For a fleeting moment, Iron Shield surged forward again, their fighters rallying behind the devastating spellwork of their leaders. Steel rang louder, voices roared, and for that heartbeat in time, it felt as if they might push the invaders back.
But the surge didn't last.
The royal forces recovered with brutal speed. Shield walls reformed, sealing the gap Kaelen's magic had torn open. Orders rang out, crisp and unshaken. The mages behind the line shifted formation, their voices rising in a unified, pounding rhythm.
One by one, spells slammed into Iron Shield's front. A hail of ice shards shredded through an Aura Knight's armor, dropping him where he stood. Bolts of lightning leapt across the floor, striking two mages mid-chant, their bodies convulsing before they crumpled.
