Chapter 390
[The Next Day]
The sun rose blood-red over Third Line’s fortifications, painting the battlefield in shades of crimson and gold. The morning air carried the scent of smoke from Second Line’s fires and something else—the lingering magical residue of yesterday’s contamination spell.
Commander Elric stood atop a commandeered on top a huge rock crafted by his mage which was approximately four hundred yards from Third Line’s walls. The structure had belonged to a settlement merchant before the siege began. Now it served as Elric’s command post, offering elevated view of the entire battlefield.
Beside him stood his senior commanders and the Four Heroes.
Lieutenant Thorne was reviewing final troop positions on tactical maps. Captain Marcus supervised artillery crews positioning twenty catapults for bombardment. Major Aldrich—a grizzled forty-year veteran who commanded the army’s heavy infantry—checked equipment with professional thoroughness.
And the Four Heroes.
Gattychan stood with his blessed sword already drawn, the blade glowing faintly with holy light. His divine presence seemed to make the air itself shimmer with righteous power.
Seraphelle knelt in prayer, her healing magic creating a soft golden glow around her. Divine energy radiated from her like warmth from a hearth fire. Her eyes were closed, lips moving in silent prayer to the Light.
Mikazelle studied the battlefield through her spatial manipulation abilities, seeing dimensions and tactical positions that ordinary observers couldn’t perceive. Her eyes glowed with otherworldly perception as she mapped enemy locations, fortification weak points, and potential spatial vulnerabilities.
Rindelle checked her bow with archer’s precision, each arrow in her quiver carrying the potential for catastrophic amplification. One arrow could punch through castle walls. A second could collapse a tower. She was the most dangerous ranged weapon on the battlefield.
Elric surveyed his army assembled below.
Twenty-three hundred soldiers in disciplined formations. Heavy infantry in the center—eight hundred soldiers with tower shields and heavy armor, trained to advance through arrow fire and hold ground. Light infantry on the flanks—six hundred soldiers equipped for mobility and pursuit. Cavalry in reserve—two hundred mounted soldiers ready to exploit breakthroughs or pursue retreating enemies. Archers and artillery crews—four hundred soldiers manning ranged weapons. And special units—three hundred soldiers including siege engineers, battlefield priests, and tactical specialists.
Behind the main army, slightly separated, stood a unit Elric had kept concealed until this moment.
Fifty holy mages.
These weren’t combat mages trained for offensive magic. They were purification specialists—priests and clerics trained specifically in holy magic designed to cleanse demonic contamination, break curse spells, and sanctify corrupted ground.
Yesterday’s contamination spell had killed one hundred fifty-three soldiers. Elric had learned that lesson. Today, before any assault began, he would purify the battlefield.
"All commanders, final status," Elric ordered.
Lieutenant Thorne spoke first. "Heavy infantry: eight hundred soldiers in three phalanx formations targeting eastern, central, and western wall sections. Ready to advance on your command."
Captain Marcus: "Artillery: twenty catapults loaded and positioned. Bombardment can begin immediately. Light infantry and cavalry ready for pursuit and exploitation."
Major Aldrich: "Reserve forces positioned. Battlefield priests ready to provide healing support. Holy mages prepared for purification ritual."
Elric nodded, then turned to the Four Heroes.
" Gattychan, Lady Seraphelle, Lady Mikazelle, Lady Rindelle—your assessment of the enemy position?"
Mikazelle spoke, her spatial perception providing unique intelligence. "Third Line fortifications are seventy-two percent complete. Eastern wall is weakest—incomplete archer platforms, insufficient reinforcement. Central gates are strongest but vulnerable to concentrated siege assault. Western wall has adequate structure but limited defenders based on observed movement patterns."
"Defender strength?"
"Approximately six hundred forty visible fighters distributed across three wall sections. But..." Mikazelle’s glowing eyes narrowed, "...there are concealed positions. Magical signatures I can’t fully identify. Hidden forces, probably including those corruption specialists from yesterday’s spell."
Gattychan’s expression hardened. "Demon forces. I can sense them even from this distance. My Villain’s Bane ability resonates with supernatural evil within range." His hand tightened on his sword. "There’s a demon lord presence in that settlement. Not confirmed physically present, but the magical signature is unmistakable."
Seraphelle opened her eyes from prayer. "The Light shows me darkness within those walls. Corrupted souls. Demonic influence. But also..." she paused, "...also Goblins and orcs and even some humanoid creatures are fighting alongside demons. It’s... complicated."
"Evil is evil," Gattychan said flatly. "Whether they’re demons or mortals who’ve allied with demons, they’ve chosen their side. We show them the Light’s mercy through swift defeat."
Rindelle remained quiet, simply nodding readiness.
Elric studied the Four Heroes. They were powerful—devastatingly so. But they were also young, idealistic, and sometimes dangerously certain of their righteousness.
"Before we begin the assault, I need to address the tactical plan," Elric said carefully. "Specifically, the timing of your deployment."
Gattychan’s eyes sharpened. "We’re not being held in reserve again."
"No. You’ll deploy during the battle. But not at the beginning." Elric met his gaze steadily. "The opening phase will be purification. My holy mages will cleanse the corrupted ground from yesterday’s spell and sanctify the battlefield to prevent future contamination magic. This takes approximately thirty minutes and leaves the mages vulnerable during casting."
"Then we protect them during purification," Gattychan said immediately.
"No. Regular forces protect them. You four remain here, observing, gathering intelligence on enemy tactics and capabilities." Elric’s voice carried command authority. "Once purification is complete and the main assault begins, you’ll deploy strategically based on observed enemy responses."
"That’s a waste of our capabilities—"
"That’s tactical prudence," Elric interrupted. "Lord Gattychan, you are the most powerful anti-demon weapon the Church possesses. Your Villain’s Bane ability can reduce a demon lord to one-tenth combat effectiveness. But that only works if you engage the demon lord when they reveal themselves, not before."
He gestured toward Third Line.
"Right now, we don’t know if there’s a demon lord physically present in that settlement. We know there are corruption specialists and demon warriors. But Loki himself? Seraphina herself? Unknown. If I deploy you immediately and there’s no demon lord present, I’ve wasted your trump card on regular forces. But if I hold you in reserve and deploy you strategically once the enemy shows their hand..."