The sun rose slowly over the battlefield, illuminating all the dead bodies—monsters and soldiers—spread across the plains. The air smelled strong of blood and burnt skin. Soldiers moved slowly, dragging bodies off, fixing broken walls, and bandaging their cuts. The fight last night wore them out, but they knew rest wouldn't last long.
Commander Roland Welles stood on a rough barricade. His armor was dented and bloody. He looked out at the horizon and spoke to the soldiers below. "Listen!" he shouted. His voice broke through their tired talk. "We held them off last night. But don't think it's over. They'll come back. We'll fight them again. Rest now if you can, but stay sharp. We can't relax."
The soldiers nodded. Their faces showed they were tired but still ready. Many lost friends, but they kept going. They knew Antonia—and maybe the whole world—depended on them.
In the heroes' camp, everyone felt heavy too. Arden Starward stood with his team by a map. A glowing magic orb lit their faces. He looked calm, but his voice sounded serious. "Last night's attack had a plan. The big monsters hit certain spots in our walls. They were testing us. Whatever's behind this isn't done."
Valer leaned on his sword. His armor was still dirty with monster blood. "We need more than plans to live through another night. These things don't just want us dead. They want us broken."
Jin Solan cracked his knuckles. His gold gauntlets sat on the table. "Let them try. We've seen worse."
Magnar Luminaris stayed quiet. He looked at the map with a frown. "They're getting smarter. If they hit us again, it'll be better planned. We have to guess their moves."
Hiyori walked between them. Her healing magic kept them going, even without sleep. "No matter what, we stay together," she said. Her voice was soft but strong. "We can't let fear win."
Buck sat with his legs crossed. His bow lay on his lap. He laughed a little. "At least it's fun. These monsters are good to shoot at."
Kaguya sat close by. She looked up from an old book she was reading. "I found something last night," she said. Everyone turned to her. "Old stories from when monsters like these were around. Their attacks follow a pattern. If we figure it out, we might know where they'll go next."
Arden nodded. He looked like he was thinking hard. "Good. Keep working on it. The more we know, the better we'll do." He turned to the group. "For now, everyone rests two hours. Then we fix the walls and get ready for the next fight."
The heroes split up. Some rested a little. Others kept working. Arden stayed by the map. His thoughts felt heavy. He couldn't stop feeling something worse was coming—something bigger than what they'd seen.
All day, the soldiers worked hard. They fixed walls, set traps, and built watchtowers. Hunters checked the forest edge for any signs. But as the sun got higher, the battlefield went quiet. It felt like the monsters were waiting.
At midday, a hunter ran back to camp. His face was white, and he shook. "They're coming," he said, breathing hard. "A new wave… a big one." Commander Roland yelled right away. "Everyone, get ready! This is it!"
The heroes went to the front. Seeing them made the soldiers feel a bit hopeful. Monsters came out of the forest again. The fight started. The daytime monsters didn't stop, but the soldiers fought hard. Roland and the heroes kept the lines strong.
Even while fighting, Arden thought about the night. If this was just the start, he wondered what awful things would come when it got dark again.
As the second night came, a strange quiet fell over the battlefield. The soldiers, hurt and tired from fighting all day, sat close together. They were scared and worn out. Torches glowed weakly, lighting their tired faces, but the light didn't make them feel better. Far off, the forest stood dark and spooky, its twisted branches looking like bony hands against the red sky.
Commander Roland stood at the camp's edge. His jaw was tight as he looked out. The air felt thick tonight, like the ground was waiting for something. He turned to one of his men. "Put three times more guards out. No one sleeps until morning. If they attack again, we have to be ready."
The heroes sat near the camp's middle. Their weapons and armor were clean, but they looked exhausted. Arden spoke low, his voice firm but worried. "Last night, they checked us. Tonight, they'll try to smash us." Hiyori held her staff tight, her eyes far away. "The soldiers can't take much more. If the strong ones come back, it'll be bad."
"They'll come," Valer said darkly, sharpening his sword. "And when they do, we'll cut them down." A hunter ran into the camp, his face white with fear. "They're here!" he yelled, pointing at the forest. "And they're different this time!"
The ground shook as the first monsters came out. These weren't normal animals. They were huge, ugly things that didn't look right. One was like a giant with spiked armor on its arms. Another slid on a snake body, its glowing eyes full of hate. A loud roar rolled over the plains, making everyone shiver. Commander Roland pulled out his sword and shouted loud. "Get your weapons! Hold the lines! Don't let them past!"
The soldiers got into place fast, trying to hide their fear. When the monsters ran at them, the battlefield turned wild. The ground moved under the big creatures, and the sound of swords hitting monster skin filled the air.
Valer ran forward first. His glowing sword cut through the air sharp and fast. He fought the snake monster, moving quick and smart. The creature jumped at him, showing its teeth, but Valer moved aside and hit it hard. Dark blood splashed on the ground.
Jin yelled as he faced the armored giant. Its fists came down like big hammers, but Jin blocked them with his gold gloves. He hit back hard, cracking the giant's tough skin.
Arden walked among the soldiers, making them braver. "Stand strong!" he called. His power made them feel clear and tough. Hurt soldiers stood up again, feeling stronger because of him.
Magnar stayed back, saying magic words. With a big push, he sent out a wave of fire. It burned a bunch of smaller, mean monsters. The fire lit up the night, giving the soldiers a little hope.
Hiyori moved fast, healing hurt people and making the front lines stronger with magic. Her spells felt good, fixing broken bodies and cheering people up.
Buck sat high on a small tower, shooting arrows one after another. Every arrow hit right where it should. "Push them back!" he shouted over the battle noise. "We can't let them get closer!"
Kaguya didn't fight up front. She watched the battlefield hard. Her eyes glowed a little as she figured out how the monsters moved. "They're going for the east side!" she yelled. "Make it stronger now!"
Even with the heroes trying, the monsters didn't stop. Their power and tricks started to push the soldiers back. A big wolf monster broke through, its jaws snapping near some soldiers. Arden stopped it, his sword flashing as he killed it.
The fight kept going, and then something new came. The air got cold, and a heavy feeling pressed down on everyone. A tall figure walked out of the forest, covered in moving shadows. Its eyes glowed strange, and it made people feel less brave just by being there.
Commander Roland's voice shook as he yelled, "What is that thing?" The figure lifted a clawed hand, and the monsters around it attacked harder.
Arden held his sword tighter, looking at the creature. "This is it," he said quietly. "The real fight starts now." Though they were tired, the heroes and soldiers got ready again.