Deliberations were no longer than they needed to be.

A decision was made before dawn.

Liam stood with his senior commanders around hastily assembled maps, the pre-dawn darkness broken only by essence-light crystals that cast everything in cold blue glow.

"Ashford garrison blocks optimal route," Commander Torven reported, his finger tracing the direct path south. "We can bypass through eastern valleys, but that adds eighteen hours and puts us on terrain that's vulnerable to ambush if they realize we're avoiding engagement."

"Alternatively," Zara continued, her analytical mind processing tactical variables, "we assault the garrison directly. Fourth Order intelligence confirms fifteen hundred troops, mixed composition, fortified but not impregnable. Estimated casualties: two to three hundred if we commit overwhelming force quickly."

"Two hundred dead to save eighteen hours and avoid vulnerable terrain." Lilith's voice carried the weight of someone who'd made similar calculations countless times. "The mathematics favor engagement."

Liam studied the maps, seeing not just tactical lines but the two hundred demons who would die to make those lines cleaner. First blood of the campaign. First casualties that would set tone for everything that followed.

"We engage," he decided. "Legion One and Two assault from north and east simultaneously. Overwhelming force, minimal warning. We breach walls within two hours or withdraw and bypass. Fourth Order eliminates sentries and disrupts communication before main assault begins."

He looked at each commander directly.

"This is first engagement. We make it swift, brutal, and absolute. Ashford garrison needs to be destroyed so completely that other positions consider surrendering rather than resisting. We're setting precedent for how demon army fights."

"And the civilian population within Ashford?" Kael'thra asked. "The town has approximately three thousand residents, most civilians living under Radiant occupation."

"Civilians are not targets. We're eliminating military garrison, not conducting massacre." Liam's voice was firm. "Make that clear to all units. Anyone who harms civilians without military necessity answers to me personally."

The commanders accepted orders and dispersed to their legions.

Within an hour, Legion One and Two were repositioning for assault while Legions Three through Seven maintained defensive positions and prepared to continue march after engagement concluded.

Liam armed himself with Igar's Shard and activated [Abyssal Plate], shadow armor coalescing around his frame with the familiar sensation of power made manifest.

He'd lead the assault personally—not because tactics required it, but because soldiers needed to see the Primordial Demon fighting beside them during first blood.

Lilith remained at command position with majority of senior officers.

Her role was strategic coordination, not frontline combat, yet. Too valuable to risk in engagement against garrison that Legion commanders could handle.

"Try not to die dramatically during first engagement," she advised as he prepared to depart. "Would be embarrassing to lose supreme military commander to garrison town assault."

"I'll do my best to die un-dramatically if dying becomes necessary."

"Preferably don't die at all. That would be optimal outcome."

He joined Legion One's assault formation as they moved into position two miles north of Ashford.

The town was visible in early morning light—modest fortifications, guard towers at regular intervals, walls that were defensible but not impressive compared to what they'd face at Sanctum Lux.

This was practice. First test of unified demon army against Radiant Empire position.

Kael'thra appeared from shadows where Fourth Order scouts had been observing garrison. "Sentries eliminated. Communication disrupted. Garrison is unaware of our presence. We have complete surprise."

"How long until they notice sentries are missing?"

"Guard change occurs in thirty minutes. Once they discover dead sentries, full alert within five minutes." Her scarred face showed satisfaction with accomplished objective. "We have narrow window for maximum surprise advantage."

"Then we use it." Liam looked to Commander Torven. "Legion One ready?"

"Twenty-eight thousand troops positioned for assault. Waiting for your command, my lord."

He could see them now—thousands of demons arranged in attack formations, weapons ready, expressions set in grim determination of veterans who knew what came next.

First blood.

First deaths.

First steps into war that wouldn't end until someone was extinct.

Liam raised Igar's Shard, the black blade catching morning light in ways that made it seem to absorb illumination rather than reflect it.

Then he lowered it, pointing toward Ashford's walls.

The signal was given.

Legion One surged forward.

---

Twenty-eight thousand demons charging across two miles of open ground created sound like reality breaking.

The garrison discovered something was wrong approximately ninety seconds into the charge—when thousands of armored forms became visible cresting the ridgeline.

Bells began ringing. Horns blowing. Voices screaming warnings that came far too late.

Ashford's defenders scrambled to walls that wouldn't save them.

Legion One hit the northern fortifications like tide against sandcastle.

The walls were ten feet tall—substantial for garrison town, laughably inadequate against determined demon assault.

Siege ladders deployed within seconds, grappling hooks catching parapets, soldiers scaling with speed that overwhelmed defenders still processing what was happening.

Liam was among the first wave, his enhanced strength and [Phase Shift] allowing him to clear the wall in single leap that left defenders staring in shock.

Igar's Shard sang through the air, [Infernal Conflagration] trailing from his free hand, and suddenly the wall section was his.

Radiant soldiers died. Not heroically. Not dramatically.

Just died—cut down by demon who moved faster than they could track, whose blade found gaps in armor with surgical precision, whose fire consumed those who tried to mount coordinated defense.

He was magnificent. Terrifying.

The Primordial Demon made manifest in violence that left no doubt about which side would prevail.

Behind him, Legion One poured over the walls.

Demons who'd been defending against Radiant Empire for years finally attacking.

Finally advancing instead of retreating. Finally proving that unified demon force was unstoppable when properly led.

The garrison tried to mount defense.

Paladins emerged—five of them, blessed warriors who'd kept Ashford secure through years of border tensions. They formed defensive line, holy energy blazing, prepared to sell their lives expensively.

Liam hit them with [Abyssal Scream].

The psychic terror crashed over the paladins like physical wave.

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