The drums began before the sun fully rose—slow, deep, rhythmic, like the heartbeat of something monstrous waking in the distance. Ridgebrook's defenders stiffened where they stood. Even the wind felt colder as it swept across the scarred trenches.
Leonidas stood at the center of the eastern wall, spear held loosely but eyes sharp. His breathing was steady now—controlled, smooth, no trace of the tremble he'd shown before. Rank 2 qi flowed through him subtly but unmistakably, sharpening his senses.
Orin stood beside him, shield strapped tight, bruises dark along her arm. She forced her trembling fingers to relax. "If the bridge reaches us," she whispered, "they'll flood this wall."
Leonidas didn't look at her, but his voice was firm. "Then it will not reach us."
Liam climbed the wall, heart hammering. "Sun Tzu says they'll push the bridge with fifty men. And ladders behind it. And maybe fire."
Orin's eyes widened. "And we're supposed to stop that?"
"No," Liam muttered. "We're supposed to survive it."
Below, Vlad crouched on the trench edge, smiling faintly as he studied the enemy formation. "Their bridge looks heavy. Slow. Easy to break."
Sun Tzu stood beside Liam, speaking calmly. "If Vlad charges alone, he dies."
Vlad raised one brow. "Rude."
"Correct," Sun Tzu added.
A horn blasted.
The enemy formation surged forward—not running, but pushing in tightly organized lines around a massive wooden structure. The assault bridge—reinforced planks layered with metal bands along the underside—moved across the field like a creeping beast.
"Archers!" Sun Tzu shouted. "Target the pushers—front and rear rows!"
Arrows rained down. Some struck shields, some hit flesh. A few pushers fell, but men behind them stepped forward without hesitation.
They had prepared for this.
Leonidas' voice boomed across the eastern wall. "STEADY! HOLD UNTIL MY COMMAND!"
The Shield Core tightened formation. They had replaced their ruined shields with hastily repaired ones—uneven weight, mismatched wood, but still serviceable.
Orin swallowed hard. "Liam… if they reach us—if they get up this wall—"
"We kill them," Liam whispered. "Or we die. No in-between."
She nodded weakly.
The Rank 3 captain marched with the bridge team this time—not leading, but observing every angle, every movement. His eyes tracked Leonidas constantly.
He knew exactly who the greatest threat was.
Liam felt that gaze all the way from the wall. "He's waiting for something."
Sun Tzu murmured, "He waits for Leonidas to commit before striking. A sharp blade turns dull when forced to cut too wide."
Liam shivered. "Meaning he wants Leonidas locked in one place."
"Yes."
The bridge reached the first trench.
Enemy soldiers lowered the forward hooks.
Metal slammed into the ground with a heavy clank.
The bridge tipped—then settled cleanly over the trench, forming a stable crossing.
The enemy cheered.
Leonidas didn't move.
Another horn sounded.
The enemy surged forward again.
"Archers—oil arrows!" Sun Tzu shouted.
Flaming arrows arced down, striking the bridge's surface. Fire crawled up the planks—but faded quickly. The enemy had coated it with something.
Orin gasped. "It doesn't burn!"
"No," Sun Tzu whispered. "They planned for that too."
The bridge rolled forward again.
Second trench.
Hooks slammed down.
It settled smoothly.
Liam cursed under his breath. "It's working too well. They're matching your entire defensive plan step by step."
Sun Tzu didn't deny it. "He studies quickly. But so do we."
Leonidas lifted his spear.
Every eye turned to him.
"When they reach us," he said, "we do not meet them on the wall. We meet them below."
Liam blinked. "Below—? Leonidas, that's suicide!"
"No," Leonidas said. "On the wall, we are trapped. Below, we can move."
Vlad grinned. "I like below."
Sun Tzu's eyes widened briefly—then he nodded. "He's right. A narrow wall can be overrun faster than a trench. If they pour in from the bridge, we lose in seconds. Below, we can break their formation."
Liam exhaled shakily. "Then… below it is.
