The attacks on the Wall continued.
Every few days, the sound of the warning bells echoed throughout the fortress.
Demonic beasts would emerge from the darkness beyond the Wall, attempting to break through the last line of defense.
And every time, the soldiers stood.
They fought.
They survived.
At the same time, the cleansing squads continued their work.
Day after day, they ventured beyond the Wall.
They planted the Demonic-resistant seeds.
They purified the corrupted earth.
They slowly reclaimed what had been lost.
Weeks passed.
Then months.
The land between the Wall and the mountains began to change.
The black mist disappeared.
The dead trees began to show signs of life.
Small plants started growing again.
The first victory against the Demons was not achieved by killing them.
It was achieved by taking back their land.
A celebration was held inside the fortress.
For the first time in years, soldiers laughed without the sound of battle in the background.
The reason was simple.
The cleansing squads had successfully reached the base of the mountains.
The area between the Wall and Mount Laya had been purified.
The first stage was complete.
But everyone knew the next step would be different.
The mountains.
The territory where countless Demonic beasts gathered.
The place where even veteran soldiers feared to enter.
The true battlefield.
The very next morning, the entire Border army was mobilized.
Thousands of soldiers prepared their equipment.
The expedition toward Mount Laya began.
The march started before sunrise.
But the distance was greater than expected.
Even with the fastest pace, the army only reached the mountain range when darkness covered the sky.
The soldiers established a temporary camp.
No one relaxed.
Not even for a moment.
This was the territory of the Demons.
A place where danger could appear from any direction.
Guards were placed.
Patrols continued.
Weapons remained ready.
Lucian stood among them as the newly appointed Vice Captain of the expedition.
Yet he was the least calm person there.
His hand constantly rested near his sword.
His eyes constantly scanned the darkness.
The acting captain noticed.
"You are too tense."
Lucian looked at him.
"We are surrounded by enemies."
The captain smiled.
"Exactly."
Lucian frowned.
"Exactly?"
"That is why you cannot allow fear to control you."
The captain looked toward the mountains.
"Beyond the Wall, the Demons have the advantage. The land belongs to them."
"But if you lose yourself to fear, you are already defeated."
Lucian remained silent.
After a moment, he lowered his hand from his sword.
The next morning, the operation began.
The plan was simple.
A scout team would enter the mountain.
Their job was to locate groups of Demonic beasts and provoke them.
Once the beasts chased them out, the main force would ambush them.
It was dangerous.
But effective.
For two days, everything went according to plan.
The scouts entered.
The beasts followed.
The soldiers destroyed them.
The mountain slowly became quieter.
Too quiet.
On the third day, the scouts entered again.
But this time...
They did not return.
The soldiers waited.
One hour.
Two hours.
Then three.
No signal.
No movement.
Nothing.
A bad feeling spread through the camp.
Then suddenly—
A roar echoed from the mountains.
The soldiers prepared themselves.
They expected the scouts to return with beasts following them.
Instead...
The Demonic beasts came alone.
And there were many.
Hundreds.
The creatures poured out of the mountain range.
Not a few.
Not scattered.
A wave.
The soldiers froze.
The strategy had failed.
The beasts were not chasing the scouts.
They were attacking.
Panic began spreading.
"They knew..."
One soldier whispered.
"They knew we were coming."
For a moment, hesitation appeared.
Then—
"Hold the line!"
The voice of the Captain cut through the battlefield.
Every soldier looked toward him.
"Remember why we came here!"
"We are not prey."
"We are the ones reclaiming this land!"
The words restored their courage.
Weapons rose.
Shields locked.
The soldiers prepared.
The Demonic beasts charged.
The battlefield became chaos.
Claws struck armor.
Swords cut through corrupted flesh.
The mountains echoed with roars.
Unlike previous battles, these beasts fought with coordination.
They did not blindly attack.
They surrounded.
They pressured.
They pushed the soldiers backward.
