Adam immediately spread out his elemental sight. To Adam's surprise, there were a few men sneaking to both his and Evelyn's tents! There were two heading to Evelyn and one heading to Adam. All held deadly intent in their hearts!

“Assassins!” Adam quickly thought.

What's worse, these assassins all appeared to be spirit martial artists! Evelyn's Human-form was more vulnerable than her Dragon-form and these assassins could no doubt strike quickly! If they decided to move fast, there was no way for her to defend herself! An icy cold feeling spread over Adam's heart as he quickly decided how he would kill these assassins.

Unfortunately, he couldn't just launch three bolts of lightning at them from inside his tent. Putting aside the fact that he could only control one bolt at a given time, the tent surrounding him was actually grounded! With poles and stakes connected to the ground, any lighting that had to pass through the tent would be greatly weakened as the lightning would quickly be absorbed into the ground.

Quickly deciding how he would handle the situation, a current of wind suddenly surrounded Adam as he burst out of the tent at high speed! Adam ignored the Assassin that was closest to him and instead concentrated on the two closest to Evelyn. To the furthest assassin from him, Adam lifted up one of his hands and directed a lightning bolt at him! Thunder boomed through the camp as the bolt issued forth, directly striking the assassin! The assassin fell as his body convulsed from the electric shock before lying still.

Even though the sudden lightning and thunder was shocking, the assassins were too well trained. The remaining assassin by Evelyn quickly came to the conclusion that his cover had been blown and immediately moved to finish his assignment before it was too late!

The assassin near Adam's tent had seen him suddenly come out the side of the tent while issuing that thunderbolt. While the assassin's heart shuddered in fear from the power Adam possessed, he closely followed behind to try and kill Adam! It wouldn't be easy, however, as Adam was already far ahead and moving to the other remaining assassin by Evelyn's tent.

The assassin by Evelyn's tent had increased his speed the moment after Adam had released his lightning bolt. The assassin tore into the tent to reach Evelyn as soon as he could! Adam couldn't possibly allow that. Adam had seen Heinrich use a technique to force up pillars of earth multiple times and had generally learned how to do it. Closing his eyes, Adam used his elemental sight to see where the assassin was inside the tent and forced pillars of earth up from the ground and pierce through the floor of the tent in front of the assassin! Without missing a beat, the assassin's dagger flashed out as he sent a wind blade into the pillars of earth! Unfortunately for him, the wind blade barely cut into the pillars before all the power behind it ebbed away. The assassin was forced to stop in place by the numerous pillars of earth before him that he could not cut his way through. Before he could figure a way around, Adam had already entered the tent and was directly behind the assassin! With both his feet on the ground, Adam forced a surge of earth essence through his body as he struck out with his palm! His strike struck the assassin on the back of the neck and a sick cracking sound issued out as the bones in his neck shattered! The assassin merely slumped to the floor, dead.

The last assassin that was trying to follow Adam finally entered the tent in time to see his companion falling down dead. He stopped in his tracks as Adam turned to look at him. Thinking that there was no longer anyway to kill either him or Evelyn, the final assassin turned around to quickly flee! He only managed to get a few steps out of the tent before a giant tail whipped down with a large BAM!

The tail belonged to Heinrich and had shattered most the bones in the assassin's body! Heinrich quickly stuck his head through the entrance to the tent: “Evelyn, are you okay!?

Evelyn was scrambling out of her bed at this time. She looked around with fright in her eyes as she saw all the pillars darted around the tent. “Yes, I'm fine. What happened?”

Adam spoke: “There were three assassin's trying to kill both you and me. They have been dealt with.”

“Assassins!?”

“Are you sure there were only three!?”

Heinrich whipped his head back out of the tent as he carefully started looking around for any threat. The entire camp around them was also starting to muster from the loud sound of thunder from Adam's lightning bolt.

Adam said: “It's fine Heinrich. There were only the three. If they had sent anymore, they would have only been more noticeable. They might send more later, but we are safe for now.”

Evelyn's heart clenched. She found a space between the pillars of earth large enough for her to slip through and she stepped over. She saw Adam beside the now dead assassin. “Adam, did you...”

Adam merely replied: “Don't worry. I will be more vigilant now and they won't get this close again!”

Evelyn could only silently bite her lip. She mumbled: “I am really starting to hate war.”

Before, Evelyn only had a surface understanding of war and her dislike of war was really only skin deep. She did not know enough to truly dislike or hate it. Slowly, though, she was coming to understand it and her dislike would only keep on growing.

It didn't take long for men from the army to come investigate the commotion. A man stepped toward Adam and Evelyn while concernedly looking at assassin that was smashed into the ground by Heinrich. “I am Major Vernon. What's going on here?”

