The next day, Druvak looked over his army. The tension that had plagued them was gone, replaced by a cold, focused resolve.
"Today, they pay for the blood of our people. Today, we erase their existence from this world!" He raised his rusted sword high. A five hundred voices roared back as one, weapons thrust toward the sky in a silent vow of vengeance. "March!"
With heavy, steady steps, they advanced towards the red fort.
An hour later,
They halted at their positions. Mia stared up at the magnificent crimson walls and the giant, forbidding bronze gate.
Suddenly, a deep creak echoed across the plain. The giant gate swung open. From it poured an army of Armaror. Muscular demons and hulking bipedal monsters, all clad in armour the colour of fresh blood, wielded massive hammers, maces, and broadswords. Among them rode warriors astride giant drakes, a reptilian beasts with metallic crimson scales, razor-sharp teeth, and venom that dripped from their maws like acid.
Mia's eyes darted across the horde, analysing every detail. 'Heavy infantry. No ranged units. The plan will work. But the drakes… they are the variable.'
"Master, do you know Drake's weakness?"
Druvak didn't take his eyes off the enemy."Hmm…Drake, their skin is hard as steel. But the inside is soft as jelly."
Mia tilted her head."But if the outside is impermeable, then how do we reach the inside?"
Druvak simply grinned. His answer was cut short as the enemy ranks parted. A massive, red-skinned demon emerged while riding the largest drake.
He bore goat-like horns, a muscular dragon tail, and wielded two jagged, saw-toothed crimson blades. Duke Armaror had arrived.
Druvak leaned close to Mia."Start the plan. You deal with his army. Leave Armaror to me."
Mia nodded. She raised her wand and sent a bright golden flare streaking into the sky. Instantly, her commanders began giving orders, organising their platoons with practised efficiency.
Druvak tapped his spectral steed and rode to the centre of the field, stopping before Armaror. He dismounted, giving the horse a gentle pat on the neck. "Go back, partner." The steed obediently turned and vanished into a wisp of mist.
"DRUVAK! Where is your cowardly king? Has he not the stomach for a real fight?"
Druvak didn't flinch. He merely pointed the tip of his rusted blade at Armaror. "My Lord does not dirty his hand on killing insects like you. So, He sent me."
Armaror's veins bulged, his teeth grinding audibly. "CHARGE!" he screamed, his voice echoing across the land.
A tidal wave of 10,000 soldiers began its advance, a force twenty times the size of their own. Mia's hand trembled, a cold fear seizing her, fear of death, of defeat, of failure.
A large, warm hand settled on her shoulder. She turned and saw Geo's stoic face. "Don't. Fear. We. Are. Here."
Just six words. But this was all she needed. Mia took a deep, steadying breath, her resolve hardening. "Thank you, Geo." She turned back to the battlefield, her voice ringing out clear and strong. "Earth and water mages! Now! Create the swamp!"
The earth mages slammed their hands into the ground. The solid, barren earth churned and softened, collapsing into a deep, sucking bog. The water mages summoned forth torrents, filling the ditches and transforming the entire plain into a vast, treacherous marsh.
The enemy vanguard, weighed down by their own heavy armour and weapons, immediately stumbled. Their feet sank deep into the mud, trapping them in place.
Mia raised her wand and fired a single red firework. On the flanks, Harley nocked an arrow, her voice calm. "Archers! Draw! Angle forty-five degrees!" She watched, waited as the first hundred enemies struggled into the kill zone. "Wait for it… Now! RELEASE!"
The sky darkened as a cloud of arrows arced high, then descended like deadly rain upon the trapped soldiers.
One Armaror soldier looked up and saw the sky blotted out by the incoming volley of rain. He tried to run, but the mud held him fast.
'swoosh'
A sharp arrow grazed his neck. He touched the spot, his glove coming away stained red. He looked around in frozen shock, the marsh was turning crimson, filled with the corpses of his comrades. His mind shattered before the next arrow could find its mark.
Those few demons who survived the arrow storm were swiftly consumed by Dark magic.
