Deep within one of the densest and oldest forests on the continent of Ytreses—the mythical Forest of Erixfy—stands an impossible fortress, a structure no more than two hundred years old, yet it feels older than the trees that surround it.

  It was erected by hands foreign to Gaea, by invaders from another world, feared and hated under a name that, over time, became universal: magical demons.

  Despite the hostile nature of Erixfy, a forest that devours any settlement that tries to establish itself, the fortress stands firm, arrogant, as if defying the very world that tries to consume it. They call it Tabraga.

  For the inhabitants of Gaea, the name is synonymous with catastrophe. A reminder of a wound that never healed.

  Tabraga is a colossal architectural feat and, at the same time, a defensive position considered impregnable. Four cyclopean towers of black stone, over two hundred meters high, rise like colossal columns. Each is the heart of one of the four main castles that make up the fortress. From them, the demons control an area of ??several tens of kilometers around; any creature that approaches, be it beast or warrior, is quickly detected and becomes prey to the forces that inhabit the fortress.

  But the towers are not mere observation posts: They embody the invaders' supreme magical power. Dubbed the Four Demon Towers, each is inhabited by at least one demon king and is capable of unleashing offensive and defensive magic of magnitudes rarely seen on Gaea. Each tower acts as a living magical bastion, an inexhaustible source of magical energy that makes the forest tremble and subdues all who approach.

  Along with its numerous armies—demons in the guise of humans—Tabraga has managed to withstand all attacks from both the forest and the local inhabitants. For generations, countless warriors and beasts have tried to expel the invaders from this part of the continent… without success.

  For demonic invasions are not a new phenomenon in Ytreses, but a dark cycle that has been repeating itself for more than four centuries.

  At first, the powerful demons emerged openly among the nations, accompanied by entire armies. Their portals opened without warning, and the clouds turned red as their magic flooded the air. They came seeking riches, magical resources, minerals impossible to find in their worlds… and, with an almost ritualistic hunger, the blood of the local population.

  Gaea has always been a world of conflict, of warring races and kingdoms that distrust one another. Therefore, the first invasions were devastating. They destroyed ancient cities and entire kingdoms. Sects that had survived countless ages vanished overnight. The continent of Ytreses teetered on the brink of collapse.

  The horror was so absolute that, for the first time in history, the races of Gaea were forced to set aside their differences. Humans, elves, demihumans, southern dwarves, nomadic tribes, among others… all united against a single enemy.

  From that desperate need was born the First Demonic War, a conflict that led to the creation of the first Allied Army in history. A force so vast and diverse that it became an unstoppable storm, capable of defeating—and even killing—several demon kings and countless numbers of their generals. All of them were warriors capable of rising to the pinnacle of any nation or sect.

  The First Demonic War achieved its goal: expelling the invaders, forcing them to flee through their magical portals. But it did not mark their end. The demons returned decades later, unleashing the Second and subsequently the Third Demonic War in different regions of the continent.

  Everything indicated that history would repeat itself indefinitely, until capturing prisoners and deciphering their language revealed an unexpected truth: The invaders didn't come from a single world, but from four… and all were natural enemies of one another.

  That discovery changed the course of history. With this information, the allied armies were able to unite and focus their efforts, confronting and expelling the demons one by one, weakening their influence with each successive conflict. With each war, the response became faster and more efficient.

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  However, the demons learned from their defeats. Over time, they understood that their arrogance and rivalry among themselves had only doomed them to failure, so they began to forge alliances, which grew stronger and stronger. This newfound unity among them unleashed the fourth great demonic war, the day the four infernal worlds marched under a single banner and unleashed upon Ytreses the largest invading army ever recorded.

  It was a cruel, devastating war, marked by battles that still haunt the nightmares of veterans today. However, despite the brutality of the offensive, the allied army ultimately prevailed. They capitalized on their overwhelming numerical advantage, as well as numerous strange betrayals that arose within the demonic ranks themselves. The chaotic nature of the invaders finally turned against them at the decisive moment.

  In the end, the demons withdrew from the planet, and several decades passed without anyone seeing an organized demonic army… until they returned. But this time, they didn't come with open conquest in mind, but rather in a focused and limited way, concentrating their entire presence in a single place: the Erixfy Forest.