Adam simply replied: “Assassins.”

Vernon's face turned grim. “Would you mind helping me with reporting to General Winters? He will want to know some of the details.”

Adam and Evelyn departed with Major Vernon to meet with General Winters. The light in Winters' tent was already lit, so they directly entered. A poorly dressed General Winters was pacing in the tent. He looked up and said: “Good, you're here. What has happened? Were you attacked?”

Evelyn nodded while Adam supplied some lose details: “Yes, three assassins attacked us. They were all dealt with.”

Winter's faced turned grim, just like Vernon's had at the mention of assassins. He sighed: “No doubt, they were hoping to assassinate the two of in hopes that maybe Heinrich would go berserk and out of control! We can't give them another opportunity to strike at you before the war has started... in the morning, we will start the march to war!”

Evelyn's eyes grew wide: “Isn't this too hasty!?”

Winters shook his head. “This war was going to start one of these days anyway. I'm also pretty certain the northern army felt that this assassin attempt would start the war, so they are probably already on the move. I doubt any of us can get any sleep now, so we might as well get to work and start the war in earnest!”

Evelyn could only stare in a daze as General Winters started giving out orders to rouse the men and to get everyone prepared to march out for war. She mumbled to herself: “A war starts as simple as this!? Due to a single action, a word is given and...”

She thought off all the countless soldiers surrounding them and that the northern army would be just about as big. There were many spiritualists and martial artists on both sides as well as myriads of regular soldiers. In the morning... they would start killing one another!

Adam gently took Evelyn by the hand and led her out of the tent now that there was nothing for them to do there. He told her: “There is nothing you could have done to change this course.”

Evelyn remained silent. The two went back to their encampment and told Heinrich of the news. Excitement flowed through his blood. “Those damnable wretches tried to kill Evelyn! I will get them back for this!”

Evelyn could only stare at Heinrich's angry countenance in silence. Adam said: “Heinrich has his plans of helping the army and I am thinking of going to that town to ensure its protection... what will you do?”

Evelyn was silent for a moment longer before saying: “I don't know that any opportunity will present itself, but if I can some how stop this war I want to take it! The only place where that opportunity will present itself will be with the army, so I can't join you.”

Adam nodded. “I know you can take care of yourself, but be careful.”

“I will.”

Word of the march had already spread far and wide. Everyone was in the process of packing camp up to be prepared for the march. Adam and Evelyn had to get ready as well.

For all the grand talk of 'marching to war' in the morning, it was really just moving the entire army into a better spot from which to commit to war. The army would be moving well over twenty kilometers to the north before setting up their war camp. It would be a full day's march to reach the designated area. This position would put the town of Vielen in a very close proximity of where the two armies would likely be fighting. During the march, Heinrich had flown circles around the army, scouting the land for any enemy spies or forces.

The army reached their destination in the evening and set up their camp and operations. The forward part of the camp was based around a hill. From atop the hill, one could see a farther distance. General Winters set up his command post here, as he would be able to easily see the majority of the battles from this position and give orders out. Six kilometers into the distance, there was another gentle slope that the northern army had placed themselves at for much the same reason as General Winters. From their vantage points, the leaders of each army could see one another!

Men were also set on the task of erecting wooden barricades around the army for fortification. As night fell many could not get any sleep out of anticipation. The orders were all ready given and the plans set. The first battle of the war would begin tomorrow!

Early in the morning, the various soldier regiments were already organizing into their ranks and files. Evelyn could only look on as the soldiers prepared to kill and be killed. Adam spoke to her: “I am going to head over to Vielen now. Will you be okay?”

Evelyn nodded: “Don't worry about me. We should all be doing what we think is best right now.”

Adam nodded: “I should be back later tonight after the armies finish today's battle and retreat back to their main camps.”

Adam turned around and left in a gust of wind. Vielen was still a few kilometers away, but his speed was fast enough that the distance would only take him a couple of minutes. Before too long, he arrived at the town. There was hardly anyone running about town, as it seemed they were all hiding. While there were many trees surrounding them and preventing them from seeing the armies that should not be too far away, their sounds managed to travel this far. The sounds of clanking metal on the march, plumes of smoke from fires at the camps, and dust rising as soldiers marched across the ground. Soon, the screams of war would also come.

Adam looked over at where the army should be. It was a fair distance away, but Vielen was still at risk. From behind Adam, a voice called out: “S-stranger, for what reason have you come?”

Adam turned around to face a middle aged man, shivering a little in fright. Any stranger seen in town could be a portent of doom for them. If he was a soldier, there were surely more at hand! If a group of them really came to town, the townspeople would be hard pressed to resist them.

