Black smoke rose into the northern sky. Arven Fort—the last wall before the capital of Korasium—still stood, though the storm of war showed no sign of fading. In the distance, the combined armies of Rutor, Gargantos, and now the northern kingdom of Livasol surrounded it like endless waves. But behind the cracking stone walls, two figures remained steadfast in leading the defense: General Kael and General Yuvan.
"Reinforcements from the capital will arrive soon," a scout reported breathlessly. "Prince Gerald is leading the troops himself."
General Kael gave a silent nod, his eyes fixed sharply on the battlefield. His muscular body was clad in armor scarred by battle and blood. Beside him, Yuvan—slimmer but agile—was redrawing the defense map with swift precision.
"How many more days can we last?" Yuvan asked.
"If they launch a full assault tonight, we won't survive two," Kael replied. "But if we destroy their supply lines tonight, they'll falter."
Without delay, Yuvan sent a small squad to strike the enemy's food stores under the cover of night. Meanwhile, Kael personally led the defense of the main gate. His sword gleamed in the dark, and his commanding voice echoed throughout the fortress.
"Hold these walls with your lives! Korasium will not fall today!"
Each night, enemy forces bombarded the fort with flaming arrows and siege weapons. But Kael and Yuvan took turns keeping watch. They motivated the troops, patched wall breaches, and rotated guards to prevent fatigue.
Yuvan also ordered traps to be laid in narrow passages and underground tunnels, causing confusion and ensnaring enemy forces.
"We don't need to win—we just need to hold out," he told the officers. "Time is our ally."
Inside the fortress, exhausted soldiers endured because of the bravery of the two generals. They saw Kael always at the front lines and Yuvan always outwitting the enemy through the terrain.
A few days later, the morning fog carried a distant sound—war horns from afar. From the watchtower, the lion banner of Korasium fluttered on the horizon.
"It's the reserve forces!" a soldier shouted.
But Kael remained calm. "The battle isn't over. Open the gates only when we're sure they can enter safely."
Yuvan squinted at the field. "The enemy will know reinforcements are coming. They'll go all out now."
And true enough, before the sun fully rose, the armies of Rutor, Gargantos, and Livasol moved all their siege weapons—towers, ballistae, and battering rams—from three directions. Smoke and dust filled the air, as if even the earth rejected this war.
Seeing this, Yuvan quickly gathered his officers and revealed his battle strategy. "They think we'll spread our forces thin across three sides. That's their weakness. We'll make the eastern wall look weak," he said, pointing at the map. "They'll divert forces there. That's when our archers strike from the towers and destroy their siege engines."
He also dispatched elite units through underground tunnels to sneak behind enemy lines and burn their siege towers. Meanwhile, hidden trenches and wooden spike traps were laid in the paths of their heavy weapons.
"We must make them believe we're on the brink of collapse—then strike back swiftly and precisely. Let them feel they've walked into a trap."
Kael nodded in agreement. "Their assault will be like a storm. But we'll be the rock that stands in its way."
Arven Fort braced for the greatest assault since the siege began.