The bells continued ringing as the creatures descended from the sky. Lilith counted at least thirty silhouettes before losing sight of them among the clouds, all of them heading directly toward the Eternal Bastion.
Unlike the monsters that had changed direction that afternoon, these did not seem intimidated by the size of the fortress. The soldiers quickly took their positions along the walls, and several defensive mechanisms began to rotate.
Enormous ballistae mounted on platforms aimed toward the sky while crystals embedded in the towers emitted an intense blue light. Claire finished adjusting the sword at her waist and looked at Lilith. "This time, you'd better not just stand there watching." Lilith smiled as she placed a hand on her own weapon. "I wasn't planning to."
The first creature broke through the clouds only a few seconds later. Lilith could see it clearly thanks to her night vision. It had an elongated body covered in dark scales, four small legs, and enormous wings that seemed far too large for its body.
Its head vaguely resembled that of a reptile, although its jaw was divided into four sections. Several similar creatures appeared behind it. "Tell me those aren't dragons either," Lilith commented. Claire drew her sword. "They're not dragons." "Excellent." "Dragons would be worse." Lilith looked at her. "You could've stopped after the first sentence."
An order came from one of the towers, and the defenses responded. Dozens of projectiles tore through the sky. Some were enormous metal bolts, while others looked like concentrations of blue energy that left brief glowing trails behind them. Two creatures fell immediately. A third was struck in one wing and began spinning out of control before disappearing behind the walls.
The rest scattered, forcing the defenders to adjust their fire. Lilith expected that to be enough to keep them away, but several monsters managed to break through the first barrage.
One descended directly toward their section of the wall.
"Down!" Claire shouted.
Lilith ducked just as the creature passed over them. Its claws struck a soldier and dragged him several meters before Claire attacked. Her sword severed one of the monster's legs, forcing it to crash violently onto the wall. The nearby soldiers backed away as the creature stood up and spread its wings, taking up nearly all the available space.
Lilith drew her sword and advanced before it could take off again.
The monster swung a claw at her. Lilith tilted her body and felt the air rush past her face. Her speed continued to surprise her even after the expedition. She used the opening to slash the creature's side, but the scales resisted far better than the fur of the monsters in the forest. The sword left a wound, but not a deep enough one. The creature turned its head and opened all four sections of its jaw.
Lilith sensed danger before she knew what was about to happen.
She jumped backward.
A green substance struck the stone where she had been standing and immediately began to smoke.
"That would've been unpleasant."
"Don't touch it!" Claire shouted as she helped the injured soldier. "It's corrosive!"
"I figured that out."
The creature attacked again. This time, Lilith did not try to cut through the scales. She remembered what had happened during the expedition and raised her left hand. She knew she had done something with her blood, although back then it had happened almost entirely by instinct. Now she tried to deliberately recreate the sensation.
Nothing happened.
"Come on..."
The monster was getting closer.
Lilith clenched her teeth and searched through memories that did not belong to her. She did not try to find a specific image. She focused on the sensation. Heat traveling through her arm. Energy gathering in her hand. Blood responding to her will.
Something changed.
A small red line appeared across her palm.
Blood emerged without the need for a wound and began floating in front of her. This time, it did not form a tiny needle. Lilith felt that she could give it a different shape and, without knowing exactly why, imagined a spear.
The liquid stretched.
In less than a second, she was holding a slender crimson weapon almost two meters long.
Lilith barely had time to admire it.
The monster leaped.
She threw the spear.
The projectile tore through the air and struck the creature directly in the chest. The scales shattered and the crimson point pierced deep inside. The monster let out a shriek, lost its balance, and collapsed onto its side.
Lilith smiled.
"Now that was good."
Then her legs suddenly felt heavy.
Her smile disappeared.
It was not pain. It felt as if she had suddenly run several kilometers. The spear dissolved and part of the blood fell onto the stone before evaporating into a faint red mist.
"Interesting."
The magic worked.
But it definitely had a price.
She could not analyze it any further because a roar came from behind her. Another creature had just landed on a nearby tower. The soldiers were occupied with two more monsters, and the defenses continued firing into the sky. Claire appeared beside her after leaving the injured man in another soldier's care.
"Since when can you do that?"
Lilith looked at her.
Probably since before Ethan had even been born.
"For a while."
"I've never seen you use a blood spear."
"I like keeping a few surprises."
Claire did not look convinced, but there was no time for questions. The creature on the tower spread its wings and descended toward them.
This time, they fought together.
Claire moved first and deflected one of the claws with her sword. Lilith used the opening to attack the left wing. Her blade cut through the membrane, and the monster tried to pull away, but Claire was already attacking from the other side. They did not need to say anything. Lilith was faster and stronger; Claire knew exactly when to attack and when to retreat. Within seconds, they managed to force the creature against the edge of the wall.
The monster opened its jaw.
Lilith immediately recognized what was coming.
"Claire."
"I know."
Both of them separated as the corrosive liquid shot forward. Claire rolled to one side while Lilith jumped in the opposite direction. Before the monster could close its mouth, Lilith extended her hand.
This time, she did not try to create a spear.
A small blood needle appeared in front of her fingers.
Much less impressive.
Also far less exhausting.
She fired it.
The needle pierced one of the creature's eyes. The monster recoiled violently, and Claire used the opening to drive her sword beneath its jaw. The creature remained motionless for several seconds before collapsing.
Lilith took a deep breath.
"That was more efficient."
Claire pulled out her sword. "Are you experimenting in the middle of an attack?"
"I'm learning."
"That doesn't make me feel any better."
A massive explosion interrupted the conversation.
Both of them looked toward the sky just as one of the defensive towers launched a projectile much larger than the others. The blue sphere tore through a formation of creatures and exploded among them. The night lit up for an instant. Several silhouettes began falling.
The survivors finally changed direction.
The soldiers continued firing until the last one disappeared into the clouds. No one celebrated immediately. For several minutes, there were only orders, hurried footsteps, and people checking that no creatures had remained inside the fortress.
Lilith sheathed her sword.
The exhaustion was slowly beginning to fade, although she could still feel it. She looked at her left hand. There was no wound, but she knew that some of her own energy had fueled that magic.
Powerful, yes.
Invincible, definitely not.
Claire stood beside her and looked at the corpses scattered across the wall.
"First night on the Demon Continent."
Lilith let out a small laugh. "Are they all like this?"
"I hope not."
The bells stopped ringing.
Silence gradually returned to the fortress, and Lilith looked up at the two moons. Hours earlier, she had thought the continent was beautiful.
She still did.
Now she simply knew it would also try to kill her from time to time.
As the soldiers began removing the corpses, Lilith closed her hand and remembered the crimson spear.
She had discovered only a small part of what Lilith Bloodrose's body could do.
And she wanted to discover the rest.