Dawn arrived wrapped in a thin mist that covered the northern fields. I woke before most of the adventurers. For a few seconds, I remained seated beside the extinguished campfire from the previous night, watching the horizon.
The columns of smoke we had seen in the distance were still there.
Perhaps even more numerous.
That meant the fighting was continuing.
And it was probably growing more intense.
Little by little, the rest of the camp began to wake up. Some adventurers prepared quick meals. Others checked their equipment and armor. The atmosphere was different from the previous day.
Now no one was merely imagining the war.
It was right ahead of us.
Scarlett approached carrying two mugs.
She handed one to me.
"Did you sleep?"
"A little."
She smiled.
"So that means you didn't."
"Maybe."
She sat down beside me.
For a few moments, we simply watched the camp come to life.
Soon the others began to appear as well.
Liriel looked calm as always.
Elara was adjusting her gloves.
Vespera was checking her arrows.
Lyannis was studying a map.
Rai'kanna looked ready to charge into battle that very moment.
"How long until we arrive?" she asked.
Lyannis answered before I could.
"If we keep this pace, a few hours."
Rai'kanna smiled.
"Good."
Scarlett crossed her arms.
"You really like fighting."
"Would you rather I was afraid?"
"No."
"Then everything's fine."
Elara laughed.
The mood became a little lighter.
But only for a few minutes.
When the sun finally began to rise, we gave the order to move.
The adventurers mounted their horses.
The wagons were organized.
And soon we resumed our journey.
As we advanced farther north, the signs of war became more and more evident.
We came across burned trees.
Small stretches of destroyed land.
The remains of makeshift barricades.
At one point, we passed a group of wounded soldiers returning to Vailor.
Some were being transported in wagons.
Others walked while leaning on their comrades.
That caused many adventurers to fall silent.
It was a reminder of reality.
War was not an adventure.
It was something far crueler.
We continued forward.
The hours passed quickly.
Until, at last, we saw something in the distance.
At first, they were only silhouettes.
Then banners.
And finally, an enormous line of soldiers spread across the fields.
I slowed my horse.
The adventurers behind me did the same.
We had arrived.
The front line.
The battlefield stretched for miles.
Barricades.
Military tents.
Supply wagons.
Makeshift towers.
Soldiers positioned across different sectors.
And far beyond all of that...
The demons.
Even from that distance, it was possible to see them.
Hundreds.
Perhaps thousands.
Spread across the horizon.
A heavy pressure settled over the area.
Liriel watched in silence.
"So this is it."
"Yes."
A human commander quickly approached.
His face showed exhaustion.
He probably hadn't slept properly in days.
"Are you Takumi?"
"I am."
The man looked relieved.
"You finally arrived."
I dismounted.
"How's the situation?"
The commander took a deep breath.
"Complicated."
That was already expected.
"The demons keep attacking without stopping."
He pointed toward different areas.
"We've managed to hold them back."
"But we're suffering constant attrition."
I looked at the nearby soldiers.
Many were wounded.
Others were clearly exhausted.
The war had already been raging before we arrived.
"Where is the situation the worst?"
The commander pointed toward the western sector.
"Here."
I looked in that direction.
The sounds of battle could be heard in the distance.
"The demons are putting the most pressure on this sector."
I nodded.
"Understood."
I turned toward the adventurers.
It was time.
I mounted my horse again.
Everyone turned their attention toward me.
Roughly three hundred people.
Waiting for orders.
I took a deep breath.
"Listen."
Silence fell over the area.
"We're not here to replace the soldiers."
Everyone remained attentive.
"We're here to support them."
I pointed toward the battlefield.
"The demons are attacking several areas at the same time."
"So we're going to split up."
Lyannis had already prepared several markings.
She unfolded the map.
We quickly divided the groups.
The adventurers specializing in close combat were sent to the most critical sectors.
The archers received elevated positions.
The mages were assigned support and containment roles.
Everything began moving quickly.
After a few minutes, the operation was ready.
I looked at the girls.
"Let's go."
They nodded.
We headed straight toward the most dangerous sector.
As we advanced, the sounds of battle grew louder.
Clashing swords.
Shouts.
Exploding magic.
