a mushroom in this giant helmet!"
Nirar (examining the weapon professionally):
"Stop fooling around. These weapons aren't ordinary; they're fitted with unstable power valves. It looks like 'Ajax' sent them the prototypes—the ones that might blow up in your face if you aren't careful."
Orthinus (seriously):
"Regardless, conscription is mandatory now. Look, they've locked the gates. The numbers have doubled in hours. They are preparing us for something big... and it won't just be a military parade."
The King's Wrath and the "Genius" Advice
Meanwhile, the Royal Palace was boiling. Strict orders arrived from King Medon XVI to crush the Coup Party before it grew further. Rakion paced back and forth in his office, smashing everything in his path.
Rakion (shouting):
"The explosion destroyed 40\% of our power reserves! My forces are suffering from supply shortages, and those scum in the streets are carrying our weapons! How did this happen?"
Ajax (as General Cassio) entered with a calm that defied the storm outside. He sat down coldly and crossed his legs.
Ajax (in a smooth, persuasive voice):
"Rakion, anger doesn't build strategies. The insurrectionists are planning to attack the peripheral camps. If you try to engage them in the streets, you'll lose your army in an endless guerrilla war."
Rakion (stopping):
"And what do you suggest, 'Mastermind'? The King wants their heads!"
Ajax (stepping forward and placing a hand on Rakion's shoulder, as if hypnotizing him with his tone):
"We will 'secure' the camps. Instead of deploying soldiers outside, we will pull them inward and rig the perimeter with explosive charges. We'll convince the Coup Council that the camps are empty and vulnerable. When they enter with their full weight... we close the doors and end it with the press of a single button. We protect the camps by destroying whoever enters them."
Rakion (his eyes gleaming with malice):
"Security through luring... brilliant. That way, we annihilate them all in one place without scattering our forces."
Ajax (adjusting his collar):
"Exactly. I will oversee the 'evacuation' of the First Camp myself to ensure the bait is set."
The March to the Abattoir
At the Coup barracks, Adrian took the stage, clutching a map leaked to him secretly by Ajax.
Adrian (shouting to the crowds):
"Liberators of Chrystalis! We have received confirmed intelligence. The First Camp, Rakion's 'impenetrable' fortress, is in a state of chaos and evacuation! This is your chance to reclaim your dignity and seize the food and medicine stores! The assault begins now!"
Thundering cheers erupted. Thousands of recruits, the companions among them, were herded into trucks.
Orthinus (whispering to Romelius):
"Teacher, my heart does not rest easy with this 'easy' attack. Rakion does not leave his camps so simply."
Romelius (worriedly):
"I smell a betrayal far beyond these politicians' ability to comprehend. We aren't marching toward victory; we are marching into a trap prepared with exquisite care. Stay close together, and as soon as we arrive, look for the nearest emergency exit."
Nikos (gripping his weapon with one hand):
"If the fire starts, Darius... don't look back. Follow Orthinus and Nirar."
The Closing of the Gates
The hordes of insurrectionists reached the walls of the First Camp. The silence was eerie. The towers were empty, and the gates seemed as if they had been left open "by mistake."
The Battalion Commander (shouting):
"Look! The cowards have fled! Surge inside! Seize the warehouses!"
Thousands rushed like a roaring flood inside the massive camp walls. The companions entered amidst the throng, their eyes scanning the high walls. From a distance, on a hill overlooking the camp, Ajax stood beside Rakion, holding a small remote control device.
Rakion: "Have they all entered?"
Ajax (with a cold smile):
"The herd always follows the scent, Rakion. Look at them running toward their doom while cheering for freedom. Isn't it a poetic sight?"
Inside the camp, Picus and Darius reached the warehouse square, only to find the crates... but they didn't contain food. They were packed with a blue radioactive substance that began to emit a terrifying hiss.
Nirar (screaming at the top of his lungs):
"Fall back! These aren't warehouses! These are time bombs! The entire camp is one giant mine!"
But the giant iron doors began to slam shut behind them with a sound like thunder, and snipers from the "Silence Squad" began appearing atop the walls—not to fire, but to watch the "security" reach its completion.