The air around Valoria was thick with tension as the sun dipped below the horizon. From the city's walls, Alyssia could see the Empire's forces amassing in the distance. The dark banners of the Empire fluttered in the wind, and though they were still far, she could feel Hazama's presence—cold, distant, and unwavering.
Valoria's defenses were ready, but the soldiers looked uneasy. Many of them had never seen battle on such a scale, and even the most seasoned warriors sensed the looming conflict would be unlike anything they'd faced before. The quiet before the storm was unsettling, and Alyssia felt it too—a gnawing unease in her chest that grew stronger as the night deepened.
Suddenly, a horn blared from the distance, its sharp call echoing across the fields. Alyssia's heart clenched as she saw the Empire's forces surge forward. The first wave had begun.
"Here they come!" Kira shouted, her sword gleaming in the dying light as she took her place beside Alyssia. Darian joined them, his face hard and focused. Together, they were the heart of Valoria's resistance.
The clash began with a thunderous roar as the Empire's soldiers slammed into Valoria's outer defenses. The city's archers loosed their arrows, raining death upon the advancing army, but the Empire's ranks were vast. For every soldier that fell, two more seemed to take their place.
Alyssia and Darian moved quickly, rushing to the front lines. The fighting was brutal—swords clashed, shields splintered, and the screams of the wounded filled the air. Alyssia's blade danced through the chaos, each strike precise and lethal. But the sheer number of imperial soldiers was overwhelming. Even with the city's walls fortified, it was clear that the outer defenses were straining under the weight of the assault.
"Fall back to the second line!" Darian yelled, directing the retreat. The Valorian soldiers began to pull back, regrouping as the Empire's forces pushed harder.
Among the chaos, Alyssia's eyes flickered to the front of the imperial ranks, where a figure stood apart from the rest—Hazama. Clad in dark armor, he moved with terrifying precision, cutting through Valoria's soldiers with ease. His power was unmistakable, and every movement he made radiated an overwhelming force. He was the Empire's champion, their weapon of destruction.
Alyssia's breath caught in her throat. She had known this moment was coming, but seeing her brother—once the kind, protective sibling she had loved—now leading the Empire's charge was almost too much to bear.
Before she could dwell on it, an imperial soldier lunged at her. She parried the attack and struck him down, but the sight of Hazama still burned in her mind. She fought her way toward him, her determination growing with every step.
"Hazama!" she shouted, her voice cutting through the battle's chaos. He didn't look her way, but she knew he had heard her. He continued to fight, cutting down Valoria's defenders with the same cold efficiency as before.
Her path was blocked by more imperial soldiers, and she was forced to defend herself, unable to reach her brother. The skirmish around her intensified, and soon she lost sight of Hazama in the sea of fighting bodies.
Darian fought beside her, his face grim as he pushed back against the Empire's soldiers. "We're holding for now, but they're testing us," he said between heavy breaths. "This is just the beginning."
Alyssia nodded, wiping sweat from her brow as she regrouped with Darian and Kira. "They're probing our defenses. Hazama hasn't committed fully yet."
Kira's eyes flickered with concern. "He's waiting for something. He's trying to wear us down."
Alyssia clenched her jaw. She knew Kira was right. Hazama was a tactician—he wouldn't waste his forces on a simple frontal assault. He was testing Valoria's defenses, looking for weaknesses. And the moment he found one, he would strike with full force.
As the fighting raged on, it became clear that Valoria's outer defenses couldn't hold much longer. The Empire's forces were relentless, and every inch of ground they gained brought them closer to breaching the city's walls. Alyssia could feel the weight of the battle pressing down on her.
Just as it seemed the Empire would overwhelm them, a horn sounded from Valoria's inner walls. Reinforcements from the city poured out, rallying to the front lines. The Valorian soldiers, bolstered by the additional forces, fought back with renewed vigor.
For now, they had held the line.
But Alyssia knew this was only a temporary victory. As she caught her breath and surveyed the battlefield, she caught a glimpse of Hazama in the distance. His eyes met hers for the briefest moment, cold and unreadable.
Their confrontation was inevitable, and she could feel it drawing closer with every passing second.
As the sun began to rise, casting an eerie glow over the battlefield, Alyssia knew that this was just the beginning of the war for Valoria.