Eclipse Requiem

A second **horn blast** echoed through the fortress.

Then—

**BOOM.**

The main gates **shuddered** as something massive slammed against them. The fortress walls **groaned**, stone cracking under the force.

Kael's stomach **tightened.** He turned back to Orin, but his brother was already walking toward the throne, picking up a **dark crimson cloak** draped over the side.

"Well," Orin said, casually dusting off his armor, "it looks like the real fight is about to begin."

Kael clenched his fists. "You knew this would happen."

Orin smirked. "Of course. The Holy Order has been hunting me for months." His **eyes gleamed**. "I just made sure they'd come to me."

Saren hissed. "You lured them here? You used this entire city as bait?!"

Orin slipped on the cloak, fastening it with a silver brooch. "Ironvale is a fortress. A stronghold." He stepped past them, heading for the exit. "And after tonight, it'll be the place where the Holy Order learns what happens when they **underestimate me.**"

Kael's blood **boiled.** "Orin, innocent people live here! What do you think will happen to them in a siege?!"

Orin didn't stop walking. "The strong will survive."

Kael took a step forward—then **stopped.**

Because outside, beyond the fortress walls, the **sky was turning red.**

---

### **The Holy Order Arrives**

Kael and Saren ran to the outer wall, following Orin's path. When they reached the battlements, Kael's heart **froze.**

The **Holy Order's army stretched across the horizon.**

Thousands of soldiers in gleaming silver armor stood in perfect formation. Rows of **massive siege engines** lined the battlefield, glowing with sacred runes. **Monstrous war beasts**—huge, armored creatures with **holy sigils burned into their flesh**—snorted and clawed the ground, ready to charge.

And at the very front, a group of **figures clad in flowing white and gold robes** stood in eerie silence.

The **Templar Inquisitors.**

Kael's grip tightened on the stone wall.

These weren't ordinary soldiers. These were the **Holy Order's elite.** Warriors who wielded divine energy. Monster hunters. **Fragment killers.**

A figure stepped forward from the ranks—a man wearing elaborate white and gold armor, his helmet shaped like a lion's head. He raised a massive golden warhammer, its **runes pulsing with divine power.**

Then—

**His voice thundered across the battlefield.**

"ORIN VOSS!"

The force of his voice alone **rattled the walls.**

"In the name of the Holy Order, and by the decree of the Divine Council, you are charged with **heresy, treason, and wielding forbidden power!**"

He pointed his warhammer toward the fortress.

"SURRENDER NOW, OR IRONVALE WILL BURN!"

A tense **silence** followed.

Then—

Orin **laughed.**

Loud. Sharp. Unapologetic.

"You hear that, Kael?" Orin spread his arms. "They call me a heretic. A traitor. A man who wields forbidden power." His **eyes gleamed**. "They say that like it's a bad thing."

Kael gritted his teeth. "Orin—"

Orin turned toward his army, raising a fist.

"IRONVALE BELONGS TO US!" His voice rang through the fortress. "We have bled for this city. We have fought for our freedom!"

The mercenaries and warriors on the walls **roared in response.**

Orin's smirk widened. He turned back toward the battlefield, meeting the Templar commander's gaze.

"COME AND TAKE IT!"

Then—

He raised his hand.

And the sky **erupted in black fire.**

---

### **The Battle Begins**

The **Holy Order's siege engines fired first.**

**Flaming boulders** streaked across the sky, crashing into Ironvale's walls. Stone **shattered**, sending debris flying.

Holy **war beasts** charged the gates, their massive bodies slamming against the iron reinforcements. Soldiers **poured forward**, shields raised in perfect formation.

And from the fortress—

Orin's army **answered.**

**Arrows rained down**, black with poison and enchanted fire. **Ballistae launched massive bolts**, impaling war beasts mid-charge. Mercenaries and rogue warriors **leapt from the walls**, engaging the Holy Order's frontline in brutal melee combat.

The battlefield **descended into chaos.**

Kael **gritted his teeth**.

This was exactly what he had feared.

People were dying—soldiers, mercenaries, **civilians caught in the crossfire.**

And Orin was **smiling.**

Kael turned to him, rage boiling in his veins. "Call them off, Orin! This isn't a war—it's a massacre!"

Orin's expression darkened. "Then don't stand there, Kael."

His **Fragment pulsed**—a shockwave of crimson energy rippling through the air.

"Fight."

Kael's **heart pounded.**

He didn't want this.

But if he didn't fight—**he'd die.**

**Saren grabbed his arm.** "We need a plan!"

Kael exhaled sharply. "We can't stop the battle, but we can end it fast." He turned toward the battlefield. "The Templar Inquisitors are leading the charge. If we take them out—"

Saren **nodded.** "The army loses its strongest weapons."

Kael's **aura flared.** "Then let's go."

Then—

He **leapt from the walls**, diving straight into the chaos below.

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