Alec and the Gordons clan mages stood in the Zone where Tier 1 Mages stood, while staring up as the moon slowly turned blood-red. Some sighed, some gripped their weapons until their knuckles whitened, and others whispered prayers, hoping they would return to their clan and families alive.
Once the Blood Moon fully stabilized in the skies, space began to contract, and the “space eye portal” started to open again, just like last time, but this time, it opened far faster, proof that the space gate’s level had risen due to the goblins’ last overwhelming victory over the humans.
It took about ten minutes before the space eye portal fully settled, and when it did, it hung open at nearly twice the size of before, many human mages gasped at the sight, with the fear crawling into their bones.
It meant only one thing, the gate was edging closer to evolving into a high-tier one, and if they couldn’t cut off the life energy feeding it again in this battle, then after a few more goblin victories… it really might upgrade.
Alec, however, didn’t gasp like the others, he’d been to the capital before, and he had seen space gates far larger than this, Space gates that still couldn’t fully accommodate the Black Dragon that once defeated a Monarch-realm human expert. 
He had watched as the Dragoniacs burned resources and time just to force one of their ancestors through, compared to that, this gate barely stirred his curiosity.
He brushed his fingers along the hilt of his bone katana, then the scabbard of the Blood Changdao, with his eyes still fixed on the sky, up above, Zack hovered with both hands behind his back, while still dressed in the clan’s robe, his face was cold, his posture unshaken, everything about him screamed confidence.
Alec smiled when he saw him and gave a small nod, then he looked around and realised that most of the other mages were tense, nervous, restless, afraid.
And as always, the city guards moved first, they formed at the front of the Tier battlefield with towering shields and ready weapons, it was their duty to meet the next wave head-on—to stand as the vanguard.
Alec smiled when he saw it, that fearless attitude was exactly why the city guards suffered the highest casualties, and yet also why they produced some of the best battle mages.
Still, Alec didn’t believe his clan juniors were in any way inferior to them, he simply believed they needed the right leader to lead them, and when given that he knew they would surpass the city guards.
“RAAWWWROOARRR!!!”
“RRRRRRAAAA…!”
The moment the gate stabilized, goblins began flooding out in massive numbers, shoving and snarling as if they were competing over who would come out first, the sight made the faces of the human experts watching go numb.
Then about twenty goblins and a single hobgoblin shot out of the space gate portal and surged toward the ten Tier 6 human mages that were levitating in the air, as if they’d come to “negotiate.”
Alec’s eyes narrowed as he looked at the one at the front, ‘that hobgoblin… wasn’t the one from last time.’
Even Alec was surprised he noticed, during his first encounter, he’d thought all goblins looked the same, the only difference he’d been sure of back then was simple: hobgoblins had bluish skin and the height of teenagers, while the regular goblins were more like monstrous children.
_ 
“What happened to the last hobgoblin who commanded this legion?” a Tier 6 mage from City Hall asked, staring down at the newcomer commander, and the hobgoblin snickered, full of disdain.
“That weakling won’t be participating in this battle, he wasted too much time trying to bring down your city, so the Patriarch assigned me to finish the job in his place.” The Hobgoblin replied, as he leaned forward slightly, with his eyes gleaming.
“And don’t worry… after this war, you’ll remember my own name and forget he ever existed. I’ll make you all shiver in fear.” The Hobgoblin bragged, trying to hide that his words were a complete lie.
In truth, the inner castle Goblin families had demanded Goten’s removal from command, so he wouldn’t have the time to accumulate even more power and join them, their greed shot through the roof. 
All they wanted was a piece of the pie, they’d heard about Goten’s gains from the last war and wanted to replace him so they could enjoy the benefits themselves.
So they used their family branches and factions within the clan to pressure the Goblin Patriarch until he finally gave in, not because he feared them, but because he needed them. 
And Goten, who had no strong connections in the inner castle, was the easiest one to discard when he weighed all his options.
The new hobgoblin only said what he said out of jealousy, even now, most of the low-tier goblins in the army still seemed to respect Goten, despite him being removed from command.
“Oh? That’s a shame, I was hoping to fight a decisive battle with him. He destroyed a good part of my city when I was off duty, but since you’re his replacement, I don’t mind using you as a warm-up instead.” the Tier 6 mage from City Hall said, with his voice calm and confident. 
The hobgoblin practically lifted off the air from rage.
“How dare you speak to me like that! I’m a royal goblin, don’t lump me in with that loser, Goten!” he snarled.
Even the goblins around him bristled, their expressions turning fierce.
The Tier 6 city guardian smirked faintly, as he realized him comparing the Hobgoblin to the former Hobgoblin commander had clearly hit a nerve.
‘So there’s internal rot among their high ranks…Good. I can use that.’  he thought. 
“Oh, shut up, royal or not, you’re all the same to me, invaders who deserve to be killed.” Draco cut in coldly, and his glaive appeared in front of him like a sudden threat made real.
“And let’s get this over with, we don’t have all day, so no need for flattery that only swells your ego.” the Third Elder added, pouring more fuel on the fire Draco had lit.
The goblins’ faces flushed red, as several of them started drawing out their weapons.
Meanwhile, the other eight Tier 6 human mages hovering nearby could only stare at them, wondering what the hell was wrong with the Gordons clan mages.
There were about twenty goblins on the other side, which means if they were to begin battling now it would be Goblin two enemies for each human mage, and that was when they were even imagining that the hobgoblin would only watch and wouldn't intervene in the fight.
The goblins were used to overwhelming opponents with numbers, as cowardice ran deep in their blood; they only fought one-on-one when they were sure the opponent was weaker, the other human mages could only wish they could distance themselves from the Gordons clan mages, anything to separate themselves from the madmen of the Gordons clan, who seemed to treat their lives like they were disposable.