Page 64 of Drawn into Oblivion

“About two thousand five hundred have enlisted, Empress,” he said.

“How many have the skills required to defeat a dog soldier without using physical weapons?”

He didn’t hesitate to answer. “Only a couple hundred.”

“And how many could step into Oblivion—tomorrow—and face the dangers there?”

This time, Jun paused, mouth popping open as if ready to say what any good soldier would say—that the entirety of the Dark Court would be willing to die for the empress. Instead, he said, “A few dozen at most.”

“And Captain Yuushi, how well does my force understand the enemy?” Shumei asked, her gaze now pointed at the younger, short-haired man standing to Rosuke’s right. Yuushi blinked as though it would churn his thoughts.

“They all know the theory rather well thanks to Elder Mai, but few have combat experience.”

“I see. Commander Rosuke, do you think we would have a sizable and experienced force ready for battle in Oblivion by the end of spring next year?”

Mai shifted her gaze to Rosuke, who didn’t even seem to acknowledge the empress’s question. Instead, his gaze was still fixed upon her, brow furrowed as though he was in pain. Her magic stirred inside her.

“Rosuke,” the empress called. The way her voice resounded made more than a few people jump.

“No, Empress, we won’t,” he said, looking at Shumei. “It would take another year on top of the time we have now, perhaps longer.”

“I disagree,” one of the other officers cut in. He was the youngest of them, but quite talented in both mounted combat and archery. “The men did well last night against fifty of the enemy. None of our men died.”

“Are you joking?” Rosuke snapped. “Minoru lost his sword arm, and even though we outnumbered them four to one, the battle lasted far too long. Our soldiers were exhausted. Orders were poorly followed, if at all, and I had to dodge more friendly blades than enemy ones. If we were to take a force of two thousand into Oblivion, the odds would be a hundred to one in the demons’ favor.”

“Enough,” Shumei said. “All the officers here know we have argued about the best offensive strategy for hours upon hours every week, and every solution offered was full of unknowns. Unlike previous empresses, I do not intend to risk the lives of thousands in an overconfident, ill-planned campaign for a miniscule chance at defeating the Damned One.”

“But Empress, you must,” said Aika of House Bird. “It is your duty—and ours, to fight alongside you. Do you intend to set aside your divine calling?”

Shumei didn’t flinch. “I recall saying I had my own plan of attack, approved by the Divine One himself. Will you not hear me out?”

“Of course, Empress.” Aika bowed low in deference.

“Based on our current knowledge of previous campaigns into Oblivion, which amounts to little despite what we’ve learned from Vallen and Rosuke, we know that a conventional strategy reliant on numbers has not worked. And the one-year time limit granted to champions gives the Damned One a good idea of when our army will attack. Namely, as the deadline approaches, the likelihood of an invading force increases. He knows we’re coming.”

Mai looked around as others attentively nodded.

“Second, the Divine One imparted an important piece of knowledge to me weeks ago when he told me of the one and only time the Damned One’s champion entered his domain. The enemy used a spell written by one of its own kind, one that required a human sacrifice to form a gate to the Garden. The Divine One knew the second they arrived, for the evil taint of their magic resonated like the ringing of a bell.”

“Then…what you mean to say—” another house elder interjected.

“That’s right,” Shumei said. “Whenever a previous empress used one of our gate spells to enter Oblivion, the Damned One knew it instantly. Given this and the one-year time limit, we’d have absolutely no element of surprise. No way to infiltrate, reconnoiter, adjust our strategy, and finally have a chance at winning. An army of two thousand cannot slip past sentries or scouts.”

“Empress, you’re not thinking…” Commander Jun said in disbelief.

“A certain book came into my possession before any of you met me,” Shumei pressed on, ignoring him for the moment. “This book was written by Bane himself, the right hand of the Damned One and high general of his army.”

Half a dozen conversations broke out, including among the Spring ladies surrounding her, but Mai did not listen to them. Instead, she was compelled to look at Rosuke. She wasn’t sure what she sought, but his expression gave it—something that calmed her.

“I am not finished,” the empress shouted over the din. She continued when she had silence. “Bane and his master have searched for this book for many years, afraid of what an empress could do with it. And their failure to get it back will be the seed of our victory. With their gate spell and a few drops of my blood, I can create a gate small enough that the Damned One himself wouldn’t even notice it. To ensure we have the element of surprise, we’ll not only use one of their own spells against them, but we’ll also enter Oblivion much earlier than planned.”

Conversations broke out again as officers and house elders alike protested going in unprepared. The noise was so loud Mai felt the need to cover her ears.

“Silence,” Shumei ordered and was instantly obeyed. “Listen carefully, for this is the most important part. Only five people shall accompany me through the gate.”

There was no stopping the outburst of disagreement this time. For the empress, with no heiress, to go virtually unguarded into Oblivion and attempt to bypass a demon army of unknown size on her way to slay a god—it was madness.

But while everyone else shouted dissent or talked among themselves, Mai silently pondered Shumei’s singularly daring strategy. She thought of what Rosuke had said in this very room a few weeks ago when he’d spoken of the previous campaigns into the Damned One’s domain. Little was known of Oblivion and of the demons who dwelled there, including some that had never been seen in her world, but no matter how large or how prepared an army the previous empresses had taken with them, they had all been completely crushed.