CHAPTER 410: 410

The next morning came with an atmosphere of heaviness.

Thick clouds hung low over the sky as cold wind swept across the war plains.Snow drizzled covering the ground.

The sound of horns echoed from every direction, calling soldiers to the frontlines.

The war had now spread across the four fronts. Each battle found created destruction that was like a wound tearing deeper into the earth.

The smell of iron and smoke filled the air. Men stood ready with weapons in hand, faces darkened with dirt and blood from yesterday’s fight.

On the eastern front, Martina led her battalion. The land there was muddy and broken, filled with fallen bodies and shattered spears. She stood in front of her men, her sword pointed forward.

"Hold the line no matter what," she ordered, her voice firm. "If they break through here, the others will fall too."

Her soldiers nodded silently. The air grew heavier as the sound of marching demons began to echo through the fog. Their glowing red eyes appeared first, followed by the shadows of their massive bodies.

The cold northern wind howled across the frozen battlefield. Snow fell endlessly from the gray sky, mixing with the smoke rising from burning war machines.

The humans had built strong bridges across the frozen river to reach the demon territory.

Each bridge connected to a different front.

Four paths where four different battles were being fought under four commanders.

On the first front, Martina stood at the edge of the wooden bridge, her armor covered in frost. Her breath came out as mist as she looked at the enemy ranks across the plain. The demons waited in silence, their dark silhouettes barely visible in the storm.

"Archers, ready your bows!" she shouted.

The soldiers pulled their bowstrings tight. The sound of stretching wood echoed through the freezing air.

Martina raised her hand. "Aim!"

Flames flickered on her fingertips as she cast a spell. The arrows caught fire instantly.

"Loose!"

A fiery rain cut through the snow, lighting up the darkness. Screams echoed from the demon side as the flaming arrows struck. The frontlines clashed soon after. The ground shook under the force of charging soldiers and roaring beasts.

Martina drew her sword, her eyes cold and focused. "Push forward!" she yelled, leading her troops across the bridge.

Blades met one another. The frozen air filled with the sound of death.

Swords clashed.

The air was filled with cries, roars, and the sound of metal grinding against metal. Martina moved through the field like a storm, her blade cutting down anything in her path. Yet, even as she fought, she could feel something wrong.

The enemies were more organized than before.

"They’re changing their formations," one of her captains shouted.

Martina narrowed her eyes. "They’re learning fast. Sol go and tighten the defense. We can’t lose this line!"

"Linda!"

"Yes!"

"Be prepared...We might need the mage squad sooner than I thought."

.....

Far to the east, Roosevelt’s front raged across the second bridge. The wind was stronger there, howling through the canyon and shaking the makeshift structures.

"Keep the formation tight!" Roosevelt shouted as he cut down a charging demon. His golden aura flashed like sunlight in the storm.

The enemy pressed hard. Huge ogre-like demons smashed into the shields, breaking men and armor alike. Roosevelt spun his sword in a glowing arc, shouting, "[Imperial Swordsmanship: Blazing Cross!]"

A golden cross of light shot out, tearing through the monsters and splitting the snow-covered ground. The explosion that followed sent a wave of heat and ice flying through the air.

"Don’t stop now! Forward!" he roared.

His soldiers cheered, following his lead, their morale burning brighter than the fire on the battlefield.

....

Far to the north, Hans led another front near the frozen cliffs. His soldiers were tired but still standing. The cold air burned their lungs, and frost clung to their armor.

Hans commanded the third front near the cliffs. His forces faced waves of flying demons that came with the blizzard, their black wings blending with the dark clouds above.

"Push them back!" Hans shouted as he slammed his shield into a demon’s chest. The creature screeched, falling backward into the snow.

A young soldier beside him gasped, "Sir, we’re losing ground!"

Hans turned sharply. "Then take it back!" he growled. He raised his blade high and roared, leading a charge that shook the icy ground beneath their feet.

"Hold your shields up! Don’t let them take the skies!" Hans shouted, his voice cutting through the storm.

