Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix

Rain grabbed his coral spear, channeling the might of the waterway. With a determined focus, he commanded an immense surge of water, shaping it into a colossal wave that surged forward with immense power. This towering wave loomed over the battlefield, crashing into the approaching enemy forces.

It sent soldiers flying backward, their alarmed shouts drowned out by the surging waters. The wave's sheer force disrupted their formation, sowing chaos and confusion as they collided with one another, bearing the brunt of the assault. This incredible feat of water manipulation had depleted a substantial portion of Rain's mana, but was successful in halting the enemy's advance.

"What now?" Branden asked.

"Now, we wait for a while… I want to see any changes in the aura of those five guys," Rain replied. "We can't make any big moves until we understand their abilities a bit more."

Just as Rain had expected, the army retreated once they recovered from the surprise. At the same time, slowly but surely, the aura of the special squad began to return to normal… Rain didn't know how, but it seemed that they could grow stronger after suffering death. That was just the main part of their abilities, the other part was their insane regeneration…

"You could have chased them," Seadir suddenly appeared and then said it. "I know of your plans, but you can't win this war by only killing those who willingly work for your enemies."

"We will cross that bridge at the right time," Rain declared. "For now, we can afford that… even though the enemy is counting on us wasting time here."

"We can help and keep sending them away. Twenty of us can do the same as you," Seadir said. "Father told us that we can only do that if you decide to cooperate."

"I will treat that as a last resort. What has he decided to do for now?" Rain asked after he crossed his arms.

"... He doesn't reveal that kind of information to everyone, so I am in the dark," Seadir said while looking away, obviously troubled.

Rain wondered if the fact that he captured Seadir was part of the problem that the sea emperor didn't trust his son all that much. If he was captured once, he probably could be captured again… Rain could easily imagine that guy thinking along those lines.

Regardless, it wasn't Rain's problem, and he had better things to worry about. For example, it looked like his friends were cooking something troublesome…

"You should consider what they are thinking and what they want to do," Roan said when he saw everyone approaching. "You may be acting like the leader, but you don't act like a general that stays on the rear. As such, you don't have a clear view of the battlefield most of the time."

That was a difficult dilemma, torn between safeguarding his loved ones and addressing the looming threat without risking them. Roan's words, though sharp, resonated with him. He realized leadership encompassed more than just combat on the front lines. It demanded a comprehensive understanding of the enemy's intentions and strategic thinking.

Also, using all of the forces available… like his family and friends.

"You're right," Rain said and then sighed. "I've been too singularly focused on combat, but now I see the need for a broader perspective. To confront this challenge effectively, we must gather more intelligence… and also use everything we have at our disposal.

Roan nodded in agreement, recognizing Rain's commitment to adapting and leading with greater foresight. The task ahead was formidable, but by studying the situation and acting decisively, they could confront it head-on. Besides, he trained his friends and family to become strong enough to survive most situations… he didn't think day and night of new techniques for nothing.

Magic Boost was the result of all that.

"Big bro, we have something serious to discuss with you," Dana said with her arms crossed and trying to look serious and imposing.

"Whatever you want, I am at your mercy," Rain said. "Still, before anything, let's try to check what we need to do and split the work amongst ourselves."

Rain gathered his family and friends to discuss their objectives. "Our main goal is to confront and defeat those five individuals who pose a threat to us. We'll use any means necessary to achieve that. I will deal with that alone since I am their target."

While everyone didn't like the start of that conversation, they could tell what Rain was thinking, and it wasn't everything. Soon, he then outlined their secondary objective.

"To prevent the enemy from crossing the waterway and advancing further, I'll entrust my sisters with my coral spear. They'll serve as a defense, intercepting any magical attacks and holding the line." Rain added. "You can work together to do that, and that should be enough to buy a lot of time.

"For our final goal, we need quick-footed warriors who can strike and withdraw swiftly, disrupting the enemy's base. This will keep them on the defensive and disrupt their plans. We also need to destroy their resources as soon as possible."

"We can do that. The spear also looks cool," Dana said while smiling since she was finally going to join the action.

"... Understood," Kei said after rolling her eyes for a bit, but soon she tried to hide that.

"We don't have to hurt them too much, right?" Gila asked.

"Just enough to make them run away and cry to their mamas," Rain explained.

"Jori and Reca can join me to target their backline and destroy their supplies," Roan declared. "I am not used to that kind of job, but we can surprise them thanks to Limit Breaker and Magic Boost."

"I always wanted to do that kind of stealth job," Jori said while grinning.

"What about the rest of us?" Terra asked. "While I can heal everyone from a certain distance, Asche and Liss can't snipe the enemies without risking serious damage."