Hours before the spark of the assault, in a secret cellar beneath the ruins of an ancient district, Ajax stood before an elite gathering of assassins and espionage experts he had plucked from the depths of the blackest prisons. In their center stood Antoine, a man who exhaled the scent of a quiet , his eyes unblinking behind strands of pale hair.
Ajax (opening crates overflowing with radiant crystal coins):
"This is your fuel. You are now the 'Lords of Snow.' Your mission is not direct combat, but to seep like cold air into the enemy's veins. Antoine, I want your men in every alleyway—watching, assassinating, and recruiting the best. The money is inexhaustible, and provisions are secured in the secret caches I've established for you outside the city walls."
Antoine (in a glacial voice):
"We shall be the nightmare from which Medon's soldiers never wake, my Lord. Chrystalis will freeze under the weight of our presence."
The Grand Deception
While the Coup Council believed they were arming themselves from random stockpiles, Ajax had issued secret orders to his loyal followers within the army and underground organizations.
Ajax (whispering to Antoine in the darkness):
"Listen closely... the experimental electro-crystal weapons will not go to the insurrectionists. I want you to transport them tonight, in total secrecy, to the government's elite camps. Place them in the central ammunition depots as if they were security reinforcements. As for the insurrectionists, give them standard rifles and massive provisions from my secret caches so they believe they are safe."
The Broken Trigger
High on the ridge overlooking the "First Camp," Rakion gripped the detonator, euphoria filling his heart. He watched thousands of insurrectionists—including the companions—rush inside the tempting walls. Beside him stood Ajax, in his guise as General Cassio.
Rakion (with a hysterical laugh):
"Look, Cassio! They've swallowed the bait. I'll press this button, and I'll turn our camp into a mass grave the likes of which has never been seen. Every inch beneath their feet is packed with crystal explosives."
Ajax (coldly): "A flawless plan, Commander. But does it not worry you that the Secret Police have begun searching for Ajax?"
Rakion: "Let them search for a ghost! Once I turn these fools to ash, I will be the ultimate hero of Chrystalis."
Rakion pressed the button. Utter silence. Nothing. He pressed again frantically, but the remote was nothing more than a useless piece of wood in his hand.
Rakion (in shock): "Why didn't it explode? Cassio! What is happening?!"
Ajax (feigning bewilderment): "Sir... it seems there is treachery! Someone must have deactivated the fuses from the inside before the attack!"
The Harvest of the Lords of Snow
In 그 moment, from behind the lines of Rakion's soldiers surrounding the camp, silent bolts and daggers flew. The "Lords of Snow" were harvesting the snipers' necks with clinical detachment. Panic spread among the government soldiers, who found themselves being slaughtered from behind without ever seeing their foe.
Ajax (grabbing Rakion's arm): "Sir! The insurrectionists have seized the camp, and our army is being decimated from the rear! We must flee before they close the circle around us!"
Ajax sped away with the broken Rakion in an armored carriage, retreating from a scene that had turned into a triumphant victory for the Coup, thanks to the "dormant" explosives Ajax's followers had intentionally swapped for the real ones.
The Purple Sky
As the carriage tore through the darkness, the earth suddenly groaned. Successive, terrifying explosions lit the city sky in a haunting purple hue. They weren't coming from the First Camp, but from the heart of the government's military installations.
Rakion (staring out the window in terror): "What is that?! Those are the elite camps! Our central depots!"
A trembling voice crackled over the radio:
"Commander! The electro-crystal weapons that arrived yesterday... they've detonated in the warehouses! The soldiers burned in their barracks! The main camps have been leveled to the ground!"
Rakion froze. His army had been destroyed by his own most advanced weaponry, in the very place he thought was most secure. Meanwhile, in the shadows of the carriage, Ajax adjusted his black glove. A smile did not touch his lips, but the glint in his eyes said everything.
The Bitter Victory
Orthinus, Nirar, and the rest of the companions stood in the center of the camp square. Government soldiers who survived the slaughter surrendered by the thousands.
Nirar (inspecting the camp floor):
"Orthinus... the explosives here weren't just deactivated; they were replaced with empty glass crystals! Someone played Rakion, making him think he held a detonator when he was holding an illusion."
Picus (in amazement): "Look at these crates that reached us... they are full of the finest provisions and dried meats! Who is supporting us with such generosity?"
Romelius (gazing into the distance where pillars of smoke rose from the government camps):
"Look at those fires... Medon's army has been slaughtered in its own home. We did not win by our own strength, my children... we are living in a chaos orchestrated by a demon who knows exactly how to make the enemy commit suicide with their own blade."