The breach in the wall led directly into a hall within one of the fortress's interior buildings. Aside from scattered rubble, broken shelves, and useless crates, the place was empty. No defenders appeared to be stationed there.
"First squad with me—sweep left. Second squad, right. Third squad, forward. Send runners back to report conditions ahead to the following units."
After entering the fortress, the vanguard company commander quickly reorganized his men and issued orders. It would take time for the main force to move up and establish itself. During that window, the vanguard needed to gather as much information as possible—routes inside the fortress, possible ambush points, enemy concentrations—so the main force wouldn't be advancing blind.
The company split into three groups and moved out in different directions—left, center, and right. There were three main doors in the hall: one on each side and one directly opposite the breach, each leading deeper into the structure. In addition, a small, less noticeable door sat in the front-right corner.
The first squad followed the commander through the reinforced wooden door on the right. Beyond it lay a storage room packed with crates. Inside were rusted, misshapen pieces of armor and unprocessed iron ingots. After confirming the area was clear, they moved on.
"A junction?"
They reached a stairwell connecting three areas. One door led back the way they came, another on the right opened into an unknown section, and a third led to a staircase going upward.
A standard Dazilet infantry platoon nominally consisted of forty-five men, though only thirty-nine were combat personnel. Each platoon was divided into three squads of thirteen. Space inside the fortress was limited, and their task was reconnaissance rather than combat. Even if they encountered the enemy, they were not expected to engage in decisive fighting. Numbers and firepower were secondary concerns.
The company commander took one squad to check the upper levels, while assigning the platoon leader of First Platoon to lead the remaining two squads through the right-hand door.
"This is…"
The squad ascending the stairs encountered nothing for the moment, but the two squads under the platoon leader soon arrived at what looked like a central hall.
The space felt out of place in a military fortress. Banners and paintings with clear religious motifs lined the walls. On the dais stood gold and silver objects that had not yet been removed. Even the pillars were adorned with intricate golden decorations, though whether they were truly made of gold was unclear.
"Check the surroundings. Stay alert."
Each wall of the hall had doors leading elsewhere. The platoon leader needed to secure the area before deciding the next move.
Still, it made little sense. These rear-line fortresses were built to secure territory, store supplies, and house troops. Their design should have prioritized practicality and cost-efficiency. Yet here stood a hall that could only be described as lavish.
Could this be the main stronghold within a larger network of fortresses? The platoon leader had never heard any intelligence suggesting that. The thought made him more cautious.
"Report! Enemy activity detected on the left!"
As he examined a painting on the dais, a soldier rushed over with the report. He immediately followed him to the double wooden doors on the left side of the hall.
Through the doors, faint voices could be heard. Friendly forces could not have reached that position—those had to be enemy troops.
"Bring Second Squad over. Prepare for combat!"
He sent a runner, then had his men drag nearby tables and cabinets into position, forming a makeshift defensive line near the doors. If they had to fall back, the obstacles could slow the enemy. For now, they would also serve as cover.
Everything was ready.
"Open the door!"
Four soldiers stepped out from cover and pushed the heavy doors open.
Beyond them was another hall, smaller than the first. A large group of Holy State soldiers in light attire bustled about, too occupied to notice the door opening.
"What the hell is that?"
One of the soldiers muttered under his breath.
At the center of the room stood a low cart carrying a massive stone slab. The lightly equipped Holy State troops worked together under shouted commands—some pulling from the front, others pushing from behind—slowly moving the cart forward. It looked like they were transporting the slab elsewhere.
"Enemy! Enemy attack!!"
Someone in the group shouted, and all eyes turned toward the doorway.
"Fire!"
The platoon leader gave the order without hesitation.
Machine guns and rifles opened up at once, pouring fire into the hall. Soldiers caught in the open dropped one after another. Those who survived scattered immediately—some ducked behind the cart, others took cover behind pillars. Anything that could serve as protection was used.
"Second Squad, advance! The rest, keep suppressing fire!"
The platoon leader had intended to observe what they were doing, but now that they had been spotted, there was no avoiding a fight.
The advancing squad moved into the hall, securing the area near the entrance and pushing forward under covering fire. They advanced by alternating cover positions, steadily gaining ground.
