The shield wall pressed ahead. Behind them, swords stabbed through the gaps, piercing demon flesh. Screams filled the air. Black blood splattered across the shields and soaked into the dirt below. A demon leapt over, snarling, its jaws snapping for a throat. Handle stepped forward, his sword flashing in a wide arc. The head split clean from its shoulders. The body fell with a wet smack against the shields. "Hold steady!" he shouted, his voice iron. "Strike with rhythm. Do not swing wild. Let the shields carry you." The men struck together, their blades rising and falling as one. Each hit landed with grim weight. Each thrust spilled more blood. The ground turned slick, the iron scent of gore filling their lungs. "What the hell," Handle muttered as he split open a demon’s chest. His voice shook with both shock and awe. "Don’t these demons know fear?" Another beast clawed at him, forcing him back. He spat blood, eyes wide. Gare slashed a demon’s horn clean off, the broken piece clattering to the ground. He followed with a strike across the neck, black blood spraying across his armor. His eyes burned cold. "If this were a human army, they might falter when losses mount. But demons are not like us. They don’t retreat out of fear." The words hung heavy in the blood-soaked air. Gare cut through another and turned his head. His eyes caught Vic at the far side of the camp. Vic’s sword tore through the mass of demons like a storm, but the enemies around him kept swelling, their claws and jaws closing in. "He is strong," Gare muttered under his breath, "but even he can fall in a swarm." He turned sharply, his voice rising above the screams and the clash of steel. "Handle! Pick up the scattered soldiers and move to Vic’s side!" Handle blinked, his chest heaving from the fight. "But whtt? He’s holding them quite well!" Gare’s tone sharpened as he analysed. "He is winning now, but sooner or later he will fall into a pinch. Move!" Handle’s jaw tightened. He gave a short nod, then raised his sword and shouted at the soldiers nearest him. "Follow me..* The battlefield became chaotic. Screams, metal, and blood filled the air. Demons swarmed from every side, their claws tearing through the dust and smoke. Vic stood at the center, his sword dripping black blood. He cut one down, then twisted and slammed his shoulder into another. But the pressure did not stop. A fresh wave rushed him, larger and faster than before. Their weight pressed into him like a wall. "Graaahh!" Vic roared as he swung his sword wide, cutting through two demons at once. But a third slipped through. Its claw raked across his side, tearing his armor and cutting into flesh. Vic staggered back with a sharp gasp, blood dripping down his waist. Despite them weaker than him,the continuous "Vic!" Handle’s voice cut through the din. He crashed into the pack from the side, slamming a pack with his shield using brute force. His sword followed, splitting a demon’s chest open with brutal force. He kicked another beast away and shouted again. "Get your footing!" Vic took a deep and heavy breath getting the support. "Thank God..."Vic gasped, relaxing a bit. Dıscover more novels at 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭·𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢·𝗇𝗲𝘵 Handle covered Vic allowing him to recover. Vic nodded, shaking his sword."Yeah...Just a bit tired." Vic turned towards Gare who looked at him sharply.Vic nodded, getting the signal. "Hold your ground! Shields, to the center! Spears and blades on the flanks! Cover Vic!" "Make him the centre." The soldiers moved with his command. Shields locked together in front of Vic, catching the brunt of the demon charge. The sound of claws raking across wood and iron filled the air, harsh and sharp. Behind the shields, spears thrust out, stabbing into demon throats and bellies. Blades from the flanks cut low, hacking at legs and arms. "Step with Vic" Gare called. His eyes scanned the flow of the fight, every move cold and precise. "Follow Vic’s rhythm..Don’t fall down." Vic’s chest heaved as the formation surrounded him, their defense giving him space to recover. He gripped his sword tighter, fire flashing in his eyes. "Good. Keep them steady. I’ll break through." The formation shifted forward as one. The shields pressed, holding back the demons. Spears stabbed again, blood spraying across their arms. Vic burst out from the center, cutting everything apart. He cut down one beast with a clean stroke, then spun to drive his sword through the chest of another. His movements were heavy, each strike crushing, but now each blow was supported. "Press!" Gare shouted, his own sword slashing through a demon’s horn before stabbing into its neck. "Left flank, strike low. Right flank, cover the shields. Keep them moving!" The soldiers followed. Their rhythm grew sharper. The cries of demons rose higher, mixed with the screams of dying men. Black blood splattered across their armor, soaking into the ground beneath their boots. Vic fought like a storm. Every swing of his blade tore through bodies. He moved in and out of the shield line, striking at openings Gare created. A demon lunged at his back, but a soldier’s shield caught it. Handle turned around fast, his sword slicing its head clean off. "YOU ALL ARE DOING GREATT!" Gare barked again. The formation surged forward. Handle fought beside Vic, his shield smashing into faces while his sword crushed ribs. Vic’s blade roared through the air, splitting torsos and cutting limbs. They carved a path together, soldiers at their sides keeping the rhythm alive. "Arghh!" A soldier cried out as claws tore his arm. Another stepped into his place at once, shield raising to block the next strike. Gare’s orders cut sharply. "Hold the gap! Keep him safe. Press right now!" The line slammed right, shields shoving demons back. Spears pierced through their chests, and Vic followed with a heavy slash that split three down in one blow. The air filled with the stench of iron and rot. Slowly, the tide broke. The demons wailed as they were cut apart. Bodies piled up with black blood pooling across the ground like a river. With each step forward, the soldiers pushed through, with their formation holding under Gare’s command. Then, at last, the line broke free. The camp’s outer edge came into view. The surviving soldiers staggered into open ground,with their armor soaked in gore. Vic pulled his sword from a demon’s corpse and panted hard looking ahead. Another group of soldiers stood ahead, frozen in place. Their weapons were lowered and their eyes fixed on something in the distance. "What are you staring at?" he demanded. The men did not answer.Vic turned his head Amidst a sea of demon corpses stood a woman with long green hair. Her armor was drenched in blood with her sword dripping black. She stood still with her chest rising slowly. Around her, the ground was covered with broken bodies having their limbs torn, and their heads rolling in the dirt. The woman slid her sword back into the sheath with a quiet rasp.