Yet the army held.
One beast fell.
Then another.
Then another.
The numbers slowly decreased.
But the cost was high.
Soldiers fell wounded.
Some were carried away.
Others continued fighting despite their injuries.
Lucian moved through the battlefield like lightning.
Every strike killed.
Every movement protected his allies.
Yet even he understood.
Something was wrong.
The beasts were too organized.
Almost as if someone was controlling them.
Finally—
The last beast collapsed.
Silence returned.
For a moment, no one moved.
Then a soldier raised his sword.
"We won!"
The battlefield erupted.
Cheers spread.
They had survived.
But the victory was incomplete.
The scouts never returned.
They were declared dead.
The injured were treated.
Reinforcements arrived from the Wall.
The army prepared again.
They had lost soldiers.
But their determination only grew stronger.
They would take the mountain.
The next morning, the new scout team prepared to enter.
But the moment they reached the mountain base, they stopped.
The path ahead was blocked.
Not by rocks.
Not by the terrain.
But by Demonic beasts.
Thousands of them.
They stood silently.
Waiting.
Not attacking.
Not moving.
Just watching.
The soldiers understood immediately.
This was different.
Someone had gathered them.
Someone had commanded them.
The Captain raised his hand.
"Prepare yourselves."
The entire army took formation.
Then—
The beasts charged.
The battle began.
But this time, everything was different.
The soldiers were pushed back.
The Demonic beasts were stronger.
Faster.
More aggressive.
The formation began breaking.
Soldiers fell.
The wounded numbers increased.
Even the veterans began struggling.
Lucian fought desperately.
His sword cut through beast after beast.
But the battlefield was slowly turning against them.
Then—
A soldier fell.
Another.
The line began collapsing.
Lucian looked around.
The soldiers who had fought bravely for months were exhausted.
They were losing.
And then something inside him awakened.
A bright light appeared.
At first, it was small.
Then it grew.
A burst of white light exploded across the battlefield.
Everyone stopped.
The light covered the soldiers.
The wounds began healing.
The exhaustion faded.
The fear disappeared.
The soldiers felt strength return to their bodies.
The Demonic beasts hesitated.
They felt it too.
A power opposite to their darkness.
Lucian stood at the center of the battlefield.
The soldiers looked at him.
Then their fear disappeared.
Their weapons rose again.
The battle changed.
The Demonic beasts that had been pushing them back were now overwhelmed.
One after another, they fell.
The battlefield slowly became silent.
The final beast collapsed.
The army had survived.
But before anyone could celebrate...
A sound came from the mountain.
A deep growl.
Everyone turned.
From the darkness emerged a massive Demonic wolf.
And sitting upon it...
Was a figure.
A Demon.
For the first time in centuries, a true Demon had appeared before the army.
Not a beast.
Not a corrupted creature.
A being with intelligence.
Its body was covered in dark armor.
Blood stained its clothes.
A long halberd rested in its hand.
Dark miasma surrounded its body like a living shadow.
Every soldier froze.
Even Lucian.
They had heard stories.
But stories were different.
This was real.
The Demon looked across the battlefield.
Its eyes stopped on Lucian.
Then it smiled.
A cold, terrifying smile.
The Demon stepped forward.
The moment it moved, darkness spread.
A black mist poured from its body.
It covered the battlefield.
The soldiers immediately felt something wrong.
Their strength began disappearing.
Their bodies became heavy.
Their minds became unclear.
The same soldiers who had just defeated hundreds of beasts began falling one by one.
The Demon did not attack.
It simply walked forward.
Because it did not need to.
Its presence alone was enough.
Soon, only a few soldiers remained standing.
Lucian gripped his sword.
His body resisted the darkness.
But even he felt the pressure.
The battlefield that had belonged to humanity moments ago...
Was now controlled by the Demon.
And for the first time since arriving at the Border...
Lucian understood.
The true war had finally begun.