The bridge hit the third trench.
This was the last barrier before the wall.
The enemy moved faster now. Drums pounded harder. Soldiers pushed with renewed strength.
Leonidas raised his spear high.
"SHIELD CORE! DOWN THE STAIRS—NOW!"
They moved instantly.
The villagers scrambled aside so the Shield Core could descend to ground level. Orin rushed with them, breath sharp, shield tight to her side. Liam followed, boots sliding through ash.
The bridge loomed larger and larger.
It reached the outer ditch.
This was it.
The final approach.
The Rank 3 captain lifted his spear and pointed it directly at Leonidas.
Leonidas lifted his spear back at him.
A calm acknowledgment between two warriors.
Then the captain swept his arm downward.
The bridge tilted forward—slamming down on the dirt with a thunderous crash.
The first wave of enemy soldiers charged across it.
Leonidas roared, "HOLD THE GROUND!"
The Shield Core braced as the first enemy line hit them. The impact shook the earth. Spears thrust from both sides. Shields cracked. Blood splattered the dirt.
A soldier nearly broke through—Orin bashed him backward with a desperate scream.
Another stabbed toward Liam—Leonidas intercepted with a brutal thrust that pierced the attacker's thigh.
The formation held.
Barely.
But more soldiers poured across the bridge.
And more.
And more.
Vlad appeared from the side in a blur, slicing two pushers' throats and disappearing into the chaos. Blood spurted onto the bridge, causing several enemy soldiers to slip.
Leonidas shouted, "LEFT FLANK—PRESS!"
The Shield Core shifted their weight exactly as trained, shoving the leftward soldiers into the trench's edge. Several fell screaming into the pit.
But the pressure didn't stop.
Sun Tzu shouted from above, "Second ladder group approaching the rear!"
Liam turned in horror. "They—what?!"
The enemy had deployed ladders simultaneously, intending to strike from behind while the main force pushed the bridge.
Leonidas realized it instantly.
"Orin! Liam! Break off—take the rear!"
"What about you?!" Orin shouted.
Leonidas didn't answer.
She saw the truth in his eyes:
He would hold the center alone.
Orin grabbed Liam's arm. "Move!"
They sprinted toward the rear wall just as ladders slammed into the wood. Soldiers climbed rapidly. Orin bashed the first climber off with her shield. Liam stabbed the second in the chest. Arrows from the villagers rained down, thinning the climbing ranks but not stopping them entirely.
The bridge assault ground on.
And at the center—
Leonidas fought like a rising storm.
His Rank 2 aura sharpened every movement. His spear danced, precise and deadly, each thrust killing or disabling. He absorbed blows on his braced forearm, redirected weight, shoved bodies back into the trench.
But there were too many.
And the captain had not yet moved.
The captain waited for the exact moment Leonidas weakened.
Another enemy soldier slipped past the Shield Core and rushed Leonidas from behind.
Vlad's dagger struck the man's throat before he reached three steps.
Leonidas didn't turn. "Thank you."
Vlad smiled. "I prefer you not die yet."
More soldiers poured in. The ground shook under their weight. The bridge groaned as hundreds used it at once.
Liam slammed another climber off the wall. "There's too many of them!"
Orin gasped, "We can't hold both sides!"
Sun Tzu shouted, "Leonidas—FALL BACK TO SECOND TRENCH!"
Leonidas didn't answer.
Because the captain stepped forward.
Finally.
The Rank 3 captain walked down the assault bridge, spear in hand, eyes burning with focused intent.
Liam froze. "Oh no…"
Orin whispered, "He's coming."
Vlad's grin widened unnaturally. "Now the blood gets interesting."
Leonidas lifted his spear slowly, breath deep and controlled.
Rank 2 versus Rank 3.
The duel was about to begin.
Liam opened the Ledger instinctively.
[NEXT SUMMON: 25 DAYS]
Too far.
No help coming.
This was on them alone.
The captain struck downward with a single command:
"Advance."
The next wave crashed.
And the center line shattered.