The Imperial fleet split into three groups. The main force—thirty ships—approached Shadowhaven directly. Six vessels moved north toward Shadowhaven West. The remaining six circled south to attack the island outposts.
"They're dividing their forces," Kael observed. "Trying to overwhelm all settlements simultaneously."
"Then we make them regret splitting up," Elion said. He reached through his mental link. Shadow soldiers at West and outposts—hold positions, defend civilians. Main force shadows—prepare for beach assault.
The Storm Shark Tribe moved first. As the Imperial ships entered shallow waters, three hundred mer-folk warriors attacked from beneath. They targeted rudders, punched holes in hulls, cut anchor lines. Chaos erupted among the Imperial vessels.
"They're effective," Garrick noted with approval as two Imperial ships collided, trying to avoid underwater attacks.
But the Empire had prepared for this. Mages on the lead ships unleashed magical attacks into the water—lightning that paralyzed mer-folk, heating spells that forced them to retreat. The Storm Sharks had to pull back or risk being boiled alive.
"First lesson learned," Thalor said, swimming to the harbor. Blood streamed from a wound on his shoulder. "They came prepared for underwater defense. We disrupted them but couldn't stop them."
Twenty-eight ships managed to reach landing range. Boarding ramps dropped, and Imperial soldiers charged onto the beaches.
They met the shadow army.
One hundred shadow soldiers held the beach in perfect formation. As Imperial troops reached them, the slaughter began. Shadow blades cut through armor like paper. Shadow wolves tore into formation flanks. The shadow orc—Elion's elite unit—carved a path through Imperial lines like death incarnate.
The first wave of Imperial soldiers broke against shadow defense like water on stone. Fifty men went down in the first minute. The survivors retreated in disorder.
"They weren't expecting that," Senna observed. "They thought shadow soldiers were just dark minions. They're learning different."
The second wave was more cautious. Imperial commanders had assessed the threat. They came with mages casting dispel magic, trying to disrupt shadow cohesion. Some succeeded—two shadow soldiers flickered and dissipated under concentrated magical assault.
But for every shadow destroyed, Elion could recreate them as long as he had mana. And the fallen Imperial soldiers provided plenty of material for extraction.
He touched a fallen soldier's body. Extract.
The familiar darkness came, pulling essence into shadow. Another soldier joined his army—knowledge of Imperial tactics, combat training, discipline. Useful additions.
The beach battle settled into grinding attrition. Imperial forces had numbers. Shadowhaven had supernatural defenders who didn't tire or fear. Neither side could gain decisive advantage.
Then the Empire changed tactics. Instead of beach assault, ships began bombarding the settlement with magical artillery. Fireballs arced over the walls, exploding in residential areas. Lightning struck buildings, setting them ablaze.
"They're trying to break our will," Mira said, watching flames spread. "Destroy the settlement, make us choose between defending the beach or saving homes."
"Split forces," Elion decided. "Fifty shadows hold the beach. Fifty move to fire suppression and civilian protection. Militia takes over secondary beach positions."
It was risky—dividing forces during battle. But letting the settlement burn wasn't an option.
For three hours, the battle raged. Imperial forces made multiple beach assaults, each repelled but at cost. Buildings burned despite shadow soldiers' efforts. Casualties mounted—mostly Imperial, but some Shadowhaven militia died holding positions.
Then scouts reported something that changed everything.
"The West settlement is under heavy assault," a runner gasped, barely able to breathe. "Six ships, maybe five hundred soldiers. They're overwhelming the defenses. They need reinforcement now."
Elion made the agonizing calculation. He couldn't abandon Shadowhaven Main—the Imperial fleet here was too large. But Shadowhaven West housed one hundred seventy people, including many children. If it fell, those people died.
He reached through his mental link to his elite shadows at the West settlement. Hold position. Maximum defensive effort. Reinforcement coming.
Then he activated his Settlement Network ability for the first time. The System had granted him limited teleportation between networked settlements for shadow soldiers.
Twenty shadows—teleport to Shadowhaven West. Reinforce defenses immediately.
The mana cost was enormous—nearly half his reserves gone in an instant. But twenty shadow soldiers vanished from Shadowhaven Main and reappeared at the West settlement in moments.
Through their eyes, he saw the situation. Five hundred Imperial soldiers against forty defenders. The settlement's wooden palisade was breached in two places. Civilians were retreating to the central longhouse.
Shadow soldiers—seal the breaches. Eliminate intruders inside the perimeter. Priority: Protect civilians.
His shadows moved with lethal efficiency. The twenty reinforcements hit the Imperial forces like a hammer, cutting off those who'd breached the walls. The original shadow garrison rallied, pushing back.
But five hundred against sixty shadows and forty militia was still impossible odds.
"We need more help," the West settlement's militia commander sent via crystal communication. "We're holding but barely. If they bring up reserves—"
The transmission cut off.
"I can send more shadows," Elion said to his command team. "But that weakens our defense here."
"Do it anyway," Garrick said. "Those are our people. We don't abandon them."
Elion sent another twenty shadows via teleportation, depleting his mana to dangerous levels. The System warned:
╔════════════════════════════════╗
║ WARNING: MANA CRITICAL ║
╚════════════════════════════════╝
Current Mana: 15/200
Shadow Army functionality declining
Extended deployment at low mana risks permanent damage to shadow soldiers
He had to end this soon, or he'd lose the ability to command his army effectively.
"We need to force Imperial retreat," he said. "Something that makes continuing the assault more costly than withdrawing."
"The lead ship," Kael pointed at the Imperial flagship. "Take that out, kill the admiral commanding the fleet. That might break their coordination."
It was risky. The flagship was protected by magical wards and guard ships. But it might work.
"Garrick, you have command of main defense," Elion said. "I'm taking the shadow elites and boarding that flagship."
"That's insane," Mira protested.
"Probably. But we're out of safe options."
Elion gathered his elite shadows—the orc warrior, the corrupted shark, the serpent guardian, and ten of his strongest soldiers. They moved to the water's edge.
"Storm Sharks, I need help," he called to Thalor.
The mer-captain surfaced, still bleeding but grinning. "What do you need?"
"Get me to that flagship. Stealth approach."
"Now you're speaking our language."