Armor offered little protection against firearms—but these soldiers, unburdened by heavy armor, moved faster and retreated just as quickly.
In less than five minutes, the skirmish was over. The Holy State troops broke and fled, leaving the field behind.
"The surrounding area has been cleared. No enemy units confirmed."
After the fighting, the two squads of First Platoon combed through every corner of the hall and secured it. Aside from the wounded left behind during the skirmish, no Holy State troops were found in the hall or in the adjoining areas for the time being.
"Understood."
After confirming the situation, the platoon leader fell into thought.
He looked up at the cylindrical stone monument on the cart—its surface smooth, etched with golden runes. His instincts told him it was anything but ordinary.
"Set up defenses on the spot. Hold this hall!"
In the end, the platoon leader decided to keep the monument under guard. It was likely something of great importance. The main force would arrive soon enough—until then, all they had to do was hold off any enemy counterattack.
…
In the upper levels of the fortress above ground, the Night Knights were locked in fierce combat with the Sevar holding the structure.
As the infantry advanced toward the fortress walls, the Sevar stationed at higher positions launched their attack. Their explosion-based strikes inflicted immediate and significant casualties among the troops below. To prevent further losses, the Night Knights climbed along the protruding structures of the fortress exterior, heading straight for the source of the attacks—the Sevar positions—and engaged them in close combat.
"This is strange… why do they feel tougher than before?!"
The towers on either side of the breach connected seamlessly with the fortress's inner structures, though the outer towers were both wider and taller. Edwin's squad was positioned on the right side of the breach, fighting the Sevar in the section between the tower and the central structure.
"Probably some kind of spell again."
Otto had come to the same conclusion.
Back in the forest, the red robes' magical barriers had been like bubbles—sustained fire from submachine guns could break them easily. But now, those barriers felt noticeably tougher.
Their attacks also seemed more destructive than before. Yet, perhaps to avoid damaging the fortress itself, some of the red lines they fired didn't explode. It appeared they could control whether the explosions triggered.
"Hm?"
The red robes, who had been entangled in close combat with the Night Knights, suddenly pulled back in unison and formed a line a short distance away.
"Form up!"
Seeing this, Edwin immediately recalled his scattered men. Since there was no telling what the enemy was planning, it was better to take the initiative.
"Open fire!"
Nine submachine guns and two autocannons unleashed a torrent of fire in an instant—but all of it was stopped by the red robes' energy barriers. In previous encounters, even the 20mm autocannons could easily break through their defenses. This time, however, even such concentrated fire failed to penetrate.
"Something's off… spread out!"
The enemy showed no reaction to the attack—no evasion, no counterfire. Otto immediately sensed something was wrong.
His judgment proved correct.
No sooner had the Night Knights ceased fire and scattered than countless red lines surged in from all directions, weaving together like a net meant to ensnare them.
"They can do this now?!"
In past engagements, a single Sevar could only produce one attacking red line. Otto and his men had never encountered one capable of generating two at once—let alone a group of just eight weaving an entire net like this.
"Move!"
Otto had initially tried to cut the lines with the bayonet mounted on his submachine gun, but considering the unknown changes in their properties, he chose instead to slip through a still-open gap, narrowly avoiding capture.
The others also managed to evade the attack—except for one Night Knight whose lower leg was caught and severed by a red line, leaving him unable to move.
"Edwin, take a few men and go from below. I'll hold them here."
The rectangular combat area was too confined for the Night Knights to fully exploit their speed and agility—either for evasion or closing distance. Attacking from below meant striking through the interior of the structure beneath their feet. Earlier, Otto had noticed windows along the structure connecting the outer tower to the central building—indicating interior passageways. Though they hadn't explored it before, it seemed possible to descend from the rear tower. There was a closed wooden door there, which likely led to a staircase.
That proved to be the case. Edwin led his men down to the level below, where they found a passage connecting the tower directly to the fortress center.
"Here! Plant the charges!"
After roughly confirming the red robes' previous position, Edwin immediately ordered his men to set two four-kilogram charges.
Boom—
The explosion was powerful enough to collapse both the level Edwin stood on and the one above. By all logic, the red robes should have been killed or at least severely wounded.
"Advance!"
