The twenty-three elites fed mana into their separate sockets before Hajin could cross the first broken siege panel.
Dreth's Zone carried that power beneath him, ignoring the straight approach while ash gathered around Hans's militia line behind.
Hajin turned one Ring toward Aegis, spreading gold across the white stakes before the first prepared kill box opened.
The ground beneath the militia rose in four fitted sections, driving buried iron ribs through their shield positions.
Aegis caught the upper ribs, but the Zone redirected its lower braces through terrain below the barrier.
Harl held the center shield, the village headman whose bitten arm had healed after the first hound attack.
One rib entered beneath his shield and crossed his chest, killing him before the row could pull him clear.
Serrit stood beside Hans's signal board, the bell worker who had counted thirty seconds during the village retreat.
