The trail split before I even noticed.
It wasn't a clear fork in the path. It was the sound. Screams in opposite directions. Smoke rising from two different points on the horizon. And the wind carrying the smell of burning wood from distinct places.
I stopped mid-step.
Elara noticed too. "Two villages."
Liriel closed her eyes for a moment. "Similar distance."
Vespera checked the position of the sun. "If we choose one, the other falls."
Rai'kanna rested her hand on the weapon's hilt. "We can't go together."
Lyannis was already looking at me, waiting for the decision.
I took a deep breath. This wasn't a coincidence. It was calculated.
He wanted this.
"We'll split up."
Elara nodded immediately. She didn't argue.
"Liriel with me," I said. "Elara and Vespera on the other route. Rai'kanna and Lyannis reinforce wherever the pressure is greater."
No one questioned it. We were already used to understanding each other without overexplaining.
We marked a rendezvous point on the main road after the fight and set off.
I ran with Liriel beside me along a narrower trail cutting through the forest. The sounds of the village grew louder by the minute. It wasn't a silent attack. It was open chaos.
When we emerged from the vegetation, the scene was clear. Monsters scattered through the streets, houses already damaged, residents trying to flee to the back of the village.
There weren't many, but they were strong.
Rank A.
"Straight to the center," I said.
Liriel only nodded and moved forward with me.
I entered the main street, knocking down the first that crossed my path. It resisted more than expected, but fell. Another came right behind. And another.
Liriel illuminated the entire street with her magic, forcing the monsters to step back for a second, enough to open a path for the civilians to run.
"Go south," I shouted.
They obeyed without question.
The fight there was direct. No pause. No time to overanalyze. Just react.
As I pushed the monsters away from the houses, Liriel covered the sides, preventing encirclement.
One tried to pass us. She was faster, hitting the creature's chest with a focused beam of light. It fell, but it took time.
"It's not working like before," she said, panting.
"I know."
We finished there after several minutes of intense combat. The street gradually fell silent.
But we couldn't stop.
We headed to the rendezvous point.
Along the way, I began hearing the other side before seeing it. Muffled explosions. The dry sound of impact against wood. It was Elara.
When we arrived, the other village was in a similar situation, but more advanced. Some houses had already collapsed.
Vespera moved precisely among the debris, preventing monsters from reaching a group of cornered residents. Rai'kanna fought in the middle of the street, keeping two monsters occupied at the same time. Lyannis provided support, striking whenever an opening appeared.
Elara was further back, using magic on a scale I hadn't seen in days.
We jumped straight into the fight.
This time, the combat was harder. The monsters there seemed more aggressive, as if they were focused on destruction, not just advancing.
"They were waiting for you," Vespera shouted as I passed her.
I had already guessed.
Together, we cleared the area little by little. No hurry. No mistakes.
When the last one fell, no one celebrated.
The silence that followed was heavy.
Elara approached me. "They attacked at the same time."
"Knowing exactly where we were," Liriel added.
Rai'kanna breathed deeply. "This isn't a coincidence."
Lyannis looked toward the road heading north. "He's forcing us to split up."
Vespera crossed her arms. "Testing if we can function separately."
I looked at each of them.
"We can," I said.
But the truth was different.
It had been by a hair.
We continued along the main road with the sun already lowering. Fatigue weighed heavier than in previous days. Not because of the number of monsters, but because of the intensity.
Splitting the group had worked.
And that bothered me.
Because it meant he was right.
He was leading us exactly into the kind of situation he wanted.
When we finally stopped to rest for a few minutes, no one spoke for a while.
Until Elara broke the silence.
"If he keeps forcing separations, sooner or later someone will slip."
Liriel nodded. "And that's what he wants."
Rai'kanna rested her weapon on her shoulder. "He isn't trying to stop us."
Lyannis added, "He's shaping the battle before it even happens."
Vespera looked straight at me. "He's preparing the ground."
I had already reached the same conclusion.
The Fifth General wasn't just attacking villages.
He was studying us.
And today, he learned something new.
We could fight separately.
And that, in some way, was part of his plan.
We continued walking in silence.
The road stretched straight to the north.
And for the first time since this started, I had a clear feeling that we weren't chasing the horde.
We were being led to him.