While Kayan was reviewing the traditional attack maps, one of the Liberation Army spies burst into the room, gasping for breath with sweat pouring down his face, carrying an urgent encrypted message.
The Spy (In broken gasps): "Sir Kayan... the old plan is no longer valid! The palace is in a state of ferment. The High Trial has begun right now in the heart of the Grand Hall. The King, Laura, Pionel, and the high nobles... they are all in one place!"
Kayan's features changed instantly. A haunting silence filled the room before he slammed his fist onto the table—not out of anger, but out of the realization of a historic opportunity that would never be repeated.
Kayan (In a voice full of tension and resolve): "Ortinus! Picos! Nirar! Listen to me, all of you. Forget everything we planned. We will not wait for tomorrow, and we will not sneak in quietly. The enemy is now at their weakest because the heads of the snake are gathered in a single room, and the guards are preoccupied with securing the trial."
Ortinus (With concern): "But Kayan, attacking now means a direct confrontation with the elite while they are on high alert inside the palace. This is suicide!"
Kayan: "Rather, it is the 'Great Collapse.' If we storm the hall now, we end the war in a single moment. Picos, you will not launch a decoy attack... I want you to put all your explosive force into the North Gate. Ortinus, grab your weapon and join us on the front lines. There is no more time for watching from afar."
Kayan turned to Nirar and Nilon (the fierce commander of the Second Division):
Kayan: "Nirar, Nilon... you two are the key to life or death. You will take our fastest vehicle toward the frequency towers. As soon as I give the signal, you must disable the electromagnetic defense systems and the gravity cannons."
Nilon (Checking his ammunition magazines): "How much time will we have, Chief, before the defense system reboots and crushes us all?"
Kayan (Looking into their faces with terrifying sternness): "Thirty seconds. You have only thirty seconds to disable the system and secure our entry. If you are late by a single second, the automated cannons will activate and turn the Liberation Army into dust before we even touch the palace walls. Are you two ready for this gamble?"
Nirar (With a stoic expression): "Thirty seconds is an eternity to me. I will burn their control panels if I have to."
Kayan (Shouting to the rest of the comrades): "Listen to me, friends! The Great Collapse begins now. Meron, you will be right behind Nirar to secure the corridors. Darius, Romulius, prepare for a direct breach. Our target is the High Courtroom. Do not stop to engage with flank guards... our target is the big heads!"
Nikos: "And what about Meres? If the explosions start, they might kill him inside!"
Kayan: "That is why we must be as fast as lightning. The element of surprise is our only shield. The Great Collapse means the palace will shake to its foundations, and in the midst of that chaos, we will snatch Meres and put an end to the House of Voank."
Everyone began moving frantically. Ortinus, who had always been the mastermind behind the screens, unsheathed his long Aether sword and stood beside Kayan.
Ortinus: "Kayan... if those thirty seconds fail, know that I am proud to have fought by your side."
Kayan: "We will not fail. The collapse does not mean our fall, but the fall of injustice. Move out!"
The vehicle engines roared to life, and the hum of Aether weapons rose into the air. At that moment, Meron looked toward the distant palace, whispering a single word: "Meres... we are coming." Meanwhile, Nirar and Nilon were flying at a maddening speed toward the defense towers, and the countdown for the fatal thirty seconds began to loom on Atheria's horizon, announcing the beginning of the end.