He had no intention of giving them time to recover. The moment the blast subsided, before the dust had even cleared, Edwin led his men charging upward through the blasted opening.
"What—?!"
Before they could emerge, more than a dozen thin lines shot straight toward them. Fortunately, they had all overdosed on Compound No. 3—otherwise, they might not have reacted in time.
"Keep moving!"
Edwin steadied himself and gave the order again. The red lines slammed into the stone floor below like steel spikes. Had they been hit, they would have been skewered on the spot.
"We're going in too!"
From above, Otto had seen the red robes attacking downward. The ambush had clearly not gone as planned—but having come this far, he had no choice but to coordinate with Edwin and press the attack.
...
Those over there are your comrades, aren't they? Their situation doesn't look too good…"
Donis observed the battlefield through his binoculars from within the trench, with Hielaina and Shatiel standing beside him.
The assault on the fortress was far too dangerous. Both Otto and Shatiel had opposed letting Hielaina go to the front line, so Otto used the pretext of protecting Colonel Donis to keep both Hielaina and Shatiel in the rear. The scene of Shatiel cutting down a group of red robes in the chaos earlier was still fresh in everyone's memory, and since the Sevar could very well bypass the main battlefield to strike the rear, Donis saw nothing wrong with Otto's arrangement.
"That does seem to be the case…"
Hielaina's expression turned serious. She had thought the siege wouldn't be much harder than the fight in the forest—but judging by how evenly matched Otto and the others were against the red robes, something was clearly off…
She cast a quick glance at Shatiel.
"Our assignment is to protect Colonel Donis. We're not going anywhere."
True to form, Shatiel saw right through her with just a single look, even before Hielaina said anything.
"But think about it—once we take the fortress, won't all these problems go away? The root of it all is the fortress itself…"
Hielaina gave an awkward smile. Using the same trick twice wasn't ideal, but Shatiel was just too perceptive—she didn't leave any room to maneuver.
"There's no need to worry about me," Donis cut in as soon as he sensed the disagreement. "I'll be fine here. If those red robes come, we can handle them ourselves. Everyone has seen this lady's strength—if she joins the fight, she'll be a great help."
Though he spoke to ease the tension, Donis genuinely believed Shatiel would be far more valuable on the front line. To him, using such strength to guard him felt like a waste.
"I understand, but… that's not entirely the point…"
Shatiel could sense Donis's willingness to put the bigger picture above his own safety. Knowing the truth might have been disheartening—but fortunately, for reasons she couldn't explain, they weren't quite talking about the same thing anyway.
"I agree with Colonel Donis," Hielaina said with a smile, turning to Shatiel. "But as the core of this regiment's command chain, his safety is still critical. I'll remain here to protect him, and my companion will provide support instead. That works, right?"
Her tone sounded like a question, but the confidence on her face left little room for refusal.
"…Fine, fine."
Shatiel adjusted the steel helmet on her head with a resigned sigh, then pulled her long blade from where it had been stuck in the ground.
At that moment, she found herself wishing Inaya were here. At least then, while she was away from Hielaina, there would be someone capable of protecting her. Come to think of it, Inaya had disappeared on the morning they set out for this mission—no one had seen her since.
"Be careful out there."
Hielaina's voice pulled Shatiel back from her brief distraction.
"You too. Stay safe."
Shatiel looked at her deeply, then, as if making up her mind, vaulted over the trench with her blade in hand and sprinted toward the fortress alone.
"What a dependable soldier…"
Watching her retreating figure, Donis couldn't help but remark. Though he had grown up in an army where women were rarely seen, the overwhelming strength of the Night Knights had never once made him think gender was a limitation. Being a Night Knight was proof enough.
"I imagine you're quite a formidable fighter as well. Women aren't common in the army, after all—haha…"
"Uh… well… the one just now is my mentor…"
Caught off guard by the sudden praise, Hielaina didn't quite know how to respond. If it were about intelligence or insight, she could accept it without hesitation—but being called a strong warrior… she could only play along.
"With your help, this operation is bound to succeed."
"You're too kind. Still, it's better to stay cautious. We can't predict what kind of magic our enemy might use—the situation could turn at any moment."
"Agreed. Let's keep observing the battlefield."