Seeing their frontline obliterated, the larger bipedal monsters and drakes charged forward, trampling their own allies' corpses in their mindless fury and eating them.
Disgusted by their cruelty, Mia didn't hesitate. She fired a pink flare into the air. This time, the sky didn't darken with arrows alone. It lit up with a storm of colourful spells, fireballs, ice shards, and bolts of pure energy that fell like falling stars. This annihilated nearly half of Armaror's forces.
"Only the hard-skinned monsters and the drakes remain!" Mia declared. She raised her wand and shot a green flare into the sky.
The earth mages slammed their hands into the ground once more. The marshland began to dry and solidify instantly, the water mages aiding the process by evaporating the residual moisture with focused spells.
Mia observed the battlefield. The ground had returned to its original, solid state, but now it trapped the legs of the giant monsters and drakes. With immense, brute strength, they began to pull themselves free.
Mia's voice rang out like thunder. "Aniya, bind them! Cavalry unit, charge!"
Aniya thrust her wand forward. "Everyone, cast Frenzy Plant!" Her mage unit obeyed, their wands glowing with a fierce green radiance.
The earth trembled. Massive, thorny vines erupted from the ground, looping around the giant creatures and drakes with terrifying speed. "Roarr!!"Vooaah!!" The beasts roared and rampaged, struggling against their living shackles. For every vine they shattered, two more grew to take its place.
Ars shook his reins, leaned forward, and lowered his spear. "CHARGE!" he cried. With him, all 150 spectral cavalry shot forward like a volley of deadly missiles.
"Archers and mages, advance 100 meters! Aim for vital points!" Mia's next order came swiftly.
The units marched forward in unison, changing their stance for close-range, precision shooting.
A continuous barrage of spears, arrows, and spells began to pick off the giant creatures one by one. Yet, the drakes remained. Not a single scratch marred their metallic scales; not a single drop of blood was spilt. It was as if the attacks had never happened.
Mia watched the drakes' relentless rampage, then glanced toward the centre of the field where Druvak and Armaror's intense duel sent visible shockwaves through the air, their blades clashing like thunder. "What do I do? These lizards won't calm down, and Master is still busy," she thought, her mind racing.
Suddenly, Sia approached. "Mia, I have an idea." Mia looked at her."What?" Sia hesitated for a moment."Why don't we drown them?" Mia's eyes widened. It was brilliant. Overwhelmed with relief, she pulled Sia into a tight hug. "Wow, Sia! You're a genius!" she exclaimed, planting a quick kiss on her cheek.
Sia froze, completely stunned by the sudden intimacy, her face turning a deep shade of red.
Dire's voice cut through the moment. "Hey, you two lovebirds! If your heartwarming moment is over, I could use a hand he—"
A drake's roar interrupted him as it lunged, jaws wide. Dire reacted instantly, reinforcing his arms with dark magic to grapple the beast's snout. The force drove him backwards, his boots digging furrows into the earth.
Mia released Sia from the hug. "Sia, we're going with your plan." Sia blinked, still dazed. "Ahn? Yes!"
Sia quickly rallied her unit. "Water mages! Conjure water orbs around the drakes' heads! Drown them!" The mages obeyed, and massive spheres of water enveloped the drakes' heads. The beasts thrashed wildly, but their efforts were in vain. One by one, they ran out of air and collapsed to the ground, motionless.
As the last enemy fell, a victorious cheer erupted from the army.
But suddenly, one drake stirred. It lunged, its razor-sharp teeth an inch from Aniya's head. She froze in sheer terror.
A spear shot through the air with incredible force, piercing straight through the drake's maw. Aniya looked up to see Ars, who had thrown the spear that saved her life.
Watching this, Mia remembered Druvak's words. "Their skin is hard as steel, but the inside is soft like jelly!" "Everyone! Aim for the eyes and mouths! Don't let a single one remain!" she commanded.
The cavalry unit moved in, cautiously piercing the drakes' vulnerable points to ensure they were truly dead.
Exhausted, Mia sat down heavily on the ground, her mind and body spent. "Phew… finally," she exhaled. "It's over."