Chapter 71: Fatal Strike

Chapter 71: Fatal Strike

Silvia's POV

The night before the mission was quiet—too quiet. The camp was a strange mix of tension and anticipation, the calm before the storm. Silvia walked through the rows of soldiers and resistance fighters, taking in their expressions. Some sharpened their weapons, others whispered prayers to gods long since abandoned, and a few simply sat in silence, steeling themselves for what was to come.

Dragon stood near a smoldering fire, rolling his shoulders. His usual smirk was absent, replaced with a rare look of contemplation. "You feel it too, don't you?"

Silvia nodded, tightening the straps on her armor. "This one feels different. Bigger."

He exhaled sharply. "Because it is. This is the one that decides everything. We either end Titan here, or they end us."

She looked up at him, her chest tightening. "We'll win. We have to."

Dragon's gaze softened. "You always say that like it's a certainty."

Silvia forced a smirk. "That's because it is."

The Final Approach

Dawn arrived in streaks of blood-red light, casting an eerie glow over the battlefield. The resistance had mobilized in full force, their numbers lined up along the ridges and within the valley. Titan's stronghold loomed ahead, a massive, fortified structure surrounded by thick walls and automated defenses.

Silvia stood with Garrik, Tarren, and Dragon at the front of their forces, studying the holographic display of their battle plan. "We have one shot at this. The main force will create a diversion at the northern gates while our strike team infiltrates from the south. Once we take out their command center, their entire operation collapses."

Tarren exhaled. "No pressure, then."

Garrik cracked his knuckles. "Let's get this over with."

Silvia turned to Dragon. "Ready to break things?"

His grin returned. "Always."

As the army moved into position, the air thickened with unspoken words, the quiet hum of soldiers double-checking their weapons, adjusting armor, and preparing themselves mentally for the carnage ahead. Silvia could feel the weight of their expectations pressing down on her shoulders. She wasn't just leading a team into battle—she was leading them to the final chapter of their fight.

The Infiltration

Under the cover of darkness, Silvia's strike team moved through the southern trench. The air was thick with tension, every footstep feeling like it echoed too loudly. Titan's patrols were everywhere, their searchlights slicing through the night like hungry beasts searching for prey.

Silvia gave the signal, and the team spread out. Tarren took position on an elevated outcrop, her rifle already sighted on the nearest sentry. With a silent exhale, she fired—the guard crumpled without a sound.

Dragon crouched beside Silvia, his breath warm against her ear. "You know, sneaking in is great and all, but when do we get to the part where we blow things up?"

Silvia shot him a look. "Patience."

He sighed. "Fine, fine. Just let me know when I can start causing chaos."

They moved forward, slinking between the shadows. The entrance to the command bunker was just ahead, its massive steel doors guarded by two heavily armored Titan elites.

Dragon flexed his fingers. "Finally. Some fun."

Silvia held him back. "Quiet fun. No loud explosions yet."

Dragon groaned but nodded. He moved like a shadow, slipping behind one of the guards. In a flash, he wrapped an arm around the man's throat and yanked him into the darkness. The other barely had time to react before Silvia's dagger found the weak spot in his armor, dropping him instantly.

As they pushed forward into the bunker, the air grew colder, the dim blue lights casting long shadows down the metallic corridors. Silvia could hear the low hum of machines, the steady beeping of monitors monitoring Titan's vast network of operations. The walls were lined with monitors, flickering between maps of the battlefield and live feeds of Titan's forces outside. This wasn't just a war room—it was their nerve center.

The War Room

The team breached the bunker, moving quickly through its sterile, dimly lit hallways. Every corner held a new danger—trip mines, motion sensors, hidden sentries—but they had planned for this. One by one, they disarmed each threat, pressing forward until they reached their target.

The war room.

Inside, Titan's high command was gathered around a massive strategic display. Maps, holographic projections, and transmission feeds blinked in rapid succession. The officers turned in alarm as Silvia and her team stormed in.

Dragon wasted no time. He lunged, shifting mid-air, his claws tearing through the first officer before the man could even scream.

Silvia's fire erupted through the room, consuming Titan's highest-ranking officials in a storm of heat and destruction. The remaining officers scrambled for their weapons, but Tarren picked them off one by one with deadly efficiency.

It was over in seconds.

Silvia stepped over the smoldering remains, pressing a hand to the central control panel. "Shutting down their operations now. Once this goes offline, Titan collapses."

Garrik kept watch at the entrance. "Then do it fast. Reinforcements are inbound."

Silvia's fingers danced across the console, overriding Titan's security measures. Alarms blared through the bunker as systems crashed, disabling the defense networks across all Titan outposts. The stronghold trembled as power flickered out.

Dragon whistled. "I love when you break things."

She turned to him, breathless. "Let's finish this."

The Final Blow

As they emerged from the bunker, chaos had already erupted. Without command structure or automated defenses, Titan's forces were in disarray. The resistance surged forward, overwhelming them in a final, brutal push.

Silvia stood atop the rubble of the command center, flames swirling around her hands. "It's over. Titan is done."

Dragon smirked, wrapping an arm around her waist. "Told you we'd win."

She let herself lean into him, just for a moment. "Yeah. We did."

The war was finally over.

All around them, the resistance forces let out victorious shouts, some dropping to their knees in exhaustion, others hugging comrades who had survived. The battlefield, which had once been a place of blood and fire, now carried the scent of victory and relief. Silvia knew the scars of war would never fully fade, but at least, for now, they had earned a chance at peace.

Tarren approached, wiping the sweat from her brow. "So, what now? We rebuild?"

Silvia exhaled, looking at the rising sun. "We rebuild. We protect what we've won. And we make sure no one tries to take it from us again."

Garrik clapped a hand on her shoulder. "And we start by celebrating. We deserve it."

Dragon nudged Silvia. "That means you owe me that date."

She laughed, shaking her head. "Fine, but if you pick a battlefield as the setting, I'm walking away."

He grinned. "Noted."

The war was over. But their story was just beginning.