"Continue main assault. Advance through all three sectors. But cautiously—assume every position is trapped, every withdrawal is ambush setup. We take Third Line methodically, not recklessly."

At the settlement’s mobile command post, Lyra received reports through Seraphina’s telepathic network.

"Commander Vex’ahlia dead. Skar dead. Urgak dead. Thrak dead. Tarak, Viss, Krix, Grix, Thomas, Grumash—all dead."

The losses hurt. Each name represented not just a fighter but a person Lyra had known, worked with, relied upon.

But two had survived.

"Kelvin and Gruk are alive?"

"Yes. Both critically wounded. Jessica’s healing them now, but both will be out of combat for the foreseeable future."

Lyra processed the tactical implications.

"We’ve lost nine named leaders. The humans lost six senior commanders—all of them. That’s... that’s better than I expected. We traded our leadership for theirs, but we made them pay dearly."

"The champion duels bought us time and they knew that they will die , so don’t blame yourself about their death , they wouldn’t want that ," Seraphina Said.

"I Know , they won’t want me to be sad . they wouldn’t want that" lyra said with tears dripping from her eyes .

Then she wiped out her tears with her hands and try to calm herself ,because this isn’t the time to have emotional breakdown .

Seraphina seeing lyra let out a smile and continued while saying in her mind ’ Lyra i know you are very strong , thats why satou loved you with all his heart and always bragged about you , now i am seeing how strong you are ’

"The deaths of the human commanders brought us time which caused the enemy troops to become less organized."

"But we’re still losing," Lyra said quietly. "Three hundred eighty defenders against twenty-one hundred soldiers. The mathematics haven’t changed enough."

"No. But we’ve survived longer than Elric expected. We’ve cost him more than he budgeted. And the heroes are still—"

"The heroes," Lyra interrupted, her tactical mind focusing on the critical question. "What about the heroes? Any information about when they’ll return to the battlefield? Because if they arrive before we can stabilize our defense, there will be total loss on the battlefield. We can’t hold against twenty-one hundred soldiers AND four heroes simultaneously."

Seraphina’s presence through the network shifted, becoming more focused, more concerned.

"I’ve been monitoring them through my connection to the corruption specialists. The heroes have been hunting my people systematically. Position by position. They’ve killed..." She paused, counting through the network connections. "...one hundred twenty-three specialists so far. But the remaining seventy-seven have done something unexpected."

"What?"

"They’ve abandoned their scattered positions. They’re gathering. Consolidating into one location far from the battlefield—a field approximately half a mile from Third Line. I think... I think they’re preparing for a final stand. All of them together." 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Lyra felt ice run through her veins. "Why would they gather? That makes them easier to eliminate en masse."

"Because scattered, the heroes can hunt them individually with minimal risk. Gathered together, they can coordinate their full power. Make the heroes work for it. Buy more time."

"How much time do we have before the heroes finish with them and return here?"

"Unknown. But if my specialists are gathered in one location, preparing coordinated defense..." Seraphina’s mental voice carried both pride and grief. "They’re going to make the heroes pay dearly. It could be another hour. Or it could be fifteen minutes if the heroes overwhelm them quickly."

"Can you contact them? Get a status update?"

"I can try."

Lyra watched the main battle continue—settlement defenders bleeding and dying, holding ground they couldn’t keep, buying time they desperately needed for Loki’s reinforcements to arrive tomorrow.

"We need every minute they can buy us," Lyra said quietly. "Because that’s the only way we survive this. Hold until Loki arrives. That’s the entire strategy."

"I know. Let me reach out to them."

—----------

The corruption specialists had chosen their final battleground with tactical care.

The field was open ground—no buildings to collapse, no terrain features the heroes could exploit, no enclosed spaces where Gattychan’s divine aura would be most effective.

Just flat grassland under open sky, giving the specialists maximum room to maneuver and coordinate.

All seventy-seven remaining corruption specialists stood in a massive circle formation, their hands already glowing with prepared spell-work, their faces showing grim determination.

They’d watched one hundred twenty-three companions die. They’d seen Position Seventeen’s coordinated defense, Position Twelve’s suicide detonations, Position Twenty’s Pattern Seven sacrifice.

Now they would make their own stand. Together. All of them.

At the formation’s center stood three senior specialists who’d survived this long through skill and luck:

Kael’shiva - a demon woman who’d served Seraphina for ninety years, specialist in curse magic and defensive wards.

Dreth’kael - a corrupted human mage who’d chosen demon service over Church doctrine, expert in area-effect corruption spells.

Vex’tharis - a young demon (only seventy years old) who showed exceptional talent in magical coordination and network casting.

"They’re coming," Kael’shiva announced, her demonic senses detecting spatial distortion. "Mikazelle’s preparing to teleport. We have perhaps sixty seconds."

"Get into Formation!" Dreth’kael commanded. "Everyone assume positions! Link your magical essences! We cast as one unified force!"

The seventy-seven specialists spread into an intricate geometric pattern—each mage positioned to amplify and support the others, creating a network of interconnected magical power.

It was the most advanced formation Seraphina had ever taught them. Normally it required months of practice to execute properly. Today they’d do it perfectly or die trying.

"Link established!" Vex’tharis confirmed, feeling the magical connections snap into place between all seventy-seven minds. "Network stable! We’re ready!"

Space tore open two hundred yards from their position.

The Four Heroes manifested.

Gattychan appeared first, his blessed sword already drawn, divine light blazing. His armor from the previous battles showed scorch marks and dents, but he himself looked completely recovered. No wounds. No exhaustion. Divine healing had restored him fully during the teleportation.

Seraphelle manifested beside him, her golden healing aura surrounding the entire hero group. Whatever injuries they’d sustained in previous fights, her divine magic had erased them completely.