  No one understood why. Not even the local inhabitants dared venture into that territory teeming with the most terrifying and powerful creatures on the continent. To everyone's surprise, the demons seemed content waging a constant war of attrition against the forest itself, as if it served a purpose that no one else could see.

  The great nations of Ytreses didn't seem to care much. As soon as the demonic threat subsided, each kingdom returned to its old political frictions, border disputes, and ancestral feuds. It was inevitable, given the enormous diversity—and mutual distrust—among the continent's races.

  The only ones who truly took the return of the demons seriously were the Druids of the Forest of Erixfy. An order composed mostly of wild elves and humans born beneath the forest canopy. They consider Erixfy their sacred home and practice an ancient magic that allows them to communicate with and exert control over the beasts that dwell there.

  It is they, more than anyone else, who have prevented the demons from expanding beyond their current domains. Under their command, entire waves of savage beasts periodically attack the fortress of Tabraga, keeping the demonic threat occupied and cornered in a relentless cycle of death.

  The second great force that responded from the very first day was the Free Armies, a coalition of forces from all corners of Ytreses. In their early days, they were composed mainly of those who harbored a deep resentment toward the demons: survivors, orphans, soldiers scarred by past invasions. But over time, their prestige grew, attracting aspirants, adventurers, and glory-seekers who saw in Erixfy the opportunity to prove their worth.

  Today, there is no greater honor than having participated in a Free Armies campaign… and returning with a demon's head as irrefutable proof of one's courage.

  On the morning of the 25th day of the second month of the year 4587 of the divine calendar, the fortress of Tabraga awoke to the sudden blare of alarms, barely after the first rays of sunlight. This had become routine—a kind of everyday dawn for those who lived within its walls—but even so, the fortress reacted like a living organism: entrances sealing themselves, magical mechanisms springing to life, soldiers rushing to their posts. All its power was activated in a matter of minutes.

  This time, however, the first to stir were the Four Demon Towers, which could only mean one thing: a massive attack was imminent.

  The northern tower, nicknamed Arvok, was the first to react. Its spire vibrated with a deep echo, and an instant later, it unfurled an immense, brilliant blue magical shield that enveloped the main buildings like a protective dome.

  The western tower, Raumir, ignited a crimson flame at its peak, a fire so dense it seemed liquid, moving as if it had a will of its own.

  The eastern tower, Ilshara, responded with a white light so intense it cast sharp shadows even in the growing light of dawn.

  The southern tower, Vorgath, on the other hand, showed no visible signs… it merely trembled for a few moments as if activating, but demonstrated no power whatsoever. Vorgath usually never reacted, as it was the headquarters of the demonic forces and a last line of defense, typically used in decisive moments.

  Tabraga had three concentric walls, each separated by several hundred meters. They were black stone walls, twenty meters high and almost ten meters thick, reinforced with invisible enchantments. Soon these walls were filled with demon defenders, all carrying magical artifacts capable of firing projectiles over long distances. The enormous towers, built along the same walls, activated their war machines: giant crossbows, magical catapults, and enormous crystal spheres filled with compressed energy.

  In the distance, even before the beasts were visible, the first signs of the impending attack began to manifest, with birds emerging from the forest in flocks, forming a chaotic vortex in the sky. Seconds later, the ground began to tremble with a deep, steady rumble—the unmistakable warning of thousands of legs advancing in unison.

  Tension hung in the air along the walls, but not panic. Every defender knew exactly what to do. These attacks were brutal, yes, but nothing they hadn't faced before. They had fought, bled, and survived in Erixfy for generations.

  As part of the outer defenses, a full kilometer of forest had been cleared around the outermost wall, creating a vast artificial clearing. This open space allowed them to see the hordes approaching early enough to adjust their defenses.

  And when the enemy finally emerged from the trees, it did so like a formless torrent. The attack began without warning. The first wave consisted of thousands of swift, quadrupedal creatures, resembling felines and canines, though larger than any species in the civilized world. Their fangs were long, their eyes filled with savage fury, and their muscles spoke volumes about their immense strength, enough to easily leap over the defensive walls.

  The moment these creatures entered the firing range of the first wall… all hell broke loose.

  A massive barrage of magical projectiles, energy beams, fireballs, and shards of ice rained down from the defenders. The beasts exploded, shattered, or were flung back by the force of the impact. But for every one that fell, three more rose up behind it.

  The battle had only just begun.