Orders being shouted.
When we finally reached the front line, the situation was worse than I had imagined.
The soldiers were trying to hold back an enormous number of demons.
But they were slowly being pushed backward.
The enemy simply wouldn't stop advancing.
Creatures with muscular bodies.
Dark skin.
Red eyes.
Weapons stained with blood.
Some had horns.
Others possessed monstrous features.
Without wasting any time, I dismounted.
I drew my sword.
The golden blade immediately shone.
Several soldiers looked at me.
One of them widened his eyes.
"The Hero!"
Another pointed.
"The adventurers have arrived!"
That immediately raised their morale.
But there was no time for celebration.
The demons kept advancing.
So I ran.
The first enemy appeared before me seconds later.
I raised my sword.
And struck.
The slash cut through the demon effortlessly.
Its body collapsed instantly.
But more appeared right behind it.
Another slash.
Then another.
And another.
The battle had begun.
Around me, the girls entered the fight as well.
Scarlett raised one hand.
Lightning exploded among the enemies.
Several demons were hurled backward.
Elara used the wind to create openings in the enemy lines.
Vespera fired arrows with incredible precision.
Every shot found its target.
Rai'kanna charged forward like an unstoppable fortress.
Her massive axe crushed everything before her.
Liriel maintained constant barriers and healing.
Lyannis coordinated support and enhancement magic.
The formation worked perfectly.
The adventurers who had arrived with us also began to demonstrate their strength.
Little by little, the defensive line stabilized.
The demons continued advancing.
But now they were the ones being pushed back.
The battle dragged on for hours.
The sun climbed higher.
The heat intensified.
Fatigue began to set in.
Even so, we kept fighting.
I lost count of how many enemies I defeated.
Dozens.
Perhaps hundreds.
But more always appeared.
It was exactly as the reports had described.
A war of attrition.
At one point, Scarlett appeared beside me.
She eliminated two demons with a burst of lightning before speaking.
"They don't stop."
"I noticed."
"This is starting to get annoying."
I smiled faintly.
Even in the middle of a war, she was still Scarlett.
A little later, Rai'kanna appeared covered in dust.
"We're pushing them back!"
I looked ahead.
She was right.
For the first time since our arrival, the demons were retreating.
Not by much.
But enough to notice.
The soldiers realized it too.
Shouts of encouragement began to spread.
Their morale rose even higher.
Then we advanced.
The pressure increased.
The demons began losing ground.
And then it happened.
The first enemy groups started retreating.
At first, only a few.
Then dozens.
Soon, hundreds.
The human commander came running toward us.
His face was filled with surprise.
"They're retreating!"
I looked toward the horizon.
It was true.
For the first time that day, the demons had given up their advance.
It wasn't a full retreat.
But it was a victory.
A small one.
Yet an important one.
The battle continued for a while longer until the sounds of combat finally began to fade.
The battlefield grew quieter.
The survivors breathed in relief.
Many soldiers simply sat where they stood.
Completely exhausted.
I could feel the weight of the battle as well.
I looked around.
The ground was covered with the marks of war.
Broken weapons.
Magic-created craters.
The bodies of fallen demons.
And wounded soldiers receiving treatment.
The war was far from over.
But that day, we had managed to stop the enemy's advance.
Liriel approached me.
"Are you alright?"
"I am."
"That's a lie."
I looked at her.
She smiled.
"Your face gives you away."
I laughed.
Maybe she was right.
I was tired.
Far more than I wanted to admit.
But I also felt something different.
Hope.
If we could stop this advance, then perhaps victory was possible.
Perhaps there really was a chance.
As I was thinking that, I heard the distant sound of war trumpets echoing across the fields.
Several soldiers turned in the same direction.
On the horizon, a new force was approaching.
Hundreds of banners fluttered in the wind.
Rai'kanna narrowed her eyes.
Then she smiled.
I recognized that symbol immediately.
The Silver Dragon.
The troops of the Demi-Dragon Kingdom had arrived.
And leading them was someone we knew very well.
King Drakarion.
As the banners slowly approached across the horizon, I realized that the battle of that day had finally come to an end.
But something told me that the battles yet to come would be even more difficult.