The start of a war is not accomplished in a single move, nor can the decisive battle begin right from the outset.
At least, this was the case for the war faced by Alexander, Orion, and Isabella.
Aside from a portion of undead left behind to resist the enemy and buy more time for the transfer, the allied forces of Alexander and Isabella were moving south at full speed.
"We donât have much time. Without anyone to command them, the number of undead troops in the rear will dwindle, and the enemy will soon notice something is amiss."
Alexander, Orion, and Isabella each rode on beasts similar to unicorns, creatures native to Isabellaâs world.
In Isabellaâs world, every lord raised a large number of cavalry. Cavalry of all sorts were the defining feature of her world.
The term "mounted charge" could perfectly describe Isabellaâs world.
This was also why Isabella, despite being a woman, could become a Dragon Knight.
Orion was observing the cavalry Isabella had brought, contemplating the possibility of a cooperative trade partnership between himself and Isabella.
"Mr. Alexander, after the enemy discovers the abnormality, will they launch a major counteroffensive?"
The three rode abreast. Alexander was analyzing the situation, Orion was observing the allied forces, and only Isabella was listening with rapt attention.
"They certainly will!"
"Kicking a drowning dog is what competitors love to do."
Hearing such a metaphor, Isabella was unwilling to accept it; she would never admit to being a "drowning dog."
"Therefore, before those enemies in the rear have time to react, we must quickly establish a firm foothold in the south."
"Even kill the overlord residing in the southâthat Shadow Banshee you mentionedâbefore those Archlord powerhouses have time to reinforce her."
Although Orion hadnât experienced as many wars as Alexander, he had been in quite a few. With a little thought, he could clearly grasp the context of the situation.
"Correct. We are fighting for this window of opportunity."
"However, once the war erupts, those two Archlords will definitely be able to rush over in time to provide support."
"With the strength of an Archlord, rushing over in a short period is no problem."
Alexander turned his head to glance at Orion. A few days ago when Orion descended, he had asked Orion if he could hold off an Archlord. Orion had smiled without speaking, his eyes full of confidence.
"Bro, you still havenât told me who our enemies are."
Mentioning those Archlords, Orion couldnât help but bring this up.
"Hehe, I thought you wouldnât ask and would just wait to kill the enemy!"
There was a hint of smugness in Alexanderâs tone. Facing Archlords, Orion had displayed great confidence and pride.
Such pride gave Alexander the illusion that Orion could defeat a demigod.
"Bro, we strategically despise the enemy, but tactically we must take them seriously."
Orion laughed heartily, brushing off Alexanderâs schadenfreude with a smile.
"An Abyssal Devil Ray, a Dark Sphinx, plus the Shadow Banshees in the south."
Speaking of serious matters, Alexanderâs expression turned solemn, with no trace of teasing in his eyes.
"They are all dark creatures, none are native inhabitants of this world."
"The Abyssal Devil Ray comes from the Abyss. Itâs called a fish, but itâs actually an abyssal beast that looks like a ray. Itâs very fierce and has a massive body. Without a body of faith or a giant-form ability, itâs not easy to deal with."
"Where the Dark Sphinx comes from, I donât know either. This fellow is very eerie and has some tricks up its sleeve. It dodged my assassination attempt last time."
"As for the Shadow Banshees, they are adept at controlling shadows. This kind of enemy will be very troublesome for you. I will deal with her."
Alexander withdrew his gaze from the distance and turned to look at Orion. Though his face was expressionless, his eyes shone with a kind of earnestness.
"So, the Abyssal Devil Ray and the Dark Sphinxâyou pick one to stall until I come to support you."
"Or, kill him!"
Orion didnât speak. He was unfamiliar with both the Abyssal Devil Ray and the Dark Sphinx; he had no basis for choice.
In other words, picking either one was the same.
"When will the Deputy Commander descend?"
Orion didnât answer Alexanderâs question, instead inquiring about the Deputy Commanderâs whereabouts.
"Donât worry about the Deputy Commander. When the battle begins, his avatar will descend."
Orion nodded, thought for a moment, and said,
"Then letâs see when the time comes. After the Deputy Commander traps one, leave the remaining one to me."
"Alright!"
Why was it said that the Deputy Commander would trap one?
Because ever since the plan had emerged, Alexander had already deduced and predicted all possible scenarios and made corresponding arrangements.
Especially for confronting the three Archlords, Alexander had even planned out the battle process.
The Deputy Commanderâs storm avatar would descend, creating a wind barrier to separate the three Archlords.
Alexander would take the opportunity to quickly assassinate one Archlord, Orion would stall another Archlord, and the storm avatar would trap the third.
Until Alexander and Orion achieved results, the Deputy Commanderâs storm avatar could only trap one of the Archlords, because the storm avatarâs main energy was focused on maintaining the wind barrier.
This way, the aftershocks of the battle would not spread, nor would they harm their own low-level troops.
There was another point: controlling the battlefield to deny those demigod-level powerhouses a chance to react and send aid.
As an assassin, when an assassination target appeared, how could he not have a comprehensive battle plan?
From Alexander, Orion learned many things.
For many matters, Alexander had one, or even several, contingency plans.
He was a meticulous planner, a weaver of inescapable nets.
"Hulk, what do you think of my cavalry regiment?"
After Orion and Alexander finished discussing a topic, Isabella suddenly interjected, questioning Orion.
Orion had been observing the allied army the whole time, and he wasnât exactly hiding it, so of course, Isabella would have noticed.
In fact, Isabella was a little smug.
Because she had brought three hundred thousand cavalry, and they were proper exotic beast cavalry, an elite forceâthis was her entire fortune.
In her view, Orion must surely be envious seeing so many cavalry.
"Very good. The combat mounts are uniform, and the equipment is also excellent."
"Itâs just that putting them on this kind of battlefield is a luxury!"
"A luxury?"
Hearing such an evaluation, Isabella was not pleased and was bound to press for an explanation.
"How is it a luxury?"
Isabellaâs tone changed, becoming a little petulant and a bit defiant.
Alexander glanced at Isabella and Orion; he also wanted to hear Orionâs thoughts.
Sometimes, you can judge a person by their views and understanding of a matter.
Although not entirely accurate, it can indeed provide a glimpse into a personâs insight, perspective, and values.