"They're here..." Kizmel murmured, her voice dropping, carrying the solemn weight of a knight.
Her blade slid free of its sheath with a ringing chime, steel glinting blue-gray beneath the pale light of dawn. "Everyone, prepare for battle!"
The moment her words fell, the alarm bell resounded throughout the fortress. Its mournful toll pierced the stone walls, stirring every drowsy corner awake, turning the silence of dawn into a quake of urgency.
Dark Elf soldiers hastily raised spears, braced shields, while archers drew their bows, ranks upon ranks flooding the battlements like looming shadows ready for war.
From the lake, the longships of the Forest Elves burst forth from the suffocating fog, drawing ever closer.
Green cloaks billowed in the wind, silver armor flickering in the dim light, making them seem like phantoms of the forest charging across the night.
Around twenty vessels...
The guard captain tightened his grip on his spear shaft, eyes blazing with resolve. He lowered his hand and shouted with commanding force:
"Fire!"
The creak of machinery shrieked. The massive arms of the catapults snapped forward in unison.
At once, boulders weighing dozens of pounds were hurled skyward, tearing through the mist, screaming like savage beasts.
The next instant came a thunderous crash that shook the air. One leading ship took the strike full-on, its hull splintered apart, timbers exploding as lake water surged in with fury.
Shrieks rang out, mingling with the splintering of wood and the roaring surge of water swallowing the vessel whole.
Before breath could be caught, a storm of stone rained down. The lake erupted in bursts of white spray, plumes of water exploding into the air.
Medium-sized ships rocked violently, masts snapping with sharp cracks; some tipped and sank swiftly, as if devoured by the depths.
On the battlements, Ren gripped the cold stone rail, every muscle taut.
The blasts, the cries, the wind and waves fused into a choking, chaotic symphony.
He swallowed hard, fighting for calm, though his heart pounded as if to tear itself free from his chest.
Asuna stood silent, worry glinting in her eyes at the chaos before her, yet her hands already rested on the hilt of her rapier.
Kirito narrowed his eyes slightly, damp black hair clinging from the long night, his hand clenched tightly around his blade.
Below the fortress wall, the chaos began to steady as the enemy's ships regained order and pressed forward once more.
Shouts erupted from the vessels still afloat.
Hundreds of Forest Elf warriors raised their bows in unison, their motions sharp and cold, like a rising wave of dark green.
In an instant, the sky blazed with countless silver arrows, flashing in the wan light as they tore through the fog, a storm of shafts screaming toward the battlements.
"Raise shields!" The command thundered across the fortress.
At once, shields locked together, forming a thick wall of black steel.
The clash was deafening as arrows slammed into metal, rattling so violently that even the fortress itself seemed to tremble.
A few shafts slipped through gaps, forcing soldiers to dodge at the last instant.
Ren instinctively hunched as an arrow hissed past his ear, striking a stack of wooden barrels beside him with a sharp crack, scattering splinters.
Asuna gripped her rapier tightly, eyes lit with tension. "They have stronger archers than I expected…"
Kirito leaned slightly forward, gaze tracking the enemy's movements. His voice lowered as he spotted several swordsmen among them, by instinct and experience, he knew they were far stronger than the foes they had faced before. "If they reach the walls, it will be worse."
Once more, the sound of thunking wood echoed across the lake, the Forest Elves had raised massive wooden shields to cover their surviving ships.
Behind the barricades, rowers heaved with all their strength, driving the vessels ever closer despite the stones and arrows ripping the mist apart.
Kizmel tightened her grip on her sword, eyes blazing like heated steel. "Don't let them reach the wall! If they set ladders, the fortress will fall into chaos!"
A unified roar burst from the Dark Elf soldiers, thundering louder than the wind, as if to banish the fear creeping into their hearts.
Dark Elf arrows poured down like black rain, piercing through wooden shields and silver armor alike.
Screams of pain rose, mingled with the shattering of red pixel fragments spreading across the water, a symphony of battlefield chaos.
The catapults roared again, boulders ripping the sky apart before crashing into the oncoming ships.
One vessel erupted in flames as tar-soaked timbers caught, becoming a blazing torch amid the fog.
Two more overturned, dragging dozens of warriors into the freezing depths.
"Direct hit! Push them back into the lake!" a Dark Elf soldier shouted with exhilaration, but the triumph was short-lived.
From within the smoke and flame, six medium-sized Forest Elf ships still surged forward, their hulls shielded completely behind thick barricades.
Arrows and stones hammered against them with only dull thuds, as though striking a moving wall.
