Dawn came and it broke red over Valengard, the sky painted in colors that looked like blood before any had been spilled.

Liam stood with Legion Three at the eastern gate, watching artillery crews make final adjustments to siege weapons that had been assembled during the night. Massive trebuchets that could hurl blessed stone.

Ballista designed to punch through reinforced gates. Demon engineering applied to breaking human fortifications.

"All legions report ready," Zara's voice came through communication crystal. "Legion One north. Legion Two south. Legion Four west. All in position awaiting signal."

"Fourth Order?" Liam asked.

"Infiltration teams positioned inside the city. Ready to strike command posts and ammunition depots on your mark." Kael'thra's response was immediate. "Civilian evacuation routes remain clear if any choose to leave at final moment."

No one was leaving. The gates were sealed. The walls were manned. Valengard had made its choice.

Liam raised his hand, the signal visible to all four legion positions through relay stations that Fourth Order had established on the hills surrounding the city.

Then dropped it.

The world erupted in violence.

Artillery from four directions fired simultaneously. Blessed stones arced through dawn air, massive projectiles that hit Valengard's walls with impacts that shook the ground. Ballista bolts punched toward gate mechanisms, trying to damage the reinforced wood and iron that sealed entry points.

The city's defensive artillery responded immediately—smaller weapons positioned along the walls, but numerous and well-aimed. Return fire struck demon positions, killing crews who hadn't taken cover quickly enough.

"First volley casualties: forty-three," Zara reported clinically. "Valengard artillery is more extensive than intelligence suggested. They've been preparing."

"All assault waves advance," Liam commanded. "Don't give them time to reload unmolested."

Legion Three surged forward toward the eastern gate, twenty thousand demons moving in waves designed to overwhelm defensive positions through sheer mass.

The first wave carried scaling ladders and siege bridges. The second wave had infantry trained for wall assault. The third wave was prepared to exploit whatever breach the first two waves created.

Liam moved with the command group—close enough to reach the fighting, far enough to maintain tactical oversight. His [Sovereign's Dominion] activated, the crushing pressure of primordial presence washing over the approaching forces like invisible tide.

The defenders on the walls felt it. Even from distance, Liam could see their formation waver as metaphysical weight pressed down on them.

Not enough to break them—human defenders with blessed protections could resist demonic aura partially. But enough to create hesitation that cost them critical seconds.

The first wave hit the walls.

Scaling ladders slammed against stone, demons climbing with speed that exceeded human capability. Defensive positions rained arrows and boiling oil down on climbers, killing dozens before they reached the top. But for every demon that fell, two more took their place.

The sheer weight of numbers was overwhelming.

"Eastern wall section breached," Torven's voice came through crystal. "Legion One has foothold on northern wall. Western gate is holding—Legion Four encountering heavy resistance."

"Legion Two?" Liam asked.

"Southern gate mechanism damaged by artillery. They're exploiting the weakness—should have breach within the hour."

Urban assault was always chaos—four simultaneous attacks creating so much confusion that no single commander could track everything. Liam's role was managing the chaos, redirecting forces toward success, accepting losses that were inevitable during wall assault.

"Fourth Order teams report command post destroyed," Kael'thra's voice was steady despite sounds of combat in the background. "Garrison commander killed. Secondary leadership is attempting to reorganize. Ammunition depot in northeast quarter burning—expect reduced defensive fire from that section."

The infiltration was working. While main assault drew attention, covert teams were dismantling Valengard's ability to mount coordinated defense.

An explosion to the south drew Liam's attention—massive fireball rising from the southern gate. Through the smoke, he could see the gate mechanism had been destroyed, the fortified entrance reduced to burning debris.

"Southern gate breached," Zara confirmed. "Legion Two advancing into city. Meeting resistance in immediate streets but pushing forward."

One breach. Three other positions still fighting for access.

"Legion Three, concentrate fire on eastern gate mechanism," Liam commanded. "We follow Legion Two's success—break through while defenders are dividing attention."

More artillery fire. More demons charging the gate while defensive positions tried to target them. More deaths accumulating in the brutal mathematics of siege warfare.

The eastern gate mechanism shattered under sustained barrage. Wood splintered. Iron buckled. The massive gate that had protected Valengard for centuries fell inward, creating opening that Legion Three immediately exploited.

"Advance!" Torven's voice boomed. "Secure the breach! Push into the city!"

Demons poured through the broken gate like flood, spreading into Valengard's streets with disciplined chaos that spoke to training and determination.

The defenders tried to mount resistance at key intersections, but they were being overwhelmed by force that was simply too large to contain.

Liam entered the city with Legion Three's command group, immediately understanding why urban combat was so costly.

The narrow streets created bottlenecks where defenders could concentrate fire. Buildings provided elevated positions for ambush. Every corner could hide resistance. Every structure could contain civilians or combatants or both.

"House-to-house protocols in effect," he commanded through the crystal network. "Clear buildings systematically. Civilians who surrender are detained, not harmed. Active resistance is eliminated."

The sounds of urban combat surrounded him—weapons clashing, buildings burning, screams that could be soldiers or civilians or both. Smoke was already filling the streets from fires that Fourth Order sabotage had started and normal combat was spreading.

A group of Valengard defenders tried to mount counterattack from a fortified building, arrows and crossbow bolts shooting from windows into demon formations advancing through the street.

"Artillery, target that building," Liam indicated the position. "One volley. Drive them out or eliminate them."

Blessed stone crashed through the building's upper floors, the structure partially collapsing from the impact. Defenders who survived fled through rear exits, where demon forces waiting in parallel streets cut them down.

It was brutal. Efficient. The kind of systematic violence that urban warfare required when defenders refused surrender.

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