บท 32: The Trap
Atenzi laid out his new plan. The war room buzzed with excitement.
His eyes blazed as he moved pieces on the map. Each gesture was precise, purposeful.
"Khan thinks we're unprepared. His haste will be his downfall," Atenzi said. "We'll use the terrain against him. The Whispering Woods will be our first defense."
Báthory leaned in, eyes gleaming. "Those woods are tricky by day."
"At night, they're a nightmare," Atenzi finished. "We'll hide your shadow weavers there. Khan's men will get lost in a maze of fear and lies."
He turned to a vampire general. "Vislav, how fast can your blood mages change the land?"
Vislav stepped forward. His eyes smoldered like coals. "With enough sacrifices, we could make a swamp to swallow horses in hours."
"Do it," Atenzi nodded. "Put them by the Crimson Marshes. When Khan's army's deep in the woods, turn their escape into a deathtrap."
The room hummed with activity. Vampires rushed to carry out orders. The air crackled with anticipation and dread.
Atenzi's gaze swept the room. His allies were a motley crew of monsters and outcasts. Each had their own agenda, but for now, they were united against a common foe.
Báthory, the vampire queen, stood tall and proud. Her porcelain skin contrasted sharply with her blood-red lips. She whispered to her shadow weavers, their forms flickering like smoke.
Vislav gathered his blood mages. Their eyes glowed with unholy hunger. They would need fresh sacrifices for their ritual. Atenzi tried not to think about where those would come from.
In a corner, werewolf scouts huddled. Their muscles rippled beneath tattered clothes. They sniffed the air, sensing the coming storm.
As vampires rushed to obey, Musashi approached. Worry etched his face.
"Atenzi," he said softly, "this plan is clever, but the cost-"
"Will be high," Atenzi cut in coldly. "But needed. They're not human. Should we wait for Khan to reach Bloodmire's heart? To kill everyone?"
Musashi's eyes narrowed. "You once sought to spare lives on both sides."
Something flickered in Atenzi's eyes. A ghost of his old self? It vanished, replaced by Oni no Atenzi's predatory glare.
"Those days are gone," he growled. "This is war. There's no clean way to win it."
Musashi opened his mouth to argue, but a commotion at the door cut him off.
A scout burst in, face pale. "My lords! Khan's vanguard broke our outer defenses. They're moving too fast!"
Alarm rippled through the room. Báthory's eyes flashed. "How? Our traps, our wards-"
"Broken," the scout gasped. "They knew where to strike. Their shamans are blocking our magic somehow."
The room erupted in chaos. Voices shouted over each other. Fingers pointed accusingly. Fear hung thick in the air.
Atenzi's mind raced. This was unexpected, but not unfixable. It might even help them.
He climbed onto a table, his voice cutting through the din. "Silence!"
All eyes turned to him. Some filled with hope, others with doubt.
"New plan," he announced. "We let them come."
Shocked faces turned to him. A general protested, "You can't mean that. If they get this far-"
"We draw them in," Atenzi pressed on. "Let them think they've outsmarted us. Then we spring the trap."
He faced Báthory. "Your castle. How fast can we clear it out?"
Understanding dawned on her face. A wicked smile spread. "You want to use it as bait."
Atenzi nodded. "More than bait. A killing ground. We lure Khan inside, thinking he's won. Then we bring it all down on him."
Silence fell as the bold plan sank in. It was daring, ruthless, and risky. But if it worked...
"Setting charges will take time," an engineer said. "And the cost in artifacts and books-"
"Is nothing compared to losing," Atenzi snapped. "Start now. Báthory, I need your best illusionists. We'll make Khan think he's fighting your whole army, when really..."
"We'll be waiting to strike from the shadows," Báthory finished, eyes gleaming with bloodlust.
The room buzzed anew. This time with purpose, not panic. Atenzi's words had lit a fire in them all.
Vampires rushed to evacuate the castle. Werewolves loped off to scout the enemy's approach. Blood mages began their grisly rituals.
Atenzi felt a familiar thrill. This was what he was born for. The clash of wits, the dance of strategy and chance.
As the room erupted in activity, Musashi pulled Atenzi aside. "This plan is brilliant, but risky. If one thing goes wrong-"
"Then we adapt," Atenzi said firmly. "We overcome. We do what it takes to win."
Musashi searched his student's face for any trace of the idealistic youth he'd known. "And after? If we win, what then? What kind of ruler will Oni no Atenzi be?"
Something flickered in Atenzi's eyes. Doubt? A hint of his old self? It vanished, replaced by cold resolve.
"The kind this world needs," he said simply. "Now excuse me. We have a war to win."
As Atenzi left to lead the defense, Musashi felt uneasy. They might win this fight, but at what price? What would be left of Atenzi's soul when it was over?
Outside, battle sounds grew. Khan's army neared, unaware they marched into a clever trap.
Atenzi climbed to the highest tower. The wind whipped his hair. Below, his forces scurried like ants.
In the distance, fires bloomed on the horizon. The enemy approached. Atenzi smiled grimly.
Let Khan come with his whole horde. In this game of gods and monsters, Oni no Atenzi would be the last one standing.
He turned to descend, but paused. Something caught his eye. A flicker of movement in the shadows.
"Show yourself," he commanded.
A figure materialized from the darkness. It was Nithael, the fallen angel. His once-radiant wings were tattered and gray.
"You play a dangerous game, Atenzi," Nithael said. His voice was like silk over steel.
Atenzi's eyes narrowed. "What do you want, angel?"
Nithael smiled. It didn't reach his eyes. "To offer a warning. And a choice."
"Speak quickly. I have a battle to win."
"Do you?" Nithael asked. "Or are you just another piece on the board? A pawn in a game far beyond your understanding?"
Atenzi's temper flared. "I am no one's pawn."
"Aren't you?" Nithael countered. "Think, Atenzi. How did Khan's forces break through so easily? Who could have given them that knowledge?"
Doubt gnawed at Atenzi. He pushed it aside. "If you have something to say, say it."
Nithael's eyes glowed with an inner light. "The forces you toy with are ancient and hungry. They care nothing for your petty wars. They seek only to feed."
"And what would you have me do?" Atenzi sneered. "Surrender? Let Khan slaughter us all?"
"I offer a third path," Nithael said. He extended his hand. "Join me. Together, we can end this cycle of violence. We can bring true peace to Naaim."
For a moment, Atenzi hesitated. The weight of his choices pressed down on him.
Then he remembered the faces of those who depended on him. The trust in their eyes. The hope.
"No," he said firmly. "I've chosen my path. Whatever comes, I'll face it on my own terms."
Nithael's face hardened. "Then you've sealed your fate. And the fate of all who follow you."
The angel vanished, leaving Atenzi alone with his thoughts.
Below, the first clashes of battle echoed. Khan's vanguard had reached the Whispering Woods.
Atenzi took a deep breath. Whatever games the powers of Naaim were playing, he would not be a passive piece.
He was Oni no Atenzi. And he would write his own destiny.
With newfound resolve, he descended to join his forces. The trap was set. The die was cast.
Now, all that remained was to see who would emerge victorious from the coming storm.
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