The border was long rather than large, but the battle cages were beyond its halfway point. They were also quite north, making the northern region close, but also limiting the paths to access it.
With the righteous forces located on the border's southern and northern edges, detours were simply useless. No matter from where Liam's group decided to enter the northern region, they would find conflicts, or at least their area of influence.
That issue also limited what flying could achieve. Since conflicts were ongoing, everyone was on high alert. The righteous forces probably had perception methods stronger than the Axe Brigade's, meaning that traveling in the sky wouldn't offer any cover.
So, the only solution was making a beeline toward the northern border, cutting through conflicts to save time and avoid delays that would give interested parties the chance to intervene.
