"Signal the breach," Fornos commanded calmly, his eyes fixed on the distant enemy formation breaking under pressure.
The flags swung in tight, practiced motions—yellow for breach, black for rear action.
From the edge of the tree line to the south, the earth began to rumble. A guttural roar echoed through the mist-covered battlefield.
Aegis-1 and Aegis-2 erupted from the riverbed like ancient giants risen from the earth. Mud sloughed off their armored hides as they trudged forward, moss clinging to their shoulders, cloaking them like druidic war statues. Each held a mace the size of a siege engine, and without hesitation, they charged directly into the rear of the crumbling enemy formation.
"Shit, back to the fortress!!"
"They're behind us!! They're inside!!"
Panicked shouts rose as soldiers turned to run, only to find no safe direction. Chaos gripped the broken formation.
Northern Cliff
"Park, divert the fire to the retreating units," Fornos said without turning. He kept watching the field like a chessboard, cold and silent.
Park raised his hand in a sharp gesture. Craterhoof shifted slightly, its massive barrels glowing with mana before unleashing a concussive shell toward the retreating squads. Explosions tore up the hillside paths and forced dozens to dive for cover.
"Sir, the enemy is closing in," Peter's voice came over the local relay crystal.
"Are Smokesplitter and Ironjaw ready?"
"Yes, fully charged and positioned."
"Excellent."
Fornos lifted his right hand, his fingers adorned with the polished obsidian ring of command. He tapped it once.
Kindling, his massive golem, answered with brutal grace. It reached down and yanked a thick buried rope that snapped taut with a shriek of tension. Hidden clamps released, triggering a trap laced across the slope. Metal spikes, buried beneath dirt and grass, flipped upward violently. Spores stored in canisters were simultaneously released, engulfing the attackers in a choking mist.
Five of the eight enemy golems stumbled and collapsed mid-climb, their footing broken, their joints clogged with corrosive dust.
Southern Forest
Roa surveyed the battlefield as enemy lines crumbled. She stood at the forward command point, her eyes narrowed, sweat mingling with the soot on her face.
"Throw in everything," she barked.
The human combatants surged forward, blades gleaming, as the Ash Company golems followed behind like juggernauts. The poisoned ground made footing treacherous for the enemy, but Ash Company soldiers were equipped with neutralizing salves and enchanted cloth masks.
Arrows rained. Smoke thickened. Golem joints whirred and hissed.
Thornjaw rammed through a barricade, splintering wood and stone, then smashed an enemy golem's chest inward with a sickening crunch. Brassheart followed, a golden juggernaut with a cannon for an arm, firing into enemy lines with rhythmic precision.
"Wait! I surrender!"
"Spare us!!"
But their cries went unheard. The Aegis units joined the forest battle, advancing from the rear with monstrous elegance. They plowed through the final clusters of defenders. The pincer movement was complete—Ash Company had encircled the enemy.
Back on the Cliff
Fornos, standing at the observation platform, leaned forward slightly as if savoring a glass of wine.
"Signal Roa to advance into the fort," he said.
Another flag signal was given.
His obsidian ring pulsed again as he whispered, "Kindling."
The command pulsed through the magical link. Kindling, lumbering forward with the weight of mountains, intercepted two remaining enemy golems attempting to retreat into the fortress gates. One hand shot out, grabbing a golem by the waist, and slammed it into the second with such force that both fell into a heap of smoking metal.
Silence followed.
Even the artillery ceased.
Park looked at Fornos. For once, his stoic posture gave off a faint, almost respectful tilt.
Fornos smirked.
"This is the cleanest capture we've ever made," he said.
Park raised an eyebrow.
"Finally, we agree on something other than battle," Fornos added. "Signal for complete advancement and, Park, stop the firing. We don't waste shells on the dead."
As the smoke began to lift from the forest and the artillery barrels cooled, Ash Company advanced fully into the enemy fortress. Golems cleared the debris while human combatants moved cautiously through the lower corridors.
Inside the captured fortress, silence lingered like fog. The defenders had either fled, surrendered, or died under golem boots. Banners were torn. Supply caches were left untouched.
Roa stood in the courtyard, the first to enter. Thornjaw stood behind her, its metal plating stained with blood and moss.
Peter entered next, followed by Martin and his logistics crew. Engineers began assessing structural damage while handlers ensured the golems were secured in standby formations.
Fornos walked in last, his boots tapping softly against the stone.
"And now," he said, looking around at the captured stronghold, "we prepare for the next phase."
Behind him, the Aegis units silently took their positions, their armor steaming, their eyes flickering with mana.
Ash Company had claimed its first fortress.
But the war was far from over.