The ballista teams on the hill released giant bolts that ripped through the air, striking demons out of the sky. But for every one that fell, two more appeared.

Hans swung his halberd, cutting down a charging demon that landed near him. Its black blood splattered across the snow. The ground trembled as another explosion went off nearby.

"Captain! The bridge is cracking!" a soldier yelled.

Hans turned quickly. The ice bridge behind them was beginning to split under the weight and heat of battle.

"Reinforce it now! If that bridge falls, we’re trapped!" he ordered.

The engineers rushed to pour mana stones into the cracks, sealing them with glowing light while the mage was stationed closely using spells to build.Due to this they were unable to provide support which made Hans cursed.

"Damn..Out of all fronts,did it have to be mine?"Hans cursed his poor luck.

Hans turned back to the battlefield, his eyes sharp and determined.

....

Meanwhile, on the last front to the west, Kael led his troops under the command of Gare. The snowstorm there was the heaviest there, blinding everyone in thick white mist.

"Handle! Take your squad left and secure the ridge!" Gare shouted.

"Yes, sir!" Handle replied, running with his men.

"Vic, lead the right flank. Don’t let them circle us!"

Vic nodded, gripping his sword and an axe. "Understood!"

Kael stood in the middle of the bridge to make sure the bridge wasn’t attacked, his sword gleaming with crimson under the pale light warning enemies. The demons on the other side growled, their breath visible in the cold.

"Stay close," Kael said quietly, his voice calm but sharp.

A huge roar erupted from the other end as the demon army charged. Kael’s eyes hardened. He lifted his sword. "Advance!"

The two armies collided with a thunderous impact.

The entire ground shook. Swords flashed. Spears broke apart on collision and Blood splattered across the snow.

Kael slashed through the first few demons that reached him, his movements fast and precise. He dodged a claw strike, twisted, and drove his blade through a demon’s chest.

"Keep moving!" he shouted. "Don’t stop fighting!"

Behind him, Handle fought like a monster himself, swinging his greatsword and crushing everything in his path. The soldiers around him followed his lead with renewed strength.

The battle spread across the four fronts like a raging fire. Every inch of snow turned red. Screams mixed with the wind. Explosions echoed across the frozen plains.

From above, the world looked like a field of chaos of four paths of war burning against the endless white.

..........

Meanwhile, back in the barracks.Fred and Hobbins watched from the command hill. Their faces were tense. The sight before them was terrible. Fires burned across the valley, and the sky glowed with the light of magic and destruction.

Martina’s side burned with fire.Roosevelt shone with golden light.Hans’s front froze in storms of ice and blood.And Kael’s bridge was wrapped in mist of blood and death.

"Report from Martina’s line?" Fred asked quickly.

"Still holding," a messenger replied, his armor scorched. "But the enemy numbers keep growing. They’ve summoned reinforcements from the deep plains."

"And Hans?"

"Fighting near the cliffs. Heavy losses, but he hasn’t fallen back."

Fred clenched his fists. "Good. Tell him to hold that ground at all costs."

Another explosion echoed from the south. The shockwave shook the ground beneath them. Hobbins looked toward the black smoke rising in the distance.

"That’s Kael’s side," he said. "They’re taking heavy fire."

Fred’s expression darkened. "He’ll handle it. But if the demons break through there, we’re finished."

Reports poured in one after another as they closely monitored the situation.

Their aim was to reach the other end of fort and gather up to form a joint coalition force.

.....

SWISHH!SWISHH!

Endless slashes rained down like hell as any demon neared the bridges.

All around them, the battlefield burned. The cries of the dying filled the wind. Bodies lay scattered across the dirt, both human and demon. Blood soaked deep into the soil, turning it dark and wet.

As the day dragged on, thunder rolled across the sky. Rain began to fall, mixing with ash and blood. The fire hissed and died in patches, but the fighting never stopped.

Kael raised his sword again, his eyes glowing faintly under the stormy sky.

"Haaa...I am starting to feel nostalgia," he muttered.

Then as he looked around he frowned.

The sound of clashing steel and screams echoed endlessly.

"Wait a moment...Where are the demons general..."