Chapter 209: Calm Before The Storm

Although Heron said that they would fight Zeke, this didn't happen right away. She allowed the group to take a whole day off the trainings. Making sure that their bodies and minds were properly rested before the fight began.

Yet none of them could actually rest, feeling nervous from the fact that Samael and Kezel were part of the [Conjures] that they needed to fight. Making Zeke's summons even more formidable than they already were. Adding to this was the fact that they had another form they could enter once their health decreased to a certain level.

Amare was more nervous than anyone else. Knowing that the others were relying on her, mistakes weren't allowed. Hence she went to the pantry where she encountered Sylph, with a towel over her shoulders giving Amare the idea that, she just came out from training.

"Hey there miss tactician." Sylph said as Amare decided to sit beside her. She thought that it was the perfect opportunity to ask the elf about battle strategies. After all, Sylph was more experienced on actual fights.

The elf quickly read her mind. Handing her a plate which had a sandwich on it. Making Amare look at her in confusion.

"I know what you're thinking but you should feed your stomach first. It's difficult to keep thinking on an empty stomach and that's the lats thing you'd want tomorrow."

"Thank you Miss Sylph." Amare said, taking the offer given to her as she finally realized she was hungry. With all the thinking she was doing,

"Don't sweat it." Sylph began, taking a quick bite before she continued speaking.

"So I hear you guys are going to fight Zeke's [Conjures] tomorrow. Time sure does fly." Sylph said, remembering how decimated they were by the same summons a month ago. Leaving them in a state which went beyond what one could refer to as a practice.

"Yeah. We've been through a lot of trainings since then but every time I remember the fight against those creatures, I can't shake the feeling that we might just lose." Amare began eating the sandwich.

"Oh we can't be having that now can we? It's good for a tactician to know when to retreat but there is a difference when that is induced by fear." Sylph said, handing another sandwich to Amare as the first one went away in the blink of an eye.

"Fear is often illogical, making you back away from the unknown. This was how the earliest of any race was able to survive which makes it good at that part. Yet that can also be a large handicap if one cannot overcome the fear." At this Amare's face brightened, reading between the lines and speaking her mind.

"So are you saying that we have a chance at winning?" She asked, wanting to confirm her assumption.

"No silly. I'm saying that what you are feeling is only due to fear one which may be misplaced at this point." Sylph got up and took a couple more breads together with the vegetables and meat which could be added inside. She then handed these to Amare who just finished her second sandwich.

"You should think beyond the experience a month ago and reflect on the numerous battle simulations that you have gone through since that day. All the times that you fought until you were exhausted to the point of collapsing and, all the dangerous tactics you needed to gamble on just to win." Sylph furthered, with Amare brooding over this as she prepared her own sandwich.

Everyone in the hideout knew of the trainings which the elites went through. This is because Heron was regularly giving reports to the group, ensuring Zeke and the others that the elites were making progress. Of course the elites themselves do not know this.

The elites though that Zeke didn't care about their existence anymore. Yet this wasn't true and there was no individual that cared for them as much as Zeke did. He was only giving them some much needed tough love in order to make them stronger. A strategy which worked perfectly well during the course of a month.

"Among the members of the group, it is the tactician which needs to be level headed at all times. You are in control of all the movements that happen on the battlefield just as much as you are also responsible for looking at every detail. Yet that doesn't mean that all the burden is on you." Sylph furthered, making a sample using a sandwich she made for herself.

"You are like the buns, holding the other pieces together. Yet every member of the elites needs to perform at their best because if they can't, then your plans would fall apart. Sylph let go of the sandwich, taking apart the contents.

"R0evisions would be made on top of revisions." She furthered, mixing the combinations with the buns remaining as they were.

"Nobody wats something like that of course. Nobody wants to be a burden to their teammates. So I'm guessing that the others are also as anxious as you are right now."

Sylph's words were like crystal clear water to Amare. Making her understand the larger picture. One which she couldn't realize herself because she was so bent on thinking about her role as their tactician – thinking that everything relied on her. Yet this wasn't the case.

Healers need to be quick in providing recovery. Defenders need to make the toughest shields and barriers they could. The strike team need to create enough damage without sustaining too much themselves. The support needs to provide whatever assistance they could offer. While the long range units need to be accurate with the casting and firing.

Each of them needed to perform based on what they could offer. Each member of the elites needed to do their best. Not just her.

They all had the burden of needing to win on their shoulders; relying on their skills and on their ability to move efficiently based on Amare's commands.

"Far from what you are thinking, the other members are probably doing their best to not be a burden to you. So that your plans could be executed as smoothly as possible because, within any battle, it is the tactician who is trusted the most." This finally drew a smile on the face of Amare who finally understood things clearly.

"Thank you, Miss Sylph, that's a huge help." Amare said, eating the sandwich that Sylph offered. The one she used to demonstrate her point earlier.

"You're more than welcome. Oh and feel free to stay. I don't mind the extra company." She furthered, with Amare doing just this as she also asked about more things regarding the strategy they could use.

…

Another member who felt as nervous as Amare was Kaguya. The female elite had the marking of Nisha disappearing from her hand which she didn't understand why.

But what was clear was that, her powers were growing weaker by the day. In fact, during their last fight, she needed to make use of the full power of her [Multiplier] just for [Oblivion] to work. Kaguya was only relying on the powers provided by her secondary job class. Powering up all her skills that were only a bit stronger than their base form at that point.

This was something which she hasn't told the other members yet. She knew that their morale would be affected upon knowing this. She knew that they relied heavily on [Oblivion] which was one of the group's trump cards. An ace which could be used on diverse situations.

"Tomorrow is going to be the last day. I ended to endure until then." She told herself, trying to gather Dark Mana as much as she could although, even this proved to a difficult ordeal for her.

What she didn't know was that Nisha was already dead. The goddess of darkness which favored her was already consumed by Pier; with the balance of the universe getting destroyed in the process. Due to her absence, Dark Mana was steadily weakening while Chaos Energy was growing even stronger.

"Just a bit more. You can do this." She told to herself over and over again.

"For Quinn."

…

There were other members such as Mirio who shadow boxed in his room. It wasn't a straining exercise. He was just warming his body enough and conditioning it for the enemy they needed to face tomorrow.

He had the image of Samael perfectly laid out on his mind. All the skills used by this [Conjure] and the sudden wave of [Infernal Conjures] that came after its slash attack.

The elite tried to win against this creature in his head, getting cold sweat and his hair raising just from imagining it. The overwhelming strength of Samael was no joke after all.

"How exactly do I match up to something like that?" Mirio finally slumped to the ground. Resting as he didn't want to get too exhausted and, with the shadow boxing session ending in the utter victory of the imagined Samael the [Conjure].

…

Of course every other elite had something ton worry about. Yet, they had one problem in common. That is: they didn't have any proper equipment anymore.

With the last fight against Zeke's [Conjures], all their weapons got broken and so were their armors. The elites only had basic equipment with them at that point. Relying heavily on technique and mana control during their fights against Morpheus.

What they didn't know was how exponentially stronger they became due to this. In fact, if they had their real equipment at that point then, there was no mistaking their ability to take down even the [Infernal Conjures].

Yet they all brushed this idea aside. Wanting no assistance from Zeke on the fight to come and wanting to win on their merits alone. Although frightful of the fight, there was a single goal which boosted their morale. That is, to win in order to begin the search for Quinn.