Dawn arrived wrapped in a thin mist that covered part of the plain before the demonic fortress.
I woke up before the sun had fully risen.
For a few moments, I remained seated on the makeshift bed inside the tent, watching the faint light filter through the entrance fabric.
Today would be the day of the offensive.
After several days advancing through the territory occupied by the demons, we would finally attack Vaelthor's fortress.
I stood up, put on my armor, and stepped outside the tent.
The entire camp was already awake.
Soldiers marched in formation.
Mages organized their groups.
Adventurers checked their equipment one last time.
The atmosphere was different from the previous days.
No one needed to ask why.
Everyone knew.
Today we would attack the heart of the enemy forces.
I found the girls near the camp's main area.
Scarlett was finishing adjusting her magical gloves.
Vespera checked her bowstring.
Elara was talking with several mages.
Lyannis reviewed maps.
Liriel distributed small mana recovery vials.
Rai'kanna looked more excited than usual.
When I approached, she smiled.
"Finally."
"You're excited."
"Very."
"I figured."
She rested her axe on her shoulder.
"I'm tired of chasing demons around."
Scarlett crossed her arms.
"You just want to destroy a wall."
"That too."
That drew a few laughs from the group.
Even with the battle awaiting us, those small moments helped ease the tension.
A short time later, the trumpets echoed throughout the camp.
The signal to gather the troops.
The conversations stopped.
The soldiers began taking their positions.
The adventurers headed to their assigned sectors.
The commanders gave their final instructions.
Then we moved toward the front lines.
As we advanced, the fortress became more and more visible.
It was enormous.
Much larger than I had imagined when I first saw it from afar.
Its black walls rose like an artificial mountain in the middle of the plain.
Gigantic towers stood at various points.
Demonic banners fluttered high above.
Even from a distance, it was possible to feel the concentrated mana surrounding the place.
It wasn't just a fortress.
It looked like an entire military city.
Beside me, Lyannis watched attentively.
"Now I understand why it took them so long to build this."
"It's impressive."
"It's also worrying."
I agreed.
Invading that structure would not be easy.
When our troops finally reached the planned distance, the formations began to organize themselves.
The soldiers positioned their shields.
The archers took their places.
The mages stayed farther back.
The adventurers were distributed among the main sectors.
Everything happened in an orderly manner.
The plan had been prepared throughout the entire night.
Then the fortress gates opened.
A massive number of demons began pouring out.
The walls also became crowded with enemy archers and mages.
Silence fell over the battlefield for a few moments.
It was as though both armies were observing each other.
Waiting.
Then a demonic war horn echoed.
At that very instant, the battle began.
A rain of arrows crossed the sky.
Hundreds.
Perhaps thousands.
The first magical barriers appeared immediately.
Elara raised her staff.
The other mages did the same.
The arrows struck the magical defenses and exploded in every direction.
But that was only the beginning.
Then came the spells.
Fireballs.
Dark spears.
Explosions of energy.
The sky itself became a battlefield.
The front lines advanced.
Soldiers charged toward the walls.
The demons responded immediately.
The distance between the two armies vanished quickly.
Then the hand-to-hand combat began.
I advanced alongside the adventurers.
My golden sword appeared in my hands.
The first group of demons tried to block our advance.
They failed.
My strike cut through several enemies at once.
The other adventurers immediately took advantage of the opening.
The demonic formation began to retreat.
But new troops constantly emerged from the fortress.
There seemed to be no end to them.
To my right, Rai'kanna advanced like a storm.
Her axe crushed armor.
Shields were shattered.
Demons were thrown aside.
The soldiers fighting beside her gained courage simply by watching her fight.
Farther away, Scarlett unleashed a series of lightning bolts.
The blasts struck one of the defensive towers.
The entire structure trembled.
Part of the wall became covered in smoke.
The demonic archers were forced to abandon their positions.
"That opened a path."
Vespera shouted.
She immediately took advantage of it.
Her arrows began striking the defenders trying to reorganize the tower.
One after another.
Always precise.
Always fatal.
Meanwhile, Liriel kept the advancing forces moving.
Her healing magic flowed constantly across the battlefield.
The wounded returned to battle.
The soldiers regained their strength.
Many continued fighting thanks to her.
Elara and Lyannis worked together.
One controlled the winds.
The other coordinated information and magical support.
That allowed our troops to respond quickly to enemy movements.
The battle continued for hours.
The advance was slow.
Every meter gained required effort.
Every sector had to be fought for.
The demons defended the fortress fiercely.
But we were just as determined.
By noon, we finally reached the first line of the outer walls.
There, the resistance became even more intense.
Massive reinforced gates blocked the way.
Demonic runes glowed across the structure.
Several mages analyzed the problem.
The protections were powerful.
Perhaps too powerful to destroy easily.
That was when Drakarion appeared, leading a unit of Demi-Dragons.
The king examined the gates.
Then he smiled.
"So this is what's slowing us down."
Rai'kanna crossed her arms.
"Got any ideas?"
"I do."
He pointed toward the soldiers behind him.
Soon dozens of Demi-Dragon warriors charged forward.
Their armor began to emit a crimson glow.
An energy similar to that of dragons surrounded their bodies.
I could feel the power building.
Then they all attacked at the same time.
A tremendous explosion shook the battlefield.
The demonic runes began to shatter.
Cracks spread across the entire structure.
Drakarion looked at me.
"Now."
I didn't hesitate.
I channeled mana into my sword.
Golden flames engulfed the blade.
Then I struck.
The blow pierced through the gate.
An explosion shook the wall.
For several seconds, everything was covered in dust.
When it finally settled, we saw the result.
A massive opening had been created.
The allied soldiers began cheering.
The first barrier had fallen.
But the battle was still far from over.
We crossed through the breach immediately.
On the other side stood another defensive line.
More demons.
More walls.
More resistance.
It seemed as though the fortress had been built in layers.
One line of defense behind another.
Even so, we continued advancing.
The rest of the afternoon became a succession of intense battles.
Outer corridors.
Military plazas.
Fortified positions.
Every area had to be conquered.
Every advance demanded effort.
The exhaustion accumulated rapidly.
As the sun began approaching the horizon, I realized that everyone was tired.
Myself included.
My mana reserves had dropped considerably.
The girls were showing clear signs of exhaustion.
The soldiers were fighting at their limits.
But no one retreated.
Because everyone could see the progress.
The first wall had fallen.
And that meant everything.
When the battle finally slowed, our troops had taken control of the entire outer section of the fortress.
The demons were forced to retreat to the inner sectors.
A great victory.
But only the first one.
As I looked at the enormous black structures still standing before us, I understood that the true challenge still lay ahead.
Scarlett approached me.
She looked tired, but satisfied.
"It was a good start."
"It was."
"But there's still a long way to go."
I looked toward the inner walls.
The towers.
The secondary fortifications.
The protected corridors.
Then I nodded.
"Yes."
Because it was true.
The hardest part had not even begun yet.
Somewhere beyond those structures was Vaelthor.
The First Demon General.
And even though we had conquered the first wall, I had the feeling that he was still merely watching.
Waiting.
As if everything that had happened was part of his plan.
The sun slowly disappeared behind the horizon.
Its orange light illuminated the black walls for a few moments before vanishing completely.
And while the soldiers celebrated the fall of the enemy's first line of defense, one certainty remained in my mind.
The invasion of the fortress had begun.
But the true battle still awaited us in the depths of that place.