Adam spoke amicably: “I am here to help protect your town from being ransacked by either army!”

The man's eyes grew wide in surprise. He could only start with: “This...”

He was unsure of whether to believe Adam or not. Regardless, what could one man do against a multitude of soldiers if they came? If Adam brought a small force as well... couldn't he just lord over the townspeople all the same?

Seeing the man's doubt, Adam said: “I am a spiritualist! I have already had my share of war a long time ago. I don't wish for your people to become victims. I am not here to ask or take anything from you. I will just stand here for as long as there are army forces fighting nearby.”

The man wasn't sure exactly how to respond. All he could do for now was say: “Thank you!”

The man then left to tell others of Adam. A few could see Adam where he stood, but only that man had the courage to come up and talk.

Back at the main forward camp, Evelyn could only watch things from afar. There were many binoculars at hand so she could easily see what was going on. The soldiers both sides sent for this first battle did not contain any spiritualists or spirit martial artists, nor was Heinrich sent out to battle. Only regular soldiers displaying the strategies of their superiors were sent to the field of battle.

Evelyn watched as General Winters commanded the soldiers from afar with flags and horn signals. Through the binoculars, she could see as the two sides clashed like two massive seas trying to push against one another. Men and women fell in droves as they were hacked to pieces or shot by arrows. In the chaos, a few soldiers even killed their own! Screaming could be heard as the 'glorious war' started.

The first part of the battle only lasted for about an hour before the first group of soldiers began to retreat on both sides. A fresh group of soldiers was already entering the battlefield at that time, though. In this way, exhausted troops were swapped out with fresh troops throughout the entire day! As night fell, the final troops retreated from the field of battle. No large scale battles would be fought at night due to limited visibility, but some troops would head to the battlefield. They would collect arms and armor from the dead and retrieve any wounded left behind.

As night fell, Adam also left Vielen. The risk to the town was negligible after the two armies had retreated from the field. In a few minutes, he was back at the camp where his and Evelyn's tents were. When he arrived, Evelyn seemed stressed.

“I'm back.” he said.

Evelyn looked toward Adam. “How can people do that to each other?”

Adam shook his head. She had obviously seen a lot throughout the day. She had watched as soldiers dismembered and killed one another. Her life had rarely been touched by death and to see a battlefield... Evelyn simply couldn't understand it. Adam could only sigh: “There is no absolute answer. All I can say is that the common soldier chooses to believe in the good of his kingdom, no matter where that kingdom leads them. And the kingdom is often led by just a few powerful men with greedy hearts.”

Evelyn too could only shake her head. To her, that was no answer. The soldiers could plainly see what was happening. Why continue fighting if you had seen such a scene?

Evelyn had a fitful night of sleep. The next day, the war continued with a new battle. This time, a few spiritualists were introduced and Heinrich even started to act! He couldn't attack the main army encampment since there were too many people and with a lot of spiritualists and spirit martial artists, even his life would be put at risk.

Thus a bloodier day than the last passed. The true effects of spiritualists showed themselves as they cast wide formations that could decimate swaths of regular soldiers numbering from tens to even as high as hundred of deaths in an instant! Spirit martial artists were no less effective. While they weren't quite as flashy, they easily cut their way through regular soldiers.

On the start of the third day, Evelyn wasn't sure if she could continue watching. Even being in the camp made her sick! The smell of blood was everywhere and it was easy to find soldiers with bloody bandages wrapped around them.

Adam asked Evelyn: “Are you sure you don't want to come with me to Vielen to get a breath of fresh air?”

Evelyn shook her head: “It can't get much worse than this, can it?”

Adam sighed: “It might.”

Evelyn could scarcely believe his words. “Let me just see how this day goes.” she said.

Adam once again left for Vielen. The townspeople had gotten used to seeing Adam come in the morning and stand all day at the edge of town before leaving at night. Adam stood in his place as a protector of the town.

Adam could see Heinrich occasionally swooping down while flying around the battlefield from where he was. Heinrich was clearly glad for the battle. Being a spirit martial artist, it had always been his forte. As Adam watched, he suddenly felt a bad sensation, similar to when the assassins attacked! Adam quickly spread his elemental sight out and his heart shuddered with surprise! Without hesitation, Adam immediately Dragon-formed, just as a loud dragon cry was issued from the forest by Vielen and a red dragon shot into the sky! It was already in the midst of using a formation to call down fire upon Adam!

To Adam's horror, he could also see a blue dragon was in the air by their army encampment, while a green dragon was charging at Heinrich in the air! The dragons from the south had arrived!