Reinforcements

The next day, Kaeya and his party arrived at Babig. The traces of battle were evident on the city walls, with the corpses of demons and humans scattered across the wilderness. It was clear that a fierce battle had taken place here. "Welcome, brave heroes," General Bos, the city's defender, stepped forward to greet them. "General Bos, you've worked hard. The situation looks grim—there are signs of fighting all along the way," Kaeya responded. "I'm truly sorry. I heard about your son. Shug was a great warrior who gave his life to protect the nation's honor and the safety of its people." Wiping away tears, General Bos replied, "My son fought until his last breath with no regrets. I'm proud of him. It should've been this old bag of bones instead." He continued, "Did you see the bodies of the soldiers around as you came? Behind every life lost is a shattered family. Those damned demons disrupted our peaceful lives. Peace has abandoned us, and who knows how long this war will drag on.""How's the evacuation of the city's residents going?" Emily asked him. "The evacuation was completed early on. Most people have moved to cities unaffected by the war. Some men chose to stay behind and fight alongside the army," Bos explained. "How many troops are left in the city?" Kaeya inquired further. "About 1,600 defenders remain. If the enemy keeps attacking, we'll eventually be worn down. Our magic corps has been specifically targeted and wiped out by the enemy. Another wave of attacks, and I doubt we can hold out.""We've got a rough grasp of the situation. Joe, Sisi, I need you two to scout the enemy's position, assess their numbers, and, if possible, set up a magical surveillance array to monitor their movements," Kaeya instructed. "OK," Joe replied, heading off with Sisi. Kaeya and Emily stayed behind at the camp to strategize."Bad news! The enemy's attacking!" a soldier rushed in to report. Kaeya, Emily, and General Bos dashed out of the command room. Before them, a handsome man with long white hair, clad in a war robe, hovered in the air. "I heard the heroes have arrived. Let's have a little fun," he said. "Is this Ding'er?" Kaeya asked, eyeing him. "That's right—one of the Demon King's three generals. Be careful!" General Bos warned, drawing his sword to prepare for battle. "So, it's you lot? Let's spar," the man taunted. "Did you destroy this city? I won't let you wreak havoc any longer!" With that, Kaeya cast a flight spell, leaping into the air and swinging his holy sword at Ding'er. In an instant, Ding'er teleported, vanishing before the strike could land and reappearing behind Kaeya. "Not impressed. I alone am enough for you." "Don't underestimate us!" Kaeya pressed his attack."Be careful!" Emily shouted. Kaeya kept swinging his sword, but he couldn't land a hit on Ding'er. Then, Kaeya unleashed a binding spell, particles transforming into chains that wrapped around Ding'er's body. "Let's see you dodge this!" Seizing the moment, Kaeya lunged forward with a direct strike. Ding'er broke free of the light chains with force, conjuring a demonic sword from his hand to block the attack. "My turn," he sneered. A flurry of lightning-fast stabs left Kaeya covered in wounds. "Kaeya!" Emily quickly chanted a spell, unleashing homing magical fireballs. Ding'er, however, raised a shield, deflecting every last one. "Heh, is this all the heroes have got?" he mocked."Kaeya, hold him off—I'm charging a big move!" Emily called out. "Got it," Kaeya replied, resuming his assault on Ding'er. "No matter what you try, it'll end the same," Ding'er said calmly, countering with ease.