Ethan narrowed his eyes, mind racing.
Can't go head-to-head.
We need time—time to recharge the main cannon.
His decision came fast and sharp.
"All units, fall back! Fight as you retreat—buy us time!"
The order shot across the battlefield like a lightning bolt.
The three allied factions began to pull back in coordinated waves, a tide of soldiers flowing away from the shattered ground and the rain of lingering woodchips.
But the Elderwood Colossi didn't seem to grasp the true threat of the ultimate weapon. They pressed forward on instinct, relentless, summoning a fresh wave of Wraithwood Sentinels—gnarled, twisted warriors rising like weeds after a storm.
It was as if they meant to turn the entire Kormaldor world into a graveyard of dead trees.
The Sentinels surged toward the city walls.
And then—
FWEEEEE—
A blinding beam of light tore across the sky, so sudden and searing it made every heart on the battlefield skip a beat.
But it wasn't from the Sky Citadel.