Ren frowned, his eyes fixed on every movement of the enemy. "I didn't think they could get this close…"
Kirito grit his teeth, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. "If they reach the walls, this battle will be far more troublesome."
The air atop the battlements grew heavy. Dark Elf soldiers strained to keep their volleys steady, drawing bows and shouting to maintain rhythm.
But their breaths had grown labored, shoulders trembling beneath the weight of shields and armor. Their morale was intact, yet patience had been worn thin by the short but grueling clash.
Kizmel, standing at the highest point, tossed her long hair in the cold wind. Her voice rang out like steel drawn from its sheath: "Do not falter! The remaining six ships will sink as long as we hold our line!"
Yet in Ren's eyes, the enemy's silhouettes loomed ever larger. Their oars struck the lake with violent force, raising pillars of water as they surged forward.
The distance between the castle and those ships… was now only a few dozen meters.
A long, chilling horn blast sounded from the enemy ranks. At that very moment, ropes and grappling hooks were hurled against the wall.
"They're putting up ladders!" Asuna gasped, gripping her rapier tight.
Close combat upon the walls… was now unavoidable.
"Hurry, bring the stones! Don't let them climb up!" Ren's hoarse voice cut through the chaos as he dashed forward, hefting a massive block of stone and hurling it down.
Crash! The stone smashed into the rope ladder, crushing two climbing Forest Elves. Their pixelated blood burst into vivid crimson streaks across the fog.
Other soldiers, seeing this, roared and followed suit, stones and black oil rained down in a deadly storm, crushing the enemy below.
"Fire!" came the urgent order, and at once, a volley of arrows hissed upward from the enemy ships.
"Behind the shields! Protect them!" the commander's voice bellowed.
Shield-bearers surged forward, raising massive black shields to form a wall before Ren and his companions.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Arrows struck the shields, vibrating violently as if they might pierce through at any moment.
Some did slip through gaps, embedding themselves in shoulders and thighs. Cries of pain mingled with barked commands to hold the line.
Asuna grit her teeth, her rapier flashing as she sliced an arrow in midair. "They're pressing us too hard!"
"We can't hold much longer!" a Dark Elf soldier shouted, pixelated blood spilling from his shoulder as he fought to keep his shield steady.
Ren glanced down, the ropes were thick with hooks now, clanging against stone as Forest Elves in silver armor and green cloaks ascended with cold, unyielding eyes.
Kirito's hand tightened on his sword hilt, torchlight flickering in his gaze. "They're coming up. It's time for close quarters!"
At that instant, the entire wall trembled with the enemy's furious battle cry echoing through the fog.
No more distance. No more ranged defense. Only blades crashing face to face.
Kizmel raised her sword high, her voice blazing across the ramparts like fire in the night: "Dark Elves! Do not retreat! This is our home!"
A thunderous cheer erupted. Blades were drawn. The rope ladders shook violently as the first Forest Elves set foot on the wall.
It seemed an intense battle was about to unfold, but Ren, Asuna, and Kirito were wrong.
The enemy's strength was already spent. Their ships lay shattered, masts broken, wreckage drifting on the frigid lake.
Screams, cries for help, and the sound of water swallowing all faded into the silver fog.
Barely a few dozen Forest Elves remained, abandoning their capsizing ships to gamble everything on climbing the wall.
But they were exhausted, movements sluggish, eyes glazed with despair.
"Cut them down!" a shout rang out.
Just as trembling hands reached the stone ledge, Dark Elf elites surged forward.
Steel clashed in flashes of light, blades whistling through the air. In moments, the climbers were captured or cut down, none could break through Yofel's iron discipline.
Ren stood still, cold mist trailing from his breath, his eyes fixed on the scene.
On those Forest Elves' faces, he saw not only hatred, but also despair, abandoned in the fog, with no way back.
Asuna sheathed her rapier, her hands trembling faintly as adrenaline lingered. Kirito panted, damp hair plastered to his brow.
Kizmel was the first to lower her blade. Her firm voice rang over the walls: "This battle is over. No more blood needs to be shed."
Silence spread, broken only by waves against the shore and the weak moans of captives.
Dark Elf soldiers looked at one another, then slowly lowered their weapons. Some slumped to the ground, exhaling relief, believing they had survived the nightmare.
The thick morning fog began to retreat, leaving behind fragments of broken ships and the ashes of a failed assault.
But was it truly over?
"C-Commander…" A soldier's trembling voice broke the quiet.
All eyes followed his pointing finger.
Out there, beyond the veil of mist, countless dark shapes emerged, their sharp prows and mast-like wings cutting through the haze.
The pale morning light gleamed upon the ships bursting from the fog. And this time… their numbers seemed twice as many.