The sun was setting as the army moved through the thick, foggy woods, the air growing colder with each step. The atmosphere was tense, filled with the steady sound of marching boots and the faint rustle of trees in the wind. The players who had ventured too far into these woods before had vanished without a trace. Now, it was the demons' turn to hunt.
The scent of wet earth and decay hung in the air, but the most chilling thing about this place was the silence—an unnatural stillness that only deepened the feeling of being watched. The demons had set up camp near the edge of the forest, and their vicious hounds patrolled the perimeters, sniffing for any sign of life.
The army had made it to the swamp's edge, just a mile away from the Bastion. And yet, even the strongest of them could feel the weight of dread pressing on them. This place was haunted not just by the demons but by the memories of the wars long past.
As they set up their encampment, a patrol of demons surged from the tree line, riding atop terrifying beasts and led by monstrous hounds that sniffed the air. They moved like shadows, silently slinking forward, their eyes glowing red in the dusk. Their hunt was relentless—any player they encountered was fair game.
The army quickly assembled, swords drawn and crossbows readied. Evangelia and Lillian took the lead with their groups, organizing defensive lines as the first wave of demons charged in. The crossbows rang out with sharp precision, taking down several of the hounds, but more quickly filled their place, their howl echoing through the trees.
"Stay tight! Do not let them scatter!" Evangelia shouted, her voice commanding as she wielded her crossbow like a professional sniper, picking off demons with ease.
Lillian, on the other hand, dashed forward with her claymore, cutting through the monstrous beasts with brutal efficiency. Her strikes were swift and deadly, but the demons continued to come, relentless in their pursuit.
Behind them, the rest of the army took position, forming a strong line to defend against the overwhelming numbers of demons and their beasts. The air was filled with the acrid scent of blood and the sound of clashing steel.
"It's a trap!" one of the soldiers shouted, just before a massive demon charged in with its hound at its side. The creature's fangs gleamed as it lunged, knocking a soldier off his feet.
"Keep them at bay!" Anastasia shouted from the back, her voice cold and determined. She was with her officers, orchestrating the defense as the battle raged on. "The Bastion's walls are just ahead—keep them occupied, but do not break formation!"
But even as the demons fell to their weapons, it was clear they were only a small fraction of the enemy forces that had gathered to defend the Bastion. The real battle was yet to come.
Hours passed, and the battle slowed to a tense standstill. The demons had retreated back into the forest, their numbers thinning. The army had managed to hold them off, but it was only a temporary victory. The Bastion loomed in the distance, a dark silhouette against the setting sun, its towering walls forming the last line of defense before the gateway to hell itself.
Anastasia stood before the soldiers, her armor gleaming in the fading light. "This is it," she declared. "The Bastion is just ahead. We need to prepare for the siege. This battle will decide the fate of the kingdom, and it won't be easy. The demons will have traps and reinforcements. But we have a chance—if we take it now."
Her voice was steady, but the weight of the battle ahead pressed down on her. This wasn't just a fight for survival—it was a fight to buy the kingdom time. The portal in the Bastion, if they could capture it, would give them five years to prepare for the true war to come.
Kira, standing beside her, spoke up. "We can do this. We need to push forward, strike hard, and take that Bastion. No more waiting—if we hesitate, we'll lose our chance."
Anastasia nodded, her gaze hardening as she turned to face the army. "Prepare yourselves. We fight for our future today. This is not just for the kingdom, but for the lives of those we love. The demons must be stopped before they return in full force. Once we take that Bastion, we'll hold it. They won't have a chance to retaliate for years."
With that, she led the army forward, the full weight of the siege ahead on her shoulders. The final assault had begun. They would break through the Bastion's walls and fight for their future, no matter the cost.
---
The siege battle at the Bastion had begun, with Evangelia and Lillian leading the charge and the army preparing for a brutal fight ahead. The demons had retreated for now, but their numbers were still overwhelming. The fight for control of the Bastion would be fierce—and the fate of the kingdom rested on the outcome.
Evangelia and Lillian stood together, their weapons ready as the battlefield around them teemed with the preparations of war. The air was thick with tension, the weight of the upcoming fight pressing down on them. They were elite soldiers, born from real-world armies, now players in a virtual world—a world where the stakes had never been higher.
Evangelia adjusted the crossbow slung over her shoulder, the sleek design reminding her of the handguns she once wielded in another life. Lillian, standing tall beside her, tested the weight of her claymore, preparing herself for close combat. Both women had become experts in their chosen weapons, but today's battle wasn't about victory alone. It was about something far deeper.
"Do you believe the rumors?" Evangelia asked, her voice low and heavy with a mix of disbelief and concern. "That he—*he*—is the one who fell? That he's the one they're calling the demon lord now?"
Lillian's eyes darkened, her expression tightening. She adjusted her grip on her claymore, her gaze distant as she spoke. "I've heard them. The rumors... They say he's been manipulated. Set up. That they made him kill his own sister before pushing him to the edge. They made him fight against other players—tortured him, made him out to be some kind of villain. But he wasn't. He's been framed, Evangelia. This is all a setup."
Evangelia paused, taking a deep breath. "So... *he* didn't choose this? He didn't become a demon lord of his own volition?"
"No," Lillian replied, her voice a mix of frustration and sorrow. "No, he was forced into it. He was a good player once, one of us. But they twisted the truth. He was manipulated—driven to this. They used him to create a monster, when all he wanted was to protect those around him. And now they've turned him into the villain... to make it look like it was his choice all along."
The realization hit Evangelia like a punch to the gut. "So they made him a demon lord to turn everyone against him? To make him the enemy?"
"Exactly," Lillian said, her face hardening with resolve. "They used the game's power, the manipulation of the system, and the pain of losing his sister to twist him. And now, we're supposed to fight him as the villain—when he was just a player, just like us."
Evangelia clenched her fists. The weight of the situation pressed heavily on her heart. "That's... that's cruel. It's nothing but a setup. But he's still our enemy now. Even if it was done to him. The question is—what do we do about it?"
"We fight," Lillian said firmly. "But we don't fight because he's a demon lord. We fight because the people need us to. But somewhere in this fight, we need to find the truth and stop this madness. If we can stop him, we might be able to stop the real enemy pulling the strings."
Evangelia nodded. "We can't let the game turn into a battlefield for manipulation. We have to be the ones who bring the truth out—whatever it costs."
The two women exchanged a brief look of understanding, their minds locked on the same goal. But there was still a flicker of doubt. They both knew what they were up against. The rumors, the setup, the twisted events that had led to this moment—it all made the situation far more complicated. But there was no turning back now.
As they prepared to move out, Evangelia's voice rang out with renewed confidence. "We're heroes, Lillian. We always have been. And no matter what happens, we fight for the truth."
Lillian raised her claymore, a glint of determination in her eyes. "For the truth."
The two women stood together, ready for the battle ahead. They weren't just fighting for the kingdom anymore—they were fighting for the chance to reveal the truth behind a demon lord's fall from grace.