The fortress courtyard had become a sea of fire. Screams and steel clashed beneath the crimson glow as the rune-bound soldiers twisted further into abominations of ash and molten flame.
Rondan fought through them like a storm. Each swing of his blade tore through flesh and shadow, but no matter how many fell, more rose from the burning gates. His chest heaved, crimson eyes blazing with fury.
Ashen's wards flickered dangerously. Sweat streamed down his face as he tried to contain the spreading fire-runes.
"They're not stopping… the flame inside them—it's endless!"
Kain slammed his sword into the ground, sending a shockwave that broke apart a dozen twisted vessels. Yet even he snarled in frustration.
"This isn't a battle. It's a summoning!"
Then, above the inferno, a horn sounded—deep and commanding, cutting through the chaos like a blade.
From the smoke at the gate emerged a figure clad in blackened steel. His armor was etched entirely with glowing runes, each one pulsing in sync with the fire of the vessels. His face was hidden behind a mask of iron, but his voice carried with the weight of authority.
"Catalyst of the Flame," he declared, his words shaking the very stones beneath their feet. "Your blood is the final spark. Come willingly, and the chains will break swiftly. Resist… and the world will burn slowly."
Rondan's grip tightened on his sword. The enemy commander's presence was suffocating, as if the air itself bent beneath him.
Leina's eyes widened as she recognized the figure. Her voice was barely above a whisper, yet heavy with dread.
"The Marked General… one of the Flame's chosen."
Rondan stepped forward, defiance etched in every line of his body.
"You want my blood? Then you'll have to take it."
The General raised his blade, flames erupting around him in a circle of runes.
"So be it. Tonight, the first chain shatters."
The ground split open beneath the fortress, and from the cracks rose a pillar of fire that reached the heavens. The battle was no longer about survival—it was about stopping the world itself from being consumed.
Rondan launched himself into the blaze, his sword clashing against the Marked General's in a burst that shook the night.