When the Blue Army of the Empire of Caenis invaded the Great Forest of Gezenfall, they adopted a method of gradually cutting through the veins of the land.

　Once they entered the forest, the Imperial Blue Army mobilized a large number of magicians to perform ritual magic, while constructing a double and triple security network to prevent interference.
　In parallel with the rituals, they damaged the trees in the forest that were connected to the vein, forcing them to use their power for repair and defense, lowering their resistance even locally, and taking away the vein.
　If a battle broke out, the first priority was to inflict damage on the elves' side. There were plenty of replacements for the Imperial Blue Army, but the Elves' strength was already at its lowest point.
　There was no surprise there. It was a war of supremacy, where the sheer volume of goods exceeded the opponent's ability to cope.

　The trees in the area taken by the Empire were cut down to a reasonable size, and the area was physically transformed into a battleground for the Imperial forces.
　Of course, the imperial army used all the wood they could get their hands on.
　Now that they had control of the earth's veins, it was easy to combine earth elemental magic with wood to create a makeshift fort.
　The trees that the elves had worked so hard to cultivate over the years were strong and could conduct magic well. They were too good to be used as materials for a fort.
　They took the forest, cut down the trees, and used the lumber to build their camp. The imperial army had already established eight positions in the great forest and used the network as a solid foothold.

　It was solid. Until that night.

"Fire attack, ......?　The elves!

　The eleventh captain of the Blue Army, Flame Hotaru, who was in charge of the second fort near the outer edge of the forest, was asleep in his living room when he was awakened by a bell announcing an enemy attack.
　Looking out of the square cut window, the night was burning with stars.

　The fortress was built of earth and stone deformed by earth magic, connected by timbers cut from the forest, and a simple wall enclosing the encampment.
　All of them were on fire.
　No, not just the camp. Even the forest outside is on fire. The trees around the camp were on fire.

　From beyond the burning trees, flaming arrows flew like meteors, trailing tails of flame.
　It pierced the corridors of the city walls and caught fire.

　Elves hate fire anyway. The trees in the elven forest do not burn easily, but they do not want the forest to be damaged by fire, so they only use it for cooking in very limited areas.
　However, these elves handled fire arrows and set fire to their own forest, even though it was taken by the Blue Army.

　No.
　Maybe they're not elves.
　The voice that echoed in the forest just the other day. The forest of the elves has changed. ......
　He's involved. "The Rose of Hell, the plague from the north."

...... The fires around us are just a distraction. There are no trees growing where they can burn us anyway. Concentrate on keeping the arrows out. Whoever's available, help put them out.
It's already there.

　A purple-haired girl in burly, shiny black armor, ...... or a woman who looks like a girl by human standards, responds.
　It's the second-in-command of the Firefly, Kutetsu, who bursts into the room to report. Dwarven women stop growing at the age of twelve or three by human standards, and their appearance remains unchanged until death. However, Kutetsu is already over 80 years old, which is middle age even for Dwarves, and he is a warrior.

......, but there's a problem.

　The usually iron-faced Kutetsu was seething with frustration.

"What is it?
I've been told to make a place.
　Being surrounded by fire lays the groundwork for the use of fire elemental magic, and ......

　◇.

　A dry wind filled with heat blows through the forest at night.

　A giant beast with flaming fur stomps and gallops across the cracked earth.
　A bulldog-like creature with a charming face, depending on how you look at it, spits out flames of desperate power that are not cute at all, and scorches the walls around the perimeter of the camp with fire.
　The walls are made of sharpened lumber that has been strengthened by the magic of the elven forest. It was not supposed to burn so easily, but it did.

　Not only the outer walls, but also the watchtowers and the fortifications behind them are on fire.
　The fire was set directly by the arrows being shot one after another, but there was a reason why the arrows caught fire so easily and went up in flames.

　There is one who sits on the head of the giant beast, using the metallic horn like a crown as a clue.
　A ...... skeleton wearing a white dress stained with a rose of fresh blood.
　It's Rene, taking the form of a lich.

　The Forge is carrying Rene, who is wielding a cursed staff.
　His feet are dry and cracked, and the grass is browning and dying.

　≪The World of Dryness (Draught Field).
　A spell to physically and magically weaken the power of water in a certain area. If affected for a long time, even people will dry up and die.
　Under the control of this magic, wood is like an igniter.
　The lush green forest is a realm where the power of water is dominant and fire elemental magic is not at its full potential. However, Rene set fire to the forest and used it as leverage to enhance the accuracy of his magic by using the Draught Field, creating a space where fire is strictly prohibited.

　No matter how strong Rene is, he will not be able to destroy the camp with a single blow.
　This was the result of his thinking that he could more effectively inflict damage by providing support.

　I'm sure you'll agree.

"...... So you're saying that this fire attack can't be prevented ......?

　The flames unconsciously covered the narrow window.
　I'm not sure what to do. I'm not sure what to make of that.

　It's not that I didn't anticipate the danger of a fire attack when I built my almost wooden camp.
　The walls and other parts of the structure had been fortified with simple magic and connected to the earth's veins at key points.
　It was a necessary and sufficient measure, but it was breached. It's a terrible way to reinforce magic by setting the forest on fire, and it's a ritual grade wide area magic.

Anyway, we need help!　If we can hold out until the sixth squad outside the forest arrives here, ............



　When Hotaru turned around, Kuten was not there.
　Instead, a strange girl wearing Kutetsu's clothes and armor was standing there.
　In one hand, for some reason, she carried a hand mirror, and in the other, a twisted blade shaped like a crescent moon. She is a little taller than Kutetsu.

"...... Kutetsu?
That guy's gone.
Who are you, ......?
No, Captain. We need to be more selective about the merchants we let into the fort.
　You didn't look hard enough, except for elves and undead.

　At least I know she's a crook.

　The firefly took up the stance of the Caenis Empire's military martial art, the Dragon Hand.
　The Dragon's Hand is a fighting technique that is designed to be used against opponents with blades. But Flame Hotaru had only received a passing education in the Blue Army. He would be no match for ordinary opponents, but it was not his forte.
　The weapon in which he excelled was a spear that exceeded even his own height. That's not here right now. Even if there was, it would be too large a weapon to wield indoors.

　The flaming firefly, awake from sleep, is not even wearing armor.
　Without averting his eyes from the suspicious girl, he steps back in a dragon hand stance and reaches for the sword propped up on the pillow behind him.
　But his hand cut through the air.

"Are you looking for this, by any chance?
"Now ......

　I'm sure it's the same as the one I had on my bed just now.

　It's certainly the sword that should have been standing on the bedside table a while ago. At least it should have been there when he woke up.

　The girl throws Hotaru's sword behind her.
　At the same time, he held up his fist like a drawn bow, and leapt at the girl.

"Huh!

　The blow fired with spirit completely caught the girl's body.

　It should have.

　Blood splattered in the air.
　A burning pain.

"Why, so ...... long ............?
"The Flame of the Spear has been defeated. I'm sorry I was unarmed.

　The girl who was supposed to be right in front of him was tearing his neck deeply from behind.